Book Review - Dry Stories

Happy Hump-day, everyone! It's the middle of the week and just two more days to go until the weekend. I've been writing my little fingers off on a WIP I think you'll all be super excited for. More on that later. Today is book review day! I've written a review for this author before, and I adored Love From Planet Wine Cooler. You can see that review here. If you haven't joined the 2015 Review Team, come on over and get involved! Just grab the badge, put a post on your blog with the badge and a little note about you joining, and come add the post to the linky thing on this page. No rules! Just books. All the books! Anyway, grab a cup of coffee and let's get going.

All about the book up for review today:

Title: Dry Stories
Author: Kate Baggott
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Length (print): About 82 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $3.56

Synopsis:

When I called you each morning, while it was late night to you, my body thought it was night too. Our energy levels and rhythms were the same. I could feel it over the phone, across time zones and oceans. I felt like I was still at home combing nits out of your hair and helping your brother and your cousin edge you toward a new life, a better way of life without booze. Then, one more day passed and I got enough sunshine and enough fresh air for my body to adjust. I was back in this place, I had a new rhythm of family life and work and the ways of this adopted country.

“How can I do this?” I thought. “How can I fit this responsibility in too?”

Disguised as letters to a friend in need, “Dry Stories” delves into the psyche of the main character, revealing her passions, her fears, her needs, and her desires. Separated from her home country while living abroad with her husband and children, she struggles to conform to foreign traditions, accept local customs, and maintain her identity.

This literary compilation of short stories can be read as stand-alone pieces, or sequentially in a compelling novella. Each story is a letter written to a friend recovering from alcoholism and resonates with the truth of what it is to be human in a naturally disconnected world.

On to the review!

I snagged a sample of this book during the 12 Days of Review Requests event on my blog when the author pitched her story to me. I've read Kate's work before and loved it; I knew this book would be on par as far as quality of writing. I was happy to find it was, and went on to buy the book. I was so invested in the story, I read it in one sitting. But, let's get to the good stuff.

From a Reader's Perspective:
I found the story (or collection of stories) to be touching and soul-searching on a whole new level. I've never dealt directly with an alcoholic, but I've seen enough movies and met enough recovering ones to be a little familiar with the process of drying out. What the author brings to the table in this book feels personal and raw. She drags you down into the quagmire with the main character, showing you what it's like to feel responsibility toward someone you know who's struggling. Even if it isn't your place to be the rock in that person's life, your heart tells you not to give up. I was pulled by the compassion and humanity on the pages, even as I felt for the main character and her struggles with her own demons. Everything flowed well, though I would like to have seen a bit more of the story. It felt as though it ended rather abruptly. Though I wouldn't discourage you from reading it based on that alone. What you get is a heart-wrenching tale of two people who struggled in similar ways, but dealt with it very differently. You realize they're bonded on a much deeper level, and for one to fall would be the demise of both.

From an Editor's Perspective:
Very nicely done.

Rating:
1 Star for excellent flow
1 Star for showing me the true horrors of dealing with an alcoholic
1 Star for making me feel the connection between the main character and her friend
.5 Star for keeping me interested enough to keep reading
-.5 Star for the abrupt ending that left me a little hungry for more
1 Star for stellar editing
Overall 4.5 out of 5 stars. But, I round up! So, this book gets 5. Recommended for those who like writing on a deeper level. A story with heart instead of fluff.

What do you think? Have you read Baggott's work? Gonna pick this one up?

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

Jo

How Writers Can Use Google Chrome Remote Desktop

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, you get a digital goodie that's all about productivity and collaboration. So, sit back, grab a cup of Jo, and let's get rolling!

I'm sure you're all familiar with Google Chrome, right? Well, if you don't use that, this post isn't for you. But, if you do, and you have an iOS device...

Google Chrome Remote Desktop is now available for your Apple device. It's free, and you can get it here.

Why am I so excited about it? Well, as you may know, I recently published a book titled Fractured Glass with four other ladies. When it came time to edit the novel, we had a ton of back and forth between myself and Tia Silverthorne Bach (the editors). It was difficult to collaborate with the miles between us.

The Remote Desktop app would've allowed us to share our desktops and edit that novel together. It would've cut our editing time in half (at least), and given us the opportunity to make decisions about structure and consistency on the fly. Those two things set us back a couple of times.

But, if you're writing a novel with a second person, this app could be of even more use. Tell me you wouldn't love to be able to co-edit right in MS Word! Yeah, that's what I'm saying. You can both be writing your novel at the same time.

As a disclaimer, I'm not being paid to tell you about this (I never am), and I'm not sure how many people can share at once with this app. I just heard about it over the last week.

When you click on the link above, it'll give you screenshots to show you how the app works, and you can read the reviews of users taking advantage. It's sitting at four stars, which means it can't be terrible or difficult to use.

So, if you're someone who likes to try new things that may save you time, check it out. If not, just keep doing what you're doing. Like I said, I just found out about it. Once I get some use under my belt, I'll be back to let you all know my thoughts about how it works/doesn't work. So, we'll see!

Do you use it? How? Has it helped you? If not, will you give it a shot?

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

Jo

Author Interview - Casey Peeler

Happy Monday, everyone! It's time for another unofficial utopYA author interview! Today, I bring you Ms. Casey Peeler! You're gonna love her southern charm and spunk. If you aren't familiar with utopYA, I have to wonder if you've been hiding under a rock, or if this is your first visit to my blog. *grin* Are you an author or reader of awesome books? Then this is a conference you don't want to miss out on! Find more information about the con here. Once you've decided this IS the con for you (how could it not be?), get your tickets while they're still on sale at early bird prices! Then, come on back to the blog and meet some of the people attending! Every Monday from now until the middle of June, you'll get either an author interview or some awesome information on the featured author's books. Don't miss out! Okay, enough of my jawing. Let's get to the good stuff!

Jo: Welcome to the blog, Casey! Wow, are you ever an interesting lady. I spent a good amount of time researching you for this interview. I hope you’re ready for what I found. *grin*

Casey: Oh my gosh! I can’t wait to see what you’ve found! I’m super excited about this interview and utopYA 2015!

Jo: Right? Just six months away now. Wow. Okay, let’s jump right in so the natives don’t get restless, shall we? What made you choose the Southern Romance genre?

Casey: I have lived in North Carolina my entire life. Some people don’t think of NC as “that Southern.” Once I open my mouth, you’ll never doubt it.  :) I chose Southern Romance because that is what I know. I absolutely love a good ole country boy, country music, hunting, fishing, and a good field party back in the day! I’m also a girl who believes there are fairytales and happily ever afters.

Jo: There are most certainly happy ever afters. I'm totally living my own. *grin* North Carolina is certainly in the South. Love that you have an accent! So, which aspects of romance can we find in your six novels?

Casey: Full Circle Series (No Turning Back, Full Circle, and Loving Charley) is about overcoming your past and discovering who you are as an individual in order to find your HEA. It can be read from anyone that’s in high school to 100, even though it is considered New Adult. Our Song is a Contemporary Romance novella. It’s one of my favorites that I’ve written. I told y’all I’m a sucker for a country boy. Now make him a country singer in a pair of tight jeans shaking it on stage, and I’m a goner! In Tune: A Love’s Duet is an anthology that features several authors and includes Our Song. All proceeds go to Fender Music Foundation to put music back in classrooms. Southern Perfection is a Young Adult romance, but it’s so much more than just romance. It’s about a family, secrets, faith, and love. This one holds a piece of my heart!

Jo: Those sound amazing. I love books with a life lesson of some kind. What event or events brought you to the decision to re-release Southern Perfection? Can you give us an example of a major change we might find?

Casey: This answer could be really long, so I’m going to be as brief as possible. Kenzie, Jillian Dodd’s daughter, read Southern Perfection after a conversation Jillian and I had in September. She liked it, but thought I could make a few changes to make it even better. After a call with Jillian and Beth Suit, editor, the rest is history! It’s releasing 1/13/15, tomorrow! ** Eeeep! Two stepping all over the house right now! **

In the new Southern Perfection, there are major changes in the prologue, the flow of the story, one major scene/turning point, and Emmett and Raegan’s future is laid out for you.

Jo: Sometimes, you just gotta have those re-writes! Sounds like a lot of work went into the second edition. I wish you awesome luck with it. I have to know: Where’d you come up with the name Emmett?

Casey: Honestly, I always try to find names that sound like strong, southern men. I also try to use names you don’t see often in other novels. If you look up the meaning, you will find it means, “a powerful force to all those lives they touch.” (http://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/emmett ) If you’ve read Southern Perfection, you would agree that the name suits the character. Ladies, he’s going to make you swoon even more in the NEW Southern Perfection!

Jo: I use that name in my Abigale Chronicles Series for middle grade readers. It's my son and my grandfather's name. *grin* I love it! Does your dance mom background ever show up in your novels? If yes, which one and how? If no, why not?

Casey: At this point, that hasn’t happened yet! Now that you bring it up, it totally could in the future.

Jo: Why not, right? *wiggles eyebrows* Tell me a little about being a special needs teacher. What grade do you teach? What’s it like working with special needs kids?

Casey: I have taught high school special education for eleven years. I have students from grades 9-12, and I teach anything from English to a class called Occupation Preparation which is where students learn job skills to be productive citizens. Teaching students with special needs is an adventure each and every day, and sometimes the things kids say you honestly wouldn’t believe unless you were there. Most people tell me that they admire what I do, but honestly, I wouldn’t teach any other type of student. The students I teach each day are the ones that are our future. They aren’t going to be a doctor or lawyer, but they are the ones that will keep this world functioning. We all know that a college degree is nice, but if you didn’t have a mechanic, plumber, electrician, or any other vocational trade, this world would be in a mess. The biggest obstacle I face each and every day is their self confidence. They think everyone “knows” that they aren’t the top of the class. What I try to instill in them is that it doesn’t matter if you are number one in your class or two thousand as long as you are comfortable with who you are - strengths, weaknesses, likes, and dislikes - you will go far in life.

Jo: *claps* What an awesome thing you're doing. My niece is a deaf interpreter for special needs high schoolers. I totally admire you ladies. Rapid fire questions! Wine or beer?

Casey: Beer!

Jo: Woman after my own heart! Beautiful Disaster or Walking Disaster?

Casey: Beautiful Disaster <3<3<3<3 #TravisMaddox4Life #mypermanentbookboyfriend

Jo: I knew that. *laughs* Big or small?

Casey: Small

Jo: Like, really tiny? I do adore small dogs. Now I have to ask you the time travel question because that’s the theme of utopYA 2015! Since you love country, you might like this one! *grin* If you could go back to the old west in America, what type of business would you be most interested in seeing? What town would you go to? Is there anything you’d want to do while you were there?

Casey: The Saloons! Helloooooo! I’m all about a cold beverage, loud music, and entertainment!


Jo: Sounds like fun! You could host a party there! Besides utopYA, you’re going to four other events in 2015 including A Novel Experience in Las Vegas. Have you ever attended any of those events before, and which one is your favorite? Why?

Casey: This year, utopYA is the only event that I have attended in the past. I will have to say, I’m super excited for Vegas!

Jo: Vegas should be fun. If you see A. G. Howard, high-five her for me! *grin* I poked around your review blog, Hardcover Therapy. Love it! I adore how it started with people asking you what they should read next. Tell me a couple of the difficulties you’ve had running a review blog, and what you get out of it.

Casey: The hardest thing is balancing everything - everyday life, reading, and writing. At one point when I was just reviewing, I felt horrible telling people no. Needless to say, I learned that you can’t read everything. My cousin loves to read as much as me. Chelly is now part of the Hardcover Therapy team, and she will be at utopYA with me again this year! :)

Jo: Amen. Balance is difficult at the best of times. Awesome that you're bringing Chelly on! I bet she's stoked. What are you working on right now? Care to give us a quick rundown?

Casey: **Takes a deep breath**
~Southern Perfection re-releases on 1/13/15.
~By Chance, a NA standalone novel, will release late March 2015.
~Full Circle Series will re-release in time for utopYA.
~Waiting on Walker, a MC Novella with a country twist releases early August 2015
~Full Circle Spinoff: Piper’s story (title TBD) will release in late October 2015.
~In December 2015, you will see either a Christmas novella featuring the Full Circle Series OR a novel to go along with Our Song!
**Breathes**

Jo: Whoa, that's a lot to manage! I'm crossing my fingers all goes well for you. I’ve taken up a TON of your time (hey, I’m thorough if nothing else), but I have just one more question. I saw that you named Travis Maddox as your perma-book boyfriend. What is it about that character that makes you swoon?

Casey: He was my “first” I guess you could say. Yes, I have read all kinds of books, but nothing compares to him. I swear, I was never the one that liked the bad boy kind, but I have always looked for the good in everyone. Even though he does some stupid things, he has a good heart. He tries so hard! Bless his heart! He wants to do what’s right and take care of Abby but he doesn’t know how. Oh and him fighting – HOT, tattoos - HOT, and that dang dimple – BEYOND HOT! Most of all, I love that when he loves with his whole heart, he is never the same. 

 “I know we're fucked up, alright? I'm impulsive, and hot tempered, and you get under my skin like no one else. You act like you hate me one minute, and then need me the next. I never get anything right, and I don't deserve you...but I fucking love you, Abby. I love you more than I loved anyone or anything ever. When you're around, I don't need booze, or money, or the fighting, or the one-night stands...” ~ snippet from Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire

I guess you could say every dang detail about him makes me swoon. I’ve read that book at least 8 times, and each time I fall harder and harder! Needless to say that Walking Disaster let me in on everything I wanted to know, and oh I was in tears at one point! I could ramble on for DAYS about why Travis “Maddog” Maddox is my permanent book boyfriend, or I should say book husband because if didn’t you know, I married him in a Beautiful Wedding! ;)

Jo: How sweet is that? I read some of the lesser reviews of that novel before I wrote mine. Holy crap people can be mean! Anyway, moving on! Well, that’s all the blog space we have for today. It was lovely having you on the blog, Casey! Thank you so very much for your time. I can’t wait to meet you at utopYA in June!

Casey: Thank you again for having me today! Jo, you have outdone yourself! You went above and beyond with your research and I <3 it! Thank you for wanting to know more about me and letting everyone coming to UTopYA know a little more about me! This has been a blast… now I’m going to swoon over Travis! ;)

Now, it’s time to reveal the featured book of the week! **PLEASE NOTE! Price changes to $3.99 on all platforms on 1/14/15 at 12:01am**

Title: Southern Perfection
Author: Casey Peeler
Genre: Young Adult Romance
Length (print): 221 pages
Buy links: Amazon Kindle $0.99  ~  Barnes and Noble Nook $0.99  ~  iBooks $0.99  ~  Google Play $0.99

Synopsis: Life is full of choices: good, bad, and ones you can’t control.

Raegan strives to be perfect in every way. Varsity cheerleader, honor student, and proud granddaughter of Dover Lowery. By day, Raegan is an over-achieving high school student, but at three o’clock, her real work begins.

What happens when appearances are not what they seem? Will Raegan be able to hold on to her life as she knows it, or will she be left all alone? All of these questions are answered with one night, one song, one story, and one boy.

While your fingers are in the clicking mode, why not give Ms. Peeler a follow on every social media platform I could think of when writing up the template for these interviews (plus some)?

Website: Author Casey Peeler
Amazon: Casey Peeler's Author Page
Facebook: Casey Peeler Author
Twitter: @AuthorCasey
Tumblr: Casey Peeler Author
Pinterest: Author Casey
Goodreads: Casey Peeler
YouTube: Author Casey Peeler's YouTube Channel
Tsu: Casey Peeler
Wattpad: Author Casey
Google +: Casey Peeler Author

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
If you have any questions for Casey, pop them into the comments below.

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

Jo

Cover Reveal - Secrets Revealed MysticSeekers III

Happy Saturday, everyone! Today, I have a little post for you all from N. L. Greene! I hope you enjoy this look at the newest installment of her series. Have a wonderful day and stay warm!

I'm so excited to finally share the cover for the final book in The MysticSeekers Series...

Secrets Revealed! 

But, before we do, here's a little bit about the book...

Author - 

N.L. Greene

Author Bio - 

Author N.L. Greene is a writer of YA and NA Contemporary and Paranormal Romances. She currently lives in Florida with her husband and two beautiful daughters. When she isn't writing or reading, she enjoys traveling around the world with her family, shopping and doing other girly things with her girls, or playing video games with her husband. She is a lover of dogs, chocolate, and anything pink!

Book Blurb - 

In the final book of The MysticSeeker Series, Katherine Rebecca will have some hard decisions to make that will forever alter her life.  Lance finally showed his true colors when he attacked and nearly raped her, but amid all the turmoil and confusion new secrets were exposed.  Shocking revelations that had her spinning and questioning everything and everyone in her life.

Sam is a magic user like Blaine and although she saved Becky, Becky's smart enough to know that her 'friends' sudden appearance in her life isn't a coincidence. What does Sam really want with Becky? And was she pretending to be her friend to get it?  Ethan, Becky's best friend and knight in shining armor has been there for her, proving to be a loyal and trustworthy friend. She hasn't been blind to his true feelings for her though. Having fallen for Blaine so quickly, she pushed Ethan away keeping him solidly in the friend zone. But when Ethan shows up distraught and worried after Lance's attack, she wonders if she'd made a mistake.

Until Blaine Winters knocked on her door again.

Can Becky handle Blaine's disappearing and reappearing acts while dealing with Ethan's feelings, Sam's deception, and the things that are still going bump in the night?

And Finally.... 

THE COVER!!!!

Author Links - 

FB ~ Twitter ~ Amazon ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram ~ Blog

Other books by this Author - Illusions Begin (MysticSeeker Series book 1) Magic Unfolds (MysticSeekers Series book 2), Twisted, & Fractured Glass (A novel anthology)

Love it? Yeah, so do I!

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

Jo

Official utopYA Con Author Interview - Marissa Meyer

Happy, happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! This is my official utopYA con 2015 post for the month of January. I’m excited to be bringing you one of the female authors tearing up the book market right now, Marissa Meyer! That’s right, the author of The Lunar Chronicles is gracing you with her presence. *grin* So exciting! She’ll be at the conference in June, and she’ll be speaking on two panels: ClockWise World Building and Gender Roles & Stereotypes. If you haven’t added those to your schedule yet, do that now.

For this month, the official bloggers are bringing you amazing utopYA panelist interviews, information, and awe-inspiring stories. Be sure and visit the other wonderful utopYA blogs:

Week 2 – A Book Vacation
Week 3 – The Paisley Reader
Week 4 – Book Junkie: Not So Anonymous

Remember, I'll be bringing you snippets of those posts with links every Friday so you'll remember to head over and check them out.

Let’s get to the interview! I know you’re all eager to hear what I’m going to ask.

Jo: Welcome to the blog, Marissa. You’re such an inspiration to so many female authors out there, and I’m honored to have you for a few questions. I can’t wait to meet you at utopYA. That being said, for my first question, I’d like to know what the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten on writing was and who it came from.

Marissa: Thank you so much for including me in your utopYA blogger coverage! I’m not sure where I first heard this advice (it’s certainly not unique), but I think the best advice is to write what you’re truly excited about, and what you love. It can be tempting to try and write to the trends or follow the market, but writing can be a long, exhausting process, and you need love and passion to get all the way to the end. And that passion will show through in the final product!

Jo: You’re so very welcome. We're stoked you had the time! That’s awesome advice, and I know a lot of writers will benefit from it. Hear that, everyone? Write what you’re excited about! Question two: Did you expect the wild success of your series, and how did you feel when you realized it was taking off the way it did?

Marissa: Oh, never. When I was writing Cinder I thought it would be a miracle if anyone else ever read it. There were many days when I thought I must be crazy, thinking that anyone else in the world would be interested in reading about a cyborg Cinderella! But that goes back to writing what you love – I was so excited about Cinder’s story from the moment it popped into my head, so I knew I had to write it and try to publish it. Once I started submitting to agents, though, things started to happen fast and I began to think that, okay, maybe I’m not crazy after all! The series ended up going to auction between two publishers, and Macmillan sent us a preliminary marketing plan, which was very extensive and enthusiastic. I think that was the first point when I realized that maybe this was going to be a Big Thing. (Though to this day it doesn’t feel entirely real!)

Jo: I can’t imagine how you felt. Must’ve been one heck of a high! You’re living the dream so many authors have. Congratulations! How awesome. Question three: What fuels your creative process?

Marissa: Ever since I was a kid I’ve lived my life half in reality, half in daydreams. I just constantly have little fantasies going through my head, and over time those start to crystallize into stories, complete with characters and adventures and little snapshots of different scenes. I long ago realized that if I didn’t write those stories down, they would haunt me forever. I might go through periods where I’m not “inspired” or excited about a particular writing project, but that need to write never goes away entirely.

Jo: I’m with you there. So many words, so little time! *grin* I have to know: Did you plot out your entire Lunar Chronicles series before you started writing? If yes, how long did it take you and what were some of the road-bumps you had to navigate through? If no, what’s been the biggest drawback to not having a set plot?

Marissa: I did – I’m big on outlines, and I knew early on that I wanted this series to overlap and intertwine in a way that felt really airtight. So I outlined all four books before I started writing, which probably took a couple of months, and then I drafted Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress all back to back. It was really helpful for getting a feel for the plot and characters and being able to foreshadow some events in the later books. That said, things always change, no matter how much forethought I put into them! So while I may have drafted the first three books early on, they all ended up having to be rewritten once I really started figuring things out. It was worth it, though—having so much written at the beginning of the process gave me a lot to work with.

Jo: I bet that helped when you were shopping book one. I know I’d like to see an author with their stuff together if I were a publisher. That’s quite an undertaking. Fantastic job! Last question! Since time travel is the theme of utopYA con 2015, I like to ask about past and future choices. So, is there anything you’d go back and change in your writing career? What impact do you think it would have?

Marissa: Oh my, good question! There was one novel that I’d started writing before Cinder about a teenage girl who was secretly an assassin. I ended up setting that novel aside for various reasons, but it still has a special place in my heart and I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I’d finished and tried to sell that book first, especially now with the success of assassin books like Grave Mercy and Throne of Glass. This isn’t so much a regret—obviously things have worked out pretty well with The Lunar Chronicles!—but it’s one of those things that I think about sometimes. Who knows, maybe that book will make a reappearance someday!

Jo: Well, if it does, I’m sure it’ll be as amazing as your series! Thank you so much for gracing us with your presence. I know you’re a very busy lady, and I appreciate you taking the time for my interview. I’ll see you at utopYA!

Now you know what kind of amazing people you’ll get to meet at the con. If you don’t have tickets yet, get them here while they’re still at early-bird prices.

Want to read Cinder? Pick up a copy on Amazon here for $2.99 (as of the date of this post).
Already read Cinder? Interested in Fairest? Pre-order it on Amazon here for $9.99 (as of the date of this post). Releases Jan 27, 2015.

Let’s give Marissa a follow on social media, shall we?
Twitter: @Marissa_Meyer
Facebook: Marissa Meyer Author
Website: MarissaMeyer.com

Thanks for reading the interview, and I do hope you pick up a copy of Cinder, book one of the series!

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

Jo

Your Blog's Big Event

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! Since Thursday is writing tips day, I thought I'd give a little to the bloggers out there about planning and hosting an event. So, get your pens and notebooks ready, grab your coffee, and let's get rolling!

As you may know, every year I do a little thing here on the blog called the 12 Days of Review Requests. This event not only gets me great books to read and review over the next year, it also helps me expand my network, meet new (awesome) people, and connect with other book bloggers and reviewers.

I spend all year thinking about what I'll do next and planning my marketing for December. I have to choose days, invite awesome bloggers, and gather donations from other authors. 2014 was the biggest year yet, and I intend to make it even more epic in 2015.

Over on My Book Addiction, Toni Lesatz has her zOctober event that focuses solely on zombie novels and the authors who write in that genre. She sent me information three months out about my guest post, what was expected of me, and what I needed to do to take part. That told me she spends a ton of time setting her event up, too.

So, if you went through my how to become a book blogger series, you'll know there's a lot more to running a blog than just choosing a name and typing stuff up once in a while. You need a plan and a big event of some kind that'll take your blog to a new level. After all, what good is a blog if no one reads it, right?

But, before you get all crazy, you have to first decide what kind of event you're going to hold and what you're gonna call it. Here's a quick list of things to consider:

• Why should people attend?
• What's in it for them?
• What's in it for you?
• How will it be run?
• Where can you market your event?
• What if (what can go wrong)?
• Will you accept donations? If yes, what kind?
• How long do you have to plan?
• How long will your event run?
• Is there another blog with a huge event running in the same time frame?
• Could you partner to make both events a little bigger?
• How will you handle donations? Will you deliver the goods or will the donator?

After you answer all those questions, you're ready to start planning. Take these steps:

1. Form a marketing plan for the event based on the type (I'll get to that in a moment).
2. Plan for snafus.
3. Ask for donations (if you plan to take them).
4. Set up your Rafflecopter forms.
5. Design stuff for your theme.
6. Pre-write your posts or gather guest posts and get them formatted.
7. Prepare your invites.
8. Take a deep breath and dive in!

Here are some types of events:

• Blog challenges: Many bloggers join and plan to post each day--and visit posts by others--for a set period of time (do a search for the A-Z challenge, and the Author Blog Challenge).
• Author/theme spotlights: Guest authors appear and highlight their books. Can be in one genre or many (zOctober).
• Book Celebrations: Readers gather together to talk books, and/or authors can join in and pitch books (12 Days Review Requests).

I'm sure there are more, but those are the ones that roll off the top of my head. Your imagination is your only limit here.

You can also join up with a couple of memes. I know there's a few out there like Waiting on Wednesday (books you're looking forward to reading), Stacking the Shelves (books you've bought over the last week), and many, many more. That'll drive some traffic to your blog and help you discover other bloggers to network with.

Above all else, make your blog something people will want to stick around to look at again and again.

So, talk to me! What big events are you planning? Have you ever considered running something like this?

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

Jo

Book Review - The Release Club

Happy Wednesday, good people of the blogosphere! Per my updated blog schedule, you're getting a book review today! In case you haven't checked it out yet, pop on over and take a gander at the 2015 Review Team. There are a good number of folks signed up, and it's where all these reviews will be appearing once I get them written. Feel free to join in the fun. Grab a cup of coffee and get warm because it's hella cold outside!

First, a quick recap of my review books for 2015:
The Release Club 1 - Misty Provencher - REVIEW BELOW

Bound by Duty - Stormy Smith - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Shadows on Snow (A Flipped Fairy Tale) - Starla Hutchon - Amazon Kindle $2.99
From the Wreckage - Michelle G. Miller - Amazon Kindle FREE
8 Weeks - Bethany Lopez - Amazon Kindle $3.99
The Tree of Everlasting Knowledge - Christine Nolfi - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Moonlight - David Rose - Amazon Kindle $1.69
Facade: A Vampire Love Story - R. M. Webb - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Siren - Jennifer Melzer - Amazon Kindle $3.99
Queen of Someday - Sherry Ficklin - Amazon Kindle $5.99
Fragile Creatures - Kristina Circelli - Amazon Kindle $2.99
At One's Beast - Rachel Barnard - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Unseen - Stephanie Erickson - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Heart Thief - S. Lee Benedict - Amazon Kindle $4.99
Refuge - Violet Haze - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Kindling Flames-Gathering Tinder - Julie Wetzel - Amazon Kindle FREE
Dry Stories - Kate Baggot - Amazon Kindle $3.56
Kinetic: Book One of the Kinetic Trilogy - C. M. Zimmer - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Destiny Finds Her - Miranda Lynn - Amazon Kindle $2.99
To Get Me to You - Kait Nolan - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Lady of Souls - Jenn Gott - Amazon Kindle $4.99
Sticks and Stones - Shawn McGuire - Amazon Kindle $0.99
Good Luck With That Thing You're Doing: One Woman's Adventures in Dating, Plumbing and Other Full Contact Sports - Karen Yankosky - Amazon Kindle $2.99
Desprite Measures-The Caledonian Sprite - Deborah Jay - Amazon Kindle $2.99
The Last Guardian Rises - Rebecca Trogner - Amazon Kindle $0.99 

Now, a little about the book up for review today:

Title: The Release Club 1
Author: Misty Provencher
Genre: Adult Romance
Length (print): About 70 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $0.99

Synopsis:
Accused of being too vanilla by her ex, Jes throws his crap to the curb and decides to let her curiosity take her back to her wild roots. With a membership to The Release Club, an opulent Swinger's club hidden away in the dangerous heart of the city, Jes becomes Jezebel, and pledges to uncover the truths about her sexual desires the moment she meets the fantastically handsome and mysterious man named Daire.

Bring your curiosity and come join Jezebel and Daire for the hottest hook up caught between pages!


New episode every two weeks.

**MATURE READERS AGE 18+ ONLY**

Now that we have that out of the way, let's move on to what you really came for: THE REVIEW!

***WILL NOT APPEAR IN REVIEW ELSEWHERE. I love the cover of this serial. It captures the story hiding behind the image perfectly. Misty seems to have a wonderful knack for choosing her cover art. If you recall, I reviewed The Fly House a couple months ago, so I was familiar with Misty's witty writing style. Feel free to check out that review here. Even that book had an amazing cover.***

Onward!

I picked up episode one of this serial when the author pitched it to me during an event on my blog. I grabbed the sample, dove in, and laughed until I thought my sides were going to split open. Once I got to the last page of the sample, I was horrified there was nothing left and zipped out to snag the whole banana.

Before I get into why you'll love this serial starter, let me say, if you aren't familiar with a serial, you need to read this: Serials aren't series of books. They're smaller chunks of a whole novel released as they're completed. So, if you have a serial with 5 episodes and ten chapters each, that's about 50 chapters of a longer work. No, you won't get a whole story in one episode. Think of it like a mini-series on television; when you see one episode, you're left wanting to see the next one until the series comes to a conclusion, then you can watch them all and get the seamless story. That's a serial. Now, on to the why.

From a Reader's Perspective:
Provencher has such a way with words. Not only was this story something many women could relate to, she was brutally honest about the thoughts of a woman when she's with a man who leaves something to be desired. It brings forth laughter, because you can identify with the plight/thought process of the MC, and a touch of empathy, because you know exactly where this woman is in her life's journey. There wasn't a lot of super steamy stuff in this book, but I think the author is warming up to slap you with it in the upcoming episodes of the serial. She certainly laid the groundwork well. Every character had depth that allowed me to really get a feel for them. This isn't an easy feat for the first in a serial, but it was done well. Besides all that, I dearly love to laugh, and I got plenty of wit, brutal honesty, and sarcasm from Jes that had me in stitches. You'll be dying for the second episode by the end of the first. I think the author chose the perfect scene to end with. No spoilers! You'll have to read it to find out.

From an Editor's Perspective:
Commas. Homophones. Dropped spaces between words and dropped words. Sadly, I can only give half a star for editing. I'm giving that half because there were no inconsistencies in the storyline.

Rating:
1 Star for making me laugh so hard I got strange looks from people nearby
1 Star for character development = awesome
1 Star for a perfect ending
1 Star for the bond I felt with the MC, Jes
.5 Star for flow
-.5 Star for grammar
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars! I round up when clicking stars, so you'll see a 5 here. Highly recommended if you're in the mood for a serial that'll make you laugh out loud and want the next episode.

What do you think? Gonna check it out?

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

Jo