Courtney Wendleton's Blog, page 145
January 12, 2015
The Power of the Blogging Community #AuthorTag
Originally posted on Cate Russell-Cole: CommuniCATE:
We sometimes get drowned in the pressure of trying to be heard above the noise online. We forget the power that we have as bloggers, especially when we support each other. That power isn���t just restricted to the writing community. Singer, Alex Boye, has had his popularity pushed sharply upwards, thanks to supportive bloggers who took a struggling artist under their wing.
To thank the bloggers who supported him, Alex did a cover of Katy Perry���s song Roar, and invited the bloggers to come and film it with him. On the song���s Youtube page Alex says, ���When my career seemed like it was going nowhere, a few moms and mom bloggers began sharing my videos, and my career was suddenly revitalized. YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE. DON���T STOP BLOGGING!!!! I dedicate this video to Moms and Mom bloggers worldwide!!���
This support has propelled Alex to over 100 million views and healthier���
View original 85 more words
Ebooks or Paperback?
I love both. When I am traveling it is just easier to have my Kindle. I love physical books because it is nice to have the heft, smell and feel of an actual books to cheer you up on a day you’re feeling blue.
Originally posted on inspiredbyabook:
Which suits you the best?
I���ve always had books, ever since I was little, but about a year ago I bought one book every blue moon. Eventually, I found Ebooks and began reading so many, in the space of a month I read 9 Ebooks.
Then around 3/4 month ago, I got hit with the book buying bug, and it just wont stop. Personally I like paperbacks, because to me, nothing is better than holding a real book in my hands, and taking time away from technology.
But then again EBooks come in handy for a break from paperbacks.
Lets do this like a review. Id rate paperbacks ????��� 4 gold stars and 1 silver.
Ebooks ������������ 4 silver stars.
If you���re unsure of my star rating, check out my other reviews and social media and you���ll get the idea.
Happy reading
inspiredbyabook��� publications
Author Spotlight Interview: Stephane Desienne
What inspired you to write your first book? Definitely, when I read Asimov’s Foundation trilogy. Soon after ending the book, I said to myself : I wish I could write a story like this. But I was young, 15 or 16. Later, I discovered Dan Simmons’s Hyperion saga. I remember me in front of a blank a sheet of paper to start a plot line… The result was bad, but the most important was: I really got caught by the writing’ syndrome.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? You’ll find on the Toxic series concerns about the end of a civilization or brutal capitalism, but food is an universal principle. So: Eat or being eaten, that is the fundamental question.
What books have most influenced your life most? Stephen King frightened me when I was young. But I couldn’t stop reading his books. Then I discovered the masters of science-fiction and they shaped my mind. AC Clarke, Stephen King, Dan Simmons, Asimov… The idea of future always fascinated me and attracted me. The understanding of complex interactions also.
What book are you reading now? I am reading Silo Origins (from Hugh Howey) and The Zombie Survival Guide (Max Brooks)
What are your current projects? The translation of Toxic episodes 4, 5 and 6 in collaboration with my translator. My new series EXIL is scheduled to publication by March this year, in French. I work on the Toxic series season 2 and on a other Zombie series called Zoulag.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? When I was growing up, I read a lot. Especially science-fiction, of course. Indeed, reading is a key that led me to the writing. It took me a long time to realize I may be able to write a story. Even more to think about being published one day.
What was the hardest part of writing your book? Time management. Writing period confronts with family, kids, work and sometimes, it is just not easy. Especially when inspiration strikes, at any time, any place…
Do you have any advice for other writers? Write, write, write. Anywhere, anytime. Don’t let inspiration go away, just catch it and put it on the paper or the screen.
Do you ever experience writer’s block? Yes, of course. I guess each author have experienced it once. It’s part of the process of writing. Some authors consider it as a nightmare, may be it is more like a kind of respiration.
What is one random thing about you? I quit smoking. 4 years ago, from one day to the next. BUT : I shall never quit chocolate.
What is your preferred medium of writing? I write on my computer, because it is more practical and easier. I use paper as main medium but I write a lot on Evernote too. I like to work on an easy-to-use environment that doesn’t that restrains creativity.
Did you make any marketing mistakes or is there anything you would avoid in future? I can’t tell one as I’m not a marketing guy. By the way, I am at the beginning of my writer’s life, so, I guess I have time to make some… ;-)
What is your favorite motivational phrase? Let’s kill baby seals. After my ritual morning coffee.
What is your favorite positive saying? Over the clouds, sun alway shines.
What is your favorite book and why? I really love many ! Hyperion (like I said) , Dune, 2001 a space odyssey, 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Spin… But, “A Fire Upon the Deep” remains my favorite. It is an incredible combination between story and ideas. It’s one of the best space operas ever created. It has very nice ideas and very good characters and wrapped around with high adventure. More positive than Hyperion. A must read.
What is your favorite quote? There are no problems, only solutions.��
If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why? Hyperion. Because, this story and the way is has been written let my speechless the first time I read it. ( Yes, I read this story more than one time). It is a modern science fiction series. I mean the author revived the Space-op genre. A dark novel but brilliant.
How can readers discover more about you and you work?
Website: http://www.stephane-desienne.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Desienne-Auteur/258955360861991 Twitter: https://twitter.com/DesienneAuteur
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/St%C3%A9phane-Desienne/e/B00APV5POU/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/desienne
Where are you from? Orl��ans, in France. Around one hundred miles south from Paris.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? Lifestyle, mood, write everyday. It happens that I don’t have the drive or my mood is not synchronized (try to write something funny when you’re sad…) with the story. Since I have children, I can’t write anything lately no matter what. So, I wake up early and I write soon after my coffee. It has been difficult to adapt myself to this new rhythm, but I now feel comfortable with.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing? I work as engineer in the field of genomics and biology. I do exercise. Exercise makes me physically fit. It puts me in the right frame of mind. I take care of my family, I drive kids at school, I like to watch TV series (The Walking Dead indeed !) and to read (of course !)
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite? I have written 2 series, Toxic and Exil. (Zoulag is still being written) 2 novels ( 2 others are being written). By far, Toxic is still my preferred one because this story have a lot of potential. What does your writing process look like? Very organized. Writing a serie, over a long period of time, requires to be organized. The detailled synopsis is like a Bible. I write it first and then I start editing. For a novel, a smaller synopsis is enough. I also try to keep a kind “mantra” : never start a story if I don’t know ho to end it. Often easier said than done Do you have any strange writing habits (like standing on your head or writing in the shower)? No, I don’t have any strange habits…
How important are names to you in your books? It depends on the characters, main or sub. I also like to pick senders’ names from my spam folder on my mailbox. I carefully choose the one of the heroes.
Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad? Reviews, good or bad do not belong to the authors. They are written to the others readers. That’s the purpose of the system. I read them, I don’t respond to them, bad or good. On the other hand, by the magic of social networks, readers send me messages on twitter, Facebook or Google+. These are places to interact with readers, to share things or thoughts. To answer to your last question : once published, it must be assumed that some things are beyond your control.��
#CLTBRCHALLENGE15 Book Review: Beauty and the Beast by Marie Prince De Beaumont 3/5 Stars
Overview: A merchant has three boys and three girls, the youngest nicknamed Beauty. The merchant goes to pick something up from town, gets lost and meets the beast. The beast releases him to bring back a daughter and save the merchants life. Beauty volunteers to go. She breaks the curse.
Opinion: I think I am too brainwashed from Disney to appreciate the very short, condensed book. I was looking for the romance and action that the movie provided but was let down. What I did like about the book was that instead of a whole town thinking she was odd, it was just her two sisters.
Recommend: Not really.
January 11, 2015
#CLTBRCHALLENGE15 Book Review: Roots by Alex Haley 4/5 Stars
Overview: Roots is the story of Kunta Kinte and his children for seven generations. We follow Kunta’s kidnapping clear to the author’s life and writing of the book. We go on a journey through slave days, being sold from one plantation owner to the next. Learning different trades and finally being freed.
Opinion: It took roughly 12 days, but I did! I made it through “Roots.” First off, the book by itself, just the book and words inside of it, is great. I think I learned more about the 200 year time period from that book than I ever learned in school. That being said I was a bit torn how there would be more description with certain family members than with others. I also didn’t like how there were tons of descriptions on what was happening outside of the plantations, then less when more important events popped up. I guess I’m saying, while we learn a lot from the book, it wouldn’t make a great history book to learn from. Secondly, bringing in the thought that this is supposed to be a book about a true family’s life through the generations. Not only do I find it a bit hard to believe (it was just too “easy going” in some areas), but the author admitted that because he was alive when it happened he can’t say for certain that what he wrote is what happened. Then you have to take into account that he plagiarized a good portion of Kunta Kinte’s story from Harold Courlander’s “The African.” So I am kind of torn on what to think about it being true, but it is a great story to see a glimpse of what life was like back then.
Recommend: Even with the uncertainty of it being a hoax, Yes I recommend it.
Author Spotlight Interview: Zoe Ambler
Welcome Zoe Ambler to Author Spotlight Interviews!
Zoe Ambler is 44 years old and broke through into writing by way of role-play gaming, which she still loves to this day. She has traveled the world, being a ‘military brat’, but always finds her way back home. Her hobbies include sketching, playing violin (badly), collecting oddities and office supplies. Zoe is often found spoiling her fat cat, obsessing over coffee and the coming zombie apocalypse.
Where are you from? Enterprise, Alabama
What inspired you to write your first book? I’ve been writing for a long time now. It started with Role-play gaming writing. Then I took some of those stories and elaborated on them. My friends and family have seen some over the years and were constantly saying ‘publish that’. You don’t want to come under the wrath of my mother. :) That is so cool, I’ve always wanted to get into RPG or LARPing but never gone and tried it.
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I have about 15 books. Some are in the horror genre, most are erotica…some are both. :) . ‘The Road of Darkness’ and ‘The Path of Redemption’ are looking to be my favorites. I’ve babied and nurtured them along.
What are your current projects? ‘The Path of Redemption’, the continued story of Addison and ‘The Road of Darkness’. “The Road of Darkness is about Addison, just out of her teens in early seventeenth century Louisiana, is the victim of a vampire attack. She is turned. Unlike most, she embraces it rather than fight it. Over her long years, she watches mortal man and their ways, fascinated with the evolution of their conflicts. Moving from country to country, war to war, immersed in the bloodshed and destruction. The road of darkness is a bitter one. From a deal gone bad with the Voodoo demi-god Baron Samedi to encounters with other supernatural beings. Time brings her heartbreaking loss of would-be love and few triumphs. The darkness grows. At the peak of her self destruction in a war torn desert she meets a Slayer bent on saving her rather than destroy her. Sounds Awesome!
What books have most influenced your life most? Oh, wow. There are so many books, I can’t pick just one. I love all genres as well. The horror genre is my favorite thought. Stephen King, Anne Rice, Mira Grant, Eric R Lowther to name a few.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? I’ve always been a huge book lover. Fiction and non-fiction. And then I discovered RPGs and found that I had a real talent for crafting a tale.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? That we all have a bit of darkness within us. It’s up to us as individuals to either fight it, or embrace it. Embrace it! It’s the fun side.
What book are you reading now? Sadly I’m not reading anything at the moment. I’m busy promoting, making new friends, and getting book two in the series completed. I’ve also become a blog stalker….lol
What is your preferred medium of writing? MSWord on my PC or laptop. However, I always keep a little notebook with me for jotting down random ideas when they strike me.
Did you make any marketing mistakes or is there anything you would avoid in future? I have made a ton of mistakes. I totally ‘pantsed’ this first book. And I know so little about social media and using it to my advantage…but I’m learning. And there have been so many people out there helping me along the way.
Do you ever experience writer’s block? Writers block is a rare occurrence for me. When I get stumped, I close what I’m doing to keep myself from getting aggravated. I open something else. I usually have 10 – 15 different books in progress. Same here.
What is one random thing about you? I am really looking forward to the zombie apocalypse. I don’t care what science says..it could happen. ;] I’m on your team when the time comes! lol
What is your favorite motivational phrase? If you can’t blind them with brilliance, baffle them with bullsh*t. >_>
What is your favorite book and why? Ugh! I have so many! Anything from Stephen King, especially ‘The Stand.’ That is so epic. Eric R Lowthers ‘Area 187: Almost Hell’. If you like zombies, it is worth the time. Same with Mira Grants ‘Feed’ trilogy. It took me a bit to get into it, but once I did, I was hooked. And Anne Rice. Her vampires are beautiful and deadly, just lovely.
What is your favorite quote? ‘Death is the Road to Awe’, from the movie The Fountain.
If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why? Stephen Kings, The Stand
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? Research. A lot of my writing takes place in different times throughout history and then there are other factors like Voodoo and Voodoun. I want to be sure I’m accurate, but research can be tedious. So true.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Netflix binges. I love to sit down and watch a series from beginning to end. Of course, I get no sleep. I also love Text-based RPG games. It keeps me writing, and gives me a different take on writing since you are writing with others.
What does your writing process look like?
Like a box of squirrels. Really, I’m pretty erratic. I do chronicle everything, however. How many words I’ve written for the day, new twists I could add, etc..
Do you have any strange writing habits (like standing on your head or writing in the shower)? I talk things out with my cat. And answer for her. Sometimes we argue. >_> Animals can be a big help…even if they are wrong sometimes.
How important are names to you in your books?
Very. I don’t just slap names on my characters. I give a lot of thought to naming them according to their personalities.
Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad? I do read them. I haven’t gotten many yet, but most have been positive. I wouldn’t comment on them though. That would make me feel…narcissistic? As for negative or bad reviews…it’s all part and parcel of the package. It hurts, but we have to pretty much suck it up. We can’t please everyone’s expectations.
What was the hardest part of writing your book? Keeping the folklore fresh, and giving it my own twist. I took a bit from here and there in different works and folklore to create something I hope is uniquely different.
Do you have any advice for other writers? Never give up and don’t let anyone tell you what you’re doing is silly or a waste of time. Put yourself out there, overcome the fear. You may not have a best seller, but you put it out there, for others to see. That takes courage.
How can readers discover more about you and you work?
Website: http://zoeambler.com
Blog: http://zoeambler.com and http://zoeambler.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zoe-Ambler/435459453259782
Twitter: https://twitter.com Zoe Ambler@ZoeAmbler5
Lnkedin: LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/zoe-ambler/a3/34a/b9a/
Pinterest:
Amazon Author Page: http://smile.amazon.com/Road-Darkness-Ambler-Zoe-ebook/dp/B00QZFBV6Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1420731493&sr=1-1
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ZoeAmbler
Book Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Road-Darkness-Ambler-Zoe-ebook/dp/B00QZFBV6Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1418872721&sr=8-2&keywords=the+road+of+darkness&pebp=1418872719946
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-road-of-darkness-ambler-zoe/1120913816?ean=9780990870500
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-road-of-darkness
GooglePlay: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Zoe_Ambler_The_Road_of_Darkness?id=58ziBQAAQBAJ&hl=en
Scribd.: https://www.scribd.com/doc/250432277/The-Road-of-Darkness
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23931413-the-road-of-darkness
Also available in the iTunes store.
January 10, 2015
Author Spotlight Interview: Anne Conley
Welcome to Author Spotlight Interviews! Today The wonderful Anne Conley has answered a good-sized list of questions for you readers.
So where are you from? I���m originally from Houston, TX, where I met my husband. We moved up to East Texas shortly after marriage, and have lived here for 12 years. Our own little slice of paradise.
Tell about us about your latest works. I just picked up one from each of your two series��� and am not sure which one to read first. It depends on whether you prefer Paranormal Romance (The Four Winds series) or Contemporary Romance (The Stories of Serendipity). The Four Winds is about God���s archangels, Uriel, Rafael, Gabriel, and Michael. He decides to let them fall in love, where they experience every human emotion they���ve never had, for the first time. This series contains sex, as well as elements of Christianity, so be forewarned. That throws some people off, but hey, Christians have sex every day, right? I would hope so, some of my friends wouldn’t be here otherwise. :)
The Stories of Serendipity is a series that takes place in a fictional small Texas town. It features characters in their thirties and forties, just trying to live their lives, but falling in love in the process. Most of the books deal with serious issues (addiction, Human Trafficking, HIV) but not all of them. It is a series of books, but each book is a stand-alone with some of the same characters and places. So it doesn’t matter which order they are read in, correct? Right.
I���ve also written two stand-alones. One, The Best Laid Plans of Boys and Men, just released today (1/7/15), and is about the whirlwind romance of Taylor, a twenty-three year-old cosmetologist, and Alexander, the forty-one year-old lawyer who is suing her. That certainly seems interesting!
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite? Currently, I���ve published 14 stories of various lengths. My favorite, at the moment, is Falling for Grace, Book Two in the Four Winds series. I have no idea why, specifically, except it takes place in Galveston, TX, and I���ve always wanted to live there. I’ve passed through there a time or two, it is a pretty nice place.
What inspired you to write your first book? My husband encouraged it, actually. I���ve always written in journals and things, but when I told him I had a story about this couple (Claire and Max, from Neighborly Complications) running around in my head, he told me to go for it.
What are your current projects? Currently, I���m working on finishing up The Fixer Upper, another stand-alone novel about a reality TV host and his victim, er, I mean, client. I���m also working on a new series of books about a securities team. It���s going to be different and exciting. I���m really looking forward to getting into that one. I���ve got the first two written, they���re going through the revision stage, but I���m anxious to be finished with other projects so I can totally immerse myself in them.
What books have most influenced your life most? This is a hard question��� Lisa See���s Snowflower and the Secret Fan is one of my all time favorites, but Stephen King really sparked my imagination when I was growing up. I���ve always loved everything by Ray Bradbury and Shakespeare as well. The creativity involved with these people is astounding. With Snowflower and the Secret Fan aside, our book tastes were the same growing up. Love SK, RB and WS.
What book are you reading now? Right now, I���m beta reading Drawn to You for Vanessa Booke and really looking forward to its release.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? Haha! Not really. It seems like I���ve always written. I won a creative writing contest when I was in the 6th grade, telling a story about how Fred Flintstone invented the lightbulb, and in College, for my College Math final, I wrote a thirteen page paper featuring Mathew Mattox, PI, a film noire type mystery involving a parabola graph. I���ve always managed to incorporate writing into my life, somehow.
Do you ever experience writer’s block? If so how do you combat it? Pen and paper. That forces my brain to work a different way than with my keyboard. I���ve also found long drives down country roads to straighten out my thoughts when I���m having a particularly difficult plot issue .
What is one random thing about you? I can lick my chest. Ok..That is random and now I am picturing Gene Simmons licking his chest…awesome! lol
What is your preferred medium of writing? My laptop. It goes with me everywhere, but I always have a notebook with me as well.
What is one mistake you have made in your writing/publishing that you would avoid in future? Publishing something that���s not ready for the public.
What is your favorite positive saying? When things get hard, I just quote Matthew McConaughey in Dazed and Confused, ���Just keep on living.��� Reminds me of Dory from Finding Nemo, “Just keep swimming.” both are very wise people.
What is your favorite book and why? Lisa See���s Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a great book about women, their relationships, and their friendships.
What is your favorite quote? Dr. Seuss, Don���t cry because it���s over, smile because it happened.
If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why? Good question! I have no idea, honestly. I could see you have written a modern version of Romeo and Juliet.
What does your writing process look like? I think about a book/story/characters for months before I outline it. Then I let it sit while I work on something else. Then the rough draft happens, just to get the story down, and let it sit while I work on something else. Then revisions, multiple times. I read and re-read, making notes in my manuscript and fixing things, letting it sit between reads while I work on other things. Finally, I send it off to beta readers, and then revise again before it goes to my editor. I usually have four projects going at the same time. Lots of authors can���t work that way, but I find I can���t really do it any differently.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? Time management. I can market myself and sell books, or I can write more books. I can���t seem to do both, successfully. I feel your pain, as I’m sure all other authors do. It is hard marketing and writing.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing? I read and spend time with my family. It depends on what���s going on in my life as to which one of those comes first. :)
Do you have any strange writing habits (like standing on your head or writing in the shower)? LOL. Not really, except I get up and write at 5:30 am. That���s probably pretty strange���
Do you read your reviews? Do you respond to them, good or bad? Do you have any advice on how to deal with the bad? Yes, I read them. No I never respond to any of them, unless it���s to thank them for the review on their blog (never on Amazon or goodreads). Unless a reviewer is personally attacking the author, I say to just find the positive in the review (there���s almost always some positive) and focus on that, ignoring the rest. If it���s a personal attack, report it if you can to the webhost, but ignore it personally. There are mean people everywhere, and you can���t really do much about it. Best advice I have ever heard!
Do you have any advice for other writers? Avoid drama and keep your head to the grindstone. Keep writing new material, no matter how difficult it seems. And make friends everywhere .
And finally, where can we reach you to keep up to date about you and your books?
Website and blog: http://www.anneconley.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/anneconleyauthor
Twitter: @anneconley10
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/anneconley/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Anne-Conley/e/B00BL2P538/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1420640946&sr=8-2-ent
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6907845.Anne_Conley
January 9, 2015
Author Interviews
New year, and I have decided to do something new. I am going to try and start doing some author interviews! I’m gathering a following on here, Twitter, and everywhere of Indie authors; so I thought I could feature them on my blog. Help get their words out there and share their brilliance. I all ready have one in the works, and am really excited to start working on more.
If you, or someone you know, would like to have an Author Interview post please email me at Charlie.s_Angel-0069@hotmail.com and we can schedule something.
January 8, 2015
A Little Help from Friends.
This is Patrick McBroom. He is 17 and has been battling two rare forms of cancer, since early childhood. One of the forms of cancer, is causing tumors to grow around the spinal chord and every so often he needs to go in and have them removed. This last trip they found an inoperable tumor and he has been sent home for hospice care. As he is no longer able to move around as much, his family is asking for pictures to decorate his room with. I am wanting to help get the word out so we can flood his room with pictures and good wishes to help keep him in good spirits. We’d love to invite anyone and everyone to join the fun. He loves KU, Starburst, and Yu Gi Oh. Don’t take pity on him. He’s still an ornery 17 year old boy with a great sense of humor. If you want to join the fun, here’s where to send your card…….
Patrick McBroom
712 W Grand St
Gallatin, MO 64640-1606
B.A.C.A! Best Bikers Ever!
Big, hairy and loud are the first three things a person thinks of when they hear the word “Bikers,” but they are so much more than their exterior. B.A.C.A stands for “Bikers Against Child Abuse,” they go around helping and encouraging abused children.
They are a worldwide organization whose mission is to create a safer environment and lend support to them so they do not feel alone. In rider fashion, a whole chapter rolls up to meet and greet the child for the first time, presents them with a vest and patch. Then proceeds to go through a four step process that involves having two specifically assigned “Big Brother/Sister” type members who check-in on a weekly basis.
It is sad, that the world needs people like these wonderful men and women but it is a wonderful thing that we do have them in the world.
For more information checkout their website:http://bacaworld.org/
