Book Talk 12/13/19: Books I’ve Read This Year. Traci Kenworth

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Book Talk 12/13/19: List of Books Read This Year

Traci Kenworth

Books I Read in 2019

Traci Kenworth

1. Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor # 1 so far YA Fantasy
2. Experimental Film by Gemma Files
3. Katie’s Highlander by Maeve Grayson #1 so far Historical Romance
4. Slayer by Kiersten White #1 YA horror
5. Closing a Deal on Your Terms by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.
6. Bane of the Dragon King by J. Kellerford #2 YA Fantasy.
7. Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto #3 YA Fantasy
8. Jewel in the Mud by Harmony Kent
9. The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker
10. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by John Tiffany and John Kelley per J.K. Rowling’s permission
11. Bird Box by Josh Malerman
12. Beauty for Ashes by Joyce Meyer
13. The Lovely and the Lost by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
14. The Forbidden Door by Dean Koontz
15. How to Write a Novel by Nathan Bradford
16. 13 Steps to Evil by Sacha Black
17. Sullivan’s Promise by Joan Johnston
18. The Devouring Gray by Christine Lynn Herman
19. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
20. Storynomics by Robert McKee
21. Dreams of Gods & Monsters Laini Taylor # 4 YA Fantasy.
22. Writing Realistic Men Jackson Dean Chase
23. Truthwitch by Susan Dennard #5 YA Fantasy
24. Finale by Stephanie Garber # 1 YA Mystery
25. The Night Window Dean Koontz
26. Undead anthology
27. Before I Sleep Adam Nevill
28. The Evil Queen Gena Showalter #7 YA Fantasy
29. Will Haunt You Brian Kirk
30. Graceling by Kristin Cashore #6 YA Fantasy
31. A Curse So Dark and Lonely Brigid Kemmerer #8 YA Fantasy
32. 150 Fantasy Writing Prompts by Sherilyn Kenyon
33. Our Better Angels by Jonathan Reckford
34. Beyond the Moon by Catherine Taylor
35. How to Love a Duke in Ten Days Kerrigan Bryne
36. This Earl of Mine by Kate Bateman
37. Dragon’s Oath: A House of Night Novella by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
38. Happily-Ever-Afters: Reimagining of Snow White and Rose Red by Melanie Cellier
39. Setting by Jack M. Bickman
40. The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller
41. Windwitch by Susan Dennard
42. Forever My Duke by Olivia Drake
43. The Wanderers by Chuck Wendig
44. The Freelancer’s Survival Guide by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
45. The House at the Bottom of the Lake by Josh Malerman
46. Surviving the Transition by Kristine Kathryn Rusch.

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Writerly Things…10/7/18

Halloween book

Writerly Things…10/7/18

Traci Kenworth

 

There have been a load of saplings that grew up beside and to the back of the house since the trees went down last year. I’m trying to take them out a little at a time. I don’t have a chainsaw, just lopers. It has been slow-going as they have prickers on them and it tears my skin up to get under them and clip. I was hoping my brother could help but he’s been so busy with his job. I also hoped the neighbor might have a go at them since they fall over into his side, but he’s been busy as well. The problem is: they’re growing to close to the house and I have to get them away from it. I don’t want any broken windows or branches going through the gutter.

Fall break will be coming up this week, a few days before the next quarter starts for college for my son again. Then it’s shooting toward his Christmas break and the time I’m going to try and schedule surgery for. My daughter has to get things ready for Jan. when she hopes to enter college as well. Went to a Pipp meeting this week to try and get payments lower for us with the electric. Should hear this week.

I began editing B & C and I’m working on rewording the second to the last chapter. I’m going backwards. I had trouble beginning the editing until Wed. as other things came to the forefront. I did enter into The Carrot Ranch Rodeo contest on Fri. however. I like to write to photo prompts and I borrowed some of my unseen characters from B & C for the entry. It was fun to have them chat and a challenge to convey emotion without dialogue tags or action beats. I critiqued some pages for one of my fabulous crit partners and she’s amazing as always!

This week, I’ve concentrated on scene goals, characters arcs, making sure there’s emotion on every page via the protagonist at the suggestion of an agent, and rewording to make sure the sentences shine. I go through one at a time and mark with colored pens and then go back through, last, to rework the sentences. How are your projects coming along? Have a great week, take care, and God bless!

Writerly Things 9/15/18

pumpkins

Writerly Things…9/16/18

Traci Kenworth

 

It’s almost my favorite time of year! I love Halloween with all its scares and chills! I love the cute parts of it and the terror that comes from horror stories. This year, we are planning another marathon of movies, food, and trivia! It’s gets me so excited to think about doing all this. We often have to skimp on things but what we have, we appreciate. For instance, this year, we’re planning fried chicken (made at the store, KFC isn’t around here anymore), different types of boneless chicken such as barbecue, garlic, etc. Sushi, it’s a favorite with spicy crab. We only tried it a couple years ago and love it now. I’m thinking about a Halloween meatloaf (it’s on my Pinterest under Holiday board, in the shape of a pumpkin). We will have Shepherd’s pie for my daughter who’s gluten-free. I don’t know the other sides yet or the goodies that we’ll have.

I haven’t heard anything from PitchWars which signals to me that it’s almost time to start editing again. I want to finish the short story I’m working on about assassins and I just need to put the ending on. Then, I’ll let that rest while I edit. When I turn my manuscript over to my final betas, I’ll get this short story and a few others I have on the backburner ready to go out. I haven’t had much luck breaking into the magazines, anthologies yet but there’s always hope. It’s like going on submission with agents, you just have to the best you can do and hope it resonates with one. If it does more, you’re very lucky.

For me, the path to publishing has been a long road with some massive down-time over the years. I first discovered I wanted to be a writer at eighteen but after success with fanfiction in the zines that dream got put on hold for marriage and children. When the divorce ended horribly, I pulled myself back to life with writing. I wasn’t doing it for publication at that time, just writing to get all the horror out. It wasn’t till 2009 that I started to get serious about writing again and I’m drawing closer to that time when I can see real growth as a writer. Will it be enough? Only the future can tell. I will keep on with this journey as long as I draw breath. To me, it’s life, it’s truth, it’s the way back from hell.

 

Reading Links…6/19/18

road less traveled

Reading Links…6/19/18

Traci Kenworth

 

Fantasy/Dystopian/UF/Paranormal/SF:

1. https://audreydriscoll.com/2018/06/15/free-on-kindle-hunting-the-phoenix-book-4-of-the-herbert-west-series/ Journalist Alma Halsey chases the story of a lifetime to Providence, Rhode Island and finds more than she expected – an old lover, Charles Milburn, and an old adversary, renegade physician Herbert West, living under the name Francis Dexter. Fire throws her into proximity with them both, rekindling romance and completing a great transformation.
2. https://libraryoferana.wordpress.com/2018/06/15/book-spotlight-tales-of-erana-the-warriors-curse-fantasy-bundle/ “I am Saelth and I have come to slay your monster,” he announced. His words were bold and his demeanour bolder. Behind him rode the fiercest of his band, axemen and archers, trackers and swordsmen. A mean crew indeed and feared about the land; fur-clad and blooded, they were blades for hire.

 

Romance/Women’s Fiction:

 

Christian:

 

Historical:

 

Scary:

1. http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/look-out-for-coldfall-wood-by-steven-savile/ “A forgotten god hunted by a reluctant hero trying to save the world, written by one of the masters of the genre, is enough to get any horror fan’s attention.”
2. http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/book-review-bone-saw-by-patrick-lacey/ “A fast and entertaining read that delivers 80s style pulpy action horror by the bucket-load.”
3. http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/look-out-for-walking-alone-short-stories-by-bentley-little/ With some stories never collected before, and a few originals thrown in the mix, Bentley Little’s first collection in over a decade is destined to be another classic of the genre.”
4. http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/book-review-toroa-by-erik-hofstatter/ “A novel full of action, full of human emotion and relationships, Toroa … is a view into the soul of one who is pushed until breaking and the darkness that can spill out as a result.”
5. http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/book-review-unnerving-magazine-issue-6/ “The idea that Generous manages to create a publication of such quality and packed with so much content single-handedly, is truly amazing and inspiring.”
6. http://thewarriormuse.blogspot.com/2018/06/horror-list-book-review-bubba-ho-tep.html This is actually a novella, not a novel. And it was a lot of fun. I’m sure I could find issues with it if I sat down to analyze plot, etc., but I’d rather not. This was a quick read with an opening line that will tell you whether this is something you want to keep reading or not.

 

Pets:

 

Mental Health:

 

MG/YA:

 

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller:

1. http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/latest-reads-the-other-wife-michael-robotham/ A secret wife. A secret life. A killer who knows.
2. http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/latest-early-reads-it-ends-with-you-s-k-wright/ Even though the picture is incomplete, the pieces fit. But as time passes, stories change.

Told from six narrative strands, this cleverly woven and utterly compulsive novel challenges preconceptions; makes you second, third and fourth guess yourself; and holds an uncomfortable mirror up to the way societies and systems treat those they perceive to be on the outside.”

3. http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/latest-reads-the-moor-sam-haysom/ There’s a delightful bit of sleight-of-hand at the heart of the novel that I particularly enjoyed.’ – Owen King, co-author of Sleeping Beauties
4. https://mariacatalinaegan.com/2018/06/16/the-unholy-by-author-paul-deblassie-iii/ ”The Unholy, an excellent novel by Paul DeBlassie III, keeps the reader engaged throughout in mystery, suspense, and church politics. In addition to vividly depicting the beautiful landscape and culture of New Mexico, it exposes and strengthens the traditional work of the medicine women of the Southwest. I am looking forward to Dr. DeBlassie’s next book.” –Eliseo ”Cheo” Torres, author ofCurandero: A Life In Mexican Folk Healing, professor, and university administrator.
5. https://tinafrisco.com/2018/06/15/author-interview-billy-ray-chitwood/ “The storyline? Meet a mother from hell! I ran across the California newspaper clippings from years ago about a Northern California mother who tortured her six kids – the three girls most specifically – with beatings, dark-closet punishments that could last for days, eating lard and their own retch, standing erect or on their knees for hours at a time. She kills two of the girls by fire, leaving one girl to fear for her life…an amazing story, fictionalized with lots of true elements!”

 

 

Short Stories/Anthologies/Novella:

 

Poetry:

 

Indie:

 

Craft:

 

Other:

 

 

Writing Links…6/18/18

Landscape

Writing Links…6/18/18

Traci Kenworth

 

Fantasy/Dystopian/UF/Paranormal/SF:

1. https://mythcreants.com/blog/lessons-from-the-rambling-writing-of-handbook-for-mortals/ “Last year, Handbook for Mortals by Lani Sarem cheated its way to the top of the New York Times YA bestseller list. It wasn’t #1 for long, though. Observers quickly noticed how strange it was that a book no one had heard of by a brand new publisher had soared to the top. The book wasn’t in stock at most retailers, and the website Fakespot rated the book’s Amazon reviews as suspicious. Also, everyone thought Handbook for Mortals was really bad for a bestseller. After investigating, The New York Times removed the book from their list. You can get all the juicy details on Pajiba.”
2. http://storitorigrace.blogspot.com/2018/06/5-ways-classic-pc-adventure-games.html “It’s no secret that I freaking love PC Adventure Games. I’ve been playing them since I was seven-years-old. My mom had a lot of them on floppy disc. Yes, floppy disc. If you don’t know what those are, look them up (It’s also what your save icon is in Microsoft Word). XD Then later on with CD-ROM (Now we have snazzy disc-less download stuff. I’m so grateful for that.). So I have many fond memories get on our dinosaur of a computer in the office after finishing my schoolwork for the day and spending time with some of my pixel best friends. I wouldn’t be the same writer I am today without the many skills I learned by playing these games.”
3. https://colleenchesebro.com/2018/06/16/getting-to-know-you-sunday-interview-2018-smorgasbord-variety-is-the-spice-of-life/ “As writers, we tend to share aspects of our work in interviews, such as our blog posts, books, and characters, and that is very important. However, sometimes we don’t get to share some of the other aspects of our personalities.”

 

Romance/Women’s Fiction:

 

Christian:

1. https://stevelaube.com/author-says-agent-hears/ “Many aspiring authors communicate things they think are positive, or at least in the spirit of honesty and transparency, but end up being understood entirely different than the intended message.”
2. https://stevelaube.com/the_wild_pitch/ “It is the third month of the Major League baseball season, so I thought it would be fun to explore the concept of having a quality pitch. As with baseball, the author needs to pitch their ideas in an effective manner. But it doesn’t always work out that way.”

 

Historical:

1. https://mythcreants.com/blog/why-historical-accuracy-isnt-a-reason-to-exclude-diversity/ “As someone who critiques media for a living, I run into this argument all the time. I see it from the darkest depths of YouTube to the comments section of this very blog. Some people use the argument as a smoke screen to hide the fact that they simply don’t want diverse stories, whereas others genuinely think that history requires stories to be full of bigotry. Either way, the argument is wrong, and here’s why.” I have to agree. All types of people should be in our stories. There’s room for everyone!

 

Scary:

1. http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/tih-207-laird-barron-on-blood-standard-crime-fiction-and-toning-down-the-weird/ Great podcast!
2. https://www.gofundme.com/brian-keene-burn-fund

 

Pets:

 

Mental Health:

1. http://mybipolarmind.com/2018/06/16/my-2018-vacation-is-in-12-hours/ “I am looking forward to taking lots of pictures and walking on the beach. I would bring my laptop on the sand and stare at the ocean view and write or blog because that is actually on my bucketlist — to write by the ocean — but I am too worried that I would get sand on it or that it will get wet, broken, or stolen. I need my laptop because, well, I am a writer. Or at least, I try to be.” I am going on vacation, too, just not away for one. Well, at least I don’t think so. Instead, I’m taking a writing vacation.

 

MG/YA:

1. http://www.adventuresinyapublishing.com/2018/06/amy-mcnamara-author-of-flicker-in.html “Many years ago my daughter struggled with a needy, domineering and self-destructive friend. It made me think of my own attraction to a glamorous mess when I was her age. It took me far longer than it took my daughter to realise there is a vast difference between caretaking and genuine friendship and that real friendship is an ongoing balance between give and take.”

 

Mystery/Suspense/Thriller:

1. http://annerallen.com/2018/06/novellas-novelettes-short-stories-flash/ “Novellas went out of style in the mid-20th century, but now they’re back.” I wish I could write them. I haven’t had much luck breaking in to the magazines lately.
2. https://killzoneblog.com/2018/06/for-the-repose-of-the-soul.html “Fair warning: this is going to be a very dark and sad post. You might want to go elsewhere, to a place where quiet is disturbed only by laughter and where there is no fear or bad endings instead of reading what follows.”
3. https://dsm-publications.com/2018/06/15/author-inspiration-and-this-weeks-writing-links-4/ “I’ve been blessed with many wonderful examples of fatherhood. My grandfather and my father were everything a girl could have asked for: strong, fun, loving, caring, encouraging. I have uncles and inlaws galore who fit the bill, too. I can’t tell you how full of love my heart is for each and every one of them.”

 

Short Stories/Anthologies/Novella:

1. https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/2018/06/16/the-heavens-parted-today/ “Today the words just wouldn’t stop. I didn’t want to stop when I did. Old What’s Her Face called to say she’d gotten off work, or I’d still be at it.”

 

Poetry:

1. https://syl65.wordpress.com/2018/06/15/climbing/
2. https://themilitantnegro.com/2018/06/16/one-world/

 

Indie:

1. https://www.thebookdesigner.com/2018/06/how-to-update-your-book-without-losing-your-reviews/ “One of the benefits of being an indie publisher is the ability to update your books whenever you choose. Have a cover you did yourself before you knew better? Change the cover! Wrote a book about social media and included Vine? Update it! Have a new book coming out? Add a sample chapter in your past book! And so on.”
2. https://www.thebookdesigner.com/2018/06/book-promotion-do-this-not-that-june-2018/ “More and more authors are seeing that the ADD TO CART button does not place an order with the author/publisher like it used to. This is not a new phenomenon, but for the last year, Amazon has been awarding the button to the lowest-priced seller and that is often not the author. This has, in some cases, resulted in a dramatic drop in their CreateSpace sales.”
3. https://selfpublishingadvice.org/indie-authors-ebook-pricing-seeley-james/ “One of the many advantages of being an indie author is that with access to your own dashboard on the book distribution sites (KDP, Kobo, iBooks, etc), you can set your own pricesfor your books, in whatever format you’re self-publishing them, and change them until you hit a sweet spot for profitability.”
4. https://selfpublishingadvice.org/what-are-the-best-low-cost-marketing-tactics-for-authors-questions-answered-at-askalli-members-qa/ “Welcome to AskALLi, the Self-Publishing Advice Podcastfrom the Alliance of Independent Authors. This week it’s our monthly Member Q&A where the most pressing self-publishing questions from ALLi members are analyzed and answered. Join your regular hosts for the Member Q&A: Michael La Ronn and Dan Blank.”
5. https://www.indiesunlimited.com/2018/06/04/writing-and-publishing-what-scares-you/ “I’ve published more than twenty works of fiction over the past seven or eight years, but none of them has given me so much pause – so much stick your fingers in your ears and go LALALALA– as publishing the book I’ve been working on for at least ten years: a memoir of my relationship with my mother and my brother.”

 

Craft:

1. https://jamigold.com/2018/06/are-sneaky-plot-holes-lurking-in-your-story/ “Despite the term plot hole, illogical and/or inconsistent events and details in our story can exist in more places than just our story’s plot. And no matter the source, those breaks in logic affect our readers the same way, so we need to watch out for them the same way we keep an eye open for logic holes within our story’s plot.”
2. https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/how-to-create-character-chemistry/ “To one degree or another, chemistry exists in all relationships, whether they’re romantic, familial, friendly, or just casual. Some chemistry is positive; some negative. Either way, chemistry is basically just an energetic exchange between people.”
3. https://www.janefriedman.com/the-power-of-silence-in-a-pitch-situation/ “When writers ask me for advice about pitching their work in-person, my favorite tip is: Get the other person talking and asking questions. Rather than dominating the conversation with everything youwant to say, figure out what’s going on inside the head of your target. That’s where the valuable information is. The nature of their response will help you learn the publishing business and how to position your work.”
4. https://www.janefriedman.com/what-does-it-mean-to-write-a-scene-that-works/ “Change through conflict. On the whole, stories are about change. And scenes are a boiled down, less intense, mini-story. They should do the same thing your global story does: upset the life value of the character and put them on a path to try and restore it.”
5. https://writershelpingwriters.net/2018/06/occupation-thesaurus-entry-business-tycoon/ “Overview: A business tycoon is someone who is extremely successful in their industry. Tycoons tend to be entrepreneurial, coming up with innovative ideas or solutions that help them rise to the top in their fields. Some (Henry Ford, J.P. Morgan, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffet, etc.) are so famous as to become household names to the general public, while others are simply well-known by those in their fields. A person can become a mogul in any industry—automobiles, banking, social media, finance, media, real estate, etc. Because of their success, these leaders tend to be very wealthy.”

 

Other:

1. http://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2018/06/15/mining-old-manuscripts-guest-post-by-traci-kenworth/ “Old manuscripts are never a waste. Mine them!” I stopped over at Chris’s this past week!
2. http://www.thepassivevoice.com/morality-clauses-are-publishers-right-to-police-writers/ “As the pressure has mounted, London-based authors’ agent Lizzy Kremer has taken pre-emptive action – drawing up a new, industry-wide code of conduct on behalf of a coalition of authors, booksellers, agents and publishers. The voluntary code was partly inspired by London’s Royal Court theatre, which constructed one in reaction to its own sexual misconduct scandal involving a former artistic director. Among the theatre’s first responses was a call out for testimony about sexual harassment to help it to identify “patterns and scenarios”. In a detail that chimes strongly with the publishing industry, the report drew attention to the dangers of a “blurred social context”: “13.3% of reported incidents happened at work parties … with alcohol.”
3. http://booksbywomen.org/waiting-for-inspiration-by-penny-kline/ “Sitting agonising never works, at least it doesn’t for me. Obviously, if and when I have a wonderful moment of “inspiration” and the two themes combine into a story, there are still many gaps to be filled and, most importantly of all, characters to create, but where the story came from I couldn’t say. Somewhere in my unconscious, I suppose.” I often have to do something else as well.
4. https://seths.blog/2018/06/the-danger-of-not-good-enough/ “It’s true that you’re not good enough yet. None of us are. But if you commit to trying hard enough and long enough, you’ll get better.” This is something I’m struggling with right now.
5. https://vivdrewa.me/2018/06/15/how-to-secretly-signal-to-your-bartender-barista-that-you-feel-unsafe-on-a-date-just-in-case-by-rachel-shatto/ “After reading this article, I thought it would be good to share it, in case you, or someone you care about, might need to know – Just In Case… TSRA”
6. https://amdobritt.blog/2018/06/15/emotional-layers-the-gateway-to-deep-point-of-view-from-the-writers-in-the-storm-blog/ “Deep point of view lets your readers experience story through a virtual reality headset. Readers want to take an emotional journey alongside the main character in every scene. This style puts readers IN the story as much as possible.”

 

 

Book Talk…6/15/18

a group of robots

Book Talk…6/15/18

Traci Kenworth

 

This week, I’m reading: The Yak Guy by C.S. Boyack, The Freelance Survival Guide by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Jewel in the Mud by Harmony Kent, Closing the Deal on Your Terms by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi, The Princess Fugitive by Melanie Cellier, Tiffany Sly Lives Here by Dana L. Davis, Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, Rise of the Hearts by Antoine Bonner, Royal Treatment by Tracy Wolff, Sneak Peek: Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson, The Duke Who Ravished Me by Diana Quincy, and The Weaver’s Daughter by Sara E. Ladd.

I was reading That Moment When, a YA anthology but I stopped as ALL of the stories were more or less the first few chapters of books by the authors and I though it was going to be a short story collection. I like to read all of the book and not be left hanging. It’s why I’m having trouble with Undead Girl Gang though I’m intrigued by the story enough that I might pick up a copy of it in the future. The Rise of the Hearts may turn out to be the same deal, not sure yet. Either it is a short book or it’s only so much of the other, we’ll see.

Reading Links…6/12/18

owl

Reading Links…6/12/18

Traci Kenworth

 

Fantasy/Dystopian/UF/Paranormal/SF:

1. https://teagansbooks.com/2018/06/09/its-about-time-with-don/ That’s where the idea of using some form of time travel emerged. It was a difficult decision because I’ve spent the past several books identifying with readers as a crime fiction author. I did publish a collection of short stories in my anthology, Random Tales,that had some science fiction/paranormal entries, but this would be my first novel to explore that part of my writing.
2. https://phsolomon.com/2018/06/09/characters-from-the-bow-of-destiny-hastra/ For those who have read my free short story, What Is Needed, you’ve met the Withling Hastra. What are Withlings? They were a mystic order devoted to the deity Eloch. If you’re interested in the Withlings, the e-book is still available on all major book retail sites. But here’s a little more about Hastra. She’s been alive for several centuries serving Eloch through many adventures while working against Magdronu’s efforts. Her mystic powers come from Eloch and can come in many forms and at timely moments.
3. https://mythsofthemirror.com/2018/06/07/covers-revealed/ Some souls gift insights, wisdom, a path to understanding. Others unleash power, proficiency with a sword, and indifference to death. One soul assimilates with ease. Swallow a host of the dead and risk a descent into madness.
4. https://tinafrisco.com/2018/06/07/author-interview-jacqui-murray/ Born in the harsh world of East Africa 1.8 million years ago, where hunger, death, and predation are a normal part of daily life, Lucy and her band of early humans struggle to survive. It is a time in history when man was relentlessly annihilated by predators, nature, his own people, and the next iteration of the species. To make it worse, Lucy’s band hates her. She may be their leader’s new mate but they don’t understand her odd actions, don’t like her strange looks, and don’t trust her past. To survive, she cobbles together an unusual alliance with an orphaned child, a beleaguered protodog who’s lost his pack, and a man who was supposed to be dead.
5. https://teripolen.com/2018/06/06/www-wednesday-what-am-i-reading-amreading-8/ Sabrina Sebastian’s goal in life is to be an investigative reporter. For her first big story, she researches a popular website called Scream Site, where people post scary videos and compete for the most “screams.” While Sabrina’s friends and her sister, Faith, talk nonstop about the creepy viral videos, Sabrina just hopes that covering this trend will get her the internship she’s wishing for. But as she digs into the truth behind the website, she begins to suspect that these aren’t only aspiring actors and videographers at work. Some clips seem a little too real. And when Faith goes missing, Sabrina must race against time to save her sister from becoming the next video “star.”

 

Romance/Women’s Fiction:

1. https://mariacatalinaegan.com/2018/06/09/enchanted-romances-magical-passion/ Come into our world, where guardian angels protect you, Fountain of Youth water revives you, and supernatural beings comfort you. Eight paranormal stories with romance and happy ever after endings by eight award winning and bestselling authors. Enjoy the ride into our mystical fantasies filled with superb entertainment!
2. https://mariacatalinaegan.com/2018/06/08/this-weeks-best-selling-author-alyssa-day/ Alyssa Day is the pen name (and dark and tortured alter ego) of author Alesia Holliday. As Alyssa, she is a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author, and she writes the Warriors of Poseidon and Cardinal Witches paranormal romance series and the Tiger’s Eye Mysteries, a paranormal mystery series. As Alesia, she writes comedies that make readers snort things out of their noses, and is the author of the award-winning memoir about military families during war-time deployments: Email to the Front. She has won many awards for her writing, including Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA award for outstanding romance fiction and the RT Book Reviews Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Paranormal Romance novel of 2012.
3. https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2018/06/07/rosies-bookreview-team-rbrt-womensfiction-the-women-of-heachley-hall-by-racheljwalkley-2/ Twenty-eight-year old Miriam Marsters, a freelance illustrator, is shocked to discover she is the sole surviving heir to her Great Aunt Felicity’s fortune. Depending on referrals for paying jobs, she sees selling the Victorian mansion bequeathed to her, Heachley Hall, as a way of being able to sell her cramped old city flat and buy a house with a studio. There is only one catch – in order to get the house, she has to earn it, by living in it for one year and one day. It’s hardly habitable, having been empty for five years and decaying even before her great aunt left it, far from the memories of a color-filled home with splendid gardens she has from her youth.
4. https://vivdrewa.me/2018/06/04/effection-playnise-series-by-ryanne-anthony-romance-multiculturalinterracial-contemporary/ Escaping her drug-addicted mother to the comfort of a better life with her paternal grandparents, Kaia worked her way through college and became a success before the age of thirty. Along the way, she fell for Bobby E., lead singer of the rock band, Stone End. Knowing he only saw her as a kid sister, she turned her energy toward achieving success

 

Christian:

 

Historical:

1. https://mytrainofthoughtson.wordpress.com/2018/06/08/after-the-pemberley-ball-longbourn-6-by-margaret-lynette-sharp-bookreview-margaretlynett1/ At the suggestion of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, the Darcys arrange for a lavish ball to be held at Pemberley, to mark the birthday of Georgiana. Unexpected events at this function threaten to upturn the lives of several of those in attendance. Will Lady Catherine take command, enforcing her own desires for both her daughter, Anne, and Miss Darcy?

 

Scary:

1. http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/book-review-bone-saw-by-patrick-lacey/ A fast and entertaining read that delivers 80s style pulpy action horror by the bucket-load.”
2. http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/streaming-screams-lost-soul/G. Wells’ classic novel Island of Doctor Moreauis one the best examples of how horror and science-fiction can blend seamlessly together to challenge our concepts of life and death, identity, and morality. A cautionary tale about the evils of playing God with nature, the novel has been adapted to film several times, most notably as Island of Lost Souls (1932), again in 1977 with The Island of Dr Moreau with Burt Lancaster and Michael York (a personal favorite), and most recently with an adaptation with Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer (1996). The later adaptation, originally conceived by film auteur Richard Stanley (Hardwire, Dust Devils) and ultimately directed by John Frankenheimer (The Manchurian Candidate, Ronin) was considered a box-office bomb and ranks high in that polarizing category of worst-best films. That version, especially considering Stanley’s involvement and subsequent removal, is the subject of David Gregory’s documentary Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley’s Island of Dr. Moreau.
3. https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2018/06/03/rosies-review-team-rbrt-zombie-apocalypse-the-afters-by-christopher-oconnell-chrisobehave/ The Aftersis about Charles Gilbert Billingsworth the VIII (Charlie). He is surviving – and enjoying – the zombie apocalypse, until he finds two lost children and – one of whom is hiding a powerful secret.

 

Pets:

 

Mental Health:

 

MG/YA:

1. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/kidlit/~3/fP3GTLero4s/new-releases-this-week-0604-0610-plus-4.html
2. http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/2018/06/dealing-envy-classroom-home-chapter-books-rescue/
3. http://www.talesoftheravenousreader.com/2018/06/cover-reveal-accidentals-by-sarina-bowen.html Never ask a question unless you’re sure you want the truth.
4. https://teripolen.com/2018/06/08/the-writers-reading-corner-david-radman-amreading-childrensbooks-indieauthor/ My second published children’s book, “When Grandpa Gets Going”, was just released this February.  It’s a story that celebrates the special relationship that exists between a grandpa and his grandchildren.  Experience the non-stop excitement of having to keep up with your grandpa while he’s in town visiting you on vacation.  It’s a fast-paced, high-energy story, written in rhyme, that questions who is really keeping up with whom?
5. https://teripolen.com/2018/06/07/releaseday-the-gemini-connection-yabooks-scifi-thriller-blackrosewriting/ A dying planet.
6. http://pitchwars.org/insatiable-by-pitch-wars-mentor-michelle-hazen-cover-reveal/ Jax Sterling is a sex addict with the heart of a golden retriever puppy.
7. http://middlegrademafia.com/2018/06/07/mg-book-review-hello-universe-by-erin-entrada-kelly/ There’s shy and then there’s Virgil Salinas. He’s so quiet, he usually only talks to his family and then mostly only to his grandmother Lola. So, how will he ever get up the nerve to talk Valencia Somerset, a girl in his resource class at middle school? His only hope is Kaori Tanaka, a girl in his neighborhood with a gift for the spiritual world. At least that’s what Kaori claims.
8. http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/2018/06/meet-jess-butterworth-author-running-roof-world/
9. http://www.fantasybookcafe.com/2018/06/review-of-children-of-blood-and-bone-by-tomi-adeyemi/ Children of Blood and Bone, Tomi Adeyemi’s #1 New York Timesbestselling debut novel, is the first installment in the Legacy of Orïsha trilogy. This West African-inspired young adult fantasy book is a heart-wrenching story with characters facing memorable struggles in both their literal and figurative journeys, and I can definitely understand why it’s been making such big waves this year. However, despite being hooked throughout the first and last 100 pages, I did find the pacing between these two sections to be rather uneven—and, frankly, I found much of the middle difficult to slog through even though I appreciated the author’s vision overall.
10. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/2018/06/05/bookreview-sarah-by-teri-polen/ Seventeen-year-old horror fan Cain Shannon thought helping a ghost find her killers would be the supernatural adventure of a lifetime. Now, he just hopes to survive long enough to protect his family and friends from her.
11. https://amytruebloodauthor.com/20-in-2018-features-fat-girl-on-a-plane-and-sweet-black-waves/
12. http://pitchwars.org/happy-release-day-to-side-by-side-by-jenni-l-walsh/ “Someday they’ll go down together / they’ll bury them side by side. / To few it’ll be grief / To the law a relief / But it’s death for Bonnie and Clyde.”
13. https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2018/06/05/coming-of-age-ya-set-in-1980s-portsmouth-lucky-star-by-1hollycurtis-tuesdaybookblog/ Sixteen year old Ben Somerset is about to leave school, but like so many young people, then and today, he doesn’t know what he might want to do. Currently he mixes with a colourful collection of friends and acquaintances. They meet, most nights, outside a community centre, discussing clothes, music, girls and life.

 

Mystery/Suspense/Novella:

1. https://annetterochelleaben.wordpress.com/2018/06/09/the-contract-between-heaven-and-earth/ Brad Channing, a Navy SEAL, and Sarah O’Brien, a teacher, become heaven’s representatives on earth. The story follows them as they individually and then together face overwhelming obstacles and eventually end up on a strategic Air Force base in California. It is there that they discover a conspiracy to assassinate the President of the United States. The terrorists have a plan for global dominance, and they are determined to complete their mission. Although military leadership appears to have the President’s best interests at heart, it is not clear who can be trusted and who should be feared. The action is rough and tumble as Brad and Sarah try to figure out the culprits for the plot that will turn into a worldwide conflagration unless stopped.
2. https://maeclair.net/2018/06/08/cusp-of-night-new-release-from-mae-clair/ I’m visiting the lovely Jan Sikes today with an excerpt from my upcoming release, Cusp of Night. If you have a moment, please pop over and check it out. While you’re there, take a look around Jan’s blog. She is wonderful supportive, musically gifted, and a fabulous writer. I HIGHLY recommend her Flowers & Stone series of books. They are guaranteed to touch your heart!
3. https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2018/06/09/rosies-bookreview-team-rbrt-ww2-mystery-the-black-orchestra-by-jj-toner/ I have to say I struggled with this book and it took a long time to read, mainly because the beginning is convoluted and littered with so many characters that each time  I picked it up again, I needed to go back to see who was who, what rank they held and  and where they fitted into the Nazi regime.
4. http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/latest-reads-perfect-silence-helen-fields/ When silence falls, who will hear their screams?
5. https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/2018/06/07/going-home-on-lisaburtonradio/ Michelle DePalma expects to jet home for a routine visit to Two Wells, Texas, to check on her elderly mother, Lola Hanson, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. She walks in to find her mother hovering over the dead body of her caregiver, unable to offer a straight answer about what happened. Lola is quickly labeled a suspect, and Michelle must stay in her hometown much longer than planned to help unravel the mystery and clear her mother’s name. Going Homewas inspired by the author’s own mother’s battle with Alzheimer’s, which prompted her to wonder what it would be like to interview a witness who could not rely on her memory.
6. http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/the-captives-debra-jo-immergut-blog-tour-review/ Convicted of murder, destined for life in prison, Miranda is desperate for an escape. She signs up for sessions with the prison psychologist, Frank Lundquist, so that she can access the drugs to end it all. But unknown to her, Frank remembers her from high school, where, forgettable and unseen, he had a crush on Miranda Greene. Now, captivated again, his feelings deepen to obsession. What led the daughter of a former Congressman to commit such a terrible crime? And how can he make her remember him?
7. http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/getting-to-know-you-with-g-d-abson-motherland-blog-tour/ Motherland is a gritty crime thriller set in modern Russia. My heroine, Senior Investigator Natalya Ivanova, has been side-lined, working domestic violence cases, until she’s given the opportunity to look into the disappearance of a Swedish student. What appears at first to be a kidnapping then turns into a darker, more complex tale.
8. https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2018/06/05/sallys-cafe-and-bookstore-new-book-on-the-shelves-death-in-a-mudflat-rhe-brewster-mystery-by-n-a-granger-2/ Fearless detective, ER nurse, devoted mother, and Pequod, Maine’s, answer to Kinsey Milhone, Rhe Brewster is back on the case. When an idyllic seaside wedding is suddenly interrupted by the grotesque sight of a decaying human arm poking out of the tidal mud, Rhe is thrown head first into a treacherous world of duplicity, drugs, and murder.
9. http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/love-will-tear-us-apart-holly-seddon-blog-tour-review/ Fearing eternal singledom, childhood friends Kate and Paul make the age-old vow that if they don’t find love by thirty, they will marry each other.

 

Short Stories/Anthologies/Novella:

 

Poetry:

 

Indie:

 

Craft:

 

Other:

1. https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2018/06/08/solo-travel-memoir-my-bookreview-of-alone-time-by-stephanie-rosenbloom/ Alone Time is a non-fiction memoir of self-discovery. The author believes that the single person, as a commodity, is a growing market particularly for travel and dining alone, whilst time alone is good for the soul: it can reduce stress, lessen anger and provide the opportunity to be reflective.
2. https://owlnpussycatbookpromo.blog/2018/06/06/the-authors-grandfather-had-to-flee-poland-to-avoid-conscription-this-is-his-story-from-the-pages-of-grandfathers-life-viv-drewa/
3. https://colleenchesebro.com/2018/06/06/colleens-2018-book-reviews-title-by-author-name/ G. Kaye is back, and as she reflects on some of her more memorable vacations and travel snags, she finds herself constantly struggling to keep one step ahead of the ever-changing guidelines of the airlines–with her overweight luggage in tow. Her stories alert us to some of the pitfalls of being an obsessive shopper, especially when it comes time for D.G. to bring her treasures home, and remind us of the simpler days when traveling was a breeze.

 

 

Writing Links…6/11/18

girl with lantern

Writing Links…6/11/18

Traci Kenworth

 

Fantasy/Dystopian/UF/Paranormal/SF:

1. http://storitorigrace.blogspot.com/2018/06/questions-for-cohen-silhouette.html “Since Beautiful People has ended for the time being I thought I’d try reviving character interviews on the blog so I can talk about my books a little bit. This is Cohen Makovsky and he’s the main character of my Adult Science-Fiction novel Silhouette. He had his own Beautiful People, but I need to get to know him even more. XD Let me tell you a bit about him.”
2. https://legendsofwindemere.com/2018/06/09/there-is-a-sliver-of-light-in-the-future/ “Speaking of anxiety, this week has been a rough one.  Sunday was fun with ‘Deadpool 2’ and Cheesecake Factory, but the weekdays were emotionally brutal.  Aside from some personal stuff, two reviews vanished on me.  One from Warlord of the Forgotten Ageand another from War of Nytefall: Loyalty.  Those are two books that can’t afford to lose any reviews and I don’t have any explanation for it.  It’s frustrating when you’re trying to figure out how to fairly get reviews while the ones you do have are disappearing.  I don’t know if the person who wrote them had their account deleted, someone reported these strangers as friends/family, or some other explanation.  With everything else going on this week, this incident became a catalyst for me to have an almost constant anxiety attack.  I used what little energy I could muster for writing.  That created an odd ‘stockpile’ of anxiety that would hit me once I was done, but I got through it.”
3. https://phsolomon.com/2018/06/06/abracadabra-transforming-your-book/ “Today, due to popular demand, I’d like to outline an easy way to format your books for ebook publishing. In the past, you had to know HTML to do any serious editing on your converted book, and using Word meant deleting lots of extra coding that did you no favours. More recently, however, we’ve seen new programs that can do so much for us. One such writer’s program that makes the conversion process so much easier and stress free (once you know the software) is Scrivener, on which PH Solomon has so kindly written lots of posts on the ins and outs here on Story Empire. If you haven’t seen them yet, please do look through our archives.”

 

Romance/Women’s Fiction:

1. http://romanceuniversity.org/2018/06/08/organic-marketing-by-kristan-higgins-2/ “Don’t worry, my lambs. Organic marketing is different and in some respects, easier, because all it requires is authenticity, an eye for why your readers reach for your books and a little time.” I hope to have Nora Robert’s grace in the future when I do signings. It’s all about appreciating your readers!
2. http://www.rubyslipperedsisterhood.com/gh-finalist-guest-elizabeth-chatsworth/ “Today we’re welcoming Elizabeth Chatsworth, another of the amazing Persisters, the 2018 class of Golden Heart Finalists. Her manuscript THE BRASS QUEEN (fabulous title!!) is nominated for Best Mainstream Fiction.”
3. https://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2018/06/a-tale-of-two-boxes.html “Once upon a time, a young woman sat down to write a book. Her delight overflowed when her best friend, a well-known and loved author, offered to help her start her story. On arriving, he gave her a beautifully wrapped gift. He said all the tools she needed resided within the large package. Smiling, he then kissed her on the cheek, wished her success, and left.

 

Christian:

1. https://stevelaube.com/book-proposals-the-non-fiction-annotated-outline/ “This is one of the main differences between the fiction and the non-fiction book proposal. I’ve seen many authors confuse the two and create extra work for themselves.”

 

Historical:

1. https://awriterofhistory.com/2018/06/07/somewhere-in-france-7th-and-17th-may-1916/ “Henry Tod was in the thick of the action in his last letter. Let’s see what happens next. I haven’t read any of these before I share them with you.”
2. https://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/2018/06/6th-century-britain-questions-without.html “In the age of Google, at a time when physicists are unlocking the secrets of the universe, when there are answers to almost every question, it seems churlish of history to present us with what used to be called “The Dark Ages.” Yet, in respect to Britain at least, that description would still appear to be appropriate for the period between the departure of the Romans, in AD 410, and the 7th century.”
3. http://nicholasrossis.me/2018/06/05/history-of-the-great-library-of-alexandria/ “World history is full of terrible losses. No, I’m not talking about people who fell in numerous wars and battles. This post is devoted to another sort of loss: a cultural one. Unfortunately, humanity has lost too many antiquities, and cultural heritage can be irreplaceable. One such tragedy is the burning of the library of Alexandria.”
4. Bonus: https://www.theresahuppauthor.com/blog/2018/06/06/the-best-book-club-ever/ “I am one of the moderators for a Facebook page called Read Local Kansas City, which aims to build a relationship between authors and readers in the Kansas City area. Recently, the page posted a spotlight on book clubs, linking to an article that offered tips for facilitating book club discussions.  As I read that article, I couldn’t help but think of my own book club.”

 

Scary:

1. http://annieneugebauer.com/2018/06/05/worth-the-excitement/ “My life is brimming with excitement lately. For one thing, I’ve finally finished the WIPbeast—for now, at least; no such thing as The End for writers—and I couldn’t be happier. It was a thrilling, trying, fun, exhausting project, and I am soproud of it. I hope to be able to tell you all about it soon, but for now I’m just looking forward to a big check mark, a fresh slate, and…”
2. http://www.briankeene.com/2018/06/09/brian-severely-injured-burn-fund-established/ “Brian Keene was severely burned in an accident last Tuesday, June 5th, suffering 1st and 2nd degree burns to his head and face and 2nd — bordering on 3rd — degree burns to his left arm. You can read news coverage about the accident in The York Dispatch, Bleeding Cool, and Horror Talk(as well as other places).”
3. http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/news-round-up-week-ending-8-june-2018/ War: Dark Poems, Suspira, and The Human Alchemy.
4. Bonus: http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/tod-037-annihilation-an-expedition-into-area-x/
5. Bonus: http://thewarriormuse.blogspot.com/2018/06/iwsg-spend-little-time-with-your.html “For my insecurity this month, I want to address something I talked about on Facebook briefly. In the last few months I’ve been to memorials for two local writing friends. I regret not having had better conversations with them while they were alive, and the fact that I learned things at their memorials I feel like I should have learned while they were alive. So I’m going to quote myself here:” 

 

Pets:

1. https://mariacatalinaegan.com/2018/06/06/smorgasbord-afternoon-video-dogs-and-cars-two/
2. https://scvincent.com/2018/06/06/bird-watching/ “My son’s garden is surrounded by trees and they are full of birds of every variety. It is a joy to watch them and listen to their constant song every day, but, at this time of year, we are always on tenterhooks, waiting to see what will happen. With nests in every tree and a nest in the bird box under the eaves, we can watch the first tentative sorties of the fledglings and see them grow and mature from scruffy juveniles to their full beauty… if they survive.”
3. https://scvincent.com/2018/05/30/the-small-dog-the-storm-and-the-toothpaste/

 

Mental Health:

1. http://mybipolarmind.com/2018/06/08/tell-me-you-love-me/ “Sometimes when we are feeling down, all we need is one person to tell us that they love us. It doesn’t matter who, as long as we hear those words. It’s like; tell me you love me… Sometimes we also just need someone to tell us that it is going to be okay, that we are not alone, or that we are worthy of being alive.” It’s very important to tell others you care about them, you never know where they’re at in life, how they’re feeling. Don’t not say something that can save a life.
2. https://beckiesmentalmess.blog/2018/06/09/%F0%9F%98%8D-june-9-2018-quote-of-the-day-my-thoughts-%F0%9F%98%8D/
3. https://beckiesmentalmess.blog/2018/06/08/%F0%9F%98%89-june-8-2018-quote-of-the-day-my-thoughts-%F0%9F%98%89/

 

MG/YA:

1. http://88cupsoftea.com/podcast/stephanie-garber/ I been waiting for this one for a while! LOVED her Caravel and awaiting Legendary!
2. https://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/2018/06/meet-jess-butterworth-author-running-roof-world/ “As a young child, my grandmothers and parents would read to me often, which I adored. Apparently I refused to go to bed without having several stories read to me beforehand. My absolute favorite books were The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Dear Zoo and Where the Wild Things Are.”
3. http://scbwimithemitten.blogspot.com/2018/06/is-your-art-ready-by-kirbi-fagan.html “A few of you who are considering joining SCBWI’s 4 Out the Door program have asked me, “How do I know if my art is ready?” I’m here today to share what I have learned. Conferences bring all sort of professionals and amateurs together, it can be inspiring. Many times artists can walk away feeling motivated to get their work out in the world. If their work isn’t ready, they could be wasting valuable time and money on promotions that could be better spent at their easel.” 
4. http://www.adventuresinyapublishing.com/2018/06/av-geiger-author-of-tell-me-no-lies-on.html “TELL ME NO LIES is the second installment of a duology, and it was not a book I initially planned to write. When I first signed with my agent, Follow Me Back(Book 1) was intended as a standalone novel. However, when Follow Me Back went out on sub to publishers, I needed something to take my mind off of the grinding uncertainty of the submission process. I began spinning out a messy, somewhat ridiculous first draft of a sequel, purely as a distraction for myself. Little did I know that my editor at Sourcebooks would eventually suggest changing the end of Follow Me Back into a cliffhanger, with my weird little sequel serving as the basis for a published second book!”

 

Mystery/Thriller/Suspense:

1. http://annerallen.com/2018/06/new-writing-scams/ “A couple of months ago I wrote about some of the weird writing scams that have been showing up in my email inbox. A number of my online author friends have since told me they’ve been getting them too. So there seems to be some new master list of potentially gullible authors put out by the writer-scamming community.”
2. https://killzoneblog.com/2018/06/the-basics-of-world-building.html
3. https://margotkinberg.wordpress.com/2018/06/08/i-had-to-let-it-happen-i-had-to-change/ “Don’t tell anyone, will you, but one of the writing projects I’m working on is a standalone (well, thus far a standalone) that features a character from one of my Joel Williams novels. By the time the book is ready for human consumption, it will have been a few years since we ‘met’ this character. And that means that (hopefully), the character’s done some growing and maturing. After all, as we get older, have experiences, and so on, we hopefully learn and become more mature

 

Short Stories/Anthologies/Novella:

1. https://kriswrites.com/2018/06/04/cat-nap/ “Triwell doesn’t adopt strays. He feels like a stray himself, a man who has lost everything even though he has a house and an antiquarian bookstore in Seavy Village on the Oregon Coast.”
2. https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/2018/06/08/a-great-day-for-piracy/ “Lisa met me at the top of the stairs. She had those knee-high boots that turn over at the top, and her Captain Barbosa hat on. “What are we working on today, mate?” I need to get my Pirate Companion out one of these days! It’s a book, by the way. All the details about pirating. I got it back in the days when I was thinking along the lines of a pirate story. It still may happen.
3. https://journeytoambeth.com/2018/06/08/writephoto-all-that-remains/ He came to me after dark, as night lay like soft velvet in the hollows of the hills. The fire burned low, his feathered cape laid over the chair shimmering iridescent blue as the birds stirred and gave their first sleepy chirps, my breath coming fast as he touched me and held me close. He told me his name, and I spoke it as I emerged from the dream.
4. https://storyempire.com/2018/06/08/friday-book-share-boneshare/ “Boneshaker involves the backstory of an inventor who was hired to create a digging machine, with the ultimate goal of sending it to the Klondike gold rush. He tested it out in Seattle, but something went horribly wrong. This has to do with the active volcanics of the area and such.”
5. Bonus: https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/2018/06/06/flashfiction-carrot-ranch-warrior-women/ Charlie Mills wrote a lovely post about “warrior women” and provided this as the topic for her weekly 99-word flash fiction challenge.
6. Bonus: http://mythsofthemirror.com/2018/06/04/conflagration-writephoto/ Carnelian skies burnish the dying day just so

 

Poetry:

1. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/2018/06/09/poetry-nothing-stays-the-same/ a chameleon in function.
2. https://keithgarrettpoetry.com/2018/06/09/heavens-tears-2/ do not cry.
3. https://culturevultureexpress.wordpress.com/2018/06/08/poem-understand/ like the back of their hands.
4. https://syl65.wordpress.com/2018/06/08/ruminations-2/ Be it a word or two.
5. https://vashtiqvega.wordpress.com/2018/06/08/haiku-friday-choice-faith/
6. Bonus: https://juantetcts.wordpress.com/2018/06/08/daily-post-strategy/
7. Bonus: https://twodropsofink.com/2018/06/08/poems-by-jake-cosmos-aller/ Wild, free werewolf.
8. Bonus: https://erikakind.me/2018/06/08/daily-kind-quote-717/ We grow up with creation.

 

Indie:

1. https://www.thebookdesigner.com/2018/06/seo-for-authors-part-1/ “Search Engine Optimization, commonly referred to as SEO, is the art and science of convincing a search engine, like Google, to send people to your website, content, or product.”
2. https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2018/06/04/strangers-to-superfans-book-marketing-with-david-gaughran/ “If you want to have a long-term career as an author, you need readers to care about you and want to buy your books over the years to come.So how do you turn strangers into superfans? I discuss this and more book marketing tips with David Gaughran in today’s show.”
3. https://selfpublishingadvice.org/self-publishing-3-0-indie-authors-selling-direct/ “In the final part of her series on Self-Publishing 3.0, ALLi director Orna Ross, named by The Bookseller magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in publishing, encourages authors to set up for a new phase in self-publishing: attract direct buyers and patrons, without any intermediary but a payment cart process.”
4. https://selfpublishingadvice.org/building-your-team-of-professionals-june-2018-askalli-advanced-self-publishing-salon/ “In this month’s Advanced Self-Publishing Salon from the Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross and Joanna Penn discuss how to assemble a team of professionals.”
5. https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2018/06/06/7-ways-to-market-your-book-with-visual-storytelling/ “But in this increasingly noisy online space, it might be an image that draws a reader to your words.”

 

Craft:

1. https://marciamearawrites.com/2018/06/01/listening-to-your-wip-writingtip-amwriting/ “We’ve talked about this in the past, but as I avail myself of the process more and more, I now wonder how I wrote anything without stopping to hear my words now and then. At the very least, how did I dare submit my revised document to an editor, never having done so? And yet it’s SO easy.” This will be valuable. I read my work aloud during some of my last revisions. This may help me to concentrate on what needs fixed more.
2. https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/write-a-better-antagonist/ “We might even go so far as to argue that the antagonist isthe story. After all, without the antagonist, what is the protagonist? Just a happy dude in a happy world doing happy stuff. Makes for a good retirement-center commercial maybe. But it ain’t a story.”
3. https://www.janefriedman.com/what-to-look-for-book-publicist/ “A successful book publicity campaign can bring in a level of media coverage that lands more clients, more brand cachet, more book sales, and additional media opportunities. That makes hiring an outside publicity firm a big decision, and knowing what to expect on the front end can help you make the right selection and get more out of the experience. If you’re considering hiring a publicist, here are a few things you should keep in mind.”
4. https://authorkristenlamb.com/2018/06/busy-life-intention/ “Busy, busy, busy. Aside from ‘parsnip‘ I’m beginning to think my new trigger word is ‘busy.’ A couple posts ago, I took on the insidious lie about us being able to ‘find time’.”
5. https://www.janefriedman.com/lessen-your-chances-of-an-online-crisis/ “It can happen to you. Your carefully built author business and your reputation can come under attack and threaten to disrupt your livelihood and your personal life. But you can help prevent a crisis in the first place by using some simple engagement strategies.”
6. https://fictionisfood.com/2018/06/06/how-long-it-takes-to-create-a-novel-isnt-important-writing-it-is-inspiration-from-author-ritu-bhathal-iwsg/ “Do you ever feel it’s taking too long to write your novel? What if I told you there is no prescribed timescale. Avoid internal pressure by learning from Ritu.” A nice story! You can dust off old manuscripts and finish them!
7. https://blog.nathanbransford.com/2018/06/art-is-an-imperfect-catharsis “My heart is incredibly heavy this week with the suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain, and the ongoing poisoning of our shared culture by people who see more to gain in distracting us with hate than in inspiring love.”
8. https://writershelpingwriters.net/2018/06/occupation-thesaurus-entry-model/ “Overview: The career of a model can look very different depending on the type of modeling they do and the level of their success. Most modeling falls into two categories: editorial (magazine spreads in higher-end magazines, fashion catwalks, high-end makeup ads, etc.) and commercial (catalogs, print ads for non-fashion products, commercials, and even showroom work where they work with the fashion designers as a form for the clothing being made). Models who are editorial often have a very distinctive look (something different or striking) and are often quite tall and adhere to very specific weight and age ranges. They also will clearly display their personality to prospective agents and clients in their look but are expected to be flexible and unopinionated—to do as they are told. Those in commercial modeling may have a variety of sizes and heights, be of different ages, and would have more of a “girl (or boy) next door” appeal because commercial modeling is more about the product than the model.”
9. http://blog.janicehardy.com/2011/01/tall-dark-handsome-how-much-do-you-need.html “At some point in your story, you’ll have to decide how much to include about the physical description of a character. You don’t want to describe your characters to death, but you also want to use enough details so readers can get an idea of what they look like. How much is too much and how little is too little?”
10. http://writersinthestormblog.com/2018/06/why-co-writing-may-be-my-new-favorite-thing/ “Not that writing isn’t still work — it certainly is — but Christina and I recently hatched an idea to co-write a novella, and so far this experience has buoyed my spirits and refreshed my soul. I didn’t think co-writing would be a good idea for me, but as it turns out, this endeavor has hit on so many aspects I enjoy about writing.” I’ve thought about co-writing before.
11. Bonus: https://kriswrites.com/2018/05/30/business-musings-an-agent-nightmare-revealed/ “The news broke publicly over the holiday weekend. If you blinked, you missed it.

The bookkeeper for a prestigious New York literary agency pled guilty to embezzling millions from the agency, leaving the agency “on the brink of bankruptcy.”

Donadio & Olson has existed for 49 years. Started by legendary agent Candida Donadio, the agency has represented some of the biggest names in fiction for decades.

The curated-to-impress client list on Donadio & Olson’s website includes Chuck Palahnuik, and McKay Jenkins, as well as dozens of estates from Mario Puzo’s to Peter Matthiessen’s. (As well as the estate of an old colleague of mine. Pout.)

The New York Post article, which is what I saw initially, called the perpetrator the accountant for the agency. The actual legal complaint calls him the bookkeeper.  The actual criminal charges against the bookkeeper, Darin Webb, were filed on May 15 in federal court. Webb was charged with wire fraud for embezzling $3.4 million. A forensic audit is now occurring at Donadio & Olson, and there is speculation that the amount of money Webb stole will go much, much, much higher.” This is one of the articles I read that I was discussing on Writerly Things last week. It’s what changed my mind about having an agent. I’m going to still publish traditional-wise just submit directly to publishers.

12. https://kriswrites.com/2018/06/06/business-musings-what-it-feels-like-to-have-an-agent/ “Unfortunately, as I have been telling you all for years now, embezzlement and financial negligence is rampant at big name agencies. Almost none have systems set up to prevent it. Of the four agencies I worked with over the decades, two actively embezzled from me. I was anal with the latter two by constantly monitoring money, so I know they didn’t embezzle. They didn’t have the chance.” The second article that changed my mind!

 

 

Other:

1. https://annetterochelleaben.wordpress.com/2018/06/06/tell-me-a-story-traci-kenworth/ My first interview on the radio/internet!
2. https://seths.blog/2018/06/on-paying-for-software/ “The business of software is a bit of a miracle. Properly designed, software isn’t more expensive to create when more people use it. In fact, when network effects are involved, it’s actually more efficient when more people use it.”
3. http://booksbywomen.org/the-truth-as-i-know-it-by-caitlin-hamilton-summie/ “One of the pitfalls of writing fiction is that people think you are writing about yourself. To some degree, we all are, of course. We weave facts and experiences from our own lives into our stories, and we write about issues and situations we care about. But we are still creating stories, not writing memoir.”
4. http://www.thepassivevoice.com/row-over-junot-diaz-sexual-harassment-claims-divides-us-books-world/ “The US literary community is split, after the Boston Review’s poetry editors resigned over the magazine’s decision to retain the novelist Junot Díaz as fiction editor, despite allegations of sexual misconduct, with authors including Jennifer Weiner and Monica Byrne lining up to condemn the journal’s stance.”
5. https://vivdrewa.me/2018/06/08/perfectionism-on-the-job/
6. https://charlesfrenchonwordsreadingandwriting.wordpress.com/2018/06/09/tips-for-writers-subconscious-mannerisms/ “My high school drama teacher had a quirky habit: first he’d pull on his nose, and then he’d push on it. One day, in the midst of a discussion about mannerisms, he told us where this habit came from: As a child he’d grown anxious that when adults said he had a “cute little pug nose” they really meant “he looks like a pig.” So, he’d begun pulling on it to make it longer. Then one day, his grandmother told him that if he didn’t stop tugging it his nose would end up looking like a sausage. That was even worse! But he couldn’t break the habit of pulling on it, so he adopted a second mannerism of “putting it back.” This two-part nose-fix had long since become a subconscious mannerism.Which is to say that he was (normally) unaware he was doing it.”
7. https://dsm-publications.com/2018/06/08/sharpening-your-focus-why-its-important-to-outline-from-a-reformed-pantser/ “I am a reformed pantser. In other words, for most of my writing life, I wrote by the seat of my pants letting characters dictate the story and without a plan in place have a number of stories half finished. I’ve been working on a story for three years. It’s just a romance set against the backdrop of magical realism. But, I’m stalled. And so it sits gathering proverbial dust.”
8. http://scarlettbrodie.com/2018/06/08/being-a-beta-reader-for-making-allowances-for-charlie-de-luca/ “Just thought I’d take time out to tell you about the start of my first beta reader experience.  I’m reading Making Allowances by Charlie de Luca for My Cup of Tea Press and very good it is too.”
9. https://amdobritt.blog/2018/06/08/the-2018-author-interview-series-featuring-jemima-pett/ “Most of my stories creep up on me, then tap me on the shoulder until I write them down.  From that point of view, I write selfishly, what I want to write, but at the same time, I write the kind of stories I like to read (although there are loads of…”
10. https://jessicanorrie.wordpress.com/2018/06/08/begin-as-you-mean-to-go-on/ “In keeping with my new snappy style, I’m allowing myself 999 words max for this post. Most bloggers manage with much less; my problem is, I like wordy writers (Dickens, Balzac, Woolf) and my models have made me wordy myself. I’ve learnt that to write well in a spare elegant style, much as I admire it (Stoner, My name is Lucy Barton), you have to write better than I can. I bury infelicities in my forest of verbiage, but would be rumbled if every word stood out clear from the page. A writer with six hundred plus pages to fill can explore their own meaning aloud. It must be nailed first time in a novella.”
11. https://kimwrtr.wordpress.com/2018/06/08/author-inspiration-and-this-weeks-writing-links-4/ “I used to be a professor, and I currently write for two industry websites. Basically, I’m used to operating in teacher-mode. But this week, I started taking a mastermind class on backlist strategies for authors. I’m a student again! It’s a refreshing change. I feel my horizons expanding and my synapses firing. On top of all the work on my calendar, it makes for busy days. But I love the challenge.”
12. https://thepbsblog.com/2018/06/08/youre-invited/ “The inaugural  Atlanta African American Book Festival is FREE and OPEN to the PUBLIC and will take place on Saturday, July 14, 2018, at Georgia State University. Over 70 authors will convene in Atlanta to present their work to the Atlanta community. Author categories include fiction, non-fiction, romance, YA fiction, middle-grade fiction, and children’s picture books. Journalists, editors, publishers, literary critics, and scholars from various fields will be present. Panel discussions and workshops will engage festival attendees in topics concerning literary industry tips, civil disobedience, activism, emotional and spiritual well-being, restorative justice, and health and wealth. Children’s activities include a story corner and festival dance floor.”
13. https://scvincent.com/2018/06/09/unusual-people/ “Delicate blue flowers caught my eye in the flower bed. I wondered where they had come from as they were nothing that we had planted … they had just grown. It only took a moment to realise that they were flax flowers and that, in fact, we wereresponsible for their presence after all, albeit inadvertently. They had appeared around the base of the bird feeder, where the constant stream of overwintering avian diners must have scattered stray seeds.  The seeds had lain there quietly, and now, with the advent of summer, were filling all the barren spaces in the flower bed. Feeding the birds through the winter was paying an unexpected dividend.”
14. https://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2018/06/09/the-line-between-dark-fantasy-and-horror-guest-post-by-jaq-d-hawkins/ “The definition of Dark Fantasy is “Fantasy with elements of Horror in it.” So the question is, how much Horror is required to take the story out of the realm of Fantasy and into the realm of pure Horror?”
15. http://nicholasrossis.me/2018/06/07/5-ways-to-create-the-perfect-facebook-creatives/ “When we see them in our News Feed, Facebook ads look simple. But a lot of work goes into making them that simple, because they have to say a lot as non-invasively as possible.

To make the perfect Facebook ad creative, you need to diligently implement best practices that make your creative amazing every time. There are five ways, in particular, you can make an ad creative that reaches your desired goals.”

16. Bonus: https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2018/06/08/smorgasbord-blog-magazine-the-gardening-column-with-paul-andruss-taste-the-rainbow-irises/ “This week Paul shares some of the most beautiful Irises to adorn your garden. Don’t forget that Paul is only too delighted to ask your gardening questions…. please leave in the comments.” Irises were my grandmother’s favorite flower. They always remind me of them. She had purple ones.

 

 

 

Reading Links…6/5/18

composing

Reading Links…6/5/18

Traci Kenworth

 

Fantasy/Dystopian/UF/Paranormal/SF:

1. https://donmassenzio.wordpress.com/2018/04/10/war-of-nytefall-loyalty-by-charles-e-yallowitz/ Thank you to Don Massenzio for letting me promote the first book of my newest series, War of Nytefall: Loyalty. This adventure takes place in the world of Windemere, but it focuses on a new species of vampires called Dawn Fangs. While they showed up a few times in Legends of Windemere, their origins and culture have been a mystery until now. So, where did these deadly predators come from?
2. https://kriswrites.com/2018/06/02/recommended-reading-list-may-2018/
3. https://donmassenzio.wordpress.com/2018/06/02/cover-reveal-for-my-latest-release/ Joe McLean hated his life. He was middle-aged, divorce and living in a small apartment. The only bright spot in his life was cheering on his hometown baseball team. Now, the stadium that was the place of so many childhood and adult baseball memories was being replaced.
4. https://teripolen.com/2018/06/01/the-gemini-connection-on-lisaburtonradio/ In case you missed it, Evan Resnik, one of the main characters from my new release, The Gemini Connection, was interviewed yesterday on Lisa Burton Radio. Drop by to see what’s going on in Evan’s world!
5. http://www.autumnwriting.com/win-75-hours-of-award-winning-epic-fantasy-on-audio/

 

Romance/Women’s Fiction:

1. http://www.superauthors.com/2018/06/a-defenders-heart-by-tara-taylor-quinn.html
2. https://vivdrewa.me/2018/06/01/the-long-road-home-by-carolyn-m-bowen-romance-thriller-suspense-internationalmystery-3/ After a lifetime of being protected and sheltered by her parents, Kate is thrown into a state of turmoil after their sudden death. With nowhere else to turn, she finds herself living with her fiancé, a conniving businessman who is well on his way to becoming a corrupt super-lawyer. At the same time, Kate’s father’s law firm houses more secrets than a politician’s hard drive. Later, she receives a shocking surprise when a long-lost half-brother enters her life. Can Kate rise to these challenges, discover the truth and re-emerge as a stronger, smarter version of herself?
3. http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/relight-my-fire-joanna-bolouri-blog-tour-review/ Phoebe and Oliver are stuck in a rut.

 

Christian:

 

Historical:

1. https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2018/05/27/rosies-bookreview-team-rbrt-histfic-mystery-bad-blood-will-out-by-penandpension/ This is the fourth in the Ashmole Foxe series of 18th century murder mysteries.  Foxe is a dapper entrepreneur living in the centre of Norwich.  Officially, he is a bookseller and purveyor of rare volumes, but in reality he has little interest in his shop, leaving it to be run by the reliable Mrs Crombie.  Aside from this, Foxe dabbles his fingers in many pies, not least of all the solving of murders to which he is often referred by the Alderman and other leading lights in the city.

 

Scary:

1. https://authorsteveboseley.wordpress.com/2018/05/26/dbb9/ Time for Part 9 of the continuing saga of Ted Harris. Last time, we learned more about the start of the problems in Ted’s life, after his wife was diagnosed with a brain tumour. This week, he is forced to face to truth about what he did…
2. http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/tod-035-the-outer-dark-symposium-2018-part-1-the-house-on-the-borderlands-la-frontera-panel-readings-by-david-bowles-and-john-claude-smith/ “With a home invasion story pulled right out of the headlines, at once personal and emotional with tension on every page, Tremblay’s latest is poised to be one of 2018’s biggest book releases. “
3. http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/book-review-dark-moon-digest-issue-31/ “Issue 31 proves that Dark Moon Digestcontinues to go from strength to strength and must surely be considered one of the leading horror fiction magazines available today.”

 

Pets:

 

Mental Health:

 

MG/YA:

1. http://www.adventuresinyapublishing.com/2018/05/new-releases-this-week-0528-0603-plus-2.html
2. http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/2018/05/fun-mg-summer-reads-coming-way/
3. http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/2018/06/june-releases-6/

 

Mystery/Thrillers/Suspense:

1. http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/latest-reads-shame-on-you-amy-heydenrych/ Social media sensation. The face of clean eating.

Everyone loves her. Everyone wants to be her.

But when Holly is attacked by a man she’s only just met, her life starts to spiral out of control. He seemed to know her – but she doesn’t know him.

What if Holly isn’t who she seems to be? What if Holly’s living a lie?

2. https://lmnelsonscorner.wordpress.com/2018/05/26/author-spotlight-ray-sporne-r-addams/ Ray’s initial book was Chaloaw Stew, a hard-hitting crime thriller, set mainly in the coastal town of Byron Bay. The abhorrent crimes described in the novel draw on publicised events in various parts of the world, with Byron Bay used as a backdrop only.
3. http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/latest-reads-you-were-made-for-this-michelle-sacks/ In an idyllic house in a Swedish wood, Merry and her husband are building their new dream life with their young baby, far away from events that overshadowed their old life in New York. And they’re happy, aren’t they? Blissfully, blissfully happy.
4. http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/covering-the-covers-no-further-questions-gilllian-mcallister/ The police say she’s guilty.
   She insists she’s innocent.

She’s your sister.
You loved her.
You trusted her.
But they say she killed your child.

Who do you believe?

5. http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/the-log-house-baylea-hart-blog-tour-review/ The forest is a deadly place.
6. https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2018/06/01/rosies-bookreview-team-rbrt-vintage-mystery-a-clerical-error-by-j-new-newwrites-2/ A Clerical Erroris a cozy, the third in the Yellow Cottage Vintage Mystery series. I read the second in the series, The Curse of Arundel Hall, so I am familiar with the setting, and I was looking forward to this next adventure. What appeals to me about these books is the historical setting, the paranormal aspects of the stories, and the fact they are cozies.
7. http://johnwhowell.com/2018/05/31/meet-john-howell/ John W, Howell began his writing as a full-time occupation after an extensive business career. His specialty is thriller fiction novels, but John also writes poetry and short stories.  His first book, My GRL, introduces the exciting adventures of the book’s central character, John J. Cannon. The second Cannon novel, His Revenge, continues the adventure, while the final book in the trilogy, Our Justice, launched in September 2016. Circumstances of Childhood in October 1^st,  The latest, The Contractbetween heaven and earth, his fifth book, is written in collaboration with award winning author Gwen Plano and will be launched the week of June 4th, 2018. All books are available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions.

 

Short Stories/Anthologies/Novella:

1. https://kriswrites.com/2018/05/28/free-fiction-monday-the-museum-of-modern-warfare-2/ When the Ambassador to the Dylft System—a veteran of the Dylft Wars—receives orders to lead a diplomatic mission to Craznaust, she wonders at the wisdom of accepting the assignment.

 

Poetry:

1. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/2018/04/10/bookreview-a-haiku-perspective-2018-by-annette-rochelle-aben/ This is a magical journey through a year in the life of a poet, presented in the format of haiku. Be entertained,and enlightened as you enjoy the worlds of reality and imagination are combined artfully. Dreamers will love this book. Writers will enjoy this book. Readers will enjoy this book. Even those who think they could never appreciate poetry, will enjoy this book. Come and be enchanted by the verbal imagery of A Haiku Perspective 2018.

 

Indie:

 

Craft:

 

Other:

1. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/2018/05/26/bookreview-ludwika-by-christoph-fischer/ It’s World War II and Ludwika Gierz, a young Polish woman, is forced to leave her family and go to Nazi Germany to work for an SS officer. There, she must walk a tightrope, learning to live as a second-class citizen in a world where one wrong word could spell disaster and every day could be her last. Based on real events, this is a story of hope amid despair, of love amid loss . . . ultimately, it’s one woman’s story of survival.
2. https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2018/05/27/smorgasbord-blog-magazine-getting-to-know-you-with-author-lucinda-e-clarke/ She graduated into running her own video production company in South Africa.
   “Walking Over Eggshells” is her first self-published book, an autobiography which describes her adventurous life, trying to escape the emotional abuse she suffered from early childhood.
3. http://booksbywomen.org/in-search-of-home-by-margarita-montimore/ When I was four years old, my parents and I immigrated to the United States as Soviet Jewish refugees. I grew up speaking Russian and English, holding onto some traditions and values of the old world, while learning the customs the new. While my current married name might belie my roots, being an immigrant is a core part of who I am. It has influenced my writing in unexpected ways.
4. https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2018/06/02/rosies-bookreview-team-rbrt-nonfiction-memoir-watching-the-daisies-by-watchingthedai1/ Watching the Daisies is an extraordinary memoir of a woman’s life, starting with her childhood and moving step-by-step through her life to the present day.

 

 

Writing Links…6/4/18

scary shadow

Writing Links…6/4/18

Traci Kenworth

 

Fantasy/Dystopian/UF/Paranormal/SF:

1. https://colleenchesebro.com/2018/05/27/rain/ “Today, it rained. I saw thunder and lightning dance in the heavens as earth became soft and yielding with the showers. I begged Smaerd to tell me of rain. He looked at me and said “tell me what you know.”
2. http://storitorigrace.blogspot.com/2018/06/megacon-orlando-2018-report.html “This is my third year in a row attending MegaCon Orlando and I got to check yet another swath of celebrities and cosplays off my bucket list!”
3. http://phsolomon.com/2018/06/01/five-for-friday-sff-that-should-be-a-movie-or-tv-epic/ “Here’s a list of five science fiction and fantasy books/series that I’d like to see as a movie or a TV/Internet series:”
4. Bonus: https://legendsofwindemere.com/2018/06/01/first-second-and-third-person-which-point-of-view-is-right-for-your-book-from-reedsy/ “The point of view that a novelist chooses for their story from has an enormous impact on how they write it, and the way that their readers will receive the book. A thriller narrated by a serial killer will be miles away from one that follows the perspective of the detective on his trail, even if they both have the same plot.”

 

Romance/Women’s Fiction:

1. http://romanceuniversity.org/2018/06/01/lets-party-down-and-launch-a-book-by-ann-everett/ “The difference between a release blog tour and launch party is simple. The blog tour is virtual, and a launch party is physical. A “birth” day party for your book. So, you’ll treat it like a party with invitations, decorations, refreshments, etc.” She has a lot of great tips.
2. http://www.rubyslipperedsisterhood.com/meet-2018-golden-heart-finalist-alicia-anthony/ “Today we’re welcoming another Persister, 2018 Golden Heart Finalist Alicia Anthony, whose manuscript INHERENT LIES is nominated for Best Paranormal Romance.”
3. https://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2018/05/killer-companions.html “We’ve spent the month discussing the many ways that animals, both domesticated and wild, can add wonderful color and layers of emotionally satisfying richness to a short story or novel. We’ve talked about how animal companions may become even more popular than the human protagonist who was supposed to be the star of any given series. But we have not explored how animals—that readers expect to always be warm and fuzzy—may in fact, be killer companions instead.”

 

Christian:

1. https://stevelaube.com/5-ways-getting-an-agent-is-like-dating/ “These were “speed dating for writers” sessions, in which writers sat down for rapid-fire five-minute appointments with editors, agents, and authors (many conferences provide writers with the opportunity to sign up for fifteen-minute appointments, which pass quickly enough, but five minutes?). I was assigned a table where I met with writers to hear a pitch or answer a question as completely as possible before a whistle (yes, an actual whistle) signaled the end of the encounter. In three fifty-minute sessions, I met about thirty fellow writers.”
2. https://wherewordsdailycomealive.com/2018/06/02/a-once-silent-dream/
3. http://www.booksandsuch.com/blog/use-high-quality-proposal-ingredients/ High quality proposal ingredients? Can attention to this detail make a difference for writers?

 

Historical:

1. https://englishhistoryauthors.blogspot.com/2018/06/giving-it-and-taking-it-back.html “In 1264, William de Whelton faced something of a conundrum. He wasn’t alone. England was at war, on the one side Simon de Montfort seemed to be carrying the day, on the other King Henry III and his son, the future Edward I, claimed hereditary right to rule. In between were all those men who were fast approaching a point at which they had to choose sides. Sitting on the fence was not an option, not when the rattling of swords and lances clearly proclaimed the conflict was about to turn bloody. Very bloody.”
2. http://awriterofhistory.com/2018/05/31/transported-in-time-and-place-by-harald-johnson/ “The final motivation for writing and publishing NEW YORK 1609came in the mail from my mother. It was an old family photo album; the kind with the black pages, white ink captions, and those little black-and-white photos with the scalloped edges. For some reason, I had placed it next to a binder of my old swimming accolades, and it now struck me: When I had swum around the island of Manhattan in 1983 as part of a swim race, I was swimming over the exact spot where my family had arrived (with me as a child) on a ship from Germany in 1953 to start a new life. And this was also the very same location Henry Hudson encountered in 1609 when he arrived with his Dutch-Anglo crew seeking a new water passage to the Orient. The parallels were just too hard to ignore.”

 

Scary:

1. http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/tih-207-laird-barron-on-blood-standard-crime-fiction-and-toning-down-the-weird/ Very interesting.
2. http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/news-round-up-week-ending-25-may-2018/ Naraka, Shadows, and Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.
3. http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/tod-035-the-outer-dark-symposium-2018-part-1-the-house-on-the-borderlands-la-frontera-panel-readings-by-david-bowles-and-john-claude-smith/ News from the Weird.
4. BONUS: http://www.briankeene.com/2018/06/02/scares-that-care-charity-weekend-author-podcaster-you-tuber-programming-schedules/

 

Pets:

1. http://scvincent.com/2018/06/02/the-small-dogs-revenge/ “I must do the floor, I thought, in some despair,
   The small dog is moulting,and shedding her hair.
   She’s out in the garden, so if I am quick,
   And just whip the vac out, that should do the trick.”
2. http://scvincent.com/2018/06/01/reflecting-light-and-shade/ “I have written a fair bit about my son’s pond and its inhabitants. I find watching the fish to be both calming and enlightening. It does not matter whether I am projecting human values onto the behaviour of the fish or reading too much into their antics. What matters is that watching them, engaging with them, has taught me a lot about how the human mind works. Truth can take any form that is amenable to understanding and sometimes, it looks like a fish.”

 

Mental Health:

1. http://beckiesmentalmess.blog/2018/05/26/graveside/ “You know one of the biggest taboos in our world is ‘Death’ people simply don’t like to discuss the end of days equally as much as they dislike ‘mental health’, and yet whether people like it or not, it still happens and equally as much as Death awaits us, we all have mental health.”
2. http://beckiesmentalmess.blog/2018/06/02/%F0%9F%A4%97-june-2-2018-quote-of-the-day-my-thoughts-%F0%9F%A4%97/

 

MG/YA:

1. http://avajae.blogspot.com/2018/05/cutting-back.html “At this point, I think I have to come to terms with the fact that I’m overwhelmed. I thought things would get better after my school semester ended—and they have!—but I still have so much to do between freelancing, CP stuff, and my own writing that I feel perpetually behind everything which has not been awesome. And I’ve been so overwhelmed with that stuff that unfortunately I’ve been dropping the ball with blog posts.”
2. http://www.adventuresinyapublishing.com/2018/05/michelle-falkoff-author-of-questions-i.html “Perseverance is absolutely the most important quality to have as a writer. Talent is useful, as are great ideas for things to write about. But if there’s one thing the writers I know have in common, it’s that they kept working and improving and failing and trying again and learning and trying new things and failing again and persisting and you see where I’m going with this. It’s important to listen to criticism from people who are trying to help you, but you have to remember to use that to fuel your creativity rather than letting it keep you from working. And writing is art, but it’s also work.”
3. http://ingridsundberg.com/2018/06/01/my-plans-for-summer-vacation/ “I can’t believe I survived my first year teaching high school English. It was a trip! I’m glad a survived, and I’m even more excited for the looooooong stretch of summer vacation that’s ahead.”
4. https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2018/06/02/the-benefits-of-reading-fantasy-for-children-guest-post-by-robbie-cheadle/ “Always worth a visit to The Story Reading Ape’s enclosure and yesterday children’s author Robbie Cheadle was his guest.  Do head over by following the link and commenting on Chris’s blog… Enjoy.”

 

Mystery/Thrillers/Suspense:

1. http://annerallen.com/2018/05/writers-long-weekend-fantasy-reality/ “Fantasy is what keeps writers going…”
2. https://killzoneblog.com/2018/05/your-writing-sweet-spot.html “For writers still operating in the world of traditional publishing, that question is more important than ever. Publishing companies are being squeezed and must concentrate on big hits to survive. This makes it harder for a newbie to break in or, if they manage to get ushered through the gates of the Forbidden City, to receive what used to be called a “decent advance” and marketing support.”
3. https://margotkinberg.wordpress.com/2018/05/26/i-position-my-precious-assortment-of-pencils-and-powders-and-paint/ “I don’t know if you’ve noticed it, but the cosmetics industry is doing very well. Even ‘drugstore’ cosmetics aren’t cheap, and that’s to say nothing of the more upmarket brands. And let’s not even talk about good nail salons and the like. Let’s face it; looking good comes at a price. It takes time, too.”
4. https://www.suecoletta.com/writers-have-you-found-your-voice/ “Voice is an elusive creature that creeps in the shadows, mocking us, daring us to find it. Voice is also near-impossible to define. I gave it a shot back in 2016 on the Kill Zone (btw, I stand by that post, but it needed more). Droves of new writers pray to the literary gods each and every day to find their voice, even if they haven’t yet grasped what it is they’re searching for. Many things go into to a writer’s voice. Ready? Here we go for round two …” It is tough to define Voice. As Sue said though, it’s an extension of your truest self.

 

Short Stories/Anthologies/Novella:

1. http://johnwhowell.com/2018/05/26/stream-of-consciousness-saturday-prompt-grill/ “It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday and this weeks prompt is “grill.” Linda Hill says to have fun with it. So in that vein, I will proceed. If you would like to have fun with “grill” or are just curious as to why a bunch of seemingly normal looking people do this each week, stop by Linda’s blog and read all about it. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2018/05/25/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-26-18/”
2. https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/2018/06/01/the-2018-interview-series-featuring-c-s-boyack/ “I’m over at Don Massenzio’s place today. Come check out the interview, and some of Don’s wares while you’re there. Also, to celebrate my interview, The Hat is free today. It’s a one day only deal, so snag your copy while you can.” I’m enjoying reading Craig’s The Yak Guy!
3. https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/2018/06/01/ready-for-the-weekend-2/ “Today seemed like it took forever. At least I had a visitor for a little while. This little buck stopped just long enough to pose for photos.” One more day and I’ll be ready for the weekend.
4. http://teagansbooks.com/2018/06/01/poor-little-glad-rag-doll/ “Artist, Rob Goldstein illustrates the diesel-punk fantasy series, Hullaba Lulu. He often creates art that runs parallel to the series. Rob is supposed to be taking a break, but he still did this a post and great video as part of the “Lulu-verse.””

 

 

Poetry:

1. https://syl65.wordpress.com/2018/05/26/haiku-i-see-your-lips-moving-but/ Tuning out nonsense.
2. https://juantetcts.wordpress.com/2018/05/26/daily-post-doppelganger/
3. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/2018/06/02/poetry-thoughts-on-life/ The poems below were inspired by Wayne from Tofino Photography’s brilliant wildlife photographs. I have used the relevant photographs used to present the backgrounds to the poems. You can read one of his latest posts here: https://tofinophotography.wordpress.com/2018/05/31/86945/
4. https://keithgarrettpoetry.com/2018/06/02/he-stood-by-the-side-of-the-road-4/
5. Bonus: https://silentlysmoulderingwords.wordpress.com/2018/06/01/fragments-of-souls-on-fire-the-dream-within-the-dream/
6. Bonus: https://vashtiqvega.wordpress.com/2018/06/01/haiku-friday-home-free/ Floraison
7. Bonus: http://erikakind.me/2018/06/01/daily-kind-quote-712/ Life is there

 

Indie:

1. https://www.thebookdesigner.com/2018/05/self-publishing-carnival-indies-issue-92/ “Welcome to this issue of the Carnival of the Indiesblog carnival. This issue is for May, 2018. We welcome your submissions on topics related to writing, self-publishing, book design or marketing books.”
2. https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2018/05/28/get-your-book-into-schools-dave-hendrickson/ “Making a full-time living as a writer is all about multiple streams of income, and bulk sales are a great way of making revenue by doing direct. In today’s show, Dave Hendrickson talks about the joy of selling books to schools – and takes us behind the scenes of the financial side of bulk sales.”
3. https://selfpublishingadvice.org/self-publishing-news-whats-in-a-name/ “The news this week has been dominated by two stories we’ve seen already this month. From speaking to other authors it’s clear that the so-called Cockygate incident has caused so much consternation is because it feels as though a (small) part of the indie community has turned on another part, and we all feel that wound. The thing most of us at ALLi value most is a community so willing to give and to help, and that is something we see again and again across the indie world, so it hurts us when we feel that is threatened. Fortunately new and strong communities seem to have come out of this as well – the indie spirit is strong enough something like this won’t break it.”
4. https://www.thecreativepenn.com/2018/05/31/how-to-write-non-fiction-launch/ “Do you want to write a non-fiction bookbut don’t know where to start? Or perhaps you worry that you’re not an expert or have enough authority in your niche to write a book on it?”

 

Craft:

1. https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/truth-your-character-believes/ “The Truth Your Character Believes is the transcendent theme of the entire story. It offers your protagonist the potential for positive inner growth and, by extension, the understanding and ability to conquer plot goals and end the overarching conflict with the antagonistic force.”
2. https://nailyournovel.wordpress.com/2018/05/28/thinking-on-your-feet-writing-and-my-love-hate-relationship-with-exercise/ “At school I loathed exercise. I had all the left feet possible. I couldn’t catch a ball and I couldn’t see balls anyway without specs. All creatures know when they are disliked, and I sensed how the games teachers loathed me. By the same token, they surely knew I did not hold their subject in high esteem. This is my school magazine. None of these people are me.” I’ve ordered a yoga tape and mat and I’m going to try going to the gym if I can. I know I need to move more and stay in better health. The battle most of us sure.
3. https://www.livewritethrive.com/2018/05/28/whats-really-happening-when-you-think-you-are-lazy/ “I don’t believe laziness exists. It is a label that shields us from our fears. With one client** I had, calling herself lazy was protecting her from having to face traumatic scenes from her marriage she knew she would be writing about.”
4. http://writersinthestormblog.com/2018/05/8-powerful-ways-to-increase-your-writing-prowess-besides-reading-and-writing-every-day/ “According to Geoff Colvin, author of Talent is Overrated, deliberate practice is constantly trying to do a thing one cannot do comfortably. Therefore, daily reading and writing won’t help you improve if you’re only doing it leisurely.”
5. https://www.janefriedman.com/retrospective-narrative/ “Several things account for the effectiveness of this opening. For one, it appeals immediately and thoroughly to the senses. First, we have that “mean” wind. I’ve said elsewhere that adjectives aren’t descriptions, but opinions. True. Yet thanks to that “mean” we don’t need to be told that the wind is cold, or harsh, that it lashes cheeks and draws tears.”
6. https://jamigold.com/2018/05/writer-burnout-how-do-you-deal/ “As writers, we can burn out in many different aspects of our lives.We can experience it personally, day-job professionally, writing-wise, publishing-wise, or all of the above.” Lately, I’ve been doing too much running. I haven’t had time to fit in a lot of things I need to do. I’ve got to get my life back! Lol.
7. http://writersinthestormblog.com/2018/06/summer-is-coming-lets-pimp-promote/ “Summer is coming up fast, and here at Writers in the Storm we’re marking the occasion with a little “Pimp and Promote.” Of course, this always costs us some money, because we have to go out and buy lots of books. But there will be awesome “beach read” sales in next few weeks, so let’s go for it!”
8. https://writershelpingwriters.net/2018/06/occupation-thesaurus-restaurant-server-waiter-waitress/ “How This Occupation Might Impact One’s Basic Needs:

Esteem and Recognition: A character who is struggling with self-worth because employment is hard to find, they lack the education needed for other jobs that are available, or they wish to break free of any social difficulties or fears they have may find being a server is rewarding work. Being gainfully employed and growing proficient at what they do will boost their social skills and self-confidence.

Love and Belonging: A character who feels adrift in life may turn to serving to feel part of something larger, especially if the establishment is a fun place to work and has a family-like environment among staffers. Here the character could feel accepted for who they are and that they belong.

Physiological Needs: In most cultures, survival depends on employment, so a character who was finding it hard to make ends meet to pay rent, put food on the table, etc. may turn to serving as it is work that often doesn’t require specialized education. A serving job may also have evening hours of employment, which may work perfect for a character who needs to bring in extra cash when they already have a day job.

9. https://stacitroilo.wordpress.com/2018/06/01/author-inspiration-writing-links-32/ “Nora Roberts. She has a way of putting things, doesn’t she? And given her name is synonymous with romance writing, she probably knows a thing or two about chasing dreams.”
10. http://blog.janicehardy.com/2018/05/con-choice-on-picking-events-and.html “Thank you as always to Janice for letting me chat with y’all about the challenges of promo and genre authorship. Today, she suggested we take a look at event selection: how to choose the venues best for your work and how to maximize your conference budget.”

 

 

Other:

1. http://www.thepassivevoice.com/reversing-the-slide-in-voter-support/ “I am most deeply troubled by the declining perception about the core work of libraries and core competencies of librarians. When there is a nine point drop in the perception about libraries offering “Free access to books and technology that some people may not be able to afford,” how do we recapture that narrative? Today, 20% fewer voters agree that “the library is an excellent resource for kids to get help with their homework” than ten years ago (71% then, 51% now). How is that possible when every story we tell is about a kid learning to read in order to succeed later in life? How do we fight a hostile city hall or recalcitrant county commission when the feeling that “having an excellent public library is a source of pride” is only shared by 53% of voters (20% fewer than in the 2008 report)?” Libraries are a tremendous help to me, someone with limited finances, to catch up on books I’ve missed, for research, for community outreach. I like their convenient hold policies. You can order digital or print from them.
2. https://themilitantnegro.com/2018/05/27/three-unbelievable-brunch-dishes-%F0%9F%91%8C/
3. http://amdobritt.blog/2018/05/26/reboot-your-book-to-sell-more-books/ “I have a new book out this week called How to Revise and Re-Release Your Bookand I wrote it because rebooting books is kind of a big deal right now – especially if your goal is to sell more books. There are lots of reasons revising and re-releasing your book is a good idea. Maybe you didn’t get it quite right when the book first launched, maybe it needs revision, or maybe the book is old and you want to breathe new life into it by re-releasing it. These are all great reasons to consider a reboot. And it’s certainly a great way to sell more books. Once you’ve made this decision, your next question might be whether or not you need a new book cover.”
4. https://annetterochelleaben.wordpress.com/2018/05/27/angel-messages-may-27-2018/ Eyes of your heart.
5. http://thesilenteye.co.uk/2018/05/27/milestones/ “MILESTONES

MAY 27, 2018 | SUE VINCENT

“I came across an old post while I was rummaging through the files. It looked at the decades of an ordinary life…my life… and how the things that seem ordinary to you, while you are living them, can look very different to an observer. As I skimmed back through the paragraphs, I was watching the fish in the aquarium out of the corner of my eye. Two of the little loaches had ventured out to feed. They are shy creatures and I seldom see them, so I stopped to watch.” Life does indeed creep up on you. It seems like I just started this writing journey yesterday and here it is, so much later in my life.

6. http://jolenemottern.com/2018/05/26/socs-grill/ “Down the way, there was a barbecue joint. It was terrible how we had to smell barbecue all day and all night for years. Just terrible. Seven in the mornin, droolin for pulled pork, Lawd. If I wanna eat a mammal, there’s a 100% chance I’d like to eat pulled pork. I’d put it right up there with MIL’s corned beef and sweet gravy. Lower than her corned beef and sweet gravy, but up there. At those kinda places, I never choose chicken or brisket or ribs. I ain’t orderin a hamburger or some fried catfish. Nope. Always, always the pulled pork.” Good thing there’s a cookout tomorrow, I’m hungry reading this.
7. http://davidgaughran.com/2018/06/02/cockygate-faleena-hopkins-tiffanygate-chance-carter/ “I don’t know about you guys, but recently I’ve found it hard to maintain my membership of Team Hope. Trademark trolls issuing threats, scammers running rampant, clickfarmers hitting #1, innocents getting sanctioned while stuffers receive All Stars, narcissistic boxset promoters throwing lawsuits in every direction, plus Amazon generally acting like an absentee landlord during the Great Famine.”
8. https://charlesfrenchonwordsreadingandwriting.wordpress.com/2018/06/01/promote-your-writing/ “Hello to everyone! I want once again to offer an opportunity for all writers who follow this blog to share information on their books. It can be very difficult to generate publicity for our writing, so I thought this little effort might help. All books may be mentioned, and there is no restriction on genre. This include poetry and non-fiction.”
9. https://dsm-publications.com/2018/06/01/time-to-write-sentence-starter-35-creative-writing-prompt/ “Check out this writing prompt from this post on Rachel Poli’s blog along with some pieces written from the previous prompt.”
10. https://fromclairespov.com/2018/06/01/may-favourites-5/ “Introducing another one of my new series for 2018: monthly favourites! This is where I describe how my month went, kind of like how I did with my #ClaireNoteslast year, but with more general things that you may know about! I hope you enjoy! Let me know what your favourites from May were!”
11. https://annetterochelleaben.wordpress.com/2018/06/02/angel-messages-june-2-2018/ Live, Laugh, Love.
12. https://themilitantnegro.com/2018/06/01/not-the-maker-of-plans-and-promises/ ““Not the maker of plans and promises, but rather
    the one who offers faithful service in small matters.
    This is the person who is most likely to achieve”
13. https://jessicanorrie.wordpress.com/2018/06/01/hay-ho-hay-ho-its-off-to-words-we-go/
14. https://amdobritt.blog/2018/06/01/indie-or-traditional-how-does-an-author-pick-the-right-direction/ “Jumping into the indie author scene, for me, was a calculated risk. Like I do with a lot of decisions, I looked at the pros and cons.” In light of the recent Donadido and Olson Agency embezzlement, I’m rethinking traditional yet again.
15. https://kimwrtr.wordpress.com/2018/06/01/financially-support-your-writing-career-without-leaving-your-laptop/ “This is another freelance contribution by Sally Keys. You may remember her from her recent guest post, How Creative Writing Can Boost Your Intelligence. Sally is a professional freelance writer with many years experience across many different areas. She made the move to freelancing from a stressful corporate job and loves the work-life balance it offers her. When not at work, she enjoys reading, hiking, spending time with her family, and traveling as much as possible.”
16. Bonus: http://jenanita01.com/2018/06/01/editing-tip-common-consistency-errors-you-might-be-making/ “When you check your own manuscript for errors, you are probably looking for misspelled words, dodgy grammar, and the inevitable typos. Those are all things you need to correct—but you should also be aware of pesky consistency errors that are commonplace in poorly edited manuscripts.”
17. Bonus: https://twodropsofink.com/2018/06/01/final-promo-two-drops-of-ink-2018-writing-contest/ “We are taking submissions now. That said, here are the rules once all the submissions are in (yes…you can end a sentence with a preposition). You pick the genre and submit your piece. We will accept submissions through mid-June, giving writers time to write and submit.”
18. Bonus: https://scvincent.com/2018/05/31/elusive-realities-robbie-cheadle-the-boy-with-nine-lives/ “On 30 January 2006, my son, Michael, was born. He was a very healthy baby, with a tiny wizen face, just like a little old man. His APGAR score was 10 out of 10 and he didn’t need to go onto a heating pad in the hospital. I had a Caesarean section delivery. My obstetrician told us after the operation that it was just as well he had performed a Caesar as my uterus was very thin at the site of the scar from my previous Caesar and it could have ruptured if I had gone into labour. He said that it was so thin, he could see the baby right through my uterus. The fact that I had no problems with my pregnancy, despite this, was Michael’s first lucky break in life.” Such an incredible story! I had a close call with my daughter when she was just two. Somehow, I knew she was in trouble. I went to search for her but couldn’t find her. She got out in the road at my brother-in-law’s house and I jumped down stairs and off the porch to run faster than I ever have to reach her before she hit the intersection.