Toi Thomas's Blog, page 62
July 9, 2014
Review: The Trustee in the Toolroom
The Trustee in the Toolroom by Nevil Shute
I give this book a 4 (and a half, if I did halves).
I really enjoyed this story when it wasn’t making me angry (more on this later), but then I just have anger issues to begin with. This is a really simple and sweet clever story about a man who’s willing to go to great lengths to keep his word- and what’s not to like about that.
The story of Keith Stewart describes the rare instance of a man finding true peace and contentment in his life, career, and relationships. For Keith, the whole world revolves around his workshop and the work he does there writing for a magazine, but he’s no hermit. The one thing he finds that’s more important to him than his work is his word and his love for his family. When Keith finds himself the new guardian of his young niece and the trustee to her would be inheritance, he makes it his life’s purpose to secure a fine future for his new charge, despite not having the means to do so (here’s where I get angry).
As wonderful and miraculous as this story is, Keith’s adventure never would have taken place if someone living comfortably above his station had simply acknowledge and compensated him for what he was truly worth…that’s all I’ll say about that.
The story is told with almost manual precision, but the author’s style and flare with words keeps you pulled into the story. It’s not a fast pace action packed chronicle of a great adventure, but it is indeed a great adventure. Keith literally goes on a journey around the world trying to retrieve a modern-day treasure. He ends up traveling by bus, train, plane, boat, ship, and even helicopter while encountering a great number of interesting characters along the way. To help Keith along on his journey is his forever honest and cheery disposition, his masterful mind, and his unexpected fame. This is a different kind of underdog story where there is no real favorite, just one man with a purpose fighting against a plethora of obstacles. The reader has no choice but to root for Keith all the way home.
This was a wonderful book to listen to, perfect for my drive home. There is a lot of technical engineer talk that may or may not be interesting to readers (or listeners), but I don’t feel it took away from the overall story. Though I can’t imagine a child or teenager having the temperament for this kind of book, I’d recommend it to anyone else.
This review has been posted to GoodReads. If you’d like to obtain a copy of this book, try these links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Filed under: Reviews Tagged: audio books, aviation, Comments, contemporary fiction, engineering, Goodreads, historical fiction, Nevil Shute, past, reviews, sailing, technology, The Trustee in the Toolroom, Toi Thomas, travel
July 4, 2014
Happy Independence Day U.S.A. ’14
I hope everyone is spending time with loved ones and enjoying the freedoms of the country, even the ones you don’t like. Remember how this country got to where it is now, good and bad, and think about where it can go. Outside of that, don’t worry about politics today, just have fun and be happy.
Here’s a look at my patriotic pinboard, Land of the…
Click the image to view my pinboard on Pinterest.
As for the rest of the world, I sincerely hope you are having a wonderful day wherever you are :).
This is an updated and reposted post.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: 2014, holiday, Independence Day, life, Toi Thomas, try this
July 3, 2014
Major #discount on indie short story collection, Unexplained! July 3-7, ’14.
At a regular price of $2.99, Unexplained will be irresistible at special discounted rate.
From July 3rd through July 5th, own your copy of Unexplained for only $0.99.
If life gets in your way, don’t let it get you down too much. You’ll still be able to save on this purchase from July 6th though the end of the day on July 7th for only $1.99.
About The Book
Looking through a window can be like looking into the past. The images can’t always be explained. In this collection of short stories, the reader will have an opportunity to discover mystery, magic, romance, and even terror in everyday things. This collection includes the award winning title “In the Window” (paranormal), as well as “Encounter” (romance), “Our Place” (general fiction), and “What She Lost” (psychological thriller).
This book is a collection of short stories written by up-and-coming author, Toi Thomas. These are stories from Toi’s early days of pursuing writing and brushing up on her writing talent. Some of these stories are derived from tales she’d spun back in high school, while others are derived from more recent short story contests she has found online. When or wherever the inspiration came from, Unexplained will be a delightful little read you won’t soon forget.
Please enjoy this excerpt.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Filed under: BlogHop-Promo Tagged: Amazon, award, collection, countdown deal, ebook, fiction, Independence Day, indie, Kindle, promotion, sales event, short story, Toi Thomas, Unexplained
July 2, 2014
#IWSG July 2014: Good help is hard to find.
Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click the image to learn more or sign up.
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I never seem to be at a loss for insecurities, but every so often I do manage to focus on the positive. Unfortunately, this is not one of those times. My current insecurity, well actually it’s more of a worry, is my inability to find interested and reliable persons to help or support me in my pursuits. You may be thinking that this is simply a small and personal problem I need to overcome, but I’m really not asking that much, at least I don’t think I am.
The problem at hand is finding good help. I have stories that are finished to a point that I can do nothing else with them, but they are not ready for publication. I know enough about my process and my skills to know when my work is ready and when it’s not. The problem that I’m currently faced with is finding beta readers. I have a few, but so far they have been M.I.A. I need feedback and have no idea what to do. I’ve paid for beta services before, but that was only in conjunction with final editing fees. When my work is ready, I’ll shell out the money for professional editing, but for now, I just want…no, I need feedback, and can’t get it.
I wish that was my only problem, but of course, there’s more. I need art work. I’m fortunate enough to have some skills with photography and graphic design. I can do a lot of small things on my own, but when it comes to illustrations, I need someone else for that. I, again, have an illustrator, but he works on a time-table that is beyond my understanding. I don’t want to leave him behind and move on, but I may have to…I just wonder how much it’s going to cost me?
Do you have trouble finding good help? How would you go about trying to find new beta readers and possibly an illustrator? I’d seriously love to know.
After listening to me whine, here’s something that you may or may not be interested in and that may put a smile on your face. I’m putting my indie published short story collection, Unexplained on sale as an Amazon countdown deal. See my side panel for details. I hope everyone is having a lovely and relatively stress free summer.
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After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts: Krista McLaughlin, Kim Van Sickler, Heather Gardner, and Hart Johnson!
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Click here to visit other IWSG blogs and sites to receive and share inspiration and support. (This month, I’m #162).
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Filed under: IWSG Tagged: #IWSG, Alex J. Cavanaugh, beta reader, blogging, community, encouragement, feedback, help, illustrator, insecure writers support group, life, reading, sales event, Toi Thomas, Unexplained, writing
July 1, 2014
I’m over at Athors to Watch today!
…In case you didn’t know.
Go check me out as I share, once again, Abraham’s story. It’s totally worth a look.
http://www.authorstowatch.com/2014/07/special-guest-toi-thomas.html
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Filed under: BlogHop-Promo Tagged: Abraham, American Cancer Society, Authors to Watch, cause, charity, Toi Thomas, Tricia Drammeh
June 25, 2014
Review: The Bridge of Deaths
The Bride of Deaths by M.C.V. Egan
I give this book a 4.
Maggie and Bill meet by, what would normally seem like, chance. Little do they both know that they are tied to the past in a very unique way. Their connection to the past is not just the past of this book, but the past of WWII. This book tells their story and that of a, still unsolved, plane crash from the summer of 1939.
Let me start off by stating that historical fiction is not my favorite genre, but it’s growing on me. Next let me state that I don’t know if this book truly fits into the category of Historical fiction. This is one of those books that’s simply difficult to categorize. It’s also listed in some places as metaphysical or paranormal fiction, which is also misleading.
Yes there are historical elements to it and it is fiction, but I almost wish there had been more fiction than history to it… but now I’m probably confusing you.
Let’s back up a little and break this book down.
1. Metaphysical/paranormal categorization comes from the presence of and use of psychic readings, practices, and theories along with the presence and experiences of past life regressions. It is through the use of this literary tool that the modern story is tied to the past (the true historical past).
2. Historical fiction categorization for this book seems a little lacking. Aside from the fact that there is a fictional narrative to company the action, this is more of a case study or historical investigation. There is so much fact to this story (the footnotes alone are a work of art) that I had trouble reconciling the fiction and the non-fiction.
That’s why I stated earlier that I wish there had been more fiction. I prefer fiction over non-fiction, but in any case, this is a fascinating story about true events. I just wish there had been more narrative.
3. I’m not used to reading this kind of story. I suppose that for those who read crime thrillers or detective stories, this might be an easy read. I was shocked to find myself breaking down and analyzing evidence like a member of a CSI team. In some ways it was thrilling, in others not so much.
4. I wish there had been more time spent on the relationship of Bill and Maggie, and I don’t even care much for romances. I guess the reason I feel this way is because I became attached to them and their story. I guess I just felt like their life together was always going to be overshadowed by these strange events of the past.
I know it may sound like I don’t like this story, but let me assure you that I do. I guess because I like it so much I’m compelled to over analyze it. I’ve never read a story quite like this before and don’t know if I will again. It’s so unique that I’m still trying to process it all now, months after reading it. This book is definitely worth reading.
This book was given to me as a gift from the author.
This review has been posted to GoodReads. If you’d like to obtain a copy of this book, try this link: Amazon
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Filed under: Reviews Tagged: books, Comments, fiction, Historical novels, MCV Egan, metaphysical, paranormal, past, reviews, romance, The Bridge of Deaths, Toi Thomas, true story, unsolved case, war, WWII
June 21, 2014
Blogdom June 2014- Vacation
Oh boy, do I have loads to share from my Blogdom (my personal realm of the Blogosphere)!
You may want to bookmark this and come back to it a few times. Good stuff here
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So, this is a bit out of the ordinary considering that it’s not a Wednesday. I left my regular blog posting schedule behind to enjoy a much needed vacation, but then suddenly remembered that I’d forgotten about a bunch links I’d wanted to share. This list is a bit short and not exactly up to date, but I thought it was still worth sharing. I hope you enjoy it.
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Book Reviews
-From Blogging for a Good Book, The Amulet of Samarkand, by Jonathan Stroud
-From Brenda Perlin, The Briton and the Dane: Birthright
-From The Masquerade Crew, …Through a Tangled Wood, Fairy Tale Anthology…
-From bibliobeth, TALKING ABOUT LONGBOURN BY JO BAKER WITH CHRISSI
-From Shelf-Awareness, Children’s Review: The Glass Sentence
-From Blogging for a Good Book, The Bear Went Over the Mountain, by William Kotzwinkle
-From bibliobeth, BETH AND CHRISSI DO KID-LIT 2014 – MAY READ – PETER PAN BY J.M. BARRIE
-From Bookaholics book club, The giver – Review
-From Author Alliance, …Patricia D. Eddy reviews The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden
Interviews
-From 4covert2overt, Interview with Author CANDY O’DONNELL
-From The Eye-Dancers, Author Interview with Sonya Solomonovich
-From Writer’s Revolution, Allen Renfro Interview Part 1
-From The Wizard’s Cauldron, Romantic Suspense with Georgia Rose – Around the Cauldron
Book Trailers & Other Book Videos
-From Harlequin Books, The Good Girl by Mary Kubica
-From SourcebooksInc, The Girl Who Never Was
-From David Scott Kessler via Shelf-Awareness, Allen Crawford’s “Whitman Illuminated: Song of Myself” (not sure if I’m interested in this book, but the trailer is stunning)
Short Stories & Excerpts & Poems
-From Fiona, Book Blitz – Take Care, Sara
-From 300 Stories, HOW QUEER, THE PINK ELEPHANT THOUGHT
Writing
-From Indie Hero, The Indie Author Manifesto
-From Jeanettethewriter, How Do You Write?
-From Creative Writing with the Crimson League, Two Ways to Introduce Flashbacks: That Emphasize Very Different Things
Blogging
-From IWSG, What is Good Online Author Etiquette When it Comes to Blogging, Twitter, Comments, etc.?
-From Brummet’s Conscious Blog, Tips for Guest Blogging
Marketing
-From BookMarketingBuzzBlog, All The Dirt That’s Fit To Print
News
-From ALLi, Smashwords Commended by ALLi’s Author Service Award 2014
-From The Bookseller, Amazon steps up pressure on Hachette US
-From Digital Book World, The Real Reason Enhanced Ebooks Haven’t Taken Off …
-From The New York Times, Allan Folsom, Whose First Novel Sold for $2 Million, Dies at 72
-From The New York Times, Maya Angelou, Lyrical Witness of the Jim Crow South, Dies at 86
Movie Reviews, Trailers, & More
-From A PLATFORM OF SORTS, GODZILLA: A VERY GIRLY REVIEW
-From Alex J. Cavanaugh, Godzilla Movie Review plus other stuff
-From hollywoodstreams, ‘Big Hero 6′ Trailer
-From hollywoodstreams, ‘Kill the Messenger’ Trailer
-From MOVIECLIPS Trailers, Annie Official Trailer #2 (2014) – Jamie Foxx…
-From Jack Flacco, Friday Tradition
-From Derrick Ferguson, A MILLION WAYS TO DIE IN THE WEST
Entertainment
-From HuffPost Books, 16 Hilarious Negative Amazon Reviews For Classic Books
-From 4covert2overt, A chat with a Reader ; Mary I met through her review of THE BRIDGE OF DEATHS
-From The Masquerade Crew, Author Interviews: Why We HATE Them
-From Alex J. Cavanaugh, Heroes of PHENOMENA! (scroll down or enjoy whole post)
-From Concert Hotels, THE WORLD’S GREATEST SINGERS (music fans may get angry)
-From The Colbert Report, Amazon vs. Hachette (content advisory)
-From Anneque G. Malchien, Have the Best Ten Minutes of Your Life (6 Top Dystopian Wastelands)
-From M.L. SWIFT, Cracking the WIP!
By including links to these articles, reviews, interviews, etc…I am not endorsing the opinions of these bloggers and writers, but am simply sharing the highlights of my blog reading experience.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Filed under: WWWWednesday-Blogdom Tagged: blog roll, Blogdom, blogging, books, interviews, links, movies, news, reviews, Toi Thomas, trailers, try this, writing
June 19, 2014
It’s Moving Day!
Today is my last day posting at my other blog, the Eternal Curse Series blog. It was home for so long, but I’m growing and expanding and it’s time to step away. Please enjoy this video of images from lovely memories over at the ECS Blog.
I’m settled in very well here at my new home The ToiBox of Words and am excited for what the future may bring. The Eternal Curse Series Blog will hang around as an archive site for my older material, but I will not be posting there anymore.
In honor of this farewell I’ll be offering a simple giveaway. Go visit the ECS blog, one last time, and leave me a message, a question, or farewell in the comments and you’ll be entered to win a free copy of Eternal Curse: Giovanni’s Angel in your chosen format.
Also, be on the lookout for some special treats I’ll be sharing while I take a much needed vacation and break from my regularly scheduled posts.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Filed under: BlogHop-Promo, Uncategorized Tagged: #thetoiboxofwords, Eternal Curse, Eternal Curse Series Blog, farewell, giveaway, Toi Thomas
June 16, 2014
Eternal Cause Book Blitz! #Giveaway
Hi there friends. As you know I am an author, blogger, reader, wife, and dreamer. As a dreamer, I have a message to share with you today, but before I do that, I want to tell you the story of Abraham. This isn’t the Abraham some of you may be thinking of. No, he’s the major supporting character in my latest book release, Eternal Curse: Giovanni’s Angel.
Abraham’s tale is one of rags to riches during the time of The Great Depression. Abraham starts his life poor and desperate. Even though he’s a nice guy and looks on the bright side, that isn’t enough to keep him content. Soon he finds a way to better his life and make his dreams come true, but not without consequences to pay later. He reminds me of a more popular character of that period, Jay Gatsby, but their tales are very different.
Now in the winter of his life, Abraham has served many roles, but the ones of devoted friend and mentor are the ones that define who he has become. Having once been Giovanni’s (the book’s hero) savior, Abraham is now solely reliant on the aid of his young friend as he struggles with and suffers a battle with cancer. When Mira (the book’s heroine) enters his life, Abraham is more than happy to fulfill the greatest desire of her life. He becomes like a father to the little girl, now strong woman, who has never had one.
Eternal Curse is a not-so-typical paranormal romance that may just define a whole new genre. At this time, I would like to invite you to experience Abraham’s story within the tale of Eternal Curse: Giovanni’s Angel and, in turn, help me to give to a worthy cause.
Just as cancer has plagued the lives of the characters in my book, it has also struck a nerve with me after the recent loss of a loved one. During my period of grief so many other struggles, battles, and memories of friends and family dealing with cancer came to mind and I decided I wanted to do something.
Click for purchasing information.
So, for today and for the next two following days (6/16 thru 6/18) I’m offering 50% proceeds on all registered sales of my books to the American Cancer Society. Since I’m asking that all sales be verified or “registered”, I’ve set up a sweet little Eternal Curse themed giveaway to hopefully entice you into participating. Since this cause is what matters most to me right now, you may also have the option of making a direct donation without purchasing any of my books and still be able enter the giveaway…I’m cool like. :)
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Click to purchase.
On a completely separate note - I have an author friend with a very ill child currently being treated by CHKD . Because of the extensive care the child needs, this author and his wife have had to seek extra and side jobs to pay for the outstanding medical bills. I thought this would be a good opportunity to promote his novelette. He has no idea I’m doing this, but I’m sure his family could benefit from some additional book sales.
Get this; if you register your purchase of his book, Deadblood, you’ll be able enter that for a chance to win my prize (I guess I’m in a major season of giving right now). Remember, he has no idea I’m doing this and is not offering proceeds of his work at this time (I will make $0 from the sales of his books). I just thought it might be nice to share his story.
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So here it is, ladies and gents, the special prize that’s up for grabs, should you choose to aid me in this endeavor. It only takes 1 entry for a chance to win. (Open to U.S. and Canada only.)
Eternal Curse themed gift box including:
A set of gourmet coffee, tea, and cocoa (Green Tea Cocoa is a thing),
1 signature piece of December 10 jewelry from Tori J. Jones (my inspiration for Mira),
1 DVD copy of Rear Window (Abraham’s favorite movie),
1 paperback copy of the Dreamer’s Dictionary (It’s all about Giovanni’s dreams),
1 digital download card of Eternal Curse to give as a gift, and
1 Eternal Curse Fan pack: t-shirt, pen, poster, and bookmark
Please select from the active links in this post to make donations or purchases and then visit the Rafflecopter giveaway below to participate in this endeavor, in whatever capacity you can.
Eternal Cause Giveaway by Rafflecopter
Thank you for taking the time to hear my spiel and consider this cause. I wish you Eternal health and sensational summer reading.
See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Filed under: BlogHop-Promo, EC: Giovanni's Angel Tagged: 40 Days and Nights, Abraham, American Cancer Society, book blitz, books, cancer, charity, CHKD, Eternal Curse, fiction, Giovanni's Angel, giveaway, grief, Legend of the Boy, loss, paranormal romance, prize, proceeds, rafflecopter, reading, The Great Gatsby, Toi Thomas, Unexplained
June 15, 2014
Happy Father’s Day! 2014
What is a father? Well, he’s not a sperm donor, one half of a genetic code, or even some man who once told a woman he loved her.
No, a father is a man you want to call daddy, but sometimes he could be a grandpa, a big brother, a cousin, an uncle, or even a friend.
A father is a man who shows up when you need him most or who makes sacrifices without expecting anything in return.
A father a man who feels pride when he’s sees a difference in a child’s life that he had something to do with. He feels pride when a child achieves something like: catching a ball, reading for the first time, standing up to a bully, making all C’s when he or she was once failing, and learning and knowing the difference between doing what feels good and doing what’s right.
A father is a real man who isn’t afraid to love a child and show he cares. He could be grandpa, daddy, brother, cousin, uncle, or friend.
When someone says the word father, he’s the one you think of first without having any regrets.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: 2014, Dictionary.com, Father's Day, holiday, life, Toi Thomas
