Author Heather McCorkle

I'm late, I know, but I had to celebrate the blog hop with my friends yesterday. I hope you'll forgive me! This picture ( designed by me ) inspired me this last week as I'm working on my new project. To see more of the photos that are inspiring this project, click here . Maybe you can guess what it's about. :) The Rise tour is winding to a close this week but I still have a lot of fun stuff planned, including the giveaway of my novel To Ride A Puca on the 2nd and 3rd, and the contest listed below. What inspired you last week? a Rafflecopter giveaway

In the chaos of editing, writing, cover designing, and preparing for the release of the final novel in the channeler series, it appears that fall sneaked up upon me. While driving back and forth between the house we're selling and the one we just bought (150 miles!) I normally have my nose pointed (don't worry, I'm not the one driving!) at a notebook, diligently writing. But during this last trip last week I wasn't able to write due to a headache (couldn't be overworking myself, naw) so I actually looked around and enjoyed the company and the ride. Fall colors has transformed the landscape into golds, browns, reds, and oranges, much to my surprise. The last time I looked up I think it was spring. Seriously. The realization was a splash of cold water. I must step back and breathe, enjoy my family and friends, and live. I'm going to embrace that and chat with all of you lovely people not only this coming Monday night at 6pm Pacific Time on the #WritersRoad, but ...

I’m working on a secret project that I hopefully get to tell you all about soon. This image inspired me as I worked on it the project last week. Like the picture, this project is a dark~channeler related~one, and that’s all I can give away about it right now. Last week I finished reading The Selkie Spell by Sophie Moss . It was a beautifully written tale of Irish lore that I absolutely adored. For a full review click here . Now I’m reading Artemis Rising by Cheri Lasota and am loving it. Such a rich story, in such a rich setting, I highly recommend checking it out. What inspired you last week? Reading anything great that you’d like to recommend? Picture credit: Design by CP Design , pictures from: © Moswyn | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

What an odd thing for inspiration you may be thinking. Well that's me, odd. ;) Seriously though, I'm working on my short story for the Winter Wonders anthology (due out this December) so snowy landscapes have dominated my computer screen in an attempt to inspire me during some of the hottest days of the summer here. Thankfully, it's been working! I finished the first draft of the story and am working on editing it right now. So what's with the melting part? Well, this month I wrote about the warming of the Arctic and its effect on the animals there in an article for the IS Foundation. I'm loving being a part of the foundation and contributing with an article each month. It's fun to write non-fiction for a change. Did I really just say that?! Anyway, if you'd like to read it, click here .

This lovely picture is one that I took while snorkeling during my trip to Maui a few months ago. Talk about inspiring! My muse was working over time while I was there. Can you blame him though, who wouldn't want to work in a place like this?! I discovered a love of snorkeling on this trip and was inspired to write the chapter that I worked on last week. As for reading, I'm beta reading Libera Me , the sequel to Christine Fonseca's Lacrimosa. It is amazing, that's all I can say for now. I'm also reading Dragon Champion by E.E. Knight and am loving it as well. It is most certainly an adult novel though. This week my novella, Born Of Fire (which is currently free on Amazon !), has broken the Amazon top 100 books!!! Not only has it broke the top 100 bestsellers but it is also currently #5 in Science Fiction/Fantasy/Magic and #5 in Contemporary Fantasy. Thank you to everyone who has downloaded it. I can't tell you how much it means to me. What inspired yo...

First for those who are dying to know the winners of my Channeler's Cause giveaway, here they are: a Rafflecopter giveaway Congratulations Angela and Saba! And thank you all for participating in my giveaway. If anyone would like swag just let me know and I'd be happy to send some along as a thank you. My muse this last week was fed by new music (old actually, Black Betty , Rolling in the Deep , Queen of England ~you can see the kind of mood I've been in. ;) and by Transcend by Christine Fonseca , which I just finished reading an advanced copy of. OMG, you peeps are going to love it. It is one of the most amazing books I've ever read, seriously. I'm so beyond lucky to have gotten a sneak peak at this one. And it will be out in just a few months! As for writing, yet another new chapter has demanded that I write it. *sigh* But I must acquiesce to my muse's demands because he is always right. Still, I fear my editor may want to have me flogged if I don...

This last week my muse was inspired by the show of support for Channeler's Cause , my new campaign to raise money for the IS Foundation . I can't thank you all enough for the support you've shown by spreading the word and purchasing one of the channeler novels. But I'll try, thank you SO much! To show my undying thanks, the eBook of my novella Born Of Fire is free right now on Amazon. I'm working on getting it free on B&N and will let you know the moment they cooperate. Speaking of readers and supporters, To Ride A Puca is one of many great novels up for the Reader's Pick Award on Melissa Luznicky's blog. For those who have read and enjoyed it, I'd love a vote if you have time. Just lick on Melissa's name to go to the link. Then on her right sidebar you'll see the voting area. My reading muse last week was fed by Breathkept by Saundra Mitchell. It is fantastic peeps! Click on the title to check it out, you won't be sorry! What ...

First, for those who are dying to know, the winner of the final week of the puca tour giveaway is: Shana  Congrats Shana! You've won signed copies of The Vespertine and The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell.  Last week this amazing picture fed my muse as I worked on a new chapter that is going into my work in progress. It was one of those surprises that comes up during editing when you realize you need to flesh something out. And wow am I glad I realized it because I’m loving this chapter! As for reading muse, I just finished The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell. It is part historical, part paranormal, and all AWESOME. I love this author’s work, she is just amazing. Her writing is almost lyrical in the way that it flows. A natural storyteller. I highly recommend it. A surprise inspiration was the discovery that To Ride A Puca is being featured on Bookpinning . It’s a great site that features some outstanding authors and I’m completely honored to be among them. Cl...

Though I can show you what my inspiration was last week, I can’t tell you why yet, it’s a secret. But an exciting one worth waiting for! But there is some good news I can tell you. Compass Press has dropped the price of paperback and eBook of The Secret Of Spruce Knoll. On Both B&N  and Amazon , the paperback is now $12.99 and the eBook is $2.99. To celebrate, I’m doing a giveaway of the paperback of the combination of my novella, Born Of Fire, and Christine Fonseca’s, Dies Irae. Two copies actually. To enter click below: Goodreads Book Giveaway Born Of Fire & Dies Irae by Heather McCorkle Giveaway ends May 13, 2012. See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win

My inspiration last week may seem like an odd one. It was a bad review, no really. It inspired me to be more open and to be clearer about the content of my books. I had no idea that some of the content in my books would be too much for some, and recent reviews have made it clear that this is the case. And I’m okay with that. I don’t fault the reviewer. Not every book is for everyone. I never would have thought of my books as dark, but then everyone’s opinion is different. It is clear to me now that there are indeed dark elements in my books and that they probably get darker as they go. I’m nowhere even near the same playing field as authors such as Suzanne Collins or Ellen Hopkins when it comes to dark content, but it does exist in my novels to a smaller degree. Rather than shy away from tough subjects and dark content, I’ve decided to embrace it and let my writing be what it is. I understand I may lose some readers who are looking for a lighter read, but that’s okay. I’d rather that ...

Last week I was reminded of one of the main reasons I write. Between thinking about grammar, sentence structure, flow, voice, plot, and character building, we writers can lose sight of one of the most important elements of our story; the readers. A friend called me up one night last week to tell me he had come home to find his daughter with her Nook in one hand and a broom in the other, attempting to read as she swept the floor. He laughed at her and told her that must be a really good book to make her read while trying to work. She said it was and that she was so close to the end she couldn’t stop reading it. It was my book. I may have laughed for joy then got teary-eyed when he told me this story. I’ll never tell. Later that night he called back and told me she was dying to read the next one. I told him how to find it and I could hear her cheering in the background. She said she hadn’t read anything that good since Harry Potter and Twilight. In all my life, I never expected to stac...

As the release date for my next novel approaches I’m inspired by swag. There is so many different options out there that it can be overwhelming. I’ve narrowed it down to a site that I like which creates swag but a nagging question remains; what do readers really enjoy receiving when it comes to swag. So I hope you’ll bear with me and answer a survey. Just put the selections that you like, in the order you prefer them, in a comment below. A) Bookmarks B) Small Magnets C) Postcards D) Posters E) Stickers F) Key Chains G) T-shirts H) Tote Bags Thanks for your help everyone! What inspired you last w eek?

Last week I finished reading Tangled Tides by Karen Amanda Hooper and I loved it! It isn't often that a book stands out this much for me and when it does I've got to give it a shout out. And I've been shouting out about this book everywhere I can. Karen will change the way you think about mermaids and will forever alter the way you look at the ocean. I truly think with this novel she could very well do for mermaids what Stephanie Meyer did for vampires. But the only way for that to happen is for everyone to read it and recommend it. So quick, go get your copy on Amazon , B&N , The Book Depository , or anywhere books are sold. Your muse will thank you.

My inspiration this last week has been coming up with my post for the Rebel Writer’s Pledge. The pledge is the brain child of SA Larsen, writer and all around fabulous lady. It is a way for us writers to declare out goals, cheer each other on, keep hope alive, and keep one another on track. And it’s a blog hop! We have to list our writing/life goals and highlight one to add to the main pledge page. For each writer goal I’m putting a personal goal as well. Here they are: Rebel Writer Pledge 2012 #1 Writer: I pledge to support my fellow writers and authors as much as possible by buying and reading my author friends’ books and by helping my writer friends on the Monday night #WritersRoad chat. Personal: I pledge to spend as much time with my husband as I do with my writing, and to talk to my sister and mother more often. #2 Writer: I pledge to meet my deadlines for my press, turning in two more books this year. Personal: I pledge to exercise at least ½ an hour five days a week. ...

This beautiful snowy view out my window with the bald eagle kept me going and inspired me despite the fact that I felt like I was stuck in an eternally burning pit with demons snapping at my heals (formatting will do that to you). It was a rough week to put it lightly. But all is well, and I’m back on track. Whew! For anyone who has every had one of those days (weeks, months, years), I’m raising a glass of wine to you tonight during the #WritersRoad chat on Writing Helping Hands. I hope you’ll join us. It’s a half hour chat followed by a half hour word war (writing sprint). Click here to join us at 6pm PT. These last few weeks I’ve been reading Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan. I had trouble in the beginning. The writing just didn’t pull me in and the striking (and numerous) similarities between this and a friend of mine’s book ( Across The Universe by Beth Revis, which I loved by the way) were too hard to ignore. The deeper I got into the book though, the more I realized how different...

Last week the snow was my inspiration. The way it blew in and blanketed the world around me, heralding the arrival of winter, seemed to reflect what is going on in my writing life (for those who are wondering, this view is out my back door. I know, I'm so lucky!). Things are a whirlwind of activity with my special edition of Spruce Knoll coming out at the end of this month, but in a good way. I'm starting to get ready for preparing my mini blog tour in December so if you'd like me to stop by your blog leave me a comment! The focus of the mini tour will be Spruce Knoll For Endangered Species. I'm reading Glow by Amy Ryan. The writing style reminds me of the way sci-fi used to be written, with a bit of detachment. While tons of people love this style, I'm not one of them so it hasn't exactly pulled me in yet. I'm hoping it will grow on me though. It has kept me reading after 50 pages so I have hope! What inspired you last week? Reading anything good, or hav...

Autumn itself is a huge inspiration to me. I love the rich, golden colors, the crisp feel to the air, the smell of apples, cinnamon, and pumpkin, and of course the taste of candy corn. Pumpkin is probably my favorite food, ever, and Halloween is definitely one of my favorite holidays. It doesn't hurt that I'm a huge scary movie fan. There was plenty of all that around to inspire me last week! There is one special movie that always comes to mind on Halloween for me, The Crow. The original one with Brandon Lee, son of the legendary Bruce Lee. I was a huge Brandon Lee fan and was devastated when he died filming this movie. During October he is always in my thoughts.  Speaking of my favorite holiday, I'm off to celebrate. No trick or treating for me, just a bowl of popcorn and the latest scary movie (which I've really been looking forward to! And certainly a time to re-watch The Crow). I hope you all have a fun and safe Halloween.

On my sidebar you might notice a new button to purchase a signed copy of a paperback of my novel. This is due in part to having to cancel my author appearance that was planned for today in Seattle. To start to make it up to those who were going to attend I'm offering the signed copies for sale for a limited time. My author appearance has been rescheduled (same place) for Saturday December 10th, 3:00pm~4:00pm. On to today's post... My inspiration last week was all the amazing bloggers who turned out to celebrate and support banned books. The massive amount of support for banned books was overwhelming. You peeps rock! Since I know many of you are dying to know who won the Banned Books Week Giveaway here on my blog I'll get right to it. Congratulations to: Julie Tuovi at Pen To Paper who won her choice of one of the banned books pictured on the left, or any book by one of the authors who has a book pictured above. In appreciation of everyone who entered, if you didn...

Last week I was inspired by friends, coffee, and good books. My critique sisters are having me over on Monday October 3rd to visit and have a belated post-release party for The Secret of Spruce Knoll. But it isn't only their generous spirits that have been inspiring me lately, it is all of yours. I'm touched by each of you who has purchased my book, said kind things about it, put it on your to-read list, or who has just dropped by here and followed. Thank you all so much. *wipes away tear.* My visit with my critique sisters in Seattle Washington will also be my first unofficial author appearance. I'd like to invite all of you who will be in the area to join us at Tully's Coffee in Seattle Washington (the one on Western Ave. Click on the store name for a map) to chat, have coffee, or even get your copy of The Secret of Spruce Knoll signed between 5:00pm and 6:00pm. I'll be armed with fun swag and hope to see many of you there as I'd love to meet you in person....

Doesn't this picture just make you sigh? Well, okay, maybe not the guys who are reading. ;) Anyhow, you can see where my mind was last week as I tackled more revisions of book 2. Don't be deceived, though it's a strong undertone throughout the novel, romance is certainly not the main theme. But writing moments like the one pictured above are my some of my favorite scenes to write, I must admit. There is a lot of action, indecision, and confusion in the second novel. I'm reading Spirit Bound~a Vampire Academy novel~and am enjoying it, though I'm starting to think editors at publishing houses care less about editing as a series goes on. There is a bit of lag time, telling, and 'ly's' in this one. Don't get me wrong, I'm still a huge fan of the author and so far would still recommend this book. I'm doing my best to read like a reader, not a writer. But I'm making a mental note to do my best to keep my editor engaged and interested in edi...