Neva Squires-Rodriguez's Blog, page 36
November 1, 2014
#8Sunday Weekend Writing Warriors-What Happened to my scheduled post???
Ah!!!!! I had a post scheduled to go up yesterday at 3am and it never went up! What happened to it? It vanished!!! Must have had to do something with the Halloween haunting hour. Grr… Hopefully Wordpress doesn’t end up showing both tomorrow.
Now down to business… Last week, we read about Yasmin bumping into her neighbor in the hallway, just after snatching the wreath off of her apartment door. Good news, Yasmin was civil with her neighbor, but check out the interesting news that she uncovers. Poor Yasmin. What will she do next? We’ll find out next weekend! ;) Enjoy your week and may you have a very blessed one! :)
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“Is he leaving for another business trip?” She asked.
“Oh Mrs. Frederick,” I said sweetly. “It turns out he was never going on business trips, he has another girlfriend, so I decided to leave.”
“Actually he left me and told me that I had a week to get out of his place, because he and his new girlfriend were planning on moving in and that I needed to go.” I bellowed, regretting my tone as the words left my mouth but needing to share the information with someone.
“Not that cute blonde girl he brought up here for Thanksgiving?” She asked, her eyes growing large.
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Please visit the other fabulous Weekend Writing Warrior sites and find out more about what we do here:
Do you like my snippet so much that you want to read more? Would you like to read a story of how one young woman is faced with what seems to be endless devastation, before finding a man who will bring romance to her life? Do you love the feeling of holding an object such as an actual book in your hand and turning physical pages? Great news, my book “Liliana” is now available in paperback!!! I’m so excited!!!
http://amzn.to/ZLXwZP
October 31, 2014
A Spooktacular Deal from AllRomance Ebooks!
*Check this great deal out!All e-books 50%off today OCTOBER 31st ONLY. Including my book, “Liliana”, which is Mind-blowing! ;)
Originally posted on VHP Book Tours:
HAPPY HALLOWEEN
from AllRomance!
Treat yourself today with this 50% Rebate!
Rebate available from 12:01AM Central Time October 31st to 11:59PM
Central Time October 31st. No rainchecks or refunds will be given.
Vanilla Heart Publishing on AllRomance
Help Wanted
By: Charmaine Gordon
Published by: Vanilla Heart Publishing
Price: $2.99$1.50 (after rebate)
Steve and Sally Atwood have some big adjustments to make when they move to River’s Edge. Steve has lost his career in the corporate world and finds work painting houses. Sally flings off her apron and pursues her lifelong dream to be a reporter in the small town with a big heart, where the motto i more…
Pianissimo By: Lauren Shiro
Published by: Vanilla Heart Publishing
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Darryl and Corinne Richards purchase their first house. With Darryl’s army career coming to a close, they feel ready to settle…
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October 28, 2014
The Angie/AMB Ovation Awards nomination announcement
Check out this Fabulous Nominee!!!
Originally posted on Tamara Philip, Author:
I’ve been announced as a f inalist for
Outstanding Debut Author
of Interracial Romance 2015
in the
The Angie Ovation Awards
The Outstanding Debut Author Awards recognize an AA/IR/Multicultural romance author who has demonstrated strong literary potential and contributions to the genre. The award is designed to both recognize and further the recipient’s professional development activities.
–quoted from http://www.angelinembishop.com/2015-finalists.html
The Trouble with Playing Cupid
by Tamara Philip
One New Year’s Eve, shy singer, December Brown drunkenly texts her talk show host pal, Trace Randall, about her long time crush on the aloof actor, Tom Elmswood. Thinking the two celebrities would make a cute couple, he unwisely decides to play matchmaker… in front of a live studio audience.
Things start to go downhill when Tom admits he’s never even heard of December before. Now what seemed like a sure fire hit quickly becomes a flop. Will these two lonely hearts…
View original 462 more words
October 27, 2014
@MONDAYBLOGS @GoodReads Ratings #MONDAYBLOGS
What measures does Goodreads put into place, to protect the dignity of its authors? Apparently none. That’s why publishers often warn writers not to follow Goodreads, because it can be devastating! Thank goodness as a new author, I made other author friends quickly who warned me about it and sure enough, someone who has never rated another book in English, gave mine a 2. Really? I admit it, that hurt! Do they understand how hard we work as writers just to get someone to rate us? Goodreads, come on, let’s screen a coupe, huh? I guess it’s important to remember Goodreads is named such for a reason, otherwise it would be called Goodwrites, huh?
Authors, wouldn’t it be nice if Goodreads required readers that were giving out a score of one of two stars, to write at least a 200 word post about why they didn’t like the book? Then it would be easy for the writer to understand the validity of the readers dislikes it would help them to better their writing or to fire their editor-not to mention it would allow readers to vent, though I’m not sure that we want them to vent all that much, right? (Just kidding, I love the opinions of my readers, though if they started making negative comments about my work, I’d have to keep telling myself this, over and over. :) )
Goodreads is good because it gives writer’s an immediate idea of how good or bad (let’s just say good) their work is. The important thing to do as an author is to weed out ratings from people that didn’t actually read your book and are just rating you to, I don’t know, get their “book read” scores up? Seriously they do this. New authors, it’s important to remember never to stalk your reviewer. (It’s a joke, for those that haven’t read up on the infamous author who actually stalked her one star reviewer. My ABFF Tamara Philip told me about it!) (No it wasn’t me or her and we don’t even know the author and support our reviewers comments.)
Stalking people based on their reviews is not cool. Seriously, it’s happened to me. I actually gave someone (famous) a five star review and was stalked on Facebook by one of their critics. That was very odd and even a tad bit scary because I posted the review on Goodreads, meaning they actually researched me to find my Facebook page. CREEPY! Why is there so much negativity in the world? Can’t we all just encourage each other to do well?
Perhaps in the future we’ll see “Goodread” lawsuits, as we have with Yelp. Seriously what happened to Freedom of Speech? I’m down with whatever readers have to say, just please don’t look for me. Seriously, I live in a bad neighborhood and I’m more worried about your safety than I am my own. Hopefully one day, I’ll get like 5000 great Goodreads reviews and then be able to move to the other side of the railroad tracks. (The Good side) I’ll invite all my top star raters over for cocktails while we roast marshmallows over my bad reviewer fire pit as we discuss our favorite authors and books. (It’s ok, I’m a nerd-I know it.) Small dreams, I know… Ok that’s all for now my Monday Bloggers.
Enjoy your week and if you’d like, here is my Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8507331.Author_Neva_Squires_Rodriguez
Friend me! :)
or buy my book:
http://amzn.to/ZLXwZP
October 25, 2014
#8Sunday with the Weekend Writing Warriors #mretweettrain
Ok, so now down to business… So you read a little from my new writing project last week, I skipped about a paragraph or so to get us to this weeks snippet. Yasmin, the protagonist of the story is leaving her boyfriend of eight year’s apartment and heading back to Chicago to move in with her mother. Travis has a new girlfriend and Yasmin is not very happy about that. She also is not happy about moving back to Chicago, much less with moving back in with her mother. It’s almost Christmas and it is just a very frustrating time for her. Here it is:
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I walked out of the apartment and slammed the door. I pulled my curly black hair into a ponytail and walked down the long hallway to the stairway, turning to take one last look at the door of the apartment. I quickly walked back to it and snatched the wreath off of the front of the door. There was no way in hell that I was going to let Travis and his new girlfriend enjoy my handmade goods. I walked quickly back down the hallway, nearly bumping into my elderly neighbor.
“Are you and Travis getting ready for the holidays?” My neighbor asked.
Oh, how I wanted to strangle her.
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What will happen next? Will she strangle her neighbor, shove her down the stairs, speak to her? You’ll have to wait till next week, in the meanwhile visit the other fabulous Weekend Writing Warrior Websites and read all of their phenomenal snippets by clicking here: http://www.wewriwa.com/
Do you like my snippet so much that you want to read more? Would you like to read a story of how one young woman is faced with what seems to be endless devastation, before finding a man who will bring romance to her life? Do you love the feeling of holding an object such as an actual book in your hand and turning physical pages? Great news, my book “Liliana” is now available in paperback!!! I know, it’s exciting isn’t it. Share in my joy, or help me put a dent in my school loan with Great Lakes Credit Union and buy it now! :) (I’m being humorous, is it working?) :) Here is the link:
http://amzn.to/ZLXwZP
October 20, 2014
“The Manipulator”, a Chicago native. Get to know Steve Lundin!
First a bit about the book
The Manipulator is a satirical techno-noir business thriller about advertising, greed, and the out-of-control edge of a media addicted culture. It’s a darkly humorous and prophetic look at the evil twins of marketing and communications just a few years over the horizon, when master media manipulators will insidiously shape almost every aspect of our programmed and highly regulated world. Powered by an authentic perspective, The Manipulator is a fast moving, snarky action packed story that will keep you turning pages while you should be working!
Biography
Steve Lundin is the Chief Hunter and Gatherer of BIGfrontier, a Chicago media strategy boutique. He is an award winning marketing professional, journalist and pop culture anthropologist. He has written hundreds of feature stories for a diverse assortment of regional and national publications including the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, International Watch and Aviation History. As a marketer he has had extensive experience successfully revitalizing consumer and business to business products and services for companies ranging in size from Fortune 100 to two guys in a garage.
The Moment of Truth
Finally a book review on a fellow Chicagoan! I’m thrilled to introduce you to Steve Lundin. I have to warn you folks, it’s kind of hard to at first tell if a Chicagoan is being funny or is plain nuts. Realisticly, this is why you love us. We take things by storm and woo you with our unpredictable remarks and dark humor. I have to tell you, Steve is really awesome (He’s a Cubs Fan. :) ) and if you read through to the bottom of my post, you’ll not only feel the same way, but will find the link to download his book, during a special sale for .99 cents. Mark your Google calendars, I know I will be first in that online line on the sale date. ;)
Where do you currently reside?
Outside of Chicago, although I spend a lot of time behind the wheel of my car, in planes, and dreaming of warmer climates.
What are your hobbies?
Oy. The hobby question! If you had asked me that ten years ago I would have prattled on about collecting original comic book art or building models, flying planes, driving motorcycles, yada, yada. Well, kids and responsibilities and a career have a way of sidetracking even the greatest of time wasting activities. So, between working for clients, promoting my own materials through writing and speaking and generating enough money to keep everyone housed, fed and educated, my new hobbies are (drum roll please): treating myself to an occasional martini, watching Agents of SHIELD and sleeping.
(I think he may be a Seinfeld fan? Are you Steve?)
Tell us about your current release.
The Manipulator is a satirical aggregation of what I have done, learned, experienced and imagined during the past 15 years of working in technology, the media and marketing. First and foremost it is a story, with a definite beginning middle and end – that moves you at a rapid pace to the final conclusion. If you are interested in how the world is increasingly shaped by the media and enjoy the works of Kurt Vonnegut and Elmore Leonard, you will love this book. It is a fast and funny read full of Easter eggs and inside information and jokes. Pick it up, figure it out, laugh and learn.
What inspired you to write your story?
Well, it certainly wasn’t shiny, happy people! A career of writing about the kinds marketing campaigns and individuals that I have encountered provided the inspiration for this book.
My day job involves not only developing campaigns, but covering them for a wide range of publications. The world of The Manipulator, as outrageous and farfetched as it may at times seem, has been my beat.
What was the scariest moment of your life?
Trying to remember a brochure that I read in a doctor’s office while delivering my second child.
What family members are closest to you and how have they supported your writing career?
If I answered this question honestly I would be permanently banned from Thanksgiving dinner.
What was your favorite book growing up?
Playboy: Volumes 1 – infinity
Ok, moving on Steve, what is the craziest thing that you have ever done in your life?
Getting Sarah Jessica Parker to give me her number in front of Judd Nelson (her date) when I met them at the DNC in 1988. I think he wanted to kill me. I told him I was just bumming a smoke.
What are the lyrics to a song that have stuck in your head and inspired you?
Probably something my Warren Zevon, but I can’t really remember because some vapid Allen Thicke tune keeps interrupting my thought process. Honestly, I really don’t find or seek inspiration in songs, since the Beatles aren’t producing any new ones.
What website do you spend the most time on?
Google – calendar. Anyone who works for a living will give you the same answer.
Note: The Manipulator broke into the Amazon Top 100 for Satire. It will be available in ereader format at a special promotional price of .99 from 10/24-10/31 on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/kweb5y7
Where to Find Steve:
Website: http://www.stevelundin.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8313799.Steve_Lundin?from_search=true
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BIGfrontier
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/steve.lundin?fref=ts
Book Tour Schedule http://www.elitebookpromotions.com/book-tours/
#MondayBlogs – Best Show Ever! @SixFlagsGM
Hi Monday Bloggers. I am doing something a little different this week. I am a big fan of the Halloween Season, number one and number two, this is really the best show ever! ;) This week, I have to write about the best show Six Flags Great America has had all year-probably the best in the last several years!
The show titled, “Love At First Fright” is a musical. The show itself has been repeated year after year, however the script is edited to touch on songs of the year as well as jokes that have to do with recent social media events. (I love the death is no longer a pre-existing condition joke-outstanding Six Flags Writers.) Many of the songs the cast performs have to do with the Halloween season, such as “Thriller”, “The Monster Mash,” as well as with the characters themselves such as, “Devil with The Blue Dress” and “Little Red Riding Hood.” The writer’s really outdid themselves this year, the show is “electrifying.” The cast must practice for hours on end to get some of their moves down. There are several instances where one cast member lifts another in the air and never once have I noticed any mess-ups in their performance.
This years cast is by far the best I’ve seen in the last few years. Some of the cast members look to be the same as the ones that were there last year, but some of the faces are new. Either way it is obvious how well the cast works together, they really seem to click and that makes it fun for the entire audience to watch. I’m not certain how professional these guys are, but every last one of them should be cast for a play on Broadway. Even better after the show the cast splits up so that the audience can talk to them or take pictures with them, so as not to overcrowd one cast member and also to give an opportunity to more members of the audience-who love them so much!
As for me, I take my kids to see the show just about every weekend during the “Halloween Season.” This past weekend we even went twice in one day. It’s just that good folks. The most amazing thing about this show is that I have never noticed anyone leaving disappointed, the audience is smiling throughout pretty much the whole show, and the line to get into each performance is always massive, but well worth the wait. Major bonus here is that there’s enough seats for everyone in line and there’s even a priority Season Pass holder line that gets you in the door fifteen minutes earlier than the rest of the crowd. (Pretty much everyone in the park has a season pass however, because the passes are such a reasonable price and include access to the attractions water park during the summer months.)
Drop what you’re doing and get to Gurnee, Illinois this weekend to see the show. Just kidding! If you are within driving distance or planning to visit the area in the next couple weeks, you really need to check out this show. I’m including some pictures taken from my cell phone for your enjoyment, if you can’t make it to see the show. Not top quality pics, but you get my drift. The two short kids with the ghost are actually mine, they are not in the show, they just enjoy wearing costumes to the park. ;) Thanks for stopping by, see you next Monday. :)
October 19, 2014
Moms are the Best
Check out my beautiful mother, holding a copy of my book! Moms are the best. My mom has been walking around her neighborhood, talking to all the store owners, the principal at my elementary and high school, and her local library about my book. Today I picked her up and took her to church with me and she made it a point to talk to everyone about it as well. She actually carries my book around in her purse and hands out bookmarkers to anyone she comes in contact with. She has been promoting “Liliana” by word of mouth, better than I ever could. I love my mom, she’s the best!
October 18, 2014
Weekend Writing Warriors, Something new! :) #8SUNDAY
If you’re new to our hop please check out my post as well as all of the other fabulous writers by clicking on the link below.
Hello again friends. I’m going to shake it up a little this week. I’m going to share the first paragraph of a completely new book that is in the works. I’m dying to share the whole thing with you and I may be able to… We’ll see soon enough. Believe it or not this is going to be a short story of faith. We’re not looking to go over 10,000 words on this one, so you’ve got a good chunk of it already. Let me know what you think. ;)
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It was one of those years that nothing was going right for me. My boyfriend Travis, left me for his sexy co-worker Genevieve, my grandfather died in August and my brother was given a prison sentence that past March. I sighed as I thought about what a mess my posh life had become and tried to remind myself that the only thing that mattered to me was that my mother enjoyed the holiday season. How was I going to make this Christmas work for her with no one else to help me out? I walked through the apartment that I shared with Travis for the last seven years, taking one last look to make sure that I didn’t leave anything behind. Unfortunately, I allowed him to put his name on the lease, leaving me heartbroken and without a place to live when he called me two nights ago, throwing the lease in my face, stating that he decided to move his new girlfriend in, and that I needed to go. Ordinarily I would have been fine with him leaving, but when my grandfather died I offered to pay the burial costs. My grandfather didn’t have a life insurance policy and I didn’t realize that my boss intended to lay me off less than a month later.
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Do you like my work? Check out more. Click here.
October 13, 2014
5 Things a New Author Can Expect #MondayBlogs
1) Many of your family friends and family members will begin to ask either a) how much you’re getting paid to write or b) if you’re rich.
(Yes apparently anyone who has a published book is rolling in dough. —So not the case!)
(Those that don’t ask may hint that they need money for this or that, be prepared, they’ll come out, I tell you.)
2) You will begin to beg, plead and bribe people to review your book. Yes, something as easy as clicking on the last of five stars is difficult for many to do. Some will tell you they’ve done it, when in reality you know they haven’t. Grr. Yes grr. You will become aggravated and perhaps even upset. Don’t let it get to you, we all know “those” special individuals.
3) If you have a significant other they may become resentful of your will to write. Remember to make time for them, perhaps letting them know what days you have available or when you can pencil them in, should be avoided.
4) In addition to having people that you know, who tell you they love your book not rate it, you will have people that knowingly haven’t read it rate it, and they may be cruel. Some may get on Goodreads and give you a 2 and you may wonder about them after seeing that the only books they’ve read besides yours are written in a foreign language that yours hasn’t be translated into…yet. (No hard feelings, you know who you are. Grr)
5) Expect friends to say they are thinking about downloading your book. Really? Don’t tell us this. At least lie to us and say that you read it and that it was great. If you have a Kindle and haven’t downloaded your friend or maybe your x-sister in laws book yet, but say you’re thinking about it, you might as well just rip my heart out-yes my heart! Ugh!
Ok, that’s it. I hope that you enjoyed my little piece here. You should know that this was written in good fun and I can be a bit sarcastic at times (English humor). I just thought it might be a good idea to prepare new writers for the worst. (Besides, I’m so over it. ;) )
