TWV mega contest - week of 11/28

Showcase author(s):

T.M. Hunter & Ciara Gold



First Book giveaway (leave a comment)
Prize: Paperback of DEAD OR ALIVE from T.M. Hunter at astonwest.com
Type contest: Leave comment here
How do I win: Leave a comment on this post NLT Friday midnight, a winner will be drawn randomly from those visitors that leave comments
Winner announced: Right here, next Monday
Rules/limitations:
(1) No purchase required. Leave comment on author's website.
(2) To be fair to everyone, you can only win one book during the mega contest.
(3) Because of postage, only US/Canada residents can play this one


Second Book giveaway (Follower drawing)

Prize: E copy of DRAGON KING from Ciara Gold at ciaragold.com
Type contest: Random drawing from subscribed followers of the TWV blog
How does contest work: Simply subscribe as a follower. Go to left side of blog screen near bottom, and sign up as a follower by Friday midnight
How do I win: A winner is drawn at random from all followers Saturday.
Winner announced: Next Monday winner will be posted and asked to send email.

Rules/limitations:
To be fair to everyone, you can only win one book during the mega contest.


Last week's winners
Congrats to January Bain and Debby - (Since there was some miscommunication on how winners were selected, you've both won a print copy of FRIENDS IN DEED from T.M. Hunter. Email your name and mailing address to engrboy@msn.com and claim your prize NLT midnight this Friday.
 
Congrats to follower Bookjunkie00 - You won an E copy of THE CURE from T.M. Hunter. Email your name to engrboy@msn.com and claim your prize NLT midnight this Friday.

Speaking to Writers

I had the pleasure, and privilege, of speaking to a large writing group further down the Scottish coast the other evening. My subject was historical fiction, and I’ve been asked to judge the club’s competition for the first chapter of a historical novel. Although I’ve spoken to groups before on market research, and have judged many short story competitions, this was a first. And historical fiction is a wide subject.

In the event, it went very well and I even sold some print copies of my own historical novel, Dangerous Deceit, while others had read the e-book. After talking about all the different types of historical fiction, I gave them a fun excercise to do - a sheet with five paragraphs from novels in different periods. They had to decide roughly what time the novel was set in, which was fun as we went over the answers together. One of the main concerns some writers had about trying historical fiction was the shear breadth of research needed for a particular period. So I came up with this advice:

• Choose a background period with which you are already familiar, through books or film
• Research from primary sources as much as possible: books and diaries of the period, paintings and drawings, maps, guides and newspapers (if possible)
• Find your characters and begin the story, filling in any further detail as and when required

I think we sometimes have to remember we’re writing historical fiction and not a serious academic book. Having good background knowledge of the period should allow a writer to get started. We can always leave a space if we need to check a fact and fill it in later, rather than stopping the flow of writing. It also saves us doing so much research we never begin the story!

At the end of the evening, a few writers seemed enthused to get on with their own historical novels, so hopefully I’ll get a good selection of first chapters to read. Although I’ll enjoy the task, it’s quite a responsibility to comment on their work and award a first, second and third in the competition, but that’s another subject!

Rosemary Gemmell (Romy)

http://ros-readingandwriting.blogspot.com/

http://romygemmell.blogspot.com/

Dangerous Deceit, Champagne Books and Amazon

Burning Bridges

An Open Letter to Bridge Burners Everywhere:

I remember when you kicked me in the shin for saying, "Hey, what's the big idea"

I remember when you took a leather strap to my hand in first grade because I kept pushing a boy's hand off my desk.

I remember when you showed up an hour late for our movie date and I missed all the best parts because of you.

I remember when you didn't visit me in the hospital, even though you said you would.

I remember when you grabbed my pigtails and pulled them, hard.

I remember when you told me I was beautiful, but I then discovered you were just playing me like a gullible violin.

I remember when you made fun of my book on Twitter.

But guess what? I forgive you, my best friend, my teacher, my first boyfriend, my book reviewer. You're lucky you were only cruel to me because I'm not the kind of person who holds onto a good mad.

Some people might not be so forgiving. If you choose to be insulting, abusive or hostile in person or online, you might get the attention of the wrong person -- like an agent or editor or employer. Remember that when it's your turn to query or apply for that job, because they'll sure remember you.

Sometimes I think writers have a distinct advantage because they can exact subtle revenge by incorporating their past nemeses into their fiction. Too bad plumbers, shopkeepers and wait staff don't have such an outlet. But... maybe they do. *Checks soup for spittle*

People say stupid things, all the time. I've said them and I almost instantly regret them. Sometimes people say stupid things and they don't remember, or don't care.

People can be hurtful and cruel, or just plain ignorant. It's  too easy to be careless online and cause pain to another person. You might think it's a passing moment, but that moment is burned in, forever. Not just in someone's memories, but on the world wide web.

Think before you type...  and if you're ever on the receiving end of a careless post or email, I hope you can forgive your adversaries. Or at least turn them into trolls on paper.

On a lighter note, I'd like to wish my American friends a Happy Thanksgiving. May your tables groan, and later, your stomachs.

Picture credit: I don't know... this picture is EVERYWHERE!

Sandra Cormier is the author of BAD ICE, a hockey suspense. Hockey. Passion. Jealousy. A hat trick that could lead to danger. 

A Few Words on Self-Promotion

As a writer with a small press (and/or some self-published titles), the burden of promotion falls upon you. Of course, if you're like me, there aren't enough hours in the day to promote yourself 24/7. So, here are a few pointers when it comes to promotion:

-Utilize comfortable methods of promotion: If you're good at talking about yourself, do it. If the very thought of talking to people makes you physically ill, find something else. Granted, you are the only one who knows your book better than anyone else, so if you're not certain about your comfort level, try it out and see. You may surprise yourself.

-Use natural promotional environments: I've seen more than a few folks propose that you should take advertising materials with you to restaurants or send them with your bills through the mail. Although this may work for some, it's not likely to be a conducive (or cost-effective) method. Servers at restaurants, or those processing your bills, are performing a job and won't be eager to stop what they're doing to look over your material. If you have a desk job where people are sometimes waiting for you to finish a phone call, for example, you may be able to place a copy on your desk to grab their attention while they wait.

-Make determinations on future promotion efforts based on sales from present ones: This is going to be more difficult for those small presses where royalties and sales are presented on a less regular basis (some provide monthly reports, others every six months). It's far easier when you're working with self-publishing methods like Amazon's KDP and/or Smashwords, which give a constant record of sales. Of course, there's no guarantee that your sales today came from promotional efforts yesterday, but taking a look at trends will give a better idea on what you should spend your time and/or money on. If after three months, your paid online advertisements aren't netting enough sales to justify the expense, dump it.

-Don't assume that someone else's successes in promotion will mean successes in your own: Readers are a fickle bunch. Sometimes a particular book will strike a nerve with readers (Twilight, anyone?) while another won't, even if you go through the same promotional efforts. In addition, sometimes specific promotional efforts lose their effectiveness once everyone begins flooding those outlets with advertisements.

-Join forces with other authors: Writing itself is a solitary and depressing business. Self-promotion can be even more so, especially if you don't see results immediately. So, try joining forces with other authors who are looking to do promotion. Do a group chat, split the costs of a table at a convention or a print advertisement, or even just share each other's advertisements on social networking sites. A group of authors helping each other out means that you reach the sum total of acquaintances for the entire group, and that improves your odds.

And I'm certain there are other great ideas (please share!)...and there may be some that don't concur with these suggestions. Feel free to discuss in the comments section!

*

As a writer of science fiction, T. M. Hunter’s short stories have appeared in such publications as Ray Gun Revival, Residential Aliens and Golden Visions Magazine, and have received critical acclaim, twice (2007, 2009) receiving a top ten finish in the P&E Readers Poll. He currently has two novels with Burst Books, HEROES DIE YOUNG (Champagne Books’ Best-Selling Novel of 2008) and FRIENDS IN DEED. He also has a short story collection, DEAD OR ALIVE, with ResAliens Press. His self-published titles include his novella SEEKER, a sci-fi thriller THE CURE, and the first Aston West Triple-Shot (three-story collection) featuring “Dead Man’s Forge” and other adventures. Learn more about T. M. Hunter and read plenty of free excerpts and short stories at AstonWest.com. You can also follow him on Twitter and join his Facebook fan page.

A time travel novel journey

A new door has opened on my writing journey with time travel being the glorious package revealed. It’s been like Christmas for a month around our house as I have spent every waking moment (and many sleeping judging by my dreams) unraveling this package layer-by-layer. I have had the luxury of contemplating such amazing ideas as the following plausible choices (just a few of them listed here) for building a “Time Machine” in 2011, according to some noted physicists and engineers that have spent time pursuing the possibilities:

(1) The most popular choice tends to be traversable wormhole like the one featured in the novel Contact by Carl Sagan. The hardest part—getting your hands on one! It would take a very advanced civilization to pull off the feat of selecting a wormhole out of the quantum foam and enlarging it to classical size. Then, it has to be stabilized with exotic (negative) energy against collapse by “threading” it with the equivalent of converting a planet the size of Jupiter into pure energy! (E=mcˆ2 to be specific.) Then, this is the most important part, if an advanced civilization had created it that civilization would have had to live before the time it was discovered to use in my story to allow backward (to the past) time travel.

(2) An intriguing choice I am also pursuing is Cosmic Strings. Discovered in 1991 by Gott, cosmic strings are thought to have been around since the Big Bang. They stretch the length of our universe and have a diameter millions of times smaller than that of the smallest atom. They too can warp space-time to the extent that closed timelike curves can be created. Perhaps a character can be accidently swept away by a cosmic string like an avalanche sweeps away a mountain climber? But not controllable enough for my story where I need my character to travel back to an exact place and time, a world-line to be specific.

(3) Rotating Cylinders (thanks to Frank Tippler) can create a time machine if we can construct a sufficiently large one that appears infinite at the center. (piece of cake, right!) However, keep in mind that you cannot travel further back than the creation date of the cylinder and it’s travel to the past I’m most interested in. (I want to have one of my characters “fix” their past. Sounds easy, right! Well, it’s not going to be easy to pull that out of my hat.)

(4) Rotating Black Holes or Kerr Holes has a ring singularity through it which a time traveler can theoretically pass to enter other universes and/or to time travel in ours. Means there are past or future versions of our universe. Now, those portals are the doors into time machines! Okay, there are lots of objections to this idea that a writer has to speak to in their work to show they understand the implications, but then, that is true of any time machine conjecture, this essential need for technical verisimilitude.

And, if that’s not enough, here are other issues one needs to delve into and confront in writing a novel that hopefully will stand up to the scrutiny of most intellectuals: paradoxes, world-time lines, slip-time, causality, Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity as well as his Special Theory, split universes, time tracks, Quantum Gravity, Quantum Mechanics and the unknown granddaddy of them all, The Theory of Everything! (sometimes called the Universal Theory)

This has been but a tiny snapshot of the wonders of pursing the concept of time travel.
Thanks for travelling a small part of the way with me.

*If you wondering about the ecover above, it's for my first book.

Forever Man
Being released July 2012
by Champagne Books
First in the Forever Series
http://www.januarybain.ca/

TWV mega contest - week of 11/21

Showcase author(s):

T.M. Hunter




First Book giveaway (leave a comment)

Prize: Paperback of FRIENDS IN DEED from T.M. Hunter at astonwest.com
Type contest: Leave comment here
How do I win: Leave a comment on this post NLT Friday midnight, a winner will be drawn randomly from those visitors that leave comments
Winner announced: Right here, next Monday
Rules/limitations:
(1) No purchase required. Leave comment here on the post.
(2) To be fair to everyone, you can only win one book during the mega contest.
(3) Because of postage, only US/Canada residents can play this one


Second Book giveaway (Follower drawing)

Prize: E copy of THE CURE from T.M. Hunter at astonwest.com
Type contest: Random drawing from subscribed followers of the TWV blog
How does contest work: Simply subscribe as a follower. Go to left side of blog screen near bottom, and sign up as a follower by Friday midnight
How do I win: A winner is drawn at random from all followers Saturday.
Winner announced: Next Monday winner will be posted and asked to send email.

Rules/limitations:
To be fair to everyone, you can only win one book during the mega contest.


Last weeks winners

1. Congrats to follower Kim Smith - You won an E copy of THE MASTER KEY from TK Toppin. Email your name to author at tktoppin@gmail.com to claim your prize NLT midnight this Friday.

2. Congrats to follower Ellis Vidler - You won an E copy of ASSUMPTION OF RIGHT from Annabel Aidan. Email your name to author at annabelaidan@devonellingtonwork.com to claim your prize NLT midnight this Friday.

Sidetracked with a New Cover

So, I had written up something I was going to post for this month's posting, but that went zinging out the window (I'll use it for next month) the minute I got my new cover art for The Eternal Knot.

I am pleased with the design, keeping to the original theme of The Lancaster Rule cover.  While it may look very similar, it still has its own look and feel.  And the woman now looks like she's "matured" somewhat...sort of like what happens in the book.

And, well, I can't show off a bright and shiny new cover art without giving you a little blurb, now can I?  So here goes:

Unable to resist the lure of finding her niece, Josie picks up the crumbs of clues left behind.  With her old friend and savior, pod-hunter Quin Aguilar at her side, she seeks out Fern Bettencourt who is assumed to be sleeping for over a hundred years.

From an unlikely source, Fern's location is discovered, and together with her husband, Josie seeks out her last link to her past.  Will Fern want to be found?  And will finding Fern be enough to bury the ghosts that haunt Josie?  Can Josie bring herself to destroy her last remaining family in order to save herself?

Every question answered, every truth revealed.  Will Josie finally rest in peace in the new future she lives in?

So, there you go.  The trilogy ends, and I hope, like me, you can't wait for its coming out party.  The Eternal Knot is slated for a January 2012 release by Champagne Books (and Burst Books).

Cheers,
T.K. Toppin

I Am Thankful For Crocks®, Diet Mountain Dew® and Chapstick®

It seems, when you ask most people what they are thankful for their responses include freedom, faith, friends, and family. Well, thankful for your family except for that one crazy relative we all seem to have. Sorry if that’s you.

Anyway, for Thanksgiving I thought I would randomly ask people what they are thankful for. My stipulations included, it can’t be one of the answers from above and had to be something you would have a hard time living without.

Crocs® (shoes)
Diet Mountain Dew®
Coffee
Chocolate
Wine
Football
Hugs
Quiet
Cell phone
Music
Running Water
Tears that can express joy as well as sadness
Chapstick®
E-mail
Warm Fuzzy Blankets
Computer
The Past, good and bad
Eyeglasses
The gift of sight, hearing, and being able to speak


Next time you are feeling sad or down on your luck, look around and be thankful for all the little blessings that surround you everyday.

In Action Thriller, Bolt Action by Victoria Roder, Detective Leslie Bolt is a smart talking, gun hording, Harley riding investigator forced to work a serial murder case with her sexy ex-lover. After a childhood of abuse suffered at the hand of her father, Leslie sleeps with a Ruger Blackhawk .357 under her pillow, has a Browning A-Bolt Stainless Stalker rifle in her broom closet, and a Saturday Night Special stashed in her road-hog cookie jar. The body count mounts and Detective Bolt must conquer her own past, as she races to capture “The State Quarter Killer” before her sister is the next victim. Secrets of the past, murder, deception, sexual tension, and the “State Quarter Killer”; Bolt Action offers it all.

EVEN AN ARMADILLO NEEDS LOVE

By:
Angelica Hart and Zi

The singular most important emotion a human spirit craves is to be loved. It seeks it out. It needs it. It craves it. Walk into any book store and check out the romance section, it dominates. There is a reason for that which isn't just about sensual romance. It goes back to that basic need that we long to be loved. There are many romances that play down the aspects of sexuality, take that of a story about a boy and his armadillo, a generational family saga, even a story about war, all play the emotional gambit yet somewhere in each, you will find love, be it for a pet, a child, or your country.

The further we are from love, of feeling loved, of being loved, the more isolated we become, cynical sometimes, and at its worse a life without being loved can poison the body. The closer any emotion comes to love, the more that emotion vitalizes and nourishes the body. Negative emotions seep into our spirit and spread emotional distress that could actually make us ill. Therefore, it is empathically accurate to say that love can cultivate well-being, and in well-being there is joy.

The human spirit constantly searches for that connection, that cannot be found in a new electronic toy, although, one wouldn't mind having that, or a cruise, or a piece of pecan pie. Ok, maybe, the latter is true love. Seriously, no material or emotional love in this world can touch us, encourage us, protect us, fulfill us, strength us, bless us, provide for us, care for us, feed us, house us, clothe us, or heal us like love that comes from inside us, love that we wish to share.

As authors, we choose to share our love with the world though our writing. In our books from Champagne Books, starting with KILLER DOLLS, the love is more mature, more dynamic, more intense, that snap that comes with instant attraction all centered around the possibility of loss and death. Whereas, in SNAKE DANCE, the love is fresh, new, just as instantaneous but with a connection born from something mystical. CHASING GRAVITAS cuts into the ache and desires of the heart, a yearning that might not be realized, a mysterious truth that might destroy. Yet, in each of these stories there is one truth, the characters have a basic to love. It isn't just the sexual attraction, or the culmination of that passion, but about the real reasons one loves, about see the soul and knowing that soul melds perfectly, that the yin of one cannot exist without the yang of the other.

Some say the romance genre is just a disguise for soft porn. We strenuously disagree, reading romance is partnering with love, championing it, recognizing the fact that love will win out, every time. Maybe, that isn't always the truth of reality, but dang, isn't it wonderful that there is a place where we can play and know for certainly happily-ever-after does exist?

We'd love to hear from anyone interested in what we do. Anyone who writes us at writingteamcw@yahoo.com with blog in the subject line and leaves an s-mail address, we will send you a gift and add you to any future mailings.

Angelica Hart and Zi
KILLER DOLLS ~ SNAKE DANCE ~ CHASING YESTERDAY
www.champagnebooks.com

STEEL EMBRACE by Vixen Bright and Zachary Zane
http://www.carnalpassions.com/


THE FABLE OF SIN-SIN CINDERELLA Series
angelicahartandzi.com

Past endeavors still generate curiosity

I had a new release on Monday of last week amidst getting a magazine off to the printer, taking students on a not one, but two field trips and attending a state conference for art. Yikes, no wonder I'm a bit frazzed.

I had intended all sorts of promo to help get the word out about the new release but of course, time is precious so I only managed two blog posts on other authors' blogs, I arranged a spotlight type ad at Romance Junkies and I tweeted.

In the meantime, I've been checking statcounter to see what kind of traffic I've had on my website. What amazes me is finding out where folks are coming from in terms of finding me. You just never know just how important those interviews are or those spotlights. I shared a spotlight with Phyllis Campbell at Love Western Romance in 2008 and I just recently had someone click the link on that post. Wow, that was four years ago, but that's the beauty of the Internet. I've had several hits recently from having my name listed with Coffetime Romance. I think I arranged this way back in 2007.  I'm still getting hits from a tailgate interview I did with Romance Junkies in 2007.

In August, AReBooks published a short of mine, which has resulted in a bit of traffic as well. Bottom line is that you just never know what promo will result in others becoming curious and wanting to learn more. So .... I guess my best advice is to try a little of everything when it comes to getting the word out.

Darn that Little Green Bug

A little green bug I like to call ENVY bit me this weekend.

My husband and I dropped our kid off at Grandma's house to spend the night, then we tarried along to a birthday party for some friends of his--twins!

Being the timid, quiet person I am, I pretty much shadowed the hubby around the entire night. It was a lonely two minutes that one time he had to make a pit stop at the restrooms!!

Anyway, I found myself longingly glancing at all these people deep in animated conversations around me, laughing and teasing each other. And I wished I could be just a bit more loud and outgoing. I was still feeling all drab and too-shy-to-be-healthy the next morning when we picked up my twenty-one-month old. But low and behold, the moment we walked in the door and she saw us, her face lit up, her arms started waving, and she yelled, "Mommy, mommy!!"

When I picked her up, she hugged me so tight, I forgot all about being a boring, shy, un-socialite. It made me think of that one quote that goes a little something like:

To the world, you're just one person, but to one person you could mean the world.

So, I was browsing around the internet recently, looking into promotional opportunities for my next Champagne release, The Right to Remain Mine. And as I saw so many authors around me, having tons of success with their stories, that little green bug started crawling up my arm in search of a nice juicy vein to chomp on.

When I start to compare my sells, and contest results, or my Klout score, I tend to get majorly bummed out because let's face it, I'm no JK Rowling in that department! But then I received a personalized email from a reader that said:

I just wanted to let you know that **A non-Champagne Book** is one of my favorite books of all time. I couldn't put it down! It was sooo good, that I read it twice! and recommended it to all my friends. Is there any chance that the book will turn into a movie?

And suddenly, I didn't care so much if I only sold one copy of my book. To bring joy to that one person, it was worth it.

Next time you feel a little green bug scurrying around on you, just remember you really are important to someone, and all your hard work really is worth it!!

Have a great Wednesday!

Treats For The Holdiays

With the holidays coming, I thought I would do something a little different. I'm going to give you a couple of my recipes for Holiday Treats.

First to start the meal how about some Scrimp Scampi: (Since we live in the south we have access to fresh scrimp, but scrimp thawed, deveined and shelled will work.)

In a large skillet
Melt 1/3 cup butter over low heat.
Add 4 large garlic cloves chopped fine
When the garlic is soft but not brown
Add 1/4 teaspoon celery seed, 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley (or 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley) 2 Tablespoons lemon juice. Simmer for one minute.
Add a pound of deveined and shelled shrimp. Cook over low heat until the shrimp becomes opaque and curls. Time will depend on the size of the shrimp, from seven to twelve minutes.

Bake a juicy Ham (shank half from 7 to 10 pounds) Preheat oven 325 degree F.

Score the fat side of the Ham in a crisscross fashion, forming diamonds.
Place the Ham in a 9 x 13" baking pan with the fat side up.
Insert a whole Clove into the center of each diamond. (Approximately 10 -15 cloves)
Pin Pineapple rings with toothpicks to cover the top (One whole #2 can)
Reserve juice of Pineapple
Pat 1 cup of packed brown sugar over the Pineapple (watch out for the toothpicks.)
Pour the Pineapple juice over the brown sugar.
Add 1 cup of Rose or Zinfandel wine over the Ham. Reserve another cup of wine to add while baking.
Bake for 3 hours basting every half hour adding 1/3 cup wine during the first three bastings. (You can also use most white wines, but I like the added sweetness of the Rose or the Zinfandel. You also might want to plan to have extra wine to sample while you baste.) Allow the Ham to rest for approximately half hour before carving.

Finally for dessert, how about some cookies. These are called Mexican Wedding Cakes, or in French, Petits Gateaux Tailles which sounded like Petticoat Tails to the English. (It means little cakes cut off)

1 cup Butter softened
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 Tablespoon Bourbon or Rum
2 1/2 cup sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 chopped nuts
Mix thoroughly. (fingers and hands do best) shape into two long rolls about 1" in circumference and wrap rolls in waxed paper. Refrigerate overnight. Slice into 1/8" slices, place on ungreased cookie sheet an inch apart and bake at 400 degree F for approximately 8 minutes. (Should be slightly browned around the edges) Dust cooled cookies with additional powdered sugar.

TWV mega contest - week of 11/14

Showcase author(s):

TK Toppin & Annabel Aidan




First Book giveaway (Follower drawing)

Prize: E copy of THE MASTER KEY from TK Toppin at thelancasterrule.blogspot.com
Type contest: Random drawing from subscribed followers of the TWV blog
How does contest work: Simply subscribe as a follower. Go to left side of blog screen near bottom, and sign up as a follower by Friday midnight
How do I win: A winner is drawn at random from all followers Saturday.
Winner announced: Next Monday winner will be posted and asked to send email.
Rules/limitations:
To be fair to everyone, you can only win one book during the mega contest.


Second Book giveaway (Follower drawing)

Prize: E copy of ASSUMPTION OF RIGHT from Annabel Aidan at devonellingtonwork.com/annabelaidan.html
Type contest: Random drawing from subscribed followers of the TWV blog
How does contest work: Simply subscribe as a follower. Go to left side of blog screen near bottom, and sign up as a follower by Friday midnight
How do I win: A winner is drawn at random from all followers Saturday.
Winner announced: Next Monday winner will be posted and asked to send email.

Rules/limitations:
To be fair to everyone, you can only win one book during the mega contest.


Last weeks winners

Congrats to follower Zahra Youssry - You won an E copy of SEEKER from T.M. Hunter. Email your name to author at engrboy@msn.com and claim your prize NLT midnight this Friday.

Choosy Writers Choose What?

I receive an ezine from a local nonfiction editor named Barbara McNichol that I find quite enlightening. Called "Word Tripper of the Week", it highlights words that are often misused. It's interesting for instance, to see the difference between esoteric and eclectic explained. While I knew how to use each correctly, it's nice to see a clarification spelled out in layman's terms.

One of the Word Trippers I filed away to refer to often is the use of lie versus lay. I know people lie and objects lay, but the past tenses always mess me up. What is accepted in conversation locally isn't always correct, and then I get caught up in whether to have my character say what he would if he was standing in front of me or say what is right. Most of the time local custom wins out if the character is participating in a dialogue with another, and I try to use the proper form if it's in the narrative. But sometimes it just doesn't read right and I agonize about it for some time before giving up and finding another way to say they could have remained in a supine position on the sofa for most of a day.

This is one of the aspects of writing I find challenging. Which word will give my reader the most vivid image, the richest flavor, the most intensity? A thesaurus is wonderful, but it doesn't always give me the full nuance of usage I'm after. Should I use fewer or less, over or more than, further or farther?  When is it okay to bend or break the rules?

I know I'm a bit of a nerd about this but if you're interested in the Word Trippers ezine here's the link: 
http://barbaramcnichol.com/wordtrippers/buy_word_trippers.php

Happy wordsmithing!

~Jude

~Jude Johnson

Author, Dragon & Hawk

Available from Champagne Books

Website: jude-johnson.com 

My profiles: Facebook Blogger Blogger

 

Thank A Veteran

I was going to blog about Christmas and my new book and writing about holidays. But here in the USA on this November 11, we celebrate Veteran’s Day. Regardless of our personal position on war, I think most all of us bear a deep respect for the men and women who serve. Christmas will come soon enough, and you can check out my newest book, Reinventing Christmas, on my website at http://www.lindarettstatt.com/ and find it at Champagne Books http://www.champagnebooks.com/ in ebook on November 15. For today, I want to call us to be mindful of those who serve or have served our country.

My father, Dale Rettstatt, Jr., was a veteran of World War II.

He was injured twice, receiving a Purple Heart for the second injury that left shrapnel in his head and made him subject to sudden and nearly-debilitating migraines. But even after returning from active duty, my dad continued as a life-long member of the Army reserves. I remember the pride I used to feel at watching him march with his reserve unit in parades in our small town. He took a quiet pride in being a soldier and packed for his two weeks of annual Army reserve training like a kid going off to summer camp. He never talked about the war, but he and I would sit together and watch movies like Bridge On the River Kwai and Run Silent, Run Deep. For me, it wasn’t so much a matter of enjoying war films as it was a means of trying to get a glimpse into my father—the soldier.

I didn’t learn much about him through those movie sessions, but I did learn a few things by watching the way he lived out his commitments to both country and family. I learned that you don’t give up when things get tough. I learned that, sometimes, you put yourself—your life—on the line for something you believe in. I learned that war isn’t fought for the sake of the fighting, but for the sake of the family back home.

On this Veteran’s Day, honor the vets in your life with a special memory, and give some thoughts to those serving today, whether here in the US or abroad.

Linda Rettstatt
http://www.lindarettstatt.com/
Writing for Woman

Available at Champagne Books

Battle Dancer Debuts Early December

Sometimes the world you have to save isn’t yours. Sometimes your greatest enemy isn’t the one in your sights.

The line between Savior and Destroyer becomes blurred as Mikial fights to free the world of Me’Auk from human occupation. On guard against a treacherous alliance with Earth, Mikial is blind to the danger from those she trusts most. They see the monster rising inside her, and will stop at nothing to prevent the return to a darker age when Throne Empresses ruled with an iron hand. Mikial faces off with the deadliest foe she has ever met - the tyrant within.

Battle Dancer completes the story of Mikial Haran, bringing with it all the traditions and strife of an alien people facing the challenges of first contact and technological acceleration.

This was certainly the most difficult of the "Dancer" series to write. First, it was an acknowledgement that a character and world I had come to love was finally at an end. Second, it was putting my main character Mikial through some wrenching changes that made her less than likable at times. Power gets to everyone, eventually. The key point for me is what happens when they finally have to face themselves. There is a choice to be made. In Battle Dancer, I bring Mikial to that moment, and by then she's been very hurtful to everyone around her. The conqueror everyone needs, but the last thing she ever wanted to be. You can't be "nice" as a war leader, but the danger is ever present that you can lose yourself in the process. Savior or Destroyer.

When wrapping up a series, it is all about closure. Some story arcs are simple - they start and end in the same novel. Others actually began in the first novel and only now find a completion. I never took my eye off the thing that mattered most - the person and the relationships between them and those who love them. I want my readers who have read through the entire series so far to come away feeling satisfied. I want them to see old friends as well as new. To say to themselves "So that's what happened to such-and-such". For those who read my spin-off - Waiting Weapon, you'll get to see Rick and Jamie strutting their stuff as well.

I was also able to get back at what I love doing most - fast action combat that is both visceral and as violently real as it gets. I put the "battle" into Battle Dancer both in space, in the air, and on the ground. Contrary to what the cover might suggest, we're talking military SF at its best - battle armor, heavy weapons, missiles, and remotes. Lots of remotes. Yes, characters will die in this story. War doesn't discriminate, and death can come lightning fast. Mikial is not without her own brutality, either. A character introduced in Defiant Dancer learns this the hard way.

Do you have to read the previous books in order to enjoy this one? No. I make sure every book stands by itself as much as possible. That said, you certainly will enjoy things a lot better if you did start with Blade Dancer and move up the line from there through Rogue Dancer and finally Defiant Dancer. If you were planning to read Waiting Weapon, you might want to do so ahead of Rogue Dancer - more fun that way (but again, not required at all).

Will there be any other books written in the Dancer universe? I really can't say, other than to point out that there are more stories in my head - often played out in Mikial's future and not necessarily her story. For now, I recognize the need as a writer to grow. Any farmer will tell you to rotate your crops to keep things fresh, and for me this means trying out another genre and a whole new set of characters and circumstances. Someday I may get back to Mikial's world, but the series will do just fine even if I don't.

That's how I prefer to leave things.

Battle Dancer will be out around the first Monday in December from Burst Books

You can read the first chapter now by going to my website.

Kerry

www.kmtolan.com

Almost Famous

I've often wondered what it would be like to be recognized as a "famous" writer. Not even famous -- just recognized as a writer. Unless you're someone like Stephen King or JK Rowling, I know it doesn't happen often -- as a rather famous writer friend of mine recently said, news anchors get recognized more often than famous writers. Still, I always remember that scene in Jewel of the Nile -- "the Joan Wilder?" -- and allow myself to dream. While I haven't been recognized just as a writer per se -- there were other factors involved -- I do have a couple of really fun stories that I tell people regarding my fifteen minutes of fame.

Shortly after getting my first contract with Champagne Books for Shadow Fox, I had to bring in my yellow Beetle to a tire shop for a new set of tires. I didn't know the young man who wrote up the ticket, but because I had just received my first set of business cards with my book cover on them, I gave him one. He was mildly interested, but because the release date was still far off, I didn't think he'd remember, much less buy one. Several months passed, and the sequel to Shadow Fox, Fox Rising, released. At some point after that I ran over a speed bump too hard, a block from the tire shop, and drove it in before it exploded. The man writing up my new ticket looked familiar, and when he came outside and spotted the yellow Bug, he literally jumped up and down. "It's you! It's you! I've been hoping you'd come back!" He had not only read Shadow Fox, but Fox Rising as well, and loved them both. In fact, a few days later, he got my phone number off the ticket and called me at home, asking when Book Three was coming out. And he took good care of my car.

Then last month I ordered a delivery online from a sandwich shop. Because they didn't want to tell me they didn't do delivery, even though it was on the website, the manager made one of his employees ride his bike -- several miles and in the dark -- to make the delivery. Needless to say it was over an hour late, and he was actually afraid I would be angry at him! (I was, actually, quite pissed at the manager for making him ride his bike.) When I opened the door, he said, "Oh, thank God it's you. You're the writer!" Turns out I'd given him a business card too -- over a year ago! -- and he had also read and enjoyed Shadow Fox.

Now I know these two occasions don't really count as being recognized as an author, but I will truly cherish those memories. So authors, make sure you're always armed with a stack of business cards! You just never know when handing them out may result in being almost famous.

Ashley J. Barnard
Dark Fantasy with a Contemporary Twist
www.ashleyjbarnard.com

Travel Fuels the Writer's Soul

My husband and I just returned from a road trip--the final leg of Route 66. If only those ruined buildings, the desert landscape, and the old pavement could talk, we'd have stories to last a lifetime. On this trip, we drove from Winslow, AZ to Santa Monica Pier.

Our first trip in 2007, we drove from Amarillo, TX to Winslow. In Glenrio, TX we stopped to take pictures of this old motel/cafe. The sign reads first motel in Texas from west side. On the east side it reads last motel in Texas. Note that each little cottage had a garage or carport. A few of these structures are still around and still in use.


These ruins spurred my muse, but the idea that formed in my mind got pushed to the back as other projects took over. Finally I've gotten busy on the story that plagued me on that trip. Heck, it may even become a series.

I'm almost finished with the story, titled A Stolen Chance. A romantic suspense, the heroine flees an ex-husband bent on murder and finds refuge at a small motel along the old Mother Road.

The story is set in New Mexico near the Zuni Reservation so we decided to spend on night in Zuni to become familiar with the area and for me to add two fetishes to my fetish collection, but that's another blog post all together.

Thanks for Reading and Writing!
Linda
http://www.lindalaroque.com/
http://www.lindalaroqueauthor.blogspot.com/

TWV mega contest - week of 11/7

Showcase author(s):

T.M. Hunter




First Book giveaway (leave a comment)

Prize: Paperback of HEROES DIE YOUNG from T.M. Hunter at astonwest.com
Type contest: Leave comment on this blog post
How do I win: Leave a comment NLT Friday midnight, and winner will be drawn randomly from those visitors that leave comments
Winner announced: Right here, next Monday
Rules/limitations:
(1) No purchase required. Leave comment on author's website.
(2) To be fair to everyone, you can only win one book during the mega contest.
(3) Because of postage, only US/Canada residents can play this one


Second Book giveaway (Follower drawing)

Prize: E copy of SEEKER from T.M. Hunter at astonwest.com
Type contest: Random drawing from subscribed followers of the TWV blog
How does contest work: Simply subscribe as a follower. Go to left side of blog screen near bottom, and sign up as a follower by Friday midnight
How do I win: A winner is drawn at random from all followers Saturday.
Winner announced: Next Monday winner will be posted and asked to send email.

Rules/limitations:
To be fair to everyone, you can only win one book during the mega contest.


Last weeks winners

1. Congrats to follower Patti P - You won an E copy of SNAKE DANCE from Angelica Hart and Zi. Email your name to author at writingteamcw@yahoo.com with "follower name and SNAKE DANCE" in Subject line to claim your prize NLT midnight this Friday.

2. Congrats to follower Cathie Caffey - You won an E copy of CHASING YESTERDAY from Angelica Hart and Zi. Email your name to author at writingteamcw@yahoo.com with "follower name and CHASING YESTERDAY" in Subject line to claim your prize NLT midnight this Friday.

Self made vs profession

Michael W. Davis

Davisstories.com

Writers are often plagued by the decision, “Do I go professional on promotion activities or bite the bullet and invest the money for the service of a professional. I recently released a workshop DVD entitled “So you what to write a novel?” and wanted to create a promotion trailer. I elected to go both ways: one I created myself and one where I used a company that makes videos professionally. Like to sample the difference between the two? Go HERE and check for yourself. Both videos are provided near the bottom of the web page. Interested on your views.

Big Mike
Michael W. Davis (Davisstories.com)
Author of the year, 2008 & 2009

Shadow of Guilt, “To each crossing of paths, there is a reason.”
Blind Consent, “The answers are buried in the secrets of the past.”
Forgotten Children, “Only Sara knows the truth.”
Tainted Hero, “Sometimes good people do bad things.”
The Treasure, “A lonely heart can impair one’s judgment.”
Veil of Deception, “Sometimes truth cuts deeper than a lie.”

The Importance of Daily Practice

The past couple of months have been challenging to say the least: illness, an overbooked schedule, computer glitches, book promotions, teaching, working on a new book while trying to finish a deadlined book -- a nap would be great!

I have a lot of catching up to do in the next few weeks, but one of the things that has helped the most through all of the tumult has been Daily Practice.

That means something different for everyone. For me, it means sticking to my daily practice of yoga, meditation -- and writing.

Yes, writing.

How often does something happen in life you let interfere with your writing? I hear it all the time from my students -- overtime at work, unexpected guests, etc., etc., etc. It doesn’t matter. Keep writing.

How many people sign up to do Nano, which only requires a little over 1600 words a day for a single month, and can’t sustain it? I stopped mentoring Nano writers because my one criteria was, “If I accept you in the mentoring group, you have to promise not to quit. I’m INVESTING in you -- time and energy. So is everyone else in the group. Don’t throw it back in our faces.” They’d promise anything and then bail.

If you can’t sustain a month, you can’t sustain a writer’s life.

If you do 200 words every six weeks, you’re not going to build and sustain a career. As Carolyn See stays in her book, MAKING A LITERARY LIFE, “1000 words a day for the rest of your life.” Ray Bradbury, in ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING, talks about writing a thousand words a day for years. At a recent conference at which I presented, both keynote speakers emphasized the need to write every day. No matter what else is going on in your life.

That’s how books are written and careers built. The dailiness builds rhythm, teaches you the internal music of your book, and helps you face the day when it’s harder to find the right words to hit your quota. The longer a break you have between writing sessions, the harder it is to get back into it.

Going to the page every day brings me the same kind of peace and stability that going to the yoga mat and the meditation cushion every day bring. On the tough days, there's resistance. But you show up, you put in the effort, and there's something tangible at the end. At the end of a yoga session, there's a sense of well-being; at the end of a meditation session, there's a sense of clarity. At the end of a writing session, there are tangible pages, and the sense of connection with the world of the book. It includes and builds on the well-being and clarity achieved on the mat and the cushion.

Flowing through yoga to meditation to the desk, having all three as a piece, as my morning ritual, builds a stability and a stamina to face whatever challenges the rest of the day throws at me. If I miss any of the triad, I'm out of balance, and it affects the rest of the day.

So I don't skip any of it, even if it means getting up a couple of hours earlier than normal.

Write every day. Even if your life is falling apart. The more you integrate writing into your life, the easier and more natural it becomes. And the better the quality of those daily words grows.



--Annabel Aidan is a full-time writer who publishes under a half a dozen names in fiction and non-fiction. Her latest release, ASSUMPTION OF RIGHT, is available in digital and print from Champagne Books. Visit her on the web at www.devonellingtonwork.com/annabelaidan.html.

Winter's Coming!

The tall ash tree outside my bedroom window has turned a gorgeous golden. Beautiful, but to me it means winter's on its way. I probably shouldn't complain ( but I'm going to) because we have three wonderful other seasons here in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.. The older I get, though, the more I dread winter. Sure, it can be beautiful in its own way--winter wonderland and all that.

As a kid I enjoyed the winter season up here--sledding, ice skating and as I got older--skiing. But now that I'm an old bat and no longer able to participate in any of those activities, I find it just plain cold outside. The Viking and Kinko the cat feel the same.

I do my best to enjoy all the fascinating colors of the leaves as they change in the fall, but there's that nagging realization that winter's on the way. Even if, as is happening now, we're gifted with an Indian Summer.

Those last two words remind me that a song with that title was popular when I was a teen. I wonder if anyone reading this ever heard of it?

I even recall all the words. Ooh, now I'm feeling obsolete. Good thing the Viking and I had Happy Hour right after I wrote this the first time. We listened to Indian Summer plus other old songs and reminisced. "Summer, you old Indian Summer"...ah, the past.

But I do have a future left, after all, so I'll soon be writing "Where There's Smoke" the second book in my Dagon House Trilogy. "Taken In," the first story has already been edited and galleyed. Once the cover is complete, it'll be out, though I don't yet have a date. I always look forward to Champagne covers--they're so awesome.