#TeaserTuesday, Katherine's Journal

It's Teaser Tuesday!
Take heart, Valentine's Day is less than a month away!

From Katherine's Journal: The von Strassenberg Saga 2.5

“Your precious Viktor,” he whispered near my ear, his foul breath washing over me. “Has disappeared. He has been gone so long,” with his finger, so long and thick it could have been a small branch, he yanked at my hair, as was his habit. “They begin to worry if he is not dead.”

I did not respond though the questions burned in me. Why had he gone and to where? There was no time to ponder these concerns or even for tears to well in my eyes before he added, “The doctor is fuming, you know?” He never called Klaus von Strassenberg anything other than the doctor. He was not a creature bound by convention. He narrowed his light red eyes at me as though searching my thoughts to see if I could reason out why the doctor would be fuming, other than the simplest reason that his one good son had run off. He leaned back upon his bed, resting against the wall. A sheen of sweat shone on his pale skin as the light of the oil lamp danced across his features. He would be taken away for more treatments soon. I rejoiced at the thought of him falling ill once more and felt no shame for it.

“The doctor,” he continued, watching me carefully, his words beginning to slur. The weariness was setting in again. Klaus would return soon with our evening meals. Peter would undoubtedly try to hide his symptoms from his father but even I could see the signs that would lead to the inevitable sedative. Many nights I had dreamed of this opportune moment when the doctor was consumed with the task of coaxing his son to inject himself and then with the even more arduous task of dragging the immobile hulk onto a gurney. I would wait until Klaus was inside the cell with us, when all of his effort was concentrated on lifting that colossal form, and I would leap past them, out the door and grab the keys off the wall, imprisoning them both. Invigorated by my escape, I would take flight up the twisting stone staircase and find my way back to Viktor.

Only, I knew, my plans would not succeed.©2013GwennWright 

To get caught up before Katherine's Journal releases on Valentine's Day, read Filter: Book One of The von Strassenberg Saga and Bluestocking Girl: Book Two, available for Nook, Kindle and in beautiful paperbacks. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11234679-filter

 

Cover Reveal! Katherine's Journal

RELEASE DATE:

February 2013

...just in time for Valentine's Day!

I really can't even post a snippet. 
To post a snippet would be to post a spoiler for whoever hasn't read Filter or Bluestocking Girl, as the novella picks up right where Bluestocking Girl left off. 

So, if you haven't even begun, you must begin with Filter find it here on Goodreads.
You can also find Katherine's Journal  on Goodreads HERE And, my apologies for my lack of Dacie Mae posts...With a release date just around the corner I am distracted. 

So Overwhelmed, Let's Give Away Another!

I am so overwhelmed with the response to the giveaway (see sidebar --->) for Filter: Book One of The von Strassenberg Saga, that I have decided to give away 6 copies instead of 5 if we get to 1,000 entries. This will also include an Advanced Readers' Copy of BlueStocking Girl: Book 2 of The von Strassenberg Saga to all six of the winners. So, if you haven't already, enter to win! The clock is ticking. This giveaway ends in less than 36 hours! For sample chapters see earlier blog posts! 

Only 2 Days Left!

There are only two days remaining in the giveaway for Filter: Book One of The von Strassenberg Saga. (see sidebar--->) And, since more than 500 people have entered to win the 5 signed copies of Filter, I will also be giving Advanced Readers' Copies of The BlueStocking Girl: Book Two of The von Strassenberg Saga, to the winners upon the novel's completion (those copies won't arrive until Octoberish)! 
This is not your typical YA series, think more of if Dean Koontz wrote Wuthering Heights. See earlier posts for sample chapters! 
Also, you should know, that if you happen to not win this giveaway there will be another in September, prior to the release of The BlueStocking Girl, after all book 2 will not make sense if you haven't read book 1. This is not a stand-alone kind of series. Each book is vital to the next and even to the previous...which you will discover as the series continues. So if you want to know what's going on with future giveaways follow my blog or join me on Facebook, look for The von Strassenberg Saga page. 
Good luck! I can't wait to see who wins! 

Almost There!

We have almost reached that magical 500 point for The von Strassenberg Giveaway (see sidebar)! If we reach 500 I will  send Filter (book one) now and Advanced Readers' Copies of Book 2 (before it is available to random citizens...probably around October) to the 5 winners! Also, as a side note and a bit of a warning to readers, I am more Dean Koontz than Stephanie Meyer. When I was a teen girl we didn't have a lot of money, so I usually wound up borrowing books from my father's library. This was mostly comprised of Koontz, Grisham and Patterson. In my grade school-middle school years I never read Sweet Valley High but rather preferred Lois Duncan and Carolyn Keene and Christopher Pike. So if you want an idea of what you're signing up to win, imagine if Dean Koontz wrote Wuthering Heights...it's something like that. I have stopped listing The von Strassenberg Saga as a romance, people expect certain things of a romance that you won't find in these books. While there is a strong romantic element, this is, after all, a family saga. And what good would a family saga be if everything went perfectly.....
If you're a pessimistic sort of person or just plain impatient, you can buy Filter at Amazon  (or for less...$10...at Barnes and Noble http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Filter/Gwenn-Wright/e/9781461053002?itm=1&USRI=gwenn%2Bwright)

A Clue into Book 2

I love the raw, dark feel of this song and the power behind the words. It ultimately led me to use BlueStocking Girl as the title for Book 2 of The von Strassenberg Saga. I had been searching for a title to wrap the historical heroine into one word, Natalie Merchant helped me find it.

Book Giveaway! The von Strassenberg Saga

Enter to Win at Goodreads! 

~3~

My life is hard. No one would rob me of that. The clothes I am wearing came out of a knotted up black plastic trash bag from a resale shop downtown. And not the downtown where shiny cars wink at you in the sunlight. If a car winks at you in this area it’s being driven by a person you would be best to avoid.

My side of downtown is crumbling and skirted by chain link fences.

Kevin’s out of work again. Staying sober for eight hours out of the day was too much for him.

It always is.

So I work here, at Dobson’s Market, fifteen hours a week during the school year. That’s my Friday, Saturday, Sunday job.

Since Dobson doesn’t want to get in trouble for overworking a minor we worked it out with his younger brother that I would work the rest of the week at the family restaurant. Fifteen hours here. Fifteen hours there. No benefits anywhere and crap pay everywhere.

But for now, it’s holding us. We’ve been in the same place for three months now. I’ve opened my own bank account, that Kevin knows nothing about, and I’m paying the bills as they roll in.

And we’re finally making it.

Eventually, though, he’ll come out of his stupor and realize things are getting comfortable and he’ll want to know where the money is.

But maybe by then I’ll be gone.

(c) 2010 by Gwenn Wright

Available for Kindle and in Paperback

Book Giveaway!

Just for kicks and giggles, I have listed a giveaway on goodreads.com! Five copies of Filter: Book One of the von Strassenberg Saga will be given away for free! Enter to win! The giveaway ends June 4th, so get hoppin'!


BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Young Adult, Contemporary, Historical Romance,


In this darkly romantic family saga, Rocky Evans searches for a way out of her stepfather's self-inflicted poverty. Just weeks before graduation, with a plan to go anywhere the alcoholic slug of a man wouldn't find her, a car pulls up alongside her on the dark streets of Nashville. The young attorney in his flashy car speaks cryptically of the family she never realized she might have. 

In a fast paced, heart wrenching first installment of The von Strassenberg Saga, Rocky Evans begins on her journey to unearth the roots of her family tree. What she will learn is there is a reason some roots are best left deeply buried

Lookie Lookie It's a Bookie!

My books on a bookshelf in a bookstore! What a novel idea! So grateful to our local bookshop for giving Filter some shelf space!

Together at Last!

My YA family saga finally came out in paperback last week, available at Amazon. Well. The ebook has been out for 9 months or so. The two formats, digital and paperback, had two separate pages.  So if you found the eBook version, you wouldn't necessarily know there is also a paperback version, both are happily joined now with their happy new link!

Might I also mention...Filter was just given another 5 star review on Amazon! Woohoo!

For sample chapters see my archive or follow me on Facebook or look me up on goodreads!

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4191733.Gwenn_Wright

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Filter-The-Von-Strassenberg-Saga/150889648309305

Dealing With Ducks

There are some city folk among my kin…well honestly, we come from the city. We moved out to the sticks when I was in middle school. But even those family members who eventually followed us out to the peacefulness of the forest don’t  quite understand why I don’t mind dealing with duck doo and the bird-brained chickens. Well I do mind, sometimes. Ducks are messy and constantly draining their water supply. Keeping their living quarters tidy is a chore. Livestock takes up a lot of time, which means there is even less time for me to write and market my books. So why? Why do I put up with the ducks? Well for one thing, they don’t argue with me. I can bring them tomatoes and squash and they worship me. And, more importantly, it is all part of a grander plan. It is my husband’s dream to have a farmhouse restaurant…one of these days. So, in my “spare time” while he’s off working 15 hour days (that’s not a hyperbole), I am gardening and tending the poultry. We’re starting very small so we can learn what we’re doing. Good thing it will take us years to be ready to start up our own restaurant! We have a lot to learn.

…So I put up with duck doo to support my husband’s dream. Because I love him and have had a crush on him since I was a freshman in high school!

To support my dream you can either buy Filter as an  ebook or wishlist the paperback (should be out next week!). http://www.amazon.com/Filter-Von-Strassenberg-Saga-1/dp/1461053005/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1303916462&sr=8-2

You can also find me on goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8853655-filter

Crisis Averted

All right kids....

Thanks to a very helpful thread on Amazon's Createspace and a guy who knew just the right thing to say, we now have page numbers! Woohoo! Page numbers have never been this exciting! Also, whilst finding the solution to our page number woes I also discovered something most of us probably don't even pause to consider: Chapters always start on the right-hand page. Never thought about it, but it's so true! So....we have page numbers and our chapters begin on the right-hand page. Folks around here will probably be a little sad that I have things figured out. I've been giving away the proofs that weren't quite right. Not that there is a hoard of people following me and demanding copies, but there are several people who have been waiting. So, cross your fingers, this may really be it! And, now at 394 pages the book will be $15.99. Maybe that sounds ridiculous but if you bought Filter at your local bookstore that would earn me $0.82. So no, I'm not trying to get rich quick! That's just what it is. If you want to save $15, you can download the ebook for $0.99! It doesn't need page numbers!

The Tragedy of Tom Welling's Age

It's something I think all writers do. We imagine who we would like to play our characters if and when the book goes to film. Filter: Book One of the von Strassenberg Saga will require three very tall, very handsome young men. Two are 18, one is 22.  So, it is tragic that Tom Welling is himself two years older than I am. That makes him 34. Ridiculous. Shame. While he still looks fairly young for his age he could never pull off 18. That would be going back to the 80's movies wherein they had 25 year-olds playing the roles of 16 and 17 year olds regardless of whether or not they looked that young. Sigh. It is most unfortunate. 


PICTURE THIS: (Tom Welling as Viktor, an excerpt from Filter)

The scent of him thrilled her senses as it mingled with the smell of promised rains. He drove the horse at full speed through the open field, reminding her every so often to hold tight or she would fall. She needn’t be reminded. She only wished the ride home was longer. Her body melded into his, melting into the strong sinews of his back, appreciating the hard feel of his abdomen beneath.....

UPDATE! The Bluestocking Girl (Book Two of The von Strassenberg Saga) is now available for Nook, Kindle and in paperback (you can only buy it online)! I thought I loved the idea of Tom Welling Viktor in Filter but he would be TOTALLY swoon worthy in The Bluestocking Girl. He MUST play Viktor! Tweet him, Facebook him, write him letters and tell Tom Welling he MUST play Viktor von Strassenberg!


For Kindle or paperback click here --->> AMAZON


For Nook click here ---->> BARNES AND NOBLE


As of 12/28/2012 Filter has 70 ratings on Goodreads with a 4.34/5 average! Woohoo!


Also as of 2/28/2012, Filter is undergoing a makeover now that Bluestocking is out. The paperback may be unavailable for sale until the end of the week. I'm thinking the new paperback will look like this (of course this is a view of the back, front and spine)

Offending the Professional

Apparently the blog entry from yesterday caught the eye of my good friend, Zach Ruble, videographer and graphic artist extraordinaire, and it offended him greatly. Since then he has worked tirelessly to produce an amazing cover for my novel Filter: Book One of the von Strassenberg Saga.

So a million kazillion thanks to Zach Ruble of Zach Ruble Productions https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zach-Ruble-Productions/147894218571929 and to Jessica (aka Jellyka Nerevan) at http://www.cuttyfruty.com/ for the fonts Zach used. You both have wicked awesome skillz.

The Final Cover Art for Book 1

As soon as I rework my summary I will upload the new version to Amazon. Filter is only available as an eBook for the time being. Give me a couple weeks and it will be out in paperback!

Gearing up for Paperback!

Soon Filter will be available in paperback. It's exciting but I am so nervous! I wanted to share the new cover with you (temporary cover, my cousin is supposed to be helping me with something much more awesome than this, but it will do for a beginning).

Mind you, this is just a picture of my computer screen that I took with my phone!

Keeping Untangled

The difficulty in writing a family saga is keeping everything straight. Dates and genetic traits become vitally important. This is especially true for those super-analytical readers who are turned off by one wrong detail. The von Strassenberg Saga spans more than 200 years. And then add to the tangled troubles of family trees the issue of historical accuracy. When you have characters who were once real people (such as the young lady featured here), you have a greater responsibility to keep your facts straight.

I have so much more respect for Diana Gabaldon now and would love to be able to buy just a smidgen of her scientific, organized mind. Fortunately, it does help that history was my original major. So I have some idea of how to conduct historical research and apply it....The scientific aspect may present more trouble but there I am blessed to have a brother who studied genetics and an aunt who's a nurse. As a writer, it helps to know people, especially people who don't mind being bombarded with technical questions! So now that we are waiting for the paperback proof, I have begun carefully plotting out book 2. Because once you put it in one book you have to hold to it throughout the rest of the series.

After next week there will be no more avoiding it though. My internship will be over and there will be no more excuses. Work on Book 2 will have to begin in earnest. For now I am working on a highly detailed family tree on Ancestry.com. It helps me organize my thoughts and strengthen the plot.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Filter-The-Von-Strassenberg-Saga/150889648309305

Katherine Searches for Viktor

Filter: Book One of the Von Strassenberg Saga

Katherine was considering becoming a suffragette. She would wear split-skirts and burn her corset and get a job as a clark in a bank. She would smoke those little cigars and shove her pretty white gloves down the throat of whoever had come up with the blasted idea in the first place.

“A man, most likely,” she snarled in cursing tones. The wood behind the mansion was thick with under-growth, most of which sported tangles of thorns. She imagined he also had a moat with hungry reptiles lurking in its depth. “And he feeds them,” she huffed. “In a pool in his dungeon where he has locked Viktor away. Because he knows,” a mosquito dived toward her face and she swatted at it. “Viktor wishes to marry me, so he locked him up and threatened to feed me to the beasts if he escaped.”

Her ramblings continued as she fought the thorns and briers and blood-sucking parasites. Was there no end to this stone wall? Her strength, she knew, would soon give way.

(C) Gwenn Wright 2010

Prologue

FILTER: Book One of the Von Strassenberg Saga

Prologue

Vienna, Austria 1866

“That monk is a doddering fool.”

He remained bent over the microscope, speaking more to his Petri dish than the imbecile who had come to question him.

“Yes Doctor, but what you’re working on…” “Will ensure Austria’s power for eternity.” The man scoffed. He had heard of the scientist’s maniacal zeal. His mother had warned him

that being intelligent was admirable and, if utilized properly, profitable but there came a point

when it was nothing but a detriment. Genius was often followed by madness, she had said. Looking at the frenzied younger man, Dr. Rochenstein fully appreciated the wise woman his mother had been.

“The University,” he continued. “Needs more assurance of the potential success of your work.”

A bitter laugh resonated within the form hunched over the microscope. “You mean they would like to know when my work will begin repaying their generosity.”

It was not a question.

Everyone knew of the lavish expenses of the professor, but no one was certain of what the money was being spent on. There was gossip and speculation that perhaps he was building some great invention, but this was circulated only among those who did not know his particular field was biology.

****YA THRILLER ROMANCE, Rated PG-13, well maybe PG-15

You can also visit me here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Filter-The-Von-Strassenberg-Saga/150889648309305

Going to paperback...maybe....

Currently I am editing and re-formatting Filter for Amazon’s CreateSpace. But it still makes me edgy. It seems like a big commitment.

So here’s an excerpt:

Mr. Demure leaned in and kissed his daughter’s forehead and gently spread a blanket across her. “I have always warned her that her curiosity would be the death of her. That or her clumsiness.”

She heard the men laughing as they drifted out of the room.

The shadow stayed.

She wished he would go. The burning tears ached to be set free. She couldn’t restrain them much longer. With a trembling, unwilling hand she rubbed her throbbing forehead and exhaled deeply.

For a moment she believed he had left, but as she shifted away from the wall she sensed him there beside the bed. He was very close.

Wretched curiosity!

But she would fight it and not look.

“Katherine,” he whispered, his breath rolling in a warm wave across her cheek. A traitor tear spilled out, the humiliation was too much to contain. Gently, a finger dabbed the wetness from her skin. He said it again, softly, as though it pleased him just to say it,

“Katherine.”

“Viktor!” the accented voice bellowed from below. And then the shadow was gone.

Darkness overwhelmed her then and carried her away to a land of crows and mocking strangers.

.....To vote on whether or not I should go to paperback go to Filter: The Von Strassenberg Saga Book One Facebook Page

Thanks!