L.A. Sartor's Blog, page 18

Author Spotlight Featuring Liese Sherwood-Fabre's ~ Virtual Harmony and Other Short, Sweet Romances

Wow, yet again, I find a new-to-me author.  I'm pleased to bring you Liese Sherwood-Fabre
Thanks for hosting me, L.A.

From the time I first started penning fiction, I’ve written short stories. In fact, the first piece I sold was a short story. I’d been taking creative writing courses for a few semesters by then and entered some in various contests. When I placed second in one, the judge, who had her own literary fiction journal, quickly accepted my runner-up for publication.

Virtual Harmony and Other Short, Sweet Romances gathers a number of very short stories I authored over time into one volume. All of them examine the connection that sometimes occurs between two people. In some, it is the “meet cute” where a couple sees something in the other at their first encounter—a woman in search of the owner of a music playlist mysteriously appearing on her computer or when strangers sit next to each other at the opera. 
Others take an existing relationship to the next level such as the temporary employee and her boss who obey company rules about dating between supervisors and employees or two neighbors who meet while one is in disguise. 
Finally, one shares a couple’s efforts to reconnect on a camping trip.While all the stories have love in common, they also show how each couple’s story is unique. The spark between them can be initiated by an apparent apartment break-in, a snowball fight, or a flat tire. What follows after is where the magic lies.
Excerpt:From “Virtual Harmony,” the first story in the collection.
I slumped into an empty chair at the coffee bar around the corner from my apartment. I was ending this foolishness. Now. For two weeks I’d been on a wild goose chase and gotten nowhere. Time to give up. 
It’d all started innocently enough. After plugging in my new MP3 player, and booting up my computer to download my playlist, my finger froze just above the mouse. An unfamiliar file folder appeared along with the others: "George's Songs."
Who was George, and how did he get on my computer?
Having moved into the neighborhood less than a month ago, I didn’t know anyone in the area, and no one had access to my computer. Another new icon appeared at the bottom of my screen and blinked on and off. My new wireless system was working. I returned my gaze to the “George’s Songs” icon. Somehow, my computer's system had picked up this George’s file and downloaded it to my machine.
Curiosity won out over caution, and without thinking twice, I opened the file to check out his playlist. Almost the entire list of songs I’d planned to download onto my MP3 player were already in George’s.
Whoever he was, George had good tastes.
And done all the hard work for me. All I had to do was download the file, and my MP3 player was ready to “rock and roll”—literally. I owed him. He’d saved me a whole evening’s work.
But more importantly, some of the unfamiliar songs intrigued me the most. His eclectic tastes, spanning across a variety of artists and genres, deepened my appreciation of this unknown fellow music-lover.
Most amazing of all, in the days that followed, my computer continued to update George’s file each time I turned on my machine. I became addicted to checking for new additions to "George's Songs" and fantasized about the man I knew only through his choice in music.            By the end of the second week, I knew I had to find him. I'd made a few friends at work but still hadn't met anyone like the person I knew George had to be—someone with musical tastes as extraordinary and unique as his.
Buy:Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Amazon

Blurb:Love can bloom in infinite ways.
These eleven short romances follow love through cute meets to taking friendship to the next level to rekindling a marriage. Feelings can be sparked by an errant computer file, a hunt for diamonds, or even a fortune teller's tale. All that is needed is to open one's heart to let it in.

Search, find, and deepen love along the way in these sweet romances.



Bio:Liese Sherwood-Fabre knew she was destined to write when she got an A+ in the second grade for her story about Dick, Jane, and Sally’s ruined picnic. 
After obtaining her PhD from Indiana University, she joined the federal government and had the opportunity to work and live internationally for more than fifteen years—in Africa, Latin America, and Russia. Returning to the states, she seriously pursued her writing career and has published various pieces. 
Her debut novel Saving Hope, a thriller set in Russia was based, in part, from her observations while in that country. She has recently turned to a childhood interest in Sherlock Holmes for an as-yet unpublished series on Sherlock growing up in a rather unusually gifted family. 
Along the way she has written and published a number of short stories, garnering awards such a Pushcart Prize nomination. She recently collected eleven of these tales into a volume: Virtual Harmony and Other Short, Sweet Romances, released on October 15.
Find Liese:Website  | Facebook |  Twitter


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Author Spotlight Featuring Marilyn Leach's New Book ~ All Hallows Dead

Marilyn Leach has created a wonderful cozy mystery series set in a small English village. Grab your cup of tea and enjoy Marilyn's "tour" of her 5th and latest book in the Berdie Elliot series.  
Thanks, L.A. for hosting me on your blog.  
The North of England grabbed me by the throat and won my heart the moment I stepped onto its soil.  I knew this untamed part of England, Northumbria, near the Scottish borders, was abundant fuel for stories.  When first I saw Lindesfarne Castle loom over the landscape of tiny Holy Island, wind blowing the rush of modern life from my soul, the history of the place settled in like a warm cup of tea on a blustery day.  My story would be a mystery set in current day but with roots reaching back into history.
All Hallows Dead: A Berdie Elliott Saints Day Mystery is the fruit of that idea.  Berdie and husband Hugh, a vicar, are attending a church course in Northumbria when Berdie’s captivated by the mysteries of an ancient church.  
Two “accidental” deaths occur in circumstances she finds questionable.  Set among the ruins of Criswell Abbey, Berdie discovers truths that will impact Criswell’s entire village, from a local pub owner to the lord of the manner.
Of course, there’s plenty of humor as Berdie and her best friend, Lillie, get into circumstances that make us chuckle, all while solving dastardly events.  Pretending to be artists, for the sake of snooping, turns into an art form unto itself.
All Hallows Dead is a perfect read for this time of year.  All Saints Day, November 1, marks our collective memory of those devoted pilgrims that have marched on in faith before us.  During this season, a comfy chair, hot beverage, and snuggly throw are all amenities that make reading All Hallows Dead an enjoyable event.
Buy:Amazon
Bio:Though Marilyn grew up in the Western United States, she became a dyed-in-the-wool British enthusiast after exploring the UK and making friends there.  She has co-authored plays that have been performed in both secular and church venues.  
Her many devotionals have appeared in such works as The Quiet Heart, Big Dreams in Small Places, and Guideposts.  In her current British mystery series with Pelican Books, Berdie Elliott is the intrepid vicar’s wife who solves crime with a little help from above.  Marilyn lives in a lakeside cottage on the front range of the Rocky Mountains.


Find Marilyn:
Website | Amazon Author Page | Facebook
What secrets lie within the stones of Criswell Abbey’s medieval church, St. Baldred’s?  Berdie Elliott digs to find the truth in All Hallows Dead. Lastingham Stairs

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Allie Pleiter Part Two ~ How To Write When Everything Goes Wrong!

Allie is back with her second amazing book How To Write When Everything Goes Wrong.  And don't forget her first post, The Chunky Method, found here.  
Take it away, Allie.
  Crisis? Ask yourself these four powerful questions!
Hi L.A., thanks for having me back again! 
Life throws you curve balls, and my second book for writers, HOW TO WRITE WHEN EVERYTHING GOES WRONG, deals with survival tactics to keep your creative self alive and well when life’s chaos is giving you a beating.  Here’s one of my favorite coping tactics: the power of asking yourself the right four questions inspired by leadership guru Michael Hyatt.
Question #1.  What’s possible now?When crisis hits, our brain kicks into totalitarian thinking, cataloging everything wrong about your situation and blinding your current possibilities.  After giving yourself a few minutes to react—shock, anger, annoyance, frustration are all natural and can’t be avoided— deliberately force a shift of thinking toward what IS possible now?  The good news is that the more you practice this shift, the easier it becomes.  Sure, I’ve asked “What’s possible now?” through gritted teeth.  Sometimes it is genuinely hard to drag my brain off the negative.  I’ve found, however, that even the tiniest possibilities make coping much more possible.
Question #2.  What’s not possible now?Many of us get into trouble precisely because we refuse to recognize the true limitations of a given crisis.  If your spouse’s car accident injuries will pull your time and attention from your tight book deadline, own it now, not forty-eight hours before the book is due.  It’s not easy, and it often feels like surrender, but it’s far better than denial.
Question #3. What do I need right now?The “right now” is the crucial part here.  At the start of a given crisis, you may need simply to get calm.  Or at least calmer.  You may need someone who understands the process ahead of you better than you do at the moment (especially true in medical crises).  Our “what if”writer's brains gallop off in a dozen long-term directions, churning today’s problems into tomorrow’s catastrophes.  Yes, the larger picture is important to consider.  If we can train our brains to focus on the next solvable step, however, survival comes more easily.
Question #4. What do I want right now?We often think of crisis as “survival mode”—only needs not wants.  It’s not necessarily true.  You may need to eat, but you might also want someone to help you talk through your situation.  Resist the urge to cast aside what might feel like “luxuries” until life calms down.  Non-essentials that make you calmer, more comfortable, or a bit more cheerful are not selfish, but a wise form of self-care that can bolster your endurance or clarity at a time when you need it most.
These four questions can offer you the foothold you may need to get through the first hours or days of any crisis.  I find these questions work for any size dilemma—from missed flight to a parent in emergency surgery.  If you can shift your thinking from the knee-jerk of “EMERGENCY! PANIC!” to “What’s possible now?  What’s not possible now?  What do I need right now?  What do I want right now?”, you will discover your coping abilities can be far stronger.
Buy: Amazon

Bio:Bestselling author Allie Pleiter has written over 30 novels and non-fiction works, selling over 1.2 million books worldwide.  Aside from teaching her popular Chunky Method of time management for writers, Allie works on as many as four books at a time.  How? By fitting small “chunks” of writing into a busy life—accompanied by coffee, knitting, and lemon meringue pie.

She is the author of The Chunky Method Handbook: Your Step-by-Step Plan to WRITE THAT BOOK Even When Life Gets in the Way. Visit her website  for more information.

Find Allie:
Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | 
Pinterest | Goodreads





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Fun New Things From The Hungry Jpeg

Just a fun, short post with a sample of new graphics from The Hungry Jpeg. 

I curated this list, but to see them all, hit the link in the sidebar and it'll take you right to The Hungry Jpeg.  



Look At Here



Look At Here


Look At Here ~ Hey it's $1!!
So enjoy and be sure to head over to their website to check out other great fonts, graphics, and bundles.

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Author Spotlight Featuring Jill Haymaker's A Peakview Christmas

It's a pleasure to once again bring you a Jill Haymaker new release, this time a seasonal novel, A Peakview Christmas.
Hi, L.A., thanks for hosting me again. I love Christmas! The lights, the songs, the decorations, and the idea of it being a special time for love and family. I have to admit that I’m one of those people who will watch all thirty-six new Hallmark Christmas movies in the next couple of months. In A Peakview Christmas, I started out with a woman who’d been abused and beaten down by an alcoholic husband. When she can’t stand the idea of another miserable holiday, she runs away just a few days before Christmas. The outlook for a joyful Christmas is bleak for her and her young daughters until the magic of Peakview, Colorado and the holiday itself provides the backdrop for happily ever after. Join Faith on her journey to find Christmas magic.
 Excerpt:CHAPTER ONE  Her coffee cup rattled on the table as the door slammed against its hinges. Rattled like her nerves. “I want this house clean when I get home,” Lenny yelled as he stormed across the front lawn. Faith Owens listened as the motor to his ancient pickup sputtered and the gears ground. Please start, she whispered quietly. The last thing she wanted was for her husband to return and demand she drive him to work.She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the engine catch and saw gravel fly as he peeled away. Laughter bubbled from the bedroom in the back of the small apartment—a sharp contrast from Lenny’s temper tantrum. Her daughters, Hope and Gracie, had just gotten home from the last day of school before Christmas break. “Two weeks of freedom,” they’d announced as they’d run through the door. What she wouldn’t give for even a day of freedom from the nightmare that her life had become.She stuck her head in her daughters’ bedroom where they sat playing on the hard, worn, linoleum floor. “Wanna play dolls with us, Mommy?” Gracie smiled, with that smile made even more adorable by the missing tooth right in front.“Not right now, honey. I have some things to get done. In a little while.” Knowing that they were safe, she walked into her bedroom and frowned at the trail of clothes Lenny’d left on the floor of the cramped room. The room reeked of beer. Judging by the crumpled cans on the dresser, he chugged a couple before heading to his job. How he’d stayed employed this long, she’d never know. Obviously, being a nightshift janitor didn’t require sobriety.Faith glanced at the clock. It was a little after four in the afternoon. With any luck, Lenny wouldn’t return until the sun was almost up. Oh, his shift ended at 1:00 a.m. but it was Friday. That meant that he’d hit one of the local dive bars with his buddies before heading home to pass out.She glanced at her arm in the mirror where a yellow and green bruise still remained from where he’d grabbed her last Friday. How had her life gone so wrong? She was born and raised in this small New Mexico town of Scorpion. In the beginning, she’d thought Lenny was her savior. The first year of marriage had been okay, despite his drinking. Once she got pregnant with Hope, the drinking wasn’t so fun anymore. He resented that she no longer wanted to party.A few months after Hope was born, she was pregnant again with Gracie. That’s when he’d hit her for the first time. She should have left that very day, but when he sobered up, he was very apologetic—promised it would never happen again. But it did. Over and over. She became numb to the pain. Where was she going to go with two young babies and only a high school education? At least they had a roof over their heads.But as time went on, their relationship deteriorated even more. He barely spoke to her or slept in the same bed unless he was drunk and wanted sex. He repulsed her. That’s when she came up with her plan.
Buy: Amazon


Blurb:Only five days until Christmas, and FAITH OWENS has had enough. Not willing to spend one more holiday with her abusive, alcoholic husband, she loads her two young daughters, Gracie and Hope, in her car and leaves her life in Scorpion, New Mexico behind.

Newly divorced, ZANE WILDER, faces his first Christmas without his son, Ace. He can’t wait for the holiday to be over. To escape sitting home sulking, he travels from Montana to Colorado to spend the week training his young horse, Storm Cloud.

When their paths collide at Hearts Haven Bed and Breakfast near scenic Peakview, Colorado, they find more than a place to rest. Two lonely, cautious hearts are brought together by the magic of Christmas, with a little help from Violet Crandall or maybe Santa himself. Will their budding romance continue when the holiday ends? Can two broken families find the missing pieces that lead to happiness?

THIS CHRISTMAS, REDISCOVER ROMANCE IN PEAKVIEW, COLORADO WHERE EVERYONE HAS THE CHANCE AT LOVE.
Bio:Jill Haymaker was born and raised in Indiana and Ohio. After high school, and college she moved to Fort Collins, Colorado.  Ms. Haymaker made her home in Fort Collins until her recent move to East Texas. She practiced family law in Fort Collins for the past 20 years. She has three grown children, a son and two daughters.  She also has three granddaughters.

Jill has always had a passion for writing.  Colorado Sunset was her first full-length romance novel in her Peakview, Colorado series. Her latest book, A Peakview Christmas, is the eleventh and final book in the series. If you love small town romance, you will love the characters in this series. She also has had several short stories published by Chicken Soup for the Soul, the most recent in the book the Best Advice I ever heard, which will be released on November 6, 2018.

When not practicing law or writing, Jill enjoys The Colorado mountains, horseback riding, gardening, long walks with her Toy Australian Shepherd, Merlin, and spending time with her children and grandchildren. She enjoys their numerous sporting events. She is also an avid football fan and can be found on autumn weekends cheering on her favorite teams. 

She has a passion for working with high school youth, she serves as a mentor to an at-risk youth, is a youth group leader at her church, coaches a high school mock trial team and is a volunteer at cross country and track meets.
Find Jill:
Amazon Author Page | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | BookBub | Website and Blog |Email




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Take Five And Meet Author Caroline Clemmons & Her Latest Book ~ Blessing

Welcome to An Indie Adventure, Caroline.  Tell us, what inspired you to write your book BLESSING?
I was invited to join the Widows of Wildcat Ridge series and the organizer had set up the town and listed many of the women there. I chose Blessing Odell, who prefers to be called Buster. The death of her father leaves her owning the largest ranch in the area. She wears men’s overalls yet remains feminine. Something about her intrigued me. I enjoyed writing her story and watching her character develop.

How do you use setting to further your story?
Setting is always a character in the story. In this case, it’s a dying mining town where a mine explosion has left many widows and orphans. If you’ve seen photos of old mining towns you know how bleak that would be. You can also see how that scene would affect the mourning and depression of the survivors.

This setting could destroy the weak, but in this instance, a group of women come together and empower one another to rebuild their lives.

In other books, the setting was a blizzard that isolated people. The storm becomes a villain holding people in one place, perhaps against their will. Another type of isolation, a ranch a long distance from any neighbor, becomes a character when one of the characters is injured, creating the necessity for the uninjured person to step up and become heroic.

How do you construct your characters?

Usually they pop into my head and start acting. I don’t know how that happens, but I’m not the only one to whom it does. Once the initial characters appear, I look for ways in which the hero and heroine want the same goal and the ways in which they conflict. I personally love for everyone to get along, but that is a boring story.

Prism Book Tour ~ Legacy of Mercy by Lynn Austin

On Tour with Prism Book Tours
Legacy of Mercy (Waves of Mercy #2)
By Lynn Austin

Christian Historical Romance
Hardcover, Paperback & ebook, 400 Pages
October 2nd 2018 by Bethany House Publishers

She Knew Her New Life Would Not Be Easy,
But Nothing Could Prepare Her For What Waits Ahead

Having returned to Chicago, young socialite Anna Nicholson can't seem to focus on her upcoming marriage. The new information she's learned about her birth mother continues to pull at her, and she hires Pinkerton detectives to help her discover the whole truth.

But as she meets people who once knew her mother and hears stories about the past, Anna soon discovers that some secrets are better left hidden. With pressure mounting to keep the past quiet, she discovers daily that her choice to seek God's purpose for her life isn't as simple as she had hoped.

When things are at their darkest, Anna knows she can turn to her grandmother, Geesje de Jonge, back in Holland, Michigan. Geesje's been helping new Dutch immigrants--including a teen with a troubled history--adjust to America. She only hopes that her wisdom can help all these young people through the turmoil they face.

Praise for the Book
"Varying points of view, well-placed clues, and an interesting subplot about Anna's grandmother welcoming Dutch immigrants to Michigan keeps the story interesting. Austin skillfully embeds her strong spiritual message into the actions of her characters, creating a wonderful historical tale that is naturally inspirational."--Publishers Weekly starred review

Goodreads│Amazon│B&N│ Book Depository │Christianbook│Kobo│Bethany House


Excerpt:       “I’m hoping that the detectives have information about who my real father is.”       Mother purses her lips as if it will help hold her anger inside. When she finally speaks she sounds calm, but I know she’s not. “Isn’t it enough to know your mother’s story and how she died? You need to leave the rest of it alone, Anna, and get on with your life.”    “But I’m curious about my father, too. If he really is Jack Newell, I would like to know what happened to him and why I don’t remember him at all.”       “You may learn something very unsavory. It’s a stone best left unturned.”       “I can’t leave it. I want to know.”       “Listen to me.” She grips my arm again and hushes her voice as if she doesn’t want anyone to overhear, even though the only person near enough is our driver—and he would never tell family secrets, would he? “It’s entirely possible that your parents never married, Anna. If that turns out to be true, we would be obligated to make William and his family aware of it.”       “Of course I’ll tell William. He’s going to be my husband. He’ll want to know who I really am as much as I do.”       “That isn’t true. You are the only one who is obsessed with this. William and his family would prefer not to know.”       I stare at her in surprise. “Did they tell you that? William never mentioned it to me.”       “His mother let me know in a very delicate way that they would be happier not to have the past exhumed. Most of Chicago society has no idea you’re even adopted, let alone what your background is, because frankly, it’s none of their business. William’s mother and I both feel that the past should remain buried. As William’s wife, you must be above reproach. We cannot allow any unsavory details about your parents to taint your reputation.”       “I promise that no one outside our family will ever know what I discover. But I have to keep searching until I learn the truth.”“Once it’s out of the box, the truth can rarely be concealed. The harder one tries to hide it, the juicier the gossip becomes.”
Other Books in the Series Waves of Mercy
(Waves of Mercy #1)
By Lynn Austin
Christian Historical Romance
Hardcover, Paperback & ebook, 384 Pages
October 4th 2016 by Bethany House Publishers

Haunted by the Unknowns of Their Pasts,

Two Women Search for Answers Along the Shores of Lake Michigan

Chicago socialite Anna Nicholson retreats to the Hotel Ottawa in Holland, Michigan, after breaking her engagement with her wealthy fiancé. Filled with questions about her newfound faith and troubled by a recurring nightmare, Anna finds solace in Derk Vander Veen, a seasonal hotel worker who plans to go into the ministry.

Prompted by a request from her son, Geesje de Jonge begins to sift through memories of emigrating from the Netherlands almost fifty years ago. As she writes them down for the Semi-Centennial anniversary of the town's settlement, her story takes on a life of its own as she honestly and painfully recalls her regrets, doubts, hardships, and joys. Her story captivates Derk, who sees similarities between Geesje and Anna, and wishes to bring the two together.

Past and present collide as Anna and Geesje seek clarity, but neither expects the revelations that await them.

Praise for the Book
"Interlacing the past with the present-day lives of Anna and Geesje, Austin compassionately delivers a moving tale of family bonds, tests of faith, and abiding love."--Booklist starred review

"Austin has crafted an interesting, historically accurate portrait of two profoundly different characters: one looking back at life, the other taking her first faltering steps toward independence."-- Publishers Weekly


Goodreads│Amazon│B&N│ Book Depository │Christianbook│Kobo│Bethany House
About the Author
Lynn Austin has sold more than one and a half million copies of her books worldwide. A former teacher who now writes and speaks full-time, she has won eight Christy Awards for her historical fiction. One of those novels, Hidden Places, has also been made into an Original Hallmark Channel movie. Lynn and her husband have raised three children and make their home in western Michigan. Learn more at www.lynnaustin.org.
Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│Pinterest


Tour GiveawayOne Grand Prize Winner will receive Waves of Mercy and Legacy of Mercy by Lynn Austin and tulip notecards.
Two additional winners will receive Waves and Mercy and Legacy of Mercy.For US winners only—international readers may enter, but a $35 gift card will be substituted for their prize if they are chosen as winners.Ends October 26, 2018
a Rafflecopter giveaway

                                               Check out the Bookstagram Tour schedule                                                                                         October 22 - 26 here!
Tour Schedule
October 15th:
Launch
Cover Lover Book Review
An Indie Adventure
Author Kelly D. Scott

October 16th:
Romancing History
Uplifting Reads

October 17th:
The Power of Words
Hearts & Scribbles

October 18th:
Fiction Aficionado
Splashes of Joy

October 19th:
Wishful Endings
Stacking My Book Shelves!
Rockin' Book Reviews

October 22nd:
Among the Reads
Book by Book

October 23rd:
Jen Around the World
Heidi Reads...

October 24th:
Jorie Loves A Story
Radiant Light

October 25th:
Tell Tale Book Reviews
Locks, Hooks and Books

October 26th:
Reading Is My SuperPower
Remembrancy



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Introducing You To Jesús Ramirez (My Secret Photoshop Guru)

I'm letting you in on a secret. 
Why?  Because I'm so darned sweet. Well, maybe not always, but the truth is that I want you to become a comfortable user of Photoshop and Photoshop Elements so you can create better meme's, newsletters, photographs, book covers, business cards...you get it. 

And if you see a great bundle of fonts or artwork or patterns etc, I want you to feel like you can immediately put them to good use.  

My secret guru? Jesús Ramirez who created The Photoshop Training Channel.  

I asked him to give us a bit of why he started doing these YouTube vids...for free.

I started PTC because I wanted to teach people what I was good at. I always thought about making a YouTube channel that would be like what I would want to watch when I was learning. I wanted to teach projects that were not only fun but also teach people solid foundations and efficient ways of working.

The problem with YouTube is that many people teach who never worked professionally or who don’t have any real-world experience, so a lot of misinformation is passed along. I try to make my tutorials fun, but I also teach Photoshop in a way that will apply to real-world working environments. I try to use non-destructive techniques, follow industry standard conventions, mention legal aspects when necessary, and just try to inform people about how real pros work. That is often the difference between a good design and a great design (or photo).

Below are 3 of his many, many videos, giving you a taste of what he can do.  
What YOU can learn. 






Here are the links in case you want to head over to YouTube this way.·         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOTxsRTjkNM·         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38wy9PvUml4·         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrD53AJmfEM
I highly suggest you subscribe to his channel by hitting the subscribe button AND THEN make sure you click on the bell which will send you announcements for his new tutorials.

So now my secret is out.  Let Jesús be your secret guru too, then share him with others :)

Find Jesús:
Website | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter





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Author Ann Everett Talks About The Importance Of Opening Lines

Ann, who has appeared on An Indie Adventure before (welcome back), talks about the importance of a great opening line to grab a reader
Twenty-four hours ago, Tizzy Donovan was naked in Ridge Cooper’s bed, screaming to get God’s attention.

Did that opening line grab your interest? What about this one?

Jay Roy Hobbs held the county record for talking women out of their panties.

Or, perhaps one of these?

Two weeks earlier, Raynie stood in the same spot and swore off bad boys. Absolutely. For sure. Maybe.

One hot August Thursday afternoon, Maddie Faraday reached under the front seat of her husband’s Cadillac and pulled out a pair of black lace underpants. They weren’t hers.

Hopefully, one of those piqued your interest, and you’d want to read more. I’d like to take credit for all of them, but the last one comes from Tell Me Lies by Jennifer Crusie.

I spend days trying to come up with killer first lines. Why? Because as a reader, I read the first line of a book before I read the blurb. I want to know if the author can grab me from page one. For me, that opening sentence sets the tone.

Even though the first two examples are from books 2 and 3 of my small-town mysteries, You’re Busting My Nuptials, and Tied With a Bow and No Place to Go, the opening lines, along with the titles, are a good indication there will be plenty of humor in the stories. I hope.

The third sample is from one of my contemporary romances, Say You’ll Never Love Me. Again, I want the beginning to show the book will be lighthearted. My purpose isn’t to cure world hunger, it’s to entertain. Although, curing world hunger is an admirable goal, and if writing steamy romances helped, then I’d be on it!

Years ago, when I was first published by a small press, they claimed to have a 3-3-3 rule. They’d read the first three paragraphs, and if those held their interest, they’d read the first three pages, if they were still interested, they’d read the first three chapters. After that, if they wanted to read more, they requested the entire manuscript.

Think about it. If those first three paragraphs didn’t make an impression, the query went into the slush pile. Isn’t it terrible how quickly someone makes their mind up about what we write? Yet, I do the same thing—usually within the first three lines!

Here’s one more of my favorites:

Annie didn’t usually talk to her suitcase, but she wasn’t exactly herself these days. 

From Heroes Are My Weakness by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

How important are opening lines to you? Do you have an example of one that grabbed you so hard, you couldn’t put the book down?

Let me know in the comments. One lucky commenter will receive digital copies of my latest two books, Chirp, a Kindle Scout winner, and True, the second book in my Bluebird, Texas Romance series.



Blurb:
A woman hiding from her future…
Heiress to the largest steel company in America, twenty-year-old, socially awkward Blaze Bledsoe hides out at Dessie Bishop’s farm. For the last three years, Blaze has eluded one investigator after another, but just when she thinks she’s safe, a PI closes in. Her luck is about to run out in more ways than one.

A man running from his past…
Rance Keller, a tough, hard-living ex-con, fresh out of prison for a crime he didn’t commit, arrives to claim the house his grandmother left him. Finding a strange girl living there, his plans for a solitary life take a turn. Her lack of modesty, no filter, and word of the day fetish baffles him, but those big green eyes and sweet mouth have him losing sleep.

Welcome to Bluebird, Texas
Where two damaged people with secrets, discover trust can lead to passion.


Buy: 
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Bio:
Ann Everett writes about small-town Texas where women are sassy enough to say what they want, and men are panty-melting hot with plenty of southern charm.

She's an Amazon bestselling author and Kindle Scout winner. She’s a top reviewer on a major writing website, and a regular speaker at Wordwyse Exposytions. No need to bore you with the details. Here are ten things about her more interesting than accolades.

She’s married to her high school sweetheart.

She loves shopping at thrift stores.

She doesn’t remember her first kiss.

She hates talking on the telephone.

A really sharp pencil makes her happy.

She secretly wants to get a tattoo.

She believes everyone should own a pair of cowboy boots.

She’s thankful wrinkles aren’t painful.

She sucks at math.


Find Ann: 
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R&R: Raves & Rants For October ~ Great Beginnings

Great Beginnings
Have you heard that you need to hook a reader within the first three pages?  It’s true, but I’d go even further and say that your first page needs to have such a strong hook that readers simply cannot stop reading.
If you’ve been following this column for the past few months, you’re probably expecting me to rant about terrible beginnings.  Instead, I’m going to rave about several books that hooked me with their opening lines.
A chicken will never break your heart.
I dare you to stop reading.  After all, who starts a book talking about chickens and broken hearts?  Joanne Kennedy, that’s who.  This is the opening line of, Cowboy Trouble, the first of her wildly popular cowboy books.  Let’s see how she continues to reel us in after she’s set the hook.
Not that you can’t love a chicken.  There are some people in this world who can love just about anything.

But a chicken will never love you back.  When you look deep into their beady little eyes, there’s not a lot of warmth there – just an avarice for worms and bugs and, if it’s a rooster, a lot of suppressed anger and sexual frustration.  They don’t return your affection in any way.
What makes this work besides the attention-getting first line?  It raises questions.  Who’s telling this story, and why is she talking about chickens?  The first line makes me think she’s had her heart broken, so I want to know who did it and how she’s dealing with that.  As a result, I keep reading, because I need to have my questions answered. Questions are the key, at least in my opinion.  When I critique manuscripts, I tell the authors that whether or not they’re writing a mystery, their first pages should raise more questions than they answer.  That’s what keeps readers turning pages.
Here’s an opening from another debut novel, Emily France’s highly-acclaimed Signs of You.
She’s been dead two years when I see her in the grocery store.  She’s looking at bottles of bubble bath.  She picks up a pink one, unscrews the cap, and sniffs.  Her nose wrinkles and she puts the bottle back on the shelf.  As she looks for a different scent, I blink.
Once again, the first line hooked me.  After all, how often do you see women who’ve been dead for two years in the grocery store?  I certainly haven’t.  But though the first line intrigued me, it’s France’s skilled prose that kept me reading.  Notice the details that she shares with readers, drawing us into the heroine’s world.  And notice that, like Kennedy’s opening, this one raises questions, including why the heroine blinks as the dead woman searches for a different scent.  Would you continue reading?  I think so.
I challenge you to look at the stories you’re currently reading and identify what about the opening paragraphs convinced you to keep reading.  Did the authors plant questions in your brain?  I’m betting they did, because that’s the hallmark of a great beginning.
Next month we’ll be back to rants, this time the truth about lies.
~Amanda


A lifetime of reading and writing, not to mention a host of teachers who believed that good grammar was one of the essentials of life, have given Amanda Cabot such firm opinions about the printed word that I asked her to share some with us in her Raves and Rants posts.  Although her working career was in Information Technology, Amanda achieved her dream of selling her first novel before her thirtieth birthday and is now the author of more than thirty novels as well as a number of books and articles for Information Technology professionals.  
Her most recent release is A Borrowed Dream, the second of the Cimarron Creek trilogy.

Find all of Amanda's books, newsletter info and social media links here.

















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