Month: February 2014

February 24, 2014

Stop shouting! We hear you!

It just annoys me when someone starts shouting in a crowded room just as some bloggers do on the Internet. No need to shout, if you have something worth listening too, we will but when you shout most people turn off their hearing like they have hearing aids and do not comprehend a word you saying. Speak in a normal voice and we will hear everything you have to say whether we like it or not. Just don’t speak in a monotone voice, you don’t want to put us to sleep for heaven’s sake. Long ago, I learned to speak in a low voice avoiding shouting that enabled me to get my point across without riling most attendees up. They listen because you had something to say and did it in a non threatening manner. When you shout, it raises the hackles of most people and they fail to hear anything you had to say even if it was worth while.

Now on to another subject, My latest work has been released on Amazon at http://B00IH0QDSS and it is now available. Drop by and take a look, you might find it an interesting read. Here is the cover so you can’t miss it. LOLImage   

February 23, 2014

Catching Up is hard to do unless you work at it!

Like most that have something in their lives disrupt the normal, I fell behind on promised reviews and now I am seeing daylight after doing Three reviews. Jane Dougherty’s “In the Beginning”, Ian Miller’s “Troubles”  and today, A.J. Raven’s “Arousing the Legacy”  Each book was different, that is not unusual but I still enjoyed reading their stories and giving my take on them. Even the ones in the genre that I don’t normally read were able to hold my attention and enjoy. I know that most reviewers don’t give good reviews out of their reading genre but I did because the stories were so compelling in their own way. What I do find is it is hard to write a compelling review of the subject matter that will interest the readers in their books but I tried. I am adding my review of A.J.Raven’s book to this post. 

Review of Arousing the Legacy by A.J. Raven

-Five teenagers, three males and two females find themselves involved in a battle with Vampires and Werewolves in this story. I’m not normally reviewing stories of this type but as I read I became engrossed into the story and found it highly entertaining. The story is set in a small town of Colville during summer vacation. The main character, Anya keeps her fears to herself that one of their group was a vampire. She tries all the movie tricks to bring her suspicions to her friends but nothing seems to work.

Anya, the black haired, brown eyed teenager is the main character but shares the spotlight with Susan.

Susan, the blonde haired teenager is Anya’s best friend and hangs with her most of the time.

Carl, the black haired teenager with glasses, Anya suspects is the vampire when evidence shows he changed especially when he tried to bite Susan who was unaware of it at the time.

Eric, the brown haired teenager that is strange to them.

David, the blue eyed light haired teenager that moves into Colville and becomes part of the group.

Tabitha, the strange black haired green eyed girl that befriends Anya in the end. That has all kinds of strange books in her front room.

All in all, it turned out to be an interesting and enjoyable read if you are into this stuff. I can’t wait to read her next book in this series. After you read it, you will wait for the next book to come out like me.  

             http://www.amazon.com/Arousing-Legacy-YA-Paranormal-Awakening-ebook/dp/B00GSY1THA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1393183118&

I provided a link for those that wish to read part of it or to download it. 

Talk Back, I’m Listening!

February 18, 2014

Self Publishing Can be a hassle for a writer

Since more and more are self publishing which means you find the editor, Cover designer, proofreader and then you have to format the book for different sites. Each one can be a hassle if you don’t do it right. I have Amazon down pat having so many books on it already published there so it published within a few minutes. Then I set about formatting it for Createspace. Having done that it took about two hours to make sure it was right for them. I had no problem once I uploaded it. Where my problem came was trying to use the same cover for my paperback that I did for my ebook. They kept rejecting it because the letter was too close to the edges. I went to Pixer express and tried to change it, I already paid to have it designed so I was determined to use it. After three days of rejecting it, I went back to the book cover designer and had the wording moved around. It looks good to me but I still am waiting on Createspace to accept it. Each rejection means waiting for twenty-four hours for them to do so when it goes into review before they will accept it. Last time, I had trouble with the formatting and keeping the beginning of the Chapters at the top of the page. This time it was no problem learning from my last headache doing so. Just stupid cover this time. So goes life but I am pleased to announce my novella “Sasha: A beam of Light” is now on Amazon in ebook form. Hopefully by the end of the week it will also be available in paperback on AmazonImage. anyway, you can read a little of it at http://amazon.com/dp/B00IH0QDSS for anyone interested in my most weird story. Talk back, I’m listening.  

February 14, 2014

Ignoring Valentine’s Day

Lovers, do not let this day pass without you acknowledging your better half in some way or another. We quit giving each other cards and I quit giving her any sweets after finding she didn’t eat them. Usually a year or two later she would toss them. Flowers I gave to her two years in a row and she let me know she really didn’t care for me to waste my money on them. So over the years, we have finally came down to just doing something special on that day. It makes her happy and me as well. For most people this would not seem Valentine’s Day but to us, it is. We show our love for each other daily so we don’t need a special day or cards, sweets, flowers to say it. I am lucky, most do not feel this way so beware, if you don’t have an understanding, hell will be to pay for a few weeks until it is forgotten about. Love is a strong bond but yet a fragile bond that can start cracking if you don’t pay attention! So everyone out there, pay attention!

The closest I come in one of my books to it being a love story or sorts is my book “T.T. Gristman” and my book “Stranger Comes Crawling” Where an alien lands on Earth and within seventy two hours has married a human. Not for love but realized she might be able to hide from the authorities. ImageThis was the story that I wrote that got me into the finals of Marsocial, Author of the Year contest.  

February 8, 2014

Characters interviews, are they helpful?

Lately, I have been doing more character interviews on my two blogs. this one and my Lightning Chronicles blog. I feel these interviews give readers a little insight into the life of the Characters the stories are portraying. They might even perk the interest in a book to read more about the story. do you find they do that? I would like your feedback, are they a waste of time or helpful for the reader? Image

February 5, 2014

Searching for that golden book

A lot of other things have awards such as the golden mic awards and etc. In writing everyone is searching for and thinking they are writing the next best seller (Golden Book). Most of us start off writing just because that is what we do but when we finish, we look at it and feel it is the next golden book! Sadly to say, it will take years before you get anyone to really notice it especially if you are a Indie writer. I chose to go the route of Indie when for two years my publisher told me they had not sold a single copy. I knew they were lying because my friends and family bought some and had me to sign it afterwards. I knew then they were a two bit company then so I turned my back on them and letting my contracts expire. I just want to warn fellow newbie authors to be wary before you sign a deal with some of these publishing companies. check on Editors and predators site and see what other writers are saving about the company. I know it is tempting to sign right away feeling you are on your way, you just got published. I learned the hard way and when I learned that  even though I had to do all the work to get my books out there, they still denied any sales. Since I had to do all the work, why should I share with them (getting only eight percent on each book sold) money that should come to me? That was my deciding factor to go Indie! What was your deciding factor? Being an unknown, you will not get any or much advance so your only choice is Indie. That way you will get a greater percentage of the money earned off your books. Why not, you got to do all the work anyway! If you noticed that since the first year I was published I do not try to sell any of my books by that company only my Indie books. Why try to push them and have them to lie to you. I am going to remove those books from my Amazon site  and my web site letting them die a slow death if they are not dead already. They offered to let me buy back my rights but I chose to let the contract run its course. Do you think I am doing right? Just wondering. Talk back I’m listening!Image

February 3, 2014

Finding Love!

Beside your children and parents, finding a partner that loves you and you love them is one of the great searches you find as you go through life. I have been fortunate finding three women that love me and I love them. Unfortunately, one died of cancer and one died of a massive heart attack. My third love, is still going strong and we are growing old together. I can’t say I’m growing old gracefully, she is but I refuse to grow old. I told my children for years that I was twenty-nine. Then when they became adults, I told them I was thirty-nine. I lied for so long none of them knew my age until they hit their forties and late thirties. Finally I raised my age to fifty-nine and that is where I will stay until they are older than me, hehe! Now back to finding love. Of all my loves, I feel my love with her and her love of me was deeper than any of the previous loves. She is my lover, wife and best friend. With her, I can talk about anything and make her laugh everyday. That is the most important thing in any relationship. Laughing is what keeps you young at heart and that is the place you want to remain young at for eternity. I know I won’t live forever but the past fifteen years has been the greatest in my life. She is my biggest supporter when it comes to writing and my fabulous saleslady. I love her with all my heart as should you when you find your woman is your soul mate. Imagel