Good Things Utah

Hey everyone, I'm going to be on Good Things Utah this Monday morning to talk about the launch party for The Siren's Secret! Make sure to watch abc channel four at 9 am this Monday!

On a somewhat related note, I just bought A LOT of blue and green candy for the launch party, and I started making the siren gift baskets for the giveaways. This is going to be a lot of fun :)

ARC review of The Siren's Secret by Book Briefs

Today's blog tour stop is with the wonderful Michelle at Book Briefs. She's posted a review of The Siren's Secret, and I've posted a little preview below. 

"I fell in love with The Shapeshifter's Secret as soon as I started reading it, so I jumped at the chance to read the second book in the series. I have been waiting for The Siren's Secret for a very long time. I couldn't wait to get back to Heather's magical world of shapeshifters and water nymphs and the evil guild. The Siren's Secret did not let me down! But what is even more interesting is that it was not exactly what I expected the sequel to the first book to be. It was darker and had a different overall tone. I liked the contrast to the first book. It was really interesting and honestly, it just makes me all the more excited to read the third book. I can't wait to see what Heather is going to do next. She has proven that she has such versatility with her writing and it makes me excited to see what else she is going to come up with."

To read the full review, visit Michelle's blog at: 

http://bookbriefs.blogspot.com/2013/05/arc-review-sirens-secret-by-heather.html

Cover Reveal for The Siren's Secret

The cover for my sequel is here and it's beautiful! Once again, Cedar Fort has designed an amazing cover that completely captures the essence of my story. 

I think the siren on the cover is breathtaking. Her red flowing hair looks like it's caught in a sea breeze and I love how she's looking down, as if holding in a secret (I like secrets, okay?). The aquamarine and emerald tones are perfect, and I couldn't be happier with the under-the-sea theme. 

I hope you love it too, and I hope you read it when it comes out this June! 

Sirens and Mermaids

Because it's Siren Week, I decided to post some of the coolest mermaid, siren, and water nymph pictures I could find. Sirens and mermaids are absolutely fascinating to me, and I had so much fun introducing them into my sequel. I hope you think they're just as magical as I do and that you enjoy Siren Week!

Thanks for sharing this one, Tausha! 

This comic is from mermaidspiration.tumblr.com, which has tons of amazing siren and mermaid pictures. 

These are the mermaids of Weeki Wachee Springs in Florida. I would LOVE to go there and see them perform!

My friend Valerie is a real mermaid. She makes beautiful mermaid jewelry and I absolutely adore my pink fishing lure earrings! You can see her other jewelry here and here.

Thanks for swimming by! 

SIREN WEEK

I just got to see the cover for my sequel, The Siren's Secret, and I AM SO EXCITED! I decided to declare this week to be SIREN WEEK. For the next couple of days I am going to dedicate my blog to all things siren. Then next week I will reveal the cover, WAHOO! Okay, okay, I can calm down (nope, don't think I can).

 

If you have any cool siren pictures, poems, or stories please feel free to share them! You can post them on my book's Facebook page here, and then I'll share them on my blog. 

Sequel, sequel, sequel!

I'm happy to announce that I've signed the contract for my sequel, The Siren's Secret, and it will be released this summer! Woohoo!

Get ready for more adventure, romance, werecats, and....sirens! 

Edit until you die...

I'm sorry for my leave of absence! I hate when I check a blog to find that the author hasn't written anything new. Not that I'm saying people check my blog often. And if anyone does, well, you just made me the happiest author in the world.

My time away has been spent on two things. Number one, my little sister just got married this past week and it's been a whirlwind of wedding plans, family, cake, and glitter (More on that later). The second reason I've been away is because I've been editing. A LOT. So much so that I believe I started looking like this...

However, I may have been influenced from being tired (after pulling all-nighters to edit) and continually glancing at my skeleton candelabra Halloween decoration. Sometimes my imagination just runs away. 

Anyway, through the experience of writing my sequel, I've realized there is a specific formula I follow for completing novels. I've recorded the formula below. 

1. Get an awesome idea.

2. Spend 934574954058409 hours writing it down and typing it up. 

3.  Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit,  Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit, Edit.

4. Edit some more. 

There you have it, that's my formula. Hopefully you have your own tailored, editing plan that you use when writing. Maybe you edit as you go, or perhaps you can finish a novel in a month or two. For me, I have to take my time. I need to read every single line and make sure it's something I can feel good about. Writing is my dream job, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity's I've been given. Editing is hard for me, but after it's done and I have the final, finished product, it's well worth the blood, sweat, and tears. 

Why I Write

Sometimes when I’m editing for several hours a day, I get a little overwhelmed. I start thinking about shutting my laptop and hiding it under my bed (I really have done that). Working on the sequel is tricky, and I take it very seriously. I know that everything from The Shapeshifter’s Secret has to connect, intertwine, and leave my readers ecstatic with the sequel.

Whenever I get frustrated trying to raise the bar of my own writing, I stop, and remember why I write.

Writing sets me free. When a new story idea hits me, it’s like a bolt of lightning—and I love that feeling. I love being inspired and going to another world with strong, new, amazing characters. Writing is a part of who I am, and it is worth every single word I have to type.

Thank you so much for caring about my words. 

Why do you write? 

This week: Writing, Barnes & Noble, and Instagram.

I LOVE when someone reads The Shapeshifter's Secret and then asks, "So when does the sequel come out?"

I usually grin really big and say "I'm working on it." And it's true. I have been writing my little tail off to complete the next book in Julia's adventures. I've been staying up past two in the morning writing, constantly scribbling outline notes while I'm at signings, and I've been practicing dialogue out loud while I drive--And can I just tell you, I get funny looks. I'm pretty sure people want to laugh at the girl who talks to herself while she drives. It just helps me get the dialogue right!

Anyway, in between my writing schedule this week I've had some fun moments that I've captured in pictures. And I'm okay admitting that ever since I've started Instagram (a photography app), I've caught myself behaving as if I'm a photographer (DISCLAIMER: I am in NO way a real photographer, it's just for fun).

I'm sure it's annoying to real photographers, all these wannabes (ME) who are suddenly snapping photo's right and left, trying to be artistic. That being said, here are some of my shots from this week.

I was at the Barnes and Noble at Gateway mall and had to take a picture of this. Seriously, this always makes for one happy writer! The Shapeshifter's Secret + Barnes and Noble + Downtown Salt Lake City = YES!

 I saw this Snapdragon growing in front of my mom's house and fell in love instantly. I thought of how determined this perfect, little flower was, growing out of the concrete. I posted it on Instagram with the caption:
per·sist·ence: Firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.

I also found a moment or two to indulge in a Meg Cabot book. (Aaahhhh.....)

And finally, I took a picture of this this little beauty. My adorable mother gave this to me and said, "I just couldn't help myself. It's Julia!" 

Mom you are so cute. 

So I hope that you are documenting all the little moments in your life that make you smile. If you're on Instagram let me know! My username is @Hezface. Or if you are sharing your photos through a blog, website, or another account, leave the link below. I always love seeing other's fun, creative, shots!