Hilary Thompson's Blog, page 3

Hot Wednesday hello to all...

Come check out a pretty I made for Toni Lesatz, over at My Book Addiction.

I created an image collage using Polyvore to show off Asphodel, 
Astrea's home in Justice Buried.

A little visualization goes a long way when writing!

Aries and Libra must Partner by hilarylthompson featuring lucky brand jewelry

Summer...even if you haven't been a student in many, many years, this season makes us all want to loosen the schedule a bit. And teachers - heck, we make time off a priority. We try not to go more than four weeks without at least a three-day break. (And if you truly remember high school, you'll know this is a priority for all involved.)

But as a teacher with a second job - writing books - I rarely give myself permission to take time off. Even before I jumped off the publishing cliff, I was working on degrees and summer projects during June and July. So know that this next bit of advice is directed as much towards myself as to you.

TAKE TIME OFF. Just do it. Don't feel guilty.And even more importantly, don't let someone else tell you what you should be doing during that time off.

For example. I spend lots of time with my kiddos. I'm home all summer. They're home all summer. Yup. So when I take time off, I sometimes just don't want them to come with me. I want to drive around back roads and listen to music. I want to shop for a new pair of shoes without resorting to bribery. And my books can be just as needy as children, just as demanding.

Recently, I took time off from writing, cleaning, and other daily activities to make something. It's not finished, but here are some pictures. (I'm quite proud, as this is the first such project I've attempted!)


This is our basement: the lovely-ish "man cave." We are using an existing closet hole to create a built-in bar. But we purchased unfinished cabinets, because it was cheaper, and we like projects, right? Right.


Don't tell the husband, but I kind of didn't trust him with the finishing part. The whole following directions bit. And he was happy to comply. So I took time off. I barricaded the basement door, put on my favorite music, and got high on stain. 
In other words, I took time off and had a lot of fun. And, like magic, here are the finished cabinets. No, not really like magic. More like this: disassemble, sand, vacuum, condition, stain, stain, clear coat, sand, vacuum, clear coat, reassemble.

The counter-top is on order, as is the (unfinished) island bar. But those are projects for another day. 

For when I am again frustrated with my daily chores and myriad requests, or my plot has more holes than my students' jeans.

For when I just need time off. To be blank. To breathe in, and out, and appreciate the quiet.
What do you do to create your own time off?

Here is the schedule for the second blog tour for Justice Buried, hosted by iequalsAlissa! I've had a lot of fun preparing goodies for everyone!

Please check each website for the full articles! And of course, enter the Giveaway: one signed copy of Justice Buried, and one $20.00 Amazon gift card are up for grabs. 


June 2 
The Tome Gnome [Character Fun Facts] 

L, S, K Sweetheart Reviews [Character Interview]

Coffee Books & art [Cast List]


June 3 
multitaskingmommas [Review]

S. L. Gavyn [Review]

The Book Tart [Cast List]


June 4
Ali's Books [Review, Excerpts]

Mythical Books [Excerpts]

Pinky's Favorite Reads [Character Fun Facts]


June 5
Nerd Girl [Excerpts]

JM Walker [Cast List]

We Stole Your Book Boyfriend [Character Interview]


June 6 
iequalsAlissa [Wrap-up]

3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! [Excerpts]

It Starts At Midnight [Review] 

Channelling Cloretta [Character Interview]

Penny For My Thoughts Book Blog [Character Fun Facts]

Ladies and gents, my first tour was so much fun that I started to go through withdrawal when it was over. Then I got a message from iEqualsAlissa, (who reviewed Justice Buried with 5 CLOUDS and an OMG review!) offering a Book Blitz and Tour, courtesy of her expanding company's services!

Would I be interested? Um, of course!

So please sign up to review if you can, and pass this along to others who might be interested! I'll be doing plenty of guest posts as well as a giveaway or two, so don't miss out on the fun!


Now Booking!Book Blitz: May 23rd ~*~ Book Tour: June 2-6


The people need Justice, but she’s not listening. One hundred years before, the Great Sickness reduced the world to three cities. Now the community of Asphodel is trapped underground, waiting for the prophesied maiden of Justice to return and save them from their Fates.Sixteen-year-old Astrea is supposed to be this savior – too bad for them she isn’t a believer. Trea fights against her false destiny: she rebels against her family and friends, then refuses her arranged marriage to the charming but deceitful Lexan. Learning her life is in danger, Trea is forced to trust Lexan – until she discovers a power she never knew she had, and one he already knew he did.As betrayal closes every door, Trea decides she must submit to her stars and accept her fate. Then a handsome stranger offers her an unexpected escape and the chance to create her own destiny.




ABOUT THE AUTHORHilary Thompson is an independently-published author who released her debut Young Adult novel, Justice Buried, in January, 2014. Justice Buried is the first in a dystopian fantasy series incorporating mythology and astrology, with the second full-length title due later in 2014.
She also teaches high school English, which gives her some insight into her target audience, and helps her maintain a thick skin.

Visit my new loveliesfor the full articles andGIVEAWAYS!April 21The YA Buzz (Review)
"It's epic...Justice Buried is full of twists and turns, but it's intricate. It's well-plotted. It's addictive."
E.M. Havens (Review & Dream Cast, blogger's choice)
"It's an easy read with good characterization and great action."Mo_Books (Review)
"Justice Buried was an easy flowing, fast paced read with good world building and an interesting place setting."April 22Mythical Books  (Guest Post)
Paulette's Papers  (Guest Post)
WOrkS of FiCTioN (Review)
Bitches n Prose (Review)
April 23rd
soycazadoradesombrasylibros  (Interview)
Wicca Witch 4 Book Blog (Review & Excerpt, blogger's choice)Musings of Immortals (Spotlight)library of the See (Spotlight)
April 24thA Book Addict's Bookshelves  (Interview)
library of the Seen (Review & Dream Cast, blogger's choice)The Procrastinator's Corner (Review & Excerpt, blogger's choice)
April 25thThe Library Mistress  (Guest Post)
A Bibliophile's Reviews (Review)
Ellie's Reading Nook (Review)
April 28thfiction's our addiction (Review)
All in One Place (Review & Excerpt, blogger's choice)
The Story Goes.. (Review & Favorite Quotes)

April 29th
CBY Book Club  (Interview)
My Nook, Books & More (Review & Dream Cast, blogger's choice)
Bittersweet Enchantment (Spotlight)

April 30th
Random Smiles (Review)
It's A Book Thing (Review)
Abbbz and Bookz (Review & Playlist, blogger's choice)

May 1st
Addicted Readers  (Guest Post)
iequalsAlissa (Review)
Simplistic Reviews (Review)

May 2nd
Tower of Babel  (Interview)
Curling Up With A Good Book (Review & Excerpt, blogger's choice)
A Flurry of Ponderings (Review & Favorite Quotes)

Picture from bigstockphoto

Justice Buried is going on tour!

Blog tour, that is. The indefatigable Shane Morgan at Itching for Books is organizing a blog tour for me - she has currently booked twenty-five blogs to read and review Justice Buried! Posts will include interviews, playlists, and dream casting! There will also be giveaways, guest posts by me, and virtual cupcakes for everyone!

If you have a blog and are interested in joining the tour, please sign up here.

Keep checking back here or find me on Facebook and Twitter for new information!

Blog Tour Dates: April 21 - May 2!

If you have already purchased your copy, please forward this to friends who might be interested! If you purchased an ebook, here's your chance to get your hands on the paper version!
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget { color: #555; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; background: white; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget img { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0 !important; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0; color: #660; text-decoration: none; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:visted { color: #660; text-decoration: none; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:hover { color: #660; text-decoration: underline !important; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget p { margin: 0 0 .5em !important; padding: 0; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink { display: block; width: 150px; margin: 10px auto 0 !important; padding: 0px 5px !important; text-align: center; line-height: 1.8em; color: #222; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; border: 1px solid #6A6454; border-radius: 5px; font-family:arial,verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; background-image:url(https://www.goodreads.com/images/layo... background-repeat: repeat-x; background-color:#BBB596; outline: 0; white-space: nowrap; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink:hover { background-image:url(https://www.goodreads.com/images/layo... color: black; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; }
Goodreads Book Giveaway Justice Buried by Hilary Thompson Giveaway ends February 05, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win

(photo from bigstock.com)
So, it's official! I'm a published author, and now all my castle-in-the-sky dreams have come true, right? Um, you don't know me that well yet if you think this is where I plan to stop. A spectacular, surreal moment to savor, yes, but an end, this is not.

I'm currently writing a short story/novella between books 1 and 2 (1.5?) that tells the beginning of book 1 from another point of view. l'm also writing book 2, currently titled Balance Broken. 

You can also now find the book to buy, review, and share on these sites: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. (iBooks is coming soon.)

Busy girl, I am.

But this post is really about giving you homework. I am, after all, a high school teacher. If you love me the way I think you do, then you want to help me spread the word about Justice Buried! 

The remainder of this post was inspired by this one on an informative and entertaining blog called Writer Unboxed. A lot of the ideas on that post are more helpful for traditionally published authors, rather than independently published authors. So, here are my...


Top Five Ways to Help an Indie Author1. Buy the book. Obvious, right? But keep in mind that at this point, it isn't always about money. The more books your author sells in a short period of time, the higher they go on the mysterious Amazon lists . These lists can make them more visible to new people - new sales!

2. Share and share alike, and like everything. These days, every website has multiple ways to tell everyone everything. So use the share and like and pin buttons on every social media and store website that carries your author's book. This way, your indie author has exponential share power.

3. Leave reviews and/or ratings. We are all busy people, and we often rely on other's opinions to help us to the research grunt work. So if your author has a handful of reviews and ratings (even if they aren't all 5 star!) people are more likely to purchase than if there are no reviews.

4. Ask your local library, schools, and independent bookstores to consider carrying the book. (Chain bookstores often don't have the power to choose.) Many authors (including me!) are also willing and happy to do virtual or local visits for school groups and book clubs.

5. Make the world a smaller place. We all know people who know people, in that whole six degrees of separation way. Suggest the book or author to someone - you never know who might end up with the information. Indie authors don't have big advertising budgets, and they rely on word of mouth (or keyboard) to spread their books.


I hope these have sparked a few ideas in your mind about helping your favorite independent or self-published author, or even a traditionally published author. Help us share our books, and we'll keep writing them for you!

What other ways can you think of to help spread the word?

I suck at patience. And patience is what January is asking of me, with a book release pending and no way to speed up the process!

So, to pass the time while my book is being proofed and formatted and getting its nails done, I've been playing around with a few of my favorite quotes and scenes. I've used my own (very non-professional) photos, and the very-cool website Pic Monkey to create some pseudo advertisements.

Eventually I will get around to sharing these on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, but please feel free to share them on your own, or comment as you will!

Which one do you like the best?