Can you believe summer is almost over? Labor Day weekend is coming up and is often seen as the end of the season. Looking for the perfect book to read to help say goodbye to summer? Try Summer Interrupted now for only 99 cents! Link: mybook.to/SummerInterrupted Joy and Dot wanted a summer to remember. They ended up with mystery, murder, the supernatural and more. Something to be remembered for sure. Joy and Dot plan on having a summer to remember. A cabin on the beach, hot men from Harvard down the way, one last hurrah before true adulthood set in. Everything is perfect. They did not plan on their summer being interrupted by Joy’s sudden collapse in a strange room in their house, nor the mystery that surrounded it. As they look into their rental, horrifying details from the house’s past, mixed in with pirate lore of old, come to light. As more details emerge, they realize that more than their fun is at stake, that souls may hang in the balance. How can two sisters battle an evil that has haunted coastal Maine for hundreds of years?
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I am never one to shy away from a challenge and I feel that pushing yourself is one of the ways that we learn and grow as people. It is in that spirit that I am taking on some new challenges both personally and professionally, one which is kind of both. I have just signed up to start studying to become a personal trainer! Not only do I want to learn more about the human body and exercise for my own personal health, but I also want to learn to help others who may have health challenges like myself to live their fittest life. I am so excited to begin this journey and I will keep you updated on the process and let you know when I am certified and ready to take on clients! I plan on having a YouTube channel as well as a website that offers online and Skype training.
I am also challenging myself when it comes to my writing. I am working on several projects in different genres, all of which are helping my grow as an author. I am trying to finally get a writing and publishing schedule that I can consistently stick to down and then watch out for a lot of new releases! I am also pushing myself as an artist. I recently had my first painting accepted for an art show where they had to jury in the entrants. That blows my mind. I will have more on that art show very soon! I will also have a lot of new work at an art market coming up in October, so that means a lot of art between now and then. I am of course undertaking these challenges while still trying to maintain balance in my life, a challenge in and of itself. But what is life without challenges? Summer is coming to an end and my publisher and I have a little treat for you all now that school is back in and you might have some time to treat yourselves to some new reads! Now through September 2 head over to Hot Tree Publishing to pick up A Whole New Life for only .99 cents! Link: https://www.hottreepublishing.com/shop/a-whole-new-life/ Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2DK8nbo All retailers: books2read.com/whole A Whole New Life A handsome deputy who’s not looking to settle down. A mysterious woman who’s on the run. When Deputy Henri Gunther realizes there’s so much more to waitress Jenna Trippleton, his simple small-town life explodes right open. With her safety and freedom at stake, Jenna must decide whether she can put her trust in the one man who’s promised to protect her. The past few weeks I've been talking about writing and tips to help other writers and today I am tackling one of the most important tips that I have: finding a great editor. Now that self publishing has become easier for authors and does not have the stigma that it once had, I have been asked a lot if authors really need an editor or if they can just self edit to the best of their ability and be done. My answer? Yes you absolutely need to find an editor and a good editor at that. (If you are ever looking for one, ask me and I can send you an introduction to my editor Leona Bushman and we can see if she is taking new clients at that time.)
So why do you need an editor? Because they will see your story from a whole new light. They will see plot holes and story lines that need to be fixed. They will find the typos and wrong words that your eyes miss because you know what you meant to right and that is what you read when you are editing. Most likely your editor will be better at grammar and punctuation than you are and even if you are a wiz at such things, it's nice to have someone else check you work. The goal when putting out a book, well through a traditional publisher or self publishing, is to put out the best possible product that you can. That is why I recommend an experienced editor to help you along the way. You want to look professional and that often means hiring other professionals to help you. That's just my two cents. Of course if you want to forgo an editor you can, but I at least recommend that you get as many beta readers as you can to provide feedback and at least try to get a proofreader to check for typos and such. Writing is an art, but it is also a business and you should treat it as such. Today I am happy to have a cover reveal and preorder link for my next release, the anthology Curses & Cauldrons! You can preorder now and it will be out August 31st! link: www.books2read.com/Curses Over 200 tiny dark tales of magic, mischief, murder, mayhem & madness... You do not want to get on the wrong side of these witches! Let us cast a spell on you... with just 100 words. Featuring: Zoey Xolton, Umair Mirxa, Shawn M. Klimek, Gabriella Balcom, Stacey Jaine McIntosh, Terry Miller, Stuart Conover, Stephen Herczeg, Patrick Winters, David Rae & Galina Trefil... + 65 other talented international authors! Sometimes life gets rough and throws a lot of things your way. This is just part of life. Recently someone asked me how I keep writing even when health and life issues keep getting in my way. The answer? The same way that I do everything else, like go to the day job or keep my house (sort of) clean. Writing is just a part of my life. I plan in as part of my day, just like my day job. As a matter of fact I treat it as my second job.
I work mornings at the day job and get off in early afternoon. I come home, eat lunch, get some exercise in and then aim for at least two to three hours of writing and writing related work (like this blog) each week day. It's just part of my schedule and I try to stick to it no matter what life has thrown at me. I also tend to take the weekends off mostly from writing, giving me time for my spouse, family and friends. It gives me a better work/life balance that way. This is not to say that I can always keep to this nice schedule. This past week for instance I have family visiting and while I could not get time off from the day job, I have cut back most of my writing time for the week. This means I will have some catching up to do, but I can do it. Also when my spouse is away for work, I tend to work longer hours writing, so it is all a balance. Part of that balance is making writing a priority and scheduling time to write into my week. The other part is knowing when I can cut back and when I can write more. I am always striving for that balance and it really is a work in progress each and every day. Still, I am getting words down so I must be doing something right. I am in the middle of edits for Port Stone Book 2: Delmar's Demise and hope to have a release date and preorder link up for you by the end of the month! I am also planning on starting book 3 by the end of the month as well so hopefully the trilogy will be complete by the end of the year! Have you picked up book 1, Port Stone: Dangers of the Swamp yet? This is my first high fantasy series and I am pretty darn proud of it! Link: mybook.to/PortStoneDangersSwamp Tianna and Kara each came to Port Stone by request of their respective Orders to help an unknown elf, Phinelope. She never shows at the appointed meeting place, so they go in search of her only to find Phinelope murdered and more secrets than answers in this strange town. Never ones to let the murder of a woman go with no consequences, they take it upon themselves to avenge her death and find themselves becoming more involved in the mysteries of Port Stone than either of them ever intended. Join Tianna and Kara in this female led fantasy of danger, lies, and unanswered questions. As an author one of the most commons questions that I get asked is "Where do you get your ideas from?" The answer? From anywhere and everywhere. Literally anything can help spawn an idea for a story or a book. Don't believe me? Let me tell you about the inspiration behind a few of my current projects.
The Port Stone fantasy novella series that I am working on (book 2 is in edits as we speak and I am about to start book 3) came from a small Dungeons and Dragons games that my spouse and I played just between each other. So this one was inspired by a game. Not So Bleak Winter, a Christmas novella that I am currently working on, came from the desire to write another Christmas story (they are fun to write) and wanting to keep with the shifter/paranormal theme that my previous Christmas stories had. One friend said something about deer shifters and viola, an idea was born! It All Comes Back to Paris is a contemporary romance that I am working on as well and it incorporates some of my own experiences from when I lived in Paris along with characters that just popped into my mind, so Paris itself was the real catalyst of this story. I am also (when I have time) working on another yet to be title contemporary romance that came from hearing people upset that actress Kate Beckinsale was dating a younger man, so this one had a woman in her 40s dating a man in his 20s. So even celebrity gossip can be an inspiration. So my suggestion if you are a new author looking for ideas? Just be open to anything that comes your way. A piece of a conversation, a picture in a magazine, a memory, anything can become a great story idea. I'm back with another book review! I have been trying to catch up on my ever growing to read list. lol War: Apocalyptia Book 2 by Vesper Brooks starts up with just as much excitement as the first book in the series left off. One young woman learns so much about herself, her family, and the world she lives in with the chance discovery of a very unique horse, a beast unlike any other she has ever seen before. In an already unruly world, can she reach down and do what needs to be done for the good of all? This is a fascinating take on the four horse"men" of the apocalypse, taking us readers into a post-apocalyptic ride like we have never read before. I love this series and can't wait for the books to follow. 5/5 stars! |
AuthorAuthor, artist, jewelry maker and all around creative person. I write in many genres and have a lot of fun doing so. Please take a look around and enjoy! Archives
January 2022
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