D.E. Haggerty's Blog, page 34

Check out my fave Instagram pics for a chance to win! #Giveaway #AwesomeAmazonAuthors

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Are you ready for a fun giveaway? Well, duh. Of course, you are! Together with my writer peeps, aka #AwesomeAmazonAuthors, we’re taking Instagram by storm. Just follow us on Instagram for your chance to win. Talk about super-duper easy. In the meantime, we’re blogging our favorite Instagram pictures.

Confession time: I still have no idea what I’m doing on Instagram. When I joined, I only had slightly more knowledge of the app than Vince Vaughn in “The Internship”.

It was my brilliant idea to share some favorite Instagram pictures. *Cringes* Like many of my ‘brilliant’ ideas, I didn’t think this through, because I frankly have no idea what pictures to highlight. Not having a clue what I’m doing has never stopped me before so here we go …

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I’m including this picture because, although I may call myself a writer, I’m first and foremost a reader. By the way, the mug (Shut Up I’m reading) is no joke. I get seriously irritated when I’m disturbed when reading. You’ve been warned.

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Here my books are on display at a gala hosted here in The Hague by the American Women’s Club of The Hague. I’m always giving my books away to use as raffle items or door prizes for some charity. I grew up with this idea that I was going to ‘save the world’ – whatever that means. I went in the Army and studied law because I thought I could help people as a soldier or as a lawyer. That didn’t turn out like I expected. I struggle with the knowledge that I’m not making the world a better place with my profession. I appease this by donating to charity, whether it be my books, my time, or monetary donations.

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Ooooh – this is an exciting moment. The arrival of the paperback copies of my latest release, Fat Girl Begone! Although I don’t sell many paperback copies of my books (I’m sure that 99% of the sales are to family and friends), there’s nothing like the feeling of your own book in your hands. It makes all the struggle worth it!

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This is a fun picture of the moment I hit 40,000 words in my current manuscript. I always mark the moment I hit 40,000 words as that’s considered ‘novel-length’. I happened to be sitting on a plane on my way to visit the hubby in Istanbul when I hit the magic mark. That didn’t stop me from ordering a beer and celebrating!

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This is what my life looks like at the moment. Lots of study books and note taking! My current project is an historical romance, which means that the history geek in me is having a ball researching all there is to know about Istanbul during the Second World War. The writer in me is annoyed the first draft is still not finished.

Those are my five Instagram pictures! Follow me and my fellow #AwesomeAmazonAuthors for a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift certificate. Just think of the books you can buy with that!

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Enter the giveaway → HERE

#FollowFive #AwesomeAmazonAuthors

It’s time for another fun giveaway! Five amazing authors will be sharing five amazing pictures to showcase just how awesome following each of them on Instagram can be

Diving into history ~ Visit to Jewish Cemetery in The Hague #MondayBlogs #History

As many of you know, I’m slightly obsessed with Judaism and Jewish history. My history studies focused on modern history with a special emphasis on Nazi Germany, and it’s impossible to study that time period without diving into the history of anti-Semitism and the Jewish diaspora. My obsession has absolutely nothing to do with working down the block from the synagogue in The Hague for seven years and noticing they were always partying. (It was only years later that I discovered the parties weren’t always for Jewish festivities, but the building itself was rented out to third parties. My disappointment was profound.) I’m also currently working on an historical novel, which takes place in Istanbul during the war and deals with the escape of Jews from Nazi occupied lands through Turkey en route to Palestine.

[image error]So, yeah, I’m totally buried in Jewish history at the moment. You can imagine my excitement then, when I discovered the Jewish cemetery here in The Hague was open yesterday as part of the annual Open Monument Days. Once a year, monuments in the country open their doors to visitors for free. Many of these monuments – like the Jewish cemetery – are not usually open to the public. They often offer free guided tours as well! It’s a great opportunity to dive into history.

 

I jumped on my bike and made sure I was at the cemetery in time for the first tour. The first thing I noticed about the cemetery is that most of the grave markers are flat stones. In other Jewish cemeteries, the stones are upright. It turns out that this cemetery was started by the Portuguese Jewish community and their tradition is to lay stones flat. The Germanic Jewish community in The Hague followed this tradition, except for a few upright stones.

Our guide told us an interesting tidbit about the cemetery during the war. The cemetery is currently surrounded by a brick wall, but during the Second World War, the wall had a gate in it. One night during the war, a group broke into the cemetery to bury some Jewish persons who had died while in hiding. No one is sure who the persons are who are buried, but there are some slight mounds near the former gate where everyone assumes the men were buried. (The surrounding wall has been renovated and closed off in recent years.)

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FYI: The grave in the middle is that of Jozef Israels, a famous Dutch painter

 

I also learned about several traditions regarding Jewish burials. For example, each grave only has one person. Children are buried separately and have smaller stones.

 

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The burial stones also hold symbols containing clues about the person buried. For example, having the surname of Kohen usually indicates that one’s patrilineal ancestors were priests in the Temple of Jerusalem. In that case, the burial stone will hold two hands, with four fingers each divided into two sets of fingers. This is the symbol of a priestly blessing.

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Another symbol is a pitcher, which signifies a Levite. A Levite is a member of the tribe of Levi who were responsible for cleaning the hands of the Temple priest (a Kohen).

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It was an interesting tour despite my confusion about the Dutch word for Zionism (it’s the same word but pronounced very strangely). For once, I wasn’t the know-it-all. Really, I wasn’t.

Read an excerpt of Red Skies #survival #adventure from Thomas Konkle

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Title: Red Skies

Series: Survive, can stand alone

Author: Thomas Konkle

Genre: Survival adventure

Published: Sept 1 2017

~ Blurb ~  

In the midst of a raging storm aboard a stolen sailboat, Scott and Aiden fight for their lives on the open sea against modern day pirates, hunger, a rapidly disintegrating boat, and mother nature herself. The two desperate teens must find a way not only to survive, but to navigate back home. Their only hope is to salvage a sinking friendship and work together. Their survival depends on it.

Add to your Goodreads TBR → Here
Grab a copy!

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble 

~ Excerpt ~  

“A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor.”

Scott became less disoriented on the deck of the wave-rocked sailboat. The ringing in his ears slowly faded, and so did his last memory with his father. It felt like he hadn’t seen his dad’s face in forever. As he stared into the sheen of water coating the deck, Scott realized he was instinctively rubbing his temple. He remembered hitting his head on the metal cleat. The night storm’s winds pounded at him while he tried to stand on the teetering deck.

He fell, hard.

Scott thought about how much his dad loved the sea. He wondered how his dad would feel about the sea now, if he knew what was happening to his son and Aiden. He shook his head and tried to see through the battering wet fury of the storm, but he still couldn’t find Aiden.

Scott stood back up and lashed the wheel that controlled the rudder into a fixed position. Slowly, he walked along the edge of the sailboat’s deck, trying to catch a glimpse of Aiden anywhere near the place where the waves had taken him.

The straining sailboat lunged into the cresting waves, nearly taking Scott off his feet again. This time if he fell, it would be into the dark rolling ocean. There was some room to walk along the top deck, in front of the top of the cabin. He stepped onto the path that led to the front railing, where he had seen Aiden knocked off near the bow.

“Aiden! Are you still here?” Scott cried out over the sounds of rough waves, wind, and the creaking of the boat around him. Nothing.

Scott wondered why he had ever let Aiden talk him into taking the boat out. His panic churned over and over like the sea below him. As Scott headed toward the place where he’d lost sight of Aiden, he reflected on the fact that the older his friend had gotten the more reckless and thoughtless Aiden had become. Recently, Aiden had evolved into someone who never considered the consequences before he did anything. Most times, Scott was sure that if they met now that he and Aiden would not be friends. Maybe their shared history was now the only thing keeping them friends, anymore.

Regaining his balance, Scott crept along the boat deck; his hands were numb from the icy, stinging water. He stayed low on the deck, grasped blindly at anything to help him just keep moving toward the last place he saw his friend. There was a terrible, starless darkness on the sea. Never before had Scott experienced a night of such blackness and turmoil. There were no pockets of civilization’s light on this inky sea, no familiar sights or warmth. Only the sound of the storm and the sea.

The cabin door blew open, and a faint, orange light spilled out. The ropes holding what was left of the sails whipped into view. Scott took hold of one of them, moving toward the area where he hoped Aiden would still be clinging to the sailboat. The boat lurched sending Scott off his feet again. A tight hold on the ropes was the only thing that helped him keep his balance as the boat heaved from one side to the other. With still no sign of Aiden anywhere on the deck, he crawled to the edge of the boat holding on to the wet ropes and looking over the side into the sea. There was only darkness held back by the ever-dimming light of the cabin. Aiden had been so confident that they could just take the boat for a little while, to see how far they could go, and then get the sailboat back. Now, as the sailboat endured this battering, Scott wondered if he was the only one left. Would he even survive this?

Scott made one more desperate pull on some remaining ropes that were draped over the edge of the bow. Suddenly, a flash of lightning revealed even more tangled and knotted rigging ropes halfway over the side of the boat. Renewed hope washed over him, and he called out to see if Aiden was somewhere in the ropes.

Aiden groaned out words just loud enough to be heard over the fury of the storm. “Ugh, I can’t move!”

Scott spotted Aiden tangled in the wet, tightening ropes. Looking up at Scott, Aiden waved his hands. The sound of his friend’s voice guided Scott to the right ropes. He knew he had to be careful about choosing which rope to pull, as he noticed one of them was wrapped around Aiden’s neck.

“I thought you were dead!” Scott’s whole body surged with adrenaline. He began untangling the ropes to find out which ones he could gather in his hands to bring his friend back up into the boat without strangling him in the process. The choking rain pelted Scott as he took a deep breath and pulled at the ropes again, bringing Aiden up toward the deck of the boat.

The waves rolled deep and tipped the boat to the side, dunking Aiden in the cold ocean water so deeply that he disappeared for a moment only to re-emerge gasping. Scott pulled as hard as he could now, and strained every muscle to bring his friend up over the edge onto the watery deck of the ship.

~ About the Author ~

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Thomas Konkle is an actor, writer and director. Most starting writing and performing comedy with John Cleese, Thomas has recently been staff writer of Be Cool Scooby Doo for Warner. Brothers and is the star of the feature film noir Trouble Is My Business which he co-wrote with Brittney Powell.  Konkle is also director of the feature and a professional actor in television and commercials.

You’ve got an awesome review of your book. Now what? #AuthorMarketing #Marketing

[image error]There’s absolutely nothing better than reading an awesome review of your book. The very best are reviews that compare your writing/book to a favorite author. Whenever anyone compares one of my cozy murder mysteries to Janet Evanovich, I nearly pee my pants in glee. Naturally, you want to share that happiness with the entire freaking world! And then you think: “This is great opportunity to sell some books!” Yes, book sales! That’s what we like! That’s what we want!

Wait! Hold up! Before you start to spread quotes from that review all over social media, let’s talk a minute. First and foremost, do you have permission to share the review? Sorry, recovering lawyer here. Most bloggers and reviewers are happy for you to spread the word but a few aren’t. Professional review services such as Kirkus most definitely have strict rules about using their reviews. Just quickly check before you start shouting from the rooftops.

Now’s a good time to brag to all your friends and family. Get that out. Share the excitement. All done? Good. Let’s talk strategy now that you’re not too excited to sit down. Because you should have a strategy. Full disclosure: I’m as guilty as the next writer of screaming down the rooftops (aka Twitter and Facebook) when I’ve received a good review. I like to think I’ve since grown as a writer and marketer. (Shhhh… let me just revel in my disillusion a little longer.)

Where can you share a review blurb?

On a book cover,
In the book blurb (on a retailer site such as Amazon),
On the first pages of the novel,
On social media,
In editorial reviews.

I’m sure there are tons more places to share a review blurb, but let’s stick to the above for now. I discussed sharing a review blurb on a book cover last week (see here). To sum it up – I’m not a believer. Moving on.

On book retailer websites such as Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc., you can write your own book blurbs. Too often (in my humble but honest opinion), authors include review excerpts at the start of the book blurb. When I’m searching Amazon on my phone, I often can’t even see the book blurb as the review excerpts take up all the space! I’m sure there are readers out there who are more likely to read a book because JK Rowling recommended it. But the vast majority of these review blurbs are written by writers or reviewers that no one knows! Do you want potential readers to have to scroll past review blurbs before they even know what your book is about? *Moves on to next book*

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There are also writers who add pages and pages of reviews to the first pages of the novel. This really irritates me. First of all, I downloaded your book so obviously I want to read it or at least give it a try. Stop pushing me already! Secondly, if this book is part of the kindle unlimited, then the author just got paid for me ‘reading’ those pages. At this point, there’s a good chance I won’t enjoy your novel no matter how good it is.

There is a perfectly acceptable way to add reviews to Amazon without angering readers – an editorial review. These reviews are placed under the book blurb and above customer reviews – a prominent position, in other words. This is a great way to share reviews from reviewers who don’t put their review on Amazon. It’s also a means to add extra emphasis to those exemplary reviews.

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Now, let’s get to the nitty gritty. If you’ve been doing your homework as an author, you’ve read a gazillion articles with advice on how to use social media to promote your ‘author brand’. Undoubtedly, one piece of advice you’ve read is to not overwhelm your followers with sales pitches. But is the sharing of a review a sales pitch? Well (warning: lawyerly response), sometimes.

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Yes, I’m annoying. I know it, and I won’t apologize. The problem in deducing whether sharing a review blurb is a sales pitch too far is in how it’s done. I follow some authors (or I used to!) who are continuously talking about their books. When they share a review, my response is ‘oh great, another post about their books!’. *Clicks Unfollow Button* But when I follow a writer who mostly uses their twitter feed (or whatever social media platform) to share interesting content as well as information about their books, I’m totally okay with a review blurb here or there. How much? Well, that’s the tight rope we’ve got to walk as writers, isn’t it? Because everyone’s different and that includes social media followers. Use your discretion. Try to look at your social media feed as an uninterested third party – would you follow yourself?

Total honesty – I probably would have unfollowed myself two years ago. *Ouch*

 

Read an excerpt of San Francisco Nights #mystery #suspense from @gregmessel #giveaway

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Title: SAN FRANCISCO NIGHTS

Author: Greg Messel

Publisher: Sunbreaks Publishing

Pages: 232

Genre: Mystery / Suspense

~ Blurb ~

The wife of a wealthy San Francisco shipping magnate leads a secret life but someone is threatening to expose her.  Private eye Sam Slater and his wife and partner, Amelia, meet a mysterious woman in a large red hat during a train trip. The woman approaches him pleading for help because she‘s receiving anonymous notes quoting Bible verses which are becoming more and more ominous with each passing day. Her secrets have been discovered but by whom? What really happens behind closed doors in Room 505 in a swanky downtown hotel?

Sam is willing to take the case but Amelia warns that this woman is nothing but trouble. What does the woman really want? She’s been watching Sam for months and has a scheme to pull him into her world.

Find out in the latest Sam Slater Mystery “San Francisco Nights” set in the fall of 1959. It’s the seventh book in the series but is a heart pounding stand alone whodunit.

Watch the book trailer at YouTube.

ORDER YOUR COPY AT AMAZON
~ Excerpt ~

The neon lights of the slumbering city gave the streets an eerie blue and purple glow in contrast to the dark store fronts. The three story brick office building was abandoned and the normally bustling street at the entrance to San Francisco’s Chinatown was quiet with only an occasional dark solitary figure walking by. The ancient black metal fire escapes seemed to cling to the facade of the building like an alien spider web.

The interior of the building was dark except in the private eye’s office on the top floor where a single desk lamp provided the only circle of illumination against the thick blackness of the night. The lamp provided just enough light to brighten the frosted glass on the door with the name “Amelia Slater” on it.

Amelia sat at her desk in the dimly lit office shuffling through some papers, but she was unnerved and having trouble concentrating.  She took a drag on her cigarette before placing it on the rim of the ash tray. The rising smoke appeared blue as it swirled lazily into the air.

She suddenly stopped, thinking she heard a sound. After intently listening for a few moments, Amelia concluded her imagination was playing tricks on her. She turned her attention back to the items on her desk but was interrupted again by a prolonged squeak of the outer office door opening.

Then Amelia heard the outer door softly closing, followed by the sound of quiet footsteps on the hardwood floor. The sound seemed to stop just outside the door to her office.

Amelia could see the intruder’s silhouette through the frosted glass window. Her eyes were riveted on the door as the door knob to her office began to slowly turn.

~ About the Author ~

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Greg Messel has spent most of his adult life interested in writing, including a career in the newspaper business. He won a Wyoming Press Association Award as a columnist and has contributed articles to various magazines. Greg lives in Edmonds, Washington on Puget Sound with his wife Jean DeFond.

Greg has written ten novels. His latest is “San Francisco Nights” which is the seventh in a series of mysteries set in 1959 San Francisco. “Shadows In The Fog,” “Fog City Strangler,” “San Francisco Secrets,” “Deadly Plunge” are sequels to the first book in the series “Last of the Seals.” His other three novels are “Sunbreaks,” “Expiation” and “The Illusion of Certainty.” For a more detailed summary of Greg’s novels go to www.gregmessel.com

Greg is currently working on his eleventh novel “Dreams That Never Were” which is not part of the mystery series.

~ Stalk the Author ~

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

 ~ GIVEAWAY ~

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Greg Messel is giving away three of his books!!

Terms & Conditions:

By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
Winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter.
This giveaway ends midnight September 29.
Winner will be contacted via email on September 30.
Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

She’s been bewitched, he’s bewildered. Book 9 has arrived! My Angel #paranormalromance from @AlaneaAlder #giveaway

She’s been Bewitched, he’s Bewildered

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My Angel

Bewitched and Bewildered

Book 9

Alanea Alder

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Sacred Forest Publishing

Date of Publication: August 29, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-941315-20-0

ASIN: B071ZSV3X4

Number of pages: 282

Word Count: 71,000

Cover Artist: Kim Killion

~ Blurb ~

Vivian Mercy has been running from the past for so long she doesn’t know any other way of life. When a panicked call comes from one of her only friends she finds herself returning to the city of her nightmares where her dedication as a doctor and resolve to help others is put to the test.

Etain Vi’Aerlin has been watching over Noctem Falls for centuries. Sent by his queen he became a silent sentinel in the shadows helping Magnus whenever he could. While the sickness around him claims more lives he discovers what it feels like to be helpless, as an ancient warrior he doesn’t have the skills to fight this unseen enemy.

At any other time finding a mate would be cause for celebration, but Etain wants Vivian as far from Noctem Falls as possible, unfortunately, as the only doctor with an intimate knowledge of diseases she has to stay in the city, and finds herself working tirelessly to discover a cure in the middle of the deadly chaos sweeping the levels.

As Vivian’s past is revealed she finds herself not only combating the terrible virus but also the rebellious faction of the Founding Families. Etain vows to stand by her, even if it means abandoning the post assigned by his queen.

It’s a race against time to unravel the lethal secrets the virus is hiding before the city itself is lost forever.

Grab a copy!

Amazon

~ Excerpt ~

“Do we want to know?” Dimitri asked.

Kendrick shook his head. “Honestly? Probably not, stay dumb and happy.”

Viktor gave Kendrick a dirty look. “Are you always like this or do you have something against vampires?”

Kendrick thought about it a moment. “No, I’m pretty much always like this, no offense,” he smiled at them brightly. The warriors scowled at his flippant response.

Godard eyed Kendrick. “Since you are a member of the Alpha Unit, maybe you should come train with us tomorrow. That is, if your soft archivist hands can stand getting a little dirty,” he teased.

Kendrick gave him an evil smile and rose to his full height. He stood nearly half a foot over them. “You will find that I am not as easy to manipulate as two certain innocent witches. I look forward to seeing you first thing in the morning.”

~ About the Author ~

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USA Today Best Selling Author, Alanea loves reading almost as much as she loves writing. She began writing at a very young age, some of her first scribblings are treasured in a keepsake box and written in green marker. She started when she was still in grade school and continued on through college.

She believes that love truly conquers all and that everyone no matter what, deserves a chance at that love and a place they can call home. She absolutely loves to hear from her readers so don’t hesitate to reach out to her. As always, her promise to her readers remains, “If you keep reading, I’ll keep writing!”

Stalk the author!

Website ~ Newsletters ~ Alanea’s Asylum ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~

Pinterest ~ Tumblr ~ YouTube ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon

~ Giveaway ~

1-Winners choice of a signed book (Books 1-8 Bewitched and Bewildered series are available to choose from) US Shipping

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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4 Facts & 1 Lie a guest post from @CateHolahan, author of Lies She Told #suspense #giveaway

Please join me in welcoming Cate Holahan, author of Lies She Told, to the Readsalot blog today. She’s prepared a fun guest post for us.

~ Guest Post ~

My upcoming psychological thriller is titled “LIES SHE TOLD.” So, instead of the traditional guest post, five facts about me, I’m providing four facts and a lie. See if you can guess right. Answers below.

I’m an ex-rock singer
I’m a cartoon addict
I died in my house.
I starred in a vacuum commercial
I ate dinner with a multi-billionaire

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The answers:

1. TRUE. I sang in a rock band called Leaving Kinzley. Everyone thought Kinzley was an ex-boyfriend’s nickname or surname. Really, it was the street that the band practiced on. We left it to perform. See the blurry pic below to prove it.

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2. TRUE. My guilty pleasure is watching cartoons with my daughters, ages 5 and 7, on weekend mornings. Our favorite is Star vs. The Powers of Evil is about a butt-kicking inter-dimensional, magical princess who befriends a nerdy earth boy and defeats bad guys. What’s not to like?

3. TRUE. For my second book launch, I threw a murder mystery party about a showgirl’s death on a cruise ship for which everyone had to come in character. I was the showgirl and “died”—during a performance of Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive—in my basement.

4. FALSE. I haven’t acted since junior high musical theater. But I’d love to take classes again.

5. When I was a tech journalist at BusinessWeek, I went to a launch party for a private jet service backed by Richard Branson. The journalists all ate dinner with the multi-billionaire while he discussed “budget” private jet travel.

~ About the book ~

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TITLE: Lies She Told

AUTHOR: Cate Holahan

PUBLISHER: Crooked Lane Books

PAGES: 288

GENRE: Suspense

Protagonist, Liza Cole, is a romantic thriller writer who has thirty days to pen the novel capable of catapulting her back onto the best seller lists. The tight deadline is complicated by her experimental fertility treatments and a husband who is busy keeping his firm afloat after the unexplained disappearance of his law partner and close friend, Nick. As Liza writes the tale of Beth, a new mom who discovers her husband cheating and becomes embroiled in his paramour’s murder, she begins to see parallels between her story and Nick’s real life disappearance. Is Liza subconsciously picking up on clues from the behaviors of those closest to her, or are the similarities all coincidence? Before finishing Beth’s story, Liza must figure out what she might unconsciously realize about those closest to her–or Beth’s last chapter could be the end of Liza’s own life.

Grab you copy now!

Amazon  ~ B&N
~ PRAISE FOR LIES SHE TOLD ~

In a STARRED review for the book, Kirkus said that “Holahan (The Widower’s Wife, 2016, etc.) spins a suffocating double nightmare that provides compelling support for her heroine’s rueful article of faith: “To be a writer is to be a life thief.”

“Lies She Told had me questioning my own sanity…The best kind of suspense…An excellent and compelling psychological read!” ―Susan Crawford, bestselling author of The Pocket Wife and The Other Widow

“Intricate, intense, and completely sinister―the talented Cate Holahan keeps you guessing until the final disturbing page.” ―Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony and Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author of Say No More

“Brilliantly conceived, chillingly conveyed, Lies She Told is a mind-bender of a novel within a novel, with a story that is both gut-wrenching and compulsively readable. Cate Holahan is one of the best psychological suspense writers out there, and she’s only getting better. Read her.” ―Brad Parks, Shamus, Nero, and Lefty Award-winning author of Say Nothing

~ About The Author ~

Cate Holahan, author of the acclaimed psychological suspense novel The Widower’s Wife, is an award-winning journalist and a former television producer. She currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children.

Stalk the author!

Webpage ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

~ Giveaway ~

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Algorithms are taking over my life and I don’t like it #MondayBlogs

[image error]I know it’s early on Monday morning and I should stick to light topics until everyone’s hangovers subside, but – sorry, not sorry – I’ve got something to get off my chest. I really, really don’t like anyone telling me what to do. Yes, I’m still a teenager in my head. But now it seems that we are stuck with all kinds of websites telling us what we want to read or know. Um, excuse me, what in the world makes you think you know what I want to read when I can’t decide what I want to read until I’m actually reading it?

Before we get started on this rant discussion, let’s look at how Wikipedia defines an algorithm because I pretty much slept through math class in high school.

In mathematics and computer science, an algorithm is self-contained sequence of actions to be performed. Algorithms can perform calculation, data processing and automated reasoning tasks.

It’s those words ‘automated reasoning’ with which I have a beef. For some strange reason, some dude sitting in a cubicle somewhere halfway across the world is deciding what Tweets, Instagram pictures, or Facebook posts I want to see. And let me tell you – he’s freaking wrong!

Here are some examples of what I’m talking about:

Twitter decides which tweets I see first. The home page now starts with ‘in case you missed it’ instead of a chronological view of tweets. Oh sure, you can still see the chronological tweets, but you have to scroll like a crazy person on your smart phone to get there.
I have no idea how Instagram does it, but – despite following several hundred accounts – I keep seeing the same 20 accounts. (Instagram dudette, if you’re out there, I don’t want to see all those accounts that only promote their own crap.)
Facebook. I don’t even know what to say about Facebook anymore. I used to be one of the biggest fans but no longer. On the current Facebook app, you can’t even choose to see the most recent posts. Yes, please, I want to see the same post 20,000 times because people keep on commenting on it. That stuff floats my boat.

[image error]It’s bad enough that these algorithms are making my personal enjoyment of social media … well… less enjoyable. But algorithms also effect my profession as a writer. For example, I’ve spent a lot of time and effort gathering Facebook followers. But does an update I post actually get seen by all my followers? Not even close. Unless I pay to boost a post, less than 25% of my followers will see any given update. I totally understand that Facebook is a money-making business. Duh! But why do I have to pay to reach my followers?

[image error]And then there’s Amazon. Do a search for Amazon algorithm. Hundreds, if not thousands, of websites and articles – and even books! – will pop up. Everyone is trying to figure out how the Amazon search engine works. In case you’re wondering why I’ve got a bee in my bonnet about this, go ahead and search your own author name in Amazon and see what you get. When I search my author name in Amazon, books from other authors will pop up and further not all my books come up! That’s right. Someone could have met me, found me interesting, and want to read my books, but not be able to find my books when they search Amazon! I’m serious, folks. That’s just wrong.

Amazon also uses an algorithm to decide on a star rating for books. That’s right. The star rating is not merely an average calculation (which even I know how to do!). In Amazon’s defense, they feel that verified purchase reviews should carry greater weight than other reviews. I understand where they’re coming from, but I don’t agree. I’ve worked really hard to find bloggers and reviewers to review my books. They didn’t promise me a rose garden… er… a good review. And trust me, they aren’t always good. In fact, sometimes they’re downright cringe worthy.

Now do you understand why algorithms are ruling my life and I’m not happy about it?

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Blog ideas for writers or just about anyone #AmBlogging #Amwriting

A few years ago, I decided that as part of my ‘writer platform’ (and yes, I still freaking hate that term!), I’d blog three times a week on my My Musings blog. I fail most weeks. Some weeks, I fail spectacularly. In a valiant attempt to prevent failure, I started using one my journals as a ‘blogging ideas’ journal. I’d do just about anything to have an excuse to use a journal and therefore need to buy a new one!

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I do wish I’d saved this journal for my cupcake series

 

Usually, I don’t manage to meet my weekly blog goal because I’m too busy writing or living life (yes, it happens. I’m not a complete hermit – yet). Sometimes, I’m stuck for an idea and then I pull out my trusty journal and pick a topic. Usually, the topic that requires the least work because I’m lazy like that. Unfortunately, when I flipped through the pages of my journal this morning, I couldn’t find a topic I wanted to write about. Most of the topics were scratched out as I’d used them. A few topics I can’t use yet as I’m waiting for results (e.g. I want to write a blog on my experiences with getting reviews via Reading Alley but my session is still running).

For reasons unknown to me, I actually have a bit of energy to do some research not book related this morning. I decided to do some research and come up with some generic blog ideas for the future. I’ve listed them here. Hope they help!

Vacation blog post.
Mentor mention. Is there a mentor who has been important in your writing career?
Things that inspire you.
A day in the life.
How do you keep your writing ideas organized?
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
Advice for aspiring authors. Get specific and you can write several blog posts!
Plans and goals for the future. (I’m working on a writing bucket list myself.)
Favorite writing advice. What one piece of advice really works for you and why.
Article about a current event in the writing industry.
Article about a newsworthy event that piques your interest or is somehow related to your writing.
Weekend wrap-up with pictures. This is a good idea for a #MondayBlogs.
How do you stay inspired?
Love letter to a product – something that revolutionized your life. (I really like this idea.)
Favorite books for writers.
What are you currently researching? I’m knee deep in WWII research. I should be able to find something here. Hmmm….
Wrap-up of the best blog posts you’ve read in the past week. I know a lot of bloggers who do this, and I love those posts.
A list of your favorite blogs. Share the love!
A list of who to follow on Twitter or Facebook or Pinterest, etc. More love sharing!
A critical life event that has shaped who you are – maybe why it made you want to write?
What you learned from or how you got over a big disappointment. Maybe a book that didn’t sell as well as expected. What did you learn from that?
A free short story. This is definitely NOT on the easy list!
Upcoming writing projects. What? When? Why?
A song playlist for your current work in progress.
Marketing results. Marketing efforts you’ve made and the results.
How to kill a fictional character. You can either get into the psychological aspects of having to kill off a character you’ve invested time and effort into or how to physically kill the character.
Top ten things you’ve tried but will never do again.

Hopefully, one of these ideas will inspire me next week. In the meantime, TGIF!

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