I'm not here, I'm over at FFF :)

I'm not here. I'm at FFF!

Today I'm interviewing a very cool kiwi girl who adores everything Steampunk and is currently working on a manuscript about serial killers.


Go have a read: Anita's Interview


Have a great day guys.


Oh, and a huge THANK YOU to all who commented on my first 500 words and query letter. I got a full request from Curiosity Quills so pretty darn excited about that!! x

10 Things... :)

So, I won the Kreativ Blogger award thanks to Mckenzie McCann. Thanks for thinking of me!! :)

Here are the rules:
1. Thank and link back to the person who presented you with the award
2. Answer the ten questions below
3. Share ten random facts/thoughts about yourself
4. Nominate seven worthy blogs for the Kreativ Blogger Award


Here are the questions:

What is your favourite song/singer?

Don't have one. To be honest I don't really like music. I really struggle to remember who sang what and who  I should be up to date with. However, everything else I have a photographic memory. Give me a phone number once, I'll remember it. Give me a book, I'll remember the plot forever. Give me some music. Yep, within 20 seconds I'll have forgotten the chorus, the beat and the artist. 

What is your favourite dessert?

Ummmm... I have a sweat-tooth so pretty much everything. But I guess I'd have to say Creme Brulee. YUM!!

What ticks you off?
When companies don't stand by their warranties and never call you back, even after stalking them on the phone. Just been through a fiasco like this...my blood was boiling! 

 

When you're upset what do you do?

I allow myself 5 mins to work through it. Then depending on how bad it is I cuddle my house-rabbit - who is a great sadness reliever or just move on. I don't allow stress to take hold of me. Life is too short.

Which is/was your favourite pet?
Best pet of all time has to be my current house-rabbit. I used to live in Hong Kong and had budgies, parrots, hamsters, dogs, cats, guinea pigs, lizards, mice, snow-finches... you name it, all at the same time! But our little bunny right now has SUCH a personality. She's human I swear it. She just makes caring for a little soul so rewarding. We love her so much we actually flew her from Sydney, Australia when we moved to NZ. She was NOT impressed. Nor were the luggage handles. They looked at her and asked if we had brought her over to eat her!!!!! Say what?! 

Which do you prefer black or white?

Black. It's one of my favorite colors. Purple is the other one.

What is your biggest fear?
Losing my incredible Hubby. I like to think I would cope, but seriously I would become a jabbering wreck for the rest of my life. I never wanted to get married, I was happy to be a single woman who traveled the world. I was never interested in boys. But then hubby walked into the travel agent where I worked and that was it. Love at first sight. :) (did I make anyone gag with that sop story? lol )

What is your attitude mostly?
I'm one of those super annoying organised people who has a life plan and know exactly where I want to be in 5 years. 

1. Published

2. 4 Houses

3. A property development in Australia under way

4. Healthy bank account

5. Happy Marriage

6. No children. (top on my list. *shudder*)

7. Travel every 3 months

(not too much to strive for, right?)

What is perfection?
Perfection to me is what I have in my life right now. I'm blessed and incredibly lucky to love my life, and where we're heading.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Vampire Diaries and reading the Dark Lover series by JR Ward. Recommend them! :) 

Okay, if you read all of that and are continuing to read on, bravo, because this is one monster of an award. 

Now, for ten random facts.

1. My nick-name from my parents growing up was Jade-e-pots. EMBARRASSING!! 

2. My first boyfriend at the age of 7 was called Jeffery Loo. I could never get past his last name. It lasted 2 hours. :)

3. I'm currently reading George R R Martin's Dance of Dragons. 

4. I never finished high school. I left at 16 to get a travel and tourism diploma and become the youngest flight attendant for Air NZ at the age of 17. :)

5. I was almost born in the phillipines. My parents had gone on a holiday from Hong Kong and they got trapped by a typhoon on a boat! I was almost shark bait. 

6. When I get a publishing contract I will do these three things. Scream. Throw up. Faint. Hubby has been warned. 

7. I hate shoes. But I LOVE handbags. I'm addicted. Oh, and matching wallets.

8. I was born in Hong Kong but in an English ruled hospital. Therefore my official nationality is: Hong Kong Ite. Huh? 

9. I hate food. I hate grocery shopping and eating. I just wish I could chose to eat when I'm wanting to be social and be some super human who didn't need food to survive at all other times.

10. When money is no object I would like to live 3 months of the year in Australia. 3 months in Canada, 3 months in Hong Hong and 3 months in Bali. Heaven :)

And that's it! 

Oh. One task left, nominating seven bloggers who deserve this award. Seeing as most of the bloggers I know have this award I will nominate the girls over at Falling for Fiction. That's 5 in one go :) And you get to know us all a little better. :) x

Ciao :)

 

Wilde's Fire Judged Contest

Welcome everyone to my submission for the Wilde's Fire's Editor Judged Contest that Sharon Bayliss has organised. I'm very excited about this!

Okay, so if you haven't heard of "Wilde's Fire" yet by Krystal Wade then you have to read the reviews on Goodreads. It has had incredible feedback and I'm dying to get my hands on a copy. :)

“There is no pain in this death, only peace, knowing I am going to die with the one I love the most.”—Katriona Wilde.

Wilde's Fire by Krystal Wade is available now!

Thanks also to the 'literary marauder's' over at Curiosity Quills. Thanks for taking the time to critique and pass on feedback :)

Fingers crossed I entice you enough for a request :)





Right, so getting down to it:


My Query for SAMSARA:


Loka has died. Again.

Death finds her in many ways: Throttled by her English professor, squashed by a Peugout 308, and boring old pneumonia. Each reincarnation cloaks the previous and Loka never remembers her past, who she truly is.

But her life changes when she awakens as a twenty-two year old woman with moonbeam hair and rainbow-vortex eyes. Her past trickles into consciousness, and her seventeen deaths are a rolodex of recollection. 

Her Samsara: the perpetual journey of suffering and never knowing who she is, has changed. Her eyes now see things which should only exist in Hindu fables; limbs itch with unknown power, and strange tattoos on her fingertips taunt her.

Loka is told she must remember. She must remember who she is and ever will be. But no one can help her. She must   unlock the truth herself, for each memory holds a power. A power so great it would kill her and every soul alive if it isn't embraced on her own terms.

The only support she receives is from a mythological creature: a frightful but intriguing half beast, half man. Shankara is as terrifying as any predator and deadly as an assassin, but despite his passion to kill, Loka falls in love. As their bond increases, Shankara reveals a dark secret, one that makes dying seventeen times only the beginning.

Loka is not human and her time is running out.

Intertwining fantasy, Hindu mythology and romance, SAMSARA, is a New Adult Urban Fantasy complete at 94,000 words. It can be stand alone, however I am currently working on the sequel.

FIRST 500 Words:

Chapter One: Deadly Equipment.

If I knew I was about to die, I would have kept my Brazilian wax appointment.

My blood pumped with every snare of the drum and my eyes refused to look anywhere else than the sexy tatted drummer. God, he's hot, why did I turn him down again?

Recalling the awkwardness of shutting down Dean, the drummer, last month made me fidget. That was until he attacked the drum set as if it was covered in spiders and sweat droplets went flying. The heaviness of the beat sent excitement sparking through my veins. They were going to make a fortune, and me too. I was their newly appointed manager. Appointed by myself I may add.

Yep, this was a good move, the first one in a while. Head-bobbing to the beat, I was happy. But the fleeting moment of happiness was pulverised into mind shattering pain. One second I'm looking forward to the gig; the next... white, hot torture.

My legs buckled and agony blazed through my chest. Even as the dusty floor caught me and I saw the harpoon of metal... it didn't seem real. But the wildfire of pain and suffering overtook everything else, and I knew. This was real. Most definitely real.

I screamed. I had to scream, the pain needed releasing before it consumed me, but only a gurgle sounded. God, my heart.

The thudding gave way to spasms and I looked down at my crushed body. I immediately wished I hadn't.

A rod that had held the strobe lighting above me was embedded in my ribcage.

Ah! Holy hell, that hurt!

Writhing in excruciation, my heart galloped, stalled, then sprinted. Adrenaline kicked in, fighting the foreign obstacle that now replaced my organs.

An eternity passed while the band practice continued, oblivious to my impending demise. Trust me to hang around with a group of drug-hazed band members.

A riff of strings and thrash of symbols bounced off the derelict warehouse walls. Music much more important than me. How ironic that only months ago they were swarming over me, more focused on my tits than their instruments. It was me who pushed them to embrace their talent rather than bonk the groupies. Not that I was ever a groupie, of course.

Finally.

''Loka?'' Silence blanketed the room, a final note twanging. ''Loka!''

With crashing and a curse, big brown eyes and sweaty hair loomed over me.

''Hell! Toby! Help me get this out of her. Quick!'' Dean disappeared and I gasped as the rod scraped my insides. My heart stuttered, stopped then re-started. ''Don't.'' I panted. ''Don't touch it.''

Dean filled my vision again. ''I'm gonna sue those bloody sound riggers for this. Toby, call an ambulance.''

A bright sear of pain and my heart flip-flopped. Morbidly I chuckled; I was actually proud of myself, I could laugh in the face of death. Me, who hated any form of pain. See Death, I'm not afraid of you! Yes, I would go out with my pride intact.

''No... ambulance...'' Sweat tickled my neck as I winced.

''Huh? What did you say?'' Dean's eyes flashed toward Toby. ''Hurry up, man, she's losing it.''

I laughed again, but blood choked me, my voice a gurgling drain.

Dean leaned closer. ''What is it, Loka?''

My heart squeezed, thunked and stopped. Oh, thank God, no more pain.

I smiled. ''You don't need an ambulance.''

Confusion, then horror filled his face.

''You need a hearse.'' 

 

A day off and a Thank You

It's Sunday down here in the World of Orks and I'm taking the day off from renovation. My fingers are blistered from painting. My shoulders are aching from sanding, and my body is drained from dragging hunks of timber and window frames around. 


I'm very excited to spend the day on the couch. Not because I want to watch TV and relax, but because I get to WRITE! It's been over a month since I've written and my fingers are itching. So you all know what I'll be up to. :)




Now, I want to say a huge Thank You to Sharon Bayliss over at her Blog. Sharon recently earned a publishing contract and is offering the opportunity to send in a query and first 500 words to her publishers. She has also offered to help with said query and sent me a document which makes so much sense. Why I haven't seen this document before is beyond me! 

So thank you, Sharon for shedding light on a step by step query. You're the best! In fact, I'm going to make up an award for you :) The Query Quill.


Enjoy your weekend writerly people :)

Falling For Fiction CP Mixer

Today is Party Time :) 

Finding a honest and reliable Critique Partner can seem like a huge, unattainable goal. I was extremely lucky to find one of my CP's on QueryTracker, and in turn she introduced me to the amazing, fantabulous ladies over at Falling For Fiction. I don't know what I'd do without their guidance and general quirkiness.

So, because we want the friendship that we've found to be available to all writers, we are having a CP MIXER over at FFF.

See you all there!!! All you have to do is write what you're looking for in the comment section and read the other comments to find a good match :) Easy!

I think this is the one...

Finally!


After seven attempts at writing a decent query.


After numerous editions sent to CP's and slamming my head against a wall in frustration.

This is Durga. The highest Goddess there is in Hindu faith.
She is also my main character.

After lamenting how to condense a very complicated MS into 200 words or less...


I've finally written a query that I LIKE! Amazing.


So, with the help and editing skills of some amazing women, here is the query letter that I think is the front runner for when I start to email agents.


Thoughts? Feedback?

This is Shiva and Durga. The eternal love
these two share are fundamental to Venom's Curse

QUERY FOR VENOM'S CURSE:

Loka has died. Again. 

 Death finds her in many ways: Strangled by her English professor, run-over by a Peugout 308, and boring old pneumonia. The most frustrating part is she doesn't  remember her previous lives. Each reincarnation hides her past, her memories, who she truly is.

It isn't until she awakens as a twenty-two year old woman with moonbeam hair and rainbow-vortex eyes, that her past starts to trickle into consciousness. Her seventeen deaths are a rolodex of recollection and the black and white world in which she struggled is 

Again, Shiva and Durga. When she is with Shiva her
ten arms are transformed to two.

suddenly... prismatic. Her eyes see things which should only exist on temple etchings and in Hindu fables; limbs itch with unknown power, and strange tattoos on her fingertips taunt her.

What causes Loka to completely unravel is a mythological creature: a frightful but intriguing half beast, half man. Shankara is as terrifying as any predator and deadly as an assassin, but despite his passion to kill, Loka falls in love. As their bond increases, Shankara reveals a dark secret about her, one that makes dying seventeen times seem like only the beginning... 

She is not really Loka. 

Kali, the Goddess of Death, also one of my main characters.

Intertwining fantasy, Hindu mythology and romance, VENOM'S CURSE, is a New Adult Urban Fantasy complete at 93,000 words. 

Thanks again, everyone! 

The only thing I'm struggling with is the ending. Does it flow for you guys?

Ganesha, the Lord of Removal of Obstacles
and Bestower of Success. Durga's and Shiva's
Son.

In return for critiquing mine I'd like to offer a thank you by critiquing yours. If you send me an email to jadehart88@hotmail.com with your query, or post it on your blog, I will see what I can to do help you in return.

Brahma, The God of Creation. He is the least
favoured God in the Hindu faith and features as the
villan in my MS.

Vishnu and Lakshimi. The God of Preservation
and Goddess of Knowledge. Their love also
features in the MS.