Archive | January 2018

I Can See You

JossLandry30Jan2018

I Can See You by Joss Landry

I finished this book a couple days ago and my review follows the author’s book blurb found on Amazon.

“Emma stuck her face to the window to watch the rain. Lightning in the background drew a fiery specter in the sky while her eyes traced the water droplets running down the pane like tears.”

Emma Willis is ten years old and has a secret. She not only inherited her grandmother’s power of sight, she can accomplish much more. Like most children without siblings growing up amongst adults, she is precocious yet at times lonely. 

When a murderer is loose in Newark, a maniac with a thirst for killing little girls, she begins to understand why her Granny Dottie called her sight a curse. She will need all her powers to catch a killer and help the people in her life: Detective Hank Apple, her teacher Christina Tyler, and her little family of three. Only … the madman knows who she is!

*****

I must say that this book was a unique read and highly entertaining and interesting. My husband stole my paperback copy I had been reading and so I bought the Kindle version and read it on my phone.

Landry had no problem in making her characters stand out from the start. I fell in love with 10 year old little Emma. Emma is highly intuitive – actually, a lot more than that, and as such she is presented with things no one should need to know as her tender age; especially when murders have taken place and she knows what the perpetrator looks like, his eyes, and she is scared. I would be as well.

Learning about inherited powers and trying to filter all the commotion on her own, due to her father’s bitterness toward said powers is enormous. Emma becomes Detective Hank’s main informant, the story becomes more complex with the characters, and the twists and turns in this wonderful mystery, romance and suspense filled book. I won’t give away anything from the story in my review, but I will say I highly recommend this book! 5 Stars!!

This entry was posted on January 30, 2018. 2 Comments

The 100 Best Websites for Writers in 2018…

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

By Dana Sitar  on The Write Life Site:

The world offers a lot of ways to become a writer.

You can go to school for journalism or creative writing, get a Ph.D. and publish in journals, start a blog and turn it into a business, write a book and become famous…The paths are innumerable.

Whatever kind of writer you want to be, you can probably find a blog or online community to help you get there.

Each year, The Write Life celebrates these vast resources available to us online by releasing a list of the 100 Best Websites for Writers, and we’re excited to do it for the fifth year in a row.

Thanks to your suggestions, you’ve helped us curate hundreds of websites to bring you the best of the best.

Many are tried-and-true favorites previously featured in our 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 lists, and this year we’re…

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This entry was posted on January 30, 2018. 2 Comments

Bring Social Media to Your Blog with Embedded Posts…

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

by Frances Caballo  on The Book Designer Site:

Embedding your social media posts on your blog or elsewhere on your website can benefit your website in several ways.

You can demonstrate your social proof to your blog visitors. In other words, they can see your number of shares, retweets, and Likes you’ve accumulated.

If you are trying to explain something, your social media posts may provide the examples you need for a post.

If you find a quote on social media you’d like to share on your blog, you can embed that tweet or Facebook post.

You can further boost engagement of the post.

You can show off some of your social media content.

See the step by step tutorials HERE

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Are You A Pretentious Writer?

Writing your first novel-Things you should know

tmp716003483278376960Is your writing pretentious. Do you write to impress others or is your writing real? I’ve written several blogs on pretentious writing, but I’ve never used those words to describe it.

So what is pretentious writing? It’s writing that uses those million dollar words. You know, the ones that leave the rest of us scratching our heads and wondering what we just read.

Pretentious writing is something you probably learned in college or high school. It may work great in technical or scientific magazines and would probably fly in government documents or procedural manuals, but please don’t try to pass it on in a fictional novel.  Your attempts to make yourself sound sophisticated will actually backfire and make you appear unsophisticated.

Think of the novels you read. Do they use a lot of flowery prose and million dollar words? The answer is probably no. What the author has done is…

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Why do I Whine, when the World is Mine……….

Boundless Blessings by Kamal

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– Today, upon a bus, I saw a very beautiful woman, and I wished I were as beautiful as her. When suddenly, she rose to leave as her stop had come, I saw her hobble down the aisle. She had one leg and wore a crutch. But as she passed, she gave me such a broad smile.  Oh! Dear God, forgive me when I whine.  I have such beautiful two legs; the world is mine.

-I stopped to buy some candy at a store nearby. The lad who sold it had such charm and a wonderful expression.  I talked with him and he seemed so glad to chat with me.  It was so nice to be pleasant with people even though they are strangers. And as I left, he said to me, ‘I thank you, you have been so kind. It is so nice to talk with folks like you…

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HOW TO WRITE A CHILDREN’S BOOK IN 9 EASY STEPS

By Eevi Jones  on Kindlepreneur Site:

Have you ever wondered how to write a children’s book, and if you have what it takes to create one?

For me, it’s this smile. That’s my reason for writing children’s books.

Many aspiring (and even accomplished) authors dream of writing a children’s book.

Maybe you have an incredible idea that you can’t stop thinking about. Or maybe you want to put to paper your little one’s favorite bedtime story–the one you made up while snuggling together. Whatever the reason, now is the time to check this dream off your bucket list.

Writing and publishing your own children’s book is no longer difficult to do, nor is it financially unattainable. You could spend half a fortune just figuring out how to go about all the steps involved, but this article will save you tons of moola and loads of headaches.

Unless you’re a celebrity or have a large following already, self-publishing your children’s book is a great way to get your foot in the door, even if your ultimate goal is to get published the traditional way. If you present a well-performing book and an established author platform, your chances of landing a publishing deal are much higher than if you simply submit a query or manuscript.

https://kindlepreneur.com/how-to-write-a-childrens-book/

 

Ten Questions Not to Ask an Author

Fiction Favorites

Top Ten Things not to do

The inspiration for this list was preparing myself to attend four book festivals this year. I was making a list of items that I needed, and it occurred to me that I should prepare some answers to obvious questions. One thing leads to another, and the list is born.

10 If you meet an author, do not ask the question, “Do you make a lot of money writing?” If you do, at best you might get a chuckle in reply. At worst, you might have to listen to a long diatribe about the meaning of art as opposed to monetary considerations. (Wow. You didn’t realize just how little the author made from his books did you, Dylan?)

9 If you meet an author, do not ask the question, “How does your spouse feel about your writing? If you do, at best you’ll get a two-word answer, “They’re Fine.” At worst, you may…

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This entry was posted on January 22, 2018. 1 Comment

The Trojan Project

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The Trojan Project by Eileen Thornton

I finished reading this book yesterday, and my review follows the author’s book blurb found on Amazon.

“A peaceful night is disturbed when a strange green light rises from behind the Cheviot Hills.

To Sarah, the light is frightening enough, but then a green mist descends across the valley. Its swirling tendrils, seeming to bear a life of their own as they snake across the land, can only be an omen of something sinister and evil. Her fears seem confirmed when her husband fails to return home from working on the land, and when he is still missing the following morning, she and her children set out to search for him. 

A terrifying discovery awaits her in the valley below her home and before long, Sarah and her children find themselves caught up in a desperate search, not only for her husband Pete but also for the meaning of the green light. Finding herself pursued by the military, she slowly begins to realise her life, and the lives of those she loves, are in mortal danger. The Trojan Project takes us into a nightmare world where no one is quite what they seem, and trust becomes a word with little meaning. Beware the green light in the sky; you never know what it hides!”

Author’s excerpts from The Trojan Project:

The sergeant raised his gun. “What the hell?” he said. “Let’s shoot the bastards.”

Still lying on the ground, Pete waited for the gun to go off. This was it then – the end. In a moment or two, it would all be over. During those few seconds, his life played out before him like a film. Pictures of his wife and children flashed through his mind, as he braced himself for the inevitable. The sergeant wrapped his finger around the trigger and began to squeeze. Pete closed his eyes…but there was only a click. Mercifully, the gun had jammed. 

In a desperate effort to stay on his feet, the sergeant grasped out at the police car, only to find his hand disappearing through the open window. Off balance and unable to pull back quickly enough, he felt his fingers sink into the thick melted flesh of what was once a policeman.

“Get it off me! Get it off!” he screamed, as he pulled his arm from the car. He hopped around the road in agony…already his fingers were beginning to blister. Holding out his arm he turned towards the other soldier for help.

But Jones took several steps backwards. “Keep away,” he shouted. “Stay away from me!” The men could only watch as the flesh on the sergeant’s fingers began to melt and drip to the ground. There was a slight hiss as it hit the road’s surface. Pete closed his eyes. Could the very same thing have happened to his wife and daughters?

My Review: 

Well this book had me gripped from the first chapter. Thornton has a superbly written book that lovers of mystery/drama/scifi and more would love. Corruption all the way to the prime minister! Page after page brought new twists and turns more puzzling than what was just read. How could one sinister man be this evil and devoted to his own wants and glories? The evil is balanced with warmth and love.

This entry was posted on January 21, 2018. 2 Comments

Ninja School Mom by Lizzie Chantree

Ninja School Mum FB2

Today it’s my pleasure to introduce to you all, Lizzie Chantree, and her new book, Ninja School Mum. 

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Book Blurb from Lizzie:

Obsessive-compulsive school mum, Skye, is a lonely elite spy, who is running from her past whilst trying to protect the future of her child. She tries hard to fit in with the other parents at her son’s new school, but the only person who accepts her unconventional way of life is new mother, Thea.

Thea is feeling harassed by her sister and bored with her life, but she suspects that there is something strange about the new school mum, Skye. Thea has secrets of her own and, although the two become unlikely friends, she hesitates to tell Skye about the father of her own child.

Zack’s new business is growing faster than he could have dreamed but, suddenly, he finds himself the owner of a crumbling estate on the edge of a pretty village, and a single parent to a very demanding child. Could he make a go of things and give his daughter the life she deserved?

When three lives collide, it appears that only one of them is who they seem to be, and you never know who the person next to you in the school playground really is.

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Ninja School Mum by Lizzie Chantree ~ early reviews!

** It’s hard to fit in when you stand out!

** Made me lough out loud. A great romance read with a gorgeous hero

** and a feisty, strong woman. I hope there will be a sequel.

** Really good story. Couldn’t put it down!

** This story really caught my imagination and I couldn’t put it down. A romance read with fire in its belly. Didn’t have a clue to the ending, kept me guessing till the end.

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Quick Author Q&A

Tell us about your new book?

Ninja School Mum is about a single mum, Skye, who is trying to protect her son from her past, whilst working out how to fit in with the other parents at his new school. This book is filled with friendship and laughter and makes you ponder the question of how much you really know about the person standing next to you on the school playground.

Do you have a writing mascot?

I don’t have a mascot, but I do always write my books by hand, with a pen my husband bought me after completing my first novel, Babe Driven.

Did you write part-time before becoming a full-time writer?

I used to write at night for the first year. My daughter was unwell and it was a good way to stay awake. I then hid the manuscript for five years until her health improved. After publishing my first book, I also ran my other creative businesses. Now I only have time to write and run my networking hour, which is great fun to be involved in. The balance of creativity works well for me, as I’m so passionate about writing novels.

Do you have pets?

I used to have a pet Peacock, but now I have a very fluffy dog, who sits on my lap or my feet while I’m writing.  My Peacock was called Hooley bird, as he was a complete hooligan. My mum wanted a few chickens in our garden, but someone from my dad’s work sent him a peacock as a joke. He was not amused, but Hooley became our very unusual family pet. Luckily we lived next to a wood and had a flat roof for him to nest on.

Your publisher?

Crooked Cat Books are an international publishing house. The team has years of experience in editing, writing and reviewing and have a number of academic publications between them. They say they look to publish high quality work with exceptional storylines and fascinating characters and want to provide authors with a comfy home to share their stories.

In the last five years they have released over 150 titles. You’ll find them all over Amazon, Barnes and Noble and a number of online stores. Catch their latest books at crookedcatbooks.com

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Lizzie Chantree writes women’s fiction and romance novels packed full of friendship, laughter and laugh out loud storylines. Escape into great love stories, with compelling heroines and beautiful locations.

Author Bio:

Award-winning inventor and author, Lizzie Chantree, started her own business at the age of 18 and became one of Fair Play London and The Patent Office’s British Female Inventors of the Year in 2000. She discovered her love of writing fiction when her children were little and now runs networking hours on social media, where creative businesses, writers, photographers and designers can offer advice and support to each other. She lives with her family on the coast in Essex. Visit her website at http://www.lizziechantree.com or follow her on Twitter @Lizzie_Chantree
https://twitter.com/Lizzie_Chantree

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Contact Details

Website: www.lizziechantree.com

Author page: viewAuthor.at/LizzieChantree

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Lizzie_Chantree

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lizzie.chantree.3

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizzie_chantree/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/LizzieChantree/pins/

Book links:

viewBook.at/NinjaSchoolMum

Babe Driven

Love’s Child

Finding Gina

For any enquiries about any of Lizzie’s work, visit http://www.lizziechantree.com

 

This entry was posted on January 21, 2018. 4 Comments

HOW DO YOU REVIEW AND RATE AN INDIE BOOK?

Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

By Denzil Walton  on The Book Owl Site:

I’m asking this question because I am (happily) receiving an increasing number of books from Indie authors to read. And in some cases I have a bit of a dilemma when it comes to reviewing and rating them.

Some of the Indie books I’ve been reading are excellent. For these 4- and 5-star books, reviewing and rating them is no problem at all. They are a pleasure to read; a delight to review.

Some of them are less good or even poor. It’s these that are giving me a headache.

If the same book had been published by a mainline publisher I would have given it 1, 2 or 3 stars. I would have been honestly critical, and made my review public. (E.g. Philip Pullman should do better than this).

But for Indie authors I somehow feel more protective. Indie author Audrey Driscoll…

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This entry was posted on January 18, 2018. 4 Comments