M.A. Comley's Blog, page 19

Is Your Life Whispering to You?

[image error]By Cheryl Shireman
I believe life whispers to youand provides direction. I call that life force God. You can call it whateveryou want, but there is no escaping it. If we are open, and brave enough to sayyes, life will take us in directions we never expected, and you will live alife beyond your wildest dreams.Those whisperings often come inthe form of a "crazy" idea or a nudge to move into a certain direction thatseems odd or silly or daring. Then there is that moment when you think, Well, that's weird. Where in the world didthat come from?And then there's the secondmoment, when you have to make a choice. You can dismiss the crazy notion, andprobably even come up with a dozen reasons why it's a bad idea. You don't havethe time, the money, or the resources. Besides, who are you to do such a thing?What in the world were you thinking? So, you dismiss the idea. We always havethat option - to say No.But it comes back - that whisper.Sometimes again and again. But if we are practical, and safe, we can squash thenotion until it is almost forgotten. Almost.Such a notion came to me a coupleof months ago. I began to think of an anthology composed of women writers. Ananthology that would be published before the rapidly approaching holidayseason. The title came to me almost immediately - Indie Chicks. It was a crazynotion. I was working with an editor who was editing my first two novels, and wasalso in the middle of writing a third novel. Working on three books seemed tobe a pretty full plate. Adding a fourth was insane.But the crazy notion kept comingback to me. It simply refused to be dismissed. So I sent out a "feeler" emailto another writer, Michelle Muto. She loved the idea. I sent out another emailto my writing buddy, J. Carson Black. She loved the idea, too, but couldn'tmake the time commitment. She had just signed with Thomas & Mercer and was kneedeep in writing. I took it as a sign. I didn't have the time for the projecteither. Perhaps after the first of the year, when final edits were done on myown novels. I dismissed it, at least for the present time. I'd think about itagain in another couple of months, when the timing made more sense.A week later I surrendered, starteddeveloping a marketing plan for Indie Chicks, and began sending out emails tovarious indie writers - some I knew, but most were strangers. I contacted alittle over thirty women. Every one of them responded with enthusiasm. Mostsaid yes immediately, and those who could not, due to time commitments, wishedus well and asked me to let them know when the book when the book was publishedso they could be part of promoting it.One of the first writers Icontacted was Heather Marie Adkins. Earlier this year, while I was browsing theinternet, I came across an interview with Heather. The interviewer (oddlyenough, Michelle Muto) asked Heather, When did you decide to become an indieauthor? Heather's answer was:  About a month ago. My dad had been trying totalk me into self-publishing for some time, but I was hesitant. One night, Isat down and ran a Google search. I discovered Amanda Hocking, JA Konrath,Victorine Lieski; but it was Cheryl Shireman that convinced me. This is thefield to be in. I was shocked (Astonished! Flabbergasted!). I had no ideathat I had ever inspired anyone! To be honest, it was a bit humbling. And,okay,yes - it made me cry. So, of course, I had to invite Heather to be a part ofthe anthology. Heather not only said yes, but she also volunteered to formatthe project - a task I was dreading.As Heather and I exchangedemails, I told her about how I had been similarly inspired to become an indiewriter by Karen McQuestion. My husband bought me a Kindle for Christmas of2010. Honestly, the present angered me. I didn't want a Kindle. I wantednothing to do with reading a book on an electronic device! I love books; thefeel of them, the smell of them. But, very quickly, I started filling up thatKindle with novels. One day, while looking for a newbook on Amazon, I came across a title by Karen McQuestion. I learned thatMcQuestion had published her novels through Amazon straight to Kindle.Immediately, I began doing research on her and how to publish through Kindle. Ihad just completed a novel and was ready to submit it through traditionalroutes. Within 48 hours of first reading about McQuestion, I submitted my novel,Life Is But A Dream: On The Lake. Twenty four hours later, it was published asan eBook on Amazon. Within another couple of weeks it was available as apaperback and through Nook. Did I jump into this venture fearlessly? No! I wasscared to death, and I almost talked myself out of it. Almost. The novel wenton to sell over 10,000 copies within the first seven months of release.As I shared that story withHeather, another crazy notion whispered in my ear - Ask Karen McQuestion towrite the foreword for Indie Chicks. Of course, I dismissed it. We hadexchanged a couple of tweets on Twitter, but other than that, I had nevercorresponded with McQuestion. It was nonsense to think she would write theforeword. I was embarrassed to even ask her. Surely, she would think I was somesort of nut. But, the idea kept whispering to me and, with great trepidation, Iemailed her. She said yes! Kindly, enthusiastically, and whole-heartedly, shesaid yes. Karen McQuestion had inspired me to try indie publishing. I had inspiredHeather Adkins. And now the three of us were participating in Indie Chicks,that crazy whisper I had been unable to dismiss.The book began to develop, and asit did, a theme began to form. This was to be a book full of personal storiesfrom women. As women, one of our most powerful gifts is our ability toencourage one another. This book became our effort to encourage women acrossthe world. Twenty-five women sharing stories that will make you laugh, inspireyou, and maybe even make you cry. We began to dream that these stories wouldinspire other women to live the life they were meant to live. From the beginning, I knew Iwanted the proceeds of this charity to go to some sort of charity that wouldbenefit other women. While we were in the process of compiling the anthology,the mother of one of the women was diagnosed with breast cancer. Almostimmediately upon learning that, Michelle Muto sent me an email. Hey, in light of *****'s mother having anaggressive form of breast cancer, can I nominate The Susan G. Komen foundationfor breast cancer? I mean, one of our own is affected here, and other thanheart disease (which took my own mother's life), I can't think of anything moreworthy than to honor our sister in words and what she's going through. Adaughter's love knows no bounds for her mother. Trust me. I know it's a charitythat already gets attention on its own. But, that's not the point, is it? Thepoint is there are 25 'sisters' sticking together and supporting each other forthis anthology. I say we put the money where the heart is. We had ourinspiration. All proceeds would go to the Susan G. Komen foundation for breastcancer research.The stories started coming in.Some were light hearted and fun to read. But others were gut-wrenching and inspiring- stories of how women dealt with physical abuse, overwhelming grief, and ahost of bad choices. It was clear; these women were not just sharing a story,but a piece of their heart. I felt as if I were no longer "organizing" thisanthology, but just getting out of the way so that it could morph and evolveinto its truest form.Fast forward to just a few daysbefore publication. Heather was almost done with the enormous task offormatting a book with twenty-five authors. We were very close to publishingand were on the homestretch. That's when I received an email. An unlikely emailfrom someone I didn't really know. Beth Elisa Harris and I were involved inanother indie project and Beth sent an email to all of the authors in thatproject, including me. She attached a journal to that email. For whateverreason, Beth had been inspired to share a journal she wrote a few years ago.She cautioned us to keep her confidence and not share the journal with anyoneelse. I tend toward privacy and don'ttend to trust easily. This is a HUGE step for me. I've only read it once sinceI wrote it. Intrigued, I opened the journal and began reading. It dealtwith her diagnosis, a few years back, with breast cancer! Before I was even onethird of the way through the journal, I felt I should ask Beth to include thisjournal in the Indie Chicks anthology. It was a crazy notion, especially whenconsidering her words about privacy and trust. We didn't even know each other,how could I ask her to go public with something so personal? I tried to dismissthe notion (are you noticing a pattern here?), but could not. I wrote theemail, took a deep breath, and hit send. She answered immediately. Yes. Mostdefinitely, yes.Indie Chicks: 25 Women 25Personal Stories, with foreword by Karen McQuestion and afterword by Beth EliseHarris, is now available through Barnes and Noble and Amazon. The book includespersonal stories from each of the women, as well as excerpts from our novels.And it began as a whisper. A whisper I did my best to ignore.What whisper are you ignoring?What crazy notion haunts you? What dream merely awaits your response? I urgeyou, say Yes. Live the life you were meant to live. Say yes today.
Storiesincluded in Indie Chicks:Forewordby Karen McQuestionKnight inShining Armor by Shea MacLeodLatchkeyKid by Heather Marie AdkinsWrite orDie by Danielle BlanchardThePhoenix and The Darkness by Lizzy FordNever TooLate by Linda WelchSteppingInto the Light by Donna FasanoOneFictionista's Literary Bliss by Katherine OwenI BurnedMy Bra For This? by Cheryl ShiremanMrs. SoGot It Wrong Agent by Prue BatttenHoles bySuzanne TyrpakTurningMedieval by Sarah WoodburyA KinkyAdventure in Anglophilia by Anne R. AllenWritingFrom a Flour Sack by Dani AmoreJust Meand James Dean by Cheryl BradshawHow a BigYellow Truck Changed My Life by Christine DeMaio-RiceFrom 200Rejections to Amazon Top 200! by Sibel HodgeHave YouEver Lost a Hat? by Barbara SilkstoneFrenchFancies! by Mel ComleyLife'sLittle Gifts by Melissa FosterNeverGive Up On Your Dream by Christine KerseySelf-taughtLate Bloomer by Carol Davis LuceMoving toThe Middle East by Julia CranePaper,Pen, and Chocolate by Talia JagerThe MagicWithin and The Little Book That Could by Michelle MutoWrite Outof Grief by Melissa SmithAfterwordby Beth Elisa Harris
IndieChicks is available for your Kindle on Amazon and your Nook on Barnes andNoble. You may also read it on your computer or most mobile devices bydownloading a free reader from those sites. http://www.amazon.com/Indie-Chicks-Personal-Stories-ebook/dp/B0060ZTM62/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1319931455&sr=1-2 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Indie-Chicks-Personal-Stories-ebook/dp/B0060ZTM62/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1319931455&sr=1-2http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/e/2940013212725 
Stop byour Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/IndieChicksAn... Indie Chicks hash tag on Twitter! #IndieChicksAnthology

Another great interview by a reader.Known as the mysterio...

Another great interview by a reader.


Known as the mysterious Jenn P aka Texas Long Hair, I can be found either blogging on my site www.indiesupporter.com or moderating a fantastic group on Goodreads.com called Creative Reviews.I am a book reviewer, beta reader, and aspiring author.When I am not doing any of the above, I am taking care of my amazing son and trying to make the best out of what life has to offer.

First off, can I justsay that you are seriously one of my favorite tweeters?You send tweets thatwill either make me laugh or make me think, I never know what to expect exceptthat I know I will love them!
1.       Whatgenre do you prefer to read?             Paranormal.Though I am a little tired of the Vampire scene and not a big shifter fan.            Ialso enjoy Thriller, Suspense and Horror.
2.    Isthere a favourite book you've read more than a few times because you found thestory so engrossing?            Seasonof Passage by Christopher Pike. It was one of my favorite books as a teen and Istill             pick it up every now andagain.
3.       Doyou read paperbacks or ebooks more?            Beforebaby, it was paper or hardbacks, since my son is now walking and climbing and such,         it's ebooks all the way!
4.       Ifyou have an ereader has your reading increased or changed in any way?            Nope:)
5.       Haveyou ever thought of penning a book yourself?            Actually,I just wrote a short story that will be in a anthology where are the proceeds willgo to         women and children who havebeen victims of domestic violence.
6.       Whatmakes a book an absolute must read in your eyes? Is it characterisation or plotthat's more important?            Characterscan be developed but with no plot, there is no story.
7.       Inthe ebook world what do you consider is the best way to grab a reader'sattention?            Sadly,I'm all about covers, something that really screams, "READ ME!"
8.       Name6 authors you'd invite to dinner.            ChristopherPike,Lizzy Ford, Cambria Hebert,C.S. Splitter, Addison Moore, and you!!!!
9.       Ifyou were stranded on a desert island what three items would you take with you?            Iphone,soda and my contour pillow.

Thank Jenn, I'm glad you enjoy my tweets! ;-)

As part of the 'Coffin Hop' tour, I'll be giving away 5 c...

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As part of the 'Coffin Hop' tour, I'll be giving away 5 copies of my TRUE ghost story.

Please leave a comment and I'll drop the names in a hat and pull out the winners on the 1st November.

Follow the fun on twitter using #coffinhop.

Happy Halloween everyone.

Here's another reader interview. I'm Lorraine, woman, mum...

Here's another reader interview.
I'm Lorraine, woman, mummy, avid reader and superhero at times. Because I have to be serious at work I tend to let myself go at home and am always up for a good laugh, especially if it's on me. I stopped reading due to lack of time, but I'm really making up for it now that I have my kindle. Everybody loves me and I love everybody !


1.What genre do you prefer to read?It keeps changing. Sometimes I'm on a gore kick, sometimes Iwant a bit of romance. Sometimes I like to read something "in between". I guessthe common point to most of the books I read is a certain level of suspense.Give me boring and I'll put the book down at the first occasion.

2.Is there a favourite book you've read more than a few times because you foundthe story so engrossing?No. There's not enough time in life to read all the books Iwant to read, so I don't tend to re-read books. I did once though, aromance-type book, because I guess I wasn't feeling loved enough and I just hadto make up for it somehow !
3.Do you read paperbacks or ebooks more?I'm afraid it's ebooks every time… I'm a bit of a kindlefreak and it's much more convenient to read the kindle when walking, cooking,eating etc than a paper book.
4.If you have an ereader has your reading increased or changed in any way?Yes, it totally got me reading again.
5.Have you ever thought of penning a book yourself?No, I have the imagination of a lobster.
6.What makes a book an absolute must read in your eyes? Is it characterisationor plot that's more important?If I had a choice, it would be plot. But what makes a bookan absolute must read is the number of recommendations and the fact that it's abook that I show an interest in.
7.In the ebook world what do you consider is the best way to grab a reader'sattention?I don't think I have experience enough of the ebook world toanswer, but I guess a good title and good blurb is probably the most important.Personally, I'd also say the level of interaction of thewriter in the forum. I'm trying to go round all the authors on here, and I'mmore likely to pick up a book from someone who I've been having chats with thansomeone who's just put a thread in the author section and done nothing else.
8.Name 6 authors you'd invite to dinner.Can I invite all the authors from the forum? And all theother members? And have a big party ?
9.If you were stranded on a desert island what three items would you take withyou?My kindle, my hubby, and my little boy… oooh just realisedthat makeup doesn't make it on my list of priorities… there must be somethingwrong…

Here's another reader interview.Myname is Kenneth D...

 Here's another reader interview.

Myname is Kenneth Dinning. I am 27 years old and live in Missouri. I am full-timedad, student and worker with two boys (Jaxon & Noah), a lovely wife(Jennifer) and a Dorkie named Molly. I work at Target and in my spare time Ilike to read, watch movies, listen to music, tweet and be with my family. I'mprobably the coolest person you will ever meet. Well, at least my kids think Iam.


1.       Whatgenre do you prefer to read?I like to read crime novels, suspense thrillers, adventureand anything with comedy or humour. Not a lot of nonfiction but I want to startreading it. 
2.       Isthere a favourite book you've read more than a few times because you found thestory so engrossing? I have read each Harry Potterbooks twice and Flowers for Algernon three times.  I like books that run in a series, ex.Donovan Creed, Lorne Simpkins, The Hunger Games, Jack Singleton in Robin Cooknovels, Rick Riordan series, the Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness and theDexter series by Jeff Lindsay.
3.       Doyou read paperbacks or ebooks more? I read e-books more.Occasionally I will read a paperback or hardback book I already own or sharewith my wife. (She is not into the e-books.)
4.       Ifyou have an ereader has your reading increased or changed in any way? From December 2010 to now, I have read more books on myKindle than regular books in a two year time span.  
5.       Haveyou ever thought of penning a book yourself? It hascrossed my mind but I'm more of a spectator than a player. I like to read andvisualize other people's imaginations.
6.       Whatmakes a book an absolute must read in your eyes? Is it characterisation or plotthat's more important? A must read book in my eyes hasa catchy title, a strong protagonist with good supporting characters, a clevervillain and make a series of books. I think characterisation and plot areequally important. Plot allows the character to grow and become a strongcharacter that will be remembered. Without characters, the plot cannot thicken,take twists and turns or allow the reader to put ourselves in that particularsituation.
7.       Inthe ebook world what do you consider is the best way to grab a reader'sattention? I think the best way to get readers is highreview scores and a good price. But that doesn't mean free. Give them a pricethat is enticing but don't sell yourself short (no pun intended).
8.       Name6 authors you'd invite to dinner. John Locke, MelComley, Blake Northcott, Sigmeud Freud, Rick Riordan and Maurice Sendak.
9.       Ifyou were stranded on a desert island what three items would you take with you? My Kindle, my music player and a hammock                Bless, thanks Kenneth, that was an unexpected surprise! ;-)

Need to find some great kindle bargains?Take a look at th...

Need to find some great kindle bargains?

Take a look at this site and follow their FB page for the latest bargains.


http://thekindle3books.com/

 https://www.facebook.com/AmazonKindleBooks

Win! Win! Win!!!!

I'm featured on Frugal ereader today. You can win a copy of A Time to Heal and Cruel Justice.http://thefrugalereader.com/2011/10/11/qa-and-giveaway-with-mel-comley/

Another interview from a reader.Hi everyone! My ...

Another interview from a reader.


Hi everyone! My names D.D. Chant, I'm 24 and LOVE reading! It wasn't always that way; my Mum tells me I was very stubborn about reading until I was about nine, when a friend of mine leant me a book. Haven't looked back since!!!1.What genre do you prefer to read?I'll read pretty much any genre, just so long as it has romance, adventure, excitement and maybe a little mystery too!
2.Is there a favourite book you've read more than a few times because you found the story so engrossing?Loads of times! I've read 'Cotillion' 'Fridays Child' and the 'Unknown Ajax' by Georgette Heyer times without number! They still make me chuckle now! But there are LOTS of others!
3.Do you read paperbacks or ebooks more?Recently I got a kindle; I might never buy a paperback again!
4.If you have an ereader has your reading increased or changed in any way? I'm much more likely to take a chance on something that I might not normally read, and I buy a lot more than I used to! That one click thing Amazon have going is just too hard to resist!
5.Have you ever thought of penning a book yourself?I've written three!!!
6.What makes a book an absolute must read in your eyes? Is it characterisation or plot that's more important?I firmly believe it's a combination of the both. The plot is important because it's the structure, the world in which the characters operate. But it's the characters that drive! And just as you wouldn't stay in the same room as someone you didn't like, you're not going to inhabit your imagination with characters you have no sympathy for!!!
7.In the ebook world what do you consider is the best way to grab a reader's attention?I think if you're a new author this should be reflected in the price of your book....the reader is taking a chance on you! Respect that by giving them the opportunity of reading your book a low price.If you're an established author, don't insult your readers by pricing your e-book higher than the paper back!And if you have series of books, don't make each follow on book more expensive than the last! Yes the first book should be cheap, but one raise in price is all that's needed afterwards surely?
8.Name 6 authors you'd invite to dinner.Ohhhh hard!Jane Austen: I want to know who Darcy was based on!!!Charles Dickens: I'd take him to task for not giving Mortimer a girlfriend!Lucy Walker: All her hero's were gentlemen, I'd ask her if she ever met one and what they're like in real life!!!S.G. Alan: I simply have to know how she thought up that mad Dr, did she actually know one?P.G. Wodehouse: Because he'd be a scream, right?Dick Frances: I'd ask him what he's got against tall people, lol!!!
9.If you were stranded on a desert island what three items would you take with you?
My family! I can't be without someone to talk to for more than ten minute stretches, if I was alone by the time I got off I be crazy as a loon!My nail technician!My kindle!Blast, food should have been in there somewhere too, right?!?!?

Another great interview from a special lady! ...

Another great interview from a special lady!   I'm Patti. Teacher, avid traveller, avid reader.

1.What genre do you prefer to read?
No preferences. I'll read anything that catches my fancy.
2.Is there a favourite book you've read more than a few times because you found the story so engrossing?
The Stand by Stephen King and everything by Spider Robinson
3.Do you read paperbacks or ebooks more?
I'm completely kindle only now.
4.If you have an ereader has your reading increased or changed in any way?
I've always been a voracious reader.
5.Have you ever thought of penning a book yourself?
I have but will leave writing to those with talent.
6.What makes a book an absolute must read in your eyes? Is it characterisation or plot that's more important?
Personal recommendations from trusted sources. I enjoy both a good plot and strong character driven fiction. A truly great book will have both.
7.In the ebook world what do you consider is the best way to grab a reader's attention?
Word of mouth, which means making a book known, getting it read, getting people talking about it. 
8.Name 6 authors you'd invite to dinner.
Only six? My table fits sixteen in a pinch and I'm sure a buffet would also be enjoyable...
9.If you were stranded on a desert island what three items would you take with you?
My kindle, a back-up kindle and a solar charger.

I'm Angela AKA Bubblyfish on the UK Amazon Kindle Forum a...

I'm Angela AKA Bubblyfish on the UK Amazon Kindle Forum at Good reads. I've enjoyed reading all the interviews so far so thought that I should contribute also.
I'm a 58 year old accountant from Dorset (originally born in Yorkshire and raised in Africa). We run our own family accountancy and IT business. Husband writes bespoke accounting systems, son installs and upgrades computer hardware for clients and I help with tech support and preparing client's VAT returns and accounts. We also have a villa in Florida (where we're currently residing for September/October) and which we rent out during the times we're not there to help defray the costs.
1.What genre do you prefer to read?I mostly read mystery, suspense, thrillers, adventure and historical romance but since getting my Kindle earlier this year I'm up to trying almost anything.
2.Is there a favourite book you've read more than a few times because you found the story so engrossing?No I mostly just read books once over because I remember the whole plot as soon as I start reading again. Give me a few more years and I'll be able to start all over again though!
3.Do you read paperbacks or ebooks more?Used to be paperbacks but now I use my Kindle most of the time although I generally have a paperback on the go as well.
4.If you have an ereader has your reading increased or changed in any way?I do believe that my reading has increased as the Kindle is just so convenient and I never run out of reading material while on a plane now.
5.Have you ever thought of penning a book yourself?Yes but daren't as I'm sure I couldn't create anything as good as the books already out there.
6.What makes a book an absolute must read in your eyes? Is it characterisation or plot that's more important?Characterisation, plot and reviews. Also I now like a book to be available in Kindle format so I can just add it to my collection.
7.In the ebook world what do you consider is the best way to grab a reader's attention?A good, honest summary and an interesting and descriptive picture can be helpful. Yes I know the cover shouldn't affect decision but I have to say that with paperbacks it would often be the cover that caught my attention in the bookstore unless it was by one of my favourite authors.
8.Name 6 authors you'd invite to dinner.Steve Robinson, Richard North Patterson, Eckhart Tolle, Wilbur Smith, Jodi Picoult, Taylor Caldwell.
9.If you were stranded on a desert island what three items would you take with you?Husband, Kindle and sunscreen.

Angela