Ron D. Voigts's Blog, page 5
October 17, 2015
Book Review: The Night Is Alive by Heather Graham
I catch my reads when I can. Lately I get my books via audio recording while on the go. This past week while on a road trip, I caught The Night Is Alive by Heather Graham. I have a soft spot in my literary heart for paranormal mysteries, mainly because that is what I like to write, so this wasup the proverbial alley (a cliché I never quite understood).
The Night Is Alive centers on Abigail, freshly graduated from the FBI Academy, who comes home to Savannah for the funeral of her grandfather Gus Anderson. Things about his death look suspicious. Gus owned the Dragonslayer Inn, which was haunted by pirate Captain Blue Anderson. She’d seen the ghost before and now his leads her down to a hidden tunnel below the inn where grandfather was found. She contacts a paranormal investigativing team within the FBI and they send Malachi Gordon, a consultant to the FBI and psychic investigator.A killer is kidnapping women, cutting off their left ring finger and tossing them the river, where they turn up drowned. Abigail suspects a connection between her grandfather’s death and the women’s murder, and with Malichi’s help they follow the clues and some back up from some ghosts. A spark of romance develops between the two as they rush to find the killer before another woman dies.
This is a classic mystery with a few spooks thrown in. I had hoped for a haunting, perhaps a Wooooo! Or a cold draft or two would have been fun, but the ghosts are just like other people, albeit visible only to Abigail and Malachi. As it a murder mystery, it kept me reading, er listening. This happens to be Book 10 in Krewe of Hunters series, and I don’t plan to read the first nine. Perhaps I am missing the big picture, but for now I’ll give this one 3-1/2 thumbs up.
September 17, 2015
Trapper Ron and the Unwanted Possum
To readers who were upset with me trapping squirrels, splitting up their families, and relocating them, let me spell out some details. The little fur balls are not an endangered species nor are they protected by a hunting season. They gnawing destructive rodents damage trees and homes. The final cost to repair the damage to my home was over $500. No matter how cute they look, squirrels are vermin.
But I diverge from this week's tale of my close encounters with wild things.
I set my live animal trap on the back deck which was about twelve feet off the ground and below the area where the beasts damaged the roof overhang. On average I caught 3 to 5 vermin a week while setting them loose in a number of wooded areas five miles or more from my house. I always wondered if they would find their way. Some day I'd drive past a squirrel on the roadside with it's thumb out, hitching a ride back.
About three months into my trapping, my wife called me at work. "You caught something in the trap and it's not a squirrel."
My brain screamed, please, please, don't be a skunk. "What is it?"
She hesitated and replied, "I don't know. It has a pointy snoot, hisses, bares it teeth and has a long skinny tail. The thing fills the entire trap."
Hmmm? A very big rat. No, it was an opossum. What perturbed me was why something like that would climb up twelve feet of stairs, coming up onto our deck. Possums stayed clear of people, unless it had...rabies.
I told my wife to call the police or animal control and see what they say. She called me back at work. "The police won't come out unless it had bitten someone. Animal control won't come out unless its a cat or dog. Nothing wild."
The vision of a Bengal tiger strolling down the center of our street entered my thought and no one will come out. Not my job, man!
"Let's try this. Call the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. They'll know what to do."
My wife called me back about a half hour later. "They didn't care about an animal with rabies. But they did want to know if you had a license to trap in the state." Of course, not! Good news was she gave them all the necessary information and ten days later, I got a certificate in the mail licensing me to trap squirrels. Soon after I became affectionately known at work as Trapper Ron.
With no one caring about the unhappy, possibly sick, possum, I drove him out to heavily forested area, popped the cage door open and waved my hands. "Go and tell your friends no one cares about you."
He waddled off, paused and looked back. I knew the look in his eyes.
"You loose, sucker!"
But I diverge from this week's tale of my close encounters with wild things.
I set my live animal trap on the back deck which was about twelve feet off the ground and below the area where the beasts damaged the roof overhang. On average I caught 3 to 5 vermin a week while setting them loose in a number of wooded areas five miles or more from my house. I always wondered if they would find their way. Some day I'd drive past a squirrel on the roadside with it's thumb out, hitching a ride back.
About three months into my trapping, my wife called me at work. "You caught something in the trap and it's not a squirrel."
My brain screamed, please, please, don't be a skunk. "What is it?"
She hesitated and replied, "I don't know. It has a pointy snoot, hisses, bares it teeth and has a long skinny tail. The thing fills the entire trap."
Hmmm? A very big rat. No, it was an opossum. What perturbed me was why something like that would climb up twelve feet of stairs, coming up onto our deck. Possums stayed clear of people, unless it had...rabies.
I told my wife to call the police or animal control and see what they say. She called me back at work. "The police won't come out unless it had bitten someone. Animal control won't come out unless its a cat or dog. Nothing wild."
The vision of a Bengal tiger strolling down the center of our street entered my thought and no one will come out. Not my job, man!
"Let's try this. Call the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission. They'll know what to do."
My wife called me back about a half hour later. "They didn't care about an animal with rabies. But they did want to know if you had a license to trap in the state." Of course, not! Good news was she gave them all the necessary information and ten days later, I got a certificate in the mail licensing me to trap squirrels. Soon after I became affectionately known at work as Trapper Ron.
With no one caring about the unhappy, possibly sick, possum, I drove him out to heavily forested area, popped the cage door open and waved my hands. "Go and tell your friends no one cares about you."
He waddled off, paused and looked back. I knew the look in his eyes.
"You loose, sucker!"
August 29, 2015
The Squirrel from Hell
Could one little squirrel frighten a big guy! You betcha!
We purchased a house many years ago on a heavily wooded lot. Along with the beauty of living in a forest came squirrels. Within the first year of living in the new house, the squirrel population managed to gnaw a hole in the soffit and make the attic their playground. Around 5 am every morning they'd run across the rafters and sound like a herd of elephants stampeding through the bedroom. Patching their holes did little good as the tiny creatures would chew their way back in again. Finally I said, "Enough!"
Wanting to stop them in the most humane way, I borrowed a live animal trap from a friend. The cage had a single opening on one end and a food tray on the other. When an animal disturbed the tray, the door sprung shut. The plan was to catch the little beasts and move them far away where they could attack someone else's house. The plan worked well and I delivered the furry monsters to nearby woods, small patches of forest along the roadside and open fields where they could play with other squirrels.
One evening I caught a rather energetic fur ball who banged around inside and chewed frantically at the cage bars. Having to be somewhere later that evening, I decided to make a quick trip to our church parking lot that had a heavily wooded lot next door. I arrived, sprung open the door of the cage and banged it on the pavement to make him drop out. Only problem was he wouldn't leave. The harder I banged, the harder he hung on, refusing to be evicted. Soon people started showing up for the meetings at church. After no success, I popped the cage back in the trunk and called the wife on my cell phone.
"He won't leave," I explained.
"What do you mean, he won't leave? Just bang it harder on the ground. He'll fall out," she said.
"No, he won't. And people are coming to the church and watching me. Probably think I am some whack job."
After more discussion, I decided to take the caged beast to the middle school which would be empty this time of the evening. They too had a lot of trees. Once there in the quiet of the night, I could work at setting him free.
Arriving at the school parking lot, I tried again. More aggressive this time, I banged and shook the cage. I coaxed, pleaded and screamed at the fur ball who hung with a fervor to never leave. Finally he fell out, crouching on the asphalt, panting. I popped the cage back in the trunk and called the wife again.
"He's out of the cage finally."
"What's he doing?" she asked.
"Just staring at me." Then I saw it. A glimmer in his eyes. Something evil.
He ran straight at me.
"Oh, crap!" I cried on the phone, only it wasn't "crap" what I really said. "He's after me."
The monster from hell chased me around the car, leaving me no time to open a door and escape inside.
"He's only a little animal," my wife said.
"With very sharp teeth," I shouted back.
"What does he want?" she asked.
"To kill me."
On the second pass around the car, I managed to open the door. Leaping inside, I slammed it shut.
The devil animal stopped and glared at me. He took shallows breaths. His eyes dared me to come back out.
I turned the car around and peeled out of the parking lot. In the rearview mirror I saw the little brown fur ball in the parking lot, watching me leave.
I knew he'd planned something bad for me. He'd be waiting.
We purchased a house many years ago on a heavily wooded lot. Along with the beauty of living in a forest came squirrels. Within the first year of living in the new house, the squirrel population managed to gnaw a hole in the soffit and make the attic their playground. Around 5 am every morning they'd run across the rafters and sound like a herd of elephants stampeding through the bedroom. Patching their holes did little good as the tiny creatures would chew their way back in again. Finally I said, "Enough!"
Wanting to stop them in the most humane way, I borrowed a live animal trap from a friend. The cage had a single opening on one end and a food tray on the other. When an animal disturbed the tray, the door sprung shut. The plan was to catch the little beasts and move them far away where they could attack someone else's house. The plan worked well and I delivered the furry monsters to nearby woods, small patches of forest along the roadside and open fields where they could play with other squirrels.
One evening I caught a rather energetic fur ball who banged around inside and chewed frantically at the cage bars. Having to be somewhere later that evening, I decided to make a quick trip to our church parking lot that had a heavily wooded lot next door. I arrived, sprung open the door of the cage and banged it on the pavement to make him drop out. Only problem was he wouldn't leave. The harder I banged, the harder he hung on, refusing to be evicted. Soon people started showing up for the meetings at church. After no success, I popped the cage back in the trunk and called the wife on my cell phone.
"He won't leave," I explained.
"What do you mean, he won't leave? Just bang it harder on the ground. He'll fall out," she said.
"No, he won't. And people are coming to the church and watching me. Probably think I am some whack job."
After more discussion, I decided to take the caged beast to the middle school which would be empty this time of the evening. They too had a lot of trees. Once there in the quiet of the night, I could work at setting him free.
Arriving at the school parking lot, I tried again. More aggressive this time, I banged and shook the cage. I coaxed, pleaded and screamed at the fur ball who hung with a fervor to never leave. Finally he fell out, crouching on the asphalt, panting. I popped the cage back in the trunk and called the wife again.
"He's out of the cage finally."
"What's he doing?" she asked.
"Just staring at me." Then I saw it. A glimmer in his eyes. Something evil.
He ran straight at me.
"Oh, crap!" I cried on the phone, only it wasn't "crap" what I really said. "He's after me."
The monster from hell chased me around the car, leaving me no time to open a door and escape inside.
"He's only a little animal," my wife said.
"With very sharp teeth," I shouted back.
"What does he want?" she asked.
"To kill me."
On the second pass around the car, I managed to open the door. Leaping inside, I slammed it shut.
The devil animal stopped and glared at me. He took shallows breaths. His eyes dared me to come back out.
I turned the car around and peeled out of the parking lot. In the rearview mirror I saw the little brown fur ball in the parking lot, watching me leave.
I knew he'd planned something bad for me. He'd be waiting.
August 26, 2015
Not afraind of "Fear The Walking Dead"
Okay, I probably expected a lot. I am a die hard "The Walking Dead" fan. I have a t-shirt with the logo "Fight or Die," a ball cap with "Fight the Dead, Fear the Living," and "The Walking Dead" PJ bottoms. Yeah, I'm grown up.
**Spoiler alert**Don't read on if you have not seen but plan to see the pilot of FTWD
I watched the pilot last night and was not impressed. It was a basic horror movie plot. No surprises. Nothing unexpected. Just same old-same old.
The basic plot goes like this: the least credible person in the plot witnesses something bad and supernatural. No one believes him. Even after the obvious, no one buys into the the bad thing. Finally when everyone is confronted by the bad thing, they finally believe.
FTWD goes like this: doper kid witnesses zombie chowing down on a body in an old church. Of course, no one believes him, including police, mom and mom's boyfriend. Boyfriend goes to the church. No zombies, but blood covered walls and puddles of blood on floors. He admits something bad happened, but gallons of blood does warrant calling police, I guess. Only at end when confronted by a zombie do they believe.
Now does this mean I won't watch. Not at all. Let's see what the next few episodes bring.
Here are first three minutes of the pilot.
**Spoiler alert**Don't read on if you have not seen but plan to see the pilot of FTWD
I watched the pilot last night and was not impressed. It was a basic horror movie plot. No surprises. Nothing unexpected. Just same old-same old.
The basic plot goes like this: the least credible person in the plot witnesses something bad and supernatural. No one believes him. Even after the obvious, no one buys into the the bad thing. Finally when everyone is confronted by the bad thing, they finally believe.
FTWD goes like this: doper kid witnesses zombie chowing down on a body in an old church. Of course, no one believes him, including police, mom and mom's boyfriend. Boyfriend goes to the church. No zombies, but blood covered walls and puddles of blood on floors. He admits something bad happened, but gallons of blood does warrant calling police, I guess. Only at end when confronted by a zombie do they believe.
Now does this mean I won't watch. Not at all. Let's see what the next few episodes bring.
Here are first three minutes of the pilot.
July 26, 2015
A Good Old Fashioned Mystery
I love a good mystery. My first thoughts come back to Agatha Christie. She had a simple formula that as stood the test of time. Still today the basic plan still works.
Someone is murdered. The detective assembles the clues and a cast of potential murders. Motive. Means. Opportunity. But the clues don't make sense. Everyone has reason and alibis. Suddenly it all makes sense. There is rhyme and reason. Of course, the reader is still in the dark as is everyone else. The suspects are gathered; the clues laid out. Then the detective explain everything. Finally the accusation is made. The murderer fesses up and is arrested. Another mystery solved and bad guy is brought to justice.
Naturally twists abound. In Agatha's Ten Little Indians, one by one suspects are picked off until there are only two. And each suspects the other. Murder on the Orient Express has twelve suspects or was it a stranger? In all she wrote 91 books under her own name and pen names.
I wrote my first novel Penelope and The Birthday Curse in the spirit of a Agatha Christie mystery. A guest at Penelope's birthday is murdered, a snow storm isolates everyone and the adults are clueless who did it. Penelope steps in finding clues and sleuthing. In the end she puts it together and....well, read the book.
A favorite show of mine is Death in Paradise. The murders take place on the island of St. Marie. As always there are suspects and clues, but who did. A Detective Inspector from the UK and local police must discover who did it?
Someone is murdered. The detective assembles the clues and a cast of potential murders. Motive. Means. Opportunity. But the clues don't make sense. Everyone has reason and alibis. Suddenly it all makes sense. There is rhyme and reason. Of course, the reader is still in the dark as is everyone else. The suspects are gathered; the clues laid out. Then the detective explain everything. Finally the accusation is made. The murderer fesses up and is arrested. Another mystery solved and bad guy is brought to justice.
Naturally twists abound. In Agatha's Ten Little Indians, one by one suspects are picked off until there are only two. And each suspects the other. Murder on the Orient Express has twelve suspects or was it a stranger? In all she wrote 91 books under her own name and pen names.
I wrote my first novel Penelope and The Birthday Curse in the spirit of a Agatha Christie mystery. A guest at Penelope's birthday is murdered, a snow storm isolates everyone and the adults are clueless who did it. Penelope steps in finding clues and sleuthing. In the end she puts it together and....well, read the book.
A favorite show of mine is Death in Paradise. The murders take place on the island of St. Marie. As always there are suspects and clues, but who did. A Detective Inspector from the UK and local police must discover who did it?
June 13, 2015
Movie Review: Project Almanac
This is your basic time travel movie. High school friends build a time machine based on one of their father's plans which are found in a secret hiding place. The entire flick is shot from a video camera that someone conveniently has with them at all times. Scenes sway, shift abruptly, go in and out of focus, and take on on strange angles. I'm amazed we don't get any video of someone in the bathroom going potty but that'd make it an R rated flick.
Of course, they think of novel ways to use their new found toy such as winning the lottery. I wish I'd thought of that. They also come up with some rules like don't change things in the past that can alter the present. But rules are made to be broken and obviously these kids didn't see the movie The Butterfly Effect. Hey, they got a time machine so things can be fixed. Not! Situations go from bad to worse to wish I had never opened the secret door where the plans were hidden.
You should be able to figure out the ending to this one unless you are totally new to time travel flicks. I'm not going to spoil it here. Sorry to say, I did figure it out.
Two things I liked about the movie is how the father kept the plans hidden. Trap door in the floor had electromagnets that kicked on when the basement lights were turned on. Of course, the unusual thunking sound of the magnets turning is what first tipped the kids off. Interestingly no one discovered this in the ten years that the father had disappeared. But maybe they don't go in the basement a lot.
The second is...hmmmm! I guess there is only one thing.
I give this a sad two star review. Here is trailer.
Of course, they think of novel ways to use their new found toy such as winning the lottery. I wish I'd thought of that. They also come up with some rules like don't change things in the past that can alter the present. But rules are made to be broken and obviously these kids didn't see the movie The Butterfly Effect. Hey, they got a time machine so things can be fixed. Not! Situations go from bad to worse to wish I had never opened the secret door where the plans were hidden.
You should be able to figure out the ending to this one unless you are totally new to time travel flicks. I'm not going to spoil it here. Sorry to say, I did figure it out.
Two things I liked about the movie is how the father kept the plans hidden. Trap door in the floor had electromagnets that kicked on when the basement lights were turned on. Of course, the unusual thunking sound of the magnets turning is what first tipped the kids off. Interestingly no one discovered this in the ten years that the father had disappeared. But maybe they don't go in the basement a lot.
The second is...hmmmm! I guess there is only one thing.
I give this a sad two star review. Here is trailer.
June 7, 2015
Mysteries of the Internet, or Advertising with a Surprise
Here are some advertising ploys that irk me.
Magically Opening AdCNN had this issue for a while when they updated their format recently, though they seem for the most part have changed things but other sites are using this tactic. Basically the website opens and there is something interesting to click on. In the case of CNN it's a headline news article. Just as you click, an ad opens at the top of the page. Yep, the click coincides perfectly with the ad's appearance and instead you're on your way to some webpage that promises to improve your retirement portfolio or take you to your dream vacation.
Jumping Web PageThis one works the same but is more devious. Typically it is some bizarre news item such as Sea Monster Washes Ashore or Man Finds One Million Dollars in Basement. Going to this website puts the promised article out there, but just as you read a few lines, some advertisement link is added causing the article to jump to a new location. You scroll down to get to back to what you were reading and another ad opens. This usually occurs two or three times. The timing is perfect and keeps the ad in the forefront.
Top Ten Things...I like these but there is a challenge. To maneuver through the ten items requires clicking a right arrow. Scattered in the neighbor hood are other click buttons that deceptively look like they could work too, But no! Click the wrong arrow and off you go to new and interesting place. Added into these sites is the slow-go factor. Click the correct arrow button and a lifetime passes before you get to the next picture which gives you plenty of time to peruse the sidebar ads.
Can't Close ItYou find something that sounds interesting and click the button. It takes you to the site that obviously is selling something. You click the back button or try to close it. And a box pops up: "Are you sure you want to leave this site?" Of course, I understand fully the the function of the back arrow, but savvy web surfers know to click some type of acknowledgement can download malware. Task Manager can in most cases close the browser, but what a pain.
The Deceptive News ArticleThis one is popular on AOL. Buried in the legitimate news articles is an ad link. This Can Get Rid of Wrinkles or Plan Your Dream Vacation. Now in all fairness AOL sometimes adds in small print somewhere "advertisement". But no guarantee.
What irks you?
Magically Opening AdCNN had this issue for a while when they updated their format recently, though they seem for the most part have changed things but other sites are using this tactic. Basically the website opens and there is something interesting to click on. In the case of CNN it's a headline news article. Just as you click, an ad opens at the top of the page. Yep, the click coincides perfectly with the ad's appearance and instead you're on your way to some webpage that promises to improve your retirement portfolio or take you to your dream vacation.
Jumping Web PageThis one works the same but is more devious. Typically it is some bizarre news item such as Sea Monster Washes Ashore or Man Finds One Million Dollars in Basement. Going to this website puts the promised article out there, but just as you read a few lines, some advertisement link is added causing the article to jump to a new location. You scroll down to get to back to what you were reading and another ad opens. This usually occurs two or three times. The timing is perfect and keeps the ad in the forefront.
Top Ten Things...I like these but there is a challenge. To maneuver through the ten items requires clicking a right arrow. Scattered in the neighbor hood are other click buttons that deceptively look like they could work too, But no! Click the wrong arrow and off you go to new and interesting place. Added into these sites is the slow-go factor. Click the correct arrow button and a lifetime passes before you get to the next picture which gives you plenty of time to peruse the sidebar ads.
Can't Close ItYou find something that sounds interesting and click the button. It takes you to the site that obviously is selling something. You click the back button or try to close it. And a box pops up: "Are you sure you want to leave this site?" Of course, I understand fully the the function of the back arrow, but savvy web surfers know to click some type of acknowledgement can download malware. Task Manager can in most cases close the browser, but what a pain.
The Deceptive News ArticleThis one is popular on AOL. Buried in the legitimate news articles is an ad link. This Can Get Rid of Wrinkles or Plan Your Dream Vacation. Now in all fairness AOL sometimes adds in small print somewhere "advertisement". But no guarantee.
What irks you?
May 16, 2015
The Bootstrap Paradox
"--All You Zombies--" is a short story written by the late, great Robert A. Heinlein that explores the ultimate time paradox. I love a good paradox. Time travel stories in themselves are a great topic to explore. The bootstrap paradox is one where information from the future is passed to the past which leads to changes in the present and ultimately the future where it got passed to the past in the first place. It's like the chicken and egg question. Which came first? In this case there is no answer.
In Heinlein's story, a man in a barroom tells the bartender a story starts when was a little a girl called Jane. She was born in 1945 and abandoned at an orphanage, grew up awkward and ugly, and finally met an older man who seduces her. Jane becomes pregnant and has a difficult delivery by Cesarean. She receives the news that due to difficulties in the birth, the doctors performed a complete hysterectomy. But they also learned she had a set of male organs and with surgery and hormones, Jane becomes John, the man in the bar telling the strange tale. Another blow to Jane is that her baby is kidnapped. The bartender explains he is a time traveler and takes John back in time to when he as Jane met the stranger to kill the man. Of course, John falls in love with Jane his younger self, seduces her and she become pregnant, thus making him the older man. Meanwhile the bartender travels ahead in time to the hospital and kidnaps the baby taking it back to 1945 and abandons it at the orphanage. The story become the Bootstrap Paradox where a future event is passed to the past creating the present and ultimately its own future.
The story was made into movie recently with
Some quotes too from the movie.
" What if I could put him in front of you? The man that ruined your life. If I could guarantee that you'd get away with it, would you kill him?"
"Here you are at the beginning of your new life. It can be overwhelming knowing the future you're about to create. Knowing the purpose of that life. You know who she is. And you understand who you are. And now maybe you're ready to understand who I am. You see, I love her too."
"You'll have to make tough choices. You'll influence the past. Can we change our futures? I don't know. The only thing that I know for sure is that you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. I miss you dreadfully."
A great story and a great movie for all you time travel aficionados.
In Heinlein's story, a man in a barroom tells the bartender a story starts when was a little a girl called Jane. She was born in 1945 and abandoned at an orphanage, grew up awkward and ugly, and finally met an older man who seduces her. Jane becomes pregnant and has a difficult delivery by Cesarean. She receives the news that due to difficulties in the birth, the doctors performed a complete hysterectomy. But they also learned she had a set of male organs and with surgery and hormones, Jane becomes John, the man in the bar telling the strange tale. Another blow to Jane is that her baby is kidnapped. The bartender explains he is a time traveler and takes John back in time to when he as Jane met the stranger to kill the man. Of course, John falls in love with Jane his younger self, seduces her and she become pregnant, thus making him the older man. Meanwhile the bartender travels ahead in time to the hospital and kidnaps the baby taking it back to 1945 and abandons it at the orphanage. The story become the Bootstrap Paradox where a future event is passed to the past creating the present and ultimately its own future.
The story was made into movie recently with
Some quotes too from the movie.
" What if I could put him in front of you? The man that ruined your life. If I could guarantee that you'd get away with it, would you kill him?"
"Here you are at the beginning of your new life. It can be overwhelming knowing the future you're about to create. Knowing the purpose of that life. You know who she is. And you understand who you are. And now maybe you're ready to understand who I am. You see, I love her too."
"You'll have to make tough choices. You'll influence the past. Can we change our futures? I don't know. The only thing that I know for sure is that you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. I miss you dreadfully."
A great story and a great movie for all you time travel aficionados.
April 12, 2015
The Witch's Daughter, Blog Tour, April 20 to May 4
April 20 Guest blogParaYourNormal http://parayournormal.wordpress.com
April 21 Spotlight3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! http://3partnersinshopping.blogspot.com
April 22 SpotlightBooklover Sue http://bookloversue.blogspot.com
April 23 Guest blogARe Caféwww.AReCafe.com
April 24 InterviewEclipse Reviewswww.totaleclipsereviews.blogspot.com
April 27 Character InterviewAuthor Karen Swartwww.authorkarenswart.blogspot.com
April 28 SpotlightT's Stuff http://teresanoel.blogspot.com/
April 29 SpotlightFictionZeal.com http://www.fictionzeal.com
April 29 SpotlightThe reading headHttp://www.thereadinghead.com
April 30 SpotlightLiterary Musingshttp://literarymusing.weebly.com/
May 1 Guest BlogMarsha A. Moorehttp://marshaamoore.blogspot.com/
May 1 SpotlightFang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
May 4 ReviewParanormal Romance and Authors That Rockwww.pratr.wordpress.com
May 4 ReviewBittersweet Enchantment http://www.bittersweet-enchantment.com/
March 15, 2015
The Witch's Daughter...the adventure begins!
The Witch's Daughter has now been out for about two weeks. This has been a new adventure, although I am not new to the book world, having self published six other books, two under my own publishing company name Night Wings Publishing. Things are indeed different now with someone else holding the reins.
With my earlier book Strigoi, The Blood Bond, I can see daily stats on how sales are going. Unfortunately it becomes easy to obsess over the numbers, checking repeatedly throughout the day. With the new book, I have only the best seller rank to go by which does work if you understand the numbers. I can see when the day's sales a good, just okay, or not happening.
Yesterday was exciting. The Witch's Daughter at Kobo Books hit #116 in Mystery and Suspense Thrillers. I don't know as much about Kobo to interpret that but it was exciting to see the book flanked some books with top name authors like John D. McDonald’s The Girl in the Plain Brown Wrapper, John Grisham’s The Chamber and James Patterson’s Now You See Her.
The past week, TWD got into the top 100 best sellers for Witches and Wizards Mysteries. Here is screen shot showing it both at #81 and #86. Not sure how that happens.
Some things are planned for TWD. A blog tour. Some author interviews planned. And I'm working on book #2; working title is The Fortune Tellers Secret.
With my earlier book Strigoi, The Blood Bond, I can see daily stats on how sales are going. Unfortunately it becomes easy to obsess over the numbers, checking repeatedly throughout the day. With the new book, I have only the best seller rank to go by which does work if you understand the numbers. I can see when the day's sales a good, just okay, or not happening.
Yesterday was exciting. The Witch's Daughter at Kobo Books hit #116 in Mystery and Suspense Thrillers. I don't know as much about Kobo to interpret that but it was exciting to see the book flanked some books with top name authors like John D. McDonald’s The Girl in the Plain Brown Wrapper, John Grisham’s The Chamber and James Patterson’s Now You See Her.
The past week, TWD got into the top 100 best sellers for Witches and Wizards Mysteries. Here is screen shot showing it both at #81 and #86. Not sure how that happens.
Some things are planned for TWD. A blog tour. Some author interviews planned. And I'm working on book #2; working title is The Fortune Tellers Secret.
