That Rebel with a Blog: 2019

Monday, December 2, 2019

AWEN RISING Available for Review on Net Galley

Awen Rising is available for review on Net Galley for the next 30 days!

If you are a Net Galley reviewer, you can request Awen Rising at:

https://www.netgalley.com/widget/209185/redeem/24350ecf2d11235dba0e75962daa37b8c0dcd4b31d1702631a0eba0ce630460e

For all others: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VMYYS4J

If you think you might know a Net Galley reviewer, please consider sharing this post.

Thanks a million!

~ That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

O.J. Barré is the author of the Awen trilogy, a druid urban fantasy set in 2042. Steeped in current, ancient, and future history twists, Book One, Awen Rising (set in Atlanta, Georgia) debuted August 1, 2019, in both ebook and paperback. Book Two, Awen Storm, is slated for release May 1, 2020. Book Three, Awen Tide, arrives May 1, 2021.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

On Having a "Moment"

Do you ever have "moments" when you're moved to tears, filled with awe, or some other strong emotion?

Today I had one such “moment”.*

No, it’s not a writing-related moment. Well, yeah, in a round-about way it is. But this moment is more a life moment.

Now that I’ve typed that and let it sink in, I’m not sure this qualifies as a “life moment”, either. But to set the stage, after living three and a half years in Idaho, I had yet to replace my writing haunts. Boy have I missed those writing forays.

Courtesy Carlotta Nortaro

Truth is, the coffee shops and restaurants I’ve tried over the intervening years, while charming, just aren’t MY places. Each are inhospitable (to me) in some way. Music too loud, or awful, too cold, too noisy, not enough tables—always something.

I had several mini writing-retreats in Georgia, places to escape the sameness of writing at home.

Johnny’s Pizza is a chain, but has fabulous Brooklyn-style pizza. Not far from my house, the dining room was always fairly empty by 1:30-2:00pm. I could eat and write for a couple of hours without feeling guilty for taking up space. You can thank Johnny’s for the pizza scenes, and Jocko’s Pizza, in Awen Rising.

One of my favorites, Gallery Row Coffee on the Square in downtown Carrollton, has lots of tables, including high-tops with outlets. They serve brewed teas, be still my heart, encourage lingering—studying, writing, creating, meeting friends, business confabs, a quilting club, (I kid you not)—have breakfast and lunch items, delectable gooey delights, and it’s run by my friend Lisa.

For a while, I occasioned Cinema Tavern in downtown Villa Rica for their chicken wings, in spite of the fact that as a bar and grill they somehow manage to get away with indoor smoking. That was the ultimate reason I quit writing there. But thank Cinema Tavern, named after the theater that occupied the space during my youth, for Shalane’s predilection for wings.

There are a few other places I would buzz into. PhatPhil’s, Fabiano’s, Highland Deli, Manuel's Tavern, to name a few. Not on a regular, ongoing basis, but important subs when I got tired of my regular haunts.

My favorite was, and still is, Chat& Choo on the main drag in Villa Rica. It's in the space once occupied by Berry’s Pharmacy, a short walk from my house and office, and a place of which I have fond memories as a child. Mr friends, Mike and Glenn, have retained much of the paraphernalia, and serve excellent, friendly meals, Southern Style.

Which leads me back to my “moment”.

In about an hour, I have an appointment with another new hairdresser. I'm having a hard time finding someone who can release the inner beauty of my curls. Since the salon is in Caldwell, about seven miles from my house, I decided to audition a restaurant.

The name is Mr. V’s Family Restaurant and it’s on the edge of downtown, near the courthouse. I got here late enough that people were leaving and the “Please Seat Yourself” sign faced out. Excellent. I selected a four-top—two-tops are too short to have a laptop and meal side-by-side—and was almost instantly acknowledged by a waitress.

Mr V's - Caldwell, ID

A half-minute later, my waiter let me know he’d be right back. Excellent. He gave me a menu and walked away and as I read through it, tears started bubbling up behind my eyes. This place is clean. Well-loved. Friendly. And it’s been in business in this exact spot since 1975. It holds the current #1 rating on Trip Adviser, and has now earned a slot as my new writing retreat.

But those tears? And the feeling that prompted them?

That was my moment. It came while reading through Mr. V’s breakfast items, which they serve from open to close. Maybe it was reading the word bacon, or maybe it was the home-baked bread toast, but a feeling of belonging welled up inside me that could not be denied.

Finally. A new writing venue. One with decent food, soft classic rock, and people genuinely happy to feed me and let me sit with my laptop for a spell.

What "moments" have you had recently? One that lit you up and made you happy?

~ That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

* This piece was written on Tuesday, November 19, 2019.

Thursday, October 31, 2019

October Bits and Bites

Where in the world has October gone? I have so much to tell, yet little time to do so.

In a nutshell:

The Georgia book signings went fabulously! They were well-attended, especially Saturday's. We sold all the paperback copies of Awen Rising, met new readers, and I even did a reading of the storm scene. Fun stuff!

Back in Idaho, I suffered the post-"vacation" blues, and have gotten very little writing done—including the pile of thank-you cards still waiting to be written and mailed.

But I am close to 40 percent done with the last read-through/edits of Awen Storm (Book 2 of the Awen Trilogy) and will be sending it out to beta readers within a week. At this point, I have three or four betas, but could use that many more again. If you are interested, please let me know as soon as possible. Several of the previous betas will be entrenched in NaNoWriMo and unavailable to read until December.

Speaking of NaNo, I have decided to participate again this year, though many of you have heard me (more than once) say I'll NEVER DO NANO AGAIN. Well, guess what? I get to eat a word sandwich. Why? Because I need the motivation and discipline to get my butt back in the chair and be productive.

Lastly, I just entered Awen Rising into my first-ever Book Award contests. Two to be exact. The Indie Diamond Book Awards and Best Indie Book Awards. If you're the praying sort, would you please pray for Awen Rising to be read, loved, and recognized by winning these contests and receiving these awards? Most coveted: the Diamond Debut Award.

To those who celebrate Halloween, today is that day! If, on the other hand, you celebrate Samhain, today is ALSO that day. In fact, Halloween originated as the Samhain festival celebrated by the druids and many others.

Happy Day!

~ That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

GIVEAWAY CONTEST IS COMING! To stay abreast of O.J.'s latest and be eligible for upcoming giveaways of free books, gift certificates, etc, subscribe to Muse & News, a monthly (or so) "news"letter.

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Awen Rising is FREE - Today ONLY!

It's Autumn and I'm GIVING AWAY my book FOR FREE!

Yes, the eBook version of Awen Rising is 100% FREE for EVERYBODY all day TODAY, Tuesday, Sept 24th!

If you don't have a Kindle or Nook or other e-reader, simply click on the button that says "Read on Any Device" (see picture below for location on the Amazon screen) and it will prompt you to download the Kindle software to YOUR device - be it a PC, a laptop, tablet, smartphone, or Mac.

Once you have downloaded the software, THEN you can "buy" the ebook version of Awen Rising FOR FREE and download it to your device. Easy peasy.

SO...if you would like to pick up the ebook version of Awen Rising, NOW is the time. After today, the price goes back up to $3.99.

Here's the US link to Awen Rising. If you're in another country - the free promo is available to you, too! Simply go to your Amazon marketplace and type in Awen Rising in the search bar. After that, everything else is the same.

By the way, as of 5 a.m. MT here in the US, Awen Rising was at number 420 of ALL the free books in the Kindle Store. That's a BIG DEAL!!! And so far, nearly 400 people have downloaded Awen Rising for free. My goal is 1000 by midnight tonight, so PLEASE help me reach my goal by downloading your own copy and spreading the word to your family and friends.

Thanks a million! Olivia

~ That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

O.J. Barré is the author of the Awen trilogy, a druid science fantasy set in 2042. Steeped in current, ancient, and future history twists, Book One, Awen Rising (set in Atlanta, Georgia) debuted August 1, 2019, in both ebook and paperback. Book Two, Awen Storm, is slated for release May 1, 2020. Book Three, Awen Tide, arrives May 1, 2021.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

October Book Signings - Georgia

Only three short weeks until I am in Georgia signing books and discussing Awen Rising! Will you be my hero/ine and come to one (or both) of the two signings?

I hope so. And I hope you'll tell your friends, family, and coworkers so they can be there, too.

"How do I do that?" you ask.

Any one of several ways:

Forward this post along with a personal note to everyone on your contact list.
Send the event invites to your Facebook friends.
Call them on the phone.
Beg and cajole (like I'm doing now).
Or how about inviting them to meet you in Carrollton for coffee or tea that Friday at Gallery Row?
And/or in Villa Rica for wine on Saturday at Uncorked on Main?
You could even load them in your car and bring them with you.
Whatever it takes, right?

At each event, there will be new paperbacks available for purchase and signing, beautiful Awen Rising bookmarks, and a contest to win a free ebook copy of Awen Rising. I will be available to answer your questions after the signings (and possibly before if we get set up early). The details are below and on Facebook events.

FIRST EVENT/SIGNING

WHEN: Friday, October 4th

10:00 a.m. to noon(ish)

WHERE: Gallery Row Coffee

309 Adamson Square

Carrollton, GA 30117

SECOND EVENT/SIGNING

WHEN: Saturday, October 5th

6:00 p.m. to 8:00(ish)

WHERE: Uncorked on Main

129 Main Street

Villa Rica, GA 30180

I look forward to seeing you at one or both events! To read a preview and/or purchase a copy of Awen Rising now, click here.

https://amzn.to/2ZIyEBo

~ That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

Monday, September 2, 2019

Reader Questions & Writing Updates

A happy reader recently asked questions about Awen Rising and I thought I'd share, along with the answers. If you haven't already liked my Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest Page, go ahead. Any of these are excellent places to ask your questions in real time, either in the comments, a separate post/tweet/pin, or direct message.

Or you can always leave your questions in the blog comments below.

Here are Kerry Zann's questions:

1) Why a pen name, and why Barré?

Courtesy LiberalDictionary.com

Well...it's like this...I wanted a separation between my professional (chiropractic) and writing life. And while I'm happy with my last name, Herrell, with its rolling R's and soft L's, it is not a strong, decisive name.

Barré, with it's hard B is.

It took several years to decide on a pen name, or nom de plume, if you prefer. Here are a couple of posts I wrote about different ones. If you're interested, take a look.

Pen Name = Presumptuous Fraud?
A Writer's Crisis of Faith

2) How do you pronounce Lughnasadh/Lugh's name?

Depiction of the Celtic God Lugh

Loo-NAH-sa, Loo for short. Yeah, I shoulda put a glossary in there.

3) Was "Ebby Panera" Emily's original name?

When the book begins, our main character's name is Emily Mayhall. She has been fired under suspicious circumstances and a predator is stalking her, so she has changed identities to hide from them both. The name she had been using for years was Ebby Panera.

But that wasn't her real name either...

3) Is the druid kiss a real thing?

Not that I know. I made it up based on something my cousin Joe would do with his mom, my Aunt Aggy, when he was still a wee boy. His two-handed face kisses were so sweet and loving, that gesture stuck with me all these years.

4) Is Jocko's a real place or made-up?

Both. The name came from my first favorite pizza place, a tiny restaurant in the old Underground Atlanta in the early 1970's.

The location is loosely modeled after Everybody's Pizza, another favorite restaurant across the street from Emory University, that closed around 2013.

Now on to updates.

Some of this may be TMI. But here it is, anyway.

In the first two weeks post-release, ya'll bought thirteen ebooks and twenty-four paperbacks of Awen Rising. Yeehaa!

In the weeks since, sales dropped to a sad, sad five ebooks and two paperbacks. All totaled for the five(ish) weeks, forty-four copies went out Amazon's door. Short of my goal of fifty, and nowhere near best-seller status.

But hey. It's my first book.

I mean, who out there even knows who O.J. Barré is? Except you, and my friends on Facebook and Twitter. It takes time to get the word out. Unless you have loads of money to invest in ads and highfalutin PR firms. Which I don't. So I'm counting on you ladies and gents to help me share the news.

"But, how?" you ask.

Tell your friends about this hot new book on its way to bestseller. It needs your help to get there. Share my posts about Awen Rising when you can. If you don't normally share things publicly, you have my permission to cut and paste my posts to your own wall - just tag @authorojbarre or my personal page.

Since publication, I have been busy creating ads for Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. And I have revised the early chapters for our bad-girl Shalane, and added another 2000 new words to her arc in Awen Storm. I have more scenes to revise and write for her, a couple for Patty, and a few for Mitchell. Then Awen Storm will be ready for a round of edits, before sending it off to beta readers.

I am also working on manifesting the money for my trip to Atlanta. That includes the rental car, food and gas money, and the upfront purchase of fifty paperback copies of Awen Rising.

For the book signings, you know. I would love to bring a hundred. But that's a stretch money-wise. And quite heavy, to boot. Plus, I don't want to have to ship copies back to Idaho.

If you haven't already picked up a copy of Awen Rising, you can boogie on over to Amazon or Goodreads. I'll meet you there.

If you would like a preview first, here it is.

I hope you're all having a lovely long weekend. Here's to you and yours!

~ That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

AWEN RISING - 5-Star Reviews

On his site Writing in the Crosshairs, Author Roland Yeomans reviewed Awen Rising comparing it to - of all things - GAME OF THRONES! Yeeehaaaa! Thank you, Roland!!

My Beautiful Cousin Torrie with Her Copy

Sales have slowed down, and I'm counting on you to give them another surge. If you haven't already purchased your copy of Awen Rising, or downloaded it for free under Amazon's Kindle Unlimited program, I hope you'll go ahead and do that now. If you're still on the fence, the following 5-star review should help.

With a long book – such as Proust’s In Search of Lost Time, you immerse yourself in a world that is enveloping, absorbing, that takes you on a long journey. You get your money's worth.

More and more, long books in print use tiny fonts. But not Awen Rising. Its font is large and readable. The latest trend is to read books around 200 pages -- something you can digest in an evening. But that is hardly worth the effort of page turning, is it?

Game of Thrones taught us the pleasure of immersing ourselves in a complex, magical world of conflict, ambition, and dueling strong-willed characters. Want dragons? Awen Rising has them. ... and reptilian adversaries on par with the danger of the White Walkers...

To read the rest (and you'll want to, it gets better), click on over to Roland's post.

And, yeeehaaa, William (Billy) Willey also gave Awen Rising a fabulous 5-star review on Amazon. I'll leave it here so you can read it, too.

After reading these glowing reviews, I know you want to buy your very own copy of Awen Rising. Here's a link to the paperback, and a link to the ebook. At some point, soon I hope, the two will be joined and one link with suffice. Amazon seems to move slowly in some areas. This is one. Goodreads members can find Awen Rising here.

All in all, the first two weeks since Awen Rising's release have been better than a ride on a world-class roller coaster. Roland's 5-star review thrilled me to no end, causing a sleepless night because of my excitement. Then, Billy's came in on Roland's heels.

But, you guys. Gals. Please boogie on over to Amazon or Goodreads. I'll meet you there.

If you would like a preview first, here it is.

~ That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

Friday, August 9, 2019

My Heart (and Eyes) Runneth Over

So much has happened in this last week, so much I want to say. Each topic could take an entire post, and I planned that. But this I need to say right now.

I just found out that one of my writing mentors, Eric Trant, died last June.

My heart is broken and the tears come and go. I knew I hadn't seen him around in a while, but I was on a Facebook hiatus for a year or more and what's a year amongst friends? A lot, apparently. I happened to notice it was his birthday in April. Even posted a birthday greeting on his wall, not knowing. What an idiot I am.

Eric was an early beta reader for Awen Rising. He always gave back, though he was crazy-busy with his job, a wife and children he adored, a blog, and writing and publishing his own books. I wanted to send him a signed copy of Awen Rising and went to his Facebook wall today to send him a message requesting his address.

Imagine my surprise as I read the posts. All the messages from his wife Amanda, and so many friends. Tears flowing, I read through them in shock, all the way back to a day or so before it happened. All the way back to Eric's posts. They were classic Eric. Silly things. Yet full of meaning. A tribute to his wife. Another to his favorite (I assume) beer.

It seems a little silly that the death of a person I knew so little could shake my world so much. But the truth is this: when I began writing That Rebel with a Blog, Eric was one of the first writers I connected with. I think because we were both from the South. He generously offered encouragement and advice. I looked forward to his posts at Digging with the Worms and to his wise comments on mine. Eric's wit could cut, but his heart bled out into every word he ever wrote.

That is what is so powerful about Eric Trant's work. That huge Texas heart that he let hang out without apology, or caring who saw. I learned a lot from Eric's honest, direct style. Back then we were all blogging fairly often. Eric led by example, and always had a kind word to spare.

Eric's passing leaves a hole in my writing world. For ten years, I've been looking forward to the get-together we'd planned as a group long ago. Eric. Elliot Grace. Roland Yeoman. Me. All in New Orleans for some big writing shindig, where we'd be famous Southern writers and the stars of the show.

I'd not thought about New Orleans in a very long time. But our group get-together was one of the first things that came to mind when I learned Eric was gone. Now to honor him, we'll have to have an empty table piled high with Eric's books. And a drink for him afterwards at Meliori's, where Roland's lyrical prose will protect us from the local spirits.

Now I must track down Elliot Grace, another gifted Southern writer with a silver-tongued pen. It's been longer still since I've seen Elliot around. I checked his old blog So Close, But. A sad post from March. I'll wait a while before reading that. Or maybe I should dive in, since I'm already sad. But it's good to know he's okay. I am grateful that Roland, another writing mentor, is still a rare blood courier in Lake Charles, and now has some forty-one books published.

As the last of us four Southerners to the published-author table, I'm as proud as punch to have finally made it. But the victory is less sweet without Eric.

Rest in peace, my dear friend. Your presence is missed in a world that needs all the help it can get.

~ That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

O.J. Barré is the author of the Awen Trilogy, a druid urban fantasy set in 2042. Steeped in current, ancient, and future history twists, Book One, Awen Rising (set in Atlanta, Georgia) debuted August 1, 2019, in both ebook and paperback. Book Two, Awen Storm, is slated for 2020. Book Three, Awen Tide, arrives in 2022.

Monday, August 5, 2019

A Cup of Conversation, Interview

On August 1st, Author Soulla Christodoulou published an interview with yours truly about Awen Rising. With Soulla's permission, I am posting her intro and the first question here. To read the remainder and the original article, please click the link to be taken to her website.

"Hello and welcome to A Cup of Conversation where I am joined by debut author Olivia J. Barre who has just released her book Awen Rising. I've got a copy of the book and can't wait to read it...it has the most beautiful cover too! In this interview Olivia reveals her writing process and her experience of letting go of her first book. She shares her plans for the rest of 2019 and how she wishes she could do more to support her fellow writing community than she already does. It's hard keeping up with it all, that's for sure! So thank you for joining us and I hope you enjoy this week's A Cup of Conversation.

BIO

O.J. Barré hails from the lushly forested, red-clay hills near Atlanta, Georgia where this story takes place. From birth, O.J. was a force of nature. Barefoot and freckled, headstrong and gifted, she was, and is, sensitive to a fault. Books became her refuge as a young child, allowing O.J. to escape her turbulent alcoholic home on adventures to untold places and times. Her daddy’s mother was a Willoughby, making O.J. a direct descendant of William the Conqueror. Her Awen series is a love letter to that distant past.

1. When did you start writing creatively?

I started writing creatively as a tween – mostly poetry and letters with friends out of state. In high school, an astute English teacher told me I had a gift. But it never occurred to me to pursue writing until the early 90’s when I began journaling as part of my recovery from alcoholism. With the advent of the internet, various and sundry friends told me I should be a writer, that I had a way with words, a way of putting things so that they GOT IT. Even vague, hard-to-grasp issues.

Still, not until the beginning of the millennia did I act upon that. After moving to the California coast, I bought my first laptop and began writing a fictionalized memoir. It was both cathartic and healing, but 30 days and many words in, the Gateway’s hard drive crashed. I hired a pro to retrieve my ms, but all he could rescue was gobbledegook. From that, I learned to save hard copies of my files, and now I email them to myself on a regular basis. But losing that ms broke me in every sense of the word & I gave up writing.

Until one day, sitting on a bench on the Ventura promenade, I saw a seagull fishing with a pelican. I found it curious, but thought nothing more until a day or so later when I watched a repeat performance. It was such an odd sight that my imagination kicked into overdrive and a children’s book was born: Frank & Ernie Find Home. I had a blast writing F & E and even queried some publishers – with good feedback – then my mother died in 2006 and threw me into a 3-year downward spiral. During that time, I wrote nothing, other than daily journaling and a tiny Squarespace blog that I need to rescue from the obscurity in which it languishes..." Click to read the remainder of the interview.

This is the first of many questions about Awen Rising and the writing thereof. Please click here to read Soulla's entire interview.

Soulla Christodoulou is the author of three women's fiction novels, with a fourth on the way. To read more about Soulla, check out her website, or find Soulla and her books on Amazon.

Thank you, Soulla. And thanks to all of YOU for reading her interview. Please leave a comment for us below. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.

WE DID IT Y'ALL! I. AM. STILL. SOOOOO. EXCITED!! Thank you for having faith in me.

~ That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

O.J. Barré is the author of the Awen trilogy, a druid science fantasy set in 2042. Steeped in current, ancient, and future history twists, Book One, Awen Rising (set in Atlanta, Georgia) is scheduled to debut August 1, 2019, in both ebook and paperback. Book Two, Awen Storm, is slated for 2020. Book Three, Awen Tide, arrives in 2021.

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Awen Rising - Published & Available - Today

Awen Rising is now published and LIVE in both ebook and paperback, yeehaaa!

CLICK COVER for PAPERBACK

To purchase Awen Rising in paperback, click on the above book cover. For the ebook, click the one below. OR you can go HERE to my Amazon Author Page to purchase either. For the next 90 days, Awen Rising is being sold exclusively through Amazon, so that I can take advantage of the Kindle Select Program. Which means, Awen Rising is FREE for Kindle Unlimited members.

CLICK COVER for EBOOK

In October 2019, I will go wide with distribution. Which means Awen Rising will be available through other booksellers, bookstores, and libraries in late October or early November.

Publishing the Awen trilogy has been my dream for seven long years. Thank you to each and every one of my readers. Without you, none of this would be happening. I keep feeling the need to pinch myself - there were many times I felt I'd never get here.

Yet, here I am. A published author. The first book of my Awen Trilogy is out in the world. Fare the well, little book. And know that you are loved beyond measure.

So please...head on over to Amazon. Awen Rising is free for Kindle Unlimited members. The ebook sells for $3.99 and the 351-page paperback for $14.99. And I would love it if you would leave a review on Amazon.

If you would like a signed copy, plan on meeting me in Georgia for one of my book signings on October 4th and/or 5th. I'm also looking at possible signings in Los Angeles, Venice Beach, and Ventura, California. And hey, I should probably arrange one or two or three in the Nampa/Meridian/Boise, Idaho area!

WE DID IT Y'ALL! I. AM. SOOO. EXCITED!! Thank you for having faith in me.

~ That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

To stay abreast of O.J.'s latest, subscribe to Muse & News, a monthly (or so) "news"letter.

O.J. Barré is the author of the Awen trilogy, a druid science fantasy set in 2042. Steeped in current, ancient, and future history twists, Book One, Awen Rising (set in Atlanta, Georgia) is scheduled to debut August 1, 2019, in both ebook and paperback. Book Two, Awen Storm, is slated for 2020. Book Three, Awen Tide, arrives in 2021.

Sunday, July 14, 2019

It's Here. It's Real. Awen Rising.

Guess what! I received the proofs/ARC's of Awen Rising. Yeeeeehaaaaaaaaaa!

I have cried. Laughed. Squeeee'd. Touched it. Held it. Loved on it. And even began reading it. And that was in the middle of showing up for my day-job.

But look. Here I am. HOLDING MY BOOK BABY!

Awen Rising-dragons-aliens-witch-druid-OJ Barré

Today, I'll be doing something I've dreamed of for years—taking a pen to a novel (in print) and lining through the extraneous words, phrases, etc.

Only, it's MY book. And the edits will be added to Awen Rising before release.

That's right folks. After decades of not being able to read a novel without editing it in my head - and wanting to take a pen to it - I'M GOING FOR IT!

Sacrilege, you say? Maybe. But I am doing it nonetheless. And plan to enjoy every moment.

Awen Rising-fantasy-romance-druids-witch-aliens-talking animals

On a marketing note, I spent the morning watching a Pinterest presentation by Daniel Hall (of Real Fast Social Graphics) and John Kremer (the grandfather of book marketing), and creating mock-ups for banners and ads.

Here's my first mock-up.

Pretty, huh? Want to see another?

Yeah, baby! And here's my favorite (so far). On the beach!

By the way, Awen Rising is on schedule to be released between July 30th & August 1st. I will post an announcement and link to Amazon (on here, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest) as soon as it's available.

I. AM. SOOO. EXCITED!! Are you ready??

~ That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

To stay abreast of O.J.'s latest, subscribe to Muse & News, a monthly (or so) "news"letter.

O.J. Barré is the author of the upcoming Awen series, a druid science fantasy set in 2042. Steeped in current, ancient, and future history twists, Book One, Awen Rising (set in Atlanta, Georgia) is scheduled to debut August 1, 2019, in both ebook and paperback format. Book Two, Awen Storm, is slated for 2020. Book Three, Awen Tide, arrives in 2021. And should there be a Book Four, expect to see it in 2022 or later, as Awen Unleashed.

Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Tick Tock

I have one week left to get Awen Rising ready and into the hands of reviewers. Will I get it done in time?

That IS the plan. But, I'm doing one last read-through. Tightening up prose. Shortening paragraphs. Cutting redundant words.

via GIPHY

Yes. I thought all this was already finished. Turns out, a writer's work is NEVER done. But after this pass, it'll have to be good enough.

And Sunday is my birthday. Guess where I'll likely be?

Yep. You guessed it. Right here with Awen Rising. I might have to break down and have some chocolate cake, though.

via GIPHY

I did knock off early to see the new Men in Black today. Or should I say the Men and Women in Black. Chris Hemsworth is his usual hunky, dorky self. Turns out, Tessa Thompson plays the smart one of the two. Emma Thompson as O is fabu-loso. And the myriad supporting characters, enjoyable.

OH. And Liam Neeson...well, go see it.

Awen Rising will be in the hands of reviewers in another week. And available to everyone in 35ish days. Wow. The thought both frightens and excites me. Send good thoughts and prayers. I can sure use 'em.

Too-da-loo!

~ That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

To stay abreast of O.J.'s latest, subscribe to Muse & News, a monthly (or so) "news"letter.

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Muse & News

It's interesting how overwhelm presents itself. Sometimes it's with an anxiety attack. Do you know how that feels? That, "oh no the walls are closing in and something bad is gonna happen if I don't get out of here right now" feeling?

I get it in some Walmarts. The heebie jeebies jump on me and I have no choice but to hightail it outta there. I'm happy to say that hasn't happened in a long time, though I did have a moment recently. I was able to suck it up, get my couple of things and skedaddle.

Sometimes, overwhelm takes other forms. There's the, "oh there is so much to do that I will never get it all done so no way am I even gonna try *stomps feet and wails*, "LETS WATCH A MOVIE!" kind of overwhelm.

Yeah, that kind. You're familiar, yes?

This kind of overwhelm reared its ugly head earlier today. I did manage to soldier on and am proud to say that one more biggie (um, they're all biggies at this point) is done.

I now have a newsletter provider. I won't go into my research forays, but today I found Tiny Letter. It was totally serendipitous. I'm not even sure where I saw the name. On Twitter? Or someone's website? An article? I've been all over the net, so who knows.

But it's easy. Free. Simple. Reputable. And I'm sold.

The problem now is maybe not so simple. It's time to find people who want to hear what I have to say. Hmm, wait. There are people. You. YOU come here. To my blog. So why not read my newsletter?

Especially if it means getting a shot at winning contests. For giftcards. Signed copies of Awen Rising. Things like that. Right?

https://tinyletter.com/ojbarreauthor

What do you think? Would you be interested in receiving a short, breezy "news"letter from me now and again? Not often. Probably monthly. At the most. But very soon I'll be doing some contests and giveaways. And subscribers will be getting first shot.

As for my old friend, Overwhelm. I could continue the list, because there are beaucoup ways overwhelm manifests. But I'm thankful it took a break this afternoon and let me get these publishing-related things completed. And one more biggie checked off a very long list.

For those who like the thought of getting Muse & News (and winning free stuff), I have added a subscriber button to the top right banner of this site. You can enter your email address there, or click here to be added to my subscriber list.

Thanks so much!

~ That Rebel, Olivia J. Herrell, writing as O.J. Barré

To stay abreast of O.J.'s latest, subscribe to Muse & News, a monthly (or so) "news"letter.

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