Showing posts with label the abigale chronicles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the abigale chronicles. Show all posts

Thursday, November 21, 2013

The Abigale Chronicles - Book Blast and Reviews

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm gonna talk a little bit about my Middle Grade series The Abigale Chronicles, tell you a little about my special offer for the first three books, and share some of the awesome reviews they've gotten. Let's get going!

First, a little, personal story:
I wrote these books with a ton of input from my little girl. She has a wild imagination and thought how great it would be if she could be sucked into her books' world. Not into the story, but into the world behind the story. And what if she became the main character in that land. Perhaps someone who'd gone missing. So, I sat down and went crazy. Then it came time to design the book cover. What you see is the handwriting of a thirteen-year-old girl who lived next door to us. I couldn't have expected more authenticity and was thrilled. Each cover tells a little about the story to be found on the inside. I hope you all enjoy getting to know these books.

The Abigale Chronicles
by Jo Michaels
Book One Synopsis:
Abigale Fontenot is a twelve-year-old girl living in West Bluff, Louisiana, who believes she is perfectly ordinary. When she is threatened by a bully on her way to school one day, what happens causes Abigale to begin a new journey. She has to ask herself, "Is it real or is it all just a dream?" As Abigale learns in Book One, things are rarely exactly as they seem. Friendships are formed with unlikely people: a wizened old woman and Abigale's arch nemesis, Emmett, and with their help Abigale learns she is far from ordinary. Book One of The Abigale Chronicles will leave readers itching for more to find out for themselves just what in the World is happening to Abigale.

What reviewers are saying:
"I found this book very interesting. It puts the imagination into action. There is something for everyone no matter the age." ~ sweet pea

Book Two Synopsis:
Twelve-year-old Abigale Fontenot is struggling to figure out whether her adventures are real or imagined. After an adventure with Amazonian women in book one, Abigale and Emmett have formed a bond through mutual trust and secrets, but Kristy has turned against Abigale because of it. Now, Abigale again finds herself in a precarious situation with a city full of talking cats. Emmett is once more by her side as she faces down a vicious cat queen in an attempt to avoid certain death and restore the leadership of the city to its rightful owner. Will they succeed, or will they be roasted alive? What will happen when Kristy overhears the discussions about the adventures with Ada?

What reviewers are saying:
 "I enjoyed the 2nd book in the series better than the first, there was more action, and even though I don't usually like books with talking animals, I found this one fascinating." ~ Crystal Lee

Book Three Synopsis:
Abigale Fontenot is turning thirteen. Just when she thinks her birthday couldn't possibly get any worse, a new adventure takes hold. Abigale and Emmett are whisked away to a world of fantasy where knights, dragons, and princesses are the order of the day. Abigale is kidnapped by an evil prince in a nearby kingdom, and it's up to Emmett to rescue her. But Abigale finds that escape is not the most important thing; restoring the evil prince's kindness that has been locked away in a magical book by a wicked sorceress must come first. While Emmett is trying to rescue Abigale, she is trying to free the prince from his curse. Will she succeed in her quest before the evil prince kills Emmett, or will she fail and lose her new best friend? Will death matter if the whole thing is a dream, or are the adventures real and truly dangerous?

What reviewers are saying:
"Nice quick read. Written for somebody a little different from me, althought I still enjoyed it My niece just starting to read chapter books would probably love it." ~ Ray

Where can you get these books?
Amazon, Smashwords, B&N, iBooks, anywhere fine books are sold. They're just $0.99 each. You can find the links here: My Published Works

But wait! Last year, I released a special edition box set that has all three books and priced it at $2.99. For a limited time, this set will be just $1.95 on Amazon. The reduction was made recently, so be sure and check the price before you buy.

Here's the link for the 3 in 1: Gimmie the books!

If you prefer paperbacks, they're $5.99 each over at CreateSpace. They make great stocking stuffers for kids. Here are the links for those:
Book One
Book Two
Book Three

Remember, these books are geared toward those who are on a third grade reading level or higher. I wrote these books for my daughter and she simply loves them (she's eight). However, I also had a review on Smashwords from a young man who was fifteen and he loved them, too. So, I'd say the age range between those two is pretty bang on.

I hope you get a chance to grab a sample.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Friday, March 29, 2013

Completely Blown Away

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Today I'm feeling the love for sure! My Social Networking Schedule post has gone crazy. It seems you all want to know how to increase your Google rankings in just an hour a day. I don't blame you, it's something we all struggle with and I'm glad I could help out in some small way.

I've been sticking very tightly to the schedule myself. This week, I've done everything on the list from Monday through Friday. It's helping me, too! I'm managing things more easily and I'm not left wondering if I forgot to visit here or do that.

Because you've all been so awesome about sharing that post, I decided to do something for you, too! I reduced the price on six of my books yesterday.

Mystic ~ Bronya is now just $0.99
Mystic ~ Lily is now just $2.99
All three of The Abigale Chronicles books are $0.99 each.
Yassa is only $2.99

If you haven't picked up any of these titles yet, now's the time to do so. I'm only keeping them at this price for a month. Get on it! You can find a complete list of my books here:

Jo Michaels on Amazon

Thank you all for being awesome! I hope you enjoy the reads!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Ouch! Your Pin Stuck Me! - Day Five WABC

Happy Tuesday! My good people, today's topic is Pinterest. Another prompt from the Winter Author Blog Challenge brings up a number of questions I'm glad to answer. Hey, we're all learning here, right? So sit back, relax, and drink your coffee as you read; beginning with today's prompt:

One of the newest and fastest growing social media platforms is Pinterest. Have you jumped on board? What kinds of images do (or could) you post that are related to your book or the topic of your book? What other kinds of images do you post? Are you linking each post back to your blog, website, or Amazon page? IF YOU’RE NOT USING Pinterest, what’s holding you back? Take a look at book marketer extraordinaire John Kremer’s Pinterest Boards. After perusing them, how MIGHT you use Pinterest to brand yourself and your book? Is it something you’re considering? Be sure to give us your Pinterest link.





I'm a member of Pinterest. You can find my boards here: WriteJoMichaels  I post a lot of my book covers and blog posts there, as well as images from blogs I love to visit. Like I do on my blog, I try to provide useful content beyond shoving my books in your face and screaming, "Buy my book!" While I'd love it if folks ran out and bought my books, I try not to shove it down their throats so much.

I have boards for useful things I find, quotes I love, and one that's just for The Best Boyfriend in the World. Things I want to share with him and loving sentiments get plastered all over that one. I just can't help myself!

I don't link everything back to my own blog or Amazon page because not everything I post there has to do with my stuff.

After looking through John Kremer's boards, I see he does the same but has a lot more boards than I do. I tend to run lean on Pinterest because it's a time suck if I allow it to be. I much prefer Facebook and Twitter.

I have an announcement to make! Thanks to a heads up by the lovely +Jo Harrison, I've enrolled in Smashwords' Read an EBook Week. From midnight tonight PST, my ebooks on Smashwords will all be on sale. The Abigale Chronicles will be $0.99 each (books 1 & 2), Yassa will be just $2.25, and The Indie Author's Guide to: Building a Great Book will be FREE. This promotion will run until 11:59pm on March 9th. Here's the link to my profile: Jo Michaels. I hope you all go peruse the selection catalog when it goes live tonight at midnight.


What have you found daunting about Pinterest?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Monday, January 28, 2013

Radio Show Interview

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I have an interview on Ms. Sandi Tuttle's radio show. She's from the An Average Woman in a Superwoman World blog and is so much fun on the air! I invite you all to come listen, call in if you want to ask me a question, and share the lovely link with your friends.

You can listen here:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sandi-tuttle/2013/01/28/authors-corner-with-jo-michaels

Don't forget to enter the rafflecopter giveaway for your chance at an interior book design or digital identity package designed by me, if you're an indie author, and for a copy of The Bird and a bunch of book swag if you're a reader!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also, don't forget The Abigale Chronicles - Book Three is available for free until midnight tonight on Amazon!

Synopsis:
Abigale Fontenot is turning thirteen. Just when she thinks her birthday couldn't possibly get any worse, a new adventure takes hold. Abigale and Emmett are whisked away to a world of fantasy where knights, dragons, and princesses are the order of the day. Abigale is kidnapped by an evil prince in a nearby kingdom, and it's up to Emmett to rescue her. But Abigale finds that escape is not the most important thing; restoring the evil prince's kindness that has been locked away in a magical book by a wicked sorceress must come first. While Emmett is trying to rescue Abigale, she is trying to free the prince from his curse. Will she succeed in her quest before the evil prince kills Emmett, or will she fail and lose her new best friend? Will death matter if the whole thing is a dream, or are the adventures real and truly dangerous?




Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Thursday, December 20, 2012

12 Days of Christmas Day 11

Isn't it strange that I had exactly ten comments yesterday? Congratulations, commenting people of the blogosphere! You've all won a copy of Mystic~Bronya! I'll be in touch shortly to find out how to get you your prize if I don't know already (if you haven't won before). If I do know, watch your inbox! The winners are: Angela G, bashashhazbaz, Andrea B, Hayley L, Becky F, Tom A, Felicia T, Sarwah O, Marc N, and Mark M!


Tomorrow is the last day of the giveaway. I know, I'm sad, too! But I have a special announcement for you all so make sure you come back for that! Let's get on to today: Thursday, December 20 - Eleven people who comment will win an e-copy of Mystic~Lily!!

As yesterday, before I get to the part where I tell you how to enter, I'm going to list the books that were pitched so far and note the winners.
Andrea Buginsky - The Chosen Amazon link $0.99 *WINNER*
Michael Cargill - Underneath Amazon link $3.30 *WINNER*
Jennifer Lafferty - Offbeat Love Stories and More Amazon link $0.99
Jacques Antoine - Sen No Sen Amazon link $4.99
Brian Bigelow - Horror Bent Amazon link $2.99
Seeley James - The Geneva Decision: Pia Sabel #1 Amazon link $5.99
LJ - Fighting Destiny #1 Amazon link $3.99
Eric Dulin - Condemned (Deus Ex Machina Series) Amazon link $2.99 *WINNER*
Deborah Armstrong - Forever Love Amazon link $3.49 *WINNER*
Kate Baggott - Love From Planet Wine Cooler Amazon link $4.99
David Manuel - Killer Protocols (Richard Paladin Series) Amazon link $3.99
Aaron Saylor - Sewerville: A Southern Gangster Novel Amazon link $3.99
Ryan Astaphan - Travelphan: Fear, Faith, & Glory in a Journey Across Asia Amazon link $7.99
Michael Meyer - Deadly Eyes Amazon link $2.99
Ginney Etherton - Looping in Limbo (Lainey Tidwell Series) Amazon link $2.99 *WINNER*
S.J. Hunter - Longevity Amazon link $2.99
Felicia Tatum - The White Aura Amazon link $2.99
Brian Author Levene and Anon Beauty - The Other Girls Get Lucifer Everyday Amazon link $4.99 FREE today!
Troy Jackson - The Elementals Amazon link $4.99
Rebecca Elswick - Mama's Shoes Amazon link $3.79
Angela Graff - The Awakening Amazon link $2.99 *WINNER*
Hayley Linfield - The Truth about Dandelions Amazon link $5.99
Tom Abrahams - Sedition Amazon link $2.99
Sarwah Osei-Tutu - Bingo: One Woman's Journey Through Life Amazon link $4.99
Marc Nash - Time After Time Amazon link $2.99
Mark Mackey - Kristen Flemings in a Ghost Story Amazon link $0.99

I still have two more to buy. Remember, if you're not a winner yet, that doesn't mean you're out of the running, you're still on the list and I'll be reading a sample of your work. Looping in Limbo got me from the sample, The Awakening got me from the pitch.

Now for today's way to enter:
Tell me what your biggest complaint is about the human race and what book you've read in your lifetime that put things in perspective for you.

If you have a book to pitch, do that in part two of your comment. If not, just let your word-soaked brain go nuts on part one!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

12 Days of Christmas Day 10

Holy moly, Batman! Responses yesterday were off the charts! I'm excited so many of you are up for a review. Before I get to the meat and potatoes, here are yesterday's winners: Becky F, Brian B, Kate B, bashashhazbaz, Ginney E, Sheila H, Michael C, Ryan A, and Jacques A. Congratulations to you all! I'll be in touch today to find out where to send your prizes! Snapshot of the random.org drawing:
On to today's prize! For Wednesday, December 19 - Ten people who comment will win an e-copy of Mystic~Bronya! It's the first book of the Mystic series and is Paranormal Fiction.
Now, an impromptu surprise for you all! I'm making a list with links (I know how you all love lists). And the three books I'm buying today are highlighted in the list. Congratulations to those three authors! If you pimped your book, it will remain on my list. I still have four more to choose over the next two days. But come and do the daily tasks at your chance to win some great reads!

Indie authors who pimped their books yesterday were:
Michael Cargill - Underneath Amazon link $3.30 *WINNER*
Jennifer Lafferty - Offbeat Love Stories and More Amazon link $0.99
Jacques Antoine - Sen No Sen Amazon link $4.99
Brian Bigelow - Horror Bent Amazon link $2.99
Seeley James - The Geneva Decision: Pia Sabel #1 Amazon link $5.99
LJ - Fighting Destiny #1 Amazon link $3.99
Eric Dulin - Condemned (Deus Ex Machina Series) Amazon link $2.99 *WINNER*
Deborah Armstrong - Forever Love Amazon link $3.49 *WINNER*
Kate Baggott - Love From Planet Wine Cooler Amazon link $4.99
David Manuel - Killer Protocols (Richard Paladin Series) Amazon link $3.99
Aaron Saylor - Sewerville: A Southern Gangster Novel Amazon link $3.99
Ryan Astaphan - Travelphan: Fear, Faith, & Glory in a Journey Across Asia Amazon link $7.99
Michael Meyer - Deadly Eyes Amazon link $2.99
Ginney Etherton - Looping in Limbo (Lainey Tidwell Series) Amazon link $2.99
S.J. Hunter - Longevity Amazon link $2.99
Felicia Tatum - The White Aura Amazon link $2.99
Brian Author Levene and Anon Beauty - The Other Girls Get Lucifer Everyday Amazon link $4.99 FREE today!
Troy Jackson - The Elementals Amazon link $4.99
Rebecca Elswick - Mama's Shoes Amazon link $3.79

Remember, the rest of you aren't out of the running, you just didn't get chosen today. I chose three today instead of two because I only got to buy one yesterday! There will be two tomorrow and two the day after.

Lovely readers, here's how you can enter to win today:
Follow my reviews on Goodreads. Go read at least one and give it a like (this way you can see how I write reviews and what I look for) I'll get a notification when you like it. Then come back here and tell me what you liked/didn't like about my review process.

Part 2 of your comment should pimp your book if you haven't already. There are still two days left to win a buy and a review from me.

Good luck to you all!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

12 Days of Christmas Day 9

Can you believe there are only four more days in the giveaway? But some of the best books are happening now! I had three comments yesterday so those three people win a copy of Yassa! No drawing needed! I love not having to tell people they didn't win! So, congratulations to bashashhazbaz, Heather, and Andrea! I'll be sending your prizes over shortly.

Andrea, I'll be buying your book The Chosen today and I can't wait to delve in! It sounds like a wonderful story! You've won a purchase by me, a read, and a full review posted everywhere your book is available and a writeup here on my blog! Congratulations!
Now, on to the fun for Tuesday, December 18 - Nine people who comment will win a Mystic bookmark and one each of the postcards below. They look like this:

Bookmark Back


 


Bookmark Front


Postcard 1


Postcard 2


Postcard 3









Here's how to enter today: Go check out my Categorized Link List. Then come back and leave a comment telling me if there's a topic you'd like to see, as a reader or writer, that isn't there.

Don't forget! If you're an author, there's still seven purchases up for grabs. Pimp your book in part two of your comment. Tell me why you wrote it, why I should read it, and leave me a link so I can go check it out.

Good luck everyone!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Monday, December 17, 2012

12 Days of Christmas Day 8

It's the eighth day in my giveaway! Can you believe it's been eight days already? WOW! Happy Monday, everyone. I know it's the beginning of the week but Christmas is right around the corner now and I hope you've all gotten a chance to give something wonderful to those you love. I had five comments yesterday so by default, those five people win a copy of The Indie Author's Guide to: Building a Great Book. The winners are: Lionel, Andrea, Becky, Sandi, and Beth. Congratulations to you all! You'll be getting your prizes shortly so watch your inbox and spambox!

Repeat from yesterday's post: On a side note, bashashhazbaz, I need you to shoot me an e-mail please. Yassabook2012 at gmail dot com. You have two prizes now that I need to get to you but I can't find your contact info anywhere. Thanks!!

For today, Monday, December 17 - Eight people who comment will win an e-copy of Yassa.

And today is the day I'm going to give you the chance to sell me your book! Well, sort of. I'll choose two indie books each day from now until the end of the twelve days and buy them. That's eight books total. Your job is to tell me why I must read them.

So, to enter the contest for today it's a two part comment:
Part 1: Tell me what law you would create to keep peace in your army. Yassa was a law created by Genghis Khan that decreed: When you pledge your loyalty to another person, you must uphold that loyalty no matter what. There was only one punishment for breaking Yassa law: death. Hey, it worked for Genghis!

Part 2: Tell me a little about your book and leave me a link so I can go check it out. If I don't choose your book on the first day, don't worry! You still have four more days to convince me. It can be your book, a book you've read, or the book of a client but they must be INDIE. Things I want to know: WHY you wrote it or read it, what age range it's geared toward, and what you love most about it.

So, there you have it. I read ALL genres and there's very little I won't try.

Good luck to you all!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Sunday, December 16, 2012

12 Days of Christmas Day 7

Happy Sunday, good people of the blogosphere! There were only three entries yesterday so, by default, those people win copies of The Abigale Chronicles - Book 3. It's Abigale and Emmett in a magical realm of fairies, dragons, and an evil prince named Magnus. I hope you all enjoy the heck out of it! The winners are: bashashhazbaz, Becky, and Andrea! Congratulations to you all!

On a side note, bashashhazbaz, I need you to shoot me an e-mail please. Yassabook2012 at gmail dot com. You have two prizes now that I need to get to you but I can't find your contact info anywhere. Thanks!!


On to today's prize! On Sunday, December 16 - Seven people who comment will win an e-copy of The Indie Author's Guide to: Building a Great Book

To enter, leave a comment telling me what your biggest struggle as an Indie author has been as far as publishing goes. 

Good luck everyone! This is one of those books you'll wish you'd had from the beginning of your indie journey!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Saturday, December 15, 2012

12 Days of Christmas Day 6

It's the weekend! Happy Saturday, everyone! I bet you're all excited to find out who won yesterday's giveaway, right? Well, here we go! The winners are... *drumroll* Beth, Shannon, Heather, Andrea, and Sandi! Congratulations to you all! I'll be in touch shortly to find out how to get you your prize!
On the table for Saturday, December 15 - Six people who comment will win an e-copy of The Abigale Chronicles - Book 3

Here's how to enter:
Go agree with the tags or add some of your own on the book's Amazon page. Then come back here and leave a comment telling me what you would do if you were the prince or princess of a kingdom.

Don't forget, the day is still coming when I'll give you the chance to sell your book to me! Might be tomorrow, might be day 8, 10, or even 12. But whichever day it is, that's how many books I'll buy from my fellow indies :)

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Friday, December 14, 2012

12 Days of Christmas Day 5

Happy freakin' Friday, good people of the blogosphere! I have a number of announcements today so please bear with me!! First, the winners of yesterday's fun!
Congratulations to: Sandi, Lionel, bashashhazbaz, and Andrea! You've all won an ecopy of The Abigale Chronicles - Book 2! Guess what it's about? That's right, CATS! Your cat stories were hilarious and I loved reading about them. Thank you for the entertainment! I'll be in touch shortly to find out how to get you guys your prize!

Our prize for Friday, December 14 - Five people who comment will win $5 to spend over on Amazon

Before I get to today's task and how to enter, I have a super special surprise for you folks that voted in the reader's choice cover post from the other day. I'm headed over to random.org with your names and the top two selections will win an 11"x17" poster of the winning cover! Ohmygosh, right? So, here I go...
Congratulations to: Tia and Heather! You ladies won posters that will look like this:
Yup, that's the winning cover design! It'll be published sometime in February. I'll be in touch to find out how to get you your prizes! Now, on to today's fun task!
The task for today is: Go give my Amazon author page a like (if you haven't already) and come back and comment here telling me what you love most about reading. Tomorrow morning at 8am EST, I'll plug the names in and randomize FIVE winners. Those five people will get a $5 Amazon gift card. Good luck to everyone!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Thursday, December 13, 2012

12 Days of Christmas Day 4

Happy Thursday! Tomorrow is Friday and Day FIVE. You all know what that means! We only had one participant yesterday, Ms. Sandi Tuttle. So, she wins! Congratulations, Sandi! I'll be in touch shortly to find out where to send your prize! On to the fun for today!
The prize for Thursday, December 13 - Four people who comment will win an e-copy of The Abigale Chronicles - Book 2

Your topic for today is:
Cats! That's right, cats. Tell me about a cat you've either had or known and loved in a comment on this post. You have until 8am tomorrow to enter to win! I'll enter the names into random.org and choose a winner at that time. Good luck to you all!

Remember, because they're ecopies, this giveaway is international.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

12 Days of Christmas Day 3

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Here we are on day 3 of my lovely 12 days of Christmas giveaway. What better way to get over the Wednesday blues than by winning something awesome? Congratulations to Crystal Marcos and Fel Wetzig! You've both won copies of every one of my books! I'll be in touch shortly to find out how to get you your prizes. Here are the screenshots from random.org for today's drawing:
Entrants:
Winners:
Thanks to everyone who participated!

Now for today: Wednesday, December 12 - Three people who comment will win an e-copy of The Abigale Chronicles - Book 1

How to enter:
Pop over to Amazon and tag the book, then leave a comment on this post telling me what fascinates you most about Louisiana.

Entries will close tomorrow morning at 8am and I'll put the entrants into random.org and let it work its magic. Remember, three winners will be chosen!! You have a very good chance of winning. There will still be a day for you to pimp your book to me. Whichever day I choose, the number of winners will coincide with the number of indie books I'll buy. So, come on back and check every day! Good luck!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

12 Days of Christmas Day 2

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! I had five great entries for yesterday's giveaway and I'd like to announce that winner before we do anything else! Congratulations to Heather! You've won an e-copy of The Abigale Chronicles 3 in 1 combo pack! I'll be in touch today! The screenshot from random.org:
Now on to today's fun!
Day 2 - Tuesday, December 11 - Two people who comment will win a copy of every one of my books.

Your task for today is:
Leave a comment here telling me which one of my books you think you'd enjoy the most and why. You can find them all here. Entries close at 8am EST tomorrow when I'll go plug the names into random.org and choose a winner like I did today.
Share with your friends! The more entries we have, the merrier! Come on back tomorrow to see if you won and to enter for a chance to win The Abigale Chronicles - Book 1! Tomorrow will bring three winners!

Good luck to you all.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Woman v/s Women

Happy Black Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'd like to talk about that pesky word woman and the plural form women. I see this mistake so often, it's all I can do to not rip out my hair and bang my head on my desk. So, please be so kind as to read on and save me from uglification (holy crapballs, that's a word!).

Woman is the singular. Women is the plural. When you confuse the two, you look uneducated. Period. Grammar Nazi or no, you need to not confuse the simplest parts of speech if you want people to take you seriously as a writer.

Woman - Examples of correct usage:
That woman left her kids in the car all day with no air conditioning!
Would you please tell a woman today how beautiful she is?
Woman, bring me another beer!
Get that woman a mop, because she needs to clean my floors.

Note the word woman generally follows the word a or the word that. Singular. Not they, them, those, we, or otherwise.

Women - Examples of correct usage:
Those women need to buy a clue; that dude isn't interested.
We have five women here today to speak on behalf of our project.
Hard working women are God's gift to the lazy men of the world.
Women, as a collective, need to be kinder to one another!

Note the use of those, are, collective, and five. All of these words give you a clue that we're talking about more than one woman.

Incorrect usage:
That women left her kids in the car yesterday while she went into work!
Would you please tell a women today how beautiful they are?
Those woman are hard working.

I'm hoping you're getting my point. Please please try and remember the difference. An easy way: Men is plural for man. Easy peasy.

What confusion drives you batty?

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Giving Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving, good people of the blogosphere! Today, a post about thanks. Buckle in and have a few laughs and a few tears with me!!


First off, let me begin by thanking people:

The Best Boyfriend in the World - Thank you for believing in me and encouraging me every day. It means the world. Your advice is always spot on and I love you more than words. I know I'm a giant pain in the ass sometimes, but you're still here! I'm thankful for you every day.

My Mom - You've always been such an advocate of me, no matter what I was trying to do with myself. Your support has carried me through some very dark times, got me off my ass and made me try harder, and given me strength when I was weak. Your words, "We don't give up. Ever." meant so much to me. Thank you for being an awesome parent.

My Kidlings - You guys always make me think outside the box. You make me clean, too, but that's a good thing (at least we have a tidy house). Without you five in my life, I would be a lazy buggar. Thank you for every hug, every "I love you, Mom." and every smile you deign to pass my way. I love you all.

My Peers - Thank you for your encouragement, comments, following, and all around awesomeness. I wouldn't trade this community for a million bucks. You guys ROCK.

My Readers - Without you, what would I be? A person hitting keys without direction. You make me a success with every review, kind word, and display of excitement when I have a new book coming out. Thank you for taking a chance on an unknown author and letting me know your opinion of my works. Even when they're bad, they're awesome. Why? Because you took the time to let me know.

My Friends - Some of my peers have become my friends. They know who they are. I look forward to reading your comments on my posts and reading/commenting on yours. I thank you for all your feedback on my books, artworks, and posts. Those of you that have joined forces with me in one way or another: THANK YOU so much for taking the time to get to know me and letting me get to know you.

Now, I'll thank corporations:

Amazon - Thank you for creating KDP publishing!
Smashwords - Thank you for giving me a distribution platform!
Rafflecopter - Thank you for giving me a way to handle promotions!
Blogger/Google - Thank you for the web space and for being such an awesome host!

Well, that's all for today, folks! HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Friday, November 16, 2012

Write From Life

Happy FRIDAY, good people of the blogosphere! At the bottom of today's post, I'm gonna list all the fantastic rafflecopters I have going on my blog so you can enter to win! First, I'm going to address something not many people may know about: writing from life. So grab those pens/pencils and notebooks and let's get going!

 

Most of what we writers put on the page comes from life. We can't help it. If you find a particularly good book, you'll know the writer pulled it right from life and was honest on the page. Characters that seem amazing and well rounded were likely based on someone the person knows in the real world.

Pulling from life may seem like a risk. For some, it's a huge risk (especially when it's an expose) but they're willing to take it. Why? Not to make a million bucks, that's for sure. If you're an author, you know that's a one in a couple hundred thousand shot. They do it because they want to share their story, the people they know, or because their imaginations can't be contained.

Yes, they do really see you with purple skin, six horns, and an eye in the middle of your forehead when they look at you. Calm down, it's not a knock!

They write because they're compelled to write. Something inside of them pulls them to the keys where they simply must tell the story their brains have created. It all comes from life. If you end up as a character in a fiction novel, shake the author's hand; they thought you were interesting enough to write about. If you're the villain, maybe you need to look in the mirror...

Most of us write the truth as we see it. Sure, there's a fictional twist here and there if we're fiction writers, but you'll find that your true self will be exposed if you end up in the pages of a book.

Many of my characters have my personality flaws. As I write, I work through some of them. Others, I adore and want to keep. After all, to be human is to be flawed. However, there's a good chance that reading a book someone has written with you as a main character will teach you how to interact with that person or give you insights into your life you never considered.

Writers are students of human nature. We watch, examine, listen like hawks, and throw in a little fiction before writing it down. It's writing right from life at its finest.

If you're a writer, talk to people, observe them, get them to open up to you in ways you only imagined possible on the pages. You can do it; everyone likes to be listened to. Keep in mind that you shouldn't judge and before long you'll have a notebook teeming with profiles for great, rounded characters.

Now, without further ado, the rafflecopter widgets:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck, everyone!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

200th Post Giveaway!

Hello, good people of the blogosphere! This is my 200th blog post! Talk about exciting! My stats are off the charts and I have my followers, fans, and friends to thank.

As a HUGE thank you, I'm doing a giveaway of all my books. That's right, even Shelia, the third book in my Mystic series. It won't be published until December 21st (doomsday) so this is a unique contest. International!

Enter below and win something :) Information/synopsis/cover art can be seen here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Again, thank you all for visiting and being fans of my books and blog.

BIG HUGS!

That's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Release Day and Special Bundle Pack

It's release day! You can now purchase The Abigale Chronicles - Book Three at Amazon!

But WAIT! I have a super special for all you folks with kids who love Abigale! You can get ALL THREE books for half the price! How? I've released a special bundle edition in celebration! Keep reading...

I decided that I wanted to do something special for all of Abigale's fans. So, for half the price of buying each book individually, you can own all three! This three book collection will be pulled from the shelves in February 2013 so you want to jump in and grab it now. Here's the deal:

At just $2.99, you're saving almost three dollars by buying the complete collection as one.

It will NOT be available in print. This is a Kindle ONLY limited edition.

Available on Amazon.










The Abigale Chronicles - Book Three - Young Readers (Series)

If you already have the first two, you can pick up The Abigale Chronicles - Book Three for just $1.99 on Amazon. If you prefer print books, feel free to hop over to CreateSpace and grab a paperback copy for just $5.99.

Synopsis:
Abigale Fontenot is turning thirteen. Just when she thinks her birthday couldn't possibly get any worse, a new adventure takes hold. Abigale and Emmett are whisked away to a world of fantasy where knights, dragons, and princesses are the order of the day. Abigale is kidnapped by an evil prince in a nearby kingdom, and it's up to Emmett to rescue her. But Abigale finds that escape is not the most important thing; restoring the evil prince's kindness that has been locked away in a magical book by a wicked sorceress must come first. While Emmett is trying to rescue Abigale, she is trying to free the prince from his curse. Will she succeed in her quest before the evil prince kills Emmett, or will she fail and lose her new best friend? Will death matter if the whole thing is a dream, or are the adventures real and truly dangerous?

While you're here, don't forget to go enter the rafflecopter drawing for your chance at Bronya and Lily; book one and two of the Mystic series.

Click me to get to the widget!

I'd like to say thank you again to the 100 great fans of my FaceBook page for making it happen!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Monday, September 24, 2012

Writing and Designing

Today is one of those days where I'm going to write a lot and work on a cover design for a friend. I am leaving you all in the very capable hands of my rafflecopter to ease your mind and give you something to do. :)

Enter to win!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Remember, The Abigale Chronicles - Book Three releases officially tomorrow. Read more about it here. I may have some goodies up my sleeve for the release, I may not. You'll just have to come back tomorrow to find out!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo