Author Yvonne Anderson Takes Us Back to Gannah With Her New Release

A native of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, author Pamela S. Meyers lives in suburban Chicago, an hour's drive away from her hometown which she visits often to dig into its historical legacy. Her novels include Thyme for Love, and Love Will Find a Way,  contemporary romantic mysteries and her 1933 historical romance, Love Finds You in Lake Geneva,Wisconsin, released in April, 2013. She can often be found speaking at events around Lake Geneva or nosing in microfilms and historical records about Wisconsin and other Midwestern spots for new story ideas.

This month I have the pleasure of interviewing Yvonne Anderson, my crit partner and a contributor to Novel Rocket. She also brings us an opportunity to win a free copy of one of her books! Yvonne, who is often called "Y," has just released a new novel and she is here to tell us about it

Ransom in the Rock

PAM:  Your latest book, Ransom in the Rock, is the third in a series. If I recall correctly, you published the first two traditionally with a small press. Why are you self-publishing this one?

Y: I signed a three-book contract with Risen Books in 2011. With the first two titles not selling very well, Risen wasn’t willing to move forward with the third. I asked to be released from my contract so I could publish them at my own risk.

PAM: How has your self-publishing experience gone so far?

Y: It’s been interesting. Considering it’s my first attempt, I’m pleased with the result. Selling them is a challenge, but at least I’m confident about the quality of the product.

PAM:  Having read the first two titles, I can testify that these are not your typical sci-fi. Let's just say that speculative fiction is not my go-to genre for my reading pleasure, but I found your stories to be entertaining, engaging, and exciting. I'm certain I'll find more of the same in your new book. What can you tell our readers about the Gateway to Gannah series? For those that haven't read the first book, Story in the Stars, should they read that and Book 2 first?

Y: The four titles put together a story told in consecutive installments. However, they also can stand alone. If you jump in at the third book, you won’t be lost.

Brief overview: the planet Gannah suffered a horrible plague in the The Story in the Stars. The medical starship rushing to them with the antidote arrived too late to save anyone but one young woman, Dassa. The man who rescued her, Dr. Pik, was from the planet Karkar, an ancient enemy of Gannah. Despite their deeply rooted animosities, he and Dassa ended up getting together. It’s not a love story, though. It’s mostly an adventure involving such things as space pirates and long-lost treasure.

In Words in the Wind, Dassa and Dr. Pik are back on Gannah with a group of settlers from Earth who have come to repopulate the planet. One of the incidents in the story involves their young daughter, Lileela, who sustains spinal cord injuries in an accident and is sent to Karkar for treatment.

In Ransom in the Rock, Lileela returns to Gannah as a teenager, frothing with bitterness over what she perceives as abandonment by her parents. Why do they want her back now? And why does Karkar demand such a huge payment for delivering her? Neither she nor her family suspects that Karkar’s true motive is revenge. The tiny New Gannahan settlement has no hope of repelling an invasion – no hope, that is, except for One the Karkar can’t see.

Though definitely sci-fi, all three books are light on the science but strong on the characters.

PAM: Wow, that sound exciting. What’s next?

Y: I plan to publish the fourth (and last) book in the series this fall. I already have the cover, and editors are looking over the manuscript even as we speak.

PAM: Speaking of your covers. Did you create them yourself, or hire a designer?

Y: Covers are too important to entrust to an amateur like me. I did some research on designers and chose Ken Raney of Clash Creative, Inc. His prices are mid-range, which means I could have gotten off cheaper. But he knows what he’s doing, is very patient with picky authors, and he’s not satisfied until his client is satisfied. I would recommend him without hesitation.

PAM: I'm familiar with Ken and have seen his work other places. A great choice. Most Novel Rocket readers aren’t sci-fi fans, what does your series have to offer people who usually aren’t interested in that sort of thing? What might they get out of these books?

Y: A change of scenery is always refreshing, and the scenery on Gannah is beautiful. A visit there is a great get-away from the humdrum. The characters are vivid, so you’ll get to make some new friends. Moreover, the scriptural thread offers a little food for thought along with the fun. That’s why the series tag line is “Fly through the Gateway to Gannah for some serious sci-fi adventure.”

PAM: And I might add that your characters are indeed strong in characterization, drawing readers in and endearing themselves to them. I'm looking forward to reading Book 3. Where can I get it?

Y: Ransom in the Rock is available on Amazon in print or e-book. The first two titles are available at either Amazon or Barnes & Noble. 

But you’re in luck: beginning today, and through next weekend, I’m doing a give-away on my blogwhere you can enter to win a FREE copy of any one of the three Gannah titles—winner’s choice. Hop over and check it out.

PAM: Awesome! I'm heading over there right now to enter. Thanks Y. 

Yvonne Anderson

A resident of Western Maryland, Yvonne Anderson writes fiction that takes you out of this world.  She also does freelance editing; contributes to the writing blog The Borrowed Book; oversees Novel Rocket’s Launch Pad Contest; and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, International Thriller Writers, and the Independent Author Network. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, or Goodreads.

Fly through the Gateway to Gannah for some serious sci-fi adventure: The first three titles, The Story in the Stars and Words in the Wind and Ransom in the Rock, are all available in both print and ebook. Watch for the launching of The Last Toqeph, the fourth and final flight in the series, in the autumn of 2014.

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Pssst... Have you Heard?

It's no secret! Novel Rocket's LAUNCH PAD Contest: Boosting You Out of the Slush Pile is well under way!

"So what?" you might say. "Do I care?"

If you're an unpublished novelist, you should, indeed, care, because this contest is all about YOU! 

(In case you were wondering, "unpublished novelist" means a writer who has completed one or more works of full-length fiction but has never had a novel contracted with a traditional publisher.)

The only problem is if you write Suspense/Crime/Mystery/Thriller novels. 

What's the matter with that? Nothing -- we love them! But that category is already closed for this year. The judges have read all the entries and made their decision, and the winner will be announced on May 12. If that's your thing, unfortunately, you'll have to wait for Launch Pad 2015.

However, we're still taking submissions in all the other genres, so there's still time for most of you. A little time, at least: the second category (General Fiction) closes on MAY 10 -- that's THIS COMING SATURDAY. So if that's your genre, grab your gear and get aboard! 

Check out the submission requirements at the Launch Pad tab and join the many writers who have found this contest to be a valuable boost to their writing careers.

When she's not overseeing the Launch Pad contest, Yvonne Anderson writes fiction that takes you out of this world.

Ransom in the Rock, the long-awaited third title in the Gateway to Gannah series, is now orbiting on Kindle, and the the print version launches May 15.

Fly through the Gateway to Gannah for some serious sci-fi adventure!

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We're Off and Running!

Hooves are pounding the track (and fingers are pounding the computer keys) in Novel Rocket's LAUNCH PAD Contest: Boosting You Out of the Slush Pile event.

Last Thursday was the submission deadline for our first category, Suspense/Crime/Mystery/Thriller, and the judges are reading, critiquing, and enjoying a nice field of entries, even as we speak. You'll want to stop by next month (May 12) to check out the winner of this first heat. The funnest part for the spectators? You'll be able to read the actual entry, so even if you don't know the writer, you'll get a good view of what's going on.

Entrants are reaching for the prize of a unique trophy individually made of blown glass and personalized for the winner. As if that's not cool enough, the Grand Prize winner also gets to jump over the slush pile by having his or her manuscript presented to a hand-chosen agent or editor.

 

If you're a writer with a novel sitting on your computer all dressed up with nowhere to go--and if you've never had a novel contracted with a traditional publisher--this might be the opportunity you've been looking for. The first category is closed, but we're still taking entries in five genres:

General Fiction (submission deadline is MAY 10)
Historical (deadline is JUNE 10)
Middle Grade/Young Adult (deadline is JULY 10)
Contemporary Romance (deadline is AUGUST 10)
Speculative Fiction (deadline is SEPTEMBER 10)

You'll find all the details, including the definitions of each of these categories, the submission requirements, and the entry form, at the Launch Pad tab. So check it out. Then saddle up and come join us!

When she's not overseeing the Launch Pad contest, Yvonne Anderson writes fiction that takes you out of this world. 

Make sure to book your flight on the third voyage in her Gateway to Gannah series, Ransom in the Rock, lifting off this spring!

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The Times are Changing, But You Still Have Time

by Yvonne Anderson

For the first time ever, I forgot to change my clocks Saturday night for the time change Sunday.

The only consequence, fortunately, was getting up with my cell phone alarm at 6:00, staggering into the kitchen to turn on the coffee, seeing the clock on the microwave saying 5:00, and thinking Huh? Then I remembered: It's Daylight Savings Time.

It was disappointing to realize the microwave clock lied to me and I couldn’t go back to sleep for another hour. But I’m thankful for my self-adjusting cell phone alarm. Without it, my whole morning would have been thrown out of whack.

Speaking of times and seasons, this seems to be the season for writing contests. I keep seeing reminders from ACFW that the deadlines for submission to the Genesis and Carol Award contests are breathing down our necks.

Like the Genesis contest, Novel Rocket’s Launch Pad Contest: Boosting You Out of the Slush Pile is for writers who have never released a novel through a traditional publisher. It’s a way to gain experience in the submission process, to get some unbiased input on the opening of your book, and, if you’re a winner, to get a little attention for your work.

The contests are similar, but there are two big differences:

1) With the Launch Pad contest, the grand prize is this really cool blown glass rocket trophy,

something no other writing contest can boast, along with the opportunity to bypass the slush pile and get your submission into the hands of an agent.

2) The submission deadline for the Launch Pad contest is still a comfortable distance away. We have different deadlines, depending on the genre, but the first one isn’t until April 10. And that’s only for Suspense/Crime/Mystery/Thriller. If your story is in another genre, you’ve got even more time.

Some unsolicited feedback from people who participated in previous years:

Peter Leavell, author of Gideon's Call, recently volunteered: "I will preach it from the highest pulpit, the two mandatory contests are Novel Rocket and Genesis. I applied the feedback from both and entered Operation First Novel in 2011. Christian Retailing also chose it as the Best First Novel winner for 2013." 

This email came from UK writer Magda Knight, who entered two stories in the Middle Grade/Young Adult category in 2012: “At the risk of burdening your inbox I'd like to voice my appreciation of the incisive and immensely helpful critiques by the judges. I don't think I've ever had such pertinent and useful feedback. Absolutely game-changing. Please accept my thanks for setting up such a great competition. I may not have won, but thanks to those critiques I feel like I won anyway. Huzzah!”

From two other past entrants: “I can't tell you enough how much it has helped me. Just getting my work out has been hard for me, because I usually don't receive any feedback. Both of the judges’ critiques were extremely helpful.”

“The comments were spot on. Some were very encouraging. It's given me new motivation to continue on. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

So how about you? The deadlines aren’t pressing yet, so you can breathe easy and often. Check out the complete rules. (Contest rules, that is, not rules for breathing.) And, if you’ve got a novel manuscript you’d like to share with us, give us a try!

Yvonne Anderson writes fiction that takes you out of this world. Look for Ransom in the Rock, the third book in the Gateway to Gannah sci-fi series, to release this spring!

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