The Adventures of Zelda: A Pug Tale

Today is the day! You can now purchase the Adventures of Zelda: A Pug Tale! I am really excited about this project. Every step of the way, I've enjoyed this project and I'm so happy with the final product.

Earlier this year, I posted rough drafts of six of the 13 chapters of The Adventures of Zelda. But, since those rough drafts, the story has undergone revision and I think you will like the changes. You can read the first chapter below.

Finally, I'd love for your help to spread the word about this book. The best way for people to buy this book is through your recommendation. Share the book and please post reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, or your favorite book seller. Reviews are so important for indie authors!

You can buy ebook versions on every platform for $2.99. Paperback copies can be purchased from Amazon or from me. I always have copies on hand to sell for $8.

BUY NOW:

Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, Nook, iBooks

Once again, thanks for your support!

The Adventures of Zelda: A Pug Tale

Chapter 1: Beginnings

I spent my first two years in a small, crowded house with a woman, her four children, her boyfriend, and three other pugs. I struggled to eat enough each day because I was the smallest of the pugs. While the other pugs slept, I had to sneak my way to the food bowl. Eating was the only reason I left my cage. The man of the house wasn’t happy; he took his anger out on us, and I didn’t want to get in trouble with him. Everyday I woke up and survived one more day, dreaming of a better life someday down the road.

One day I awakened to the woman entering the house. She walked straight to my cage and lifted me into her arms. She never held me. Only the kids did. She carried me outside and placed me in the arms of a stranger–a woman I had never seen. This woman was standing with a man who had a big smile.

I was so scared. I didn’t know how to react, so I went limp in her arms. She carried me into a car, and the man drove us away, never to return.

I don't know how Hannah and Nate found me that day, but I am glad they did. Hannah, Nate, Lucy, and Ben are my new family. Hannah and Nate are the woman and man who rescued me from my old home. Ben and Lucy are their kids. Ben is loud, energetic, and roughly half the size of Nate. I play many games with Ben. Lucy is much smaller than Ben, but she is super cute, and I love snuggling with her at night.

“Why is she so wrinkly, Dad?” Lucy asked, the first day I came home.

“Because she’s a pug,” Nate said.

“Do all pugs have wrinkles?” she asked.

“Yes, they do. That’s what makes them special. That and the smashed face,” Nate said.

“I think her wrinkles are cute,” Lucy said. When Lucy said those words, I knew she was going to be a great friend.

My new family calls me Zelda. I spend my days roaming the house, sleeping, eating, sleeping some more, playing, sneezing and snorting, barking at other dogs, and going for walks. Food is always in my bowl, and I can eat whenever I am hungry. I can't remember the last time I was locked up in my crate. Instead, my family and I play with my angry bird, my owl, tennis balls, and any other toy I can find. When I get really excited, I run full speed laps through the house. My family calls the laps pug sprints.

Walks are a brand new adventure for me. When Hannah or Nate tie their shoes, I know it's time for a walk. I run in circles around Hannah or Nate trying to avoid the harness, but they always catch me. Honestly, I don't mind the harness. I run in circles because I am so excited to go for a walk.

When the front door opens, I bolt down the porch steps, pulling Nate or Hannah with me. I hit the grass and sneeze five or six times, but I love the fresh air and the never-ending scents. During our walks, I run from one edge of the sidewalk to the other. On a good day, the squirrels are running across the grass and up the trees. If I wasn’t leashed, I am sure I could catch one.

My favorite part of the day is when the darkness comes. I snuggle with Lucy or Ben and fall asleep with my best friends.

I am a lucky pug. When I wished for a better life, I never imagined my dream would come true. But my new life comes with challenges. I am not sure how to be a good pug in this new environment. I want to make my family proud, but sometimes my territorial, stubborn instincts take control. Some days I want more freedom, or more treats, or more friends. Is that too much to ask?

July 2013 Book Reviews

I read 3 books in July. The first was a dense and long book, taking 2 weeks to read while moving and traveling. The other two were young adult novels. I am reading more YA books than normal right now as I work on revisions of my own YA novel. Broken Harbor by Tana French - I can't decide how I feel about Tana French's Broken Harbor, so I will start with the basics. Detective Kennedy and his partner Richie are assigned to a case in Broken Harbor where a family was brutally attacked. The husband and two children were killed and the wife was left in critical condition. The plot follows the detectives search for the murderer and the motive. Tana French's writing is beautiful and I couldn't put the book down. But, the book's resolution is dark along with the themes throughout the book. So I think there is in my problem. I'd like a little bit of optimism in my reading. Maybe that's why I read YA. However, if you like psychological / crime books, this is worth the read. 5 out of 7 stars.

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen - Sarah Dessen is a well known, popular contemporary YA author. In this story, the protagonist, McLean is dealing with her parent's divorce. She lives with her father who moves every few months due to his job. Of course, she meets a boy in the story too. This story moves along quietly through subtle scenes and mood shifts towards resolution without huge conflicts and tension. It's an enjoyable book, but not the best YA book I've ever read. 4 out of 7 stars.

Book of the Month

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson - The Sky is Everywhere is a stunning YA debut by Jandy Nelson. The plot follows Lennie and her struggle to move forward after the sudden death of her older sister. In the midst of her grief, Lennie finds herself falling for one boy, but also connected closely with another boy, her sister's boyfriend. Each chapter starts with a poem written by Lennie and these poems add great substance to the book. The writing style is fun and clever and fits with the first person point of view. Here's an example that made me laugh - "Handfuls of bosom pouring out a minuscule black dress that I'm going to wear in broad daylight to band practice." More importantly, Nelson tackles grief and death, two tough subjects in a touching and realistic way. I absolutely loved this book. 7 out of 7 stars. 

I am looking for recommendations for my continuing quest to read solid young adult novels. I prefer to read contemporary YA right now (because of novel editing) so let me know your favorites! I am reading The Giver currently and might move on to some classic Madeline L'Engle after. As always, thanks for following along my journey. Remember The Adventures of Zelda releases Tuesday August 6th!

The Adventures of Zelda Trailer

I am excited to announce The Adventures of Zelda: A Pug Tale will be available on August 6, 2013 in paperback and e-book formats. You can pick up a paperback copy via Amazon or Createspace, or go the e-book route via Amazon Kindle, Kobo, iBooks, or the Nook store. Meanwhile, here is a short trailer to get you excited about the book! (Really, I needed an excuse to make a Zelda video.)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jlyrUqsKCo&w=560&h=315]

Scooping Ice Cream is Helping My Fiction Writing

 

I recently left my position at Forest Hill Church as Youth Director. Since my last day at Forest Hill, my life has been filled with moving, travel, a funeral, and a new job. But, life is finally settling down and I am growing accustomed to a new routine.

My new routine includes working a local ice cream shop, Sweetie Fry as an assistant manager. My work is varied; I do anything from creating a new website, social media, blogging, event coordination, marketing, inventory management, to scooping ice cream. It's a great change of pace for me, and I've found scooping ice cream is helping my fiction writing. Let me explain.

I am fortunate to work in an area with a great amount of cultural diversity and I encounter interesting people each day. Some days, I learn a portion of their story or background. Other days, I simply learn their favorite ice cream flavor and invent a story for them.

The interactions with new people are seeping into my characters and writing. I am putting faces to characters based on interactions or creating stories based on a person I met. I jot down notes of someone interesting and make a note for a later story. It's so much fun and I'm glad to have a job which fosters creativity.

How does your day job help your writing or creative endeavors?

Writing Books Under a Pseudonym

By now, I am sure you heard that J.K. Rowling published a crime thriller titled The Cuckoo's Calling under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith. The secret leaked and now the book is flying off the shelves in bookstores. It is the #1 selling book on Amazon with sales increasing 500,000%.

Rowling released The Casual Vacancy last year under her name. The book was a commercial success, but received mixed critical reviews. I am sure that contributed to her decision to release under a different name. In a statement, Rowling said she enjoyed publishing under the pseudonym and watching the unbiased reviews come in.

For someone like Rowling, who is set for life financially, but loves writing, I understand writing under a pseudonym. She is writing because she loves doing it. She doesn't need the hoopla or biased critics attacking her new attempts. However, the majority of writers aren't J.K. Rowling. We aren't set for life financially or international bestsellers. So, why use a pseudonym?

The first reason is privacy. For many writers, they want a separation between their personal lives and writing careers. A pseudonym allows for that privacy.

Another reason is you are the wrong gender for your genre. Often, female crime and thriller writers will use a male pseudonym. Or a male romance writer use a female pseudonym. From what I have heard and read in the writing community, this reason is fading away. Gender isn't as big of a deal as it once was in the writing world (and really everything). Even so, writers still use pseudonyms for gender reasons.

Finally, some writers use pseudonyms to write in different genres. If they write dark horror and children's books, they probably won't use the same name. You don't want a fan of your children's books to stumble upon one of your dark horror books and write you off.

Personally, I have no desire to use a pseudonym. I need as much exposure as I can get for all my writing and I think using a pseudonym at this point in my career will only hurt me. But, maybe someday, I will have a reason to use a pseudonym. What an exciting prospect!

What are your thoughts on pseudonyms? How do you feel about Rowling using one?

Do you want to win a kindle copy of the The Cuckoo's Calling? Simply be the first to comment with the correct answer to this question:

How many times is the word pseudonym written in this blog post?

Coming Soon - The Adventures of Zelda: A Pug Tale

Last fall, I began writing a collection of short stories called the Legend of Zelda. The stories are loosely based on the life of our pug named Zelda. I published one Zelda story a month on this blog from October through March, and after writing thirteen Zelda stories, I decided to self-publish the collection. In the midst of this decision, I took one of these stories to my writing group to be critiqued. The reception was great, although they had a few good suggestions to create a story arc for the Legend of Zelda. I revised the thirteen short stories, sent them to be proofread, and booked a designer for my book cover. Unfortunately, the process took longer than expected on my end as I took time off for my stepfather's illness and passing, along with moving.

But, I am excited that I am super close to announcing a release date for what will now be known as The Adventures of Zelda: A Pug Tale. (During this process, I realized the Legend of Zelda is copyrighted and decided it was best to change the name.) I have some final formatting to do and a couple design tweaks. When those are done, I will set a release date. Until then, the teaser is below or you can read the first two chapters on Wattpad!

What happens when a stubborn pug encounters a snowman, a giant leaf pile, or Jack Jack the cat?

Zelda is a curly-tailed, wrinkly, stubborn pug. But, she isn't an ordinary pug content to eat and sleep her days away. Zelda is always searching for a new adventure, mystery to solve, or squirrel to catch, and her unexpected reactions cause readers to smile and laugh.

The thirteen short stories in this book connect and build into a story arc creating an exciting chapter book for all ages, young and old.

The Adventures of Zelda will be available the summer of 2013 in paperback and across the major e-book platforms.

The Theme of Your Story

With the recent death of my stepfather, my mind has drifted a bit to life and how we live our lives. I like to think we all have themes to our lives, much like a story. Let me explain.

Theme is a key component of creating a great story. A theme is an idea or concept which is central to the story and usually literature explores more than one theme throughout the novel.

I like to think of theme as a way for the author to touch readers or as a way to illuminate something about real life. A few themes of the Adventures of Zelda series (Coming out soon!) are friendship, love, and overcoming obstacles. In my novel, a prevailing theme is forgiveness.

And in our lives, we have themes to the way we live whether we realize it or not. In my Live Your Best Story workshop, I ask participants to think about what message their life or story sends to others? How does the way they live their life help others or speak a truth about life?

For my stepdad, some themes in his life were kindness, generosity, and hard work. I saw those themes at work time and time again. He never said no if someone needed a hand. He managed his own roofing company for 35 years with continued success, even during recession years. I think we all could strive for those themes.

What message does your life send to others?

What is the theme of your story?

June 2013 Book Reviews

I only managed to read three books in June. It was a tough month in many ways and my reading time fell by the wayside. However, the three books I did read were excellent and I highly recommend picking up any or all of them!

Book of the Month

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - The Fault in Our Stars is an absolutely stunning contemporary young adult novel. The novel follows the story of Hazel, a teenager living with terminal stage cancer. She meets a boy Augustus who changes her life. Yes, the novel is sad at times, but the characters are smart and beautiful. Green grapples with issues of mortality, life, and love in a way that is meaningful and triumphant. I recommend this book to readers of all ages. 7 out of 7 stars. If you want a free copy (kindle or paperback), send me an email (kristenotte1 at gmail.com). The first email I get is the winner!

The Rest

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - As part of my quest to read more classic literature, I picked up The Great Gatsby this month, inspired by the new film out in theaters. I read The Great Gatsby in high school and college and remember it being one of my favorites I was "forced" to read. The Great Gatsby did not disappoint several years later. Fitzgerald writes in a simple, yet beautiful style. Not a word is wasted, yet the writing sets the scene perfectly. The novel is an allegory of the American Dream and the endless pursuit of money and power, a theme very relevant to today's readers. The Great Gatsby is indeed the great american novel. Another 7 out of 7 stars.

Dark Currents by Lindsay Buroker - Dark Currents is the second book in Buroker's Emperor's Edge series. (I read and reviewed the first book in March). I enjoyed Dark Currents even more than the first book. The book is part adventure, part mystery and fantasy, set in a steam punk era. Amaranthe and her team are on a hunt to figure out why the city water is tainted and how to stop it. Along the way, they encounter magical machines, green eyed animals, and mythical creatures. The character development is great and I love the humor, especially in the dialogue, laced throughout the book. I will definitely keep reading this series. 6 out of 7 stars.

Read anything good lately? Let us know in the comments!

Creating Emotional Scenes in a Story - A Study of Friday Night Lights

Friday Night Lights is one of my favorite television series. I was a latecomer to the series, catching the entire series for the first time on Netflix a couple of years back. But, I loved it and couldn't stop watching. So, a couple of months ago, I started watching the series again from start to finish to see if it holds up after a second viewing. It does.

Friday Night Lights is a show that tugs on my emotions every single episode. I can't believe how often I have tears in my eyes, and often not sad tears, but tears because the moment on the screen is so moving.

So, as I continue work on my young adult novel, I am examining Friday Night Lights to figure out how the series manages to pack so much emotion into each episode and how I can bring emotion into my YA novel. Obviously, television and novels are two different mediums, but both are story-telling mediums and enough crossover exists for writers to learn from television and likewise.

I think the series is fantastic at portraying authentic relationships and those relationships create emotional scenes. The relationship between Coach Eric Taylor and his wife is a great example. Their relationship isn't perfect; they fight, argue, and disagree, yet they understand their love for each other remains in the tough moments.

I also think Friday Night Lights has an element of realism many teen dramas do not. The football team does not win every game. Star players get injured. People make bad decisions. And in all of those moments, the characters wrestle with what is right and many times, the decision isn't black or white. Friday Night Lights isn't afraid to go into the grey areas of our lives.

So I am using those two concepts to help me with my novel-writing. I want to create authentic relationships and tackle grey areas of our lives in my novel. I want my readers to feel like the story is real.

What are ways you create emotional scenes in your stories or novels?

What are your favorite novels, television series, or movies for tugging at your emotions?

Driving Home

When I started driving, my stepdad gave me his car, a white Buick Regal. I called it the boat. When the Buick stopped running in college, he encouraged me to get a stick shift Jetta. He told me I would love driving stick shift, even though I never had. He drove my 2004 galactic blue Jetta off the lot and took me to Mentor High School’s parking lot. After a half hour of patient instruction, I drove my brand new car home. Almost ten years later, I still love driving my Jetta. I’m glad he convinced me to buy a car I didn’t know how to drive.

During high school, my stepdad took me to a The Who concert at Gund Arena (now the Q) in downtown Cleveland. He loved music, especially classic rock, and was so excited The Who was going on a reunion tour. Honestly, I didn’t want to go to a concert with my parents in high school. But, he said the show would be great so I obliged. He was right. I was amazed with the energy the band had on stage, especially since they weren’t in their prime. It was a good night.

When I came home from college, Jim had a habit of borrowing my Jetta for a spin around town. He loved driving stick shift, so I wasn’t surprised when he bought a stick shift Mitsubishi Eclipse a few years ago. Since he no longer needed to borrow my car for a fun drive, he loaned me his car when I was home from North Carolina for a few days or when I moved back to Cleveland, he switched cars with me for a week. He knew how much fun I had driving his car. The V6 Eclipse goes much faster than my Jetta.

I drove home tonight in my stepdad’s stick shift Mitsubishi Eclipse. I flipped through the cds in the car and found The Who in slot 5. I turned the radio up, opened the sunroof, and put the windows down. It wasn’t long on the highway before the tears came.

I think it’s fitting that my stepdad passed away on Father’s Day. How many people get to say they have one great dad, let alone two?

Happy Father’s Day. We will miss you Jim.