Toi Thomas's Blog, page 99

Sample Sunday 13

Here is approximately 100 – 150 words from a randomly selected original piece for your enjoyment. These samples can include excerpts from my all my WIPs and my Eternal Curse Series, but only as works in progress (not the final products). These samples of published and unpublished works are protected under the U.S. Copyright agreement.

It’s Like the Full Moon chapter 2.2 (wip)

Lisa stepped into her room and threw her overnight bag onto the floor. She dropped to her knees and began to toss out the contents of the bag with one hand as she undressed herself with the other. After skimming down to nothing but her panties and tossing her bra across the room, Lisa finally found the treasure she was so desperately searching for. It was a small plastic case with a simple snap lock. She opened it and pulled out a sparkly sleep mask labeled “little angel” in pink letters and a pair of purple earplugs. She pressed the plugs into her ears and crawled across the floor, and then up the end of the bed until she reached the pillowcase. She threw back the covers and tossed the extra decorative pillows on the floor before cuddled up under the cool soft sheets, pulling down her sleep mask just before losing consciousness.

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: Full Moon, Samples Tagged: contemporary fiction, drama, fiction, friends, romance, wip

M.C.V. Egan Hosts The Peace In Time Book Blitz

Can Peace Be Conceived? by Toi Thomas
 

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”― Napoleon Hill

This sounds nice, doesn’t it? Well let’s look at the meaning of the key words in this statement.

Conceive: to form a notion or idea of; imagine.

Believe: to have confidence in the truth, the existence, or the reliability of something, although without absolute proof that one is right in doing so.

Achieve: to bring to a successful end; carry through; accomplish.

While I’m sure Napoleon Hill had all the best intentions when he wrote this, there are so many ways in which a statement like this can be used to cause great destruction, but more on that later.  For now, let’s look a look at the meaning of some other words.

Perceive: identify by means of the senses, to recognize, discern, envision, or understand.

Concede: to grant as a right or privilege; yield.

It’s evident through history that people are quite capable of achieving many great and, unfortunately, devastating things. I often wonder how the likes of someone like Hitler could have perceived his course of action as the only way to get what he wanted. Perhaps, as is often the case with us mere humans, it is easier to fight and take what you want than it is to concede and work hard for it in some other way.

So, I guess the challenge I’m currently faced with is, “Is world peace even a viable option?” To work this out in my head, I look again the meaning of this word “peace”.

Peace: a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, especially in personal relations.

It seems to me that peace is such an all-consuming powerful state of being to strive for that one would first need to experience harmony in order to achieve it. So, let’s look at the meaning of “harmony”.

Please don’t copy this image. Click the image to share on Pinterest.

Harmony: a consistent, orderly, or pleasing arrangement of parts; congruity.

Now I feel like I’m getting somewhere. What if World Peace isn’t exactly what we should be striving for? What if peace is too hard? What if what we’re really looking for is World Harmony? I know this isn’t a new concept because I’m pretty sure I’ve seen something to this effect before on Facebook or Google, but now that I’ve taken the time to work it out in my head, it does make sense.

True peace would require more than the average person is willing to give or, maybe, should even have to give. True peace would require everyone to get alone and love each other. While I personally would love for that to happen, I think it’s more plausible to live in a world where people live in peaceful harmony with others like them and not like them.

Harmony is a pleasing arrangement of parts and world harmony could be a socially aware acceptance of others that allows people to have differences without raging war. If only people could agree to disagree and not try to infringe on the rights of others. If only we could perceive individuals unlike ourselves without disdain and concede to their right to live whether we like them or not. I think it’s possible to live in a world where two people who aren’t friends don’t have to be enemies.

So for me, I’m striving for world harmony, but I’m still calling it World Peace because I like the sound of it. Maybe in another generation far beyond mine, true peace can be achieved.

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M.C.V. Egan lives in South Florida. She is fluent in four languages; English, Spanish, French and Swedish. From a young age became determined to solve the ‘mystery’ of her grandfather’s death, she has researched this story for almost two decades. The story has taken her to Denmark, England and unconventional world of psychics.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Genre: Historical Paranormal

Publisher: AuthorHouse Publishing

Release Date: June 14, 2011 Amazon

On August 15th, 1939 an English passenger plane from British Airways Ltd. Crashed in Danish waters between the towns of Nykobing/Falster and Vordingborg. There were five casualties reported and one survivor. Just two weeks before Hitler invaded Poland with the world at the brink of war the manner in which this incident was investigated left much open to doubt. The jurisdiction battle between the two towns and the newly formed Danish secret police, created an atmosphere of intrigue and distrust.

In the winter of 2009-2010 a young executive, Bill is promoted and transferred to London for a major International firm. He has struggled for the better part of his life with nightmares and phobias, which only seem to worsen in London. As he seeks the help of a therapist he accepts that his issues may well be related to a ‘past-life trauma’.

Through love, curiosity, archives and the information superhighway of the 21st century Bill travels through knowledge and time to uncover the story of the 1939 plane crash.

The Bridge of Deaths is a love story and a mystery. Fictional characters travel through the world of past life regressions and information acquired from psychics as well as archives and historical sources to solve “One of those mysteries that never get solved” is based on true events and real people, it is the culmination of 18 years of sifting through sources in Denmark, England and the United States, it finds a way to help the reader feel that he /she is also sifting through data and forming their own conclusions.

The journey takes the reader to well-known and little known events leading up to the Second World War, both in Europe and America. The journey also takes the reader to the possibility of finding oneself in this lifetime by exploring past lives.

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Please don’t forget to check out below, the other stops on this tour, enter the amazing giveaway, and save for later- the entertaining video interview between the author of Bridge of Deaths, M.C.V. Egan, and Toi Thomas at the following link: http://youtu.be/_3OsLrj1O1Q.

All definitions included in this article have appeared in part as sourced from Dictionary.com  

Toi Thomas did not create the above images pertaining to peace or the M.C.V. Egan book blitz banner. 

Click here to see a Rafflecopter giveaway for this event.

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Click here to see the other stops on this tour.

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: Author Insights, Guest Posts, Interviews, Uncategorized Tagged: author, books, fiction, giveaway, Historical novels, historical paranormal, history, interviews, life, links, MCV Egan, peace, promotion, psychics, The Bridge of Deaths, try this, WWII

ToiBox Blog Weekly Recap 9/21/13

Check out my Recent Posts links to see what I was up to this week.

I started out the week with Sample Sunday 12- Eternal Curse: Battleground chapter 2.1

I shared my Top 5 entertainments.

Paula Hrbacek stopped by to talk about Blog Swapping.

I added to my Character Files a biography of Lisa.

In a Post from the Past, I provided a synopsis of Eternal Curse: Giovanni’s Angel, with a few minor spoilers.

Then for Tea and Conversation, I explained why I decided to make Eternal Curse a series.

Yesterday, I interviewed the hilarious and entertaining Ira Nayman…

And today I’m contributing to a World Peace Day book blitz, hosted by M.C.V. Egan.

I hope you’ve enjoyed yourself this week and enjoy a very pleasant weekend.

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: author, biography, blessings, blogging, books, character, culture, discussion, entertainment, fashion, geek, interviews, journal, life, likes, lists, reading, reviews, sample, wip

Ira Nayman Interview

The Eternal Curse Series Blog Presents an interview with author: Ira Nayman.

Hi there Ira! It’s so awesome to have you here at the ECS Blog. Don’t worry about the darkness, your eyes will adjust.

So tell me, who is Ira Nayman?

image provided by author

I’ve been writing humour since I was eight years old (almost 45 years now). My major project, Les Pages aux Folles, was started in 1984; the Web version began in 2002. Six collections of articles from the Web site have been self-published in print (the latest are: The Street Finds Its Own Uses for Mutant Technologies and The Alternate Reality News Service’s Guide to Love, Sex and Robots). I have had one novel published by Elsewhen Press, with a second currently in the editing stage. In 2010, I won the Boyne Writers Group: Jonathan Swift Satire Writing contest.

Well, Ira I’m so glad to meet you and your sense of humor. I’m impressed and amazed by your accomplishments and can’t wait to learn more about you.

So whacha got for me today?

image provided by author

Welcome to the Multiverse (Sorry for the Inconvenience) follows the adventures of two investigators for the Transdimensional Authority, the organization that monitors and polices travel between dimensions. The discovery of a corpse next to equipment that has been tampered with leads Noomi Rapier and Crash Chumley on a chase across different realities, a chase in which Noomi will come face to face with four very different versions of herself. The novel explores the ways choice and chance intertwine to make us who we are. Much goofiness ensues. (See a review of this book by Risingshadow)

I love a good multidimensional storyline and with the added humor, this is definitely going on my TBR list. I really like the premise of this story and have often wondered about what would happen if there was another version of myself to run into. Great idea!

So who’s starring is this 2 dimensional script read of Welcome to the Multiverse?

The story is told from the point of view of Noomi Rapier, a woman who has just graduated from the AlternautAcademy and started working for the Transdimensional Authority (TA). She is green and makes some rookie mistakes, but she is smart and shows good investigative instincts. She is also strong, which she has to be to succeed in the male-dominated world of the TA.

Noomi’s partner is seasoned investigator Crash Chumley. While he helps guide her through the ins and outs of cross-universal investigations, Crash is torn between his loyalty to his new partner and the camaraderie of his fellow investigators, which sometimes confuses Noomi. He also harbours a secret, but you’ll have to read the novel to find out what that is…

Nice job building the suspense. Of course I want to know what his secret is now, but like you said, I’ll just have to read the book.

Past, present, future, is there a rhyme or reason to your writing?

One of the pieces I wrote in the first year of my Web site was called “The Man Who Makes Fun of Everything”. That pretty much sums up my ambitions. I update my Web site every week (with three or four pieces of writing and two cartoons); when time allows, I write short stories and novels. The main advantage of having so many things on the go is that it gives me venues to write about a wide variety of subjects, helping me to fulfill my main ambition. One other advantage to this that I have found is that when I am not inspired to work on one project, I can switch to another; I find that this allows me to be much more productive than if I was working on one project at a time.

Most of my writing is done at the computer in my bedroom with music on in the background. However, I can develop ideas anywhere and anytime (on the subway, in a dentist’s office, in a lineup to get into a movie – really, anywhere), so I always carry a notepad and writing utensil with me. If I have enough time, I will sometimes write a scene in my notebook in longhand (antonym shorthand) and type it up when I get home.

I’m just finishing a cycle of four books on Les Pages aux Folles, after which I will start three more. I am also working on a third novel.

I admire people who are so in tuned to humor and satire. I adore comedy, but can’t really write it. Like you, I like to work on multiple projects at one time, so I’m not too focused on just one thing. I can read anywhere, but can’t really write just anywhere. However when I’m out and about, I have been known to take notes.

What author(s) has most influenced your writing? Why or how?

IMDB

There have been so many influences on what I do, but if I had to choose the most important, they would be Monty Python’s Flying Circus and the . At first, this may seem like an unlikely combination, but they both taught me two lessons that deeply affect my work to this day: 1) maintain a high volume of comic elements, and; 2) use all of the comic devices at your disposal. The first point is important because the reader soon learns that if he doesn’t get a specific bit of humour, another will be along soon; as long as the reader gets most of the jokes, he won’t begrudge me some of the more topical or obscure or flat out strange. The second point is important because writers who use only one or two comic devices can become predictable, and surprise is one of the main characteristics of humour.

I’m a fan of both of these comedic staples. It’s understanding that they would have an influence on your work and now that you mention it, rules 1 and 2 really do apply. That’s how I feel about comedy as a consumer of it and I didn’t even know it.

Whose brain are you just itching to scratch?

Thomas Pynchon. He has such a unique take on the world – I would love to explore his creative process.

This is one of the reasons I enjoy interviewing authors; I learn so much. I’ve heard of Pynchon before, but really had no idea who he was. Of course now I’m interested enough to get to more about him and his work, and it’s because of you, Ira. Thanks for that.

Who is so you and why?

I get compared to Douglas Adams a lot. We both write smart, humourous science fiction. On the one hand, it’s flattering (I’m a fan of his, too, after all, and I cannot deny that he has had some influence on what I do). On the other hand, our writing styles and philosophical concerns are very different, and I hope that someday I will be able to transcend the comparisons and be recognized as having my own unique voice.

That’s pretty cool to be compared to such a great writer as him, but I do understand your desire to outgrow the comparison. From what I can tell, you are well on your way to shining just as bright all on your own.

What’s your ideal reading spot for your next highly anticipated read?

Barnes & Noble

I read two newspapers a day since much of what I write for my Web site is topical and I need to keep up. I usually read them when eating in my kitchen. Fictionally, I am currently reading I, Phone by David Wake. I picked it up when I was in England for the European launch of Welcome to the Multiverse. I, Phone is smart and funny and I am enjoying it quite a bit. I usually read fiction when I am stationary bicycling or on the subway (I live deep in the suburbs, so it’s a long commute to get to anything interesting in my city).

I,Phone sounds like a good read, thanks for the recommend (hehe). It’s cool that you read two newspapers a day, but I guess for you it’s all in a day’s work. I too like to read when I’m exercising, but I mostly stick to fiction unless it’s a biography. Real life is always a truly compelling story.

book cover from google search

What was your favorite book or story, pre-teen years? 

Through the Looking Glass and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll. Explains a lot, doesn’t it.

I adore these stories. They are so creative, and original, and satirical. People argue whether Carroll really meant to be so “deep” and speculative when writing this children’s story, but I think sometimes a deeper meaning slips into a person’s writing without them realizing it. In any case, I like it…

To see more of this interview, visit the Eternal Curse Series Blog. For more information about this author, Ira Nayman, please visit the links below.

Website & Blog: Les Pages aux Folles

GoodReads: Ira Nayman

Facebook: Profile: Ira Nayman

Fan Page: Ira Nayman’s Thrishty Friednishes

Twitter: @ARNSProprietor

LinkedIn: Ira N.

Purchase links for Welcome to the Multiverse: Amazon.com, Elsewhen Press, Indigo Chapters (Canada)

Ira welcomes questions to his two advice columns; if anyone would like more information on them, or if you would like to submit a question, the email address is: questions@lespagesauxfolles.ca.

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: Interviews Tagged: author, books, character, ebook, fiction, gratitude, interviews, life, links, movies, music, process, reading, try this, writing

Tea and Conversation 03: Why a series?

Today I’m sharing a picture of tea leaves from Pinterest.

Please do not copy this image. Click image to share on Pinterest.

Today in my meditation on the Eternal Curse, I’m writing about: Why a series?

I did not set out to write a series when I started Eternal Curse, but ideas kept coming into my mind that I just couldn’t find the time to fit into one book. Making the book a series, gave me an opportunity to complete part of the story and continue to develop all the other ideas I had without so much pressure on waiting time, opportunity, buzz, and or inspiration.

The idea of the story came to me in a dream and the first installment of the story seemed to write itself. With pages and pages of notes to sort through, actual thought and planning is going into the development of the other installments. Even though Giovanni’s Angel could stand alone, I like that I’m able to continue the story, allowing the narrator of the first book a chance to tell his or her own story.

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: EC: Giovanni's Angel, Tea & Conversation Tagged: conversation, dreams, fantasy, fiction, pictures, shape-shifting, stories, tea, writing

Posts from the Past: EC:GA Book Synopsis

These are previous posts that have been dusted off, updated, and freshly presented to an audience that’s never seen them. These limited posts originate from the companion blogs I’ve written for the first two installments of the Eternal Curse Series (40 Days and Nights of Eternal Curse & EC: Battleground a Survival Guide).

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Ok, for those of you who are wondering, yes…!!!Spoiler Alert!!!  I’m going to tell you what the book is about, but you’ll still have to read it to get to the kitty gritty of story.

It starts out by introducing Mira, the heroine of the story. She’s a 30ish wealthy black doctor living and working  in the cold dark and gloomy city of Chicago. (In case you are wondering, I use fictionalized versions of real places throughout my story.) Mira is bored and uninspired. She becomes an online social networker in an attempt to add some excitement to her life. It is there that she meets Giovanni, our reluctant hero.

Giovanni intrigues Mira’s sense of wonder when he tells her that he hasn’t physically been in the presence of other people, in more than ten years. He says that he suffers from a skin condition that makes him near fatally sensitive to sunlight and has left him with noticeably gray skin. Being the caring person that she is, Mira decides to take on the challenge of helping this poor secluded soul.

Over the course of some time, Mira learns through much back and forth chatting, that there is so much more wrong with and concerning Giovanni, than just his skin disorder. Then for reasons that take half the book for her to figure out, she decides to go meet Giovanni face to face at his mysterious secluded country home.

As soon as Mira arrives to meet Giovanni, she learns that he is not totally alone. He lives with an elderly, wheelchair bound, father type, who’s been taking care of Giovanni for most of his life.  It doesn’t take Mira long to figure out that there’s something truly strange about Giovanni and his friend Abraham. During Mira’s initial stay with Giovanni, she and he both experience some wildly intense dreams that foreshadow events to come later on. The main thing that keeps Mira’s mind racing is that fact that late one night, she goes outside and sees what appears to be a snow-white eagle the size of a man, flying high in the sky above Giovanni’s house.

When urgent business back home forces Mira to end her visit with Giovanni early, he is unable to cope with her absence. In such a short time, Giovanni has developed feelings for Mira that even he doesn’t quite understand. In her absence, Giovanni loses control of his emotions and his true secret is finally revealed to the reader. He undergoes a dramatic transformation and spends his time soaring through the night sky like a fiendish stalker.

While Mira is away, she and Giovanni continue to communicate online until she is able to return to spend more time with him and Abraham. Upon returning to Giovanni’s home, hidden secrets begin surface causing drastic changes in their relationship to occur. Mira and Abraham begin to bond like father and daughter and Giovanni becomes jealous of their closeness.  Mira soon begins to realize that she too has feelings for Giovanni and begins to find herself unusually and irresistibly attracted to him.

After a long harsh winter filled with intense arguments and life changing activities, Mira finally sees Giovanni’s horrifying transformation, but isn’t afraid of him. It actually brings them closer together. For some time, Mira and Giovanni are both left wondering if he is some kind of a monster or a strange looking angel sent from heaven, unable to remember his purpose. With everything laid out on the table, Giovanni and Mira take on the task of mastering Giovanni’s uniqueness, including several special abilities or powers that he begins to display.

Just when things start to get really cool and comfortable between the two of them, Abraham succumbs to cancer and dies, once again testing the limits of their relationship. For the first time Giovanni is on his own with only Mira to comfort him…but can she comfort him the way he needs to be or will she comfort him the way he wants to be?

I could answer this question for you, but it really would give away the ending of the story. I bet you’re wondering where all the angels and demons fit into this dramatic little love story…You’ll just have to keep following this blog or just read the book to find out.

Please visit the Eternal Curse Series blog to see previous Posts of the Past you may missed.

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: EC: Giovanni's Angel, Post of Past Tagged: angels, author, blogging, book, break down, character, demons, dreams, ebook, fantasy, fiction, good vs evil, journal, life, process, profile, purpose, shape-shifting, stories, try this, writing

Character Files from the ToiBox 27: Lisa- Bio

 

Biography:  Subject FM 2-Lisa

Lisa is Rebecca’s best friend, also born to a wealthy family, but not as close as Rebecca’s. Lisa is very strong-willed and independent. She has no misgivings about the existence of love. She simply does believe in it, at least not the romantic kind. According to Lisa, the love of her life is her best friend, the person who’s there for her when she needs a good cry.

Lisa has had several relationships and even more encounters that can’t quite be called relationships, but she hasn’t completely given up hope on the whole notion. The exception to the rule, she feels, is Rebecca. Lisa is willing to believe in love if it means making Rebecca happy and giving her the happy ending she almost had years ago. She’s even willing to take her friend across the world to find love, if need be.

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: Character Files, Full Moon Tagged: character, contemporary fiction, fiction, friends, profile, romance

Blog swapping by Paula Hrbacek

A cheap and effective promotional opportunity

Self-published authors need to be on the lookout for inexpensive opportunities to promote their books.  One opportunity is to swap blog posts with another blogger who has a site about books or book reviews. Swapping posts means that both authors get a chance to promote their books on another site.  I post about your book, and you post about mine.

To participate in this opportunity, it is important for the author to have a story that is already written and ready to go.  The story should read like a feature or author interview, not an ad.  That means that all opinions should be put in direct quotes and attributed to someone.  Instead of saying “this book will change your life” like an ad would say, a feature story would attribute it as someone’s opinion–”This book changed my life,” said Joe Smith.

The story should contain all the information the reader needs to know before making a purchase; what the book is about, the author’s motivation or reason for writing it, the author’s qualifications or past publications, the average star rating on Amazon or Good Reads, quotes from reviews, and the purchase info of price, binding, ISBN number and where to buy it.  The story can also include the author’s social media sites such as a web site, Facebook page or Twitter address.  If the story is ready to go, most bloggers will edit it to suite their style, and appreciate the ease of posting the article.

The author then finds bloggers that are willing to swap stories.  One place is on Linked In, in the Book Promotion group.  Triberr, a service for bloggers who want to expand their reach on Twitter, also has a discussion group for bloggers who are seeking guest posts.

It’s a simple “you rub my back, and I’ll rub yours” trade.  It’s best to find bloggers in the same subject or genre as your book, because that is where your customers are.  An author who blogs about science fiction is not the best place to promote a romance title, but a blog about relationships and dating would have readers who are interested in falling in love…

To see the rest of this article and learn more about this author, Paula Hrbacek, visit the ECS blog.

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: Guest Posts Tagged: author, blogging, guest post, marketing, promotion, writing

Top 5: 03 Entertainments

This is a list of my top five something. Most of the time my lists are pretty static, but sometimes I do change my mind. While I do try to apply some logic to my choices, sometimes I pick things that make no sense and for no good reason other than “I like it.”

Entertainments

1. Movies

2. Reading

3. Dancing/Music

4. Cooking

5. Stand-up Comedy

Of course I also like to write for fun, but it’s so much a part of who I am. It’s a part of me being me.

Please visit the Eternal Curse Series blog to view previous Top 5 posts you make have missed.

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: About Me Tagged: author, biography, entertainment, likes, personal, top 5

Sample Sunday 12

Here is approximately 100 – 150 words from a randomly selected original piece for your enjoyment. These samples may include excerpts from my Eternal Curse Series, but will currently exclude excerpts from EC: Giovanni’s Angel. Please visit the ECS blog to read samples from that installment of the series.

Eternal Curse: Battleground chapter 2.1(wip)

“Hey Sis, you feel that?” asked Sheldon.

“Yeah, I do.”

“I don’t feel anything,” said Michelangelo. Uncle Jack reached up, slapped Michael on the back of his head, and then shushed him.

Desperately I asked, “Where is it coming from, Sheldy?”

“He’s in the domicile,” he said turning and twisting his head, trying to lock in on the location of the familiar sensation.

“That’s not possible; I’ve been here all day. I would have seen him,” I proclaimed.

Jack sighed and put his hand on my shoulder. “You were out for a little bit when you took to pastor and the undertaker to view the plot.”

“You’re right,” I said, as I came into the realization.

“I think…” said Sheldon as he closed his eyes and concentrated. He walked around in a circle and then grabbed my hand, held it and squeezed it tight. “I think he’s in the lab.”

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: EC: Battleground, Samples Tagged: angels, demons, family, fiction, spec-fic, war, wip