Wednesday, May 7, 2014

New Release and Giveaway - Chasing Shadows

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I have some awesome news to share with you all. Tia Silverthorne Bach has released book two of the YA, Paranormal, Tala Prophecy series, Chasing Shadows. You may remember Chasing Memories from my review last year. Well, she's back and ready to knock your socks off yet again! You'll find my review for Chasing Shadows here on the blog tomorrow. In addition, you have a wonderful chance to win some very cool prizes from Tia after the informational section of this post. Ready? Let's get going!

 It’s here! And it’s only 99 cents through Sunday, 5/11/14.

About Chasing Shadows (Tala Prophecy, Book 2)
 
Reagan thought one night changed her life forever, but her fate was written long ago. 

Merging creature and white blood,
One of flame, one of night,
At eighteen years it will commence,
Spiritual warrior and power,
 Will bring an end to the lawless ones.

A war looms: One that pits brother against brother for werewolf supremacy. Angels and demons will each have a say before a victor is chosen.

With her eighteenth birthday only six months away, time is running out. Reagan must find a way to harness the two powerful, ancient bloodlines coursing through her: Werewolf and Wiccan. Then, she has to figure out her role in the century-old prophecy foretold by her great-grandmother.

However, if Reagan can’t save her family from her most vicious rival, Rafe, the forces of Hell will be unleashed and the war will be over before it starts.

Add Chasing Shadows on GoodReads 

Cover Design by Jo Michaels  

Amazon Link

PAPERBACK

And don’t forget Chasing Memories (Tala Prophecy, Book 1)
Until Sunday, 5/11/14, it’s FREE!


Synopsis:

There isn’t another way; not now. The others are coming. I can’t let them have you…  

Seventeen-year-old Reagan has a problem: She can’t remember what happened the night her brother was taken. Now, the dreams haunting her from the incident are becoming more intense by the day. All the while, the lines between what’s real and what’s a product of her paranormal-obsessed mind are becoming blurred.

Is she losing her mind or has she just stepped into a world she thought only existed in books?

Caught in a web of worried parents, competing boys, Wiccan relatives, protective amulets, and psychiatrist babble, Reagan must determine the truth before it’s too late. 

Amazon Link  

Giveaways 
Two great giveaway opportunities...  

GoodReads

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Chasing Shadows by Tia Silverthorne Bach

Chasing Shadows

by Tia Silverthorne Bach

Giveaway ends May 28, 2014. See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win
Rafflecopter 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author
Tia Silverthorne Bach is an avid reader, sometimes runner, involved wife and mother, and rabid grammar hound in addition to being a multi-genre writer. Her three daughters were born in Chicago, San Diego, and Baltimore; and she feels fortunate to have called many places home. She's the award-winning co-author of Depression Cookies, a coming of age story written with her mother. Tia's office is wherever her laptop takes her and any place that's conducive to allowing a wild imagination like hers to flourish.

Connect with Tia

Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and GoodReads  

I hope you all enjoyed the heck out of this post! What are you waiting for? Go get your copies of Chasing Memories and Chasing Shadows now! 

For an extra chance to win copies of the book, check out the post on the INDIE Books Gone Wild website here.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!  

Jo

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

The GHOST HEART Kickstarter is here!

Happy, happy Tuesday, everyone! Today, I have a very special post for you all. If you remember, back a few weeks ago, I had author Ripley Patton on the blog for an interview in which she talked about Kickstarter. Well, she's launched a campaign for her new book, Ghost Heart. Read on and help this lady out if you can!



The PSS Chronicles is the acclaimed young adult paranormal thriller series written and self-published by award-winning author Ripley Patton.

If you're already familiar with the series, you know how great these books are. They are true paranormal thrillers and almost impossible to put down.

Ghost Hold quotes

Book One, GHOST HAND, was a semi-finalist for the 2013 Kindle Book Review Best Indie Book Awards and it was a 2013 Cybil Award Nominee. It has over 200 reviews on Amazon with a 4.4 overall rating.

GHOST HOLD has been just as well received with over 40 reviews, only one under 3-stars. Readers often comment that is is even more compelling than the first book.

PSS books


And NOW, Ripley Patton is gearing up for the release of the third book in this series, GHOST HEART, by running a Kickstrater Project HERE.

All Ripley's books have been funded successfully through Kickstarter, which allows readers to pre-order the books in e-book and paperback format, in addition to ensuring she can publish them to the highest quality. Plus, its just fun to be a part of the amazing process of making a book a reality.

This time around, Ripley has something special going on. Backers of the project will actually be helping unveil the GHOST HEART cover, one piece at a time, as the funds for the book are raised. To whet your appetite, she's already let one little corner show here. Just a hint. Just a tease. The rest is up to you and all the backers of the GHOST HEART KICKSTARTER PROJECT. But I really hope it doesn't take too long because I'm dying to see that cover.

ghost heart reveal teaser

NEW TO THE SERIES?

If you're new to The PSS Chronicles, never fear. The GHOST HEART Kickstarter Project has reward options to purchase all the books, both in e-book and signed paperback format for some amazing prices.

Not only that, but if you want to test drive the series before committing, Ripley is currently offering the first book of the series, GHOST HAND, FREE on Amazon and Kobo, and for only 99 cents on B&N.

SO, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Run over to Ripley's Project now and back GHOST HEART. Tell your friends and family and fellow booklovers. Share the project on social media and help Ripley unveil that cover and blow this Kickstarter Project up.

And to find out even more about Ripley, you can check her out on her WEBSITE, on FACEBOOK, on TWITTER, on GOODREADS, and on GOOGLE +. She'd love to connect with you and talk about books, writing, movies, or whatever strikes your fancy.

I hope you enjoyed that! What a creative way to get your book out to the masses!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Monday, May 5, 2014

Author Interview - Amy Evans

Happy Monday, lovely people of the blogosphere! I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be bringing you another unofficial UtopYA Con author interview. You simply must check out some of the past interviews I've done with these wonderful folks. And, if you don’t have your tickets to the con yet, be sure you grab them soon! Time is running out! Just around forty days left. Get yours here. Let’s get this party started! Grab a cup of coffee, your comfy chair, and help me welcome author Amy Evans to the fun!

Jo: Hi, Amy! So good to have you here on the blog. I’m so excited to be interviewing you, I can barely stand it. Are you ready to get going? Are ya nervous? *grin*
Amy: Um, should I be???

Jo: Yes. Be afraid, be very afraid! Kidding... Sort of. Okay, let’s hold our breath and jump right in. Your novel, Clicks, centers on the pollution of the Earth’s oceans and how it impacts marine life. I read that you’re passionate (obsessed, actually) with dolphins. Where did that obsession come from and what made you decide to write Clicks?
Amy: I definitely got my ocean obsession from my dad. May 5th was actually his birthday, so it’s nice to talk about this. Growing up, I was more obsessed with aliens than dolphins, but you don’t have to look far to link up the two. So while I always liked dolphins, it wasn’t until I got hired for a couple project that that particular obsession grew. I started a mobile games and entertainment company and we were hired by a dolphin experience organization (before I knew more about them and realized they were not ok) to record dolphin sounds underwater, and then we went on a journey to study the connections between dolphins and Ancient Mayans. One day five years later, a woman walked into my office and asked me if I knew anything about dolphins and Mayan hieroglyphics and I laughed because it was such a random combination, and when you combined that with development of mobile games, I was probably the only person in the world who could help. She hired me to create a visual language that represented dolphin sounds. The project was based in fiction, but it definitely got me thinking, and I continued researching and obsessing over them long after the work was done, like they were in my head and wouldn’t let me alone.

Before I wrote Clicks, I had two books I wanted to tackle – a sci fi thriller about twins and DNA manipulation, and another about a quiet seaside town full of lifeguards who treated the ocean like a religion. Somehow, the dolphins snuck into my brain, linked them together, and Clicks came out.

Jo: Hmmmm! Not sure that was a coincidence. *grin* There must've been something in the air. How lucky was that lady? I noticed you changed the series title from The Dolphin Prophecy to The Pinhold Prophecy. What was the reasoning behind that?
Amy: Look at the two words: They are anagrams – you can unscramble the letters to create both of them. Pinhold is the name of the Island, and a big part of the story lore. I felt that added to the mystery. But I’ve learned that it’s much better to be obvious about things to reach readers who would be interested in the story so I’ve actually gone back again to using dolphin, simply for visibility reasons. But both words, and both prophecies are important. And anagrams are key in Clicks. All the twins have anagram names like CAMI and MICA and KALEB and BLAKE.

Jo: Makes sense to put the topic right in the face of potential readers. Would you consider yourself a YA author, NA author, or hybrid author? If hybrid, what challenges does that present? Is there a reason you decided to step over the threshold and publish NA?
Amy: I would say both. It’s a bit tricky – I would have made Clicks NA but I want to make sure it’s accessible for schools. My NA title, Jellybean Kisses, is definitely sweet NA, which is something that’s been missing so far from the contemporary romance genre for the category. So you could call it upper YA. I wouldn’t say it’s clean, like Clicks, but it’s not steamy by any means. Part of the reason was NAlitChat.

Jo: AHHH! I agree! Tia Silverthorne Bach was just looking for sweet NA for her daughter (who's between YA and Adult right now). Way to stick in a new path for the genre! Speaking of NAlitChat, you’re the host of that popular radio show. Care to share with us where the idea for that program came from, what you’ve gained from it, and where you see it five years from now?
Amy: I can’t take credit for the idea. E.J. Wesley started it as a Twitter chat right after I got back from Utopya that first year. I’d talked to a number of authors who were just beginning to publish it, and since I love evangelizing new things, and since I had a number of story ideas that fit, I jumped in. After about six months they asked me to help, and then to guest host occasionally when the audio part first began. I was more involved in the production side initially, coming up with topics and finding guests. Now I’m hosting, and I’m still not sure how that happened but I love it! I get to interview best selling authors and ask about best practices and I feel that we are really helping to shape this community of writers so that New Adult solidifies as a category that is still her five years from now. I’d like to continue to interview authors and develop a new community around EcoLit, stories that feature the environment as part of their driving narrative. There are a number of powerful stories that feature the oceans and the environment like a character, and much like Clicks, they blend sci fi, fantasy, spec fic and don’t fit neatly into any one specific genre. So building a community of writers, readers, and bloggers will ensure that these books don’t get marginalized, and get read. Environmental awareness is something I’m completely passionate about and I believe we can really influence people to help one word, one page, one story at a time. Because while facts can change people’s minds, fiction can change their heart.


Jo: That's true! Love that quote so much! Speaking of NA, tell my readers a little bit about Jellybean Kisses. Where did the idea come from, how long did it take you to write it, and what are your hopes for the book?
Amy: Jellybean Kisses is a more personal book. It’s based in a town where we spent summers for the past four years. Jacey’s story is much more reflective of my life than Clicks. Like Jacey, I grew up in a very homogenous town and struggled to shed my own prejudices when I left. And I’ve also had jellybean kisses, and an ex did put a goose in my car.

Jo: Always fun to write something more personal, huh? Time for the alien question of the interview! I don’t know a lot about Jersey City. Do you guys have alien stories to share from that corner of the U. S.?
Amy: I’m not sure but probably. We have the most diverse population in the country, with folk from all over this world, and probably from some others.

Jo: I read that you have one daughter and one son. How do they feel about your writing? What do they want to be when they grow up?
Amy: My daughter is definitely my number one fan. She’s read Clicks four times and she’s obsessed with turtles. She talks about being a vet or a marine biologist when she grows up. My son isn’t quite as impressed, except when I use my animal communication skills to translate for our family pet. He’s inherited my passion for roller coasters, so he wants to become an architect and an engineer so he can build them when he grows up.

Jo: Wow! Your kids sound awesome. *high-five* I was poking around on your Pinterest page and saw a couple of pins about MNN articles. Would you mind sharing a bit of back-story about those for my readers and why they should check them out?
Amy: Mother Nature News is a fabulous website that covers a broad platform of topics that are important to me: ocean health, environmental recovery, sustainable living. My favorite project was interviewing the founders of some great new environmental businesses and causes, like charitywater.org.

Jo: Sweet! What a great cause. Quick! What’s your favorite snack food?
Amy: Popcorn, all kinds but especially Kettle Corn.

Jo: YUM! What fictional character would you date, and what book are they from?
Amy: Gale from the Hunger Games.

Jo: Great choice. He was a good guy. Is there some reason you gave up on Blogger and decided to just keep a Tumblr blog? I have both, and I find I get a different kind of follower on Tumblr than I do on Blogger. What are the downsides and upsides?
Amy: I agree Blogger and Tumblr have totally different audiences. I actually switched to wordpress www.amyevansbooks.com so that I could have a more traditional looking website. I’m trying to be better about blogging, which to me is very different than what I do on Tumblr.

Jo: I can't get the hang of Wordpress. Kudos to you for being able to manage it! I have to ask! What was the prank involving the goose, car, and the guy you dated?
Amy: Read the book. It’s pretty much it exactly. Except that the guy who came to get the goose out of the car was named Howard, and he was dating my close friend.

Jo: I plan to. I found a bit of really cool information. You met Veronica Roth? Wow. Tell us about that encounter and what you took away from it.
Amy: Yes, last year at RT. She was signing and asked what I wrote. I’ve always struggled with the pitch for Clicks because it’s so many different things. But because of who she is and what she writes, I didn’t want to say that it was about paranormal dolphins and hot lifeguarding twins, which are the most obvious. To me, Clicks is about instincts, and all the important things in this world that you can’t see, or prove, you just have to believe. So I told her that Clicks are the sound the universe makes to tell you what’s going to happen next, and she told me it was the best pitch she’d every heard. I laughed an asked if she was making fun of me, which was really not too cool! It was a small moment in a book signing line, but it gave me a really big inspirational boost at exactly the perfect time.

Jo: That's amazing. So great to have someone of her caliber verify what you're doing, huh? You’re a mobile app developer? Tell us about the challenges that line of work presents.
Amy: I was, and still do a bit of consulting. Right now I’m evaluating a new writing platform. But apps have really grown beyond mobile since I began developing in the year 2000, way before there was an app store, or even color phones. It was challenging to work within the limits of the existing technology, while learning and planning and adapting for an industry that changed every second. The biggest challenge was how I spent my time – just a small amount was on development and the rest was talking engineers at companies like Verizon into letting our tech plug into their systems. I’m fortunate to spend most of my time these days as an author. But I love evangelizing new technology, trend spotting, and thinking about what’s coming next.

Jo: Neat job! What kind of games have you worked on? Any we would recognize?
Amy: Not like Angry Birds, or Flappy Birds or anything like that. I did create the first wireless Book of Shadows, though I’ve got no idea where that’s ended up.

Jo: Well, that’s all the time I have for today. I can’t imagine how you do all that you do in a single day and my hat comes off to you. Anything I didn’t discuss that you’d like to throw out there for my readers?
Amy: Just that I feel really fortunate that Clicks was nominated for best debut and best supernatural cover in the Utopya awards. It would really mean a lot to me if everyone could go vote. So many amazing authors, bloggers and fans are nominated and it’s an easy and fun way to show support for the hard work and all the books we love so much! Thanks so much for having me.

Jo: Congratulations! Guys, go VOTE via the link above! Thank you ever so much for taking the time to do this interview, Amy. I look forward to meeting you at UtopYA!

Now it’s time to tell you about the featured book of the week!

Title: Clicks
Author: Amy Evans
Genre: Urban Fantasy, I suppose is the closest. I call it EcoLit – a blend of sci-fi, fantasy and paranormal with a focus on the environment
Length (print): 300 pages
Buy links: Amazon Kindle $0.99  ~  B&N  $0.99  ~  iBooks $0.99

Synopsis: Clicks are the sounds the universe makes to tell you what will happen next. Truths you hear in your heart that you can't explain.

For sixteen year old Cami, the clicks won’t stop. They’re telling her to fall in love with the wrong twin, that her family is hiding something, and that Pinhold, her pristine Island home, is in danger. It's hard to trust them when they go against everything she knows.

But then an ocean mystery makes people sick, sinking the best swimmers to the seafloor and, while they're not dead, they're barely alive.

Modern medicine and island legends have no answers for Cami. Can she trust her instincts to find a cure, or will she lose the most important people in her life forever?

While your fingers are in the clicking mode, why not give Ms. Evans a follow on social media?

Facebook: Amy Evans Books
Twitter: @aammyyss
Blog: Amy Evans Books

I hope you all enjoyed this interview. Questions for Amy? Ask them below!

Well, that’s all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Friday, May 2, 2014

UtopYA Con 2014 Fan Invasion Author Signing Event

Happy Friday, everyone! Well, it's time for the weekend and two days off. I heard that sigh of relief from you all! *grin* Today, I'm gonna take a moment to tell you about a very special event happening at UtopYA in June. An Explorer Package (general admission) is currently $75.00, a Superstar Package (VIP access) is currently $95.00, and a ticket to get into the Awards only is currently $55.00. But, on Friday, June 20, 2014, from 6pm-9pm, UtopYA Con is holding a Fan Invasion event. Price of admission? Free if you bring a new or gently used children's book to donate to Book 'Em; otherwise, it's just $5. All proceeds from this event will go to Book 'Em.

I know! They've lost their minds! How awesome is that?

You can find out more here.

However, there will be a ton of great authors to meet and greet, and get your copies of their books signed!

Which authors are participating? These:


See anyone you know on there? *grin* Yes, I'm up there; but so are a ton of the authors you've gotten to know right here on the blog through the awesome author interviews I've been doing. Still to come: Amy Evans, Eva Pohler, and Elizabeth Kirke! Yup, meet them here, then meet them there.

Heck yeah! You can come say hello to me and get your copy of any (or all) of my books signed! Share the banner with your friends, grab a children's book, and come meet us all!

Join us for a ton of fun! I look forward to seeing you at the event.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Pronouns in Dialogue

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm gonna talk to you about pronouns in dialogue and how they impact the way you use them outside speech. I've been over pronouns twice thus far, but this little tidbit needs to be added. I didn't want to confuse everyone by putting this information in with the other pronoun posts, so I'm making one all its own. Grab your pens and notebooks and join me for a quick lesson! Warning! This post seems long, but it's a lot of the same stuff written over and over again. A necessary evil, I'm afraid.

Remember, your pronouns are: he, him, she, it, its, they, their, them, they're, hers, and his.

Now, when you're writing a scene, the pronoun refers to the last person or thing named.

Learn more here and here.

There are caveats to this, though. First, when we speak, we usually don't use pronouns the right way. For example:
"Lisa told me last night Mel owes her money and isn't sure when she's gonna pay her back."

What a mess that is, right? But it makes sense when someone speaks that way. Why? Because that's what we're used to hearing. We get that Mel owes Lisa money and Lisa isn't sure when Mel is going to return said money. But to write the dialogue with proper pronouns, we'd have to rearrange it like this:
"Lisa told me last night she isn't sure when Mel's gonna pay back the money she owes."

That's okay, too, by the way; but don't beat yourself up over pronouns in dialogue. Above all else, you want speech to sound natural, not forced. So, pronouns in speech aren't something you need to be super vigilant about. Let it flow.

Second, when you're creating dialogue and you mention a name, you need to remove the speech to see who your pronoun is actually referring to. Also, the pronouns in speech are separate from the ones in text. This gets tricky, but I'll do my best to show you a couple of examples:
Susie looked at Byron and drummed her fingers on the desktop. "So, you're saying Lisa doesn't really like Mark?"
"That's what I'm saying. She's just using him to have a date to prom."
She gasped. "That's horrible!"
"You know how she is. How does that surprise you?" His eyebrow lifted and a smirk found its way onto his lips.
"I just never thought she'd be so crass." Her mouth turned down and her eyes shifted away. "It doesn't do to hurt people. Mel let it drop the other day that she thought her intentions weren't honorable. I just didn't believe her."
"Well, I'm telling you now, she's planning to make a big scene and leave him looking like an idiot at the end of the night." His hand found its way to hers in an attempt to offer comfort.
Sighing, she moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

Okay, now, you can see the mess we'd have if we followed traditional pronoun examples and tried to have everything include the dialogue. How do you check it? Like this:

#1 Delete the dialogue and highlight the pronouns.
Susie looked at Byron and drummed her fingers on the desktop. "So, you're saying Lisa doesn't really like Mark?"
"That's what I'm saying. She's just using him to have a date to prom."
She gasped. "That's horrible!"
"You know how she is. How does that surprise you?" His eyebrow lifted and a smirk found its way onto his lips.
"I just never thought she'd be so crass." Her mouth turned down and her eyes shifted away. "It doesn't do to hurt people. Mel let it drop the other day that she thought her intentions weren't honorable. I just didn't believe her."
"Well, I'm telling you now, she's planning to make a big scene and leave him looking like an idiot at the end of the night." His hand found its way to hers in an attempt to offer comfort.
Sighing, she moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

#2 Rewrite it.
Susie looked at Byron and drummed Susie's fingers on the desktop.

Susie gasped.
Byron's eyebrow lifted and a smirk found a smirk's way onto Byron's lips.
Susie's mouth turned down and Susie's eyes shifted away.
Byron's hand found Byron's hand's way to Susie's in an attempt to offer comfort.
Sighing, Susie moved closer to Byron and rested Susie's head on Byron's shoulder.

We know the passage is correct, because it reads like it's supposed to. If it didn't, we'd need to fix it.


Dialogue is independent of the text providing support. Is it possible to fix the pronoun issues in the dialogue? Yes. It can be done easily, but watch for forced speech. You don't wanna take something that works and tweak it until it sounds, well, tweaked. *grin* Proceed with caution.

One more example, and I'll let you go for the day. This time, we'll use four speakers and I'll make errors. See if you can find them before I go to the correction phase. GAME ON!

Lisa slapped Mark's hand before taking it in her own and tugging. "You're so silly sometimes. Let's go find Susie and Byron."
He grinned at her, loving the way she gave him love taps now and then, and let her pull him along.
"Lisa! Hey, girl. What are you guys up to?" Her speech was slurred and her eyes glassy.
"Sorry, guys, she's had a little bit to drink." Byron supported Susie with one arm while balancing two cups in the hand on the other.
She put her hands on her hips. "Aren't you gonna share?" One hand flew out, knocking the drinks off their perches. "There's Mel!"
"Lisa!"
"What?"
"You have zero class, you know that?"
"Oh, come on. Stop being such a ninny. Not my fault your girlfriend's sloshed. Would you look at her? I wonder where she got that dress?" She took off in Mel's direction without offering an apology.
Mark shrugged. "Sorry about that. She's kinda rude sometimes."
Glaring in her direction, he snorted. "Kinda rude? Sometimes? She's extremely rude always."
Feeling his face turn red, his mind began to wonder if he should punch the guy out to defend his girlfriend's honor. Deciding against it, he shrugged and started after her; anger boiling beneath the surface.

Ready? GO!

Done yet?

How about now?

Okay, your time's up. My turn! I'll show you why the passage is wrong, then correct it. Four steps this time.

#1: Remove dialogue
Lisa slapped Mark's hand before taking it in her own and tugging. "You're so silly sometimes. Let's go find Susie and Byron."
He grinned at her, loving the way she gave him love taps now and then, and let her pull him along.
"Lisa! Hey, girl. What are you guys up to?" Her speech was slurred and her eyes glassy.
"Sorry, guys, she's had a little bit to drink." Byron supported Susie with one arm while balancing two cups in the hand on the other.
She put her hands on her hips. "Aren't you gonna share?" One hand flew out, knocking the drinks off their perches. "There's Mel!"
"Lisa!"
"What?"
"You have zero class, you know that?"
"Oh, come on. Stop being such a ninny. Not my fault your girlfriend's sloshed. Would you look at her? I wonder where she got that dress?" She took off in Mel's direction without offering an apology.
Mark shrugged. "Sorry about that. She's kinda rude sometimes."
Glaring in her direction, he snorted. "Kinda rude? Sometimes? She's extremely rude always."
Feeling his face turn red, his mind began to wonder if he should punch the guy out to defend his girlfriend's honor. Deciding against it, he shrugged and started after her; anger boiling beneath the surface.

#2 Highlight the pronouns
Lisa slapped Mark's hand before taking it in her own and tugging.
He grinned at her, loving the way she gave him love taps now and then, and let her pull him along.
Her speech was slurred and her eyes glassy.
Byron supported Susie with one arm while balancing two cups in the hand on the other.
She put her hands on her hips. One hand flew out, knocking the drinks off their perches.
She took off in Mel's direction without offering an apology.Mark shrugged
Glaring in her direction, he snorted.
Feeling his face turn red, his mind began to wonder if he should punch the guy out to defend his girlfriend's honor. Deciding against it, he shrugged and started after her; anger boiling beneath the surface.

#3 Replace the pronouns
Lisa slapped Mark's hand before taking Mark's hand in Lisa's own and tugging.
Mark grinned at Lisa, loving the way Lisa gave Mark love taps now and then, and let Lisa pull Mark along.
Lisa's speech was slurred and Lisa's eyes glassy.
Byron supported Susie with one arm while balancing two cups in the hand on the other.
Susie put Susie's hands on Susie's hips. One hand flew out, knocking the drinks off the drinks' perches.
Susie took off in Mel's direction without offering an apology.Mark shrugged
Glaring in Mel's direction, Mark snorted.
Feeling Mark's face turn red, Mark's mind began to wonder if Mark should punch the guy out to defend the guy's girlfriend's honor. Deciding against defending honor, the guy shrugged and started after the guy's girlfriend; anger boiling beneath the surface.

#4 Repair
Lisa slapped Mark's hand before taking it in her own and tugging. "You're so silly sometimes. Let's go find Susie and Byron."
He grinned at her, loving the way she gave him love taps now and then, and let her pull him along.
"Lisa! Hey, girl. What are you guys up to?" Susie's speech was slurred and her eyes glassy.
"Sorry, guys, she's had a little bit to drink." Byron supported her with one arm while balancing two cups in the hand on the other.
Lisa put her hands on her hips. "Aren't you gonna share?" One hand flew out, knocking the drinks off their perches. "There's Mel!"
"Lisa!"
"What?"
"You have zero class, you know that?"
"Oh, come on. Stop being such a ninny. Not my fault your girlfriend's sloshed. Would you look at Mel? I wonder where she got that dress?" She took off in Mel's direction without offering an apology.
Mark shrugged. "Sorry about that. She's kinda rude sometimes."
Glaring in Lisa's direction, Byron snorted. "Kinda rude? Sometimes? She's extremely rude always."
Mark felt his face turn red, and his mind began to wonder if he should punch the guy out to defend Lisa's honor. Deciding against it, Mark shrugged and started after her; anger boiling beneath the surface.

Blue marks what I changed to make the passage correct. I know it seems like a lot of work; but if you take the time to learn how to recognize these things, it'll become second nature and move fast.

How about you? Did you get anything out of this post? How many errors did you find in the example?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Cover Reveal - Tbinkerknese 101 Book One

Hello, lovelies! Welcome to the cover reveal for author E. L. Thomas Sr.'s new book Tbinkerknese 101 (Book One) Poetic Enrichment for Teens!

Before we get to the good stuff, here's a little about the author:

E. L. Thomas Sr. is a semi-retired construction worker, father, and grandfather born and raised in Valdosta, Georgia. And a United States NAVY veteran (U.S.S. Yosemite A D 19) who served during the Vietnam era. Earl has for a long time had this passion to write poetry, but only recently found what he considered to be a suitable outlet for some of his poems. His hope is, at the least, some of what he’s written will inspire teenagers to confront and conquer some of the immense challenges they’ll face during and after their teen years.

You can find E. L. Thomas Sr. at the following social media sites:
Facebook: Tbinkerknoxx Inc.
Twitter: @Tbinkerknese101
Web: Tbinkerknoxx.com

You'll find an odd quote on the front of Tbinkerknese 101. Here's a little about that, and Earl's vision for the book:

“A teen without the Means is like an orange without the juice.”

If you’ve ever seen an orange that’s shriveled and dried up with only the skin and dried pulp remaining, then you’ll be able to equate that piece of nearly useless fruit—which was deprived of the necessary resources to help it reach its full potential—to a teenager who’s been deprived or denied the opportunity to reach their full potential because of lackadaisical parents, disinterested teachers, or both.

The Tbinkerknoxx slogan implies that the teen who gets their juice (the motivating, inspiring, enabling force or factor) from the Means, will be able to substantially enhance both their physical and mental capabilities. These Means will employ high moral standards and encourage academic excellence, while exhausting all available resources in instructing the teens in proper discipline.

We believe the teens who’ve been provided the necessary resources (the Means and the juice), can become productive citizens in an increasingly competitive society.

Once again we want to reiterate and encourage all the adults who have the opportunity to help and can, within the proper channels, to please help our youth. It has been said by many and believed to be true that: “It takes a village to raise a child.”

Now, for the cover reveal and synopsis!

Title: Tbinkerknese 101 (Book One)
Author: E. L. Thomas Sr.
Genre: Young Adult Poetry
Length (Print): 106 pages
Synopsis:
“Okay, teens, let’s go speak some TBINKERKNESE.”

E.L. Thomas has created this language specifically to break down communication barriers with teens. Quips, like the one above, in this inspiring book of poetry will keep you engaged throughout. Inside, there are 101 tidbits of useful, practical advice for teens, parents, and teachers, all communicated in a fun way while retaining a note of seriousness.

If you’re the parent of a teen, or a young person yourself, you’ll love getting lost in the pages of this book. Hopefully, it’ll open up lines of communication thought to be lost and get you thinking about life. With lines to record your thoughts as you read each poem, it beckons to be used as more than just a casual reading device.

Cover time!
Full Wrap:

This book will be available on Createspace, Amazon Kindle, Smashwords, and you'll be able to snag a coil-bound version on Lulu!

INDIE Books Gone Wild is sponsoring a giveaway to include a paperback, an e-book, or a coil-bound! That's right, IBGW is giving away a copy of each. There will be three lucky winners! Giveaway will run from April 26 through May 12. Enter via the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

What do you think of the cover?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Why a Free Promotion?

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Today I'm gonna talk with you all about giving your book away for free and why people do it. There are some pros and cons and I'll be going over all of it. So, if you're ready, grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!

First, let's discuss the stigma surrounding free.
You've just spent six to twelve months writing and editing a novel. Your blood, sweat, and tears have gone into this story on the page, and you're frustrated about giving it away for nothing. Understandable. Believe me, I get it. Anything you spend that much time developing might sting when someone downloads it for nothing. There's also the fear that people will think you can't sell a book and have to give them away (not true, but you can see where they might jump to that conclusion). However, maybe it's time to change the way we look at free and try to see where it begins to behoove us when we give a book away.

We're gonna have a moment discussing free print books.
Now, everyone is probably familiar with the giveaways on Goodreads. Why do we bother giving away print copies of our books (on that site, and in other giveaways)? Because they're signed, and we want people to sort of covet what we take the time to write our names in. Most of all, we want readers to add our books to their TBR list. That's where the key is. We want to be remembered.

Why does that make a difference? Well, sometimes, when a reader is excited about winning a certain book, they'll go on to buy it if they don't win it. Make sense?

Okay, let's move on to giveaways of e-books.
These work a little bit differently. When you give away an e-book, it's more about what's inside besides the story or what else is coming that matters.

For example:
  • A snippet or two of other books you've written
  • This is the first of a series (to be released)
  • Your social media contact information
  • Giving a sample of your writing to potential fans
If you're running a free promotion, there should be some reason behind it. Either you're trying to build a fan base, you want your rank on Amazon to jump up really high (some hit the top 100 in their genre), or you're hyping up another book that's A. Just been released or B. Will be coming soon.

There are many reasons behind free. Make sure you're deciding what yours are before you jump on the bandwagon. That way, you can have some way to measure your success. After all, you need something to snag a new fan, right? Rafflecopter giveaways can't carry everything. But, like anything, there are cons.

The cons of free:
  • Many people download a free book and never read it
  • If no protection, your book could end up on a pirate site perma-free
  • Your book isn't put in front of those who would enjoy it; rather, it's sent to everyone
  • You make no money off this publication while it's free
  • You may end up with a troll review or two
If you're willing to brave these cons, and put your hope in readers who will get hold of your book and read the heck out of it, you're ready to do free. Like I said above, be sure you know what your ultimate goal is.

Speaking of free and giveaways, come on back to the blog tomorrow for your chance to win a couple of books and some Amazon cash!

How about you? Have you done free promotions? What did you get out of it?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo