Making Waves

Well, making waves in social networking in any case! I'm submitting Rising to #PitchWars and beginning August 3 there will be some folks looking at my query. The way the program works is if you get selected by a mentor they help you make your manuscript shiny polished so that agents will be dueling over it to represent it! If you aren't aware of it, and you are a writer, you should check it out. It's an annual event!

I've joined the #Pimpmybio linky thread so the mentors can see who I am. So here goes. Here is the link to the BlogHop.

I thought this intro could break the ice

I am a child at heart, in love with story telling. I've raised seven children, have sixteen grandchildren and one great grand baby. I'm not old. I am just beginning life, gathering all the experiences I've had and melting them together in the form of novels, and artwork, and screenplays. My world has opened up to new horizons, and new portals to other worlds. The imagination never grows old, and like C.S. Lewis says, someday you'll be old enough to read fairy tales again.

I'm also a fencer, and actually started fencing while writing a duel in my historical fantasy novel Cassandra's Castle.In order to research the sport I introduced myself to Tom Martin of the Kitsap Fencing Center and told him what I was up to. He just happened to be an experienced stage choreographer, so he was excited to take on the project. We met a few times and discussed the characters, their personalities, their goals, their backstory and came up with appropriate weapons and a fighting method for them. Since then I took up fencing and have been practicing the sport ever since, and Tom has also trained our actors for their roles in our teaser trailer for our TV series.

The  series is an adaption of my fifth novel in the Ian's Realm Saga, CASSANDRA'S CASTLE. Launch date August 31.

This year I took a step further in my novel-writing and switched categories from YA to Adult.

RISING is and adult fantasy that dives into the Irish revolution and the brave souls who fought and died for the independence of their country after centuries of oppression. After researching their story, I've added a touch of Irish myth and legends to RISING.

I am a member of a local critique group which I love! We read our work aloud, and we become intertwined with each other's stories and characters so much,you'd think you were watching a soap opera to hear us talk! Sometimes we even go on walks in the woods to work out our plot issues.

I've been a member of SCBWI, Cascade Writers of Tacoma and have attended several conferences including WorldCon, and have been on panels at The Northwest Book Festival and the WIWA on Whidbey Island. I've spoken at girl scout troops and schools, and libraries.

What's exciting in my life recently is that I have also written several screenplays adapted from my novels, one of which won second place for Best Pilot Script a the IndieGathering International Film Festival,  and another Best Mystery in the Veer West Screenplay Competition in Seattle this year. My other screenplay adaption was filmed into a trailer and has won entry into six film festivals including being screened at the Grauman’s Chinese Theater this month. We also won the Accolade Global Film Competition Recognition Award for Movie Trailer. These you will find on my website

http://gardnersart.com