Page Turning Books

What is your favourite quote, by whom, and why? Seen on the wall of an Army soldier`s room, bound for Afghanistan: “If you are not living life on the edge, then you are taking up too much room.” Quite self-explanatory, really.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life? That is a difficult one. If I had to point to any one, it would be having the children. I have two little girls, and as I grew up in a household where my mother was the only woman, I cherish the company of my children. Which is one of the reasons I only write at night, while they sleep.

How has your upbringing influenced your writing? Again, an interesting question. I guess any writer`s life will influence his writing. As a youngster, reading allowed me to escape. I have travelled quite a bit, which gives me a flair for the adventurous life. Hence I love reading about adventures, thrillers and mysteries. As my father wrote literary fiction, I got into that in a big way too. I began writing poetry in my late teens and carried on in my twenties. But I never forgot the Alistair Maclean and Robert Ludlum`s that I read breathlessly as a teenager.

There was an urgency about being in danger, about fighting to break free from it, that I totally got. That was just me, and the literary fiction I read gave the whole thing more colour and reality. For example, I absolutely loved Jack Kerouac`s writing. He used the English language in a swashbuckling, completely novel way. No pun intended there. The entire Beat Generation movement, in my opinion, changed the way we perceive a lot of western literature. True, the beatniks became a cliché and the hippies who followed got faddish, quickly. But the love of experimentation that Kerouac, Ginsberg, Burroughs had was dynamic and exciting. I recognised an adventurous spirit in them that I identified with.

When and why did you begin writing? There was always that family thing. If you grow up watching your Dad write, and you love reading books, you can guess what might happen next. But the truth is, I wrote a lot to begin with without having any idea what I wanted to write about. I would write short stories about breaking up, loss and sorrow. Looking back now, I was just hungry to get words on paper. But soon, not having a plot and storyline began to weigh on me. If you don’t know where you are going, how will you complete your journey? I got frustrated trying to write literary fiction after a while. Don’t get me wrong, I still read poetry and writers like Jonathan Franzen and love it. But I like a page turner with a tight plot much more. Guess I always have.

What do you consider the most challenging about writing a novel? When it comes to writing a novel its best to have a system I think. Broadly speaking, there are two divisions in writing a novel.

a)      The writing itself

b)      Coming up with the plot, character, storyline, chapter outline.

For me, B) is harder than A). A is harder work – physically and mentally. But B is purely intellectual and it needs time, space and isolation in order to perfect. One will influence the other. But having a chapter outline is absolutely crucial, in my view, even if it changes later on. There are specific issues about characterisations and plotting that need more elaboration. In short, the main characters must have enough at stake to make their story emotionally resonate with the reader. Then they have to go through a process of change to resolve the central conflict in the story. Conflict again, is what makes the story more interesting. This is all part of B), but its amazing how much actually changes while writing the damn thing! For me personally. B) is more important than A), as quiet reflection on whether I have written a good story is where I used to mess up before.

Do you intend to make writing a career? Yes, I would love to. I do not believe there is any career without hardship and heartache. But if you enjoy the process, that is all that matters. The outcome is also important, but the process is the foundation of everything – in writing and in life. So, as I enjoy the process of writing, yes, I would like to make writing a career.

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Genre – Medical Thriller

Rating – PG

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Swimming with Maya - Eleanor Vincent

Amazon Kindle UK

Amazon Kindle UK

Genre - Memoir

Rating - PG13

Free until 1 April 2013

Previously available only in hardcover, Swimming with Maya demonstrates the remarkable process of healing after the traumatic death of a loved one. Eleanor Vincent raised her two daughters, Maya and Meghan, virtually as a single-parent. Maya, the eldest, was a high-spirited and gifted young woman. As a toddler, Maya was an angelic tow-head, full of life and curiosity. As a teenager, Maya was energetic and independent - and often butted heads with her mother. But Eleanor and Maya were always close and connected, like best friends or sisters, but always also mother and daughter.
Then at age 19, Maya mounts a horse bareback as a dare and, in a crushing cantilever fall, is left in a coma from which she will never recover. Eleanor's life is turned upside down as she struggles to make the painful decision about Maya's fate.
Ultimately Eleanor chooses to donate Maya's organs. Years later, she is able to hear Maya's heart beat in the chest of the heart recipient. Along the way, Eleanor re-examines her relationship with her daughter, as well as Eleanor's traumatic life as a child and young woman. In a story that has been called "heartbreaking and heart-healing," Eleanor Vincent illuminates the kind of courage, creativity, faith, and sheer tenacity it takes to find one's balance after unthinkable tragedy.

No one, except Durango.

Genre - YA

Rating - PG13

4.0 (20 reviews)

Free until 1 April 2013

Mars stinks.

IThe air reeks of burning fuel; the rivers and lakes seethe with sulfur. In the shadows, evil men plot terror and beasts hunt the innocent. Out on the barren crags of the terraformed planet, there is nowhere to hide. No one to heed a call for help.

For every woman who wonders if she chose the right career…

In Love and Other Subjects Carolyn Jenkins strives for two things—to be the greatest teacher ever and to find true love. She’s as skilled at both as an infant trying to eat with a fork. Carolyn’s suburban upbringing and genuine compassion for people who don’t fit effortlessly into society are no match for weapon-wielding, struggling students, drug-using colleagues, and a wicked principal.

Meanwhile, her budding relationship with a mystery man is thwarted by his gaggle of eccentric sisters. Carolyn depends on her friends to get her through the hard times, but with poverty-stricken children at her feet and a wealthy man at her side, she must define who she is. The reality of life after college can be daunting, the road to full-fledged adulthood long and unscripted. Can Carolyn take control and craft the life she’s always wanted?

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Genre – Women’s Fiction

Rating – PG15

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How to Write Fiction & Become a Better Writer

by Kathleen Shoop

In thinking about how to write fiction and become a better writer, I think the most important thing is to study. One type of studying that’s valuable is to collect examples of writing you love. Pull together a pile of romances that make you swoon, thrillers that have you checking every closet before bedtime, historical fiction that forces you to google a certain era just because you have to know more about it. Then, take a closer look, pull apart a section of a book where the author brings setting to life, makes characters walk off the page, or twists a plot so tight you can’t put the book down until you finish it.

Study every little bit of what works and what doesn’t work. Then take a deep breath and go write your own story. After you get a draft written, study your own work in the same way you did the pros. What are you trying to do? Why isn’t it working? Where is it working? Duplicate the valuable stuff and make it develop the way you want it to, not the way someone else wants to see the story progress…unless you’re totally off base—in that case, find beta-readers you trust so you know whether you’re off base or it’s just a matter of preference. Not always a very clear answer!!

So, try these tips to make yourself a stronger writer:

1. Write two hours a day no matter what,

2. Give your work to trusted readers and LISTEN to them.

3. Talk with readers about which components of their feedback need to be applied and which go against the goal of the book.

4. Read work that’s similar to yours and that sells very well (yes, pick the book you know yours is better than even though that book is flying off the shelves). What is the author doing that makes her work so irresistible? Don’t dismiss a bestseller as crap that only dumb, mindless people read and so it’s not valuable. There is value in every bestselling book and it’s a writer’s job to know what that value is. Is there some element of this book that should influence your writing? Even if the answer is “hell no,” you should know exactly why that’s the answer.

5. Read work that you don’t necessarily love but is beautiful and well done in the eyes of others. Yes, pick something the highbrow folks have ordained as great. Choose a classic or a type of writing that the world is inhaling even if you aren’t. Again, there’s huge value in work like that…study what this author does to garner such high praise—is there any part of it that would deepen your own work?

6. Meditate with Madhu Wangu’s mp3 called Meditations for Mindful Writers—it will transform your writing process and you will write more and more layered stories, you will learn to access your voice every time you sit down to work.

7. Observe everything around you and note the stuff that moves you.

8. Take breaks from thinking about your work—the answers that were evading you will show up when you least expect it.

9. Finish a book and do something with it—submit to agents, publish, whatever, but move on…

10. Study more and write the next one.

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Genre – Women’s Fiction

Rating – PG15

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Girls, a Love Story

by Jordan E. Rosenfeld, Author of Forged in Grace

When I first began writing FORGED IN GRACE, or rather, when the character of Marly whispered in my ear while I stoked a fire in a little cabin overlooking a wild river, I knew right away this would be a story about female friends. I didn’t know it would be a dark exploration, but when all was said and done, I continue to think of this novel as a “dark love story of friendship.” That is to say, it’s a story that celebrates the powerful bonds that young girls forge with one another as they act as surrogates to each other for the mature relationships that will come down the road.

I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of friends in my life, but as a girl, I only had one best friend, Sacha. The tried-and-true bestie who was part sister, part romantic stand-in, part keeper of secrets. She could make me feel good or break my heart all in the same day. She was an athlete to my bookworm, daring and brave where I was timid. She came from a loud family with brothers and two European parents. I was a latch-key kid from a “broken” home with two hippie parents.

Like Grace does Marly in the novel, I adored and was slightly in awe of Sacha. She bounced back from sleights while I wilted. She took the world head on, while I crept at it from the shadows. We fought, sometimes for days, but always came back together. Not until high school—though Sacha was a year older than I was—did a wedge come between us, and that wedge was, natch, another girl, named Shawna. A prettier, more sophisticated, worldly girl than me who didn’t use “too big” words and needed to wear a bra. Quickly I became replaced. It was a theme that would repeat in my life as part of the messy geometry of friendship. A theme that seems to happen to so many girls, teaching the painful lesson of jealousy and self-esteem, of loyalty and betrayal.

In FORGED IN GRACE, Grace has an unhealthy bond with the bold, beautiful Marly. Grace wants what Marly seems to have. And yet Marly is all pretense and façade. Her external world hides the darkness she keeps tucked away. What Grace thinks she wants, Marly may not actually have, and vice versa. It’s up to Grace to realize her own talents and power in order to come to see the friendship for what it was, and is. A lesson many girls can use.

Many of my favorite books and movies about dark female friendships touch upon an overt or indirect sexuality between the girls. As an adult I can see now that most of these friendships are not, explicitly, sexual—barring those that really are, of course, and that’s not what I’m talking about in this piece—but rather girls, with their fluid and often early developed emotional lives, need to start exercising these feelings before the boys get around to it. They test them on each other, for better or worse. They project things onto one another that will someday be meant for their mates. In the best of scenarios, they forge life-long friendships; in others, jealousy and competition draw them apart.

As an adult, lucky to have a circle of dear, trusted women friends with whom I can talk honestly and show my dark and messy sides, I now look back on the friends of my youth with a clearer eye.  It was my girlfriends upon whom I first tested the strategies of what would someday become my grown-up relationships. Like Grace, those early friendships are important artifacts that reveal precious information to me about myself.

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Genre - Psychological Suspense

Rating – R

Connect with Jordan Rosenfeld on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://indie-visible.com/

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At age 15, a horrific fire left Grace Jensen scarred and highly sensitive to the pain of anyone she touches. Thirteen years later, living with her hoarder mother and half-in-love with her former doctor, her long-absent best friend, Marly Kennet, returns to town and convinces Grace to make a leap-of-faith trip to Las Vegas. There, Grace discovers she doesn’t only feel others’ pain, she can heal it. This healing gift soon turns darker when the truth of Marly’s past and the fire that scarred Grace is revealed, pushing the boundaries of loyalty and exposing both women to danger.

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Genre - Psychological Suspense

Rating – R

Connect with Jordan Rosenfeld on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://indie-visible.com/

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Forged in Grace by Jordan E. Rosenfeld
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What have you read that is similar to this book? Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

At the end of the book, do you feel hope for the characters? Yes, I feel hope for all the characters.

What you think is the climax of the book and why. When Marly told Grace, what really happened that night. Grace finally had the answers, she had been searching for.

What part would you change in the story, and why? Would have had Grace be able to heal her mother. So Grace wouldn't feel so guilty.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the author.

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How to Make Your Character Believable

by Alex A. Akira

Even if you have a character firmly in your mind’s eye, it is good to flesh them out to help make them more viable, especially if they are a lead in your story. Not all of the information you discover about your character will go into your story, in fact I’d say at least one-third of what you come up with will barely be touched upon. But it is helpful to know as much about your characters as possible. This enables you to keep them in character and helps you  write about them in a manner that is believable.

Besides the physical appearance of the character, I believe it essential to know the following:

Emotional make up: What drives them? What makes them angry? What makes them sad? How do they feel about their siblings, parents , etc., and why? Do they have any unusual fears? When are they apathetic? How is their libido and what turns them on ?

Mentally: How do they think; are they a reactor ora responder? Do they analyze before  approaching a problem or do they jump right in? Are they mentality stable or are they paranoid about certain subjects? Does their job affect their mentality? Do they have a different mindset when they are in a relationship?

Spiritual or Consciousness: What do they believe in? What part of their lineage or ancestry do they identify with? What part of themselves do they love? Hate? What are their hopes and dreams? Who do they aspire to be?

Some other questions that help make your character believable are:

Where do they work? Live? Play? Are they into sports or theatre? If so, watching or performing? Do they like or keep animals/pets? Do they like children? What speech patterns do they have? Are they into music either a listener or a player? Do they drive? If so which vehicle do they prefer? Do they ride,  if so what? A horse? Camel? Can they swim? Would they know what to do if someone started to choke in front of them? I’m sure you get the idea of how these, and other pertinent questions can help you build a believable character.

After figuring out what traits you want your character to have, research those you know little or nothing about, the same goes for the environments you will place that person in.  If your character is going to be a mountain climber, on the off chance that an actual  mountain climber reads your book, you want them to feel relatively good about what you have written. Taking time out to research the unfamiliar can help make every aspect of  your story believable.

After you run out of character trait inspiration from your circle of friends and acquaintances, study strangers that arrest your attention. They have tells that upon study will reveal interesting traits. Imagining the life of a total stranger can be a fun exercise.

What does the man in the suit hold in that odd shaped briefcase? Why did that girl comb her hair like that?  How  and why did she grow her fingernails that long? What is the reason that man wore that fur collared overcoat on this warm day? Why is that boy looking at that girl who obviously doesn’t know him?

The world is a strange place, many of us have unbelievable traits, but by keeping your character in character and supplying the reasoning behind the characteristic, you can make the most unbelievable character, believable.

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Genre – M/M Romance

Rating – R

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This swiftly-paced two-volume romantic Yaoi love story tells the tale of the multi-talented thief/dancer Philippe Michael Ponty. First introduced in Dojo Boys: Dragon & Crow Volume II, the now twenty-two year old platinum haired, petite Adonis struggles to make a home for himself in America.

Volume I finds Philip settling in Connecticut in disguise, as he doesn’t want to draw too much attention to his true line of work. Despite his caution, he meets and befriends a local rock musician, Tommy Sear, who despairs of ever having his band make it.

Quickly smitten by the dark-haired, shy Asian male that is Philip, Tommy seeks to make the young man his, but Philip doesn’t believe in love; besides, he has a very real problem. He can’t seem to get the victim of his last burglary, a green-eyed, virile Italian male… out of his mind.

With Philip’s encouragement, Tommy renews his efforts to get his band, Sear, a record deal. He makes a demo and shortly after a scout contacts him, from Italy no less. The Italian scout is coming to America hear them play in the hopes of signing Sear to the much sought-after label, Romano Studios.

But Tommy has a secret and he’s afraid that without Philip’s help, they may not get the deal.

Publisher’s Note: This book contains sexual content, explicit language and situations that some readers may find objectionable: male/male sexual practices.

Genres: Yaoi, Boy’s Love, M/M Romance, Gay, Action Adventure

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Genre – M/M Romance

Rating – R

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Shortlisted for The Word Guild Awards, Novel-Futuristic category, this is the classic tale of betrayal and friendship — with an evil entity thrown in to confuse and enlighten the heroine.

An entity from nothing space and time, Akaesman lurks in his dominion, waiting, watching through his peephole into our world for the right prey. And when he spots a good one, he forces himself into our space and time, evading the Akaesman patrol, invading his chosen one. He spreads his evil to everyone, one by one, male and female, changing them forever into his image.

But the young songwriter and her fiancé, enjoying the end of their road trip, have never heard of Akaesman. On the eve of the summer solstice, they fly home to Toronto down a local highway past slumbering fields, toward a thick starlight-sucking forest, oblivious of their destination: Akaesman. He comes out of a green neon wind. He smacks their car; he cracks the window; he’s in her. Her songwriting career is dead. Her name is gone.

When she learns of his presence, she resists him; she wrestles with him; she seeks help in her battle. Yet she loses ground. She’s ready to quit. And that’s when she discovers that there is more than one kind of evil…

—–
5 of 5 stars: “Put simply this is the best urban fantasy story that I have ever read period …. you feel exactly how the main character feels. “She” is written with a pace that makes you feel every single word combined with hauntingly beautiful descriptions to forge a story that is anything but forgettable. That is the mark of a truly talented writer, someone who tells a story that you feel as opposed to reading words on a cold piece of paper. ” Shane Porteous on She, from his Goodreads review.

“Shireen’s pen has all the force of a great storyteller and the artistic skills of reviving a past scene in its most original form.” Ernest Dempsey on Shireen Jeejeebhoy’s award-winning biography Lifeliner: The Judy Taylor Story

“If you want a book you can’t put down, get Lifeliner into your hands…” Gloria Oren on Shireen Jeejeebhoy’s award-winning biography Lifeliner: The Judy Taylor Story

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Genre – Christian Fantasy

Rating – PG13

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Website http://jeejeebhoy.ca/

She by Shireen Jeejeebhoy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Describe what is happening in the first illustration in the book. Her and Jim were coming back from a trip. Went into a deep forest. Then Zarine was invaded by Akaesman. Then comes treatment.


How did the main character feel during the book? Give evidences of this. She was lost, confused, disoriented, betrayed. She couldn't think.


What did the title have to do with the book? For most of the book the she deference was used.


What were the main themes of the book? The character Zarine was before the invasion. What she went thru trying to get well.


Book Club Pick from Orangeberry Book Tours


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Genre - Romance

Rating - MA

4.4 (29 reviews)

Free until 29 March 2013

"Lead us not into temptation..." ~Matthew 6:13
What happens when you fall in love with your best friend's father?
Leah is a good, Catholic girl, and she and Erica have been best friends since their first communion. Sure, Erica's father is handsome and charming, but Leah spends so much time at the Nolan's--just Erica and her famous, photographer father now, since Erica's mother died--that she's practically part of the family.
Both girls have led privileged, sheltered lives and are on the "good girl" track at St. Mary Magdalene's Preparatory College, Leah pursuing her love of dance and Erica sating her endless curiosity as editor of the newspaper. Neither of them could have ever imagined that one fateful discovery will not only push the boundaries of their strict, repressive upbringing, but the bonds of their friendship as well.
Leah certainly never could have imagined finding herself torn between her best friend and her best friend's father. Sure, Leah's mother had always talked about Mr. Nolan as "a catch," but Leah herself had never thought of him as anything other than just Erica's dad--until the girls discover something darkly erotic under Mr. Nolan's bed, a deep, shameful secret that will not only lead them into temptation, but will deliver them into a far greater revelation than any of them could ever have imagined.

EXCERPT:
She danced with the memories, she danced the sin and shame of her own lust, the final acquiescence to her body's need, and the sweet triumph of reaching that peak. The dance was hers now, no longer anything she had learned. It was the pure expression of her essence, every feeling and thought that had been running through her head on some endless loop.
When she finally collapsed in a heap in the middle of the floor, breathless and panting, she felt like crying, as if her body had been filled to bursting and it must now have some sort of deliverance. The dance she had hoped would exhaust and deplete her had simply served to energize her further. Leah lifted her head, opening her eyes slowly, and saw him standing there in the shadows, like a dream.
Her heart fluttered to her throat like a trapped butterfly and her hand leapt there, as if she could catch it. He was watching her, just outside of the circle of lamplight, leaning against one of the tall supports she and Erica used to dance around that ran floor to ceiling throughout the warehouse.
"Mr. Nolan?"
She heard the click of his throat as he swallowed dryly. "You're so beautiful."
The look on his face was the one straight from her imagination, like he worshipped her, and at the same time, like the big bad wolf accosting an innocent red riding hood, like he wanted to eat her all up.
"I didn't mean to wake you." Her voice was barely a whisper. "I just... couldn't sleep..."
"So fucking beautiful."
She was stunned to silence, lips parted with words she couldn't speak, staring at him as he took a step toward her, the light on his face now, a wolfish look in his eyes making her skin bristle all over. She had never heard Mr. Nolan swear before. Ever.
"Leah..." Her name on his lips was like a caress. His gaze moved over her, no tights, no leg warmers, no toe shoes. He'd seen her like this a hundred times of course, but she had never felt so naked. The look on his face changed when he met her wide eyes. She saw the emotions cross his features, from horror and shame to something like anger. "Jesus. Go to bed."

Martina “Marty” Hart is really nice. At least, that’s what people think.

It’s Marty’s junior year at Minster High. Minster’s a small town where making great grades, smiling pretty, helping old people, running the new-student Welcoming Committee, and putting up decorations for all the dances–including the totally awful Hot Shot fall hunting celebration–gets you … what? Marty’s not sure.

Instead of dreaming about a sororities-and-frats future at nearby University of Michigan, she’s restless, searching for a way out of the box her controlling mother and best frenemy Sarah have locked her in. When Lil–don’t call her Lily!–Hatfield transfers to Minster, Marty gets her chance. Lil’s different. She smokes, wears black, listens to angry punk records, and lives in a weird trailer with her mother. Lil has secrets–secrets that make her a target for all the gossiping and online bullying Minster can muster. But so does Marty. And Marty sees something different in Lil. Something honest. Something real.

Playing Nice is the achingly real story of a girl who’s been following the rules for so long she’s forgotten who she was when she started. It’s about falling in love with the wrong people and not seeing the right ones, about the moments in life when you step out of line, take a chance … and begin to break free.

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Genre – Young Adult / Bullying

Rating – PG13

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Website http://rebekahcrane.tumblr.com/

 

 

 

 

Holly Sinclair is happily married to the love of her life, Gabriel. Young and in love, Holly hopes to have their first child soon. Of course, Gabriel wants to wait till Holly’s health is restored, much to Holly’s dismay. She feels perfectly fine. So what if she just woke up from an eight-month coma? So what if some of her memories are missing? She remembers Gabe and that’s all that matters, right?

That is, until HE enters her life again . . . she forgot about HIM.

Buy at Amazon

Genre – Contemporary Romance (PG13)

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Website - http://www.taylordeanbooks.com/

 

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Blue Hearts of Mars by Nicole Grotepas


Retta Heikkinen knows the unspoken rule of society: love between androids and humans is forbidden. A simple enough edict until Hemingway Koskinen spends an evening charming her with his intense gaze, bewitching smile, and sparkling conversation that hints at so much more than the usual obsessions of high school boys. Rules were meant to be cast aside, especially when love beckons.

If only it were as simple as being in love.

Trouble is brewing, not just for Hemingway--for all androids. Secrets have been kept, lies propagated, and Retta soon discovers that a frightening future awaits thousands of androids if she doesn’t do something to stop it. Worse yet, she will lose the one love she’s ever endangered herself for: Hemingway.



Praise

"Nothing like I've read before. A true original story! Everything is so well described. Now if they could make a follow up book and movie, that would be great!" ~Mrs. Z (Amazon)

"I was addicted to this book from the beginning. Life on Mars was very real and not at all a sci fi world I didn't understand . . . I found myself rooting for Retta and Hemingway from the very beginning. Easy reading, couldn't put it down and had it read in a weekend. Waiting for a sequel!" ~TNielsen (Amazon)

"The ending of this book is exceptional. While it was different from what I imagined, the way the author brought in a shocking revelation was amazing. I probably reread the last chapter 3 times letting it sink in and the meaning behind it. It was truly beautiful . . . I would love to see more of Retta and Hemingway!" ~Kat Meyer, (Goodreads)

"I love how the author populated Mars . . . so descriptive and comprehensive . . . I could clearly picture everything as if I was seeing the movie &/or was along for the ride. . . . Retta, the main character, is strong, opinionated, and a great champion for her cause." ~Megan (Amazon)

"I had been in the worst reading slump ever and came across this on Goodreads and thought I'd give it a try. Well, I was pleasantly surprised on how funny and exciting and mysterious it was . . . Mei, Retta's bff, had me laughing out loud quite a bit as well as Retta herself. I'd definitely hang out with those two." ~Deanneluvbooks (Goodreads)



Blue Hearts of Mars has made it to the quarterfinals of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.

Readers are invited to download the excerpts (here) and rate and comment on the entries. So please, if you want to contribute, download and rate Blue Hearts! Your support is incredibly appreciated!


Or purchase the full version of the book here: Amazon




Author Nicole Grotepas

Nicole wrote her first fantasy novel in 7th grade on her mother's old Brother typewriter. It was never finished but it strongly resembled a Dragonlance plot and she's forever wondered what happened to the manuscript and Tonathan--the handsome elven protagonist. After living in Nashville where she worked as an editor, she returned to the Utah desert where she was raised. Nicole now lives near the Wasatch mountains with her husband. She writes and raises her son and three cats full time.

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Ends 4/14/13

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


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10 Things I Wish I Knew About Being an Author I Didn’t Know Before

by SD O’Donnell

1. Having an idea isn’t the same thing as having a whole story.Everyone thinks they have a great idea for a book, usually not much more than a plot point or two. When these people offer to split the profits equally if they give me the idea and I write it, my answer is: give me 100% of the story and I’ll do 100% of the writing. Only then can we call it even.
2. Writing a novel is hard work.It isn’t easy to write day-in, day-out. To adjust between days when the words just won’t stop flowing and days where you memorize the dust specs on your monitor because you’ve stared at it so long without doing anything. To rewrite and rethink and edit the same piece of work over and over until it’s ready to share is just plain hard work.
3. Let your characters come through.It’s too easy to instill our own voices into every character and narrative of a story. Don’t do it. Not only does it get boring when everyone and everything sounds the same, it isn’t realistic.
4. Having others edit your work is essential.You need to edit your work yourself to the point you don’t think it can get any better or tighter. Then give it to a professional (a friend or someone hired). If what you thought was perfect comes back bathed in red, then you know good things are about to happen.
5. Think for yourself.You can’t do without editing but never give up your vision of your work. What editors recommend can be right or wrong. Sometimes what they’re suggesting points out a problem that you need to understand and fix in a different way. But you need to be the final say because no one knows your story or characters as well as you.
6. It isn’t easy to call it done.Once you get into the swing of editing, you see possible improvements everywhere. But at some point, you’ve got to say “It’s done.” Accept that it’s good, just the way it is and get it published.
7. Your family and friends are vital.They are essential for moral support and encouragement while you’re writing your book. They are the first to read your book and, hopefully, the first guerilla marketers for selling your book. Treat them well and buy them good wine. They deserve it.
8. You have to put time and effort into selling your book.This is true, even if you have a publishing contract. Unless you’re an A-list author, the publicity budget to sell your book will be small, if it exists at all. Whose going to push your book into people’s awareness, if not you? And who better?
9. You must learn to love social media.A big part of item #8 includes spreading word about your book into as many corners of the social media outlets as possible. You and your blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, etc. are going to be spending a lot to time together. Might as well learn to love it.
10. Don’t be shy.By nature, I’m an introvert. You wouldn’t know that by watching me, now that I have a book I want people to know about. I hand out bookmarks and plug my book every chance I get. People ask me questions about being an author or publishing a book and I share with great detail. Feel free to brag. Being vain is okay when done with humility.

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Genre – Murder / Thriller

Rating – PG13 (some foul language, a few short love scenes)

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In the closing weeks of law school, Shannon Sutherland meets handsome and charming Englishman Will MacKenzie. Initially swept off her feet, Shannon finds that Will has a secret that, once discovered and the consequences realized, could destroy their fledgling relationship. Will and Shannon take great pains to have a normal relationship but, ultimately, find it impossible to do so. Will the pressures of their careers and the temptations of others drive Will and Shannon apart? Can Will and Shannon live a happy life away from the spotlight?
Tamara Carlisle takes you on a romantic ride that explores the consequences of fame and a love that endures all.

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Genre – Contemporary Romance (PG13)

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Website - https://tamaracarlisle.com/

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