M. B. Weston’s Author Newsletter, Volume 2, Issue 1

Breaking News
Be the First to Own A Prophecy Forgotten (aka APF), Book I of The Elysian Chronicles
APF is now available for sale through Archebooks Direct. Order it now at 25% off the cover price and begin reading it before it hits the bookshelves. Visit www.elysianchronicles.com, www.mbweston.com, or www.archebooks.com for details.

Out of the Shadows (aka OOTS) Book II of The Elysian Chronicles
I’m still muddling through the 2nd draft of OOTS. Don’t worry, Davian fans, I’ll have the 2nd draft finished soon enough.

• Website Updates (www.elysianchronicles.com)
  Recent Updates:
  The Elysian Chronicles Website gets a Facelift: I changed the website around a bit, including moving my online journal to BlogSpot. Check out the changes and the new blog at (www.mbweston.blogspot.com).
• The Elysian Chronicle Fan Art section: If you want your art on my website, scan it into a computer and e-mail it to me—or just mail it to me and I’ll scan it. Check out the newest fan art!
• Young Writers section: I’m building a young writers section where I hope to give teenage writers advice on writing and getting published. Currently, I’ve posted the meeting times for the Young Writers of Naples and a list of teenage writing contests. Keep checking as I keep adding. If you know of any writing contests, e-mail me the information, and I’ll post it on the web.

Stay Tuned For:

• Updated information on APF’s main characters.
• Updated dates & author.
• Book Club information

Author Events
Schools, etc.
This month, I’ll be speaking at HEED Homeschooling Coop, Barron Collier High School, and First Baptist Academy. If you want me to speak to your class, tell your teacher to e-mail me at mbweston@elysianchronciles.com.

Book Fairs:
I’ll be at the Lee County Book Festival on March 17th.

Writing Conferences:
On March 22-24th, I’ll be doing two workshops at the Emerald Coast Writers’ Conference at Ft. Walton Beach.

Young Writers of Naples Club
If you are a high schooler in Naples, join me and other students at Barnes & Noble from 10:00-12:00 on the 1st & 3rd Saturday of each month.

Monthly Writing Tip
Sensory Details: You want the world you’ve created in your story to “haunt” your reader—to make him or her think about your world long after putting down the book and to desire to return. The author J. R. R. Tolkien excelled at this, making readers all over the world desire to be part of and return to Middle Earth. One aspect of writing that can achieve this effect, which Tolkien used quite heavily, is the addition of sensory details. You know, the details having to do with the five senses:

• Sight
• Sound
• Touch
• Taste
• Smell

Make your reader experience more than just the plot of your story. Stimulate your reader’s mental picture. Make him shiver in the cold. Rattle her eardrums with a KABOOM! Make his mouth water, and make her hold her nose to keep out the stench. Affect your reader’s senses, and you will make your reader want to return to your world. Happy Haunting!

Tags: Elysian Chronicles, A Prophecy Forgotten, Out of the Shadows, M. B. Weston, Elysia, Young Writers of Naples, writing club, writing tips