Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 292

Interview with Kerry Dwyer

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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fdL21nmaocE..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fdL21nmaocE..." width="207" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Can you
give us a brief overview of your latest book?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Certainly. The book is called ‘Ramblings in Ireland’. It
isn’t a book about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">rambling</i> in
Ireland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>It is the story of one
particular walking trip and the memories and musings it inspired.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">British ex-patriate Kerry Dwyer leads Bertrand, her trusting
French husband, astray on a walking holiday in South West Ireland. She can’t
read maps and he insists that she leads the way. As they have so much time in
each other’s company they reminisce and reflect upon accents and accidents,
family and friends, love and what it means to be alive. Bertrand doesn’t mind
getting lost - he loves Kerry all the more for going off the beaten track.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This is a book about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ramblings</i>
in Ireland. Walk with Kerry and Bertrand and follow where your thoughts lead
you. This book was inspired by the beauty of Ireland and the wonderful people
we met when we were there. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Did you
try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Yes I did. It was very disheartening to receive all those
standard rejection letters and emails. Some of them didn’t reply at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I had all but given up the idea of
being published before I was convinced by Joel Canfield of Someday Box that my
work should be published and that I should have enough confidence in it to self
publish. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Do you
belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Yes I do. We are a small circle of friends and each write
very differently. We use a private blog to post our most recent efforts and the
others comment on it. We are all very positive about each others’ work whilst
trying to help the others improve their work. It has helped me a great deal.
Sometimes it is difficult to stand back and evaluate your own work. With <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ramblings In Ireland</i> I eventually took
out the whole of the first chapter and re wrote it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The original one just didn’t do the job but it took someone
else telling me that to change it. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What
factors influenced your decision to self-publish to Amazon?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A number of things. Firstly Amazon is where <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I</i> always look for books if I want
one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I know a lot of people look
there first certainly all my family do. Several of my family and friends have a
Kindle and it’s the most popular of e-book reader. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So a logical place to increase visibility.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Amazon have a very easy and free system to upload a book for
Kindle and it’s partner Createspace have an equally easy one for print books.
As they are print on demand that means I didn’t have to come up with any money
to do this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>You have to format
them correctly in order for this to work and for them to look professional. I
had help from Someday Box to do that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> 
</span>Having the two selling from the same place makes life easier for me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The Amazon review system is also easy to use and once you
have enough reviews and sales the Amazon system starts to promote your book
though the ‘spotlight’ and ‘also bought’ systems. This is very good publicity
for any indie author who can’t afford to pay for advertising.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What is
your writing process?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I find it very difficult to write without a deadline. For <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ramblings In Ireland</i> I had the deadline
of a competition. I wrote every evening until it was finished and sent it off
for the competition. It wasn’t really ready for the competition and not
surprisingly didn’t get a mention. I hadn’t had any beta readers or proof
readers do their work on it at that time but it got the bulk of the work
finished. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For my second novel I wrote the first 50k words for
NaNoWriMo in 2011 and it hasn’t progressed very much since then. I don’t have a
deadline for it. I may use this year’s WriMo to edit and finish it but I am
very busy promoting my first book. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Do you
outline your story or just go where your muse takes you.</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Ramblings of course already had the main story that of our
walking holiday. The tangents are what seamed to me logically placed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Some of them were things we actually
talked about when we were there and others I just went where the fancy took me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">For my second novel I have a story board and a plan. The
back story changes a little every time I come back to it. When I was first
writing it the story just poured out for the whole of November. I did the story
board afterwards in order to try to put some shape to the story. It was quite a
mess. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Did you
hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I used Joel Canfield at Someday Box for that as well. He
found several people to read through proofread, edit and suggest. I really
liked working with Joel. He allowed me to tell the story I wanted to tell in
the way I wanted to tell it. He would make suggestions and point out parts that
didn’t really work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I would then
rewrite them and get more feedback. It was a long process but I really like the
finished book. It is still very much me.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What have
you’ve learned during your self-publishing journey?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I have learned that it is important to listen to your
critics with an open mind. They give criticism for your benefit and it is not
personal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I am very lucky that the
group I belong to are friends that I can trust. I’ve learned that no matter how
long you worked on something and how much you love it, if it doesn’t work it
needs to come out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I’ve learned
that I am totally incapable of proofreading my own work. I couldn’t believe the
number of spelling, punctuation and even grammar errors in my manuscript. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Besides
Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Yes. My book is for sale in Nook format by Barnes and Noble
and for all other e-book readers and PCs at Smashwords. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What kinds
of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for
promoting your book(s)?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">This blog tour is my first concentrated marketing
effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I can also be found on
various sites: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Facebook, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/KerryDwyerAu... style="mso-field-code: "HYPERLINK \0022https\:\/\/www\.facebook\.com\/KerryDwyerAuthor\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022";">https://www.facebook.com/KerryDwyerAu...
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Twitter, <a href="https://twitter.com/DwyerKerry"&... style="mso-field-code: "HYPERLINK \0022https\:\/\/twitter\.com\/DwyerKerry\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022";">https://twitter.com/DwyerKerry</sp...
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Blog, <a href="http://kerrydwyer.net/"> <span style="mso-field-code: "HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/kerrydwyer\.net\/\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022";">http://kerrydwyer.net/</span>&l...
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">You tube:  <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIHJpR... style="mso-field-code: "HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/www\.youtube\.com\/watch?v=sIHJpRFdIGg\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022";">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIHJpR...
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The Independent author index:
</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="http://indaindex.com/kerry-dwyer/&quo... lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Do you
find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and
writing your next book?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Absolutely. I work full time and have a family so the time I
have available to do either marketing or writing is precious and has to be
shared. I am hoping that I can get back to writing again more seriously after
this tour. As fun as it is it takes a lot of time to organize and to give
followers something new to look at with each stop. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What
advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">I think getting yourself known is very difficult for indie
authors. It requires a lot of work and you can’t just sit back and expect the
readers to come and find you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>A
blog tour like this one is a great opportunity to spotlight you as an author and
your work. Be polite to your blog host and put some effort in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Another essential thing to do is to get your worked reviewed
on Goodreads and Amazon and anywhere else you can. There are lists of people
who review independent authors and you can just google them. They will not all
respond so write to all of them that review your genre and don’t forget to read
their review policies. Nothing annoys a reviewer more than their policy being
ignored. Remember that they are doing this for you, often for nothing except a
free copy of your book and they are all very inundated with requests. If yours
doesn’t follow the policy it will not be selected for review. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Besides
writing, do you have any other passions?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">My biggest passion is my family. I love my husband and my
daughter and love spending time with them when we can just be a family. This
happens less and less frequently as my daughter is away at Lycee and she likes
to spend a lot of time with her friends, which is normal. My parents live quite
close and I like to see them as well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The other thing that I love to do is walk. I walk a lot. I
like to walk every day if I can for about an hour, just around where I live.
The countryside changes so much and I take a lot of pictures for my blog. At
the weekends and on holiday I walk further and explore different areas. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Music particularly live Jazz in the winter and socializing
with friends are two other things that I enjoy doing. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">What’s
next for you?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">My second book has the working title ‘The Book Exchange’. It
is a work of fiction following the lives of four women connected by monthly
visits to a book exchange.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The
idea for this book came from the book exchange that I visit. I prefer to read
English books for leisure and so do a lot of expats. We all get together in the
back of a local shop once a month and swap the books that we have read.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I am hoping to finish the book this
year but that will very much depend on the time I have available. I am not in a
hurry to finish it, it’s more important that I enjoy the process and that it is
worthy of being read. </span></div>
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Book Tour Blast: CRUSH + #Kindle Fire Giveaway

 

Crush
Cami Wimberley has a plan, and that plan includes no room for boys—especially the big time party animal, Hunter Wilder, no matter how handsome and charismatic he is. She’s beautiful, a senior, extremely talented, gets good grades, and is working her way toward her dream college to be a musical theater major. Everything is perfect.

Hunter Wilder does not want a girlfriend—that would complicate his life way too much right now. He especially doesn’t want this girl, Miss-Goody-Two-Shoes, so how come he can’t keep his eyes off her? He tries to keep her at arms length, but fate seems to keep pushing them together. Before long, it’s obvious to everyone they’re crushing on each other.

As sparks begin to fly, Hunter finds himself sinking deeper and deeper into hot water. Soon he’s scrambling to keep Cami from discovering his dark secret—one that can destroy their entire relationship.



 Purchase CRUSH:
Kindle | Paperback



About Lacey Weatherford
Lacey Weatherford was born in Ft. Meade Maryland while her father was serving in the military. She has been a life long resident of Arizona, spending most of her time growing up in the small rural town of Clay Springs.

It was while she was attending the small country school in Clay Springs, that she read her first "big" book at the age of eight. It was a Nancy Drew novel and Lacey was instantly hooked. She read every book that she could find in the series and decided that she wanted to write stories too.

Lacey spent a lot of time at the library from that time forward, even volunteering in her later teen years and early twenties. She would don a crazy clown outfit for the Friends of the Library fundraisers in an effort to help get the new town library built.

When she and her husband moved away from the area, Lacey took the opportunity to take some creative writing classes at the local college to help further along her interests. Several years later, they were blessed with the opportunity to move back to Clay Springs with their family. The town had finally succeeded in building their library and Lacey had the opportunity to be President of the Friends of the Library for a very short time, before relocating.

Lacey and her family still live in the White Mountains of Arizona, where she continues to write young adult novels that have a fantasy/fairytale or paranormal bent to them, as well as being sure to include a great romantic storyline!

 



Follow Lacey Weatherford
Website | Facebook | Twitter



 Join The Book Coven on Facebook.
Lacey is giving away a Kindle Fire (or GC to buy it) Ends 11/25 @ 11:59PM EST.



Fill out the form below to enter!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

LOST UNICORN Excerpt + #Giveaway

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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9B_8rNvU8vM..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9B_8rNvU8vM..." width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Author Michelle Snyder is giving
away 5 Kindle copies and 1 print copy of LOST UNICORN <b>to the first five people who sign her guestbook</b>. The secret word is "unicorn." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The first person to sign the
guestbook and requests the printed copy will win the paperback. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sign the guestbook here: </span><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"><a href="http://www.whiteknightstudio.com/&quo... style="color: blue;">http://www.whiteknightstudio.com/<...
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<span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">Link to <a href="http://whiteknightstudio.blogspot.com... style="color: blue;">Blog</span></a>: <a href="http://whiteknightstudio.blogspot.com... style="color: blue;">http://whiteknightstudio.blogspot.com...
<div class="Style1">
<span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;"> </span> </div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: small;">Excerpt from The Lost Unicorn: (chapter 10) The Isle of Mist </span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">While Alastar was mending
in the fairy dwelling, the ancient King of Owls had avoided the prying eyes of
the Raven in the Great Forest, taking advantage of the canopy above. Giant
wings propelled him swiftly to the shore where he disappeared into the mist
that swirls constantly around the mythic isle. As Owl flew over the Unicorn
Kingdom there was much excitement on the ground among the people. The King's
scouts had sent word that the winged King was on the move. Today there would be
a feast, ceremonies and rituals, and a reading from the Royal Tome. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">King Etar was pacing around
the throne, both nervous and impatient. He fiddled with his beard then brushed
at his robes, mumbling to himself about the important events to follow. A visit
from the Owl meant he should be ready for anything. News from the outside world
usually meant someone else was up to no good. He had ordered his remaining nine
knights to be ready – there were twelve Unicorn Knights in honor of Jupiter’s
twelve-year orbit, three were already dispatched. They were a special breed,
his knights – undefeated, loyal, and the ladies loved them. Before any battle
or tournament each knight was given a good luck charm from a lady in the kingdom.
These special knights were ranked by the king from number twelve up to number
one. Rank was achieved by combat and competition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Number one knight was always about the king’s business and
answered only to him. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">A visit from the wise old
Owl was rare; no one except the elders had ever seen the Owl King. Everyone in
the kingdom who could, craned his neck to see the majestic bird flying
overhead. Children poured out of their houses and ran down the cobblestone
roads pointing up to the sky, excitedly chattering to each other. The great
bird was sorrowful not to have better news for the King and his old friend the Wizard,
but nevertheless, he must deliver the news, sad or happy. Many lives, and
perhaps the fate of kingdoms could depend upon what happened next. A
magnificent bird, the wisest creature of all, he glided gracefully over the
courtyard on huge wings the color of snow, spiraling up the towers toward the
observatory where the king’s Wizard, Dunatis, was waiting for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The Grand Owl flew higher and higher
around the slender spires to the very top and tipping his wings slightly,
swooped down and entered through the arched window, landing silently on his
perch. Grand Wizard Dunatis was waiting there; the great Owl was his friend –
if anyone could befriend such a beast. The Wizard and the Owl communed
together, discussing a plan by which they could set things right. They would
have to defeat Rivone and his dark queen Morrigan if they were to bring about
the ancient prophecy and save Tomenshire. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The tall dark-haired Wizard
in robes of gold and red, and the ancient snow white Owl walked together to the
throne room to discuss their thoughts with Queen Faylin and King Etar. As they
passed the balconies lining each tier of the glass castle, Dunatis could hear
the people joyously celebrating the arrival of the Owl. Even the Royal Family
was partaking of the music and feasting. Dunatis and Owl walked the long
passage leading to the King’s Chamber. As they approached the enormous oak
doors swung wide for them. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The festive mind-set gave
way to somber determination as King, Queen, Wizard, and Owl had their
conference. Owl’s report was a plea for aid, for on the banks of the Long
River, Tomenshire had been invaded by a bigger, neighboring kingdom. Reports
were that this invasion was in retribution of a feud that had begun in a time
before time, right here on the Isle of Mist. Whispers of history told of an
ancestor of the invading king that had been a knight on Dal Uliadne. This
particular knight had risen to be the best of the King’s Men, but had done so
with trickery and deceit. None of the other knights would come against him, it
was ... unprofitable. Until the bright new, talented recruit showed up. Then,
after he was bested by the younger man, the errant knight was deposed, thrown
off the Mystic Isle, and banished, forced to make his own way on the mainland.
Over time he married, gathered followers and money, and traveling down the
river, settle there. Through intimidation, provision, and bribery he made
himself king, and for generations his heirs have ruled Barrenid. Now, it seems,
he has invaded the legitimate offspring of the Unicorn Kingdom. Owl advised
that Tomenshire was their child and they must rally to protect it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Books by Michelle Snyder: </span><br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=twoen-20..." style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com...' alt='' /></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TwoEnd..." height="1" width="1"/>

Book Tour Blast: SHADOW CAY by Leona Bodie

 

Shadow Cay
When the Nesbitts anchor in the Southern Bahamas one night in a moonlit cove, Madeleine discovers someone wants to make sure her family never makes it out of paradise alive. The double murder of her parents shatters the only security she’s ever known. Now thrust into a world of international intrigue, she vows to find answers before the killer returns for the next of kin. 'Shadow Cay' is a contemporary thriller about the bravery of those determined to fight injustice.



 Purchase:
Kindle | Amazon | Nook | B&N | Indigo | FWA

 




About the Author
Leona DeRosa Bodie is Vice President of the Florida Writers Association, a nonprofit organization of 1,300 members. She started doing the happy dance when her debut thriller 'Shadow Cay', won First Place in the Mystery/Thriller/ Suspense category in the 2011 Reader Views Annual Literary Awards, and hasn’t stopped yet. Her biggest surprise and most memorable milestone . . .When Gelati's Scoop recognized it as one of the top thirty-five novels of 2010, she landed on the list alongside such giants as James Patterson, David Baldacci and Daniel Silva. Leona is now working on two novels, including 'Seas of Fury'. She currently resides in Florida and often collaborates with her husband, a Miami-Dade forensic specialist for 21 years, who appeared in the pilot episode of the long-running TV series, CSI.



For more information about her and her books, check out her website: http://www.leonabodie.com.

Follow Leona Bodie:
Amazon /a> | Facebook | YouTube | GoodReads | Twitter | LinkedIn



The author will be giving away an Island Temptations Tropical Gift Box with signed print copies of her first three books, including 'Shadow Cay', Book #1 of the Sea of Secrets Series, along with great Caribbean goodies and a tempting selection of tropical treats, such as Life's a Beach Saltwater Taffy, special tropical tea, aromatic candles with paradise scents, wine for two, picnic basket, tote bag, beach towel. And of course, it wouldn't be complete without Florida sand and sea shells too! It's a luxurious Caribbean Vacation--without spending a dime!

Open to US Residents Ends Dec 2, 2012 @ 11:59PM EST



 Fill out the form below to enter
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Follow the Tour

Guest Book Review: The Hunger Games Series by Suzanne Collins

By Nancy
Parker














I have to admit, I did not read the books until after I saw
the movie. I was confused by parts of the film and hoped the books could give
me some insight. I had heard nothing but great things about the books, so what
could possibly go wrong? After all, they were originally written for young
adults, right? Was I ever wrong!



First of all, the Hunger Games series is three books: The
Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and Mockingjay. Truth be told, Hunger Games is the
least violent and disturbing of the three. Now that is a scary thought. The
book is pretty much like the movie - a lot of background detail and personal
introspection with some death and fighting. The second book, however, is more
about fighting than anything else. You are introduced to a bunch of new
characters and there is a long battle sequence in an arena. There is lots of
death and grossness in this book. 









The third book is even worse, if you can
believe it. Not only is the whole love interest angle virtually wiped away (the
only thing I was really interested in) but Katniss is almost suicidal by this
point and it is an end of the world scenario all over. There are lots of main
character deaths and torture. Sheesh. Not an uplifting series by any means.

Oddly enough, the author seemed to want to end the book
series on a positive note, but I think she missed. To me, it sounds miserable
and lonely. I guess there is a little light shining through, but still the
series is very dark. I do not plan on watching the rest of the movies after
reading the books. It just gets too violent and depressing, almost fatalistic.




Author Bio

Nancy
Parker was a professional nanny http://www.enannysource.com/
and she loves to write about wide range of subjects like health, Parenting,
Child Care, Babysitting, nanny background check tips etc. You can reach her at
nancy.parker015@gmail.com

Book Tour Blast: Wolf Magic by Kailin Gow

 

Wolf
Magic
Wolf Magic can be a stand alone novel, but is best read after the Red
Wolf in the
Wolf Fey Series or after Frost Fire (Frost #7) in the Frost Series,
which the Wolf
Fey is a spin-off or companion series of.

The final book in the Wolf Fey Series. With their fey blood in danger
of becoming
extinct, the leader of the Wolf Fey, Logan the Wolf Prince, must find
and restore
the magic of the fey into all the Wolf Fey. Now that Logan has the
Wolfstone, from
The Red Wolf, he must help unite the spirits of Three Sisters: The
Sorceress, The
Enchantress, and The Queen of Feyland to bring back the magic to the
Wolf Fey or all
the Wolf Fey will be forever cursed as wolves, no longer able to shift.

The other books in the Wolf Fey Series are:

Wolf
Fey
The
Red Wolf
Wolf
Magic





 Bio:

Kailin Gow has appeared on top national syndicated talk shows such as
ABC Radio, Barbara Dooley show, Chat with Women on KKNW Seattle,
Broadminded on Sirius Radio XM, and more as a leading authority on YA
and women’s issues including self-esteem, body image, dating and
sexual relationships, abuse, and bullying.

Kailin has been a published author for over 10 years with over 100
titles published under her name and under pen names.



 She is the founder of the community social site, The Saving You Saving
Me Project,
http://www.savingyousavingme.com which helps
teens, young adults, and women deal with social issues like sexual
abuse, self-esteem, body image, bullying, cutting, relationships, and
more in a positive community environment. The Saving You Saving
Me Project is an extention of her YA-mature fiction Saving You Saving Me.

She lives in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Nevada, and is a mother as well
as a full-time writer. She is always working on her next novel.



Follow -


Twitter: @kailingow
http://www.KailinGowBooks.com
http://www.KailinGow.Wordpress.com


$25 Amazon Gift Card, and copies of Books 1 and 2. (open
Int)



Fill out the Form below to win

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dragged vs Drug by Grammar Girl

Today's topic is “dragged” versus “drug" by Mignon Fogarty.


 

I've been renovating a condo, and last week I posted a message on Twitter
that started out with the sentence “I drug myself over to the condo.” I
was sharing this bit of information to get to the next part of the
story, which was that I was so happy to see drywall installed I thought I
would cry. But that bit of joy was lost because I'd used the wrong word
in my sentence and people kindly let me know.

 

"Dragged" Versus "Drug"



That's one danger of sending text messages
when you're exhausted, at least it is when you're Grammar Girl. I might
not have been so careless if I wasn't dissolving into tears over
drywall, but the truth is that I actually thought it was OK to use the
word “drug” that way. The whole experience was instructive because I
learned that I'm not the only one who's confused about “dragged” versus
“drug.”



First, let me be clear – the correct form of the word is “dragged.” I
should have said, “I dragged myself over to the condo.” “Drag” is a
regular verb, which means you add “d,” “ed,” or in this case “ged” to
make it past tense. “Drag” becomes “dragged.”

 

“Drug” is Dialect

But it turns out that treating “drag” as an irregular verb and using “drug” as the past tense is common in some parts of America. Linguists call it dialect,
which essentially means it's a language quirk shared by a group of
people. Dialect can be shared by any group of people; for example,
quirks can be shared by people who live in the same region, were educated by the same system, or inhabit the same social class.



Using “drug” as the past tense of “drag” is a dialect common to
people who live in the southern United States, but linguists have noted
that it is used frequently in states as far west as Nebraska. Strangely,
they don't say anything about it being used widely in the West, where
I've lived my whole life, so I can't explain why I was confused.






Just Say No to “Drug”

The quick and dirty tip is to just say no to “drug.” Its only
standard meaning has to do with illegal drugs or pharmaceuticals.
“Dragged” is the proper past tense form of the word “drag” when you're
using it to talk about having pulled something across the floor. And
when you're tired and stumbling into a room like a half-dead mouse,
people who want to give you a hard time can say, “Look what the cat
dragged in.”


I'm Mignon Fogarty, author of Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing.

Want to win a copy of THE SILVER CROSS?

There's still time to enter for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift certificate or a digital copy of THE SILVER CROSS. 














I'm very excited to announce that I have signed THE SILVER CROSS with Promotional Book Tours for a month-long virtual tour around the internet. Best of all, there are prizes!! Enter to win a $50 Amazon gift certificate or a digital copy of the book. The contest (via rafflecopter) is listed below so be sure to complete all the tasks for a chance to win! The schedule of blog stops is also listed below. Looking forward to meeting lots of new readers!




 

The Silver Cross
There are two things Boston detective Lacey Gardner knows about killing vampires. Slicing off a head or a hit directly to the heart are the only surefire ways to kill one. Silver is their Achilles heel. A vampire never wears silver.

When she meets bartender extraordinaire, Damon Harte, her heart does a quickstep for the dark hunky guy. She's learned the hard way that having a love interest in her line of work can be heart-wrenching. She's kept to herself for years, but something about Damon captivates her and draws her to him. When she learns Damon's devastating secret, she knows what she has to do: kill the man who has stolen her heart.


Purchase now on
Amazon or BN


Follow the Authors, Debra L. Martin and David W. Small on their
Blog, Facebook, Twitter

 

Tour Prize - $50 Amazon GC and 5 ebooks

Open Internationally Ends 11/26
Fill out the form below to enter
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post: YOUNG ADULT READS: The Silver Linings Playbook

Guest Post by Kate Wilson

When I first saw the movie trailer for The Silver Linings
Playbook, I thought it looked like yet another mediocre romantic comedy, yet as
I started reading and researching more into this upcoming film, I discovered it
was actually garnering quite a lot of Oscar
buzz. Naturally, I got much more interested in this film that features such
talent as Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert DeNiro.

What excited me most about this yet-to-be-released movie is
that it's an adapted screenplay, based on the novel "The Silver Linings
Playbook" by Matthew Quick. Since I'm an avid reader, I decided to go
ahead and read "The Silver Linings Playbook." After finishing the
book in a day (it's a quick read), I can't express enough how much I've fallen
in love with this heartwarming, comedic story.

Quick introduces us to Pat Peoples, a former high school
history professor who has been in a mental institution for four years. One
afternoon, Pat's mother Janice decides to check Pat out of his mental health
facility and take him back home to start his life over again. Although Pat
seems quite normal on the surface, as readers venture deeper into the book,
they soon discover that Pat is battling a number of mental trials and
tribulations.

For one thing, Pat is devoted to winning back his absent
ex-wife, Nikki, who seems to have cut off Pat entirely. Secondly, Pat's
hopeless optimism and belief in happy endings and "silver linings"
seems to always be defeated by the endless difficulties and realities in life.
Lastly, Pat is trying to reconnect with all the people he has lost touch with
in his life, including his father, younger brother, best friend, mother, and
all the new people who have entered those character's lives. As you read along,
you'll find yourself rooting for Pat – hoping that his optimism and faith are
enough to overcome the endless obstacles he faces.

Quick has crafted a beautiful story that captures the
difficulties we all face in life, including heartbreak, divorce, emotional
abuse, depression, and numerous other important topics. Quick is known for
creating great young adult novels, and although this one isn't specifically
classified as a young adult read, I'd say it's definitely one every teenager
should check out. The book wonderfully captures how difficult it is to
comfortably come into one's own unique identity, especially if that identity
isn't well received by those around us.

No matter what age reader you are, make sure to read The
Silver Linings Playbook before it hits theaters on Nov. 21. You'll be grateful
you did!

Kate Wilson is a blogger for Collegecrunch.org. She specializes in
literature, distance education, and the latest in the blogging world. Please
share comments with Kate below!

Interview with Paulette Mahurin

Can you
give us a brief overview of your latest book?

The
Persecution of Mildred Dunlap, takes place in 1895, a year filled
with memorable historical events: The Dreyfus Affair divided France; Booker T.
Washington gave his

Atlanta Address; And Oscar Wilde was tried and convicted for
gross indecency under Britain’s recently passed law that made sex between males
a criminal offense. When the news of Wilde’s conviction went out over
telegraphs worldwide, it threw a small Nevada town into chaos. This is the
story of what happened when the lives of its citizens were impacted by the news
of Wilde’s imprisonment. It is a chronicle of hatred and prejudice with all its
unintended and devastating consequences, and how love and friendship heal.




Did you
try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?

No. Initially a friend, who owns Blue Palm Press did the
final edit, format, cover design, and had it printed. I then took over the
printing costs and did the promo. I took it to createspace and did a professional kindle
convert.




What
factors influenced your decision to self-publish to Amazon?

Initially it was a test run while my book was submitted to
the NY book fair with BEA. Then it started selling well on amazon so I left it
there. It’s continuing to do well, with daily sales.




What is
your writing process?

I get up and write in the morning and keep going to early
afternoon then quit. I love to write and so putting in the time, and having the
time available has been a gift. I write from a combination of planned format
and spontaneous flow. The planned format would include things like setting up
the sets of the scenes, for example, I diagramed the entire town the story
takes place in, the 1895 Nevada ranching town, down to the location of shops on
the main street, the school yard, saloon, church, etc. I then note things I
want to include in a rough outline, the overview, which moves me into chapter 1
with a spontaneous flow. When I finish the first draft it’s read through and
self edit till I’ve rung this dry at which point it’s over to and back and
forth with a professional editor. I use an editor for structure and creatively
artistic flow, for feedback on authenticity, how the story sits, and rewrite
depending on what sits well with me that if I change it, it will serve the
story. It’s a process, that changes day to day, a lot of patch-work and flow.




Do you
outline your story or just go where your muse takes you.

As mentioned above, both. The outline is very rough draft.
The real meat is muse, gut, the story telling itself, the characters coming
alive and screaming their dialogue at me, sometimes all at once. When the rapid
fire is too much, I note down things, sometimes in outline, sometime randomly.







Did you
hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?

I worked with three editors. The first was for flow of the
story. The second was a professional successful screenwriter/playwrite who read
it for believability, authenticity, gaps in the story, etc. After the read
write from her notes (which took close to a year) I went with my final editor,
an ex-journalist for the fine tuning line editing, and detail pulling it
together for a smooth flow and well structured format.




What have
you’ve learned during your self-publishing journey?

It’s not all that painful, lol. I’ve had a publisher
approach me to want to take on my book, but when my husband and I sat down and
looked at the figures I decided to stay where I was, since it’s been doing well
and also because profits are going to animal rescue, I didn’t want to take away
from any funds going to help get animals out of kill shelters and into their
forever homes. I may change at some point, I don’t know, it depends on how
things continue to go in the future, but for now I’ve been lucky, blessed, and if
it ain’t broke…




Besides
Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

Several stores in Ventura County, where I live.




I network everywhere I can, facebook, twitter, Goodreads
(offer giveaways), The World Lit Café, Book Blogs, connect with bloggers and
reviewers, and talk to anyone I can about having a look at it. It’s been well
received and there’s been a lot of word of mouth promotion from others who have
read it. I also got lucky in that it’s been featured in the press and national
magazines as well as chosen by a prestigious Literary Branch Art Center, but
were this not to have been the case I would brain storm, study, read books on
promotional successful strategies, and do whatever I could to get the word out.
There are also blog tours, which I am currently considering.




Do you
find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and
writing your next book?

Yes, I’m mostly doing marketing but that’s okay because I’m
passionate about spreading the word, the message of the book, tolerance, and
also passionate about helping animals, which the profits are going toward.




What
advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing
arena?

There’s a lot of good data on the internet on things one can
do that are cost effective, study up on them. Network on all the above sites, I’ve
mentioned and don’t be concerned with stepping out of your comfort zones to self
promote, especially if you’re the only one promoting it. Ask for reviews and
have them posted everywhere: amazon, goodreads, shelfari, etc. Connect with
bloggers to feature your book, offer to do articles/posts for bloggers or
interviews, giveaways, to get your book out there. And, ask other authors what
they did that helped them.




Besides
writing, do you have any other passions?

I love dogs, passionately, and helping to get those
depressed faces off death row, out of kill shelters, into forever homes, is
something I’ve been working on for years, one dog at a time, helping with
animal rescue groups, donating my profits to them, and adopting what I can to
help. I just love them. I also have a great relationship with my husband and do
a lot of pro-bono work with him to help other in our community. I’m a nurse
practitioner and love giving back to women with cancer and other health related
problems (Women’s health is my specialty), so am involved in volunteerism. My
husband is a retired NASA attorney and does only pro-bono consultation now. We
both sleep well at night.




What’s
next for you?

More of the same. Writing, animal rescue, hanging with my
hubby and family, and continue to do my pro-bono work. I have a good life that
I’m satisfied with, blessed with.




Thanks you so much for this opportunity and all the help you
give to authors.