Rochelle Campbell's Blog: The NoteBook Blogairy, page 13
May 28, 2015
Author Drop-In: Remembered (The Vistira Trilogy: Book 1) by E.D. Brady
Remembered (The Vistira Trilogy: Book 1)
How far would you travel for true love?
Emily’s past is a mystery. Left abandoned on the steps of a police precinct as a young girl, she is unaware of the love she left behind in another world. When she seeks hypnotherapy to deal with haunting dreams of a handsome stranger, she is thrown into memories of being kidnapped and almost murdered.
Kellus’s heart is torn apart by the strange and devastating disappearance of the only woman he would ever love. A secret kept from him as a child turns out to be the catalyst in a devious plot to control the world of Vistira. But first, the power-hungry Dinora, aided by the traitorous Lionel, needed to eliminate the one woman who could prevent them from bending Kellus to their will.
With the help of their family, the young couple must find a way back to one another and end the threat posed by their enemies, not only for their own sakes, but also for the safety of their entire world.
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17695207-remembered
Amazon Buy Link: http://amzn.com/B00AP83YGO
About the Author:
Originally from Queens, New York, E. D. Brady is a wife and mother of three (one adopted canine child), living in a small town outside Raleigh. Since childhood, she dreamt of writing stories and spent countless hours entertaining her friends by making up romantic tales for them. Giving up the Manhattan business world has allowed her the time to finally put pen to paper.
“I spend my days writing and reading while listening to classic rock music (occasionally with a glass of red wine). I published my first novel, Remembered, in December of 2012, and the two follow-ups of the trilogy shortly after.”
Goodreads Profile Link: https://www.goodreads.com/EDBrady
Website: http://www.edbrady.net
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EDBrady
Facebook: https://facebook.com/edbradyvistira
May 26, 2015
#IndieRoar 10-Day Challenge: Are you ready?! (June 1 – 10)
“Self-published authors are “dominating traditionally published authors” in sci-fi/fantasy, mystery/thriller, and romance genres but — and here is the surprise — they are also taking “significant market share in all genres.” – Surprising Self-Publishing Statistics, Publishers Weekly, July 28, 2014
When you read the quote above what do you think? Are you surprised? Mad? Thrilled? We’re here to tell you that your Indie Quotient is not something we’re going to quantify. However, we want to see your Indie prowess and pride! To that end, you are cordially invited to join the first ever #IndieRoar 10-Day Challenge!
Show your deep knowledge, love and passion for your favorite Indie books, series and authors by joining this Twitter 10-Day Challenge. You’ll get a new challenge every day for 10 days starting Monday, June 1st through Wednesday, June 10th, 2015!
You won’t know what’s coming next! You’ll have to use your Indie ingenuity, your creativity and your special Indie verve in order to come out victorious at the end of this 10-day challenge.
And what do you get out participating in this fun-filled exhilarating non-stop Indie fun parade? (Other than the sheer joy of sharing your most favorite awesome Indie faves…)
Prizes:
1st Prize – $25 Amazon Gift Card + Choice of 6 Indie Books from the #IndieBooksBeSeen Author book list
2nd Prize — $10 Amazon Gift Card + Choice of 4 Indie Books from the #IndieBooksBeSeen Author book list
3rd Prize – Choice of 3Indie Books from the #IndieBooksBeSeen Author book list
That’s it! Those are the mega awesome prizes in this first #IndieRoar 10-Day Challenge.
Are you game? Ready for Day 1? You don’t have long to wait! We start Monday, June 1st, 2015!!
Get your Indie Game Face on as we start our #IndieRoar!
Thanks Marnie Cate for this awesome pic!!!
The Not-So Fine Print: There is one teensy thing we’d love to mention. And this goes for the winners, and all of you readers out there. Ahem. I know you know just like you know I know that you know that the best EVER gift you can bestow upon your favorite author is…YUP! A book review! If you are so moved (to tears, to rage, to joy, to blissful ecstasy…) we would love for you to share your book-ly book-tactular passion with others on your favorite site(s)!
May 22, 2015
Tweet/Work/Child/Writing Balance
I’m working on a new book and this one challenges me — as a person. This book is a time slipgenerational women’s fiction tale. Firstly, I am going back to my writing roots and working in my “natal” genre of women’s fiction. However, this time around, the focus is not on the female characters’ ability to control, nor her ability to get from under a tyrannical man/situation. Rather, in this WIP, the female POV is on a journey of self-development; of soul evolution, if you will.
Her name is Amagdalene. We meet her moments before her death during the slavery era here in America. We see her strength, her pain, and her humanity. Then, she’s gone. We next meet her in the world beyond where she’s still suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Slavery Disorder).
There’s no time for it since she’s got an assignment — she must go and guide two of her female descendants. Pitching what is tantamount to a two-year old’s fit, Amagdalene balks. (It takes balls to resist Him, doesn’t it?) The end result is she goes to be of assistance after she is on the receiving end of a friendly intervention by a fellow angelic being.
All okay so far, right? Uh-huh. What time period does Amagdalene have to visit? The Jim Crow era shortly after the Emancipation. Amagdalene is in the early 1920’s. Sheesh! Tough writing especially since our own “modern” time has been fraught with racial tensions.
As a writer, I have historically written a very detailed outline, complete with all major points along with personality sketches of all of my main characters (as well as the supporting characters). This was done for this new WIP too.
So, why is it that since January 1, 2015 I only have just over 6,000 words written for this book?? My normal methodical 5 – 7,000 words per month is so not on the grid for this time slip story.
I’ve been pondering this for some time now. The only thing I’ve deduced is that my writing process alters depending upon what I’m writing.
For example, when I attempted to start the time slip WIP, I faltered after 800 words. Then, a friend suggested I was being too rigid with my writing/production schedule. It was suggested that I should allow myself to free write. It took about a week but I did just that. I began typing and when I looked up four hours later I had well over 3,500 words written. I had no idea what I had written but in time I realized it was the first portion of my most recent book “Making Dollars & Sense Work”. This is my first nonfiction book on personal finance; a topic I’ve researched heavily but never imagined I would contribute anything to this body of work.
Seeing how the nonfiction work grew effortlessly while the time slip WIP meandered I began to wonder if I was not supposed to write this new story. This conundrum baffled me so much I meditated on it to gain further clarity. After many months (like 5!), it appears that this story needs a lot of muse preparation prior to me writing it out in physical form.
Currently, it feels like I have a ‘not quite ready’ feeling going on about the next scene. I know where I am in the story. I know exactly where scenes are next. In fact, I have reached an ‘easy’ part of the book where life for Amagdalene is fairly pleasant and almost affluent for her and her sister. But, I still feel as if I need to ‘hold on’ and not write anything just yet.
Part of the issue is I want to delve deeply into heavy research about the time and the town and its layout and pictures of the town, its stores and inhabitants. But, I know this is overkill. I know that this is a form of procrastination to want to do all of that prep work. So, I will take a middle ground and do some research but I will not go crazy and ready 10 – 15 peer-reviewed journals, read 3 – 5 historical books with factual accounts from survivors. It is only a small section of the book that deals with this time period. I have to move onto another time period after this scene is over. Then what? The same dilemma?
I think my friend is right. I am very rigid when it comes to the process I’ve developed for my writing projects. However, I have three children, a full-time job, a husband, friends as well as my writing to tend to. I must give myself some slack and not be over zealous in every minute aspect of my writing. I can do enough to get a sense of the town’s layout and an idea of the inhabitants. I don’t need to know each intersection, the color of the awnings, or signs. Nor do I need to know the actual air quality of that time. Yes, I’m being facetious now but you get the point. Overkill.
It’s time for me to let the Muse rule and allow this story to develop at its own pace with its own unique rhythm.
* * *
Author Information
Writing has been a ‘thing’ I’ve done for well over 20 years. I started off in journalism and was bitten by the fiction bug in college. Through a series of fortunate events, I found an awesome Sci-Fi writing mentor – Jacqueline Lichtenberg. I studied with her for two years and began formulating plots that she approved of…mostly. Then, one day, I saw a plume of steam rising up from a manhole and the idea of a Fury coming out/through and Fury From Hell was born.
Rochelle Campbell – Author Links
Facebook Page Fury From Hell
Ta-ta for now,
NB
May 20, 2015
Book Review: Cloak of Shadows (The Netherwalkers Series, Book 1) by C.K. Dawn
Cloak of Shadows is a fantastical novel filled with mythic personages from King Arthur’s Court, beasts from beyond the human realm and heroic hunters that banish the beasts from Earth. This young adult (YA) novel has it all — mystery, suspense, action, romance and a great big dollop of good humorous fun interwoven throughout the book.
The main characters: Lourdie, Abbey, Temple and Louie are all well-developed round characters that you want to become good friends with!
The overall story is, of course, good vs. evil. The descendants of King Arthur’s Court vie against the life-essence sucking krimvigars, krimvigos and krimdrogos (nether walker mythical beasts that are very powerful and produce illusions in the minds of their human prey). Both sides have formidable skills and talents but which side will ultimately win?? It’s not as cut and dried as you may think! To top it all off, the electrifying ending of Cloak of Shadows will have you panting for more! I eagerly await the next installment of the Netherwalker series!
(Psst! Pick up the free prequel A Neophyte’s Tale too!)
5 Blogairy Notebooks
May 16, 2015
BOOK REVIEW: Leaping Out on Faith (Rochelle Campbell)
My fellow Indie Author, Belinda Y. Hughes, has reviewed my book of short stories “Leaping Out of Faith”. Thank you, Belinda!!
Originally posted on Belinda Y. Hughes: Writing, Editing & Social Media:
Leaping Out on Faith is a short story collection touching each of the four planes of beingness: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Four female protagonists each face a unique challenge of one of these planes and an inescapable, pivotal moment of decision. What’s not clear upfront is which choice each will make. The characters’ backgrounds and situations are all different, yet each is universally relatable to the feminine condition: romance vs. friendship (emotional); sexual abuse and domestic violence (physical, but truly all four); drama of couplehood vs. serenity of singleness (mental) and religious conflicts in relationships (spiritual). You may agree or disagree with the characters’ choices, but each story will strengthen your choices on your own terms as a woman.
EXCERPT
“So, you think you love him,” Baba grunted when Salera nodded. He continued, “But he’s a pastor’s son. This Gerard is a devout Christian. He does not understand himself…
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May 7, 2015
My Journaling: The Greatest Benefit
You’d think I’d have a LOT to say about journaling since at one point in my life I had 67 journals that spanned approximately 12 years of my life. ��That’s 5.58 books per year for a dozen years. ��The size of each book varied. ��Most were the regular black and white marble traditional notebooks (read: cheap) but there were a couple of thicker��true journals. ��Then, a few 5-subject spirals thrown in for a bit of spice. ��Those 67 does not to include some random legal notepads and the stray mini notebook that I needed to catch the odd entry, or two when the ‘official’ book was not on hand.
But, as I sit here and think about the single greatest benefit of my journaling I am coming up with way more than one answer. ��The main one being��peace of mind.
By journaling, I am able to clear out mental space by truly��seeing what I am thinking. ��For me, writing things down brings clarity of purpose. ��I am able to get passed the emotional white noise and go beneath the fray to the true thoughts, feelings and motivations behind it all.
Prior to journaling, I did not know this. ��I used to do things and surprise myself (and others!) constantly. ��I had no idea why I did certain things. ��I was just moved to do it. ��Now, if I am troubled, I sleep on it and then journal and the meaning becomes clear. ��Now, I may need to journal to get the ‘topsoil’ off but then things move smoothly from there on.
Mind you, this system of how I ‘work’ has evolved over decades (Dear me, did I say��decades?!��Sheesh.).
To summarize, for me, journaling is a much better and cheaper form of therapy than the traditional paying through the nose analysis method. :-)
I fully understand that therapy is��awesome but for me this method has done the trick. ��And after the emotional garbage is out of me for me to see and read, I then can journal about things more important such as plot lines, character quirks, settings I’d like to use in future stories and great lines I may use at some point in time.
Journaling provides me the mental space and clarity to express myself more fully when I write.
What about you? ��How does journaling benefit/work for you in your writing, or your life? ��Please take a moment and comment below.
This post is part of the #JournalChat Live 5 year celebration hosted by Dawn Herring. ��You can find Dawn’s FaceBook page here.
May 2, 2015
#FunDay #Sunday with a Gluten Free Cake
It was Saturday evening and I felt for a nice dessert without having to spend almost $7 or $8 for a good piece of a gluten free dessert. ��I pulled open my cabinet slowly peering at the yellow box that has been poking the back of my mind for weeks now. ��Yeah, I was running scared…from a box in my pantry.
Fast forward a couple of hours…
So, I had to cut it. It came out good…for a change. ��But I gotta tell ‘ya, it didn’t smell good while it was cooking. ��It had that smell of a cake too heavy, or one that needs moisture (more oil, fat, butter, etc.). ��Needless to say, there was some trepidation about what would come out of the oven.
After 33 minutes, the��Ding! went off and I rushed into the kitchen and took out this pale not very highly raised��cake. ��I was miffed. ��The smell. ��The non-rise. ��The paleness. ��Ugh.
I shrugged and let it cool.
Came back about 30 minutes later and it came out of the tube pan easily. ��When touched lightly with my index finger it bounced back.
The ultimate test was the cutting of a slice.
Not too shabby! ��It was light enough to actually be called a��cake! ��The flavor was there and texture was not bad at all. ��You’re wondering about the recipe, right? ��There isn’t one. ��It’s a box cake as my Grandmother used to say.
It’s Betty Crocker’s version of a gluten free cake. ��Normally, this tiny box is just under $5. ��But, it was on sale for $3.49 so I picked it up. ��Still pricey, but much more manageable for a first-timer.
My take on this? ��Definitely worth it to buy it again. ��If you don’t have the time to bake a gluten-free cake yourself (with the multitude of flours,*sigh*) then this is a good quick way to go.
I followed the box’s directions except I didn’t use the whole egg. ��I used only egg whites.
So, I added to the mix:
2/3 cup of water
1/2 cup of softened butter (I used margargarine; lactose issues)
2 tsp GF vanilla
4 egg whites (the box calls for 3 whole eggs)
I am assuming that if I had used whole eggs there would have been more color and definitely more height to this cake. ��But, I will never know.
My rating for this gluten free cake mix is:
4 Blogairy Notebooks
April 30, 2015
Don’t Tune It Out
Wake. Up. Now. #Baltimore
Originally posted on Black. Bunched. Mass. Mom.:
���Oh my God, I haven���t even thought about that��� what���s even going on down there?���
���This is why I don���t watch the news. I just don���t want to see that negative stuff, you know?���
���Oh, right, yeah��� I���m so sorry. It just hasn���t been in the front of my mind. Didn���t really much watch of it. So bad with the kids around, you know? When the news gets bad, I don���t watch������
That���s just a sample of the things people have said to me today. People who I like. People who know that I���m from Maryland. People who absentmindedly, in that small-talk way we do, asked me how I was doing this morning. Of course, they were halted by my honest answer:
���I���m having a rough time. I can���t stop watching what���s happening in Baltimore.���
It was supremely disappointing, time and again, to see people have to flip four switches���
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Sailing Through Dreams – A Poem
For my newest nonfiction personal finance book, I wanted to use a poem by Maya Angelou. ��I actually reached out to the publishing company that owned the rights to the poem and inquired about using it for this book. ��They wanted to know all about the distribution, the first print run number, the book’s demographics, etc. ��I was floored.
This was a wake up call. ��I realized that I had to use something else! ��So, I tried my hand at writing my own poem specific to this book and its goals to help people be their own best accountant using simple tools and common sense. ��My book��Making Dollars & Sense Work: A Financial Primer for Single Moms and Dads Plus College Kids, Too! ��(Yeah,��long title but really short very easily digested book — only 66 pages.)
This book also comes with two free downloads to help you. ��One download is a letter to help you out of payday loan hell. ��The other download is a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet pre-loaded to create a one-page financial budget and tracker!
But I digress, the poem that opens the book is, as follows. ��I hope you enjoy it!
Sailing Through Dreams
Dreaming our dreams we often fail;
to dream big enough or, strong enough
We discover a wave and then we shudder.
We re-jigger, re-boot, re-think and stall.
We form half-dreams that lead to half-lives
But, if we lift our thoughts, our voices, our eyes
Then, and only then, we���ll sail straight through our
and land upon our new reality���s shore.
for it to catch shape and sail.
in which we stumble and fall.
we can aim for higher highs;
dreams…
~ Rochelle Campbell
April 29, 2015
The Journey of Bringing Novels to Life, Part 2
I wrote on this topic last summer shortly after I finished my novel��Fury From Hell. ��I thought I said it all in that piece. ��[You can find Part 1 here.] ��Apparently, I did not.
It seems that the journey of bringing novels into fruition and the journey (read: evolution) of the writer run parallel. ��[Occasionally, they may run perpendicular.]
Why do you say that?��You may ask.
Simple. ��I am writing a timeslip story, a story that has moments in the past. ��For this term, I have to thank the ladies from the bi-weekly #HarlequinHistorical chat:��@MichelleLStyles,��@_CherylStJohn_,��@NovelistaAnnie,��@NicoleLockeNews,��@FionaMMarsden, et al.
However, the timeslip happens in turbulent times in the 1920’s and in the 60’s. ��I am doing my research going to original source documents and the images are simply killing me. ��The emotional toll this takes is much more than I had imagined. ��It took me three years to��think I was ready to write this book. ��I now see that I am not quite there yet. ��If I am, I need to add something else to my current writing projects queue. ��Something a bit more light-heartedly, free and fun. ��This way, it can balance the gravity of the timeslip story.
Well, at least, that is the story I am telling myself and my Muse! :-)
I took some time last evening to think about this and have decided to write a romantic novel with action and excitement in it. ��The sexual tension will be palpable and I want to have characters whose personalities clash initially but meld beautifully as the story develops. ��This feels like a life-affirming thing to do now for myself as a writer!
This way, when I have to view images of death, pain, suffering and depression from a time not so long ago defiling people simply because they were born a certain color — I can have a balanced emotional perspective.
One more step in my evolutionary journey as a writer.
Have you found yourself in such a quandary? ��Maybe with another topic/issue in writing where you needed to have space? ��Please! I would love if you’d share! ��So many times I feel as if I am writing into cyberspace ethers without hope of a reply (or comment…).
Ta-ta for now,
NB
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