Chrys Fey's Blog, page 55

Hot Pink in the City Release + Giveaway

Title: HOT PINK IN THE CITYAuthor: Medeia SharifPublisher: Prizm Books/Torquere Press,  Release Date: August 19, 2015 (TODAY!)Format: Ebook
Purchase from:  Prizm, Amazon(vendor links will be updated on the author's site)
BLURB:
Asma Bashir wants two things: a summer fling and her favorite '80s songs. During a trip to New York City to stay with relatives, she messes up in her pursuit of both. She loses track of the hunk she met on her airplane ride, and she does the most terrible thing she could possibly do to her strict uncle... ruin his most prized possession, a rare cassette tape.
A wild goose chase around Manhattan and Brooklyn to find a replacement tape yields many adventures -- blackmail, theft, a chance to be a TV star, and so much more. Amid all this turmoil, Asma just might be able to find her crush in the busiest, most exciting city in the world.

Find Medeia – YA and MG Author
Blog   |   Twitter   |   Goodreads   |   Instagram   |   Amazon

Enter the HPITC book blast giveaway!
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How to Set Up a Blog Tour

You should plan your blog tour the moment you know the release date for your book. Heck, start planning it when you’re editing with your editor. You can’t really start too soon, and the sooner you start, the less you’ll have to do and worry about later.
You can sign up with a blog tour for a price, but if you can’t afford that, you can do it yourself. This post is full of advice for authors wanting to do their own blog tour.
Image from Flickr
First, you’ll need to find blogs in your niche to contact. You can find these blogs in a few ways:
1. Look at the blogs you already follow. Chances are many of them host authors and accept guest posts. Find an email address and send the blogger a kind inquiry about being a guest.
2. You can check out the top 50 ranking book blogs here: Blog Metrics
3. Check out this website: Book Blogger Directoryfor another list of book blogs. You can even search under specific categories.
4. Pay attention to other author blog tours. Sometimes there are lists of blogs the author will be going to next. Check them out to see if the audience is right for your book.
5. Set up a sign up form with Google Form and make an announcement on your blog politely asking if bloggers would like to help you out with your blog tour.
I did this for the first time with 30 Seconds and I got a great response. I got an even better response for my double duty tour for Ghost of Death and Witch of Death. (Thanks again to those who signed up!)
Image from Pixabay
As you look at blogs, make sure you check a couple of things:
1. Is the blog current? If the blogger hasn’t posted in a year that blog will not be worth contacting.
2. Check the number of followers. The more followers they have, the more chances you have of your book being seen. But that doesn’t mean a blog with 100-200 followers isn’t worthy. I have about 260 followers and my guests always get a nice amount of attention. (Thanks for that everyone!)
3. Do the guest posts receive comments and shares on Google +, Facebook, and Twitter? If there isn’t so much as one comment or share, it’s not worth it. 5-10 comments and shares (or more) is a good sign.
Once you find potential blogs, make a list of the blog’s name, URL, the blogger’s email address, and what type of guest posts they accept.
About two months before your release date start emailing them. When they reply back and agree to host you, schedule a date for when you can appear on their blog and establish which type of guest post they want (author interview, etc.).

TIP #1: Make each post unique. Don’t just have everyone post the blurb and excerpt. Add a Tens List or a small paragraph on a subject that relates to you, your writing, your book, or your characters.

Create your posts/complete the interviews, and send them to the bloggers with your author photo, cover art, and media kit 1-3 weeks ahead of time.

TIP #2: I like to include HTML codes of a complete post so the blogger doesn’t have to do extra work.

Image from Wikimedia
HMTL:
Set up your guest post on your blog with the pictures and links you want used. Then get the HTML code. If you use Blogger, just click “HTML” above your post. Then copy the entire code and paste it in the file you will be sending to the bloggers hosting you.

TIP #3:Make sure to get the new code for every guest post you create.

Many bloggers don’t know what to do with the HTML code, but it’s easy. Again, if you’re using Blogger there are two buttons at the top of a new post. These buttons are “Compose” and “HTML.” Click “HTML”, paste in the code, and then click “compose” to make sure everything looks okay. Then schedule the post as you normally would.
Image from Flickr

TIP #4: Giveaways attract more people. You can create a Rafflecopter giveaway with some swag. Try not to offer a free copy of your book though, because during your blog tour you want sales.

Here is a list of 10 good blogs who accept guests:
1. Alex J Cavanaugh 2. Alicia Dean3. Book Beat Babes4. Heroines with Hearts5. Wild Wild Women (Character Interviews)6. The Snarkology7. Life’s a Beach!8. Romance Book Worm9. Sia McKye10. Medeia Sharif

TIP:Add your blog tour links to StumbleUpon under the “Books” Category and share them on social media. But don’t bombard your followers. Share only the best posts (character interviews and things you think readers will find especially interesting).

QUESTION: Authors: How do you do your blog tour?

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Giveaway for a $10 Amazon eGift Card when you sign up for my newsletter!

Follow this link to a sign up form: Chrys' Chronicles Sign up Form

a Rafflecopter giveaway



You can also invite someone to sign up for my newsletter to get extra points. You can do this once a day to the end of the giveaway, but I will be checking to make sure your friend really did sign up.
*Make sure to check for the confirmation email! :)


Thanks!

Author Interview with Elizabeth Varadan / Middle Grade Mystery

I'm over at Unicorn Bell today with....Dear Writer Not Writing
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Please welcome the wonderful Elizabeth Varadan! She is answering questions about Imogene and the Case of the Missing Pearls, a Middle Grade book featuring Sherlock Holmes!

Please tell us about your current release.             Ten-year-old Imogene, the daughter of a banker, harbors a secret desire to become a detective – an unseemly notion for a Victorian girl. A day after her obnoxious step-cousins pay a visit, her mother's pearls go missing. When Sherlock Holmes is called in, Imogene sees her chance to learn from the great Mr. Holmes. She hangs around asking questions until Holmes decides to make her his assistant, telling her to list things that seem suspicious.
Rusty, a mudlark and Mr. Holmes’s messenger, brings a message from Mr. Holmes’s message to the kitchen doorway. Rusty and Imogene become friends, teaming up as sleuths to find the missing pearls. But Imogene is headstrong. When she takes matters into her own hands, soon her life is in danger.
Title: Imogene and the Case of the Missing PearlsAuthor: Elizabeth VaradenGenre: Middle Grade MysteryPublisher: MX PublishingRelease Date: June 15, 2015
 Books Links:The Strand Magazine / Amazon USA / Amazon UK / Waterstones UKFree shipping worldwide: Book Depository.E-book format: Kindle / Kobo.It will also soon be available on iTunes.

1. What inspired you to write this book?
My husband and I are both fans of the Sherlock Holmes stories and novels. I’ve also enjoyed several of the “pastiches” that abound, mysteries that use the characters of Holmes and Watson, and even Mrs. Hudson, the housekeeper. When I had a chance to visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum in London a few years back, it occurred to me that it would be fun to write a story of my own about Sherlock. I didn’t think much about it after that, as I had other works in progress. But then it occurred to me it would be fun to write a story about a young Victorian girl becoming friends with Mr. Holmes. After that, the idea just grew into a mystery – I suppose because any story involving Sherlock would have to be a mystery. So then it became a matter of what kind of mystery? It would have to be an inside job, as Victorian girls weren’t allowed to go anywhere on their own to explore anything without a chaperone. Once I had that rough setting, it was a matter of researching the era and having fun with the plot and characters.
2. I love that your young character learns from Sherlock Holmes. Is this book part of a series?
I do have at least two sequels planned.
3. That's great! Did you do special research for Imogene and the Case of the Missing Pearls?
Oh, for sure. Tons of research. I visited sites, wrote letters, studied train timetables of the year in question, perused maps. But I love research, so it was part of the enjoyment of writing this book. And now I have all that information for the sequels.
4. How did you come up with the names for your characters?
Well, Imogene came from my own ten-year-old yearnings to be Nancy Drew and the name I picked for my fantasized detective self. Rusty’s name seemed a natural, once I had described him as “ginger haired” (the British description of red hair).
5.What is Imogene's biggest weakness?
She’s pretty headstrong, once she gets an idea into her head. And Sherlock also has to remind her that a good detective never lets emotion cloud judgment.

6. What are a few things we would find in or on your desk? 
You’d be lucky to find anything in my desk. It’s usually a real mess of dictionaries, pens, post-it notes stuck all along the edge of the shelf, cards, stacks of notebooks. But – I know where everything is.
7. Sounds like a writer's desk. ;) Can you tell us about your journey to publication?
I did self-publish an earlier book, a middle grade fantasy called, The Fourth Wish. But I wanted a traditional publisher for this one. And, in the United States, you have to get permission from the Doyle Estate to use the characters of Holmes and Watson, as the copyright hasn’t run out in America. The lawyer for the estate in America is Jon Lellenberg, and he was very helpful at every turn. He actually suggested MX Publisher, as they focus on Sherlock Holmes related books.
8. That was very nice of Jon! What is the silliest thing you ever did while writing a story? 
I was writing a mystery for adults that involved a woman being kidnapped and held hostage in a cabin in the mountains. To figure out how to describe her escape via a window, I climbed out of the window of a duplex my husband and I were living in at the time – several times! We were new in the neighborhood, and I was thankful that everyone in that little cul-de-sac seemed to work during the day so that no one could report me to the police.
9. Your advice to new writers?
There is no substitute for the  magic of rewriting, rewriting, and rewriting. A knack for storytelling is just the beginning. You have to keep polishing and refining your work until you get it right.
10. Rewriting is necessary and important. Tell us about your writing process. 
Hmm. It’s really a hodge-podge. Sometimes I’m a panster; sometimes I outline, but that’s often after the book has been written and I’m re-writing. Then I outline what happened the first time around to see where the holes are; sometimes I just scribble down ideas and then put them in a file to look at later.


BIO: 
Elizabeth Varadan is a former elementary school teacher. She taught most elementary grades, but her favorites were the middle grades, and she now writes middle grade fiction. She and her husband live in Midtown Sacramento, California, a beautiful tree-lined neighborhood with bookshops and art stores nearby. Her children’s fiction and poetry have appeared in Ladybug, Friends, and Skipping Stones Magazine. Her adult flash fiction has appeared in several online and print magazines, and her poetry has been anthologized in Vine Leaves Journal and The Stray Branch. 

Author Links: 
Victorian Scribbles: http://victorianscribbles.blogspot.com
Elizabeth Varadan’s Fourth Wish:http://elizabethvaradansfourthwish.blogspot.com
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethVaradanAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/4thWishVaradan
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard


Thank you Elizabeth for telling us about Imogene!
Please leave a comment for Elizabeth! :)

A Little Murder (Flash Fiction)

I'm over at Unicorn Bell today with....Dear Scrambling Writer
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A Little Murder
By
Chrys Fey
Charm climbed out the shattered window. Shards of glass stuck up out of the dirt like weeds. She carefully set her feet on the ground then took off running. Behind her, she could hear her stepfather’s screams. The rickety door to their falling down house flew open, banged against the wall, and clattered back against the doorframe. He was coming after her with a gun in his hand, the same gun he used to kill her mother with moments before. He hadn’t known she was there, standing in the hallway as they fought.
Her stepfather was mad-drunk at three in the afternoon. When that happened, her mother usually got bruises blooming purples and yellows on her body. This fight started when her mother bravely announced she was leaving him. Her bravery got her killed. Now Charm had to fend for herself.
Her small feet carried her though the woods as she cried for her mother. Sticks stabbed her heels and pine cones pricked her toes, drawing blood. She threw her petite body into palm bushes, their teeth ripped at her arms and legs, but her fright was so strong it hid the pain. She followed a skinny path covered with pine needles through the Florida wilderness.


“Get back here, you little bitch,” her stepfather hollered. The sound of his large, beer-padded body sounded like a giant T-Rex. His shouts and curses followed Charm deeper and deeper.
She came out of the woods into a clearing for the Anderson home. Charm knew they were gone for the summer. She snatched the rusted key out from under the welcome mat and locked herself inside. She didn’t even allow herself to take a breath. She ran into the kitchen to find a weapon. If her stepfather was as dumb as a tapeworm, he would stumble on by the Anderson home, but she didn’t take much stock in that luxurious thought.
The Anderson kitchen had ancient linoleum on the floor, sickly-yellow counters, and a scratched table that still had pieces of the Andersons’ last meal there. It was a definite step up from her home.
She tugged open a kitchen drawer. Cockroaches scattered. She grabbed the biggest knife and hurried into the bedroom where she slid under the bed to join a horde of dust bunnies. Hitchhikers clung to her dress and poked her skin. She clutched the butcher knife to her chest.
Size eleven boots staggered up the front steps of the Anderson home. The sound of the door breaking open made her jump. “I know you’re in here! I’m going to kill you like I killed your mother.”
Chills danced along Charm’s spine. Her stepfather’s footsteps moved through the cabin to her hiding place. She couldn’t see him, but she knew he was in the room with her. She held her breath. Large hands roped around her ankles. She let out a scream as he yanked her out from under the bed. He pulled her between his legs and fumbled with the gun. She didn’t think twice when she plunged the knife into his chest. When he fell to the ground, she was cemented to the floor, panting for breath fear kept stealing from her lungs.
When her stepfather didn’t move, she realized he was dead. She stood over him as relief flooded her three-foot-tall body. Surely, no one would convict a six-year-old of murder. © 


                                                         THE END
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Follow this link to a sign up form: Chrys' Chronicles Sign up Form

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You can also invite someone to sign up for my newsletter to get extra points. You can do this once a day to the end of the giveaway, but I will be checking to make sure your friend really did sign up.
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Thanks!

Writing About: A Corpse

I'm over at Unicorn Bell today with.... Dear Confused Facebook Author
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Don’t worry, I’m not going to get too graphic here, but as a writer of thrillers I’ve written about many corpses, most of them are at crime scenes, but also in a coroner’s office or other places.
In the past, I have shared posts about Crime Scenes and Murder, but this is the first time I’m focusing solely on a body.
You don’t have to get too descriptive if you don’t want to, but I advise you to consider revealing certain details such as:

1.    Gender
Is the corpse a male or female? This is extremely important to mention just as you would let your readers know the sex of your other characters.
2.    Clothing.
Sharing what the corpse is wearing gives a complete picture for the reader and can even provide details about how the person died. For example: If someone is attacked by a dog or wild animal, his/her clothes will be shredded. But what the corpse is wearing, or not wearing, is also significant as someone who dies in the shower or tub would be naked. Or maybe the corpse is in a bridal gown or tux.
TIP #1: Include other details such as hair and skin color, even height and weight, if possible.
3.    Position
In my short story, Witch of Death, the corpses’ positions are bizarre. Not only are their faces contorted and their arms and legs wrenched in odd angles, but...oh, I can’t tell you! I guess you’ll just have to read it to find out. ;)
TIP #2: The position of the corpse(s) in your story will depend on the manner of his/her death.

4.    Location
Of course you should tell your readers where the corpse is. This should be mentioned well before even the gender of the corpse as we need to know where your MC is when he/she sees this corpse. Is it at a crime scene or in the morgue? If it’s at a crime scene, where is the scene? (A house, in the woods, or an alley?) Describe this setting as you should describe every other setting to give your readers a clear image.
5.    Death
Consider how the person died and let that influence what the corpse (as well as the surroundings) looks like. If the person was shot, there should be a hole in the body, a spray of blood on the wall or ground, and blood-soaked clothes. If his/her neck was cut, the corpse would have a slit across its throat. Has the corpse been in water? The body would then be bloated and waterlogged with black veins. Has the person been dead a long time? If so, certain things like maggots and decomposition come into play.
TIP #3: Do some research and ask someone who works in the medical field to read your scene for accuracy.

QUESTION: Just like I tend to find myself writing about corpses a lot, what do you find yourself frequently writing about?


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NOTE: The signup form I had up during IWSG Day didn't work. :( I had to manually add emails of those people who entered the giveaway and mentioned in the comments that he/she signed up. There's only one person I wasn't able to add, and a handful I'm not sure signed up or not. So if you did sign up, but didn't enter the giveaway or mention in a comment that you signed up, please fill out the form again. Thanks! Chrys' Chronicles Sign up Form
Giveaway for a $10 Amazon eGift Card!
a Rafflecopter giveaway



Follow this link to a sign up form: Chrys' Chronicles Sign up Form
You can also invite someone to sign up for my newsletter to get extra points. You can do this once a day to the end of the giveaway, but I will be checking to make sure your friend really did sign up.
*Make sure to check for the confirmation email! :)


Thanks!

Newsletter Launch Insecurity / IWSG + Giveaway

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is a safe place for insecure writers of all kinds.Sign up here: Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group

Happy IWSG Day! :)
I am co-hosting today and thrilled to be able to bring you something a little extra....

I have decided to start a monthly newsletter. This decision wasn't an easy one. I hear all the time that authors should have one BUT I don't have as many readers as some of you do, so I've been waiting for a good time to start one. I think that time is now. I have four eBooks published (all short stories/novellas) and I hope to be coming out with my first print book next year. So why not now?

The only thing is I'm afraid no one will sign up because, as I said, I don't have that many readers. So I am going to bribe you to sign up. Yes, really. :P Everyone who signs up between now and September 28th will be eligible to win a $10 Amazon eGift card.

In my newsletter you'll find writing tips, tidbits about my books/characters, special excerpts, and even an occasional recipe. Plus much more! Each one will be different and it won't be all about me. It'll be about YOU.



All you have to do is sign up:


First Name Last Name *Email Address



In case that doesn't work, follow this link to a sign up form: Chrys' Chronicles Sign up Form


Now enter the giveaway here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You can also invite someone to sign up for my newsletter to get extra points. You can do this once a day to the end of the giveaway, but I will be checking to make sure your friend really did sign up.

*Make sure to check for the confirmation email! :)


THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!


QUESTIONS: Do you have a newsletter? Why or why not?

Preparing for Release Day + August Question of the Month

Preparing for the release of your book can be stressful. I’m going to give you a small checklist to help you prepare the best you can:
1. Create a Goodreads page for your book.
You’ll need to already have an account on Goodreads to do this. Here is the link with the form you have to fill out in order to create a page for your book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/new
You’ll need to know the ISBN or ASIN number, release date, and number of pages. It’s always a good idea to include the blurb in the description. But you don’t need the cover to create the page. You can always add the cover later.
2. Create a Goodreads Author profile.
If you’re already signed up with Goodreads you’re halfway there. All you have to do is search for your author name, which is located under the book you just added, click on it, scroll down, and then click “Is this you?” Doing this will send a request. Once your request is accepted, your profile will be upgraded to an author profile.
For more info on this go here: http://www.goodreads.com/author/program

3. Tell everyone you know about your book and let them know they can add it to their TBR list on Goodreads.
4. Create an Amazon author page. If you plan on selling your books on Amazon, and you’d be crazy not to, it would be wise to add an author page for readers to learn more about you. You will need to sign up for Author Central in order to create an author page. Add as much information about yourself as you can such as your bio, picture, and blog.
For more information go here: https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/help
5. Either your publisher will add your book to Amazon for you, or you will if you self-publish, either way make sure to include everything about your book as possible such as the blurb, your bio, interesting tidbits about the story in the “From the Author” section, and reviews from credible sources.

6. Plan your blog tour the moment you know the release date for your book. You’ll need to find blogs in your niche to contact. Make a list of the blog’s name, URL, the blogger’s email address, and what type of guest posts they accept. Keep this for later!
Stay tuned for my post next Monday: BLOG TOURS
7. Create buzz!
On your blog, share short excerpts of your book and create posts fashioned toward your book’s themes. For example: My story Witch of Death is of course about witches, so I wrote a post about witches tailored toward writers.
On Facebook and/or Twitter, share interesting tidbits (How you got the idea for your book, 5 facts about your hero/heroine, talk about the setting/time period, etc.) Get creative!
8. Set up an event on Goodreads about a week before your release date.
On your GR Author Page, scroll down and click “Add an Event” in the “Upcoming Events” section just above your recent updates. Fill in all the information. Include the blurb for your book and the buy links. Choose the date for your event, which should be the actual date of your release. Pick a title. For Example “30 Seconds Is Coming!” Then set a reminder for the day before and invite every one of your friends on Goodreads.

9. You can also create an event on Facebook and invite everyone you know. The important thing is to be present that day, share fun tidbits, ask questions, offer giveaways, and have guests.
See: Creating an Author Facebook Page
10. When release day comes, make the announcement EVERYWHERE! Post a status on Facebook, send out a tweet, publish a blog post, email your Yahoo loops, and ask your friends to do the same.

TIP: You can also do a Thunderclap Campaign which will allow 100+ people to spread the word about your book on their favorite social media source the day your book is released. Start this at least one month before the big day and ask everyone you know (everywhere) to give you a hand with it.

Best of luck!


QUESTION: Authors: How do you prepare for release day?
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To join this monthly blog hop visit Michael G D'Agostino's blog.

August Question of the Month: 
If your parent or child committed a major crime, would you turn them in?

That is a tough question. I’m not sure anyone would truly know what they’d do in a situation like that unless they were in it, and even then you probably wouldn’t know. It would also depend on the “major” crime. If it were murder, I like to think I’d do the right, but if it were something else like grand theft auto or drug trafficking, I think I would try to talk my loved one out of doing it. For the sake of a fun answer though, let’s say that I would help my loved one cover up his/her crime and we’d go into hiding together. ;P

See you on Wednesday for IWSG day. I'm co-hosting! :)

Review for Gabriel (Path of Angels - Book 4) by Patricia Josephine

Blurb:
The end is in sight.
To stop Uriel from freeing Lucifer, Gabriel and his brothers must fall and go to Hell. It is a sacrifice Gabriel is not entirely ready to make. Will he fight alongside his brothers or forge his own path? There is only one choice.
Alexander doesn’t want to help Uriel nor does he trust him, but the angel has promised him a better life. He swore to protect Charlie, and he’ll do whatever it takes. When he meets the archangels and learns the depth of Uriel’s lies, he understands the true meaning of sacrifice. If there’s any hope of stopping Lucifer from being freed, Alexander, Charlie, Zephyr and Lake will have to get to Hell and help Gabriel and his brothers in the fight against Uriel.
The path is finally ending, but the price may be too high.
Book Links: Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW:
In this last installment of the Path of Angels series we have Gabriel's story. In the previous stories, Michael, Zadekiel, and Jophiel found love and fell from grace. The last brother left to fall, so they can battle Uriel and stop him from setting Lucifer free, is Gabriel. Gabriel's anger over being chosen, over his set path, and even in God is refreshing. But it is his anger that could be his downfall.
One thing I found interesting about Gabe (other than his anger) was the secrecy behind his divine gift or "weapon." All of his brothers have angelic gifts and weapons that they use when they fight Fallen, but we never so much as glimpsed what Gabe's could be. Until now. Another thing that held my interest were these nagging questions: what type of person would steal Gabe's heart? Who would he fall in love with? Well...not one but two! Which makes perfect sense.
This story also combines a sweet romance between Alexander Cook and Charlie, a girl who doesn't talk. Their relationship is super cute. I loved how Patricia Josephine used facial expressions and body language as Charlie's way to communicate. She was truly a lovely character with her silence, sparkling eyes, and blushing cheeks.
As Gabe and his brothers try to complete their destiny, there is blood shed, shocking turns, and new secrets. And I loved how all of the minor characters (not so minor in my eyes!) had bigger purposes.
Angels, love, and sacrifice. Hell, death, and pain. This story has it all! And it is my favorite one of the series. :)
Note: All of these stories contain love in one form or another: M/M, M/F, even M/M/F.
5 Stars!

About the Author:
Patricia Josephine never set out to become a writer. In fact, she never considered it an option during high school and college. She was all about art. On a whim, she wrote down a story bouncing in her head. That was the start of it and she hasn't regretted a moment. She writes young adult under the name Patricia Lynne.
Patricia lives with her husband in Michigan, hopes one day to have what will resemble a small petting zoo, has a fondness for dying her hair the colors of the rainbow, and an obsession with Doctor Who.
Alexander doesn’t want to help Uriel nor does he trust him, but the angel has promised him a better life. He swore to protect Charlie, and he’ll do whatever it takes. When he meets the archangels and learns the depth of Uriel’s lies, he understands the true meaning of sacrifice. If there’s any hope of stopping Lucifer from being freed, Alexander, Charlie, Zephyr and Lake will have to get to Hell and help Gabriel and his brothers in the fight against Uriel.
The path is finally ending, but the price may be too high.
Author Links:Twitter / Website / Google + / Wattpad / Goodreads Path of Angels

QUESTIONS: Have you read this series? Do you like angels? 

Writing About: Summer

Summer is the season of fun, vacations, and weddings, which makes it the perfect season for romance books or stories about family. Here are 10 things that make Summer unique that you can use in your story:
1. Hot Temps
Summer is the season of sun and heat. The temps rise to especially in the Southern states in the United States, and the islands below Florida. Show the effect the hot temperatures have on your characters. Let your character sweat, stand in front of a fan, use ice cubes on their hot skin, down iced tea/water/lemonade, and wear shorts and tank tops.
2. Thunderstorms
In the summer, thunderstorms are popular and frequent. They rumble in in the afternoon and stick around for the rest of the day while dropping heavy downpours of rain and slashing the sky with angry lightning. A well placed thunderstorm could add suspense to a thriller or romance to a romance.
Image from Flickr3. Summer Fun
Let your characters have a little fun! When you complicate their lives with whatever action, suspense, and hardships you throw at them, I believe you should also let them have a few moments of normalcy and fun. You can add a light moment into any story.

Summer Fun: camping, bon fires, BBQs, beach trips, and water sports like jet skiing, fishing, boat trips.

4. Holidays
To give your character a reprieve, take advantage of the holidays. Places that experience their summers at different times will have different holidays happening. 

Below are two major American summer holidays:

4th of July – fireworks, picnics, patriotism, family time, sun and sand.

Labor Day – veterans, BBQs.

5. Food and Drinks
Add something special to your story by letting your characters enjoy the food that are in season and drinks that quench thirst.

Food – watermelon, corn on the cob, burgers, lobster, crabs, shell fish, BBQ ribs, cold salad, fruit salad, frozen yogurt, and ice cream.

Drinks - cold coke, lemonade, iced-tea, Kool-aid, and water.

Image from Wikipedia6. Wedding Season
June is the time for weddings, so writing a romance set during the summer is a smart idea because you’ll be able to write your characters’ wedding.

See: Writing About: A Wedding for more wedding tips.

In the summer, outdoor and beach weddings are big. If your character get married outdoors, give details to the wind, the sun and the heat, the smell of the ocean or flowers, the feel of grass or sand beneath their feet as they walk across the lawn or beach to the altar.
7. Summer Break
If your main character has children, they will be out of school in America. Stay-at-home moms will have to keep their kids entertained. My mom would bring us to the library and do arts-and-crafts with us. Just as with the winter break, this could put a hitch in a budding romance for single parents. And this could be fun for a story with a bit of humor. Working parents would probably utilize babysitters, though.
8. Clothing
Summer is the time for cotton, light-weight clothing, and bright colors such a yellow, orange, and hot pink. Have your characters dress accordingly with sundresses, bikinis, swim trunks/board shorts, shorts, tank tops, and flip flops.
Image from Wikimedia9. Family Vacation
A vacation is perfect for a family-orientated story. They can go anywhere. Make sure yo describe their vacation as you would any other event in your story. What do your characters do and see? Are these glitches such as lost luggage, a flat tire, track, or illnesses? Aside from the bad, detail the good (their fun and laughter) and the moments they’ll likely remember long after summer is over.

See: Writing About: Florida if your fictional family takes a trip to Florida and it’s many amusement parks.

10. Daylight-Saving Time (US)
In the summer, the days are longer and the nights are shorter. Now the sun will be setting around 7:30 Eastern Standard Time. Make sure to use this fact while writing your story. In the summer, it’s usually still bright out at 8:00pm in Florida.

QUESTIONS: What do you love about summer time? What do you hate?I love the 4th of July and hate how hot it can get here in Florida.

Reader Interview with Sherry Fundin

When it was time for me to find another reader to interview, I immediately thought of Sherry. She recently reviewed both of my short stories Ghost of Death and Witch of Death for me. I enjoyed her thoughts on my stories and characters. Reading her reviews is like hearing a good friend telling you about a book she read. So please welcome Sherry to Write with Fey!


1. Tell us about fundinmental.
I started blogging in June of 2012. My sister, Laura at fuonlyknew turned me on to Goodreads and I started my blog shortly thereafter and have never looked back. I also like to post about my adventures, some near and some far from home. I like to share videos, music videos and book trailers. Funny things too, I think we can never laugh enough. I have 1000+ followers on my blog. I have a lot of followers on twitter, goodreads…so I will not list them all. Check out the links in my bio blog below and you, too, may become one. J
2. Who is your favorite author and why?
Hmmm. The only way I know to answer this question is:  the one I am reading now. LOL But...I will say, if you love romantic suspense, check out Kristine Mason. She is a master storyteller. I love that her novels stand alone, even though they are part of a series and the characters pop in and out of all the books. I have read thousands and thousands of books, so to surprise me like she does is pretty hard to do. Her suspense will keep you on the edge of your seat, biting your fingernails (if you are that kind of person) and looking around to make sure no one is paying undue attention to you.
Sherry's Shelves.
3. Thanks for the tip on Kristine Mason. What book can you read over and over again?
Once upon a time, I could have answered this. Now, there are so many books out there and I want to read them all, that I rarely reread anything. So…next.
4. Next...What kinds of book covers attract you?  
I am a “cover girl”, so this is a great question. I love simple covers that convey the story inside. Anything with water or trees, vibrant colors, blood (LOL, I love murder stories) will make me pause and investigate further. Author alert:  I must confess that I am turned off by the “naked six pack”. They are everywhere and I am sure I have missed some great books because I “turned the page”. I’m just sayin’…
5. I'm turned off by bare chests on covers too. Who is your favorite fictional character?
Again with the favorites. LOL Again with my answer, the one I am reading about now. I am lucky to be able to jump in a book and lose myself in the story, getting invested in the characters quickly. I rarely find one that I cannot finish or appreciate.
6. Sorry about the favorite questions. Let's try this: Which author do you have a love/hate relationship with?
None. All I want is a good story and I am fortunate enough to choose some good books with authors who can tell a tale. It amazes me…the number of super books I found through blogging. I never would have known these authors without the Kindle, and books I have been exposed to through blogging, so kudos to the internet and Amazon for seeing the future.
Sherry's favorite reading spot.
7. Growing up, what was your favorite children’s book?
As soon as I read this, I thought of a book by John F Kennedy. But that was in my early teens. I really don’t remember a favorite children’s book, but I am familiar with all the stories so I must have read them.
8. What would you like to know about the authors you enjoy reading the most?
My first question to an author is about the cover, most of the time. Do they do them, if not, who does? How much input or control do they have over the final product. Then, I ask them about the characters. If you could be a character in your book, which would it be and why. I think that tells me a lot about the author.  I read everything – cover to cover – so when an author shares their acknowledgments, etc, it gives me more insight into their personality.

Hyper Round:
1. Ebooks or Print books?
Ebooks, very convenient.
2. Movie Adaptations: Yay or Nay?
Sure, why not?
3. Favorite reading spot?
My Patio.
4. Favorite reading snack?
Pretzels.


BIO: 
I live in the United States.
My two greatest passions are reading and photography, not necessarily in that order, and I have developed a real enjoyment for reviewing. I want to be able to share my love of books and help people when they are looking for their next book. Shortly after I started reviewing, I started my blog and I now find myself sitting at the computer, totally engrossed in what I'm doing, not realizing hours have gone by.
I am a sun and water worshiper, so it is not unusual to find me lounging around the pool, reading or piddling in the yard. I also spend a lot of time wandering around the beach, looking for photos to take. For some reason, I have this insatiable urge to be near the water. Was I a mermaid in a former life? My wonderful hubby thinks so. ^_^

Links:Blog  /  Twitter /  Facebook /  Pinterest /  Goodreads /  Bloglovin /  Google+  Amazon Review Page /  Shelfari /  LinkedIn /  You Tube /  TSU  /  Tumbler  Literary Addict /  LibraryThing  /  BookLikes

Thanks for spending some time with me Sherry!
Please leave a comment for Sherry. :)