M.C. Lavocat's Blog, page 2

A little existentialist humor to brighten up your day...

Well said, Neitzsche. Well said.

The Fall of a Grammar Nazi

It is with a sad heart and a feeble mind that I am writing this post. Today, I am voluntarily relinquishing the title of Grammar Nazi after many glorious years of unashamedly bashing the many, MANY, people who horribly abuse the English language.  


You might wonder why would I denounce my lofty perch at the top of the grammar learning curve. The answer, although painfully humiliating, is very simple...

I am not worthy of the title Grammar Nazi.

I am barely worthy of the title Blubbering Idiot at this point. You may all mock me at your leisure.

~*~I do have a serious reason for publishing this post. I have updated the Kindle version of my book, Control, after finding several inexcusable errors. If you have bought a copy, please delete it from your Kindle and go to the Amazon webpage  to replace it with the current edition (4th Edition). To do this, you must choose the option to Manage Your Kindle, and download the new copy from that menu.~*~

Please feel free to message me with any questions or concerns.

Thank You,

MC

All of the Cool Kids Got a Free Copy of My Book, Where's Yours?

I'm cool, are you? Not everybody can be cool, but you can up your chances during the next twenty-four hours...

Well, it's actually more like twenty-six and a half hours if you want to be nit-picky, but that wouldn't be cool, so just go with the twenty-four hours thing; it has a much better flow. 

The Plan: 

The first fifteen people who send me an email request, will get a brand-spankin' new Kindle edition of my Paranormal Romance entitled, Control. It is the first book in the Soul of Voodoo series. Control is funny, sexy, and romantic; with characters that will make you laugh, cry, and bring you to the edge of your seat. Take a sneak peak here on my blog, or read the first ten percent on Goodreads!

In the rush to be cool, don't forget to email me at mclavocat.voodoo@gmail.com for your free Kindle edition!!

Caveat Emptor

How is that for a dramatic title, huh?

You might be wondering why an author on her own book blog might entitle a post Caveat Emptor, or Buyer Beware. Aside from the obvious attention seeking behavior, I want to share some of my thoughts about the book, Control. Buyer Beware might be a little harsh, I guess. How about, Buyer Be Aware? That still might be a little harsh, oh well, screw it...you get the idea.

Let me say right away, Control is not like other Paranormal Romance novels. You are not going to be given a crash course on New Orleans voodoo while you watch the main characters muddle through magical mishaps, fight deadly enemies with mad jujitsu skills, or fall madly in love because they have great sex. Sorry to disappoint...no, actually I'm not.

Don't get me wrong, all of that stuff will happen, just not immediately, and not in that order. Sometimes I feel like I don't get to know the characters I'm reading about because I only get to see them in action. It feels one-dimensional; but I want my characters to have character. I want to be able to care what happens to the characters in a story, not just read the words on a page. I want to have to remind myself that they are, in fact, fictional.

A great deal of this depends upon the author's writing style, for me anyway. If I cannot connect with the style of the writer, then I won't be able to connect with the characters, thus my level of enjoyment is limited. That makes sense, right? That is probably why some people may love an author while others vehemently hate every word they write.

So, here is the deal...I like to read and write about things that make me laugh, even in serious moments. I love action, interactions, and drama. However, I want to see more than man vs. man, or man vs. nature; I want to see more plot lines featuring man vs. self. So sue me, I like existentialism. Stay with me, don't run screaming just yet. Existentialism doesn't always have to be like Moby Dick or Jean Paul Sarte. I just want to see my characters dig in a little deeper, struggle with what is inside as well as out.

Let me be clear, I am not trying to sell you on some grandiose idea of a Paranormal Romance that will be delving into deep existential or philosophical concepts. In actuality, I probably used more humor than is most often found in a Paranormal book. I tried to make my characters very modern; therefore, the speech, dialogue, and perceptions are modern as well. The biggest difference between Control and other books in this genre is that the paranormal aspect of the story develops along with the characters. It is meant to be a gradual development that culminates into something wholly unexpected...at least I hope it does, anyway. :)

Don't worry, there is plenty of hot, steamy, sex...

So...if this sounds intriguing to you, then you are very likely a gifted and talented person, who appreciates things that are unique and original. You are also my new BFF, whether you know it or not. Take a peek at this chapter excerpt to get a sense of my writing style, and hopefully I'll see you around!

Okay, this is depressing...

Okay people, let's try this again...I did not have ONE single person email me for a chance to win a copy of my ebook. I spent a good bit of time considering this last night, as I watched the clock tick slowly toward midnight. Since this is my virgin voyage as a self-published writer, I am naturally curious and anxious about what my readers will think. But, the sad results of my little contest have brought to my attention a plethora of emotions that I wasn't ready to acknowledge and I will never be comfortable experiencing: insecurity, frustration, cluelessness, neediness, and (by far the worst) a touch of depression.

Is it the quality of my writing?

I'm fairly sure it has been edited as tightly as possible, all random ramblings were thoroughly hacked. God, I hope it isn't the grammar, please say it's not the grammar! I've been a Grammar Nazi for more years than I can count; it would truly suck to find out that I have corrected incorrectly, or even incorrectly corrected, this whole time.

Is it the quality of the story?

I guess it could be, but how do you know if the story sucks unless you read it? Maybe it just doesn't sound fresh or appealing. Hmmmm, that's a thought...a shitty one, but a thought nonetheless.

Is it the blurb?

That sounds likely. I'm a voracious reader, I know how important the synopsis is to attracting readers. I have to admit that writing the blurb was much harder than writing the actual book, I worked for hours on those few piddly paragraphs and I still don't think they describe the book accurately. Hey, I have an idea! Read the book and then rewrite the blurb for me, if I like it, I will publish it and give you credit! Succumb to the ego stroke...succumb to the ego stroke...you could do a much better job than I did...prove it to me...prove it to everyone...

Is it the value of the prize?

The book is priced at a meager $0.99; so winning a free copy is not exactly going to help anyone stave off bankruptcy, or see anyone run out to Vegas because they want to try out their new lucky streak, but it is several hours of free entertainment in a world where nothing is free! Damn people, that has to count for something!

The fact is, I don't know why not one single person could be bothered to send one freakin' email, but I'm not a quitter...and there are six more days of this stinkin' contest so send me a freakin' email and win a freakin' copy of my book so you can let me know how freakin' awesome it is!

Or not. But I would rather the awesome thing...

Kindle Ebook Giveaway...

Click on the link for details and to enter the contest!

http://soulofvoodoo.wordpress.com/201...

Buy 'Control' for only $0.99!

Control, the first book in my series, The Soul of Voodoo, is only $0.99 for a limited time!

It's my first book release and I would love to hear what you think!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BQEUPKE


Check it out!!