Ronda J. Del Boccio's Blog: Writing is pure Bliss, page 42
October 31, 2014
FREE Humorous Paranormal Fantasy through Nov. 1
Send to KindleLooking for a fast funny read? A Tasty Morsel is a vampire story, but with a humorous twist. Sparks will fly. Innuendos swill tantalize. Laughter will bubble forth – all for free as a Halloween treat for you.
humorous supernatural romance full of “mythical creatures” and humor
A Tasty Morsel takes you into a newly discovered cave with a secret panel.
Scientist Ellie cannot resist the urge to see what’s behind that secret stone door that rolls open at her touch. What she encounters introduces her to a ghoul, a vampire, and a hospital for the undead, among other things.
Full of humor, innuendo and quirky characters, this book will transport you to realms you did not even know existed. Hopefully, you won’t take a ride in the ambulance for the undead, as Ellie ended up doing!
Here’s one of the reviews:
Download your copy now at WriteOnPurpose.com/morsel
Don’t have a Kindle? No problem! There are all sorts of apps for any device or computer. Just download your app. Link is right there below where the buy box is on the page of every Kindle book
Enjoy, and thanks in advance for leaving your review! *****.
Follow Your B.L.I.S.S.!
Ronda Del Boccio
best selling, award-winning author of fiction, nonfiction and poetry.
Most of my tales take you on adventures that deepen your understanding of what it means to be alive. I also turn visionaries into best selling books. Curious? Start by getting Awakened Author Tips & Tools.
Are you a current or budding author who could use a little help along your own adventure Get weekly success tips and tools FREE, plus a cool set of tools to keep you going. Join free now!
Send to Kindle
October 29, 2014
There Truly Are No Limits!
Send to KindleFeeling sorry for yourself? Limited? Well, watch how this man with severe cerebral palsy creates works of art with a typewriter.Now tell me you can't! Ha!
Thank you +Adrienne Smith !
Reshared post from +Adrienne Smith
Would you like a little bit of inspiration today?Well watch this video of an extraordinary man who has a severe disability yet he creates incredible works of art using only a typewriter.
Send to Kindle
Book Review Opportunity for Authors
Send to KindleWould you like to have your book reviewed by an Amazon Top Reviewer? If I choose your book, I'll review it on Amazon and on my site, http://WriteOnPurpose.com.Preferred genres include paranormal, thriller, cozy, fantasy, sifi, self improvement, and historical.
Complete the form to be considered.
Follow your BLISS,
Ronda Del Boccio
bestselling nonfiction and fantasy author
#bookreviewer
Embedded Link
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1cYPpHzOqlWZS_2WJR6_VkOQWNtYYnVG010wydjnPbz8/viewform?usp=send_form
Send to Kindle
October 28, 2014
Need to Relax? Enjoy This Virtual Boat Ride
Send to KindleI had an opportunity to go for a boat ride on Table Rock Lake, which is near my house. Here are the glorious sights. When you need a mini vacation, have fun with these photos.Send to Kindle
Book Review: Bayou Jesus by M. G. miller
Send to KindleBook Review of Bayou Jesus by M. G. Miller
You can feel the heat of the bayou while reading Bayou Jesus. M. G. Miller draws you into the scene so thoroughly you feel you’re there. He also pulls you into the minds and hearts of his truly 3-dimensional characters.
As an author, I read books both as a reader for enjoyment and as a wordsmith. Thus, my book reviews will address not only the story from a reader’s perspective, but will also include thoughts on the craft of writing for authors. I hope the writing tips and advice along with the review will be of value to you
Read my 6-star review on Amazon
Setting is more than a place. It’s a mood.
I love how Miller creates the proper mood with his descriptions, as in this example:
“The faded red brick climbed two stories toward bleached olive shutters, cracked and peeling, closed against the light.”
He packs more than mere description of setting into his writing. One issue that plagues many newer authors is the difference between merely describing a thing and using those words to set a mood. If this is one of your writing faults, read this book and underline all the well-wrought bits of setting you find throughout the novel.
You travel to the deep South of the 1960’s. Whereas in some books it feels as if you’re in a dark closet with random objects appearing and disappearing, in Bayou Jesus, you’re in a world. You may even be tempted to swat a mosquito from time to time while reading.
Characters read like real people.
Even in a work of fiction, characters need to be believable, and in Bayou Jesus, they surely do. There is no “type” of person. Each is unique, with habits, hopes, fears, and history that comes out as the story progresses.
As you read the book, notice how backstory is not rolled out in long passages that interrupt the flow. You discover the characters’ lives a little at a time, as you do with living people in real life.
Dialect sets the tone.
Dialect can be tricky. I’ve been in plenty of critique group sessions in which authors questioned my own use of dialect. Next time that happens, I’ll show them Bayou Jesus. Miller lets the characters talk and accurately renders that, grammatical mistakes, contractions and all, into their conversation. which is as it should be.
“He still there,” she said. “Probably thinkin about what he done.”
Bayou Jesus is much more than the tale of a reluctant messianic figure and the people who flock to him. It is a story of people seeking meaning and redemption. You will not find a heavy-handed moralistic message, but a study of characters full of loss and longing.
Surprises make life more interesting.
Wow, what a surprise you will find as you delve into the story. I won’t give anything away, but I found myself wondering how such a seemingly mild mannered young man as mike Miller came up with such a shocking turn of events.
Bayou Jesus was a binge read for me. It is truly a riveting book, and a great study in writing for those authors who wish to improve your craft.
Want your book reviewed? Get details here.
Follo your B.L.I.S.S.,
Ronda Del Boccio
bestselling nonfiction and fantasy author
Send to Kindle
October 16, 2014
Best Fudge EVER?
Send to KindleFor what you would normally spend on a half pound or less of fancy candy, you can make about 6 pounds of your own scrumptious fudge – chocolate, peanut butter, white chocolate, and more – all with this recipe and tutorial.
I will show you how to make the ULTIMATE fudge for $5, including recipe, instructions, variations and even a video tutorial.
You may have noticed how expensive fudge is. Fudge makes a great party food and a fantastic gift, but WOW sticker shock!
Now you can make your very own delicious fudge following my method. This is fudge cooked on the stovetop, not microwaved. It's fabulous, fun, and a big savings too.
I'm bestselling nonfiction and fantasy author and speaker Ronda Del Boccio. One of my books is a food safety quiz book called Never Eat Dangerously. I'm a blind woman who just happens to love to cook.
Enjoy this recipe for only $5 at https://www.fiverr.com/s/6fkjka
This is a Fiverr exclusive gig.
I will teach you to make the ultimate bliss fudge with recipe and video for $5
Fudge is SO delicious, and SO expensive! For about what a half pound would cost you,Fudge is great forHolidaysPartiesGifts I’ll show you how to make your own scrumptious, EASY cooked fudge, including a video tutorial & written steps.You get:Fudge recipeSECRET to fudge successSimple, step-by-step instructionsHow to test even with no candy thermometerVideo tutorialBONUS old world cookie recipes, just ‘cuz I like to give a little something-something…
Send to Kindle
October 15, 2014
Will Author Events Help Your Author Platform or Waste Your Time?
Send to KindleAre author events worth all the time, preparation, and energy?
One of my author friends has been running all over the place peddling her book at flea markets. SHe’s frustrated about the amount of time, gasoline and energy that are turning into precious few sales.
Plus, this isn’t helping her build her audience. For most people, flea markets are NOT where your audience hangs out, right?
I found this terrific article that should help you decide.. A huge thank-you to Deb Vanasse
Here is the original article source
An onstage event: (left to right) Beth Hill, Seth Kantner, Peggy Shumaker, Joan Kane, and me.I don’t mind telling you: I’m a tad exhausted, coming off two weeks of author appearances centered around my latest novel Cold Spell. For us author types, that much meet-and-greet can be grueling.
A friend of mine who has worked as a publicist asked if my publisher had arranged the events. Nope. I did that myself, though I had a lot of help from gallery owners and booksellers and college folks and a local writers organization. There was the launch, of course, and there were signings. But there was also a ticketed dinner event (sold out!), plus two “onstage” conversations and a workshop. At each appearance, I enjoyed the company of other authors, which made every event more enjoyable and better attended than it would have been had I gone solo.
A few tips for planning author appearances:
Venues: Although a few of my recent events were out of town, they were all within driving distance, which was a big relief to me. I enjoy travel, and if there’s a chance to connect it with books, so much the better. But as most authors will tell you, the traditional book tour is not nearly as glamorous as you might think, and it’s not especially good at getting books sold, either. For the most part, I chose local venues based on relationships I’d already built with the owners and managers.
Costs: The traditional book tour has two main objectives: to build relationships between authors and readers (including key readers, like booksellers) and to keep an author’s name out in front of audiences during the launch period. Is it cost-effective? Not really. From a publisher’s point of view, it’s more of a long-tail investment, getting their most popular authors out to meet and make fans. Regardless of how they’re published, some authors front the costs for their own book tours, but I haven’t run across any who’ve found it, dollar for dollar, to be a good investment. If there are places you’d love to visit or places you’re visiting anyway and you’re able to arrange author appearances there, great—you’ll enjoy the journey, and your expenses may even be tax-deductible, if your writing efforts qualify as a legitimate business with the IRS.
Occasion: Author appearances don’t have to be launch-related. It’s always a good idea to get out and meet readers at book signings, readings, and other events if you’re good at that sort of thing and you actively promote those events through your friends-and-fans network. My recent events were launch-related, but they also tied in with an annual event, Alaska Book Week, which I helped start a few years ago.
Audience: Don’t just expect people to show up. They’re busy, and even though you’re an author, that doesn’t make you famous. Line up your events well in advance (six months, at least, if they’re out of town), and think beyond the traditional reading/signing. Look for groups that might have an interest in your book or in your journey as an author. Or maybe there are workshops you could teach. If your appearances are value-added for the audience, with book sales taking second billing, you’re more likely to find interest.
Partners: Another way to expand your audience is to participate in well-conceived events featuring multiple authors. It’s more fun, too.
Preparation: If you’re reading, practice and—extremely important—time yourself. Any reading that lasts more than ten minutes, including the introduction, is probably too much. If you have more time to fill, engage your audience with slides, anecdotes, and the like. Your knees might be shaking, your onstage persona should exude charisma and confidence. Relax and have fun, and your audience will follow suit.
Numbers: You may not sell lots of books. But simply spreading the word about your appearances increases your visibility and draws attention to your book.
Blog tours: Because of the costs involved, many publishers now favor blog tours in which the publicist arranges guest blogs, interviews, and book reviews at well-read blogs and then turns the author loose to fulfill the assignments. No hotels, taxis, or airfare are required—only the author’s time. Lots of it. One friend of mine had to cover 100 blog stops for the launch of her book. Are blog tours effective? In theory, anything that gets you and your book in front of readers is helpful, and anything online has the advantage of creating a permanent presence for you and your book in the ever-expanding internet archives. If your publisher arranges one, you’re obviously going to participate, time suck or no; to refuse would be bad form. If you’re publishing on your own, consider whether the potential benefits are worth the time you invest. You can use the online service Alexa to make sure the blogs you’re touring are at least as well-trafficked as your own blog (assuming you have a blog). And as with most everything in publishing, be prepared for a lot of rejection (mostly in the form of silence) when you email bloggers asking for them to host a stop on your blog tour. I generally approach only those with whom I’ve developed some sort of personal connection, through social media or my fan base.
Party on: A new darling of the traditional publishing industry is the book launch party. But unless you’re a big, big name with a blockbuster title, they’re not offering to throw the party on your behalf; they want you to host a party and invite all your friends and sell a few books. All well and good—especially for the publisher, since they’ve invested nothing other than the suggestion—as long as you have the resources and enjoy that sort of thing. I like a party as well as the next person, but I agree with an author friend who points out, hey, we’re the writers—shouldn’t they be buying us drinks? If you want to celebrate your launch without breaking the bank, look for a no-host venue where your guests can buy their own food and drinks, preferably one that will allow you to sell and autograph books without charging you a percentage. Some authors even throw launch parties online, though to me that seems a stretch of what you can do with a keyboard. Maybe once someone invents virtual cocktails, the online launch party will catch on.
Your Author Platform
Book marketing benefits to speaking are just so-so. You probably won’t sell a load of books at these events. But don’t despair!
The biggest benefit to speaking at and attending events is not so much selling books. It’s building relationships, connecting with your ideal reader, and building your author platform.
How will you apply this to your author journey?
For more author profit tips, watch for more on this blog and get your free profit guide at WriteOnPurpose.com/free
Author, How Can You Present Like a TEDx Speaker?
Send to KindleYou've most likely watched at least 1 TED talk. They're great, and maybe you've thought, "I wish I could present like that!" Well, now you can find out how to do just that.Then apply what you learn to your own speaking engagements, because you don't have to DO a Ted Talk to apply the methodology that makes them so successful.
.
+Denise Wakeman always puts together spectacularly helpful material, whether on her blog or in a hangout. This presentation is no exception.
This Hangout On Air/video (depending whether you attend live or watch later), Whether or not you can be there live, be sure to watch this training (and add this video to your Watch Later playlist so you won't lost track of it.)
Follow your B.L.I.S.S>
Ronda Del Boccio
author and speaker
,
Reshared post from +Denise Wakeman
Conversations with Experts | How to Present Like a TEDx SpeakerIn this episode of Conversations with Experts, I welcome +Britta Wenske of Speak Up Now. Britta's passion is to help you take your public speaking skills from adequate to amazing – on stage, on camera and beyond!
Does this sound familiar? You are delivering your presentation and somehow you cannot seem to captivate your audience. People seem bored and uninspired. You leave the stage feeling you have not made your point. That's what we're going to address in this Conversation…how to turn that around.
Britta and I are going to discuss:
✽ The skills you need to present like a TEDx speaker
✽ The most common mistakes public speakers make
✽ The three pillars of delivering a speech that people remember
✽ How to deal with stage frightBritta Wenske is a public speaking and dialogue coach and the owner of speakupnow!, a Germany-based institute that specializes in public speaking.
Her past and present clients include international companies such as
MontBlanc, Warner Brothers, Lufthansa, Nordea, Meiko and Chanel as well as national companies.Britta Wenske is a TEDx-Coach, helping TEDx-Speakers to deliver the talk of their life.
Britta and her team have helped hundreds of entrepreneurs, teams and leaders to find their speakers personality and to deliver their message in a powerful and inspiring way.Connect with Britta
http://brittawenske.com
http://twitter.com/BrittaWenske
http://de.linkedin.com/in/brittawenske/en
https://www.youtube.com/user/brittacanada/
https://plus.google.com/117170256114297023461/posts
https://www.facebook.com/BrittaBriRSVP "YES" or "MAYBE" to create a place holder so you get a reminder notification and catch us live or watch the replay at your convenience!
#BrittaWenske #DeniseWakeman #ConversationsWithExperts #publicspeaking #speakingtips #HOA #TEDx #publicspeaker
Send to Kindle
Author: Spin Your Book into Niches following Jay Baer's Example
Send to Kindle+Jay Baer is the author of 1 of the books on my MUST READ list. It's called YouTilityHis latest book is nichified. YouTility is for business people, now he takes his same system and slatns it for real estate professionals.
How can you aply this principle to your own systems and nonfiction books? Reply in the comments.
Here's his new book. Please share with any of your friends or colleagues in real estate.
http://www.amazon.com/Youtility-Real-Estate-Professionals-Specialfrom-ebook/dp/B00MNNAOPS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1413384666&sr=1-1&keywords=youtility+real+estate
#YouTility #RealEstate
Reshared post from +Jay Baer
Hope you'll check out my new book:
Youtility for Real Estate: A Brand-New Youtility Book That Will Help Build Your Business
Send to Kindle
October 9, 2014
What Tools Can Help with Google Plus?
Send to KindleThis is an excellent article about Google+ tools. I especially love the emphasis on building VALUE and RELATIONSHIPS, not pushy selling.What is the best tip in this article that helped you?
Reshared post from +martin shervington
The value of using 'tools' on Google+ (NEW)
Having access to the right tools will help ensure you and your clients are following the right people for them.
The value of using tools on Google Plus – Plus Your Business
This article will guide you on how to manage your Google+ notification settings on who can interact with you and your posts.
Send to Kindle
Writing is pure Bliss
- Ronda J. Del Boccio's profile
- 64 followers
