TOP 10 LIST: "Across the Wire" by Stella Telleria (Xpresso Book Tours)

BLURB

When Mia Mitchell, a hardcore but lonely former Marine, steps into an alley to pull some thugs off an unlucky foreigner, she walks into a fight she expects. What she doesn’t see coming is the foreigner making her a job offer any sane person would refuse. So, she takes it. She thinks she’s headed for some third-world country; instead she’s mysteriously transported to an Earth-like parallel world. That’s a mad left-hook.
Mia discovers a matriarchal dystopia where freedom doesn’t exist and fighting for it means execution. Lethal force bends all to the law; women fear for their families and un-wed men suffer slavery. Mia’s job is to train an underground syndicate of male freedom-fighters for a violent revolution. However, the guys don’t want a pair of X chromosomes showing them the way.

Eben, an escaped slave, is encouraged by Mia to become a leader among the men. But when he turns his quiet determination on her, it spells F.U.B.A.R. for cynical Mia. Their unexpected connection threatens more than her exit strategy; it threatens the power struggle festering with in the syndicate.

Haunted by nightmares and post-traumatic stress, unsure who to trust or how to get home, Mia struggles to stay alive as she realizes all is not what it seems.

Across the Wire by Stella Telleria
Publication date: November 4th 2013
Genres: Adult, Science Fiction

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Stella Telleria
"All my life I’ve dreamed of stories or have had my nose buried in one. I live in Edmonton, Canada with my husband and my weird sense of humor. Across the Wire is my first novel.

I love old war movies, dystopian fiction, and any story with action, a good plot, and characters I'd get into a fight at the pub for. Not that I'm a brawler or anything. Unless you think that out-of-print book or vintage piece at the thrift shop is going home with you instead of me. Then, my friend, the gloves are off.

Some say if you have your nose buried in a book, you're missing out on life. I say my nose is buried in a book because one life is not enough."

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10 things I wish every aspiring writer would know - by Stella Telleria

"I can only speak to this from my experience and hope it helps others out there. Good luck my intrepid writing friends!

1. Make a writing goal for yourself on a daily basis, or whenever you can sit down to write. Try to never stop for the day until you meet or exceed this goal be it two pages or two chapters.

2. Just get the story out of your head in the beginning. Don’t worry if you don’t know exactly how all your plot points will connect. Some like to have a very detailed plan, others like to fly by the seat of their pants. Don’t worry about how others do it (the writing process) just do what works for you. Just write.
3. In conjunction with #2, realize that all first drafts should never see the light of day. You will be super excited when you finish writing your first draft, as you should be. You will want to show everyone you know what you have written. Fight this urge like you would if someone asked you to pull their finger. Nothing good can come from it and if your curiosity wins out you will regret it.

4. Revisions, for most writers, makes up 80-90% of the writing process/time. If you don’t have trusted beta readers or writing partners, you need to find some. I repeat—you need to find some. You can pay for an editor, but I think this is only something you should do once you believe you have gotten your manuscript into the best possible shape you can. I’m talking after revision nine or ten. I’m being totally serious.

A great writer’s resource I found online is Critique Circle. This is a free site where writers critique each other’s works. I’ve found some great writer friends and have learned so much from critiquing other’s works and looking out for the same things in my own writing.

Reading writing books can help, but don’t go overboard.

My favourites:

Stephan King- On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White- The Elements of Style

5. You have to develop a thick skin. You have to be comfortable with people judging your writing, your characters, your story, and you. Don’t take it personally. The majority of comments are not personal attacks on you, and when you realize this you will be able to do the most important thing—objectively consider the criticism you receive. You cannot and should not change everything anyone comments on. You have to sort through the advice and decide what rings true. Sometimes realizing what’s true means a rewrite, or writing an extra chapter, or cutting a few chapters. If it is going to make your novel better, more compelling, or stronger, you need to do it even if it hurts. Sometimes you have to murder your darlings.

6. Writing is not pretty, it’s hard work. Just when you think you’ve revised something for the last time you’ll just figure out you need to do a rewrite.

7. Be ready for rejection and a lot of it. Professionals are just amateurs who never gave up.

8. Be realistic. Not everyone is going to love your work. This is about as impossible as birthing a unicorn who does Gangnam style in a tutu. Not likely. This is a feat unattainable by even the greatest of authors and the most critically acclaimed works. Don’t hold yourself to it.

9. Write what you love not what you think will sell. I’d rather squander all my free time over the next ten years and be known for work I feel passionately about than work I feel apathetic for. Being original is more important than imitating what has been successful.

10. You have to know when to stop revising. When to stick a fork in it and declare it done. This was difficult for me. I could have continued to revise for years. After nine revisions and a major rewrite, I decided I was finished working on Across the Wire. Could I have made it better? Maybe. But I really felt it was time to set the story free. To let go and have it stand on its own feet. I had to stop hovering and realize at a point it is simply out of my hands. That was a scary and liberating moment."