Lorraine Reguly's Blog, page 7

Lisa Jackson’s CLOSE TO HOME #bookreview

It’s no secret. I love Lisa Jackson.

I love her even more because she sent me an autographed book.

Truth be told, I’d love her even if she didn’t. I’ve been reading her books for years.

I recently read Close to Home. It was great!

Close to Home: Book Blurb

Vowing to make a fresh start, Sarah McAdams has come home to renovate the old Victorian mansion where she grew up. Her daughters, Jade and Gracie, aren’t impressed by the rundown property on the shores of Oregon’s wild Columbia River. As soon as they pull up the isolated drive, Sarah too is beset by uneasy memories—of her cold, distant mother, of the half-sister who vanished without a trace, and of a long-ago night when Sarah was found on the widow’s walk, feverish and delirious.

Ever since the original mistress of the house plunged to her death almost a century ago, there have been rumors that the place is haunted. As a girl, Sarah sensed a presence there, and soon Gracie claims to see a lady in white running up the stairs. Still, Sarah has little time to dwell on ghost stories, between overseeing construction and dealing with the return of a man from her past.

But there’s a new, more urgent menace in the small town. One by one, teenage girls are disappearing. Frantic for her daughters’ safety, Sarah feels her veneer cracking and the house’s walls closing in on her again. Somewhere deep in her memory is the key to a very real and terrifying danger. And only by confronting her worst fears can she stop the nightmare roaring back to life once more…

My Book Review of Close to Home

Here is my book review of Close to Home, which I  also posted to Goodreads:

Lisa Jackson never disappoints me. She always writes clever mysteries, and Close to Home sure falls into this category! My interest was captured from the moment I began reading.

The book is about a woman named Sarah, who has two daughters and who moves them all into her childhood home, which needs extensive renovations. Sarah’s eldest daughter, Jade, is a teenager who exhibits all the appropriate teen traits: surliness, stubbornness, and selfishness. Jade is also skeptical when it comes to all things supernatural.

Jade’s younger sister, Gracie, on the other hand, is not. She has abilities, as Sarah does. They both can see ghosts.

The supernatural, however, plays a small role in the main plot of this book. The big problem is that teenage girls are disappearing from their new, small town.

As Sarah and her girls adjust to their new digs, they attempt to figure out the history of their family and Sarah learns quickly that she must face certain facts she doesn’t like, including her poor memories of one particular night when she was a child.

The mystery of the dissappearing girls are linked to this memory and events from Sarah’s past.

As the plot thickens, Sarah has encounters with both her ex-husband and her neighbour, while Jade is forced to deal with a broken car, an unreliable boyfriend, and bullies at her new school.

In the meantime, Gracie keeps pestering her mom for a dog, and teen girls start vanishing… although they don’t end up dead. (This was a bit disappointing to me; I like trying to solve homicides!) Instead, they are kept by two males kidnappers in horse stalls, and are going to be sold to the highest bidder, unless they can escape.

Eventually, Jade becomes one of these girls, as does a rival from her school.

Without revealing too much more of the story, I will say that the events leading up to the climax are enjoyable to read about, as they contain darkness and intrigue… perfect elements of a thriller! Readers learn about Sarah’s family, including her mysterious brother, and a dead body shows up on Sarah’s property, too. There is so much to this book that is it’s tough to write about without being a spoilsport, so I’ll stop talking about it now.

Just know that the ending will shock you… and you will love it.

I promise. *ahem* This is a Lisa Jackson novel, after all.

Buy Close to Home

Naturally, this book is available pretty much everywhere books are sold, and on a ton of places online.

Here is a link to Amazon. You can buy the book there, or find it elsewhere.

Wherever you find it, I am positive you will love it, if you enjoy suspense novels!

And don’t forget to buy a copy of Risky Issues, while you’re shopping for books.

 

The post Lisa Jackson’s CLOSE TO HOME #bookreview appeared first on .

Legal Deposit. It’s the Law. #indie #publishing

Legal Deposit is a term that most authors have never heard of, but if you are an independently published Canadian author, or have a Canadian-assigned ISBN, you need to know what Legal Deposit means for you.

Why? It’s a law. And it must be followed.

It’s also a law for UK authors.

For more information on the UK law, visit the British Library.

What Legal Deposit Is… and What It Means for YOU

Basically, Legal Deposit is a law that says you have to submit your books and e-books to the Libraray and Archives Canada to help preserve your Canadian heritage.

You must submit your e-books through their website after creating an account with them.

Use the following image to help you navigate their site (or read a tutorial post on Indies Unlimited, which includes step-by-step screenshots):

Choose the option that says “Online or digitial publications” to submit your electronic files.

For physical books, you have to ship them to the following address:

Legal Deposit

Library and Archives Canada

395 Wellington Street

Ottawa ON

Canada

K1A 0N4

Learn about Legal Deposit. It’s a law for Canadian #authors
Click To Tweet

More About Legal Deposit… from their website

Legal Deposit involves submitting your published work to the Library and Archives Canada.

Legal deposit applies to all publishers in Canada, and to all publications in all mediums and formats. Through legal deposit, all materials produced by Canadian publishers become part of Library and Archive Canada (LAC)’s collection and are available for public consultation and use.

From the LAC website:

A “publisher” is defined broadly in the Legal Deposit of Publications Regulations as: “a person who makes a publication available in Canada that the person is authorized to reproduce or over which the person controls the content. It does not include a person who only distributes a publication.”

Types of publishers include:

trade and small press publishers
academic and educational publishers
periodical publishers
producers of music, video and spoken-word recordings
publishers of multimedia, cartographic and microform materials
federal government departments and agencies
associations, organizations
self-publishers

What Publications are Subject to Legal Deposit?

Legal deposit applies to publications produced in Canada regardless of medium or format, including, for example:

books (monographs)
serials (journals, periodicals, magazines)
sound, video and spoken-word recordings
multimedia or instructional kits
CD- and DVD-ROMs
microforms
cartographic materials
online or digital publications

The Law

The Library and Archives of Canada Act is a federal statute of Canada that legally empowers LAC to collect and preserve the nation’s published heritage.

The Legal Deposit of Publications Regulations define the classes of publications which publishers are required to send to LAC for deposit and those which are not required unless requested in writing by the Librarian and Archivist of Canada.

It’s the law to submit your #books and #ebooks to the LAC.
Click To Tweet

Contact Information

Telephone:819-997-9565

Toll free (Canada): 1-866-578-7777(Select 1+7+1)

Toll free (TTY): 1-866-299-1699

Fax: 819-997-7019

Email: legal.deposit@bac-lac.gc.ca (Physical or Analogue Legal Deposit)

Email: epe@bac-lac.gc.ca (Digital Legal Deposit)

Printing Your Digital Book

Print-on-demand companies such as CreateSpace can print copies of your book for a relatively low cost.

Your e-book files need to meet their requirements, too.

For example, CreateSpace requires that your cover be submitted as a printable PDF.

When I self-published Risky Issues, I hired one designer to design the cover, and then another to create the cover for my printed book. Not every designer knows how to do both things!

To create a printable PDF of your book cover for CreateSpace:

1. You need to first choose a size for your book.

2. Create your book’s text file following CreateSpace’s submission guidelines so that you know how many pages your book will contain. You need this information so that you can calculate the dimensions of the spine of your book. Your cover designer needs this information, too.

3. Create your cover. (I used a talented cover designer like Brenda to help me do this.)

When I self-published my first book, Risky Issues, I learned a lot about CreateSpace and the taxation information.

I suggest that you educate yourself on these matters, too!

Self-Publishing Isn’t Easy

No one said self-publishing was easy. It’s actually a lot of work. It’s even harder for a blind man, but this blind man was able to make his e-book available in print. Of course, he had me to help him!

Do you need self-publishing help, too?

If you happen to need help with converting your e-book to a print book, I can help. In fact, this is one of the services I offer on Wording Well.

Legal Deposit. It’s the Law. #Canadian #indie #publishing

Legal Deposit is a term that most authors have never heard of, but if you are an independently published Canadian author, or have a Canadian-assigned ISBN, you need to know what Legal Deposit means for you.

Why? It’s a law.

And it must be followed.

What Legal Deposit Is… and What It Means for YOU

Basically, Legal Deposit is a law that says you have to submit your books and e-books to the Libraray and Archives Canada to help preserve your Canadian heritage.

You must submit your e-books through their website after creating an account with them.

Use the following image to help you navigate their site:

Choose the option that says “Online or digitial publications” to submit your electronic files.

For physical books, you have to ship them to the following address:

Legal Deposit

Library and Archives Canada

395 Wellington Street

Ottawa ON

Canada

K1A 0N4

Learn about Legal Deposit. It’s a law for Canadian #authors
Click To Tweet

More About Legal Deposit… from their website

Legal Deposit involves submitting your published work to the Library and Archives Canada.

Legal deposit applies to all publishers in Canada, and to all publications in all mediums and formats. Through legal deposit, all materials produced by Canadian publishers become part of Library and Archive Canada (LAC)’s collection and are available for public consultation and use.

From the LAC website:

A “publisher” is defined broadly in the Legal Deposit of Publications Regulations as: “a person who makes a publication available in Canada that the person is authorized to reproduce or over which the person controls the content. It does not include a person who only distributes a publication.”

Types of publishers include:

trade and small press publishers
academic and educational publishers
periodical publishers
producers of music, video and spoken-word recordings
publishers of multimedia, cartographic and microform materials
federal government departments and agencies
associations, organizations
self-publishers

What Publications are Subject to Legal Deposit?

Legal deposit applies to publications produced in Canada regardless of medium or format, including, for example:

books (monographs)
serials (journals, periodicals, magazines)
sound, video and spoken-word recordings
multimedia or instructional kits
CD- and DVD-ROMs
microforms
cartographic materials
online or digital publications

The Law

The Library and Archives of Canada Act is a federal statute of Canada that legally empowers LAC to collect and preserve the nation’s published heritage.

The Legal Deposit of Publications Regulations define the classes of publications which publishers are required to send to LAC for deposit and those which are not required unless requested in writing by the Librarian and Archivist of Canada.

It’s the law to submit your #books and #ebooks to the LAC.
Click To Tweet

Contact Information

Telephone:819-997-9565

Toll free (Canada): 1-866-578-7777(Select 1+7+1)

Toll free (TTY): 1-866-299-1699

Fax: 819-997-7019

Email: legal.deposit@bac-lac.gc.ca (Physical or Analogue Legal Deposit)

Email: epe@bac-lac.gc.ca (Digital Legal Deposit)

Printing Your Digital Book

Print-on-demand companies such as CreateSpace can print copies of your book for a relatively low cost.

Your e-book files need to meet their requirements, too.

For example, CreateSpace requires that your cover be submitted as a printable PDF.

When I self-published Risky Issues, I hired one designer to design the cover, and then another to create the cover for my printed book. Not every designer knows how to do both things!

To create a printable PDF of your book cover for CreateSpace:

1. You need to first choose a size for your book.

2. Create your book’s text file following CreateSpace’s submission guidelines so that you know how many pages your book will contain. You need this information so that you can calculate the dimensions of the spine of your book. Your cover designer needs this information, too.

3. Create your cover. (I used a talented cover designer like Brenda to help me do this.)

When I self-published my first book, Risky Issues, I learned a lot about CreateSpace and the taxation information.

I suggest that you educate yourself on these matters, too!

Self-Publishing Isn’t Easy

No one said self-publishing was easy. It’s actually a lot of work. It’s even harder for a blind man, but this blind man was able to make his e-book available in print. Of course, he had me to help him!

Do you need self-publishing help, too?

If you happen to need help with converting your e-book to a print book, I can help. In fact, this is one of the services I offer on Wording Well.

As I mentioned already, I have already helped Max Ivey turn his e-book into a print book (and he, in turn, inspired me to finish the process with mine).

Now that I’ve been through the process a couple of times, I can do the same for you.

Follow the Law!

Whatever you choose to do, make sure you follow the laws governing you and your book!

I’d hate to see you in jail.

Did you know you HAVE TO submit your book here? #books #ebooks
Click To Tweet

 

 

The post Legal Deposit. It’s the Law. #Canadian #indie #publishing appeared first on .

My Books are NOW in the Local LIBRARY and a Bookstore!

A couple of weeks ago, I got the shock of my life when I checked my phone messages.

There was one from a lady named Katya, whom I had never met, but who works at the Northern Women’s Bookstore.

She wanted me to contact her because the bookstore was interested in carrying NOT JUST MY BOOK (Risky Issues) but also one of the anthologies that I contributed to (What’s Your Story? 2013 Memoir Anthology)!

(I am listed as one the authors on the latter book, after all.)

Wow!

I thought that someone from the PARO Women’s Centre for Enterprise had mentioned my book to her (because I had left a copy of Risky Issues for the lady whose program I’m a part of to pass onto another lady who makes the decisions regarding book signing events at PARO)… but someone at the local library had contacted Katya.

To top it all off, Katya said that the library wanted me to contact them because THEY were also interested in carrying my books!

Double wow!

Sometimes dreams come true.
Click To Tweet

I obviously contacted both Katya and someone from the Thunder Bay Public Library (TBPL) — the acquisitions clerk, Joanne Agostino.

When I asked how the library had heard of my book, Joanne told me that a couple of requests for my book were made through the library’s website!

Triple wow!

I was shocked, flattered, and honoured when I heard this… especially because I have done NOTHING WHATSOEVER in my hometown to promote my book!

The only thing I have done in terms of promotion have been online things, like posting updates and sharing blog posts on my social media accounts.I wrote a few guest posts and have been interviewed by others, too.

But… I’ve not told too many people about my book, nor have I done any advertising or promoting of it in the city where I live. (I know, I’m the worst marketer EVER!)

This lady didn’t market her #books. At all. BUT LOOK WHAT HAPPENED!
Click To Tweet

Sure, I would like to do a book signing someday, but I wanted to wait until I have more than one book to sell. If truth be told, I actually want to wait until Letters to Julian is finished. It’s coming along more slowly than I anticipated due to the fact that I’ve been working on projects for my clients.

The Thunder Bay Public Library Bought My Book

Anyhow, moving on…

When I spoke to Joanne, she told me that the library does not buy books from Amazon, but that they’d buy them from me, so I ordered copies and invoiced the library, as per her request. Thankfully, I was able to do this via my business, Wording Well.

I asked her, too, if she wanted me to autograph them. She checked with her colleagues, as she was unsure, but eventually told me it was okay if I did. So I did, when I dropped them off to her.

I delivered them on Wednesday, April 8th, 2015, and before I went into the library, I asked a total stranger to take a picture of me standing outside the library. I was alone in my venture, but I wanted a memento for posterity.

I wanted the artwork and name of the building to be in the picture, too.

Here is a picture of me standing outside the Waverly Street location of the Thunder Bay Public Library.

Maybe I should’ve called the newspaper, but I didn’t think of that until afterwards!  Oh, well.

The Northern Woman’s Bookstore Stocked My Book!

After I left the library, I went to the Northern Women’s Bookstore, to meet Katya in person and to drop off some books for her to sell.

She and I ended up taking a couple of selfies for our Facebook pages and websites.

She also put my book on display near the front door!

Here is a picture of the door you need to enter once you enter the building:

 

Here is a picture of the building, which looks like a huge brick house:

Taking Selfies

Naturally, I had to snap a pic of me with my book. Wouldn’t you have done the same thing, if you were in my shoes?

I took a few pics of Katya, my book, and myself, too.

One can be seen at the beginning of this post; here are the others:

 

Because half her head didn’t make it into the pic, I took another! This one is better:

 

 

Then we started getting silly, and, as we were laughing, I ended up snapping this pic, which didn’t turn out very clear, but at least you can see our wide smiles!

My PARO Presentation was given earlier that day…

What made this day extra-special is that, just prior to distributing my books all over town, I gave a presentation to about a dozen women at PARO. The topic was Business Branding and Setting Up an Online Presence.

Here is a screenshot of the date and time of the presentation, taken from their website:

I was paid for giving this presentation, too!

I even made a video of it… but it didn’t turn out well. The lighting was poor, there was a glare on the screen, and there was a glare from the laptop I used… but the sound was good!

However, I was able to create a SlideShare presentation, for all the world to see.

Branding Your Business from Lorraine Reguly

Do you know how to do #business #branding? See Slideshare in this post. for help.
Click To Tweet

How I Celebrated

My parents took me out to dinner. We feasted on Chinese food, which I love. My son was unable to attend, as he was exhausted from working and had to put in a few hours of studying for the AZ trucking course he is taking. Dinner was fantastic, and we ended up playing cards afterwards. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my folks.

When I spoke to my son, he expressed his happiness and pride, too.

All in all, that day was a very great day.

Wouldn’t you agree?

P.S. Don’t forget to buy a copy of Risky Issues for yourself or someone in your life.

The post My Books are NOW in the Local LIBRARY and a Bookstore! appeared first on .

My Many Lives (A Former Prostitute Speaks Out)

I used to be a hooker. It’s true.

And a rape victim.

And a drug addict.

Not anymore!

I’m now a successful freelance writer, editor, and blogger. I have clients. (Yes, clients. Plural.)

So my day now begins with reading aloud some positive affirmations, having a cup of tea, turning on my laptop, and working on my new business, which I absolutely LOVE.

It never used to be this way.

My days (okay, evenings) once began by me getting all dressed up, doing drugs, and prostituting myself.

What a change!

What I Like About My New Life

There are many things I love about my life… now.

I like:

being a respected professional
being a person of authority
spending my time doing things I love (writing, editing, blogging, and helping others)
earning money legitimately
connecting with others
assisting others with their websites and their writing and editing projects

What I Hated About My Old Life

Yeah, “hate” is a strong word. I don’t use it loosely, either.

There were several things about my old life that I hated:

being disrespected by many people (including people who would drive by, hurling both insults and inanimate objects at me)
being depressed and suicidal
being hated by my son
standing outside in freezing cold weather
waiting… the constant waiting for someone to pick me up… and use me
getting dirty looks
my entire life, basically!

What I Miss About My Old Life

I miss:

the compliments I used to get about how pretty I am
having fun with young, sexy, muscular guys (c’mon, who wouldn’t miss that!)
the piles of money I earned

I Own All My Lives

Yes, I have guts. I’ve faced my inner demons. And I’ve risen above the negativity I used to feel.

I’m now, in a weird way, actually proud of myself. I can admit what I’ve done, openly and honestly.

And not be hated for being me.

Admitting that my past is colourful has helped me heal. It’s also helped me be remembered as a unique person. I’m proud of myself for that.

Best of all, my life story is helping others.

People are talking about issues mentioned in Risky Issues, my book of short stories that brings to light many issues faced by children, teens, and even adults: identity, drugs, abuse, death and friendship.

They’re also talking about me in a positive light. I’m now viewed as inspirational! What a feeling that is!

I have to say, I’m proud of how far I’ve come, and I’m happy that I can now own my past lives easily. Well, easier than I could before, at least.

Bloggers are now seeking my expert opinion, I’m being featured in others’ posts alongside some pretty famous bloggers, my business is thriving, I have many online friends (some in high places!), the library and at least one bookstore in my town wants to carry my books (mine and one I contributed to), and I”m happy again.

In addition, my son and my family respect me again.

What more could I ask for?

A day in my old life? No way. Not now. Not ever again. I like my new life too much.

Don’t be ashamed of your past. This lady is not ashamed of hers!
Click To Tweet

Did you know this lady was a prostitute? Seriously. Now she’s getting famous.
Click To Tweet

Hire a former hooker? Yes. This one writes, edits, and blogs!
Click To Tweet

Be a role model. Try to be a good one, too.
Click To Tweet

 

 

 

The post My Many Lives (A Former Prostitute Speaks Out) appeared first on .

On Being an Inspiration to Others

Being viewed as an inspiration is humbling.

I have been told that I’m seen as an inspiration for having the guts to speak up about what I’ve endured throughout my life, and how I got to the point that I’m at now, where others are featuring me in their posts, seeking out my expert opinion, etc. For a list of places where I’ve been seen online, you can check out my Appearances page on this blog or my Portfolio page on Wording Well.

In the last week, I’ve had three guests posts published on different blogs. Each shares a personal story about some of the problems I have had to deal with in my life, beginning with the fact that I was raped when I was a virgin.

I also wrote my very first post for LinkedIn Pulse, about having the courage to speak out.

Here is a list of the posts. I hope you find the time to read and comment on them!

My Guest Posts for March 2015

Rape, Drugs and Prostitution — One Blogger’s Journey to Success March 18, 2015. Sylviane Nuccio

Don’t be afraid to SPEAK OUT. I didn’t. March 18, 2015. LinkedIn Pulse.

4 Reasons Why All Leaders Need To Practice Self-Reflection March 21, 2015. Joe Lalonde

My Love-Hate-Love-Love-Love Relationship with the Techno Life and Writing March 24, 2015. When Women Inspire

Free Gift

I also now have a free offering on this blog. Find out more about it here.

Am I An Inspiration?

I have never really thought of myself as an inspiration to others. I’ve just thought that I had a hard life!

Apparently, I’m now seen as an inspiring woman for overcoming so much adversity and building a successful writing, editing, and blogging business. Oh, and becoming a published author who helps others do the same.

Being an inspiration is an honour I wear proudly.

The post On Being an Inspiration to Others appeared first on .

FREE GIFT for Story Lovers (Readers AND Writers!)

I’ve been working on a freebie to give away on Laying It Out There, and today I have good news — it’s finally finished!

Christy’s Feeback Helped Me Make this Freebie Awesome!

I also have to give a thumbs-up to fellow Canadian writer Christy Birmingham for her feedback as I improved this freebie for you. Christy and I have been friends for a couple of years. We’re both freelancers, poets, bloggers, and authors. Christy runs two blogs: Poetic Parfait, and When Women Inspire.

She’s actually going to be featuring me on the latter very soon, too. I don’t want to spoil the surprise (okay, I kinda do!), but I plan on relating my love-hate-love experiences with writing using technology, dating back to the times before self-publishing was “a thing.”

I also am going to be mentioning a book I wrote during my university days, back in the nineties, and telling a funny-but-not-so-funny story about how I lost all my work on the university’s computer.

Yeah, rough stuff seems to always happen to me.

But the fact that I’m being featured on her site is exciting!

About My Free Gift to You

Now, let’s get back to the free gift I have for you.

The freebie contains ten beginnings of stories just waiting to be written, plus a bonus short story that I wrote.

If you love to read and/or write, you’re going to love this free gift! It will help stimulate your creative juices if you’re a writer. I have to warn you, your imagination will run wild after reading these story starts!

If you’re someone who enjoys reading stories, you’re going to love this freebie, too, because the story I included in it is actually a true story. In fact, it’s the bonus story found in my book of short stories, Risky Issues. 

Speaking of Risky Issues, I received an email the other day. Apparently a lot of people have been buying it, now that it’s only 99 cents. The email notified me that my book’s ranking jumped up by over 800 000; it was ranked as 1.3 million for about a month. I’m so happy it’s selling more copies these days!

Enough about me, though. Let’s talk about YOU.

If you want your free gift, just visit this link and sign up to my mailing list! (FYI, I don’t send out many emails, so you don’t have to worry about me filling your inbox up with junk.)

Besides, I want to be able to tell you of my progress with Letters to Julian, which I’m currently working on but am nowhere near finishing. I really want this book to be spectacular, and so I’m not going to be releasing it until it’s simply perfect.

I plan on giving away excerpts from Letters to Julian to my subscribers, so if you want these future freebies, you’d be wise to jump on the opportunity to get on my list today so you don’t miss out!

If you feel the overwhelming need to thank me for your free gift or tell me how much you love 10 Stimulating Story Starts + A Bonus Short Story, I’d sure appreciate hearing from you in the comments!

Enjoy your free gift!

One more thing… please tell others about my free gift! Thanks!

Get inspired to write using these 10 Stimulating Story Starts! #writers
Click To Tweet

Read a short story for FREE! #shortstory #books
Click To Tweet

The post FREE GIFT for Story Lovers (Readers AND Writers!) appeared first on .

Lisa Gardner’s FEAR NOTHING: An Autographed Copy + a #bookreview

It’s true. I received an autographed copy of Lisa Gardner’s Fear Nothing! How exciting!

I’ve been wanting to read this book since October 2013.

How I Got an Autographed Copy of Fear Nothing

I simply wrote her and asked her for one.

I went to her website’s Contact page, and used the email address she provides to write her a letter.

Of course, I mentioned that Lisa Jackson sent me an autographed copy of Tell Me, and that I was going to review it, which I did. I know that these two authors read one another’s books, and so I figured that name-dropping might help sway her.

I also told her about my standard offer to authors.

Whatever the reason, Lisa’s reply to me was positive. She also sent me a short note (shown in the image below).

I’m happy to say that now I have an autographed copies of books from my two favourite Lisas!

Plus, I enjoyed a good read, on her. I’ve bought many books of hers over the years, though, and have enjoyed each one immensely. Fear Nothing was no exception. Read on for my book review of this wonderful suspense novel!

About Fear Nothing

The book blurb for Fear Nothing, Lisa’s 29th novel, taken from Lisa Gardner’s site reads:

DD Warren returns in a tale of two sisters, one a successful doctor who can’t feel pain, the other already incarcerated for multiple murders. Daughters of infamous serial killer Harry Day, their separate worlds are about to collide as they work with DD to catch a predator copying their late father’s murders.

Fear Nothing is the seventh instalment in the Detective DD Warren series. The complete series consists of:

ALONE
HIDE
THE NEIGHBOR
LIVE TO TELL
LOVE YOU MORE
CATCH ME
FEAR NOTHING

Although I’ve not reviewed each of these books, I’m happy to report that I’ve read all of them. Catch Me was my favourite. The sheer number of twists and turns it contains, coupled with my inability to determine the identity of the killer and the surprise I felt when I found out who he/she was makes Catch Me an unforgettable novel, one I’d read again and again.

My Book Review of Fear Nothing

The following is my book review of Fear Nothing, which I have posted to Goodreads:

A series of murders rocks Boston — hard. The killer’s signature consists of leaving behind at each murder scene a rose, a champagne bottle, and a victim whose skin has been cut off — into multiple ribbons.

Detective DD Warren helps investigate — unofficially. “Unofficially” because she was severely wounded and is still healing. Part of her therapy involves seeing a psychologist, Dr. Adeline Glen, to deal with the pain she endures. But the good doctor has pain issues of her own — she cannot feel pain, due to a rare genetic disorder.

DD’s investigation leads the police to a potential killer, Shana Day. But Shana is behind bars, serving a life sentence for apparently killing a boy — Donnie Johnson — when she was fourteen. Shana is also one of the two girls that Harry Day fathered. The other is Adeline. Surprise, surprise. This twist is just one of many, and is indicative of Lisa Gardner’s extraordinary ability to craft a suspenseful storyline.

Shana and Adeline were separated as young children, each put into the foster system. Adeline was adopted by a clinical doctor who later died of natural causes and Shana was adopted into a different family.

When Harry Day was alive, he also cut ribbons of skin off his victims. Now, someone is replicating his murderous methodology. But who?

As DD investigates further, she also tries to remember the circumstances surrounding her injury. She had returned to the scene of another crime, fell down the stairs, and fired off three shots while doing so. Who did she see before she fell… or was she pushed? Is that person related to Harry Day, or his daughters?

As the pieces of the mystery fall into place, another twist arises, which adds to the growing suspense. Lisa Gardner delivers murder, mayhem, and mystery in Fear Nothing, an excellent read. As per ususal with all of Gardner’s novels, this one is highly recommended!

A Bit About Lisa Gardner, Famed Author

Lisa Gardner is one of my top three favourite authors (along with Lisa Jackson and James Patterson). She is pretty normal, given the subject matter of most of her books! She lives with two dogs, a three-legged cat, and her hubby, who once deleted all of the games on her computer! (So, yeah, she has her problems, too!)

Seriously, Lisa Gardner’s been writing for the majority of her life, thrilling and entertaining millions of people with her tales. She was published at the age of 20. If my math is correct, she’s in her early 40s — which is around my age (I’m currently 43). She also has beautiful, compelling eyes.

Lisa has a sense of humour, evidenced in her answers to the FAQs she receives, and enjoys works by several authors, including V. C. Andrews (another one of my faves). She’s lived in many places as well, and truly enjoys doing research, especially in the field of forensics.

A self-described research junkie, her work as a research analyst for an international consulting firm parlayed her interest in police procedure, cutting edge forensics and twisted plots into a streak of internationally bestselling suspense novels, including her most recent release, Fear Nothing.

~source

If you want to know more about Lisa, the monthly contests and sweepstakes she runs, please visit her site and look around. Take a few moments to watch some of her videos, too. Some are educational, but most are hilarious and entertaining!

Lisa’s Typical Day

To prove Lisa is “normal” and “funny,” I found a video in which Lisa talks about a typical day in her life.

I have to admit, the props made me laugh!

Lisa Gardner’s Books – and Links to Buy Them on Amazon

Her books include those from the FBI Profiler (featuring Rainie Conner, Pierce Quincy, and his daughter Kimberly) series: The Perfect Husband (1998); The Third Victim (2001); The Next Accident (2001); The Killing Hour (2003); Gone (2006); and Say Goodbye (2008). The Detective D.D. Warren series consists of: Alone (2005); Hide (2007); The Neighbor (2009); Live to Tell (2010); Love You More (2011); Catch Me (2012); and Fear Nothing (2014).

Stand alones include: The Other Daughter (1999); The Survivors Club (2002), I’d Kill For That (2004); Touch & Go (2013); and Crash & Burn, her 30th novel, soon to be released (in February 2015).

Crash & Burn is Lisa Gardner’s 30th — and next — book. It will be released in February 2015, and I’m looking forward to reading it!

Lisa’s Pseudonym is Alicia Scott

Lisa Gardner has written books under the pseudonym Alicia Scott, which include: Walking After Midnight (1992); Shadow’s Flame (1994); Waking Nightmare (1994); At the Midnight Hour (1995); Hiding Jessica (1995); The Quiet One (1996); The One Worth Waiting For (1996); The One Who Almost Got Away (1996); Maggie’s Man (1997); Macnamara’s Woman (1997); Brandon’s Bride (1998); Partners in Crime (1998); and Marrying Mike… Again (2000).

Chat With Lisa

Connect with Lisa Gardner on Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter. Check out her quotes on Brainy Quote, and invite her to speak to your writing group (email her at asklisa@lisagardner.com). She just might! Of course, you could always attend one of her events.

I’d go… if I had the time and money.

Maybe she and I will simply have dinner one day… with Lisa Jackson.

Your Turn:

Do you enjoy mysteries or thrillers?

Who is your favourite author?

Have you read any of Lisa Gardner’s books yet?

Which author(s) would you like to have dinner with someday?

A Final Plea

Please share this post on social media. Although my Wording Well site is becoming popular, this site still lacks readerships because I’ve not actively promoted it as much as I’d’ve liked to. So… I need your help! It took me a long time to put this post together, but if no one reads it, I’ll be very sad. (I’m sure Lisa Gardner will be, too!)

So please take two minutes to share this on ALL of your social media networks… and subscribe to my emailing list. Although I don’t currently have a free ebook to bribe you with give you, I will one day suprise you with a special gift.

Thanks!

~Lorraine Reguly

P. S. Here are a few Tweets to get you started.

I can’t wait to read your books, @LisaGardnerBks! I hear they’re GREAT!
Click To Tweet

Thanks for writing entertaining and scary #books, @LisaGardnerBks. I love them!
Click To Tweet

Excellent #bookreview of Fear Nothing, by @LisaGardnerBks via @lorrainereguly
Click To Tweet

See you in the comments!

The post Lisa Gardner’s FEAR NOTHING: An Autographed Copy + a #bookreview appeared first on .

Bear With Me As My Blog Changes. Also, PLEASE GIVE ME FREE EBOOK IDEAS!

As a result of doing a total overhaul on Wording Well, beginning with my tagline, which will be happening over the next few weeks, I’m also doing a bit of revamping of this blog’s theme, yet again. Bear with me as my blog changes!

It’s tough doing everything when you’re a one-woman show running a business! I think I need to hire help!

Plus, I’m sick again. Geez. Life is not easy these days.

The freezing temperatures in this city are making me want to move. If I didn’t have family here, I’d be gone in a heartbeat!

FREE EBOOK?

I also would like to know what type of ebook would be good to give away on this site.

If you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments. Thanks!

So far a book of short stories has been suggested. I’m thinking of maybe a collection of paragraphs that could be developed into stories (I have a lot of those!).

What do you think would be best?

The post Bear With Me As My Blog Changes. Also, PLEASE GIVE ME FREE EBOOK IDEAS! appeared first on Lorraine Reguly: Laying It Out There .

Being Called “Inspiring” Is an Honour, Not a Detriment

Today’s post is a bit different from what I normally post on this blog, but for good reason.

Apparently, I’m “inspiring” to a few people, Lenie Hokansson included, as she just bestowed The Very Inspiring Blogger Award upon me. Now, I have known Lenie for a while, and have helped her on many occasions, so the God’s-honest-truth is that she really DOES find me inspiring.

And even though she linked to Wording Well in her post, she’s okay with me accepting it over here, since I’m the same person… regardless of where I am!

My Almost-Refusal to Accept this Award

Blogging awards don’t mean much to seasoned bloggers, but to newbie bloggers, they’re fun to do… and an honour.

Truthfully, I wasn’t going to accept this award. Not here, not on Wording Well, not anywhere.

But then I thought of Lenie’s feelings. I knew she’d be hurt if I refused.

And I like Lenie. Really, I do. She’s awesome!

Plus, I thought it would be neat to rest my mind and return the feelings I once felt when blogging. Before it became part of my “job.” You know, when there were no expectations, when it was actually FUN?

I don’t want to get to the point where I think certain things are “beneath me,” even if they are…

I also want to pass on some of the love I’ve received from other bloggers, even if THEY refuse to accept.

So, here we are, with another blogging awards post to saturate the already-saturated world wide web!

Oh, and the fact that I’ve been so busy with my business lately and sort of needed a “filler” post for today was not a factor at all in my decision to accept this award.

Besides, I have proof that I’m an inspiration to others. I mean, when you LITERALLY save someone’s life, how can you not be considered an inspiration?!

Being called “Inspiring,” therefore, is an honour, not a detriment!

The Four Easy Rules of The Very Inspiring Blogger Award

If you accept this nomination, you are asked to follow the rules attached to the Very Inspiring Blogger Award:

Thank the person who nominated you by linking to his/her blog
Display the award logo somewhere in your acceptance post (right-click and save it to your computer, then upload it to your blog)
Reveal 7 things about yourself
Pass on the award to others by nominating 12 people, linking to them within your post, and then notifying them about their nominations (which can be done through email, a blog comment, or social media)

Seven B-B-Boring Things About Lorraine Reguly (yeah, me)

I’m a certified English teacher.
I live in Ontario, Canada.
I have a son, and am a single mom.
My son is now an adult, so parenting has gotten a lot easier!
I self-published Risky Issues in 2014.
I began freelancing in 2013, got my own website in 2014, and registered my business in 2015.
I recently added website consultations and blog coaching to the writing and editing services I provide.

Seven Sh-Sh-Shocking Things about Lorraine Reguly (again, me)

Hold onto your hats, folks. You’re gonna be shocked at some of my reveals!

Please don’t judge me by my past, though. I’m a different person today.

I was raped when I was a 14-year-old virgin.
I turned to drugs and promiscuity to cope with the devastation I felt.
I had an abortion when I was 16.
I got pregnant again at 17. This time, I kept my baby.
I performed sexual acts for money.
I smoked crack for ten months.
I’m 43. Seriously. I have always looked younger, though!

I’m pleased to say I’m proud of how far I’ve come in my life.

My Dozen Inspiring Bloggers

Elna Cain from Innovative Ink

Gina Horkey of Horkey Handbook

Christy Birmingham from Poetic Parfait and When Women Inspire (either site can accept this award!)

Adrienne Smith – the engagment superstar and an online celebrity in her own right, as she knows how to build a blogging community!

Sylviane Nuccio – I’m still developing my relationship with Sylviane, but from all accounts, she’s a great lady who is a former actress!

Maxwell Ivey A.K.A. The Blind Blogger – Everyone should know Max by now. He’s not the only blind blogger there is, but he’s truly the most inspiring due to his massive weight loss and ability to begin not one but two online business AND self-publish a motivationals and inspirational book: Leading You Out Of The Darkness Into The Light: A Blind Man’s Inspirational Guide to Success.

Enstine Muki – a money blogger and a tech genius!

Kevin Duncan of Be A Better Blogger – who went from being a nobody to a somebody in the blogosphere practically overnight!

Ryan Biddulph from Blogging from Paradise – who is island-hopping as we speak. Yeah, he’s living the good life!

Kerry Kijewski from Her Headache – Kerry is a beautiful, blind writer. I had the pleasure of doing an in-depth interview with her and learning what a fabulous woman she is. She has talent like nobody’s business. Just read her account of her ice-skating experiences, and you’ll see what I mean.

Andrew Warner from Shade of Info – who recently featured me in one of his blog posts about why we read blog posts!

Jaqueline Gum – a writer and author who has a unique style of writing and a fresh perspective in each of her blog posts.

Who Do You Think Is Inspiring?

While awards posts have gotten a bad rap over the years, featured bloggers posts sure are becoming more popular.

To me, this kind of makes no sense, as the principles are basically the same for each type: links to other bloggers are given and the word about others is spread.

So, really think twice about accepting this award, everyone.

It’s not going to kill you to do so!

Besides, it’s cool to find out who YOU think is an inspirtation… and why.

The post Being Called “Inspiring” Is an Honour, Not a Detriment appeared first on Lorraine Reguly: Laying It Out There .