Laurie Boris's Blog, page 36

Take a Break with a Free Book

If you’re a little weary from holiday stress and want to take a few minutes for yourself, why not grab this free book from Amazon and do a little literary exploration? If you always read romance, check out a thriller. Always meant to try a taste of science fiction? It’s there, too. And it’s free from December 23 through 27.

First Chapters is an introduction to twenty-two cutting edge indie authors. Some of them are award-winning, some are bestselling, and they all, at one time, joined forces at IndiesUnlimited.com: a site dedicated to the indie author movement. This volume includes a wide array of genres and unique voices. From fascinating alien life forms to women who blow stuff up to fictional families in crisis, we are sure you will find something inside to please every appetite.

This volume includes chapters from authors DV Berkom, Melissa Bowersock, Laurie Boris, K.S. Brooks, Lynne Cantwell, Martin Crosbie, Jim Devitt, A.C. Flory, Yvonne Hertzberger, Stephen Hise, Mark Jacobs, Chris James, LA Lewandowski, TD McKinnon, Rich Meyer, Melissa Pearl, Lin Robinson, Kathy Rowe, Carolyn Steele, Krista Tibbs, Dick Waters, and Carol Wyer.

Enjoy, happy holidays, and please, don’t let the dog eat too much tinsel.

Amazon US – UK – Canada – Germany

See more about the book, including a cool trailer video that KS Brooks made, because she’s cool like that.

Happy Writers

Reblogged from DV Berkom Books:

I just ran across this golden oldie by former literary agent-turned author, Nathan Bransford, on the Ten Commandments for the Happy Writer and thought I'd share. He's hit the nail on the head, IMO.

Happy Saturday!

Read more… 2 more words

It's all good. :D

Tell a Story and Win One

I hated to do it, but the old, black recliner was falling apart. Not that comfy, a few-rips-and-tears-but-I’m-still-keeping-it-so-get-your-hands-off kind of falling apart. No. The years, along with abuse and the ravages of being the winter headquarters for a colony of mice, had eaten away its innards. The leather had hardened in spots; the wooden handles wobbled when gripped, and I was afraid to let anyone sit in it.

Out it went, into a borrowed van and driven to the dump.

The memories, however, stayed. My father read to us in that chair, when it lived in its first home, when my brothers and I were small enough to crowd in together and listen to Make Way for Ducklings, Where the Wild Things Are, Ferdinand the Bull, or Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel.

I don’t know what it is about the human experience that makes us like hearing someone tell stories. This could have gone back to the night Og gathered the cave children around the fire and entertained them with the one about the mastodon that almost got away. The generations of kids who grew up with radio became accustomed to hearing their favorite stories, a different sort of skill than watching a movie or a TV program.

When audio books were first available on cassette tapes (remember those, kids?) I couldn’t get enough of them. Not only were they good companions on long commutes, but they helped improve my listening skills so I could give better feedback to my writing group when we read our work aloud. It was also fun hearing my favorite books acted out a bit by a talented narrator.

These are some of the reasons that I wanted to release Drawing Breath as an audio book. And now that I’m feeling a bit nostalgic for those days—and, okay, a bit guilty about tossing the chair—I’d like to give away a couple of copies from audible.com. Also because voice actor Randi Larson did a fantastic job of bringing my characters to life, so I want to share her talent with everyone. [If you click on the link above, you can hear a sample of her pretty voice.]

Just post a comment below about a memory…of being read to, of reading to a child, your favorite books as a kid, your favorite audio book, when and why you listen. On Friday afternoon, I’ll choose the winners.

Thank you for reading!

Awesome Indies Discovery Book Tour: Pavarti K. Tyler

Hi, and welcome to another stop on our Awesome Indies Discovery Book Tour. Today I want to let you know about one of our awesome authors, Pavarti K. Tyler. Pavarti is a powerful writer and this work of literary fiction is high on my TBR list. In her own (and some reviewer’s) words:

Chelle isn’t a typical 13-year-old girl—she doesn’t laugh with friends, play sports, or hang out at the mall after school. Instead, she navigates a world well beyond her years.

Life in Dawson, ND spins on as she grasps at people, pleading for someone to save her—to return her to the simple childhood of unicorns on her bedroom wall and stories on her father’s knee.

When Troy Christiansen walks into her life, Chelle is desperate to believe his arrival will be her salvation. So much so, she forgets to save herself. After experiencing a tragedy at school, her world begins to crack, causing a deeper scar in her already fragile psyche.

Follow Chelle’s twisted tale of modern adolescence, as she travels down the rabbit hole into a reality none of us wants to admit actually exists.

White Chalk is a very personal story for me.  While it’s not autobiographical and I am not Chelle, I could have been. So could you. So could the kid sitting on the bus next to you on your way to work tomorrow morning. The thing is, we never know what someone’s like is like behind the walls of their mind. It takes very little to change the trajectory of a life. A teacher who takes a special interest in a troubled child can save them, point them in a new direction, or take advantage and shatter their understanding of love.

Rachel Thompson, Award-Winning Author of Broken Pieces

Tyler combines shades of ‘Lolita’ and ‘Catcher in the Rye’ in a completely new way, drawing you in with poignant characterizations. ‘White Chalk’ goes deep into teenage angst with understanding and clarity. Savor, share, and use this poignant book as a primer on the brutal effects of abuse, neglect, and self-esteem.

Buy it now
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo ~

And as a thank you, if you pick up a copy of White Chalk, I’ll send you a free ebook of Two Moons of Sera, my Fantasy Romance. Just email me confirmation of your purchase (PavartiDevi @ gmail)

And Now a Brief Word from Our Sponsor…

Okay, I know we’re all busy and people have probably been in your face to buy their things since…um…the invention of things. So I’ll keep this self-promotion short with a few holiday-type reminders.

If you live in the Ulster County area, you can buy print copies of my books at Barner Books in New Paltz, Inquiring Minds in New Paltz and Saugerties, and The Golden Notebook in Woodstock. I’m pretty sure that all of them have copies of The Joke’s on Me and Drawing Breath, and some have copies of Don’t Tell Anyone (which became an Amazon best-seller for a couple of hours a while back.) If the stores run out or you live too far away, I have it on good authority (Leland Dirks) that independent bookstores can order books. Also, I have a few books kicking around the house, so if you’d like a signed copy, I’ll be happy to oblige. Drop me a note here.

I’ll be at The Golden Notebook in Woodstock on Sunday at 1:00, talking about Sliding Past Vertical. Please ask the Snow Goddesses to cooperate, thanks, because GN has a TON of great events scheduled all weekend and I’d hate for Nan to have to reschedule them.

A couple of notes about Drawing Breath: if you like audio books or know someone who’d like one as a gift, it’s now available from Audible.com. Randi Larson did a great job on the narration. Also, the e-book will be on sale for $0.99 from December 26 to January 1 as part of a group sale with Awesome Indies.

That’s it. I hope that amid the craziness, you’re taking some time to live in the moment and enjoy what’s around you. You may now return to watching videos of cats destroying Christmas trees. Or this one.

Awesome Indies Discovery Tour: The Diamond Peak Series by Tahlia Newland

(Happy Thursday, everyone! Welcome to another stop on the Awesome Indies Blog Hop, organized by Kate Policani (Thank you, Kate!) . Today I’m hosting the talented Tahlia Newland. I have not read this whole series, but I’ve read some of her other books, and I’ve really enjoyed them. So with that, I’ll turn this over to Tahlia and she can tell you what’s new with…)

The Diamond Peak Series
by Tahlia Newland
Genre: Metaphysical, Paranormal, Fantasy
THE MIND-BLOWING FINALE TO THE DIAMOND PEAK FANTASY SERIES IS OUT NOW!
THE MIND-BLOWING FINALE TO THIS AWESOME  FANTASY SERIES IS OUT NOW!

Yes; it is quite literally mind-blowing.

Don’t miss out on the award-winning Diamond Peak Fantasy Series. Each book in this new adult contemporary fantasy has been awarded an AIA Seal of Excellence in Independent Fiction.  (That means it’s pretty good.) Book one has also been awarded a BRAG medallion for outstanding independent fiction.

Get the full series now and read some real magic.

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE SERIES.

“A beautifully written, exciting fantasy-adventure with vibrant description.” Krisi Keley, author of Mareritt.

“A most exemplary work, a real joy to read. The colour, depth and vitality of both the writing and the narrative is stunningly good: the exploration of motives, outlooks and hopes of the characters quite intoxicating. It ranks as a true work of literary accomplishment.” Clive S Johnson, AIA reviewer.

“In a new twist on fantasy, Tahlia puts characters in fantastical situations, but they are actually fighting everyday situations that have to do with hate, greed, envy, and the like, as Ariel and Nick fight demons that prey off your emotions. Her characters are rich in real life experiences, following on life’s journey of emotional ups and downs. I love the relationship between Nick and Ariel. It’s so pure with the promise of young love and the maturity to put it on hold while they fought the demons they were pitted against. In a race to save Ariel’s mother’s life, Ariel discovers who she is and what she is capable of. This is a gripping series that I would recommend to anyone. It has a great moral compass to encompass the ages.” Cynthia Shepp, editor/reviewer

“I can’t even begin to describe all of the action you’ll find in this highly imaginative journey. This is a fantastic depiction of a fight between good and evil.” Crazy Four Books. 

ABOUT THE SERIES.

Lethal Inheritance, Stalking Shadows, Demon’s Grip and Eternal Destiny, take place in the hidden realm of Diamond Peak, a place that interfaces with the ‘real’ world, and is inhabited by demons and the Warriors who hunt them. Diamond Peak exists on a more subtle layer of reality than the one we normally see and can only be seen and entered by those who have refined their perception sufficiently to become attuned to its frequency.

Inside, rocks move, reeds whisper, people fly and sadistic demons feed on and stir up negative emotions in their human prey. Warriors seek to climb the mountain and defeat the Master Demon who resides at the peak, because his death will free the world of all demons. To attain this goal however, the Warrior must pass through the territories of his bodyguards, the heads of the demon clans, and face their inner demons before they can subdue the outer ones.

The layers of meaning within this series are rich, the symbolism profound and the characters’ experiences, though cloaked in fantasy, are the journey we all take through life whether we know it or not. It is a journey of self discovery on the profoundest of levels. It is the journey to enlightenment.

These are no ordinary books. The magic within them is real. The powers of the characters are within your grasp and their success can be yours.

 Run  and Ariel’s Dream are prequel short stories to the series. They are FREE in all major ebook stores and includes chapter one and two of book one, Lethal Inheritance. Book one is out in paperback and book two, Stalking Shadows, will be available in time for Christmas.

See all the books on my

Amazon author page

Kobo author page

B&N author page

Smashwords author page

Apple author page

SPECIAL OFFER.

If you buy book one before the 15th of December and send Tahlia a copy of the receipt. She will give you book 2 for free and enter you in a draw to win the full series.

Email your receipt to CP(at)centrepieceproductions(dot)com.  (The email address is written like this to avoid being picked up by spammers. Replace (at) with @ and (dot) with a period.)

 Thanks to Kate Policani for organizing the Awesome Indies Discovery Tour of which this post is a part.

Please help spread the word by sharing this post.

Awesome Indies Blog Tour: Don’t Judge a Book By Its Magic

Ack! Apologies for being late to hop on our Awesome Indies Blog Tour. Today’s stop is a bit about the fabulous Kate Policani’s first book in the fantasy/romance/paranormal genre Convergence Series, Don’t Judge a Book By Its Magic.

The  Awesome Indies have granted this book the Seal of Approval. It has a spiffy new e-book cover and is now available as an audiobook! 

Plus, you can win stuff!

One comment on this post will win a code for a free audiobook at audible.com. Let me know what you think of the new cover and the audiobook reading.

The talented Heidi Baker has narrated the first book in The Convergence series. This tale features a lot of humor and loads of fun. As an added bonus, you can HEAR what all those crazy words sound like.

Hear a sample

Buy on Audible

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Itunes

Lessons Learned from Broken Characters

I’m a bit different from some authors. Instead of outlining and building a character from scratch, I let one fall into my head. I follow him or her around as we find the story together. So sometimes (oh, who am I kidding; it happens nearly all the time) I get to work with characters who are a little broken, a little damaged, or who don’t always make the choices I want them to.

This means I often hear the same comment from my early readers: I wanted to SLAP her!

If it’s any consolation to them, sometimes I want to slap her, too.

Yet to write a book any other way, for me, would feel wrong. It would feel like I’m forcing a character to do something contrary to his or her nature. Readers can sense this. It can make the characters’ journeys feel fake, like the author is moving them around on a chessboard to suit the needs of the plot.

When Sarah Cohen popped into my head for Sliding Past Vertical, oh boy, did I want to slap her. Probably more than any of my other heroines. She meant well. Underneath, I could sense that she meant well, and didn’t want to hurt anyone, but some of her decisions had unintended consequences because she wasn’t thinking them through. I really felt for Emerson, who still loved her after she broke up with him in college. Stop hurting my book boyfriend, I wanted to yell at her.

But I had to let her do what she was going to do. That’s one of the most important lessons I learned from her. As I write a book (and for a while afterward), the characters feel as real to me as the people I come across in the supermarket, on the train, in the gym. That’s what some readers say they love about them. Yet real people don’t always make the best choices, especially if they are in trying situations. They make the ones that feel like the best thing to do at the time. And knowing this has not only helped me feel more compassionate toward other people, it’s helped me feel more compassion for my characters and for myself.

I haven’t always made the “right” decisions in my personal life. Who has? Through writing, and especially when I’m given the gift of a character like Sarah, it helps me grow and helps me learn more about forgiveness.

In a novel, though, if a character never learns anything or changes in some way because of what she experiences, well, what’s the point of having her in the book? It’s a question writers often ask themselves while a story is in development. Sarah, as much as I wanted to sit her down and talk some sense into her, deserved to stay because she had to go through a transformation. She had a lot to learn. I had to be compassionate enough to let her do that on her own, without pushing her around or making her be someone that she wasn’t. And maybe that’s why she came into my life.

Do You Have "As You Know, Bob..." Syndrome?--How Writers Can Butcher Dialogue & How to Fix It

Reblogged from Kristen Lamb's Blog:

Writing a stand-out novel involves a lot of individual pieces working together in perfect concert. If there's no solid plot? Readers get confused, lost or bored. If the plot is great, but the characters are all one-dimensional paper dolls? No one cares. If we butcher grammar, spelling and formatting? It's a formula for dismal sales or even a long line of one-star reviews from ticked off readers.

Read more… 1,368 more words

This guest post from Marcy Kennedy on Kristen Lamb's blog nails it. Dialogue needs to flow naturally from characters. Overloading it with plot points that both characters know? Unless one of them is suffering from memory loss, it will most likely sound forced.

Happy Thanksgiving: My Favorite Immigrant Stories

Gratitude is part of my daily routine, but on Thanksgiving and this year, on a Thanksgiving that coincides with Hanukkah, I’m especially grateful for my family history. Several generations back, my ancestors left lives and livelihoods behind for a better deal in America. I’m grateful for that, because between the cossacks’ pogroms and Hitler, who knows if I’d even be around to write these words?

Perhaps that’s why I find immigrant stories so compelling. Here are a few of my favorites.

Cutting For Stone 

This debut novel by doctor/author Abraham Verghese is so well done. The story moves from a struggling medical mission in Ethiopia to New York’s outer boroughs, where Marion, the son of an English doctor (who abandons him and his brother) and an Indian nun (who dies in childbirth) attends medical school and tries to understand his mysterious upbringing and his place in the world.

Sophie’s Choice

William Styron’s classic is a different take on the immigrant experience: an outsider’s view, where his protagonist is looking at the aftermath of one woman’s concentration camp experience. Horrific and beautiful.

The Revised Kama Sutra

Written by Richard Crasta, this funny coming-of-age novel about a young Indian man of little means but much hope and fantasy comes to America only to find…well, I’ll leave that up to you. This is my favorite book of Crasta’s, which has been called “The Indian Portnoy’s Complaint.”

Middlesex

I adore this book by Jeffrey Eugenides and I’ve read it about five times. It just gets better and I keep finding new things to love. The protagonist, Cal, is the product of two “fish out of water” experiences here – his family’s volatile escape from an isolated Greek village to America, and the character’s own gender identity.

The Namesake

This lovely, lovely story is about a young couple from Calcutta trying to reconcile their move to America and their own lives, dealing with culture clash and generational conflict. Jhumpa Lahiri’s beautiful prose makes it that much more compelling.

Do you have a favorite immigrant tale?