S.B. Niccum's Blog, page 6

YA Giveaway

[image error] Thanks for stopping by my blog and entering this YA Giveaway hosted by "I'm A Reader Not a Writer" and "Down the Rabbit Hole" You can enter to win a paperback of my YA Novel VEILED, by following my blog, telling me about it and liking me on Facebook!


"I have always existed, not just me but all of us, the un-embodied spirits who wait to live."

Tess is an unborn spirit, who is about to embark on a much awaited journey into mortality to a brand new planet called Earth. She is chosen by the Eternals for an important mission, and is put under a rigorous training by a half-human, half-lion Seraph. This training exposes Tess to some of her darkest fears and insecurities. These experiences force Tess to work on her gift as a discerner of thoughts and reader of auras—thus helping her become one of Heaven's most powerful angels. But even angels falter, and deep inside her a gnawing fear is growing. Will she meet her soul mate in life? Will their love be strong enough to overcome the forgetting effects of the Veil? And, is she prepared to take on the responsibility of keeping the most dangerous renegade and leader of the Fallen Angels at bay during mortality?


Read the latest Amazon reviews!

5.0 out of 5 stars Not only worth the price!, January 26, 2012


By Albeesure : "I always admire when an author can blend truth with fantasy. In this case anyone can interpret their own truths from this story line and let the fantasy actually become reality for them. I would like to make a bold prediction that vampires are sooooo 2008. I will predict the coming of angels as the new hot trend to behold. They are relatable characters...you will find someone in your family if not yourself in this book. Couple that with the eternal struggles that man and angel will have for eternity and you have yourself the makings of a can't put down read. No really ...could not put the book down .....lost some serious sleep to get to the end that I did NOT want to end. Love,truth, and to be validated...that is all any human wants and I guess the same goes for the angelic realm. Taking stock of where that validation comes from will make you think of your loved ones your higher power and every relationship that comes to pass you in your life. That is what this author did for me. Thinking and feeling are great human traits to have...I am only glad to know that angels and SB Niccum have them to share with us on this little blue planet."
 
 
5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting Read, January 23, 2012


By mattyd:  "This novel was exquisite, with an intriguing plot and an equally interesting take on eternity. I would compare it to the first Matrix movie, in that it was an amazing plot with an interesting twist on reality, or eternity in the case of Veiled.  I would highly recommend reading this book, since it's only $0.99 if you have a kindle, and it is likely worth the $13 if you don't have a Kindle. I'm do this turns into a series."

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read! Very Interesting, January 17, 2012


By winnypooh3 - "I have never read a book like this! It is very unique and just an all over good book. I can't wait until the next one comes out, hurry, hurry!!! "

My Evil Research

    Seriously evil characters are hard to create.  Mainly because you have to get in their head.  You have to think what they think, and feel what they feel, and this is depressing. 

C.S. Lewis himself admitted that it was hard to put himself in that frame of mind while writing "The Screwtape Letters".

I've noticed that many authors describe the actions of those who are evil or bad.  They in essence prove it by their actions, they might even explain what triggered this person's evil tendencies.  But what if they had no motive?  Are they just crazy? Deranged? Psychopaths?

For inspiration, I turned to several of the classics that in my opinion, touch on the subject of evil.  I also wanted to research the lives of certain people that I consider to be quite puzzling and insane. 
I started my Evil research with Dante Alighieri's "Inferno".  I grew up with Dante's works gracing the bookshelves in my home, that I often scanned while looking for something good to read. 

Gustave Dore's illustrations of "The Divine Comedy", always caught my eye.  But I never dared pick them up, they looked too...well...dry. 
But when it came time to do this research, I just couldn't resit the title, "Inferno"! 

I found Inferno to be extremely enjoyable, like a treat.  Not a page turner, but definitely something that you pick up when you want to treat your senses.  I also learned a lot about the "evil guys" from the period.  I found the people that Dante thought as evil, to be hilarious.  He pretty much sent all the politicians to hell, most of them being Popes. 

I also enjoyed all the diverse punishments that he subjugated the souls in each level of hell.  His poetic justice was impeccable. 

The other classic works that I read, were "The Screwtape Letters" and "Macbeth".  I really loved C.S. Lewis' wit and sarcasm, from the two devil's point of view.  And I absolutelly adore the three witches from "Macbeth".  In fact I love that play, period. Lady Macbeth, roaming the castle, trying to wipe away the stains from her hands...Macbeth...slowly going insane.  Good stuff.

For a few years now, and don't ask me why, I've been curious about two particular people.  Lorenzo De Medici (Il Magnifico) and Rasputin. 

I actually watched a great documentary on the Medici family called "Medici The Godfathers of the Renaissance" a PBS show that follows the family throughout their reign in Florence.  

From there, I took off on my own, researching on-line some of the more particular details about their upbringing and in particular one of their tutors, Marcilio Ficino, a philosopher and astrologer who believed that all power can be harnessed through the cosmos. 

Finally I read a fun book, for kids actually, about Rasputin.  "Wicked History: Grigory Rasputin" 
My kids and I have read a few of these books, Genghis Khan and Vlad the Impaler. But I found Rasputin to be particularly interesting.  And he fueled my imagination. 

He was a mystic and a monk.  A perplexing creature who looked like a hobo, indulged in all kinds of excesses and whose predictions were often right.  Someone who entrenched himself into the lives of the most powerful family in Russia, and called all the shots from a dubious sideline. 
He was also hard to kill...like a cockroach. He was poisoned, stabbed, dropped into a frozen river and still he didn't die of drowning.  He froze to death. 


So for my next book "Living Soul", I based my twisted character on a weird compilation of these four sourses.  Spooky, huh?

Why am I smiling from ear to ear and doing the happy dance?

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!
Because Veiled has been ranked #8 in Kindle Store and #36 in Books!!!!
Woo Whoo!!!

Resolution Time

"Incorporating new and wholesome habits into our character or overcoming bad habits or addictions often means an effort today followed by another tomorrow and then another, perhaps for many days, even months and years, until we achieve victory." D.Todd Christofferson


It's that time of year again, when we re-commit to improving our diet, working out and accomplishing some personal on going dream.

Inspired by the above quote, and the article that it came from, I decided to try a different approach this year.

Instead of making a long wish list of everything that I would like to accomplish at some point during the year, I've decided to do 5 things every day. Yep, just five--every day.

They are simple things, things that if done daily will bring about the long awaited result of the "big resolution".

Over the last few years I have come to realize, that it's the small things that make a big difference in life.  The every day laughter, the hug, the things we read on a daily basis, the way we talk to people, the way we choose to see things...

No big event in your life will ever take the place of the accumulation of happy years. 
So this year under the big heading of: "Live without regrets" I have these five little things that I will try to do every day.
Live long and prosper.

Black Friday Sale!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and I hope you're all enjoying this Black Friday!  In the spirit of spending and giving I have lowered the price of my book so that no one has an excuse! 
From now until December 31st Veiled will be on Super Duper Sale!


$.99  E-Boook from Amazon and Smashwords


$12.00 Paperback if you buy it through me!  (Free Shipping U.S. only)


So buy your copy today and entertain someone you care about with Veiled. 

Givaways this way!

If you're in the mood to win some free books, come on over to The Chicks in Lit. Blog and enter to win! From there click on the links below and hop from blog to blog and enter as many giveaways as you want.

Vote here!

If you are feeling like you need to voice your opinion...go to Goodreads and Vote for Veiled!


That's right! Veiled has been nominated as one of Goodreads Favorite YA Angels Books, but I need your vote!!!

So please take a minute and VOTE HERE!

Thank you so much :) S.B.~

Reviews, Reviews, Reviews.

Publishing is an amazing journey. There is so much to learn along the way. Finishing a manuscript is only the beginning of a seemingly never ending journey.


After you finish your book you edit, after you edit and edit and edit, you find an agent or a publisher. You can also go the Indie way, which is an ever growing trend thanks to the many new options we have today. But no matter how you publish, that is not the end…oh no.

As I look around me and try to find what makes a book successful, I find that there is not one recipe. One thing I've found to be a key ingredient in making your work sell is simply, that it be known.

Here is where book reviewers come in. You can never underestimate the combined power of book reviewers…yet you can't let them get to you either. The combination is a bitter sweet sauce that you simply have to roll with. Some reviewers will love your work, some will not. But in the end, booksellers like Amazon grab your average rating and turn it into a bestseller list.



While I'm still trying to climb my way out of obscurity, I am proud to say that my ratings are pretty darn good! But I still have a long ways to go before I make any lists. So if you are a reviewer, or would like to review my book, I would love to give you that chance! If you are an author and are interested in an exchange of reviews, let me know as well…hey! We're in the same boat.

If I had all the magic in the world I'd...

...stop by the Chicks in Lit. blog and celebrate Darkspell's release!

Meet Author Meagan Frank

"You don't have to be born into the right place, nor do you have to have had all the right things given to you to improve your own life." M.F.

Meagan, I actually share a publisher.  TreasureLine Books & Publishing and that's how I first met Meagan.  When her book, Choosing To Grow Through Marriage came out, I bought it because I had been on Meagan's blog and was so impressed with what she had to say. 
I was not disappointed.  Though a non-fiction, her book read like a fiction novel.  I was sucked in and couldn't put it down.  Her journey and her insight are very real and very relateable dilemmas that we all face at one point or another during our married lives. So I recommend you read this book and even have a "Tea Party" with your book club friends when you're done, so you can discuss this very important topic.  
First lets get a little background on Meagan.  Tell us a little bit about yourself .   

I'm a writer.  Actually, I've always been a writer, but I'm finally attempting to make writing a career. I am a mother of three great kids, ages 11, 9 and 6 and I've been married to their father for thirteen years. In my life I've been a high school English teacher, a newspaper reporter and a college soccer coach. All of my jobs have been incredibly fulfilling for me. I am grateful to be at a place in my life where I can continue to pursue something I have always loved.

Do you believe that we all have an intended purpose, destiny or mission to fulfill in life?
I do believe my life has an intended purpose. I don't know if there is a specific mission for me, but I do feel as though the gifts God has given are meant to be used for a purpose bigger than me. If I had to speak to what gifts I have to share, I would say I can write and I can teach. Yes, I've been trained for both, but it is deeper than that. I feel driven and passionate about both writing and teaching.

When I started the project of my first book, Choosing to Grow: Through Marriage I was moved to gather everything I needed to know so I could improve our marriage while I wrote and shared about all that I found. I am doing the same thing with my other Choosing to Grow books, and I hope to share the things I find through both writing and speaking platforms.

I can't really imagine my life without the Choosing to Grow projects. I started working on my first book in response to an incredibly low point in my life. I needed to dig my way out, and with every hopeful nugget of truth I found, I became more and more motivated to share what I was finding with others. It is now a way of life for me. Every day is an opportunity for growth, and I seek out chances to tell everyone who needs to hear that.

And that is exactly what I liked about your book! Your honesty.  Tell us more about your writing background and what you're working on right now.


My writing portfolio is journalistic in nature. I wrote for a newspaper for a while, and I have a few magazine articles published. My first book is a non-fiction, creative memoir based on research and interviews about modern marriage. I am using the same approach for my current non-fiction work in progress, Choosing to Grow: For the Sport of It. In addition to the non-fiction book projects, I write regularly for my own blog, and I have just signed on to be a contributing writer for the Mother's & More Voices blog. I plan to continue to do some freelance article work as well.

Non-fiction is only part of what I want to do with my writing. I have a long-term goal of adding fiction to my resume, and I have a WIP about a world-renowned reporter who finds herself in a situation where she cannot research her way to understanding. I practice my fiction writing in weekly challenge submissions to a website called Clever Fiction: http://cleverfiction.weebly.com/.

How do you balance your home and family life and your work?
I am really lucky to have a hard-working and supportive family. We work as a team to stay balanced with all the things that need to be done, and I am really grateful to be a part of such a great group of people. I am currently establishing a routine that allows scheduled writing while the kids are in school, and then I am on full-time mom duty when they get home. During the vacation time, or summer months, I do a lot of writing either before or after the days' activities. The best scheduling trick that I have is our dry-erase board calendar. Every person in our house has a designated color, and the activities are listed by day in the color for that person. We've all become pretty dependent on what is listed on the board to keep us on track. There are weeks when the board looks much more like a rainbow than it does a calendar!

What is your advice to people who feel their lives are lacking purpose?


I would tell people, who feel they lack purpose, that I think it is a temporary feeling. I have felt that way too, and I think a lot of people feel like that at different times in their lives. The key is to keep searching for purpose.

I like the idea of steady toil. You don't have to be born into the right place, nor do you have to have had all the right things given to you to improve your own life. Through prayer, reflection, intention and a willingness to keep putting one foot in front of the other, purpose is revealed. It is a decision in belief: belief in yourself…belief that your purpose exists…and belief that you will find it if you never give up looking.

Wise words Meagan! Thanks for sharing your wisdom and your talents.  For more information on Meagan Frank and her work, please visit her web site at www.meaganfrank.com