Adan Ramie's Blog, page 29

Exposing Yourself with Mark Gardner | Indie Publishing Tips from a Pro

There’s a lot of advice out there — good and bad — for self-publishing success. If you try to follow all of it, you’ll lose your mind. Not only is there just too much to take in, but a lot of tips are conflicting, which makes it difficult to filter out all the tricks that work from the one-hit-wonder or downright terrible advice.

Mark Gardner, author of Champion Standing, Forlorn Hope, and several other books, believes highlyin the power of exposure. Here’s what he had to say:

Expose Yourse...

Pennies from Burger Heaven by Marcy McKay | Book Review Wednesday

I’ve been waiting to get my copy of this book for a long time, since probably the first time I read a post by Marcy McKay. She’s a dynamite personality who spends a lot of time helping other creative people, and this novel took a long, painful journey on its way to publication.

Pennies from Burger Heaven is Marcy McKay’s first book, but you wouldn’t know it from the quality. Told from the unique perspective of a child, it is simultaneously heart-wrenching and hopeful.

Eleven-year-old Copper D...

[Something] [#] [Something] [Something] | Mention Monday

Earlier this month, I posted my first Mention Monday: A to B, and said that I would be doing a second type of Mention Monday later. (By the way, I’m still looking for suggestions on A to B, so head over and leave me a comment.)

For the second half of the month, Mention Monday is going to be a little harder to explain. (How did you like that obtuse post title?) I’ll be writing about the [Something] [#] [Something] [Something]. Clear as mud, right?

Here’s an example:

4Book-to-Movie Nightmares (...

7 Ways to Keep Your Name on Their Lips, Part 4 | Serial Sunday

Here’s the conclusion of the tale of vigilante justice, 7 Ways to Keep Your Name on Their Lips. This part is called “Introduce New Ideas.”

7 Ways to Keep Your Name on Their Lips

#1 – #2 – #3 – #4 – Introduce New Ideas

4. Introduce New Ideas

“The new law of XT states that all false witnesses will…”

In front of the camera, the man broke down into a wail. His cheeks were already blotchy from tears, but this new round made his n...

Check, Please | Fiction Friday

This week’s Fiction Friday was spawned from two prompts. The first is this photo from Sunday Photo Fiction. The second was from Master Class: “crossroad to oblivion.” I was in the mood for something a little dark, so I took the prompts and ran to a familiar place of fear in being different or solitary.

Check, Please

He’s been sitting in his car for so long, it’s dusted with snow, but I know what he’s doing. He’s tapping his phone on the dash: first one end, then rolling it around on its edg...

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath | Book Review Wednesday

I’m not sure how I got this far in life without reading anything by Sylvia Plath.She was a brilliant andtragic figure who succumbed to depression when she was only 30 years old after years of torment and treatment. The Bell Jar is mostly autobiographical, with many of the events in Ester’s life coming almost directly from Ms. Plath’s life.

The Bell Jar is the story of Esther Greenwood, a woman whose whole life stretches in front of her with the promise of youth that she cannot enjoy. From the...

We Meet Again | Teaser Tuesday

On running through the plot-hole-filling edit of Cluster B, I’ve come across a lot of great scenes. Scenes that speak to the essence of a character, or bring to light some of their darkest secrets. This is one of those scenes. To gear up for Cluster B‘s release in March (pre-order it here), I thought I would give you all another taste and a chance to win one of the first copies when it’s released. (Details below the excerpt.)

Cluster B: Chapter 3

…Harry stood in stunned silence. Did she kno...

The Promised Land | Reflections on Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968

“We have no alternative but to protest. For many years we have shown an amazing patience. We have sometimes given our white brothers the feeling that we liked the way we were being treated. But we come here tonight to be saved from that patience that makes us patient with anything less than freedom and justice.”

The tragedies faced with our country today show that there is still so much work to do to achieve Dr. King’s dream.Many h...

7 Ways to Keep Your Name on Their Lips, Part 3 | Serial Sunday

7 Ways to Keep Your Name on Their Lips

#1 – #2 – #3 – Work Hard and Happen to Things
#4 – Introduce New Ideas

3. Work Hard and Happen to Things

Disdain covered the reporter’s face as she read the more somber overnight news.

“Police were forced into a stand-off at Jefferson Savings and Loan after a couple allegedly walked into the building carrying guns in an attempt at robbery. One of the suspects was died at the scene, and the other is in critical conditi...

Dedicated and Obsessed, Interview with A.L. Mabry | Spotlight Saturday

Welcome to Round 2 of January’s Spotlight Saturday!

(Did I say it was once-monthly? I meant twice. Twice-monthly. Bi-monthly. Double the pleasure, double the fun, folks!)

In theSpotlight today,I have editor and author A.L. Mabry. You may know her from Our Write Side, a new writing community that posts prompts, writing tips, fiction, and a lot more. In this interview, we’ll talk about her upcoming fantasy trilogy, her work with teens, her passion for awareness, and even get an excerpt of a boo...