I just finished the entire cover for this 9th book in our Shadow and Friends series. I’m certain it will be Enchanted. Book due out in January 2020.
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Why You Should Update Old Content (And How to Do It) — The Art of Blogging
Blogging is a fluid medium. You can change, add, edit any of your blog posts. You can republish old content, try to make it more relevant to today’s audience, or even have a change of opinion and use an old post to show other how you used to think about a certain topic. Now, why […]
via Why You Should Update Old Content (And How to Do It) — The Art of Blogging
Joyous Merry Christmas!
Hello Readers! I wanted to take a moment to write to you today. The next few days will be way too busy, so this is your time from me. 2019 has brought much thankfulness into our lives – blessed with family and friends, and some silver medals last month in Miami – but this piece isn’t about books so no promos on this post.
2019 has blessed us to still have each other every day and in love every single day. We are soulmates. Our children are healthy – for the most part – but I can’t get away from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression. I can’t just shake off the kind of pain and loss and things that have happened in my/our lives. Medicine does only so much. Christmas can be “blue” for many, and some commit suicide due to how they feel. Many can’t find one speck of light in the darkness.
My fervent wish and prayer is for anyone reading this to find the light they need to get them out of the darkness. At age four years, Sammy had a favorite song, Silent Night. Four years old yet he knew Jesus! If a four year old little boy can have this much hope and joy, then maybe all of you can do the same, if not already in the full spirit of Christmas and Jesus’ birth.
Luke 2:4-7
Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
For those who are Christian, this means a lot, actually everything to us. May all who read this have a wonderful Christmas and good health in the coming new year.
Love, Mary & Mike
How To Promote Your Book On Instagram — Nicholas C. Rossis
You may remember Kurt Walker from his recent posts, 9 Ways To Market Your Book With No Money and 7 Things to Do Before Your Book Is Released. Kurt is a digital marketer and a college paper help writer at Easyessay.org. Besides that, Kurt is a guest blogger at AustralianWritings, UK.bestessays.com, and Superior Paper writing service. Kurt specializes in email […]
via How To Promote Your Book On Instagram — Nicholas C. Rossis
7 Blogging Myths You Can Safely Disregard
Many people say many things about blogging, but not all of them are true. Whether you’ve been blogging for years or are new to this noble pursuit, some blogging myths can cost you time and promote some bad blogging habits. Take these myths to heart, and you may not enjoy blogging as much as you could
I’ve been blogging for many years now, and I can say with confidence that the following blogging myths are simply not true. Take them with a pinch of salt.
1. You have to post something every day
It’s good to post consistently—more visitors, more views, more shares, more everything. But that doesn’t mean you have to force yourself to post something every single day.
Big magazine-styled blogs with multiple contributors may do it for the traffic, but as a single-author blog, you don’t have to turn blogging into an obligation. People who do it…
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15 Blogging Tips For Beginners
Blogging isn’t hard, and once you get the hang of it, it can certainly be a treat. But when you first create a blog, it can be challenging to publish new posts consistently.
Maybe you are all excited about your blog. But if you don’t channel that energy into creating posts and interacting with readers and other bloggers, your effort may come to nothing.
Your blog could then end up like one of those forgotten construction projects — a house beautifully envisioned but which, due to the mismanagement of resources, has been abandoned to the whims of the weather.
Don’t get me wrong – WordPress.com offers us one of the easiest ways to create a blog. But after that, after your blog has a name and a theme and the Hello World page greets your eyes, it’s up to you to choose topics, create posts, and find your pace.
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Awards Season!
It’s awards season! Yay! This time was our third trip in a row to Miami, FL. Not one, but two books took awards.
Suzy Has A Secret took the International Silver Medal the category of Children’s Social Issues!
Review by Tiffany Davis
5 Stars – Congratulations on your 5-star review!
Reviewed By Tiffany Davis for Readers’ Favorite Suzy Has a Secret by S. Jackson with A. Raymond is a children’s story about educating them on self awareness and inappropriate behavior. The story is simple and easy to read to children. It’s important to allow children the opportunity to learn what should and should not be done to them by family members. Suzy did not like the game of tickling that Uncle Bob played with her when her parents weren’t around. Suzy did not want to keep the secret from her parents, but Uncle Bob made her feel that she couldn’t tell anyone about the way he touched her. Although the story is short, it has a powerful message because all children should know the importance of not allowing anyone, young or old, to touch their bodies.Children have a right to be happy and understand what should not be happening when Mommy and Daddy aren’t around. The portion of the story designed for Parents and Educators was a good read because it reaffirmed that children have the right to know that their private areas are off limits, and that when playing no one should ever touch those areas. When dealing with children, it’s important to ensure they understand at an early age that they can talk to their parents about anything and not be scared. Abusers use manipulation when abusing children to keep them from telling their parents, that’s why parents need to have a strong bond with their children to make them feel comfortable. One thing I learned is that you should not ask a lot of questions if you suspect abuse, but rather ask simple questions for the best and most reliable answers.
….and Sammy: Hero At Age Five received International Honorable Mention in Non-Fiction – Drama
Review by Deborah Lloyd
5 Stars – Congratulations on your 5-star review!
Reviewed By Deborah Lloyd for Readers’ Favorite Sammy, born the day before Easter in 1985, lived with his mother and brother Gene in a small town in Kansas. He lived the normal life of a little boy – riding his big wheels, playing with trucks, and running in the backyard. He loved the homegrown vegetables from his mother’s and Slim’s gardens. Slim was the man who lived next door and was like a member of the family. Then cancer arrived, changing their lives forever. Sammy shares the ups and downs of painful, scary treatments. He and his mother spent week after week in the children’s oncology unit at the hospital, several hours from home. Sammy was observant and knew when his mother had been praying or crying. He also became aware of Jesus’ presence and His help during difficult times. In the memoir, Sammy: Hero At Age 5, written by his mother and brother, M. Schmidt and G. D. Donley, the sad journey peppered with many joyful moments is shared.
One of the most intriguing aspects of this true-life story is that it is told from Sammy’s point of view. While written in the language of a five-year-old boy, the messages within his words are truly profound. The thoughts fit a little boy’s world – excitement in eating a popsicle; hoping his mother will marry again, and he will have a new father; a wish to go to Disney World. The writing is clear and concise, and the photographs add to the realistic nature of the story. M. Schmidt and G. D. Donley shared their story to help other children and families facing these kinds of diagnoses in this memoir. This is a touching and unforgettable book!
For a free eBook of your choice, please follow me on Twitter https://twitter.com/MaryLSchmidt
Thank you for reading my latest literary news.
#readersfavorite #ASMSG #childrensbooks #KidLit #social issues @marymichaelschmidt
The Seeds of Stars
Please welcome L. Salt to my blog. Hello, L. Salt! Happy to have you here today. Have a seat and we will get started.
Please introduce yourself to those reading this blog post.
My pen name is L. Salt and I am a multi-genre writer from the United Kingdom. I studied History of World Culture and did Master’s Degree in Art Expertise at the St. Petersburg University of Culture and Arts.
I was born in Belarus and have lived for many years in Ukraine and Russia, then finally settled down in the North of England, where I currently live with my husband. My interest in writing dates back to my teenage years. Apart from creative writing, I have a passion for traveling, arts, history, and foreign languages. So far, I’ve written three full-length novels, two novellas, and a few short stories in different genres.
(Wow! How many languages do you speak fluently?)
Has writing always been part of your life and when did you “know” that it was time to start writing your first book?
I started to write at school, at the age of 12-13. I wrote a sci-fi series about time travel and another dimensions. I always liked to tell stories, creating new fancy worlds. I haven’t written anything for more than ten years, but then, I started to write again, and this time, in English. I think my relocation to the U.K. combined with boredom of living in a small industrial English city has trigged my interest in creative writing. Relocation from St. Petersburg, the second largest city in Russia, wasn’t easy to me, so creative writing became my option to escape to a better, fancier worlds.
How difficult was it writing your first book?
It was extremely difficult to write my first novel The Ways We Follow (Book 1 of the duology) and it took me about four years to complete it. I was a newbie in the world of writing and publishing and didn’t know its rules, I just had a story inside me and I wanted to share it with readers. I became a member of a local writing group which helped me a lot, authors’ support and feedback played a huge role and kept me encouraged. My efforts paid off as The Ways We Follow was published by an Australian indie publisher in 2018 and then re-released by Crazy Ink Publishing, an indie publishing house I currently work with.
Have you ever wanted to give up and what stopped you?
I still want to give up sometimes, but my already published works require promotion, my family and friends support me and ask me about my next release, so I think it’s a bit too little too late to stop. Besides, my journey to publication was far too long and difficult to give up now, when I finally became a published author and even won a few indie awards.
Who is the most supportive of you and your dream to be a writer?
As I’ve already mentioned, my family, especially my husband. My friends and my publisher are extremely supportive too.
Anything specific you want to tell your readers?
Thank you very much for reading this interview and buying my books. I hope you enjoyed them . Your feedback and reviews mean a lot to me, so I’d be extremely grateful, if you could leave an honest review about my books you’ve read and, if you enjoyed them, recommend to your friends.
If you like thrillers and suspense with some historical references and elements of sci-fi, if you like a mix of action and stories based on real events, check out my latest releases. I’m sure you’ll find a new read for your TBR pile there.
What is the best advice given to you (book or otherwise), and by whom?
I like Dan Brown’s advice to authors to write about a subject they’re passionate about, because there’re so many people around who’re passionate about the same things.
What is your target audience and what aspect of your writing do you feel targets that audience?
I’d say my books are for a wide adult audience. They’re for readers who enjoy thrillers, suspense, and sci-fi and interested in history and travels, for people with an active lifestyle.
Did the cover evolve the same way, or did you work with someone to make it come together for you?
All the covers for my books are designed by Crazy Ink Publishing.
What are you working on now? Can we get a peek, an excerpt?
I’ve just finished the very first draft of my thriller/ action novella The (U)-nseen. It’s a story about two naval historians who discovered a World War II German U-boat on the bottom of the North Sea. The U-boat carries a top secret Nazi super weapon able to shift time and space.
Unfortunately, the draft is unedited and pretty raw, so I’m not able to provide an excerpt on this stage.
Any last words before we wrap things up?
Thank you, Mary, for this amazing opportunity to be featured on your great blog. I hope your followers will enjoy this interview and find a couple of new reads for their TBR list. I’d be happy to see you all amongst my followers on my social media.
***** The Seeds of Stars Promo *****
The Seeds of Stars
L. Salt
Ebook: http://mybook.to/SeedsofStarsCI
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1697566561/
UBL: https://books2read.com/u/3npM5K
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48360283-the-seeds-of-stars
#CrazyInk #Thriller #Suspense #SciFi
The life doesn’t promise to be joyful for a “Chernobyl child” born straight after the nuclear disaster. True…but not for such an adventurer, adrenaline junkie, and popular extreme sports’ blogger like Yuliy Kobrin, aka Kobra. Adopted by a British couple, Kobra spends his life in urban exploring and travels.
Skiing in the Scottish Highlands, Kobra meets a young German couple, Edel Baum and Kira Schneider. The new friends invite him to their luxurious house, where Kobra’s attention is drawn to Edel’s collection of World War II antiques and a mysterious Yugoslavian file which the couple asks to translate for them.
The file reveals classified underwater facilities from the Cold War times, hidden deeply in the Kotor Bay of Montenegro. Yuliy can’t miss an opportunity for such a discovery.
Six months earlier, a prominent scientist died in his apartment in central Berlin. The authorities believe it was a heart attack, but a police officer, Trina Stahl, thinks this case is far more dangerous and complicated.
All hell breaks loose for Kobra when he comes under attack in the Kotor Bay, when he realises his new German friends are not who they say they are, and his life now is of an interest for many parties. From Montenegro to Scotland, from Berlin to the Isle of Skye—Kobra is on the hunt for a mysterious alien object, the Seeds of Stars, but also for the truth about his own past.
***** BIO *****
Salt is a multi-genre author from the United Kingdom. She studied History of World Culture and earned her Master’s Degree in Art Expertise at the St. Petersburg University of Culture and Arts. Born in Belarus, she lived for many years in Ukraine and Russia and, eventually, settled in the North of England, where she currently lives with her husband. Salt’s interest in writing dates back to her teenage years. Apart from creative writing, she has a passion for traveling, arts, history, and foreign languages.
Her debut novella, His Personal Reich was released in April 2018 by Crazy Ink Publishing. It was featured in the boxed set Chills and Thrills in May 2019. Her second novella, a thriller/mystery story Legacy of the Iron Eagle, released in February 2019. She is the author of the Off the Ways Series including The Ways We Follow (Book One) and Angels of Zion (Book Two). Her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies as well as magazines, both online and in print. Another of her suspenseful stories, The Seeds of Stars, will be released in December.
Follow L. Salt:
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/saltandnovels
Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/608692496170838/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LSalt1
Blog: www.saltandnovels.wordpress.com
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/saltandnovels
E-mail: saltandnovels@gmail.com
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/17915818.L_Salt
Pinterest: www.pinterest.co.uk/saltandnovels
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/l-salt-36bbaa177/
AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/author/lsalt/
MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/lsalt
12 Ways to Develop your Child’s Writing Skills — Nicholas C. Rossis
Getting people — and kids, in particular — to read and write has long been a passion of mine. You may remember my post, Reading Tricks for Kids of Any Age, originally written for Mom’s Favorite Reads. Well, I recently came across an article by Abigail Elijah of Knowledge Isle with 20 tips for developing […]
via 12 Ways to Develop your Child’s Writing Skills — Nicholas C. Rossis
Top Tips for Marketing Your Book for the Holiday Season
Ronita Mohan is becoming one of this blog’s favorite guest bloggers—and with good reason! Her posts always have great book marketing tips and ideas. Today, she explains the best ways to market your book this holiday season.
Ronita is a content marketer at Venngage, the online infographic and design platform. She is an avid reader with an interest in mystery fiction, history, graphic novels, marketing, and diversity. Twitter: @Venngage
Top Tips for Marketing Your Book for the Holiday Season
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
The holiday season isn’t just about snow and families and giving gifts—it’s also a great time for marketing your book.
We have some top tips for holiday book marketing—including what to post on social media and include in newsletters—so you can improve book sales and reach customers well into 2020.
Season’s Greetings
How are your fans and audience going to know that you are…
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When Angels Fly 