Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Bloopers

It's time again ~ time to pull out the most embarrassing, most humorous typos from my Torn Asunder edits. Torn Asunder will release in just two more weeks, but you can pre-order your copy for just 99 cents!

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I heard your van as you arrived in your van. (A little redundant, if not technically incorrect.)

Simon walked as quietly as he could while still trying to stay quiet. (Did you catch that he’s trying to be quiet?)

A man in a starch uniform grabbed a handful of her hair. (So what kind of uniform is that exactly – potato, gluten, or corn?)

The skin on Hannah’s neck pricked up. (All I have to say is that sounds really painful.)

We’ll have someone else come and take care of it after later. (“After later” – a new phrase for professional procrastinators.)

Mr. Kim’s volume had steadily increased in volume. (Yes, I think we get the idea, but if you turned up the volume I might hear you even better.)

Throbbing pain throbbed beneath her skull. (Because that’s what throbbing pains do. They throb.) 

Forcing himself out of his daydream, he forced his mind to focus. (“Use the Force, Simon.”)

The assistant director strode in, spine erect and parallel to the floor. (Yes, I did pass middle-school geometry, although you wouldn’t know it from this sentence.)

It made a dull little thug when it hit the ground. (That was supposed to be thud, as in a small sound. I wasn’t really talking about a gangster or anything.)

Mal-Chin crossed his arms and pulled the prisoner down by the back of his shirt. (This is quite impressive, not just because Mal-Chin is so old, but because he’s doing it with his arms crossed.)

***

So now that I've thoroughly embarrassed myself ... the good news! Torn Asunder is now available for pre-order for only 99 cents! This is a suspense novel about two North Korean refugees who sneak back into their homeland as undercover Christian workers. Get your copy today.




Blog Love: Huge thanks to K L Schwengel for hosting the WIPpet Wednesday blog hop, where authors post snippets from the current Works In Progress.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

WIPpet Wednesday: Countdown

Torn Asunder ~ a Christian suspense with a strong romantic element. Two North Korean refugees return to the most hostile mission field in the world as undercover missionaries. Available for preorder now for 99 cents, or free to anyone who makes a donation to Liberty in North Korea's underground railroad for refugees.

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Simon struggled against his iron restraints. “Let her go!”

Hannah sucked in her breath. General Sin still glared at Simon. “This is your last chance. Give me the names, and I'll release her unharmed.”

Simon’s field of vision blurred over. He wanted to scream. The metal from his handcuffs sliced open his wrists. He envisioned himself breaking free and tackling the general to the ground.

“Better talk.” General Sin yawned. “I hate getting my uniform messy.”

Hannah’s hand trembled, but she didn’t make a noise.

“Three …”

Simon clenched his jaw, unable to tear his face away from Hannah’s wide, terrified eyes.

“Two …”

“Stop!” He tried to leap out of his chair.

***

Liberty in North Korea: Get Torn Asunder free when you donate here. Want to help spread the word? Are you willing to share about my fundraiser on social media, on your blog, or on an email list on December 22 when Torn Asunder is released? Sign up here.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

WIPpet Wednesday: "Dreams of the Condemned"

Happy Wednesday! It's been a good week here, and I hope the same is true for you. In honor of the second week of the month, here are two paragraphs from Torn Asunder. The following discussion
takes place between two men in a North Korean prison camp about Moses, a figure rumored to help men escape the gulags.

***

Simon paused. “You’re sure it’s not just dreams of the condemned?” He was thankful that the darkness hid the older man’s face. As the weeks passed in the mines, Simon found hope the most bitter tormenter of all. The sooner he could stop pining for Hannah, the easier it would be to submit to the guards’ abuse, to switch off his mind and shovel his coal like they demanded. He was homesick, not for a place, but for her, and nothing could cure him of his illness.

His question was answered by silence, and Simon worried for a moment he had offended his friend. Finally, Mal-Chin took a deep breath. “If I didn’t believe that someone on the outside was looking out for me, I’d go mad. Before working in the mines, I spent time in underground detainment. I witnessed things there … heard things that would turn your hair just as white as mine.” His voice grew even softer. “I survived on nothing but dreams, dreams that one day I would join my family again, dreams that somebody – Moses, an angel, God himself, I didn’t care who – would see my suffering. Even if I was never set free, I just wanted someone on the outside to know where I was, to see me down here, to understand that I’m a real, flesh-and-blood man.” Simon heard the tightness in his friend’s throat. “I still dream, Brother. I have to. We all do. That’s why if Moses doesn’t exist, if he’s just a legend we prisoners made up to hold onto foolish hope, I’d rather keep believing a lie than face such an awful truth.”

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Want More? Sign up for my newsletter so you'll hear when Torn Asunder releases!

Blog Love: Huge thanks to K L Schwengel for hosting the WIPpet Wednesday blog hop, where authors post snippets from the current Works In Progress.

Random Fact: I am attempting to do my entire NaNo this year by dictation. The good news is I can talk faster than I can type. The bad news is my typing program isn't 100% accurate, so I'll have a lot of editing to do later on. If it saves my wrists, it still might be worth it. Good luck to you all!

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

WIPpet Wednesday: "Easy As Life"

Well, I've got several excuses for why I haven't WIPpeted lately, but none of them are very fun or interesting and most of them have to do with horrific eye strain. Anyway, I've got a new pair of glasses now and have finally gotten used to them, which means I can actually look at my computer screen without feeling like someone is sticking needles through my retinas. Horray!

I also decided to jump on the NaNoWriMo wagon. If you are interested in supporting Liberty in North Korea's work with refugees rescue campaigns, scroll down to see how that's connected to NaNo. And good luck to all you other NaNo-ers out there! May your word counts soar!

I'm also getting Torn Asunder ready for launch, and as with my other novels I'll be releasing a Bonus Materials ebook. This bonus materials has been particularly fun to write because I've included the Torn Asunder soundtrack. In honor of the first Wednesday in November, here are 11 sentences from the Bonus Materials ebook I've been working on. Please forgive the lack of italics - they don't transfer well from Word and my eyes are still a little sore.

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Once in college, I went to Broadway and ended up with front-row/center seats to Elton John’s newly-released musical, Aida, with the original cast. I think my seat number was something like A103, and the show moved me like no other theater experience ever has. Aida is a Nubian slave who falls in love with her Egyptian captor Rademes, who is pledged to marry Pharaoh’s daughter. In the midst of this love triangle are the same kind of scenes of political intrigue and doomed love that you read about in Torn Asunder.

Several of the songs from Aida ended up on my personal playlist while I was working on Torn Asunder, but the one that stands out most to me is the song called Easy as Life. At this point in the musical, Aida’s father has also been captured, and when he learns about his daughter’s relationship with the Egyptian prince, he tells her to reject this treasonous love. She has to decide whether to place duty and loyalty above her own emotions.

In a heartbreaking ballad, Aida sings about her choice to give up her love for Rademes in order to fulfill her duty to her own people. The song talks about the impossibility of her situation, and reminds me of the scene when spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler spoiler [spoiler alert].  Like Aida, Hannah realizes she must die to her hopes of being with Simon, even though there’s no possible way she can make herself stop loving him.


hear the song here or click for YouTube link

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Blog Love: Huge thanks to K L Schwengel for hosting the WIPpet Wednesday blog hop, where authors post snippets from the current Works In Progress.

Join the Rescue Campaign: During November, I hope to write 2,000 words a day. I'm looking for a few people willing to sponsor LiNK a dollar for every day I make my goal. The money would go directly to Liberty in North Korea's fundraising campaign - I would never touch it. We're over halfway to our goal of funding the full rescue of one refugee! If you want to sponsor at a dollar a day, let me know and I will tell you at the end of the month how many days I met my word-count goal. You can see the fundraiser at: https://fundraise.libertyinnorthkorea.org/fundraise?fcid=292064