Meet Ellie Sethdottier: Protagonist of The Light Side of the Moon

Who wants to see the character dossier of Ellie Sethdottier: Protagonist of The Light Side of the Moon?

Ellie at age 11, Digital painting by me, Elizabeth Guizzetti. All Rights Reserved.

Ella (Ellie) Settdottier was four-years-old when the Kiposians came. While she and her brothers were too young to immigrate to Kipos and witnessed a violent argument between her parents, which ended with her mother battered. She never saw her father again. She does not know if he abandoned them for opportunities on Kipos or was possibly killed at the gates. She doesn’t want to know.

Parents: Jia Rao and Seth Keithson

Two Brothers: Daniel (+4 years) and James (+3 years)

Virtues: Though her life has been hard, she was protected from the worst of their poverty by her older brothers, thus she is strong-willed and hopeful things will get better. (Her brothers have long given up on life.) She loves to read and collect knowledge.

Vices: She has grown up so fast, she does not listen to reason. She is slow to trust.

Helpful Vice: She is a risktaker, but terrified of “getting in trouble” in an unforgivable way. She doesn’t really understand what is unforgivable, but has an idea that she needs to not get pregnant or catch an uncurable STI, so during her teen years she stays away from boys and drugs.

Age in novel: 4 – 18

Description excerpts

Age 4

More harshly than was wise, Alexander snapped, “She’s four and lost her father. Who said, ‘Suffer the little children…’ ”

With the hope Ella would settle down and Sister Diego might witness the vision of an innocent in pain, he pulled her onto his lap. After all, a four-year-old has no designs except to be loved, fed, safe, and warm. When she wasn’t screaming, Ella was as sweet looking as Jia had been at four: large round brown eyes, soft lengths of black hair escaping from two messy braids. Sister Diego could see her in her brothers’ hand-me-down green sweater and old patched trousers. No sign of sinful disease.

Both for his own comfort and hers, Alexander rocked her. Ella calmed as she snuggled into his shoulder, but Sister Diego’s face remained without compassion.

*

Age 11

[Alexander] considered as the afternoon sun bounced off Ella’s black hair how much she resembled Jia at that age, but her normally bronzed skin, looked grayish. Daniel and Jamie looked worse, covered in flour. The girl was on some invisible tether, bouncing with childish energy, but matching her brothers’ sluggish pace. Neither boy should be broken in adolescence.

 The Light Side of the Moon will be available on paperback and ebook for Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and IBooks.

New grammar addiction: the word “then”

This is just a short post and this post has a moral: Listen to your editors.

While editing The Light Side of the Moon, I have found, or more appropriately, my editor has found that I have a new grammar addiction: “then”

Merriam-Webster defines then : at that time : at the time mentioned

—used to indicate what happened or happens next 

—used to indicate what should be done next

You might remember, that when I was going through editing of Other Systems,  my poor editor (someone else) found and cut at least fifty semicolons. I am not exaggerating. In the second round of edits, I overused the word “as.”

Apparently I needed a new way to combine sentences–so I moved on to “then.”

For some logical reason, I thought it looked cooler to use “then” to combine sentences instead of the almost invisible “and”. I have no idea why, but thankfully my editor caught it and conducted an intervention.

 

 

 

Cover Reveal: The Light Side of the Moon!

Coming Soon from 48Fourteen in paperback and e-book! 

I am pleased to show the cover for The Light Side of the Moon! This stand-alone book focuses on what happened on Earth after the Kiposians came. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to do the cover illustration, while Lyndsay Johnson did the wonderful lettering design.

Summary:

Due to overpopulation, lack of natural resources, no public education, and a surplus of political bickering, Earth is a cesspool and our solar system’s colonies have failed. Nevertheless, outside our solar system, exploration has thrived.

Encouraged by the conquest of Kipos, idealistic dreamers look beyond Earth to build a utopia from the abandoned Lunar Colony Serenitatis. Industrialists reconstruct the colony, but struggle to turn a profit while encouraging scientific discovery.

Brimming with hope despite intense uncertainty and physical hardship, the impoverished Ella Sethdottier follows rumors of plentiful jobs on the moon. On roads fraught with danger, she discovers Earth is a bigger place than she ever imagined, but Serenitatis is little more than a prison colony. Ella forges unlikely friendships with corrupted androids and the quixotic prison doctor, Ian Whitlatch, who champions equality and rights for inmates. Amid corruption and nobility, tragedy and victory, the fate of the colony hangs precariously in the balance.

Elizabeth Guizzetti appearing at Issaquah Library AuthorFest

May 1 @ 6:00 am – 9:00 pm | Free

In collaboration with Downtown Issaquah Association’s May “Wine Walk”, the Issaquah Library and Pacific Northwest Writers Association are hosting the first annual “Author Fest” on Friday, May 1st.

Activities will include:

Panel discussions with local authors!
6:00pm panel will feature authors who write for kids: Lois Brandt, Dori Butler, & TJ (Tim) Spencer and Elizabeth Guizzetti
7:15pm panel will feature authors who write for adults: Alan Bauer, Robert Dugoni, Mike Lawson, Pam Binder and Elizabeth Guizzetti. (I’m a double feature!)

Afterwards there will be time for one-on-one author chats and a chance to purchase an autographed copy!

Hope to see you there

My RustyCon Speaking Schedule!

So my first convention of the year is: 

Held in Seatac, Rustycon is an annual science fiction and fantasy convention with a smaller, relaxed intimate feel. They have multi–track programming in writing, gaming, films and media. They also have a dealer’s room, art show, and a hospitality room for the general membership.

Here’s a photo of me and Bruce from Rustycon 2014. I’m the human.

If you’re looking for the convention experience without the crowds of ECCC or the pressure of Norwescon, you’ll LOVE Rustycon.

I hope to see you there.

Friday 1/16

2:00 pm
Sexy or Sexualized
Mercer B

When does the depiction of a heroine stop being sexy and become sexualized?

I will be presenting along with Jon Del Arroz and Michael Suiter

Saturday 1/17 

11:00 am
World Building in Sci-Fi and Fantasy or How to Avoid the Infodump
Orcas B

Too much information and the story bogs down, but too little and the reader is left lost. Writers want to deliver an enthralling alternate world, but how do we do that gracefully? Experts share the details that make a world great, and ways to sneak in the brick and mortar of world-building.

I will be presenting with Verna Mckinnon, Thomas Gondolfi, Tom D Wright with Rick Hipps Moderating

12:00 Noon
Designing Character Backgrounds
Orcas B

When you read, do you fall in love with a story or a character? By designing your characters, major and minor, you shape the story they’re going to carry. But how do you bring them to life? And how much obsessing is too much? Do you really need to know their favorite food, color, and dessert topping? Learn how to design a character.

I will be presenting with A. Maire Dinsmore, Rick Hipps, and Todd Tepper

Sunday 1/18

9:00 am
How do I Finish???

You have the story, the big climax.. how do you end it??  A lot of beginning writers (and some pros) have problems with that.  Come get some ideas.

I will be presenting with Will Mcdermott, Verna Mckinnon, and Rick Hipps

11:00 am
Independent Publishing 
Orcas B

Independent publishing has taken off, especially with the recent rise of the hybrid-author, who is willing to sell work traditionally but not afraid to self-publish and promote. From ebooks to POD, which stories benefit from independent publishing and how do you get them ready? Bring your questions about editing, Kickstarter, cover art, sales price, and marketing.

I will be presenting with Jennifer Brozek Dustin Gross and Thomas Gondola

Who do you think you are? Well, I am Elizabeth Guizzetti.

I might be a nobody, but wait…that’s me selling my books at Barnes&Noble

When someone says “Who do you think you are?”

They are actually implying that you are unimportant and your work is unimportant.

And when someone points out, “Well, you’re not [Enter name of best-selling author here]”

They are implying you can’t break the rules because you are a nobody.

There is only one answer to both of those questions:  I am author [insert your name here].

During the rewrite of The Light Side of the Moon, one of the comments that my editor made was that she rarely sees books over 40 chapters.  I admit I came close to mentioning that Other Systems had 46 chapters, but I didn’t want to be argumentative.

Later, I realized this year alone, almost every book I read was over 40 chapters. In fact most of them were over 100 chapters, but when I pointed this out to a friend:  I was reminded that I am not Dan Brown, Stephen King, or Joe Hill.

Tell me I’m unimportant. Well I’ll go Kaiju. FYI I didn’t destroy Seattle, because I live here and can’t afford the drop in property values, but I’m coming for Bellevue.

 

It happened again when writing my back cover copy for The Light Side of the Moon, I showed some people in my writing group.  I had originally written it from Ellie’s point of view but that really didn’t show the expansiveness of the story.  I was reminded that the rules state that I should name a single main character.

I pointed out that Game of Thrones’s back cover copy that doesn’t name a single character. I was told I am not George RR Martin.

They’re right–I am none of those people. And if I ever forget,  my quarterly royalty checks brings me back to reality.

But tiny royalty checks doesn’t change who I am and how I identify myself in this world.

I am author and illustrator Elizabeth Guizzetti and Ha Ha! As if there are rules on the job that we do– at best, they are only loose guidelines

I write what I want to write just like the authors I mentioned above.  I don’t know how they became best-selling authors. Yes, they write great books. And yes, because they are best-sellers, their publishing houses spend more money on their marketing efforts.  And yes, that by selling movie options they became even better-selling best-selling author.

Besides that? I don’t know if they rubbed on a genie’s bottle or have a lucky rabbits foot and don’t write on Friday the 13th.

It doesn’t matter, their sales do not make me less of an author…and their sales don’t make you less or more of an author either.

I love my job.  Most weeks, I put in over 50 hours which means I made less than a penny an hour last year as an author, but I’m not the only author that makes pennies per hour.  It is estimated that an average’s salary for an author in America is less than $30,000 a year. Yes, there are the authors who win the author lottery,  but there’s a lot more of us who love writing and do it for very little money. Guess what? I’m still an author. I have one book published, and another under contract.

Here is me and my author buddies Zachary Bonelli and Aubry K. Andersen at the Federal Way Library. We worked hard for this appearance and did awesome!

The final fate of The Light Side of the Moon….

Good News!

The Light Side of the Moon’s rewrite and new artwork was accepted and will be published by 48Fourteen sometime in 2015! I signed the Publishing Agreement on Sunday. 

Due to overpopulation, lack of natural resources, no public education, and a surplus of political bickering, Earth is a cesspool and our solar system’s  colonies have failed. Nevertheless, outside our solar system, exploration has thrived.

Encouraged by the conquest of Kipos, idealistic dreamers look beyond Earth to build a utopia from the abandoned Lunar Colony Serenitatis. Industrialists reconstruct the colony, but struggle to turn a profit while encouraging scientific discovery.

Brimming with hope amid intense uncertainty and physical hardships, the excommunicated eleven-year-old child bride Ella follows rumors of plentiful jobs on the moon. On roads fraught with danger, she discovers Earth is a bigger place than she ever knew. Lunar Colony Serenitatis is little more than a prison colony. Ella forges unlikely friendships with corrupted androids and the idealistic prison doctor, Ian Whitlatch, who champions equality and rights for inmates. Amid riots and corruption, tragedy and victory, the fate of the colony hangs perilously in the balance.

The editor loved the artwork, but wanted the lettering changed on the cover once these details are nailed down, I’ll be scheduling a cover reveal soon.

Websites
http://elizabethguizzetti.com
http://other-systems.com

Facebook Page
http://www.facebook.com/Elizabeth.Guizzetti.Author

Time Off: That means its time for a reading rampage…

While some people might say its too late to start my Summer Reading list, I say, this is my first week I’ve had off this summer. So I’ve gotten behind on my readings.

I read Here Lies Love and reviewed it here.

Here are the rest of the books in my tbr list:

Fiction:

• A fan gave me a copy of Charles de Lint’s Under my Skin
• And I received Stephen King’s Mr. Mercedes for my birthday.
• Awakening by Raymond Bolton which I won in a raffle
• Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
• Speaking in Forked Tongues by Brad Gallaway

Non Fiction

• Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries by Neil DeGrassie Tyson
• The Particle at the End of the Universe: How the Hunt for the Higgs Boson Leads Us to the Edge of a New World by Sean Carroll

The Light Side of the Moon Rewrite is finished!

So I finished the rewrite of The Light Side of the Moon!!! Huzahh!!! 

Rosie thinks I over use the words: “picked up” so she’s checking out the Thesaurus.

I send it back to 48Fourteen  today, I hope they like it.

While I was worried about word count, but ended getting it at 118,000 words which is in the high end of 48Fourteen publishable zone–but at least its in it! Also I’ve seven deleted scenes once we find out The Light Side of the Moon’s final fate.

Since many authors might wonder doing a full rewrite is like: here is everything that changed.

One of the issues was the work was too episodic, so after reading my feedback emails, I basically decided I needed to write out a “mission” sentence.

Note this is not an elevator pitch, but it tells me what the book is about: Five people of different castes will journey to the moon and work to build a utopian society out of a prison colony.

In every scene, I asked myself: does it fit with the story?

The original book was over 80 chapters, I got it down to 47.

While some chapters were unneeded, I also ended up combining chapters. I had too many “dialogue chapters” when I could just added important dialogue to chapters when more action was going on.  I also need to add to five chapters in order to make them transition to the next part of the novel.

I rewrote the first five chapters from the beginning. While Ellie and Ian’s stories didn’t change too much in overall plot, I made sure that the other important character’s motivation was much more clear, added richer description. The other thing I did was double check everything. Placement of the colony, German and French swearing, etc.

I’m conflicted about writing this next part, but it was amazing how many people wanted to help–and didn’t.  I made a decision after I got my feedback from my publisher that I needed another POV. Everyone basically told me I was wrong. They told me to cut Mr. Johnson and Theodore Kessler POV’s though I knew I needed them. I got to the point where I asked a few friends if I could talk out some of my questionable chapters. The POV was not my question! Instead of listening–they kept talking. Worse, they were telling me things that were opposite to what my publisher said. If someone has a problem they ask to talk out: shut up and listen!

Authors, you need to do to reach your readers and explore your world’s themes–do it! That doesn’t mean all your words and ideas are gold, but it does mean sticking to your guns.

Finally, one of my worse writing habits is “fixing the sentence” but forgetting to take out the problem word, so I used Grammarly  chapter by chapter.  Then I re-read the entire manuscript aloud.

I got my feedback letter on March 28th, the entire rewrite took me nearly four months. Of course, who knows? My book still might not be what 48Fourteen is looking for, but it is the story I want to tell.

Photos from Federal Way Library Meet the Author Event!

Here are the photos from the Federal Way Library Meet the Author Event! 

Here are:
Aubry Andersen, author of the serialized novel: Isaac the Fortunate and illustrator of Insomnium 
Zachary Bonelli, of Fuzzy Hedgehog Press author of Insomnium and Voyage: Embarkation 
Elizabeth Guizzetti, author and illustrator of Other Systems