Julie A. Rainey's Blog, page 13
April 25, 2012
Author Spotlight - Sherri Moorer
Description:What happens when Little Miss Perfect’s life is turned upside down? Rachel Shull is about to find out. A year ago she broke up with her boyfriend, Danny, over suspicions that he was hiding something from her. Now Rachel’s life is full of accomplishment, achievement, friends, and even a new boyfriend. It seems perfect, until a childhood friend dies in a tragic accident. When it’s discovered that Danny had a heated argument with Kirsten shortly before her death, suspicions about his double life resurface. As the case unfolds and tragedy strikes people close to Rachel, she discovers that Danny isn’t the only one with dangerous secrets. Life in the small town of Woodland, South Carolina becomes blurry with lies and deceit, and Rachel finds herself questioning everybody; even her new boyfriend.
Where to Buy:
Wings ePress
Amazon
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble
Author Website:
Sherri The Writer
Promos:
The author has a few free downloads of her work along with a novella for $.99. For more information please visit her website.
April 24, 2012
Enders Game - The Movie
I have just recently learned that my favorite book of all time is being made into a movie. This is both exciting and disappointing news. First off, it's exciting because I can share my love of this book with those who don't like to read. (Shocking that they would exist.)
However, it's simultaneously disappointing considering most of the time that books are adapted into movies, they cut out a tremendous portion of the book and change the story line completely. Now with the movie not coming out until November of 2013, I have a while to wait and pray that the movie company doesn't completely destroy one of the best science fiction novels (in my opinion).
A production blog has gone up for the fanatics (me) out there who want to know everything about this movie from start to finish and who are sitting in eager anticipation of it's arrival a mere year and seven months away. They have cast Ender and I'm hoping he lives up to the character I have envisioned in my mind. Asa Butterfield is the young actor from England that will be playing Ender. I've actually seen him in Boy in the Striped Pajamas and in an episode of Merlin. He seems like a good actor and I'm hoping he can pull off this character as well.
Here's a link to the blog if anyone's interested. Ender's Game Blog
However, it's simultaneously disappointing considering most of the time that books are adapted into movies, they cut out a tremendous portion of the book and change the story line completely. Now with the movie not coming out until November of 2013, I have a while to wait and pray that the movie company doesn't completely destroy one of the best science fiction novels (in my opinion).
A production blog has gone up for the fanatics (me) out there who want to know everything about this movie from start to finish and who are sitting in eager anticipation of it's arrival a mere year and seven months away. They have cast Ender and I'm hoping he lives up to the character I have envisioned in my mind. Asa Butterfield is the young actor from England that will be playing Ender. I've actually seen him in Boy in the Striped Pajamas and in an episode of Merlin. He seems like a good actor and I'm hoping he can pull off this character as well.
Here's a link to the blog if anyone's interested. Ender's Game Blog
April 23, 2012
Author Spotlight
Description:Meet Jana Lanning: A recent college graduate who can't seem to get a grip on life. All of her plans for the future have fallen apart within two weeks of graduation. The only comfort she finds is in a mysterious music box sent to her by a friend.
At first she looks to it for comforting memories of her past, but soon she's having strange dreams of a life where she's the queen of a world where everything she desires comes to pass. It seems ideal until elements of reality and her dream world start to merge, leaving her ill and confused. When she's confronted by attacks in both worlds she must face her demons and choose which reality she prefers; and what price she'll pay to keep it.
Where to Buy:
Whiskey Creek Press
Amazon
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble
Author Website:
Sherri The Writer
April 21, 2012
Author Spotlight
Description: Over ten years have passed since the humans waged war with the goblins. The goblins have become invisible once more, yet the memory of their existence haunts many who remember.
A young girl, Namah, flees her home and an unwanted marriage. Desperation takes her to the riverside, the site where as a toddler she was patted kindly by the goblin who had befriended Count Anton. But another memory of that day unsettles her as she pushes the small boat into the current. A memory of bubbles in the river, and of blood. There's something in the water still.
Driven by a premonition that she belongs with the people across the river, she soon meets the children of Magicians...and of goblins. Yet there are greater challenges to face.
In the midst of conflict between species, between generations, and between the ever combative northern and southern humans, a new enemy arises from over the sea. Foreign humans come to invade, expecting an easy conquest of the rich lands that Count Anton has so wisely kept productive of food supplies. The goblins see the danger of this invasion to their own uneasy peace with the familiar local humans, but they disagree among themselves as to whether they will best serve their kind by helping the surface dwellers, or by leaving all humans to kill each other once and for all.
Where to Buy:
Amazon
Amazon UK
Author Website:
Demoniac Dance
Promotions:
**Free promotion May 4th-5th.**
April 20, 2012
Author Spotlight
Description:Written with passionate conviction, this story is being told by two of its characters: Ben, a twenty-seven years old student, and Anita, a plain-spoken, spunky, uneducated redhead, freshly married to Lenny, his aging father. Behind his back, Ben and Anita find themselves increasingly drawn to each other. They take turns using an old tape recorder to express their most intimate thoughts, not realizing at first that their voices are being captured by him.
Meanwhile, Lenny is trying to keep a secret from both of them: his ex-wife, Ben's mother, a talented pianist, has been stricken with an early-onset alzheimer. Taking care of her gradually weighs him down. What emerges in these characters is a struggle, a desperate, daring struggle to find a path out of conflicts, out of isolation, from guilt to forgiveness.
Where to Buy:
Amazon
Author Website:
Uvi's Blog
Reviews:
What a coup for a first novel - an intriguing foray into the intimacies of family relationships as told by the individual members of the family. Uvi Poznansky has created characters so rich and unique in their communication that I almost felt as if I were inside each character's head as the details of each thought was hatched. Wonderful storytelling!
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Apart from Love, by Uvi Poznansky is a beautifully written story about a love triangle within a family. It describes with an honest, sensitive and with a delicate sense of humor the complicated tale of the relationships between older, divorced couple, Lenny and Natasha; the young and attractive bride, Anita, which Lenny marries, and Ben, Lenny's son who is confused and angry by his parent's divorce and by his attraction to Anita. The story also describes the troubled relationships between parents and adult children; Anita's longing for her absent father and Ben's bitterness at his father's dishonesty and the breakup of his family. I enjoyed this book very much and highly recommend it.
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Uvi Poznansky has written a lyrical novel based on the relationships and interactions of three people told from each person's point of view.
The story is written in a sensual and visual way, bringing the characters to life.
It is so well-written that you hang on every twist and turn. I did not want it to end.
*To read all reviews click here.
April 18, 2012
Creativity
It's what happens when your penning the latest novel or frantically sketching your newest drawing. These acts of expression take a huge amount of creativity on your part. You imagine what you want the picture to look like or what you want to write and then you have to get it from your brain to the paper, sometimes not the easiest part.
But what triggers a person to be creative? And why does it seem that some days you are more creative than others? What happens to me more often than not is that I will be lying awake in bed, trying to fall asleep with my brain on overdrive. It's at that time during the day that I actually have time to sit and do nothing but think. It seems, at least to me, that this is by far the most productive time.
The only problem with that is it's usually midnight before I actually fall asleep and when I awake the next morning, I've all but forgotten what I was going to write about. So in light of this revelation, I've decided to keep a notepad next to my bed so that in case the next million dollar idea (more like hundred) should pop into my head, I can quickly jot it down and expand on it in the morning.
Another problem I seem to have is that creativity can quickly evaporate. I'll be plugging away, writing thousands of words in a day and then all of the sudden, my brain shuts off and I struggle to write even a few hundred words. A few more days pass and I'm back to busily typing for hours. I wish I could find that switch in my brain and duck tape the thing to always be on.
But what triggers a person to be creative? And why does it seem that some days you are more creative than others? What happens to me more often than not is that I will be lying awake in bed, trying to fall asleep with my brain on overdrive. It's at that time during the day that I actually have time to sit and do nothing but think. It seems, at least to me, that this is by far the most productive time.
The only problem with that is it's usually midnight before I actually fall asleep and when I awake the next morning, I've all but forgotten what I was going to write about. So in light of this revelation, I've decided to keep a notepad next to my bed so that in case the next million dollar idea (more like hundred) should pop into my head, I can quickly jot it down and expand on it in the morning.
Another problem I seem to have is that creativity can quickly evaporate. I'll be plugging away, writing thousands of words in a day and then all of the sudden, my brain shuts off and I struggle to write even a few hundred words. A few more days pass and I'm back to busily typing for hours. I wish I could find that switch in my brain and duck tape the thing to always be on.
April 16, 2012
Random Thought
I've decided to initiate a new weekly post into my blog. This is the first one and I hope to continue them once a week. (The Aliens post was kind of the first one but this is more official sounding)
All throughout my life I have had these random thoughts that seem to be completely weird to those around me. Considering I live in the bible belt and love sci-fi, rock music and science, I am what you would call the black sheep. My family just smiles and nods at me like one would do to a crazy person.
So here goes, first random thought post:
Animals vs The Highway:
Why is it that when a squirrel sees an on coming vehicle it decides to sprint as fast as it can across the road, right in front of you? Do you think some other guy squirrel is sitting on the side of the road daring the other one to cross?
I can just hear them now...
First Squirrel: I bet you can't get across before that car gets here.
Second Squirrel: The hell I can't!
The first squirrel takes a deep breath and sprints across, screaming the whole time only to be squished by the front tires.
Second Squirrel: Oh well, where's that other guy. I bet he'll fall for it too. Less competition for the ladies.
All throughout my life I have had these random thoughts that seem to be completely weird to those around me. Considering I live in the bible belt and love sci-fi, rock music and science, I am what you would call the black sheep. My family just smiles and nods at me like one would do to a crazy person.
So here goes, first random thought post:
Animals vs The Highway:
Why is it that when a squirrel sees an on coming vehicle it decides to sprint as fast as it can across the road, right in front of you? Do you think some other guy squirrel is sitting on the side of the road daring the other one to cross?
I can just hear them now...
First Squirrel: I bet you can't get across before that car gets here.
Second Squirrel: The hell I can't!
The first squirrel takes a deep breath and sprints across, screaming the whole time only to be squished by the front tires.
Second Squirrel: Oh well, where's that other guy. I bet he'll fall for it too. Less competition for the ladies.
April 15, 2012
Cover Art
As a new author something I am learning is that cover art is an important issue. I had a relative create mine, which I really liked. However, I'm finding that it makes the book appear to be for a different age bracket than I had intended.
The problem with getting a different cover is that I have a zero dollar budget for this project. I haven't made enough in sales yet to warrant spending a bunch of money on a new cover design, but if I don't put a new cover it might hurt my bottom line.
So I'm stuck. Who ever came up with the line don't judge a book by its cover? If anything, we always judge a book by its cover.
Did anyone else have this same problem when they started out?
The problem with getting a different cover is that I have a zero dollar budget for this project. I haven't made enough in sales yet to warrant spending a bunch of money on a new cover design, but if I don't put a new cover it might hurt my bottom line.
So I'm stuck. Who ever came up with the line don't judge a book by its cover? If anything, we always judge a book by its cover.
Did anyone else have this same problem when they started out?
April 14, 2012
Don't Give Up
As a new author, reviews are extremely important to me. They are an unbiased opinion of what my work is really like. When I received my first bad review, it seemed that my first reaction was not anger at the reviewer, after all they are just being honest (I hope), but disappointment in myself.
For instance, the reviews stated there were typos. I personally checked, rechecked and checked some more, but that's the problem with reading your own work so many times. You already know what it's supposed to say and spell check only goes so far.
Another point they made was the way I told the story. Everyone's writing style is different and sometimes it may not translate as well as you think. It boils down to opinions. Everyone has one and the best thing you can do is accept that and move forward.
If you love writing and enjoy sharing it with people, you shouldn't give up. Take what the reviewer says as constructive criticism. The reviewers I had were not mean, they were just being honest and now I have an opportunity to learn from what they had to say.
For instance, the reviews stated there were typos. I personally checked, rechecked and checked some more, but that's the problem with reading your own work so many times. You already know what it's supposed to say and spell check only goes so far.
Another point they made was the way I told the story. Everyone's writing style is different and sometimes it may not translate as well as you think. It boils down to opinions. Everyone has one and the best thing you can do is accept that and move forward.
If you love writing and enjoy sharing it with people, you shouldn't give up. Take what the reviewer says as constructive criticism. The reviewers I had were not mean, they were just being honest and now I have an opportunity to learn from what they had to say.
April 12, 2012
Aliens
As a science fiction lover, aliens are a gigantic part of my interest. One of the things I have noticed that I find peculiar is that aliens whatever shape, size or color always seem to be all knowing in any story they are injected into. My question is why?
Obviously if we were to ever be visited by aliens they would have to be technologically advanced enough to travel to Earth from at least outside our solar system, but why do technical advances denote a supreme all knowing being?
The worst culprit I've found of this idea that aliens are all knowing is from Ancient Aliens on the History Channel. Some of the ideas they suggest are extremely far fetched, even for me. As a person that loves science and space I realize that the idea that we are alone in the universe is completely ludicrous. However, why is it that in almost every episode of this show when the historians are retelling these supposed events that occurred throughout history, the alien or being is always able to tell the future and direct we humble humans to the correct path.
Just once I want to see some story about aliens that has some redneck (I can make fun because I am one) aliens that have a busted up space ship that just happened to land in someones back yard because they ran out of fuel. The two of them get out and start cussing at each other and slapping each other around. Wouldn't that be a sight?
Obviously if we were to ever be visited by aliens they would have to be technologically advanced enough to travel to Earth from at least outside our solar system, but why do technical advances denote a supreme all knowing being?
The worst culprit I've found of this idea that aliens are all knowing is from Ancient Aliens on the History Channel. Some of the ideas they suggest are extremely far fetched, even for me. As a person that loves science and space I realize that the idea that we are alone in the universe is completely ludicrous. However, why is it that in almost every episode of this show when the historians are retelling these supposed events that occurred throughout history, the alien or being is always able to tell the future and direct we humble humans to the correct path.
Just once I want to see some story about aliens that has some redneck (I can make fun because I am one) aliens that have a busted up space ship that just happened to land in someones back yard because they ran out of fuel. The two of them get out and start cussing at each other and slapping each other around. Wouldn't that be a sight?
