Tia Silverthorne Bach's Blog, page 29

Remembered & Unicorn : Indie News & Highlights

Happy Monday!

I've got some great stuff to share today. Thanks to the awesomeness of the Indie community, I don't think I'll ever lack exciting stuff to share for my weekly Indie News & Highlights post.

First up... Kelly Risser debuted the cover for her latest book late last week.

About Always Remembered
One clue… what does it mean?

Ken, the leader of the Blue Men of the Minch, has kidnapped Evan. Before they left, Evan was able to leave a package for Meara—her grandfather’s necklace wrapped in a cloth napkin with one word written in blood. Azuria. Unfortunately, Meara doesn’t understand it, and neither does her dad or Kieran.
While her dad and Aunt Brigid attempt to rescue Evan, Meara and Kieran begin to train the clan to fight and defend their home. A war is brewing, and Meara is determined they must prepare for the battle. The training sessions are long and arduous, but the Selkies work hard to learn.
Meanwhile, Evan wakes and finds himself in Belle Tresor, the home of the Sirens. He’s bound to his blue form, unable to transform to human, and Ken has plans to use Evan’s powers to destroy the Selkies. Thankfully, he’s not alone. He befriends a Siren named Deanna and several Blue Men. Can he trust them to help him escape or do they have ulterior motives?
As both sides prepare for an ultimate confrontation, the stakes are high and friendships are tested. Some will rise to be victorious. Some will be destroyed. But love and loyalty will be always remembered in this exciting conclusion to the Never Forgotten series.
Pre-order your paperback copy of Always Remembered, Never Forgotten #3, at Amazon today!
If you haven't read Never Forgotten, book 1 in the series, it's FREE! Get your copy now. 

I loved Never Forgotten. You can read my review here .

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Who doesn't love a gorgeous cover? This week there's another one by the awesome Regina Wamba .
 Coming April 2015
To find out more about Delphina Henley and the book that started it all, Unless You Can Be A Unicorn, check out her website here .

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If you have any Indie news to share, please let me know. I hope everyone has an amazing week full of great new finds.

Oxford Comma : Grammar & Writing Tips

Funny thing about getting off schedule... it has a ripple effect. Since I didn't publish my Monday post until Tuesday, it felt weird to publish my Grammar post on Wednesday (normal schedule). But, never fear, I didn't forget!

Today, I wanted to talk about commas. 

Whether the comma or period is the most used punctuation mark could be debated. After all, every sentence needs a period; not all sentences require a comma. However, some sentences use more than one comma.

Anyway...

So, I will feature comma uses several times.

For today, an easy one.

The Oxford Comma


Growing up, I was taught to put a comma before the and in a series ONLY if the series was complicated (not just single words). However, the new standard is to put the comma before the and.

At first, I was resistant. But, as an editor, I've seen countless examples of why it's important to use this comma. Plus, let's be honest, it's easier to have a hard-and-fast rule about it than a subjective one. Commas tend to be the most misused punctuation mark because of varying opinions, so a few solid rules are useful.

So, embrace the Oxford comma. After all, you don't want...

When I'm worried about something, I often seek wisdom from my parents, God and Judy Blume.
Wow. Instead of my parents, God, and Judy Blume, I've now declared that my parents are God and Judy Blume.

Is there an editing/grammar issue that's always caused you trouble? If so, share it in the comments so I can feature it in a future post. 

Dirty Blood & Ruby's Fire : Indie News & Highlights

It's Monday. Wait, what? It's not. What happened to Monday?

Okay, so Tuesday's already here. Still a beautiful day to share some Indie news and highlights!

So much cool stuff to share...


How awesome is that?!

Purchase Links Amazon iTunes B&N

Oh, and Dirty Blood (Dirty Blood Series, Book 1) is FREE. Check it out here .

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Another awesome freebie!!

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Plus a gorgeous new cover to admire. 

About Moon Crossed

Claire O'Conlan is a hunter, her kind were created to protect humans from feral werewolves. She's desperate to find a cure for the moon-touch. Until she does, the hunt won't stop. 

Despite being raised among supernatural creatures, Claire is determined to make college as normal as possible. But childhood habits die hard. She can't seem to stay away from the wolf-borne, and worse, she's falling in love with Cole Jackson, the big bad wolf.

Claire can't resist the undeniable fire Cole ignites within her. They are falling headlong into a forbidden love affair. Hunter and wolf, a dangerous combination inciting war between factions, action from the council and the biggest risk of all, Claire fulfilling her duty and being the hunter that kills Cole.

Will Claire find the cure? Or will their love end in tragedy?

Cover by Regina Wamba at Mae I Design and Photography . 

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If you have any Indie news to share, please let me know. I hope everyone has an amazing week full of great new finds.

Hitting Goals : The Writing Life

This has been a crazy week. 

When I used to say that, it was a bad thing. Now, crazy is as crazy is. Okay, that's a bit Forrest Gump, but a crazy week can be energetic. Lately, it's meant I have a lot of awesome options/opportunities/commitments to juggle. But, it's a good thing.

There are a lot of things I need to reframe in my life. Crazy is just one. 

Overwhelmed is another. I have to shake it. My girls always ask me how my day was, as I ask them. My usual response, "Overwhelming. I didn't get done as much as I wanted to."

I didn't realize it was my response until they called me out on it this week. The fact is... I get a lot done. I just don't get everything done. 

My goal this weekend is to prioritize all the things I need and want to get done. Then, I will prioritize them according to importance and urgency. Sometimes things seem urgent that aren't important.

I'm also looking at my writing goals. Chasing Forgiveness is almost done (in last edit), and I will have a rough draft of Chasing Destiny to my betas by the end of April. What's next is up in the air, and something I need to work out.

So, what's with the picture on this post?

My husband brought back a tchotchke from Japan. According to custom, you color in one eye when you set a goal and the other when you finish it. I colored the first eye when I started Chasing Forgiveness, and I forgot to post my completed picture. Pretty cool, huh?

Is there a word you use a lot that you need to reframe? Do you find yourself using crazy and overwhelming as much as I do?

Hope everyone has an amazing weekend!

National Grammar Day : Grammar & Writing Tips and #IWSG

The  Insecure Writer's Support Group  (or IWSG) is a wonderful group put together by the amazing Alex J. Cavanaugh (which now has an equally cool  Facebook group ). 

The first Wednesday of each month is the perfect opportunity to share my insecurities on the #IWSG therapy couch, get encouragement and support about such insecurities, and to read how other writers are faring.

I normally reschedule my Wednesday programming -- Grammar & Writing Tips -- to bring you my #IWSG post.

But today is National Grammar Day!

There's something I truly believe every book needs... an editor.

If you choose not to hire one, please ask a grammar-loving friend or acquaintance to help you out. A wonderful story can help me over editing bumps, but it has to be a killer story. Even then, I can hit my limit.

Although I'm an editor for Indie Books Gone  Wild , I do not edit my own work. Scratch that. I edit it several times, and then I hand it over to another editor. I'm always embarrassed by what she finds (thank you, Jo Michaels !), which just proves how much you need an unbiased eye. 

If you need a handy guide for your self-edits, check out Grammar Girl's Editing Checklist . It's a great resource!

All that being said, I worry myself to death about mistakes. No book is perfect. I've seen traditionally-published books with mistakes. At some point, you have to let it go. Just don't give readers an easy out; there are too many books out there to choose from.

My insecurity monster has enough to feed on, so I make sure editing issues don't fuel the fire.

What's your biggest editing pet-peeve? Can you look past poor editing for the right book?

Hope everyone has an amazing Wednesday and a month full of words!

The Beast of Raventson by Kelly Martin Release Day Blitz

He could very easily picture his life like this. With a woman who loved him and smiled at him like he wasn't a monster.Except he was.

The Beast of Ravenston takes Elizabeth from Betraying Ever After and throws her into a place she fears more than any other... Ravenston. A small town in the middle of a thick forest, Ravenston is home to the Duke-- Nicholas Wellington-- a man who not only has been scarred by a fire but is a man to be feared. He lives up to his reputation as 'The Beast'.

Nicholas wants to know who set the fire that disfigured him which means helping Mr. Dodsworth. Help Mr. Dodsworth-- get the name-- get his revenge
Except what Mr. Dodsworth wants Nicholas to do is worse than anything he's done in his past: make the girl pay.

Can Nicholas do what needs to be done to get his revenge? Or will Elizabeth steal something he didn't know he still had-- his heart?


* Amazon * Barnes and Noble * Smashwords * 
Leave a review:Goodreads


~Kelly Martin's Internet Dwellings~*Facebook * Youtube * Twitter *Tumblr * Pinterest

Naliyah & the Beast : Indie News & Highlights

I had a wonderful, rejuvenating weekend with a dear friend, so today's post is late.

A couple of quick highlights...

A great author friend of mine, Shauna Kelley, has her latest book, Naliyah, with YA Reads Book Tours and is looking for reviewers. It's an amazing read. And here's a little exclusive... I just beta read book 2, and it's just as amazing.

About Naliyah

Lenora Scheid can tell you much of human nature. After more than a century of traveling from war zone to war zone, she has experienced more than she can handle of mankind’s thirst for blood and power…she cannot, however, tell you what she is. 

Not exactly human, but not precisely vampire either, Lenora’s whole life has been spent under the watchful eye of her father. With only her dreams of a mysterious blue‐eyed man as company, she has little choice but to follow her father across the world despite his refusal to help her understand her true nature. 

As Lenora reaches the end of her tolerance with their life of travel and death, she comes face to face with her blue‐eyed man and everything changes. Can this man save her from a life of brutality? Or will the secrets kept from her for so long destroy them both?

You can read my review here , and signup at YA Reads here .

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And don't forget to hop on over to Facebook tomorrow and have some fun with Kelly Martin at her The Beast of Ravenston Facebook party tomorrow, March 3 from 6:00pm-8:00pm CST. Find out more here .

Tomorrow, I'll have a release day-specific post for the book as well, so check back for that.

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If you have any Indie news to share, please let me know. I hope everyone has an amazing week full of great new finds.

Character Connection: The Writing Life

Happy Friday! I hope everyone has had an amazing week full of uplifting experiences and building memories.

Last Friday, I shared a line I cut from my latest piece, Chasing Forgiveness. If you missed out, check it out here .

SourceChasing Forgiveness is told in first person from two different points of view--Madeleine and Amelie. Thanks to beta comments, I realized I needed to flesh out one of the characters a bit more, as she was lagging behind her story partner.

In the process, I discovered something: the character who needed more details was the one I identified with the most. I found it more fascinating to dive into the mind of Madeleine, because she's less like me. Amelie, on the other hand, is very much like me. 

Madeleine embodies many traits I admire but don't always emulate. She's eager to embrace change and power, she follows gut instincts and enjoys spontaneity, and she doesn't let fear rule.

Amelie is the older sister and more level-headed. She wants to be needed, trusts her heart, and is more guarded.

I love both characters, but I found Madeleine more exciting to write, because I want to incorporate more of her qualities--ones I have but are more dormant--into my life. Still, Amelie is the voice of reason and the nurturer, which we all need to be in touch with as well.

Do you find yourself more drawn to characters who are like you or different?

Next week, I will share which actresses would play Madeleine and Amelie in a movie adaption. Until then, have an awesome weekend and beginning to March.

Pronouns: Grammar & Editing Tips

Ah, the pronoun. Such a nifty way to avoid repetition. Thanks to she (and others like he, I, you, it, we, they), authors don't have to constantly reuse character names or bog down story with repeating nouns. 

wigflip.comSometimes, pronouns cause confusion because they take ownership of the closest, preceding noun (antecedent), and the last thing a reader wants to do is go hunting for that noun or be utterly confused.

So, a writer should make sure the pronoun is clear.

Example:

David and Bill went to the store, and he enjoyed his newly purchased candy bar and cherry pie. It was the best thing he ever tasted.

He = BillIt = Cherry Pie
If that is the meaning the author intends, the sentence works. However, if he is meant to be David and/or it refers to the candy bar, then some reworking is needed. The his and he subsequently used refer to Bill as well. 

Okay, so just remember... the pronoun refers to the closest, preceding noun. 

Sometimes, the pronoun is used correctly, but the sentence is still suspect.

Example:

Several Miami strippers donated boxes of clothing, and they can be viewed at the church bazaar next Saturday.

Whoa. Wait a minute. Yes, they = boxes of clothing, but a reader might do a double take and think the strippers can be viewed at a church. That's a whole different story. *snickers*

Better to rework the sentence for clarity...

Several Miami strippers donated boxes of clothing, and these items can be viewed at the church bazaar next Saturday. 

Also, if it's been a while since the noun the pronoun refers to was used, clarify by repeating the noun. You don't want to make a reader search back a couple of paragraphs to figure out who he/she/it is. 

Furthermore, pronouns should not refer to something that hasn't been mentioned yet.

Example:

If it's cheaper, then definitely buy the red blouse. 

Instead...

If the red blouse is cheaper, then definitely buy it.

I could go on forever about pronouns, but the examples above cover a lot of material. 

An exception (because there's always one, right?)...

Dialog is independent of prose. A noun mentioned in dialog, would not be the closest, preceding noun for the sake of a pronoun in prose.

For example, if a main character (Kevin) is highlighted in prose but mentions a Gary in dialog, Kevin is still the he when prose begins again.

For more information, visit this great post by Grammar Girl: Pronouns and Antecedents . 

Is there an editing/grammar issue that's always caused you trouble? If so, share it in the comments so I can feature it in a future post. 

UtopYA Sale & The Beast of Ravenston : Indie News & Highlights

Good Monday morning!

It's time for another installment of Indie News & Highlights, and I've got some good stuff today. 

Let's get it started (feel free to sing along)...

Early Bird Ticket Prices for UtopYA 2015 end on 2/28/151
Please don't miss the opportunity to come to this inspirational, empowering, creative, cutting edge, and uplifting conference. If you love the written word--whether an author, a reader, a blogger, an editor, and so on--please come. It's an amazing community and atmosphere.
heart emoticon  I went last year, and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Not only did I make lifelong friends, I came away a better person/writer/word lover. 



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Keynote speakers: Denise Grover Swank , Kim Holden , and Lauren Miller . In addition there will be many exhibitors (including me/IBGW!). Find the complete list here . 
If you have any questions, please let me know. I love talking UtopYA! Buy your tickets here . 
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The awesome Kelly Martin is at it again. The Beast of Ravenston (A Shattered Fairy Tale #2) debuts March 3, 2015, and she's hosting an awesome Facebook party to celebrate. Click here to RSVP and find out more.

About The Beast of Ravenston

Elizabeth Adams, a former maid of the evil sin collector Frederick Dodsworth, is sent to the isolated town of Ravenston to be the servant of notorious duke Nicholas Wellington -- nicknamed "The Beast" because of his bad temper and scars that have disfigured him from a fire. Nicholas makes a deal with Mr. Dodsworth: the name of the person who set the fire in exchange for making Elizabeth's time at Ravenston a living hell.

After seeing what he's capable of, Nicholas fears he has truly become the beast he is rumored to be and tries to make the consequences of his horrible actions up to Elizabeth somehow. Spending time with her causes feelings he'd long forgotten, and he finds himself falling for the gently beauty. He can't let that happen, however, because he has to know who set the fire. He has to know who to punish. And he has to atone for his part in his wife's death.

Years old lies are revealed.
Secrets are uncovered.
And one man has to choose between the family he desires and the revenge he's waited so long for.

After all, a beast is always a beast. 

Add it on Goodreads

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If you have any Indie news to share, please let me know. I hope everyone has an amazing week full of great new finds.