We’re very happy that Sarah Dalton has joined us today as part of her White Hart book blitz. Sarah is very generously offering readers a rather fabulous giveaway (which includes a signed copy of White Hart and a beautiful charcoal drawing, plus much MORE) scroll down to see what’s on offer! To enter, simply leave a comment and enter via the Rafflecopter at the foot of this post. You’ll also be thrilled to hear that there is a special promotional offer; for this week only you can get White Hart FREE with code RW100 on Smashwords. Ooh, you lucky ducks. Don’t say you never get spoiled.

About White Hart

Title: White Hart

Author: Sarah Dalton

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Release Date: March 5, 2014

Mae never asked to be craft-born. She never wanted that burden. The realm needs magic again, and the the King of Aegunlund has been waiting for the first craft-born girl to marry his son, Prince Casimir. In Mae’s town of Halts-Walden, the ambitious miller claims his daughter Ellen is craft-born. Mae knows this is a load of hogwash, but she’s glad Ellen will have the unfortunate pleasure of becoming queen instead of her. All she has to do is sit back and wait until Casimir and Ellen are married, then she will finally be free of the threat of her fate. But on that day an event so shocking and terrible occurs that Mae finds herself entering the neighbouring cursed forest on a quest she never thought she’d have to follow.Join Mae as she rides her white stag through the Waerg Woods with a pampered prince at her heels. She’s out for revenge and nothing, no one, will get in her way.

Purchase Links: Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | Amazon (DE) | Amazon (CA) | Amazon (AU) | B & N | Smashwords

Guest Post: A Day in my Writing Life

Unfortunately I don’t spend my days with a laptop in coffee shop as so often depicted in the movies and if I try to I generally give up – the noise of screaming children, coffee machines and bad slow jazz isn’t usually conducive to productive writing!

But there is an element of freedom which means that a writer has to experiment in order to get the best out of their selves. For me that means working early in the morning. You need to find your routine and stick to it.

Most writers will tell you that they produce their best work about 20-30 minutes into their writing which is why many people advocate free-writing and brainstorming to get yourself into a flow. I don’t tend to do this because once my mind is focussed I’m ready to begin. I like to get up, eat, and then jump straight into it.

Writing is intensive. You write real emotions and that can be draining and I find that you can only fully concentrate for around two hours at a time, and this is where I really love being a writer because then I have a break and watch TV or do some housework (oh, who am I kidding – I watch TV!). Around 11am I make a cup of tea (one of many) and watch True Blood.

Sometimes you have days where you feel like you don’t do any writing at all because putting a novel together isn’t just about creating sentences. It’s also about plotting, editing, proofreading and marketing. They are sometimes the most boring but necessary of tasks – the equivalent of filing in an office job – but they have to be done. You have to check that manuscript for incorrect commas and speech-marks. You have to edit out scenes that don’t add to the plot. And then there are the days where you don’t feel like you’re doing anything at all. I call these my ‘frustrated thinker’ days where I get what’s commonly known as writer’s block. It isn’t writer’s block; it’s another necessary part of being a writer. You need time to think about your work and sometimes that can’t be rushed. When it happens to you try to chill out. Let it happen naturally. Focus on other things until you’ve worked everything out in your head and then move on. The worst thing a writer can do is get too frustrated when you aren’t writing. Have confidence that you will pick up that pen or place a finger on the keyboard again and embrace it.

Writing days can be different, they can be generic and they can feel non-existent. But whatever happens it isn’t like a job in an office. When you step out of your writing den, dungeon, office… whatever it is you call it – you don’t switch off. When you’re a writer you’re a writer 24/7. Everything you watch, hear or experience adds to that little bank in your mind called ‘ideas’.

Purchase Links: Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | Amazon (DE) | Amazon (CA) | Amazon (AU) | B & N | Smashwords

Promo price – White Hart is FREE this week only with code RW100 on Smashwords

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Sarah grew up in the middle of nowhere in the countryside of Derbyshire and as a result has an over-active imagination. She has been an avid reader for most of her life, taking inspiration from the stories she read as a child, and the novels she devoured as an adult.She is the author of the popular YA dystopia series ‘Blemished’ and the gothic novella ‘My Daylight Monsters’. Her latest series is called White Hart – a YA fantasy about a girl who hides magical powers from everyone around her.

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