M.L. Chesley's Blog, page 38

What's Happening...

Not a whole heck of a lot, right now. Compared to this last weekend, life is dull! But I'm down with that. I need the quiet.

I'm currently working on some artwork with GIMP. I downloaded the program and have been tweaking my maps. I was going to attempt to clean up some of my artwork as well, to see what I can do with it. I'm still trying to get used to the program, so if anyone has some tips, please pass them along!

My "Ask Me Anything" week is going good, so far. The Linky at the bottom of the page is for anyone who would like to do the same thing, sort of make it a blog hop. So if you would like anyone to ask YOU anything, click the Linky! Then pick a time and place when you want to answer the questions. You are more than welcome to join me on Monday, the 27th, on Twitter if you like. Just use the AskMeAnything hashtag. (#) It'll be tons of fun!

You'll find my post and Linky here. And feel free to invite anyone else. With the Linky, I'll be able to come 'round to your blog and ask my question.

Have a great rest of the week! And I'll see you Friday with the Funnies.

Ask Me Anything...

It's Monday! Why am I so excited for Monday, you ask? Because it's my last week of work. Ha! It's a good thing. The kids have been all fired up and hyper because school is almost out, which makes me tired as all get out at the end of the day.

AND as of Saturday, I became a Grandma! Here is a pic of the cutest baby since my kids! And yes, I'm biased:



Anyway, I wanted to do something to reconnect and get back in the swing of things next week. So I'm going to host a Q & A.

Here's what will happen:

You can ask me anything this week, all week long. Leave your questions in the comments below or email me: Paridzule dot Keep at gmail dot com.

Then, on Monday, May 27th, I'll be on Twitter and will answer your questions there. I'm @MLChesley if you want to add me. And I'll be using the #AskMeAnything hashtag. If you aren't on Twitter, no worries, I'll post answers the day after.

Now, if you would like to join me, by all means, you are welcome to! Sign up below.

So let's get started, ask me anything!

Feeling Blessed...

Kind of late in the evening for me to post, but I'm in such a state of bliss right now.

I have to share, brag, whatever you want to call it. I'm very, very proud of my kids right now. I've had the most amazing weekend of my entire life, so far.

On Saturday, my daughter gave birth to a sweet baby girl, Ally Love. She was 8 pounds 6 ounces and twenty and a half inches long.

My granddaughter!
She was born late afternoon. We came home, happy and exhausted. My daughter lives about 2 hours away, so we have to wait until next weekend to go see her again.

Then earlier this evening, my son graduated from High School. The school he went to is small. A charter school. Both of my kids graduated from there and did very well. They helped my kids so much!






We were running late, but they didn't start without us. They were worried we weren't going to make it, but we did! It was too important an event to miss, just as much as the birth of that baby up there.

So right now, I am sitting here, reflecting. Even with all the mistakes I have made, the trials and errors, the ups and downs, I have two dedicated, hard working kids striking out into the world and making a life for themselves.

I may be a writer, supposed to be succinct and eloquent, but all I can think of right now is just how happy I am.

Bliss.

There is still a lot to do, things to prepare for and attend to, but these two major hurdles have been cleared and so far, it looks like a smooth road ahead.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! I'll see you all tomorrow.

Friday Favorites & Funnies...

WOOHOOOO!!! It's Friday!

Can you tell I'm excited?

Of course, with more enthusiasm and well, not getting stuff thrown at me...So I have quite a couple of shares for you all today. As far as favorite authors/books/reads go. You've all seen my latest two book reviews.

First was "Firehurler" by J. S. Morin. Jeff is going to quickly become a favorite fantasy author. Ranking right up there with A. E. Marling, Stuart Jaffe, Jamie Marchant and Joseph Lallo. I'd recommend their books to anyone!

The other was "Chain of Command" by Colby Marshall. Again, I'd recommend her books as well. I love thrillers. And mysteries. And... well, who am I kidding, I love to read!

I think I have spent more time reading these days, than anything else. Although, I am hopping around the internet, marketing and trying to visit more blogs.

Funny how I find my groove when my job is almost over. Working with kids is seasonal.

Anyway, let's move on to the funnies, shall we? I have a couple of good ones for all of you. So, enjoy and have a super weekend!

Looking For Your Opinion...

Hey all! Hope your week is going well so far. I bet you're all looking forward to the funnies tomorrow, right? Of course you are!

Okay, so I need some help. I'd like to do a poll on audio books, so I'm going to ask two questions here and then I'd highly appreciate it if you would leave your answers in the comment section. Pretty, pretty please!

Send people over to this post as well, if you wouldn't mind. I need some answers.

I'm currently working on the audio-book for 'Adversarius'. Once I have it done, I'll release it. When book two is complete and ready for release, I hope to have an audio-book ready right away for that.

So here is my first question:

Do you listen to audiobooks?

Second question:

Should you include sound effects and/or music in the background? (Not through the whole book, just in certain sections. I'm thinking a little bit of music near the end and beginning of chapters.)

I'm going to be getting some audio-books soon to listen to in order to research this thoroughly, but would like to hear from all of you as well! Your input is very important to me. So thank you for helping me out and have a fantastic day!

Book Review: Chain of Command by Colby Marshall

Title: Chain of Command

Author: Colby Marshall

Publisher: Stairway Press

Pages: 312 (Print), File size: 708 kb

ISBN (10): 098490705X ASIN: B00ALM5BFG

Purchase: Amazon & Barnes & Noble



Summary (from Amazon):

The road to the Oval Office is paved in blood...the simultaneous assassinations of the President and Vice President catapults the Speaker of the House into the White House as the first female President of the United States. Evidence points to a former Navy SEAL as one of the assassins. Young journalist McKenzie McClendon must unravel a dangerous web of lies in a search for the truth.

My thoughts:

What can I say? This book was one hell of a ride! I mean, from the first page to the last, this book kept right on rolling with action.

McKenzie is a sharp girl with an even sharper wit. She's got the guts to take on finding the truth in this story. She's a strong character.

Noah is a strong character as well. His presence in the book is just as commanding as McKenzie's. The two of them together made a huge impression on me.

I seriously could not put this book down. Usually, when I try to find a good place to stop so I can pick the book up later, it's not a problem. But I couldn't find a good spot to put this book DOWN! That's rare for me these days.

So if you want to read an awesome thriller with lots of twists that will keep you guessing from cover to cover, pick this book up!

I rate this book: 5 out of 5 skull and crossbones

How To Keep Up With The Joneses...

Reason #5,673 why I can't wait to move to Washington: I'm constantly broke!

Living in Alaska is a bit expensive, especially in my small town. Don't get me wrong, I like this place. Except for the 6 months of snow... but it is not cheap to live here.

I was on Twitter, spending my few, precious moments that I have for promoting my book and saw a couple other authors saying that their giveaway of their book will commence once they hit 5K fans. They're like, a couple hundred away from that goal.

What the eff? I just want 200! Speaking of, if you would be so kind as to spread the word, go to my Smashwords page, click the 'Like' button. Once I hit 200, I'll give the e-book away for free! And Amazon now has my book in paperback.

I'm not an indie author, but sometimes I feel like I promote like one. But how do you market your book when you have no cash? Seriously? I read blog posts on what has worked for some people, but when I go to the link and check things out, these people want payment. Of course they do, you're buying their time, just like any other service in the industry. I'd want to get paid as well!

Don't get me wrong, this isn't me asking for a handout. This is me asking you for your suggestions on some ways to promote that don't cost. I realize, you get what you pay for.

Now keep in mind, I am on Twitter, FaceBook, Goodreads (which, I'm still trying to figure out along with Pintrest), I have this blog and a website (that is dusty as hell). What more can I do? Well, what more can I do without spending money?

Other things I am currently working on, is artwork for my book. I'm trying to do it myself. I'm an artist for pity's sake! I have the skills, the tools, I just need to get it done. Lots of that will be put up on Zazzle as t-shirts and the like. Once I get a good quality scan, which seems to be super difficult in my neck of the woods. I think I found a place, but have yet to check it out.

So what would you suggest/recommend? Did you set funds aside for promoting before your book was out? Who helped you?

Guest Post: Cathy Benedetto...

 I'd like you all to welcome Cathy Benedetto to my blog. I'm the first stop in the tour, so let me share the link with the tour schedule for you now: Tour Schedule and be sure to check out the purchase links for her books at the end of the post!

Without further ado, take it away, Cathy!


GUEST POST “Advice for Aspiring Writers”

I’ll never forget author Terry Brooks’ advice in Lessons From A Writing Life. He adamantly
stressed the importance of working from an outline. A fantasy panel guest, he had given
talk on the necessity of outlining. Afterwards, fellow author Anne McCaffrey whispered to
him “sweetly”, “Terry, I don’t think I’ve ever outlined anything in my life.” Brooks’ admission
cracked me up and resulted in an epiphany that created my first rule for aspiring writers:

1. Beware of rules set in stone.

Personally, I use an outline that’s more of a storyboard. I like visual reminders on post-it notes
tacked horizontally across an eight foot dry erase board. It helps me keep true to the storyline,
and serves as a reminder of unresolved issues. But I love Anne McCraffrey’s dragon series and
find her plots compelling and complex. It amazes me that she does this without an outline but
proves my point. Not all writers need an outline. This segues nicely to my second rule:

2. Know Yourself

I coached women’s sports for over 25 years. During that time I went to numerous coaching
clinics and listened raptly to the beliefs of the nation’s top coaches. Dale Brown, from LSU
and Shaq’s college coach, was the one who said, “know yourself”. His point was to be true
to yourself, to know who you are. You can’t walk in another coaches’ shoes. You can’t copy
anyone else’s style and expect to have the same level of success. Be honest with yourself and
evaluate whether or not your personality and work skills can tackle a method someone else
uses. By all means, go to workshops, read magazines, take it all in, but instead of trying to use
advice from everywhere…

3. Find the golden kernel.

Look for the golden kernel among the entire crop of corn, that one piece of advice that results
in your light bulb turning on. In other words, incorporate an idea if it fits who you are. Best-
selling authors may list their Top Ten Secrets, but it’s entirely possible and indeed, likely that
most won’t fit your personality, your work ethic or your writing skills. It’s also possible that your
golden kernel is a realization that you need to change a bad habit. For example, you may love
to write from the omniscient point of view, but you might lack the talent to do it. This goes
back to the “be honest with yourself” phrase mentioned in number two. If you can’t honestly
self-evaluate, you’ll never find your personal golden kernel. And, the first step towards self-
evaluation, is to…

4. Be Open to Criticism

In the world of competitive sports, this translates to “being coachable”. Ask yourself, as a
writer, can I deal with constructive criticism? Having my feelings hurt? Can I really listen or am
I mentally refuting everything being said to me? Am I willing to try another way? Can I throw
out my much loved prologue, or kill off my favorite character? Can I be honest with myself and
admit my weaknesses? Can I come to grips with the fact that while not all rules apply to me as
a writer, most do? Can I be honest in evaluating my strengths and weaknesses so I can grow as
a person and as a writer? My fingers are crossed for you and I wish you success, but right now I
need to go and shuck some corn.



About Cathy Benedetto:

Ms. Benedetto is a writer, artist and avid reader. Her love of science fiction and fantasy inspired her
trilogy about the mystical race of warriors known as Shala. Her favorite authors, Anne McCaffrey, Robert
Jordan, and Orson Scott Card, have spun stories that shifted Cathy’s imagination into high gear.

The former Vice Principal and education consultant, Cathy was also a five time softball All-American, and
AAU basketball All-American. She was a member of the U.S. Women’s basketball team that played in the
World University Games in Czechoslovakia and the Pan American Games in Canada. While coaching, she
was published in the Women in Sports magazine and wrote a column for the Bellevue Journal American.

Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Cathy moved to Lexington, Kentucky in 2003. The former coach
enjoys supporting the Kentucky Wildcats women’s basketball team, woodturning, lapidary arts, and
loves fishing on her pontoon boat. A special joy is playing with David, Charlotte, Kendall, Lily, and Liz.


Purchase link for 'Dark Shala'

Purchase link for 'The Eyes of Sandala'

Purchase link for 'King of the Fels'

Friday Favorites & A Funny...

Woohoo, it's Friday! I love me some Fridays.

Okay, so I have a couple of announcements before the hilarity ensues.

First, as I write this post, the Smashwords page for my book has 49 'Likes'. A HUGE thank you to all who have helped me spread the word with this!

Second, "Adversarius, Shadow of the Rose: Book One" is NOW available in PAPERBACK on Amazon!!!!

::Cheers and does the happy dance::

I'm very surprised. I was hoping it would be available this month, but with some formatting issues, I was thinking it would be later. But nope, nope, nope! It's here!

I'd love it if you would all help me spread the word on that.

And thanks to all of you for your support and encouragement. I can't begin to express how much it means to me!

And now, on to the funnies!








And there you have it. Thought I'd make up for some lost funnies. Have an awesome weekend!

What's Coming Next?...

Hey everyone! Hope you are all having a good week. So far, so good on my end.

During all the hub-bub of the end of the A to Z challenge, a couple things happened. One was on my blog, the other was over at Patrick Satters' blog.

On my blog, I had a guest post and lots of book information for a gentleman named Andrew Toy, author of "Man in the Box". You can find that post here.

Over at Patrick Satters's blog, yours truly was interview. And someone even asked a question. And now that I look at my answer, I feel like an idiot. But hey, have to give me a bit of a break, never had a blog reader ask me a question in the comments before. So, wooooo hoooo! You can find the interview, here.

I had signed up with Tomorrow Comes Media. You'll be seeing their button appearing soon, as soon as I put up my A to Z Survivor badge as well. But they do book tours for authors and the like. I signed up with them to help spread the word of some of their authors, so Andrew Toy was one.




Monday, May 13th , I will have another author, Cathy Benedetto, drop by. She's the author of "The King of the Fels", "Eyes of Sandala" and "Dark Shala".






Wednesday, May 15th , I'll be posting up a review of "Chain of Command" by author Colby Marshall.



I've also started something on FaceBook and Twitter. I've told people that if my Smashwords page for my book gets over 200 likes, I'll be giving my book away for free for 2 days. Please help spread the word! Thanks! So that's what I have lined up so far. And don't forget to drop by on Friday for my usual Favorites and Funnies. You guys must love those funnies!