Rochelle Campbell's Blog: The NoteBook Blogairy, page 17

Author Drop-In with Margie Miklas and Her Love Affair with Sicily

Hello Dear Reader,

Today we have a special treat. One of my very good writer buddies, Margie Miklas, has dropped by to share some words with us about her travel writing journey that is now evolving into a fiction writer’s journey.  I am so excited to hear more from this dynamic woman who does not seem to require sleep, food or anything the rest of us mortal need to stay invigorated! :-)

I have known Margie for over a year and she’s a perfectionist, a workaholic and an incredible networker who finds friends and relationships online via social media.  I admire her grace, her patience and her resilience.  Without further ado, I’d like you to say a warm welcome to my friend and a great traveler — Margie Miklas!

 

Author Margie Miklas

Margie, tell us about yourself.

Thank you for this opportunity, Rochelle. It is an honor. I am a recently retired critical-care nurse who loves to travel. I have a passion for Italy and can never seem to get enough of it. I enjoy writing about my favorite travel destination and sharing my experiences. My two published books are non-fiction memoirs detailing my experiences in Italy. Readers feel that they are traveling with me since they are written in a journal format.

I am so excited about your travel memoirs I want everyone to know where they can find you right up front!  Where can readers find you and your books?

I am on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google +. The links are:

amazon.com/author/margiemiklas

https://twitter.com/MargieMiklas

http://www.pinterest.com/margiemiklas/

https://plus.google.com/105378410528300798068/about

Amazon Links: http://www.amazon.com/Margie-Miklas/e/B0094YY3LA

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/margie-miklas

How long have you been writing?

I have been writing for the past 4 years. Originally I started writing for an online Italian-American newspaper and for some sites online. Then, I started my blog when I went to Italy for 3 months, and after that I wrote my first book.

Have you developed a specific writing style?

I write in conversational style, as if I am talking to someone sitting next to me, at least in my first two books, which are in first person, present tense. I am currently working on my first novel, and I am writing in third person with multiple points of view, so this is quite a different experience for me as a writer.

Tell us about your latest work. Can you share a little of it with us (blurb)?

My WIP is a novel, a psychological thriller set in a hospital. After only a year, critical-care nurse Allison Jamison becomes disillusioned by hospital politics and corrupt practices. Does she expose the wrongdoers and risk losing her job? An element of evil lurks just beneath the surface and around corners in a place typically known to save lives.

What do you love about independent publishing?

I like the control I have and the ability to make changes when needed.

What genre of books do you read, or do you stick with the genre you write in?

I enjoy intrigue, courtroom drama, biography, and humor. Recently I have read Christian fiction and paranormal sci-fi, and surprisingly enjoyed both. Opening one’s mind to reading other genres is a good thing I have found.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

I am writing a novel set in a hospital because I wanted to write about things that would surprise and even shock most non-medical readers. By writing fiction, I can make the story fun as opposed to writing a documentary-style book.

What are your goals as a writer?

My goals are to write interesting and compelling stories that make the readers feel as if they are immersed in the story, and waiting for more.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I hope as an author with a number of published books. I hope I am still traveling and writing travel books as well as fiction.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

I have learned that writing is only part of the process and that revising, rewriting, and editing take longer than writing the first draft. It is important to have a writing schedule with a goal in mind, but rushing just to finish is never a good idea.

What do you do to unwind and relax?

That’s an easy one. I always feel the most relaxed at the beach, listening to the soothing sounds of the ocean waves.

Was there one particular travel moment that changed you, or affected your writing?

I think it may have been when I found the house of my Sicilian grandfather. The feeling of being there was overwhelming and I was aware of that feeling in a way that I wanted to remember forever. As a result, I try to write about my feelings when I am writing memoir.

What are your ‘must-have’ items that you carry with you on every trip you take?

I have to travel with a smartphone, my iPad, camera, chargers and an extra battery. I have come to rely on these electronic necessities to communicate while traveling.

Are there any travel tips that you would like to share?

I think the main thing to remember is that traveling to another place is not only fun but a chance to learn something. Don’t expect things to be like they are at home. Embrace the differences of another culture, another place, another people. Only then will you truly enjoy the experience.

Thank you again Rochelle, for this honor. I have enjoyed it immensely.

Margie — thank you for stopping by! I appreciate it and I’m sure my readers do as well!

Book Thoughts: The Keeper of the Wind by Mark Shaw

The Keeper of the Wind is a wonderful magical realism story centering on the amazing adventure shared by three high school seniors.  After finding ancient artefacts while on their senior trip, Marcus, Olivia and Tim’s lives change irrevocably.  They must contend with disembodied voices, mysterious menacing fog, people who should not be taken at face value and re-thinking their entire worldview to incorporate a reality far different from anything they had ever imagined.

 

These three teens come from different ethnic and economic backgrounds making it even more difficult for some of them to revamp their ideology of how the world should operate.  Tim is Caucasian.  Marcus is African-American and Olivia is a Latina.  Their backgrounds  play heavily into the story’s plotting and structure which adds believability to the overall story which contains fantastical elements that will dazzle your mind’s eye.

The artefacts that each teen finds assists each of them to help one another on their journey while deepening their bonds of trust and connection.  Their adventures bring them two new friends — Professor Waters and Peter, a fledgling shaman.  While the teens are not sure of either man initially it becomes clear as the story unfolds that all five of their fates are intertwined.

The Keeper of the Wind weaves a compelling story.  Each of the main five characters face dangers that put each of their lives in jeopardy more than once!  The author, Mark Shaw, does an excellent job of providing great focal characters that readers can fall in love with.  I know I did!

4.5 Blogairy NoteBooks

 

Gluten Free Not-So Baking Beauties: GF Buttermilk Biscuits

For the longest time I’ve wanted light fluffy biscuits.  Well, at least flaky biscuits. I had given up that dream when I went gluten free.  But yesterday I had a fierce hankering for a comfort-food biscuit.  I searched and found Jeanine’s Baking Beauties blog and a recipe for biscuits that looked pretty good.  You can check out Jeanine’s recipe here.  Jeanine’s recipe promised big, fluffy, gluten free biscuits.  My brain also added in flaky.

I luckily had all of the ingredients in the house but I did some substitutions based on my particular food sensitivities.  So this is the recipe I made:

1 1/4 cups brown rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
3 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup cold Smart Balance Purely Better Buttery Spread, cut into chunks
3 large eggs, egg whites only
1/3 cup almond milk with 1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar stirred in and let sit for 5 minutes

I followed all of the rest of Jeanine’s directions as these directions are identical to when I used to make biscuits using traditional flours.  You can find the recipe here.

You can see the pictures of each step of my biscuit journey below.  I also found that a 12-minute bake time was sufficient for these biscuits.

 

When the biscuits came out they were delicious! As they cooled, they weren’t as good and moist as they were shortly after they came out of the oven.  Clearly these are same day eating biscuits!

This is a fabulous base recipe and I am very happy to have found it.  I can now play around with different flours to get a better mouth-feel and taste.  I think I will exclude the garlic powder next time! :-)

Ta-ta for now,

NB

 

 

Book Thoughts: A Fine Line By J.C. Brennan

A Fine Line: The Beginning by J.C. Brennan is a story that follows one very special family for several generations.  The family in question is affectionately named “the Crew”.  When the reader meets them, the members of the Crew do not know anything about their supernatural skills and abilities that defy even the most outrageous of imaginations.  The reader and the Crew find out together through page-turning nail-biting experiences.

As the book progress, the Crew, a hodge-podge group of people from different economic and ethnic backgrounds become a close knit family held together by one man, William Thomas Healthaway II.  Who’s William?  He’s a normal guy from a well-to-do Southern family.  We meet him during the Civil War and he’s on not on the Confederate side! This is our first nice shock when introduced to this book and its characters.

William learned early on from his father that one’s plantation should be run as an extended family no matter one’s color, or creed.  This is just one of the many positive sub-themes of A Fine Line.  In addition, this book touches on the wholesomeness and strength that a strong family shares with each other.  Another well-developed sub-theme is that if one accepts the stunning beauty of the Unknown, you must trust yourself and those around you.

To go into more depth about the story itself would be a definite spoiler.  Yet, I can say that if you enjoy American historical fiction coupled with magical realism this is the story for you!  It is a feel-good story with an uplifting story theme sure to please as we head towards the end of year holiday season.

Lastly, as mentioned in a previous review on Amazon, I give this story 4 stars due to punctuation and grammar.

4 Blogairy Notebooks

Chili Rellenos Baked and Gluten Free!

As many of you know, I recently found out that I have Celiac Disease (I cannot eat wheat/gluten without feeling really ill).  So, since wheat/gluten was my main food group, the transition has been quite difficult for me.  A good friend I met on Twitter, Melissa Bess Reed, is a bit ahead of me on this gluten free path and has a great cookbook focused on tasty gluten free meals.  It’s called Silly Yak’s Favorite Recipes.

 

 

This cookbook contains recipes that the author grew up with and are classics in many homes across the country (and the world) such as:

Grammies Jambalaya (which I made & reviewed; read it about it here!)
Gluten Free (GF) Orange Chicken
GF French Onion Soup
Red Potato Salad
GF Macaroni Salad
Spinach Salad with Almonds & Cranberries
Coleslaw
GF Corn Dogs
GF Easy Cheesy Garlic Biscuits
GF Fish Tacos
GF Red Velvet Cake
Almond Bark
GF Chocolate Chip Cookies
and more!

There are so many awesome recipes to choose from that it makes it hard to decide which one to choose!  This past weekend I decided to make the GF Chili Relleno Bake recipe.  While this is not the traditional whole green chilies stuffed and deep fried, it is a delectable recipe.  This Chili Relleno recipe is more of a quiche with green chilies that you will not soon forget!

The ingredients are simple for this dish: whole green chilis, monterey jack and cheddar cheeses, eggs, milk, GF flour and seasonings.  Here are the pics of the steps of me making this recipe.

Split the green chilies and layer with the mixed grated cheeses and put in a baking pan/dish.

Egg mixture – 4 eggs, milk, GF flour, seasonings.

Pour the egg mixture over the layered green chilies and cheese; sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

The baked finished product!

A slice of perfection! Baked Chili Rellenos.

You’ve got to try this one!! I even shared it with a friend and she LOVED it!  It’s fluffy, flavorful with the nice vinegar-ey bite of the green chilies.  This dish can be topped with sour cream for an extra kick!  This is so good you’ll wanna ‘slap yo mama! :-)

To get this, and the other great recipes, pick up your copy of Silly Yak’s Favorite Recipes.

If you want to say, “Hey!” to the author of this great cookbook, Melissa Bess Reed, you can tweet here at:

@MelissaBessReed

Ta-ta for now,

NB

 

Ouija Mania: True or False? @NoteBkBlogairy #halloween

The NoteBook Blogairy:

Because I love Halloween so much and had such a great time with it this year, I decided to add an extra element of fun by writing this post. A random conversation about Ouija Boards was the impetus for this research. I hope you enjoy it! [Don't read it late at night, though!]

Originally posted on Fire Style Magazine:

Given that I’m a busy man, the fantastic Rochelle has written us something fantastic up for the Halloween Weekend!

Remember Charlie in Firestarter? Jack from The Shining? Pinhead from Hellraiser? Poor Mike from 1408? What do all of these movies and characters have in common? They scared the crap out of us just like the Ouija board has been scaring people senseless since the 1800’s when the Fox sisters, spiritualists from New York, began popularizing “talking boards” (another name of Ouija boards).

Humans love to be scared. Americans are no exception. According to Nightmirrors [ http://nightmirrors.wordpress.com/2013/08/02/horror-movies-by-the-numbers/ ] blogger, Raymond, between 1995 and 2001 there was an average of 18 horror movies made each year. By 2002 to 2008, this number practically doubled to 35 scary movies per year. (Raymond’s article alludes to 9/11 being a big contributor to this spike.)

So, the new movie Ouija (released October 24, 2014) should…

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Halloween 2014: Trick-or-Treating Blog Hoppin’ Wrap-Up & Halloween Pics!

All I can say is…WOW, what a blast!

I have never participated in a Halloween-themed blog hop before so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  But what I didn’t expect was all of the FUN! :-)

Maybe I should back up for those who don’t follow my blog. As you can surmise, for yesterday’s fun spooky holiday, I joined a group of 22 other bloggers who were giving away book-candy instead of real candy for those folks who stopped by to ‘trick-or-treat’ on our blogs yesterday. Great fun was had by all!

There were a dozen comments left for me (one person commented twice so I guess that means a Baker’s Dozen!) so I had a lot of book-candy to give out!

I want to thank YA author, Patricia Lynne, for organizing and setting up this great blog hop.  Patricia is the author of Being Human and Snapshots.

During the hop I virtually met a bunch of other bloggers and avid readers all excited about the plethora of free books to be had on ONE day with no strings attached — well, other than possibly posting a review if they like the book.  (Why? ‘Cause this helps us Indie writers so we can gain more exposure and write more books that you may just fall in love with.)

To check out the books you missed, please visit the other bloggers by following the link below.

I spent the afternoon responding to comments, tweeting, and FaceBooking to my heart’s content! Then, I headed out and finished up costume buying for my 15-month-old daughter.  I’ll share my Halloween Day in pictures with you below.

Would love to know how your Halloween went! Please stop by and comment!  I’ll even be extra nice and if you comment today, Saturday, 11/1, or Sun, 11/2 and tell me your favorite picture I will give you a copy of “Fury From Hell“.

Lastly, Fury From Hell is on a fab Kindle CountDown Deal and is on sale through tomorrow, Sun, 11/2 at midnight. You can pick up a copy for $1.99 today and just $2.99 tomorrow, Sun, 11/2.  It goes back to normal price on Monday, 11/3.

Happy Belated Halloween!  But hope you stop by for some ‘leftover’ book-candy!!  And hope you enjoy the Halloween pictures!

Planned Owl Princess Costume

Owl Princess and Phantom of the Hood

The Other Cat Woman and the Princess discards her Owliness…

A not-so-frightening Halloween Production but great fun!

The Golden Buddha made an appearance and gave us a Zen blessing.

Godzilla stopped by for a quick yawning scare…

Anyone up for an Ostrich ride? This guy was!

We even had a spot of tea complete with a Teapot and Cup on hand.

Think the pumpkin scared itself, or was it the severed hand that caused this face…

To top it all off, we were serenaded by a ‘ghastly’ Jazz band that was SUPERB! Could hardly tear ourselves away from the great music.

BOO! Did I scare ‘ya?!

Hope everyone had as great a Halloween as my friends and family did! See you next year!

Ta-ta for now,

NB

Scary Hairy Halloween Freebie Blitz!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

It’s finally here! All Hallows Day when we receive the loveable and ever so good for our waistlines the treat of all treats — BOOK CANDY!  Today anyone who leaves a comment gets a free copy of Fury From Hell, a paranormal thriller with dashes of horror that will make the short hairs on the back of your neck rise!  I warn you — don’t read just before bed! :-)  [Or, so I've been told!]

If you don’t want to leave a comment you can pick up your copy from Amazon for only 99 cents!  There is a Kindle Countdown Deal starting today!  So, you can get it for 76% off the cover price ALL DAY today — HALLOWEEN!

Tomorrow, Sat., 11/1 the book will be $1.99.  And, on Sun., 11/2 Fury From Hell will be $2.99 and it goes back to the regular price of $3.99 on Monday, 11/3.

So, we’ve got you covered at all price points!  FREE for commenting today, or 99 cents on Amazon!  Great Trick-or-Treatin’, huh?!

I’m even sweet enough to give you a teeny piece of the book-candy to whet your reading sweet-tooth…

Excerpt from Fury From Hell…

The buzzing was bothering her. She sat up and looked around. She was in a bland beige room devoid of personality. There was the bed she was on, two plain night tables with lamps on each stand — both of them were off. There was a dresser with a bevel-edged mirror and a TV on a simple black stand. The curtains were the tan elegant floral pattern seen in low-budget motels and the carpet was threadbare in spots. The only chair in the room had a rip in the fabric where some of the stuffing was sticking out.

The buzzing was coming from the bathroom. Jennifer got up and went to investigate. She looked down and saw she was fully dressed in her gabardine pants and the sparkly top. Her feet were clad in the funky boots but they made not one sound on the worn carpet. She peered into the bathroom that was brightly lit and saw a vision she would not soon forget; a tall man, a little over six feet, with dark blonde hair and a solid build stood before her. He was shaving — the source of the buzzing — but he was shaving his skin off. It was coming off in narrow sheets of skin. He was slicing it as thin as good Prosciutto. Where his eyes should have been were empty sockets with blood seeping out. His fingers were almost perfectly clean against his sightless face but his movement belied what her brain knew to be the truth. Too horrified to scream, and too dumbfounded to move, Jennifer watched as the man turned towards her. He waved with a ghost of a smile playing around his lips.

“I’ll be right in. I just wanted to freshen up for you,” he said in a refined, modulated tone.

When he turned Jennifer could then see what she had missed before — his chest was torn asunder and his stomach cavity was just like his eye sockets…open, empty and oozing blood. With a full smile, the man turned back towards the mirror and began to shave skin off the other side of his face seemingly trying to make it even on both sides…

Jennifer woke up screaming clutching her face and stomach alternately remembering his cavernous eye sockets still vivid in her mind’s eye.

***

Have a Boo-Tastic Day!

 

Be sure to visit the other authors participating in this fun Trick-or-Treat book-candy giveaway so you can get you scary reading on!

Gearing up for #AllHallowsReads on Halloween!

As a recap, this blogger is participating in the madness and mayhem of giving away my scary book on Halloween for all who post a comment on my Halloween blog post which will post beginning at 7:00 am (Eastern) on October 31st.  Everyone who posts a comment will get a #FREE digital copy of Fury From Hell!

To complement the fun concurrently there will be a Kindle Countdown Deal running beginning, you guessed it!, 7:00 am (Eastern) when Fury From Hell will be 99 cents ALL DAY on Halloween!  So, for those who would prefer to simply snag a copy online this paranormal thriller can be had for a 76% discount on All Hallows Day.

Then, the pricing will go, as follows,

$1.99 on Sat, 11/1
$2.99 on Sun, 11/2 and
$3.99 on Monday, 11/3, its normal price.

You can read my original post about the Halloween giveaway here.

And, very important, I am part of a blog hop and over 20 of us are giving away free scary books on Halloween!  To find out which authors are giving up the reader book-candy follow this link.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment, or two. :-)

Ta-ta for now,

NB

On Being an Indie Author…

It used to be that being published by pretty much any publisher (especially the Big 5) was the golden standard.  If you were one of the lucky ones, you would have your book edited, revised and appropriately shaped and developed.  You would receive a book cover that the publisher felt would sell the book.  You would GET marketing done on your behalf.  You would expect a full page New York Times ad and reviews by Kirkus and top big city book newspaper reviewers.  Hell, you may have even gotten on a few morning shows on the strength of the publishers conviction that your book was a hit ready and waiting to be discovered.

While this is still true, there are a few…adjustments that authors who are published by the big guys must make.  Allison Flood’s article details the benefits and the…ahem…adjustments I referred to earlier.  One of those little not-so-benefitty things an author may need to be mindful of is forfeiting the rights to their work (the copyright would stay with the publisher forever).  Also, the traditionally pubbed author would still have to assist in promoting their book the traditional way — book store signings — as well as developing/creating an author platform on social media and pushing his/her book.  And, for all this, the traditionally published author receives approximately 10% of his/her book’s cover price.  That’s right, the lion’s share goes to the publisher and the agent, and any other third-party helpers who make foreign rights/sales happen.

With these things at the back of your mind, let’s look at a self-published author.  Yes, they must promote their book as well.  They must develop/create an author platform, hire/do their own top-notch editing/revising/book shaping & development.  The self-pubbed author must create a high quality book cover that will attract readers.  The self-pubbed author must sleep.  [Oops. Okay scratch that last thing.]

Yes, it is a lot to do.  And, add to this list the self-pubbed author must sustain themselves &/or their families through some sort of work-related endeavor greatly reducing the amount of time that all of this can be done.  Yet, when all is said and done, the self-pubbed author can choose to bring home 70 – 90% of his/her book’s cover price (less expenses, of course).  Hugh Howey’s article gives specifics on how ebooks are generating increased profits that are helping publishers offset their costs.  However, these savings are not being shared with their authors…or, the buyers of books — the readers!

Author, Hugh Howey

For those of you who are not familiar with Hugh Howey he’s the guy who wrote a ton of stories (WOOL stories) and gave them away.  They became very popular and he sold them for 99-cents.  He became an Amazon #1 Best-Seller — overall!  Of course, he was approached to publish with the big guys.  He was having too much fun interacting with his fans and declined.  Howey’s very successful and firmly believes self-publishing is the way to go.

Another early adopter of self-publishing is John Locke.  He is also an Amazon #1 Best-Seller and he sells his books for 99-cents as well.  Did I mention he was offered a traditional publishing deal and he decline also?  He decided to go with a distribution deal that allows his books to sell for $2.99 in big box stores while he sells his books still for 99-cents on Amazon. [Sounds like he took a page from Mr. Wonderful's book.  You know who I'm talking about.  The shark from Shark Tank.]

Author, John Locke

So, while I am SO not a top selling author like Howey or Locke I aspire to continue selling my books on Amazon and finding my own way of connecting with people who may just fall in love with my irreverent diverse characters who can’t seem to keep themselves out of trouble.

For all of you writers out there watching the tennis match of publishers vs. authors, it’s time to stop watching and pick a side.  I truly believe that in the next 7 years the sides may be so blurred that the line may itself become irrelevant.

I will leave you with this video by Tom Bird about the New Age of Publishing.

Until next time…

Ta-ta for now,

NB