Aesthetic Book Series: Meet The Book

Writerly friends and readers from all around,

Due to my constant Twitter distraction, (that and being on submission) I have been inspired by the #ThursdayAesthetic hashtag. This has fire-started a pretty cool series to introduce you all to my debut novel, Rubatosis: The Unsettling Awareness of One's Own Heartbeat. 

That's a complete mouthful, I know. 

Though the title may be subject to change, the characters, and so on and so forth . . . I thought, what the heck, might as well get you all excited for this book since that's all I've been talking about on here for the last few years or so anyway. 

With this series, you can expect to see some stellar book aesthetics for each character in the order that they're introduced in the book. 

To kick it off, I will start by introducing the book with an excerpt from my query and #pitmad tweet that got me my agent. 

Find the goodness below. 

(Fun fact: this is actually take two of the main aesthetic, go here if you want to see the original.)

#PitMad Tweet: A boy with a timer on his heart tries to overcome his death sentence by making sense of the world through books.

At eleven-years-old, Noah Dean Turner learns that he has ventricular tachycardia, a potentially life threatening arrhythmia that causes his heart to beat twice as fast.

With the support from his granddad, Noah makes it to year seventeen. Long hours in the garden and reading thick books has provided a distraction to his inconsistent heartbeat. But when Noah's granddad passes away, and he's forced to move in with his promiscuous aunt, he hops on a bus in hopes of finding a place that he can call home. Instead, Noah is dropped off at a retreat center called Camp Neodesha. There, he realizes two things. One: everyone's story parallels to a book he's read. And two: falling in love with a broken heart is, in fact, as deadly as it seems.

RUBATOSIS: THE UNSETTLING AWARENESS OF ONE'S OWN HEARTBEAT can be summarized as Alice in Wonderland meets The Fault in Our Stars. This story isn't just about a boy with a death sentence, it's an adventure story about growing up, a story about finding love and meeting radical characters that help Noah make sense of the world, including a boy who steals, a kind stranger that smokes hookah, a domineering mother figure that owns a smiling cat, and a girl with wild hair and heterochromia eyes that makes Noah forget about every good book he's read.


*Wipes off sweat* 

Phew. Alright guys, that's the overview for good ol' Rubatosis. 

I hope you like it. I'd love to see any that you may have as well! Drop your links in the comment section below, or tag me on Twitter!

Next week, you'll get to meet Noah, the main character. 

Andd if you didn't know . . . Noah's pretty great. 

*wink, wink*

Before I forget, if you want to know more about my query, and those that helped me form it, check out my AQC link: http://agentqueryconnect.com/index.php?/topic/34139-rubatosis-update-on-post-24/?hl=rubatosis

Till next time!

The Writing Life (Take Two!)

Coming into this life, I expected it to be easy, somewhat.

But clearly, I was fooled.

It's been almost a year since I began blogging and almost four years since I began writing seriously. (You know, with the hopes of being published someday.)

And it's not even about wanting to get published--that's a simple perk of being a writer--it's about connecting with other writers, with readers. It's about living in a world where people understand you. A world where when you say, "I think I have carpal tunnel," they don't look at you like you're crazy. It's about being invested in a community, like this one, where other writers welcome you with GIF hugs and emojis.  A world where they send you so many emails about their book that you think it's spam. But mostly, a world where they not only want to be invested in you, but in your characters, in your writing.....that's the best feeling.

So here I stand with a heart full of words and a mind filled with stuff about writing. Like I said before, I will either succeed or fail miserably in this realm. But for us, for me, for my words, I believe that I will make it far in this life someday. I might even own my own literary agency . . . ha . . . now would be the time for me to come off that high horse.

But if, and when I do publish my first book through some hardcore agent who believes in me, I want to remember you, all of you who read this.

I propose that the first fifteen people who email me with the sentence, "we are a community" will receive a signed, hard-back book from yours truly. That's a promise. Maybe that doesn't mean much to you, but it means everything to me. You all are my people--we're a community--and I want to give back.

Till then, I'll be working hard on this third book with community in mind. I'll be looking into Carpal Tunnel because, yeah, this pain is real. And I'll be diving deep into this writer's life with high hopes.

Look forward to the next post because I'm going to continue the series, "How Writer's Made It Big!" This time, we'll be looking into how Veronica Roth corrupted 2014 with her Divergent series. You don't want to miss this one!


Till next time blog world,

OH, and somehow I managed to make it on a cover of a magazine. Who would have thunk it?

AQC: This is for you . . .

I've had this blog for about seven months now, and I haven't overlooked the fact that the community from Agent Query Connect happens to be the top supporters for my blog.

That's freaking amazing!

And I'm all about giving back because I wouldn't know as much as I do now without you--each one of you.

So, drum roll please because some great stuff is about to happen.

I, Britney, solemnly swear to critique FIVE member's queries from AQC. Whether it's a quick look to check for minor grammar mistakes, help because you've never written a query before, or just support from someone who's been apart of the AQC community for a couple years, then I am here for you!
I know that I haven't been as active in the community as much as I would like--especially since I'm not writing a query anymore--but I wanted to express to you all that I most certainly haven't forgotten.

So here's what you need to do:
***I know this is an old post, but it's still so valid. If someone from AQC wants me to look at their query--regardless of the challenge--feel free to contact me through the Contact Form!"***
Simply be the first five viewers to email me on AQC with the title: QueryReview! Add the link to your query as well!

Along with that, share the link of my blog by posting it on Twitter, Facebook, or Tumblr to get the word out. I'm a total advocate for writers supporting writers (and I will follow your blog by the way!)

I'm excited to look at everyone's queries! You have a total of 48 hours before the offer expires!
Don't forget to share the link and the love!

Go, Go, Go!!!!


Here's the link to my blog: http://britneylewisbooks.blogspot.com/

How I use beta/critique readers

Every writer pursuing a career with their books MUST have beta and critique readers.

That wink isn't meant to be taken lightly, ha.

I'll be honest, once I finished The Willow Tree (formally known as Unbroken if you've read older posts or have followed me on AgentQueryConnect ,) I thought only a beta reader would suffice. But that was a lie. And after getting rejection after rejection, I figured I was doing something wrong.

So here's how I've taken complete control over beta/critique readers:

Beta Readers:

Beta readers are basically your second pair of eyes. After I finished the complete manuscript of The Willow Tree, I had a distant friend read it over, merely for content. I didn't want to know her opinions or grammar corrections, I just wanted to know how she felt about the manuscript as a whole. After receiving her feedback, I did more editing. Then, mid-way through the next dozen rounds of editing, I had another beta reader read through for content. Again, after feedback, I did more editing. Then, once I finished the complete manuscript--like ready to ship off to agents complete--I had one more beta reader read over it. With this last beta reader, I wanted to know his/her complete opinion on the material. For example: what did you like the most? What stomped you? How did you feel while reading this part, and so on and so forth.

Critique Readers: 

Critique readers are almost essential to writing a manuscript. Scratch that. IF you are going to write a book, you NEED at least two-three critique readers. I know, that almost sounds like a lot, but trust me, it's so worth it.
So after the first beta reader, I found my first critique reader on Agent Query Connect. She was probably the most legit criticizer I'd ever found online, and she was a huge blessing toward my manuscript. We worked together for about two months through a constant flow of emails, and she helped me polish my manuscript to almost perfection. The next critique reader I had helped me with the first three chapters, then, with her advice, I re-edited the remaining chapters by myself (I'd also found this critique reader on agent query connect. Whoo!) The last critique reader I found was actually a close friend of mine, and because she has a strong eye for catching grammar mistakes and content, I saved her for last. I sent her up to three chapters at a time, and since she was on a timed mission, we finished the LAST edits of my manuscript in about 5-6 weeks.

How long did it take you to polish your complete manuscript? We're talking agent readiness. 

Some of you might already know this, but after the first few edits, I thought my manuscript was ready to be shipped off. However, I was dead wrong. Previously, it had taken me a month to get it to what I thought was agent readiness. After that, I worked on it by myself for about four months. Then I worked with three critique readers afterwards. With six total months of editing.


Was it difficult for you to send your novel to someone you didn't know?

Definitely. That was probably the hardest part. I bet you could imagine the list of things I worried about. But getting my book published was higher than any fears I had, so I conquered it. For the most part, all the critique readers I had were from the same writer's community that I was a part of, so it was easier to send chapters to those people. Opposite of that, all of the beta readers I've had have either been someone I've known or someone I didn't know at all from World Literary Cafe.

Did you ever send your novel to your family members?

The very first version of my book, before it was even edited, was sent straight to my aunt and my Nana (aka my grandmother.) They were just content readers, and I knew that the version of the book they read
wouldn't be the same in the long run, but since they asked for it, I gave it to them. However, I'd stray away from sending anything to close family members or friends. Sometimes their opinions can be bias. Unless you trust that emotions/relations won't get in the way of the editing process, I'd send it elsewhere.

Any last minute advice?

I've said it before, and I'll probably keep saying it, join an online community. Literally, that was probably the best thing that's ever happened to me.

I hope this helps with  your beta/critique readers.

Till next time blog world!

I"ve Been Distant

So, I realize, I've been quite distant lately.

And I sincerely apologize. 

You know, I've had a lot to do these last few weeks: I finished my fourth semester in college; I got a legit freelance writing job for a marketing department; and I'm preparing myself to be a counselor at a camp for three months. 

And ALSO, I've found a few "legit" beta readers. 

I'm so stoked about that because one of them have already finished the first three chapters and have already given me feedback. Like, seriously, I feel sooo blessed. 

On another note, I've also been working really/semi hard on my new book--which is nameless because I can't figure out a title--and it's coming along so perfectly. I already have a blog post idea that will come because of it. 

Till then, I hope everyone finds a good book to read, and I'll speak with you next time!

Happy Writing Days! 

The Perks of Being Part of An Online Forum

When writing and working on books, I highly suggest that people join an online community/ forum. 

It is seriously the best thing ever. 

The people on there aren't just friends who notice your writing mistakes, but they're family, too.

They support you. 

They understand you.

And they're going through the exact same thing that you are. 

There are so many perks to having an online writing family:

-They truthfully tell you if that query you wrote is legit....or too full of cliches.

-Some of them have been on the community forever (The Grandparents) and they can spot a mistake in two seconds, rather than the normal five minutes to an hour.

-You can literally talk with them about anything, and they won't think you're weird. 

-You can vent about your book! You can vent about your query, and your synopsis! 

-They'll help you think of a title so awesome that you'll dream about it at nights.

-They'll be some of the first people who'll buy your book when it hits shelves. (Plus they'll have bragging rights!)

-They'll read your ENTIRE book and tell you if it's worth publishing or not. 

-They hurt when you hurt. 

-And most importantly, they want the best for you and your writing career! 

I can't even begin to explain how blessed I am to work with a community like this. Agent Query Connect has got the best people from all around the world--not joking! I really just want to make a huge shout out to all you amazing people who've helped me get this far. A little bit goes a loong way. Seriously, thanks for the support.

Till next time blog world!

Happy Writing Days!