Jacqui Murray's Blog, page 128
December 8, 2015
Cover Reveal: Anna Simpson’s “White Light”
I am so excited to be part of Anna Simpson’s (over at Emaginette) cover reveal blog hop. Here’s a summary of her wonderful new book, White Light:
Emma never dreamed of being a super-sleuth. In her mind, she’s more Scooby Doo than Nancy Drew and when her nosy neighbor, Mrs. Perkins, drags her to an anniversary party to solve a mystery, she rolls her eyes, buys a box of chocolates and hops in the car.
What’s a party without an attack on its host—or more accurately on the host’s grandson, sparking an allergic reaction and moving the party to the hospital waiting room. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect. Emma and Mrs. Perkins, along with Great Aunt Alice (a spirit with boundary issues who keeps stepping into Emma’s body like a new dress and playing matchmaker), dive into an investigation that almost gets Emma killed along with the man they are trying to protect. With so many reasons to kill him and so much to be gained if he died, Emma and Mrs. Perkins must unravel the tenuous ties that point to every member of his family as potential killers.
Even if it means going back to the psych ward, Emma will protect her friend and this innocent man. What good is freedom if it’s haunted with guilt?
Anna Simpson lives near the Canadian-US border with her family. Even though she’s lived in several places in British Columbia, her free spirit wasn’t able to settle down until she moved back to her hometown. She is easy to find though, if you know the magic word — emaginette. Do an internet search using it and you’ll see what I mean. :-)
More from new authors:
Announcing: T.B. Markinson’s A Clueless Woman
A Chat with Author, CW Spooner
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman
, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, monthly contributor to Today’s Author and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. You can find her book at her publisher’s website, Structured Learning.
Filed under: authors
December 2, 2015
Announcing: T.B. Markinson’s A Clueless Woman
I’ve been reading TB’s blog, Making My Mark, for quite a while. She’s an Indie author of at least six novels, always with fascinating female protagonists. I’m excited to be part of the blog hop for A Clueless Woman, the long-awaited prequel to A Woman Lost:
Graduate student Lizzie Petrie feels more comfortable around books than people. Although an expert in the Hitler Youth, she’s a novice in love. Her former lesbian lover is blackmailing her, and not even those closest to Lizzie know the full story of their abusive relationship.
When visiting high school English teacher Sarah crosses Lizzie’s path at the campus, their attraction is instant, but not without complications. As they start to spend more time together, suspicions arise from both women in this sexy piece of LGBT fiction.
Plenty of good-natured teasing takes place between lovers as well as between PhD students in this lesbian contemporary romance. No relationship path ever runs smoothly, and oftentimes, those who can’t keep their mouth shut hasten necessary confrontation.
Lizzie finds herself buried in a mess of lies in this romantic comedy. The harder she tries to keep Sarah and the rest of her friends from finding out the truth about her first girlfriend, the more endearingly clueless she becomes.
T.B. is an American writer, living in England. When she isn’t writing, she’s traveling the world, watching sports on the telly, visiting pubs, or taking the dog for a walk. Not necessarily in that order.
When you finish A Clueless Woman, you can get the sequel for free by signing up to TB’s Readers’ Group here. Her new book is available here:
More from Indy writers:
Michael’s Newest Release–Davidia’s Seed
The Wit and Wisdom of Peter Wells
An Interview with Esther Newton
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, monthly contributor to Today’s Author and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. You can find her book at her publisher’s website, Structured Learning.
Filed under: authors, interview
December 1, 2015
#IWSG–Holiday Blahs
This post is for Alex Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writers Support Group (click the link for details on what that means and how to join. You will also find a list of bloggers signed up to the challenge that are worth checking out. The first Wednesday of every month, we all post our thoughts, fears or words of encouragement for fellow writers.
This month’s insecurity – I’m struggling to write.
It’s the holiday–I know that. My mind is on guests and friends and festivities rather than coming up with blog posts. I usually bludgeon my way through, but this year, I think I’ll sit back and let my energy rebuild for the New Year.
Do you feel less inspired to write over the holidays? Do you fight it or give in?
More IWSG articles:
Is NaNoWriMo Important if I Don’t Care About the Word Count?
Should I Continue My Newsletter?
Why do I get so few sales through Google Play?
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, monthly contributor to Today’s Author and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. You can find her book at her publisher’s website, Structured Learning.
Filed under: writers, writing Tagged: insecure writers group, iwsg, writers
November 19, 2015
Happy Thanksgiving Week
I’m taking next week off. I’ll be preparing for holiday visits from both my son and daughter, the former from DC and the latter from El Paso TX. I am so excited!
I’ll be back November 30th. Any emergencies–drop me a line at askatechteacher@gmail.com.
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, monthly contributor to Today’s Author and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. You can find her book at her publisher’s website, Structured Learning.
Filed under: blogs Tagged: thanksgiving
November 15, 2015
How NOT to Write a Book Review
I read a lot, on average three books a week (based on my Goodreads Reading Challenge numbers). I live the maxim that writers must be readers. Because I love writing, I review many of them for one of my three blogs. When Amazon asked me to be a Vine Voice, I was flattered and wanted to understand why my reviews caught their eye. I spent time reading a wide selection of reviews and came away with a framework of what all critics included:
a brief plot summary
an overview of characters
a discussion on the theme/plot/goal and whether it’s well-delivered
the reviewer’s evidence-based opinion
an appealing voice
Reviews I didn’t like often covered these critical areas, but got lost in the ‘personal history’ weeds. Unless the reviewer is Michiko Kakutani or James Wood (both listed among the top ten most feared literary critics), I’m ambivalent to a reviewers’ personal opinions.
As a result, I’ve developed a template for what to avoid in my reviews. See if you agree:
Opinionated
Book reviews aren’t opinions; they’re factually-based summaries. Sure, many books include the author’s opinion. A reviewer’s job is not to disagree with the opinion, rather discuss how the author rolls it out. Do they provide evidence? Is their argument well-developed or gratuitous? Do readers find themselves nodding in agreement or fuming in anger? They should feel the reviewer is even-handed, neutral, and an arbiter of the discussion rather than a participant.
Narrow perspective
The author writes from their personal experience. True, the reviewer’s personal fable is as unique–and likely different–as the author’s, but that isn’t what’s being reviewed. Show how motivation/theme/goals connect to a vast swath of readers even as the character/plot/setting are fresh and unique.
‘This isn’t my favorite genre’Not only do I avoid that phrase, I hate hearing it as an excuse why the critic has her/his opinion. In fact, it tells me to ignore everything they’re about to say. If this isn’t the reviewer’s genre, research it. For example, literary fiction delves into characters; thrillers focus on plot. I wouldn’t down-star Ted Bell’s Patriot for the lack of Lord Hawkes’ personal thoughts.
If the reviewer isn’t willing to understand the book’s genre, stick with traditional traits like a compelling voice, developed characters, and well-paced plot.
Takes too long to get to the point
Reviewers should be pithy and laser-focused. Sometimes, they’re neither. Often, that happens because the reviewer isn’t sure of what they’re saying and hopes to throw enough words on the page to hit the bullseye for most people. Long reviews should be stuffed full of meaty information, not fat.
Conclusions without evidence
I love hearing a conclusion I may not agree with because it means I’m about to learn something. I feel cheated when that conclusion lacks evidence. Unless the reviewer is part of my inner circle (people who I tend to accept at face value), please cite sources–multiple sources–and give me linkbacks so I can verify statements.
Superiority
Reviewers aren’t there to judge writers, rather evaluate. A debut novel is different than the tenth in the series, and a young thriller writer should not be compared to Lee Child. Critics offer advice to inform the reader’s decision on whether they should read more of this author. That’s a weighty responsibility. Approach it with respect and humility.
For more on this topic, check out Adam Kirsch’s article (he’s considered one of the top ten reviewers by some). To see the review of what might be the most famous review ever (on John Keats), click here.
More on critiques:
7 Reasons For and Three Against Critique Groups
25 Take-aways from the Richard Bausch workshop
Writers Tip #52: Join a Writers Groups
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, monthly contributor to Today’s Author and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. You can find her book at her publisher’s website, Structured Learning.
Filed under: book reviews, writers resources
November 12, 2015
Book Review: Compulsion
Compulsion
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Allison Brennan has written over twenty thrillers and I’ve read a lot of them. Her latest–‘Compulsion‘ (Minotaur Books 2015)–is her best, again. Investigative reporter Maxine Revere believes that the serial killer on trial for four murders is actually responsible for at least five more, but no one believes her. Here we have a fairly typical story of one person raging against a storm, standing tall despite a tidal wave of adversity. But before predictability can jell, the plot takes a dramatic turn and becomes something else entirely.
From that moment on, I couldn’t stop reading.
The heroine, Max, carries the story. Most of the main characters are likeable, but flat–they serve their purpose as pawns in the story. Max, though, is different. She is driven, a successful journalist with a boat load of confidence and a track record that makes people listen. She teeters on the edge of being too self-centered to be likable. She has no humility about her superhuman abilities, rather like the neurosurgeon who performs surgeries no one else can, accepts them as her due. But her hubris is tempered by a solid moral compass that points to justice for the little guy. In this story, it is an older retired couple who have disappeared while on vacation. They are forgotten by law enforcement, but not their children. They can’t move on, their lives frozen in time, their world dissolving, friends and jobs all secondary to the desperate search for what happened to their parents. When Max offers to help, she is not only is a chance to solve the mystery, but save their lives.
This is a gripping story with a non-stop action. I highly recommend it for those who enjoy plot-driven stories with strong characters.
More on super-human characters:
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, monthly contributor to Today’s Author and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. You can find her book at her publisher’s website, Structured Learning.
Filed under: book reviews
November 11, 2015
Tech Tips for Writers #95: Find the Programs You Use Quickly
Tech Tips for Writers is an (almost) weekly post on overcoming Tech Dread. I’ll cover issues that friends, both real-time and virtual, have shared. Feel free to post a comment about a question you have. I’ll cover it in a future Tip.
Q: I can’t always find the program I want. They seem to move around the desktop or get lost in the clutter. I don’t like putting them on the taskbar because that gets too busy. What’s a better way to organize programs I use all the time?
A: Pin them to the Start Menu.
Find the program icon.
Right click and you get a drop-down list of favorite choices.
Select “Pin to Start Menu”. That puts it above the line (when you push the Start button). Programs below the line are the ones you’ve used recently.
Now, all you have to do is push the Start button (in the lower left corner) and you’ll see all your favorite programs. It also works for websites if you have one you go to all the time (like Ask a Tech Teacher!).
Apple aficionados: How do you do it on a Mac?
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, monthly contributor to Today’s Author and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. You can find her book at her publisher’s website, Structured Learning.
Filed under: problem-solving, tech tips for writers, writers tips, writing Tagged: tech tips for writers, writers tips
November 10, 2015
Today We Honor Veterans
In the USA, Veterans Day annually falls on November 11. This day is the anniversary of the signing of the armistice, which ended the World War I hostilities between the Allied nations and Germany in 1918. Veterans are thanked for their services to the United States on Veterans Day.
Filed under: I love the USA
November 5, 2015
Book Review: The Killing Lessons
The Killing Lessons
by Saul Black
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed as part of my Vine gig
Saul Black’s ‘The Killing Lessons‘ (St. Martin’s Press 2015) might be the typical story of a psychocrazy killer if it weren’t for Black’s mesmerizing insights into the mind of both the killer, the victim, the survivors, and those who attempt to bring some form of justice to the chaos. For three years, damaged San Francisco homicide detective Valerie Hart obsesses over stopping the horrific torture and murder spree that spans the Western half of the country. As it threatens to destroy her sanity and her life, she begins to lose hope that she can unravel the murderers crimes, but if she can’t, she doubts her mind will survive.
The story is non-stop violence from the mental images Black draws of the bloody debauchery to the searing hunt for the madman whose childhood cauldron of broken lessons left no room for humanity–all tied together by non-stop inner monologue of not just the killer, but his hunters and victims. Read this one sentence, the rambling inner thoughts of a desperate captive awaiting her death, chock full of detail, emotion, reflection, and meaning:
“When she thought of her room at Oxford, the walls of books with spines cracked in testimony to dogged engagement, when she thought of how clearly she’d sensed the scale of the imaginative relationship–what the reading life demanded (which was, in the end, to keep finding room for everything human, no matter how ugly or beautiful or strange)–it was as if she’d turned her back on her child.”
The only break readers get from the mesmerizingly deadly story are the quirky personal habits of Hart. Consider these:
she wakes up to poetry instead of music
she tells herself–Not today. She can quit being a cop anytime she wants to. Just not today.
In all, a riveting drama that you won’t be able to forget. Highly recommended for anyone with a strong stomach.
More psycho-thrillers:
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, monthly contributor to Today’s Author and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. You can find her book at her publisher’s website, Structured Learning.
Filed under: book reviews
November 3, 2015
#IWSG–Is NaNoWriMo Important if I Don’t Care About the Word Count?
This post is for Alex Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writers Support Group (click the link for details on what that means and how to join. You will also find a list of bloggers signed up to the challenge that are worth checking. The first Wednesday of every month, we all post our thoughts, fears or words of encouragement for fellow writers.
This month’s insecurity – Am I missing a lot not doing NaNoWriMo?
I have never tried it, though I’ve researched a lot about it for articles. I don’t set a daily word count goal–I write fifty or five hundred and I’m fine with that. I don’t care as long as I write. It seems to work for me, but I’m open to improvement. Every year, NaNoWriMo grabs my attention in November as a possible way to improve my writing habits. I rarely hear any participants sound lukewarm about the time they spent. In fact, most are effusive about the writing accomplished, the kick-start to their novel, and the supportive community. You don’t even have to succeed–all you have to do is try. Failure to accomplish the required number of words (50,000) still means success in so many other ways.
Which makes me feel a little like those kindergarten soccer games where everyone gets a trophy and no one keeps score.
What do you think? Is there reason enough to join even if I have no intention of writing all those words, every day? Why are you joining?
More IWSG articles:
Am I good enough? Does it matter?
When does technical become boring
Jacqui Murray is the author of dozens of books (on technology in education) as well as the popular Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is webmaster for six blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com and TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, monthly contributor to Today’s Author and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. In her free time, she is editor of technology training books for how to integrate technology in education. Currently, she’s editing a techno-thriller that should be out to publishers next summer.
Filed under: writers, writing Tagged: iwsg, nanowrimo
