Nothing But the Formatting

Awen Rising's edits are done. Which means, drum roll please:

She's ready for publication. Yeehaa!

There was a timeline issue I had created last round, by staying up too late working on a scene I added last-minute. But that is corrected, as are the other few edits Charlie left for me.

Since early yesterday afternoon, when I clicked "Accept All Changes", and my MS Word file magically transformed into its final form, I've been trying to figure out how I feel. You know, now that this major hurdle is cleared.

To be honest, I feel pretty much the same as I did before. Which I find weird.

Only, HOLY MOLY! Awen Rising is ready. That includes ALL EDITS, my bio, acknowledgments, back cover blurb, and front cover artwork.

So. What's left is:

A) Formatting the interior, in which my 409 double-spaced pages will become 300ish single-spaced. Or less. And that includes:

1. Designing the two title pages; one with the yet-to-be-purchased *gulp* ISBN (with a hefty $250ish price tag);
2. Purchasing said ISBN;
3. Adding the dedication page, the acknowledgments page, and whatever other page (if any) needs to precede the story;
4. Adding my author bio with website to the end;
5. *gulp* CREATING said website;
6. And very likely adding a teaser from Book Two, Awen Storm, after THE END.

B) Formatting/creating the back cover and tweaking the front cover tagline, which Lauren, my designer, will be doing in the next few days;

And,

C) WHOA! CAN IT BE? I don't think there IS a C!!

So that's all, folks. Awen Rising and Author O.J. Barré will be debuting a month EARLY! On, or about, my birthday, June 30, 2019! (Except that's a Sunday, so probably that Tuesday, July 2nd.)

Thank you to each and every one of you for your support along the way. I couldn't have done it without you.

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

O.J. Barré is the author of the upcoming Awen series, a druid science fantasy romance 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.

Road to Publication - Author Bio

Two months, ten days, and counting—the amount of time left before Awen Rising debuts. So much to do between then and now.

One biggie is my author bio. It will go on the back covers of the Awen series below the blurb, and on the inside author page along with my contact information. It will also reside on the ebook platforms like Amazon, Kobo, etc.

I like this better than the earlier ones. But what do you think, dear rebels?

NW Georgia Hills in Early Spring 2010

O.J. Barré hails from the lushly forested, red-clay hills near Atlanta, Georgia. 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 of Normandy. Her Awen series is a love letter to that distant past.

That's it, dear ones. Any thoughts?

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

O.J. Barré is the author of the upcoming Awen series, a druid science fantasy romance 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.

Rainy Day in (Not) Georgia

Idaho Spring Rain with Fuschia

After a day-long break in which the sun glittered upon the unusually-green landscape of Southwest Idaho, the blessed rainy spell continues.

To celebrate, I've downloaded several copies of Blake Snyder's Save the Cat! Beat Sheet. My favorite is Jami Gold's Basic Beat Sheet due to its simplicity.

After saving it as my own Excel Worksheet, I quickly filled in the beat points for Awen Rising. I'd planned to do the same for Awen Storm and for the soon-to-be-completed Awen Tide, but though it's only lunchtime, I am apparently done. For the moment, anyway. And maybe for the day.

https://jamigold.com/basic

Instead, my muse wishes to curl up with a book. Or maybe restart the Lord of the Rings movies. It's been a while and I could use some Tolkien, even the Hollywood version.

Either way, I think I'll embrace the meaning of "a day off" and actually use it for that—A DAY OFF!

Wow. What a concept.

What are you doing on this fine Sunday, dear rebels? Whatever's on tap, I hope it feeds you, heart and soul.

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

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.

Life is a Beach

Bahia Honda State Park, Big Pine Key, FL

Life is a beach
Waves relentlessly
Driving us forward.
We urgently rush
To stop it,
Or avoid it,
Or push it back.
Some play games
And ride the waves.
Others paddle
Furiously
Going nowhere.
Until nowhere
Becomes our
New somewhere.
And once again,
We strive against
The inevitable tide
'Til we break through,
Victorious
Or broken,
But driven
Forever
Onward.

~ Olivia J. Herrell,
   March 11, 2012

I hope you enjoyed this tidbit. It was written while on vacation at St. George Island, FL, and offers a glimpse into the mind of this dreamer.

The picture was taken several years later on my first trip to the Florida Keys.

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

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, it would roll out in 2022 or later as Awen Unleashed.

Writer at Work - Feeding the Muse

Research Notes and Sundry Journals

I mentioned in my last post that I'd been scouring old wire-bound notebooks for research and thoughts related to the Awen series. Today I graduated to my journals from 2012, the year it was hatched. Only then the working title was Blessed Are the Peace Makers.

Holy moly. Talk about gen-u-ine, grade-A finds. And not just book-related.

Suffice it to say that I am glowing from the inside out, pleased with what I find on these pages. I am a writer, through and through. And no one reading my words, today or a hundred years from now, would guess otherwise.

And damn, 2012 was a gigantic year for personal growth. And I'm only a few months in.

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

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 Book Four*, Awen Unleashed, rolls out 2022 or later.

*Assuming there IS a Book Four.

Alive and Kicking

Awen Rising is back with my editor Charlie. It is infinitely better. Brilliant, even. And I must say, they teased the nuance from me with non-confrontational ease. Thank you, Charlie. Had I given it a thought, I would have expected no less. You are an excellent editor, indeed.

Once Awen Rising was in Charlie’s hands, I began combing through old wire-bound research notes, reading tidbits I’d scribbled over the last seven years. Yes, count ‘em. Seven YEARS. There's a lot of genius hiding in those pages.

Backyard Aspens 2019

The other afternoon armed with said pearls, I spent a few silent minutes under the aspen trees. Unplugged. No technology. Just me. The wind was frisky and occasional gusts incited the leaves to a frenzy and invoked the melody of several Santa Barbara chimes and one lone Pine Siskin. In a flash, I saw a scene in my mind’s eye that will occur in Book Three.

I’d not been privy to this scene before. Past Book Two the story is still writing itself. But this twist provides a momentous turning point in favor of our heroine Emily and her lofty mission. Which, in case you forgot, is to save humankind from extinction.**

I let the ideas spin out, reveling in the impassioned serenade of the aspens and the new awareness of what the remaining story entails. Several more AHA’s spawned in rapid succession, including a couple that will be added to Book One. I knew in my heart that this story wanted to be completed, at least in my head and notes, before the first installment is published. It’s a thing, y’all!

My New Red Laptop

AND…yeehaa…I finally got the laptop I’d been visiting at Walmart for nearly a year. She’s a lovely shade of scarlet that both calms my nerves and excites my senses. But, it felt wrong to have something wonderful when my Bugsy had just died. Wrong to have a new “baby”. And though it’s not the same, I couldn’t open the box for ten days.

I finally did. And have downloaded MS Office (including Word) from my Microsoft account. But I’m still using my old tried-and-true friend—same laptop, five years older, in gray. Because Y’AAAAALLLLL, the new keyboard is SO STIFF. I don’t like having to press so hard. Guess my fingers will be getting a workout once I make the switch. I only hope these sweet babies are up to it.

Emotionally, I am mending. A bit at a time, I pull out of the sad into the brightness of spring in Southwest Idaho. I picked up Bugsy’s ashes from the vet, feeling a little silly. Being a farm girl from West Georgia, I had to remind myself that Bugsy was not just any animal. He’s family. Though what I’ll do with him now, who knows. I left the bubble wrap on the pretty pine box. I’m not ready to face that emotional moment. I want to give it the time and attention it deserves.

But, please know that That Rebel is alive and kicking. And getting my head and heart ready to dive into the tasks remaining between here and publication. And, yes. I shall stay open to those flashes of inspiration, wherever they might find me.

 

Lake Lowell with Owyhee Mountains, Nampa, ID

I hope your own lives are happy and healthy, glowing and bright. I love you all. Thank you for keeping me in your prayers and hearts. With your continued help, I’ll soon be flying!

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

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

** This scene could also usher in a possible Book Four, converting the Awen trilogy to a series. There are hidden threads woven throughout the trilogy—a fourth could break them wide open, exposing the underbelly of many things. Or not. We shall see.