Monday, July 11, 2011

Casting a Darkspell

Thanks again to Melissa for Friday’s post on books to movies – she really churned up the discussion. And don’t forget – season premier of Eureka and Warehouse 13, and series premier of Alphas on the SyFy Channel. I know where I’ll be for three hours…

But today it’s all about Elizabeth Mueller! One of my Fantastic Friday Writers buddies. she can best be described as joyful, spiritually grounded, generous, and just so beautiful. Her very first book, Darkspell, comes out this fall from TreasureLine Books. And I know it will rock because the hero’s name is Alex!

Enough Ninja chatter – here’s Elizabeth:

So, which came first? My children, or my writing?

I’m a stay-at-home mom with four lively kids. There’s never a boring second. The house unravels the time they awaken—it’s nonstop fighting, whining, and messing. Aside from the headaches, I’ve learned so much from them. Patience, joy, love, and lots of humility.

So, what about my writing?

It has always been a part of my life. It was easy enough before kids, but when they started pouring in, I had to create time. I wrote right after I tucked them in, and pushed late into the mornings. I’ve actually completed 8 books of squeezing time!

Just 4 years ago, I decided to take my writing a step further. Publishing! I attended writers conferences, learned the rules, joined critique groups, critiqued for others, query writing and submitting. Needless to say, I’ve felt the sting of rejections. Ouch!

Guess what? It was not until late March of this year that I decided to take another chance and submit one of my novels.

Darkspell was accepted by TreasureLine Books! I was SO not expecting my book to be picked up. After 20 years of writing, I’ve finally reached my aspirations! So much to the point that I didn’t know what to do, like the car-chasing dog that has finally caught one.

About my book: Winter Sky believes she is everything ordinary . . . until she is kissed by Alex Stormhold. As seer of Stormhold Coven, Alex is sworn to be Winter’s protector against the darkness that hunts her. Violently thrust into a magical realm she always thought impossible, she stumbles upon a disturbing secret of her own.

Darkspell is a YA Paranormal Romance, coming fall of 2011!

I wrote this book before I met Alex Cavanaugh—the names are purely coincidental.

Hey, Alex, thank you SO much for having me over, it was fun visiting your blog! (As always…)

Please drop by and say hi! You can find me over at my blog. Check on my bookly updates on my website. (An visiting MS Hatch at Unicorn Bell on July 12.)

Please join me in my celebration for Darkspell’s fall release all July long! A pre-booklaunch party if you will. Click HERE for details.

What is your writing journey like?

82 comments:

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

Thanks Alex for hosting Elizabeth,
Ye Gods, four children and writing, that takes some doing,
I wish her well with her book.

Have a good day.
Yvonne.

Liz P said...

Talk about dedication! It just goes to show that if you want it badly enough, you can reach your goals.

Thanks for having Elizabeth today!

Li said...

That's inspiring! Apparently perseverence does pay off, as well as making some time for oneself and writing a priority no matter how hectic life becomes. Congrats, Elizabeth! Thanks for hosting, Alex.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

Congrats to you, Elizabeth, for your upcoming release and dedication to writing! I'll look forward to the book.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Yvonne, I can't imagine doing it with one!

Elizabeth is dedicated.

Morgan said...

Congrat's Elizabeth! That's so exciting!

Old Kitty said...

Yay for the ever so talented Elizabeth and her gorgeous family!! What a determined fabulous writer!! Thank you Cap'n Alex for having her here! Take care
x

Huntress said...

The title alone sold me.

Your story provides great inspiration for aspiring writers!

Thanks :)

Bryan Russell said...

Sounds great! And this reminds me that I have to go wake up my daughter.

Kristie Cook said...

So excited for Elizabeth! Thanks for hosting her, Alex.

Matthew MacNish said...

Hah! Most people wonder how I manage to find time to write with a day job, but it would be much harder if I didn't have one.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Kitty, she is a gorgeous lady, isn't she?

Matthew, that is very true!

Unknown said...

Alex, you're so welcome. I had such a blast. Thanks so much again for hosting my rant.

Elizabeth Congratulations! This sounds like an amazing story and I wish you tons of success with it. I'll be looking forward to reading it.

Carol Kilgore said...

Congratulations! Can't imagine how you write with four kids. Ack :)

Anonymous said...

What an inspiration!! Great story. Congrats on your book, and I really admire your perseverance.

Jemi Fraser said...

I'm SO looking forward to Elizabeth's book! :)

Rhonda @Laugh Quotes said...

What could be better than a book staring "Alex." Thanks for the intro and I look forward to reading Elizabeth's book.

Christopher Hudson said...

Twenty years, eh? Now I feel like a wimp for bailing after only fifteen.

Sangu Mandanna said...

Thanks for hosting Elizabeth, Alex!

And Elizabeth, I'm so excited for you! You must be so proud and I can't wait for the book to be out!

Unknown said...

Great post, Elizabeth. I'm amazed you get your writing done with four kids. I applaud you! Thanks, Alex, for hosting.

Nicki Elson said...

Congratulations, Elizabeth! Your dedication to your craft, even while so very busy, is inspiring. And now a whole new adventure awaits with publication.

Eureka! Thanks for the tip, Alex. A friend sent me the link to the Christmas special, and it was hilarious.

Charles Gramlich said...

Congrats to Elizabeth on getting Darkspell out there. Sounds like it will be a great book.

SharleneT said...

Congratulations! Sometimes, having four children feeds the creative (dark!haha!) side of a Mommy's mind and it gets released!I wish her all the success in the world.

Laila Knight said...

Congrats! Way to persevere. I love hearing about author successes. Darkspell sounds like a great book, and I think Alex...actually Alexander is one of the hottest names ever. I have an Alexander that plays a short part in book 2 of my series that I hope to get published one day...soon. :)

Hart Johnson said...

Congratulations, Elizabeth! Fitting the writing around the kids sounds challenging! I had to wait until mind were older to make the writing commitment.

I wish you the best with your book! You've definitely taken all the right steps!

Suze said...

Congratulations, Elizabeth!

Jeff Beesler said...

My writing journey blends together a little bit of talent, a dash of luck, and a huge slab of perseverance. Cook it at 400 degrees for the past 33 years of my life, and you've got a fluffy, golden brown writing journey with a few lumps in the middle (rejections, nightmarish revisions) that do not detract from the taste.

Donna K. Weaver said...

Greetings, Elizabeth. Way to go.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Melissa, it was a fun rant!

Rhonda, that's what I say!

You're welcome, Nicki.

Laila, I knew there was a reason I thought you were cool!

Jeffrey, cool description.

Colene Murphy said...

Excellent! This was awesome! Congrats to Elizabeth!!

Tyrean Martinson said...

Congrats Elizabeth!!! You are one dedicated writer, and busy too.
Thanks for hosting her Alex!

Sheila Deeth said...

Thanks. A lovely encouraging post. Congratulations Elizabeth.

T. Powell Coltrin said...

A very inspired post, Elizabeth, thanks.

Thanks, Alex for being the host.

Anonymous said...

Great guest post. And Eureka? Yahoo!

Arlee Bird said...

It's gotta be an exciting ride I'm sure. Congratulations to you!

Now how about for the next book a hero named Arlee. Okay, I guess it would be kind of a weird heroic name, but maybe your next book could be a comedy?


Lee
Tossing It Out

Christine Rains said...

Congratulations on your book, Elizabeth. Your story is particularly inspiring. I only have one child and I can barely find the time to do any writing. I couldn't imagine trying to do it with four! That's dedication.

Laura Eno said...

Congrats! Darkspell will be on my TBR pile. :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Lee, no harm in suggesting, right?

Thanks everyone for showing Elizabeth your support!

M Pax said...

Yay, Elizabeth. I'll be waiting for the book to come out.

Congrats on this turn in your journey. Never give up. :)

Jennie Bailey said...

Darkspell sounds wonderful! I can't wait to purchase a copy. I just don't know how you writers with kids do it. You are all amazing!!!

Amy said...

Great post Elizabeth!

I can't imagine how you found time to write with four kids! I barely squeeze in writing time, with just one toddler. Loved hearing about Darkspell; looking forward to reading it! :)

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Congrats! Writing around kids it difficult. As foster parents, we only had one child at a time, so I can't imagine dealing with four.

Lydia Kang said...

Hooray for finding a publisher! Congrats Elizabeth!

Copyboy said...

Wow! 20 years? That's commitment to the craft. So glad it paid off! I'm going to have to check out the book.

Ciara said...

Nice to meet you, Elizabeth. I have three boys so I understand what you are talking about. Major congrats on your upcoming release. Darkspell sounds fantastic. I'll hop over to your website and investigate further. :) Thanks for introducing us to her, Alex. Oh, BTW - the Hero of my YA paranormal is also named Alex. :)

Patricia A. Timms-McGehee said...

I can relate to this posting very much where squeezing writing in is concerned. I have 3 little ones and find myself writing when everyone sleeps at night, while they are at school for a couple of hours or while I wait for them outside their school to pick them up. Whew!

Your posting makes me realize it's worth it. Congratulations! Your book is right up my alley. Can't wait until it comes out.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Those of you with children, I have no idea how you do it.

LoneIslander said...

I haven't watch Eureka in a long time.

ali cross said...

Hey, you're a ninja captain. We could never get tired of your chatter!

And congrats to Liz! SO excited for her!

Elizabeth Mueller said...

First off, Alex, please forgive me for not dropping by any time sooner. *cry* I've been out in this hot weather melting away as my hubby ran his errands. I stayed in the car so that I could draw my illustrations for Darkspell's Chapters. They are GORGEOUS!

Thank you for having me over, it was a pleasure starring here at the Ninja's Home!

X

♥.•*¨Elizabeth¨*•.♥
Can Alex save Winter from the darkness that hunts her?
YA Paranormal Romance, Darkspell coming fall of 2011!
Pre-order your copy now!

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

My journey was similar to yours, Elizabeth. It's nice now that the kids are old enough to not need me every second.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

LoneIslander, tonight's your chance!

Thanks, Ali.

Glad you didn't melt, Elizabeth.

Regina said...

Awesome news Elizabeth. I loved reading about your journey. Makes it all more real and gives me inspiration to put my foot in the door. Thanks Alex for having Elizabeth over to say HI!

Elizabeth Mueller said...

I'd address everyone's name here, but I was late to my own party; sorry for that. Thank you for your support and well-wishes. Writing has the best friends ever!

*HUGS*!!!

Elizabeth Mueller said...

PS--I do agree, Alex is a sexy name! ;)

Empty Nest Insider said...

Congratulations on your book Elizabeth! It is amazing that you've been able to accomplish so much with 4 kids! You are an inspiration! Thanks Alex! Julie

Mel Chesley said...

Awesome post, Alex! And she must have known she would meet you someday, that is why she named her MC Alex. ;)
But on to Elizabeth... I love her! And am very happy for her success. Great job!

Enid Wilson said...

The Alex on the cover is very cool. How does it compare to our blog host here? Hehe. Congratulations Elizabeth! The book sounds very interesting.

Chemical Fusion

Emily Rose said...

I think I've heard of this author...she sounds very familiar. Can't wait to check out her book!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Elizabeth, I think it's a sexy name as well, but I'm biased of course!

Mel, she must have!

Enid, no comment.

Unknown said...

Wonderful interview, Alex. Elizabeth is such a talented writer. :)

PK HREZO said...

Congrats, Elizabeth! What a great path to publication!

Ella said...

Elizabeth I am so excited for you! Congrats~ I will have to add your book to my list. I think I would like to write YA;I have a daughter who is that age. Now, I have 2 reasons to buy your book ;D

Thanks Alex for hosting Elizabeth!

Talli Roland said...

Fantastic! Big congrats to Elizabeth - she deserves it after all her dedication.

Rick said...

What a winner Elizabeth is for sticking with her dreams!

I'm always impressed with writers' dedication. Even for my new web magazine (www.whitecatpublications.com) I'm getting 1500 short story submissions per month.

Successful writers never quit submitting.

Rosalind Adam said...

Congratulations. Perseverance is amazingly powerful. I studied for a degree while bringing up two small children. If we want it badly enough...

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Ella, your daughter would be a great source for ideas.

Rick, that is A LOT of submissions!

Luna said...

I want to read this book! Look forward to its release this fall. Thanks, Elizabeth, for sharing the story of your writing journey. Very inspiring!

Thanks, Alex, for introducing me to a new author to check out.

Elizabeth Mueller said...

Empty Nest, thank you! They've been extra cooperative lately and have been helping me run the house. Lol, you should see how messy it is! ;)

Mel, Thank you. Alex is one awesome friend! :)

Enid, thank you! :)

Emily, hmmm, I wonder from where? I want to know!

Alex--ROFL! You are such a narcissist. ;)

Alyssia, thank you! :D

PK, thank you! It's a looong road, but I've learned so much in the past few months...

Ella, how fun! Writing YA I've found is so much funner than anything else. I'm thinking maybe because there's something magical about being young. <3

Talli, thank you! :)

Rick, well, that's a great thing you're running! Thank you for your support!

Rosalind, oh, that's so true! <3

Jamie, thank you for your sweet words! :)

♥.•*¨Elizabeth¨*•.♥
Can Alex save Winter from the darkness that hunts her?
YA Paranormal Romance, Darkspell coming fall of 2011!
Pre-order your copy now!

Grammy said...

Congrats to Elizabeth for being published. How I would love to write a book and be published. I have lots of ideas, but lack the real motivation. Maybe someday..
Thank you, Alex for hosting her today, and for being so faithful to visit my humble homey blog. :)
Ruby

Karen Lange said...

It's nice to hear more about Elizabeth and her writing journey. Thanks to both of you!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I love that you said you had to create time. It's so true. If we want to achieve anything in life we need to do that. Great post. And best wishes for Darkspell. It sounds fantastic.

Michelle Fayard said...

Elizabeth’s book sounds intriguing, Alex. An author interview such as this gets me highly motivated about a new author. Thank you both!

Michelle

Julie Musil said...

Elizabeth, super mom and writer extraordinaire, and Alex, super ninja writer. You two make an awesome team! Darkspell sounds haunting and beautiful. Congratulations!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Ruby, I try to keep up with you, but you wear me out just reading everything you do sometimes!

Thanks everyone for your nice comments about Elizabeth - she's awesome!

S.B.Niccum said...

Alex, your name is sexy indeed! I named my main character Alex as well! But I actually chose the name because, at that time, I didn't know anyone named Alex and it was short!
http://chicksinlit.blogspot.com
http://spiritualsupernaturalparanormal.blogspot.com

Elizabeth Mueller said...

Grammy, thank you! Ideas are fabulous! I would jot them down in some kind of writer's journal so that when motivation visits, you have them waiting for you!

Karen, thank you! :) I'm grateful for Alex's help.

Lynda, thank you! As of the late, I've had to ask my kidlets for their extra help and they've been great!

Michelle, thank you! Being a new author is such a shocking thing. There's SO much to learn--we are always so busy learning rules and query writing and how to write them and so on, but never the other side...

Julie, thank you so much! Alex is rather extraordinary. He's such a fabulous marketer. Maybe I can hire him to be my PR? ;)

Alex, you're so sweet, thank you for everything! :)

Silvina, ROFL! Naughty girl, but your MC is an Alex, too! Because we are both with TreasureLine, I hope no one confuses the two... :/

♥.•*¨Elizabeth¨*•.♥
Can Alex save Winter from the darkness that hunts her?
YA Paranormal Romance, Darkspell coming fall of 2011!
Pre-order your copy now!

Nancy Thompson said...

I watched Alphas and it was pretty good!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

SB, that is so cool!

Elizabeth, thanks again.

Jamie Gibbs said...

Finding time to write anyways is a struggle, but with 4 kids too? Do you not sleep?! Congrats on getting a publisher :D Wishing you the best of luck with Darkspell :D

SweetMarie83 said...

Very cool! I met Elizabeth through the blogosphere awhile ago - I think maybe through the A-Z Challenge - and enjoyed reading this. It's always nice to know how fellow writers make time and get things done, especially with other obligations.

Elizabeth Mueller said...

Jamie, I do sleep, actually. But I must confess that I've lost more sleep after getting my publisher with illustrating and editing and typo-hunting. Oy!

Marie--that was a fun challenge, wasn't it? I really enjoyed the friends we made!