Happy Thursday, everyone! Today's post is going to be super duper short. To sum up a very long and stressful story, I've been having some issues with my social media stuff. I'm not pissed because it's hurting me, but it's having an impact on everyone I've posted (and wanted to share) stuff for this week.
Because I'm frustrated as hell, I'm writing on my new novel. I'd give you guys an excerpt, but it's wrought with foul language (set in a prison, gotta be true to the environment), and this blog is PG-13 at it's worst.
So, you'll have a cover reveal tomorrow, and a special sale post next week, but I'm planning a short break after that to see if I can get all this crap fixed and get some words written. I need the injection of peace for a hot minute. *grin*
You guys keep writing while I'm away. Planned return date is 9/28.
Hugs all around!
I'll see you again soon!
That's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
A blog dedicated to the education and support of Indie authors.
Also striving to providing great book recommendations and reviews for readers.
Links and Books by Jo Michaels
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
New Release - The Ex Trials - Plus, a Gift Card Giveaway!
Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today, I have some awesome news about a new release for you all. Plus, there's a giveaway for either a B&N or Amazon gift card going on at the bottom of the post. Ready? Get your clicking fingers ready and let's get going!
Information about the book:
Title: The Ex Trials (Falling for Autumn Book 3)
Author: Heather Topham Wood
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Length (print): 184 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $2.99
Blurb:
One dream vacation in paradise.
One co-ed bachelor and bachelorette party.
One week marooned with my ex.
Six months ago, Casey Silvers ended her scorching romance with sexy rocker Cole Caldwell. None of her friends know the true reason behind her sudden change of heart. Despite her claim of their chemistry fizzling out, her feelings for Cole had never gone away.
After receiving the invitation to her best friend’s co-ed bachelor and bachelorette getaway, Casey knows she must once again face Cole. For one week, she’ll be forced to party alongside the man who has come to despise her. The tropical cruise is meant to be a trip to paradise, but Casey is certain it will turn out to be a vacation from hell.
But as the ship leaves port, past secrets are revealed—secrets that could change the fate of Casey’s romance with Cole. With forces keeping them together, Cole and Casey soon discover that the passion between them has yet to extinguish.
***Standalone New Adult Romance-Ages 17+ Due to Strong Language and Sexual Situations***
If you all remember, I wrote a review for Finding Autumn on the blog here. Such an excellent book (as everything I've read by Heather has been)!
Now that you know about it, enter to win some cash to help you buy it!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck!
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Information about the book:
Title: The Ex Trials (Falling for Autumn Book 3)
Author: Heather Topham Wood
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Length (print): 184 pages
Buy Link: Amazon Kindle $2.99
Blurb:
One dream vacation in paradise.
One co-ed bachelor and bachelorette party.
One week marooned with my ex.
Six months ago, Casey Silvers ended her scorching romance with sexy rocker Cole Caldwell. None of her friends know the true reason behind her sudden change of heart. Despite her claim of their chemistry fizzling out, her feelings for Cole had never gone away.
After receiving the invitation to her best friend’s co-ed bachelor and bachelorette getaway, Casey knows she must once again face Cole. For one week, she’ll be forced to party alongside the man who has come to despise her. The tropical cruise is meant to be a trip to paradise, but Casey is certain it will turn out to be a vacation from hell.
But as the ship leaves port, past secrets are revealed—secrets that could change the fate of Casey’s romance with Cole. With forces keeping them together, Cole and Casey soon discover that the passion between them has yet to extinguish.
***Standalone New Adult Romance-Ages 17+ Due to Strong Language and Sexual Situations***
If you all remember, I wrote a review for Finding Autumn on the blog here. Such an excellent book (as everything I've read by Heather has been)!
Now that you know about it, enter to win some cash to help you buy it!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck!
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
New Release - Queen of Always
Now Available The Epic Conclusion To The Stolen Empire Trilogy
LONG LIVE THE QUEEN
If her time at court has taught Catherine anything, it’s that there is no room for weakness in Imperial Russia. With the Empress’ health failing and rumors of a change in the line of succession, her place in the royal line is once more in jeopardy. Tormented by her sadistic husband and his venomous mistress, Catherine must once more walk the fine line between pleasure and politics—between scandal and survival.
When her young son becomes the target of those rebelling against Peter’s reign, Catherine will have to rise up to protect herself, her child, and her nation from his unstable and potentially catastrophic rule. This means putting herself at odds with the most dangerous man she’s ever known, trusting those who once proved to be her enemies, and turning a nation against its sovereign. In the ultimate battle for the crown, new alliances will be forged, loyalties will be tested, and blood will be shed.
Don’t miss this breathtaking conclusion to the Stolen Empire series!
Queen of Tomorrow is a YA historical fiction based on the life of young Catherine the Great. Fans of the hit TV show REIGN will devour this scandalous glimpse into the life of one of the most dynamic women in history.
Start The Series Now - Book 1 is FREE!!
About The Author
Sherry D. Ficklin is a full time writer from Colorado where she lives with her husband, four kids, two dogs, and a fluctuating number of chickens and house guests. A former military brat, she loves to travel and meet new people. She can often be found browsing her local bookstore with a large white hot chocolate in one hand and a towering stack of books in the other. That is, unless she’s on deadline at which time she, like the Loch Ness monster, is only seen in blurry photographs.
She is the author of several novels for teens and young adults and in her spare time she co-hosts the Pop Lit Divas Radio Show.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Set Your Story!
Happy Monday, everyone! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend and are ready to start the awesome week ahead. No? Well, grab that coffee and let's talk about setting. You know, that place in your story where your characters dwell.
There are two ways to go about giving setting:
1. The old way of bogging people down with pages and pages of "what the character sees."
2. The more interesting way of putting the character IN the setting and letting the reader know how it feels.
We're, obviously, focusing on the second way.
Why? Because it's more interesting to read and keeps folks from paging through your book really fast.
So, what's the difference? If you aren't sure, I ask you to recall a book you read in some time and space where your eyes glazed over as the author described the trees, flowers, and sun.
Now do you know what I mean?
Let's get the hell on with examples, shall we?
Example of style 1:
Juniper sat on the stone bench and stared at the water after her breakup with Harold. Red roses bloomed in abundance, their thorny stems intertwining. Next to them were pansies in every color of the rainbow. On the water floated boats with giant, white sails billowing in the wind. Across the water stood the poor houses. She used to live there. People were standing outside or sitting in chairs, doing nothing. A couple of children were playing in the many puddles on the street. Broken down cars with weeds growing out of them were scattered here and there.
And so on, and so forth.
Now, let's give style 2 a try:
Juniper sat on the bench, the cold of the stone seeping through her shorts as she stared at the water, wishing it would bring calm with its lapping sounds. Red roses bloomed near the shoreline in abundance, their thorny stems intertwining like lovers in a secret embrace. She couldn't help but think how, just hours before, she was in a similar embrace. While the roses would be strong, her love was broken.
Why did it have to be that way?
Through the ship sails, she could just make out the poor houses on the other side of the river where her family lived. Once upon a time, she was one of the dirty children playing in the puddles and around the abandoned cars--those weeds growing out the windows and doors gave her hay fever more times than she cared to mention. But she'd gotten out of there.
What about that didn't Harold understand?
This isn't a vice I suggest you use often. Page after page of anything like that will get old. However, if you're in a key scene, you should get your reader invested in the story by pulling out all the feels.
In the first example, you're looking at the scenery as an outsider; in the second, you're feeling how it might impact someone.
There's the key to engaging the reader in a show, don't tell, situation. Again, telling is for the parts where not a lot is happening and you don't want the reader to slow down and pay attention. More on showing vs. telling in this post.
Care to give it a try? Revamp a scene and share with us!
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
There are two ways to go about giving setting:
1. The old way of bogging people down with pages and pages of "what the character sees."
2. The more interesting way of putting the character IN the setting and letting the reader know how it feels.
We're, obviously, focusing on the second way.
Why? Because it's more interesting to read and keeps folks from paging through your book really fast.
So, what's the difference? If you aren't sure, I ask you to recall a book you read in some time and space where your eyes glazed over as the author described the trees, flowers, and sun.
Now do you know what I mean?
Let's get the hell on with examples, shall we?
Example of style 1:
Juniper sat on the stone bench and stared at the water after her breakup with Harold. Red roses bloomed in abundance, their thorny stems intertwining. Next to them were pansies in every color of the rainbow. On the water floated boats with giant, white sails billowing in the wind. Across the water stood the poor houses. She used to live there. People were standing outside or sitting in chairs, doing nothing. A couple of children were playing in the many puddles on the street. Broken down cars with weeds growing out of them were scattered here and there.
And so on, and so forth.
Now, let's give style 2 a try:
Juniper sat on the bench, the cold of the stone seeping through her shorts as she stared at the water, wishing it would bring calm with its lapping sounds. Red roses bloomed near the shoreline in abundance, their thorny stems intertwining like lovers in a secret embrace. She couldn't help but think how, just hours before, she was in a similar embrace. While the roses would be strong, her love was broken.
Why did it have to be that way?
Through the ship sails, she could just make out the poor houses on the other side of the river where her family lived. Once upon a time, she was one of the dirty children playing in the puddles and around the abandoned cars--those weeds growing out the windows and doors gave her hay fever more times than she cared to mention. But she'd gotten out of there.
What about that didn't Harold understand?
This isn't a vice I suggest you use often. Page after page of anything like that will get old. However, if you're in a key scene, you should get your reader invested in the story by pulling out all the feels.
In the first example, you're looking at the scenery as an outsider; in the second, you're feeling how it might impact someone.
There's the key to engaging the reader in a show, don't tell, situation. Again, telling is for the parts where not a lot is happening and you don't want the reader to slow down and pay attention. More on showing vs. telling in this post.
Care to give it a try? Revamp a scene and share with us!
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Friday, September 11, 2015
Giveaway of the Mystic Series
Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm giving you links for a giveaway running over on Facebook. A huge shout out to Reading for Fun! Go give the page a like if you love books. She's always sharing the latest and greatest. Ready? Get your entry fingers ready and let's get going!
Enter here.
Here's information about the book:
Genre: New Adult Paranormal
Length (print): 108 pages
Paperback $8.99
Kindle FREE
Paperback - DRD Edition $5.99
Smashwords FREE
Blurb:
This is book one of the Mystic series. A set of New Adult Paranormal novellas that speak out against issues faced in the world today, showing how strong women can overcome anything.
Bronya Thibodeaux is a senior at Houma High School whose life is about to be changed forever. She's always felt like an outcast, but thinks she may have found a friend when a strange, new girl named Markaza who has blue hair, a number of tattoos, and a strange way of dressing appears.
Bronya's life choices make her a pariah in her small town. After getting thrown out of school, not being able to find a job, and being subjected to ridicule and cruel treatment, Bronya chooses to leave her old life behind forever when she receives a compelling invitation from a mysterious company named WSTW.
What Bronya doesn't know, is the mysterious company is owned by Markaza; a mystic who knows the end of the world is coming and is gathering together the only people who can stop the evil that's threatening to take over. Bronya is just the first. But going to New York is only a baby step toward her true journey. As Bronya races against the clock to unlock a power she never knew she had, Markaza races to collect the others: Lily, Shelia, Melody, and Coralie.
Enter here!
How amazing is that? Tina, the owner of the page, and I met at Utopia, where she bought the first five Mystic books. As she read them, she messaged me her feels. I was blown away by her love for my young women. Now, she wants more of the series (good thing there's a spinoff in the works, huh?). She's such an awesome lady! Please, please, go show her page some love!
Did you enter?
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
First up, a printed, signed copy of Bronya: Mystic book 1 (US only on this one).
Enter here.
Here's information about the book:
Genre: New Adult Paranormal
Length (print): 108 pages
Paperback $8.99
Kindle FREE
Paperback - DRD Edition $5.99
Smashwords FREE
Blurb:
This is book one of the Mystic series. A set of New Adult Paranormal novellas that speak out against issues faced in the world today, showing how strong women can overcome anything.
Bronya Thibodeaux is a senior at Houma High School whose life is about to be changed forever. She's always felt like an outcast, but thinks she may have found a friend when a strange, new girl named Markaza who has blue hair, a number of tattoos, and a strange way of dressing appears.
Bronya's life choices make her a pariah in her small town. After getting thrown out of school, not being able to find a job, and being subjected to ridicule and cruel treatment, Bronya chooses to leave her old life behind forever when she receives a compelling invitation from a mysterious company named WSTW.
What Bronya doesn't know, is the mysterious company is owned by Markaza; a mystic who knows the end of the world is coming and is gathering together the only people who can stop the evil that's threatening to take over. Bronya is just the first. But going to New York is only a baby step toward her true journey. As Bronya races against the clock to unlock a power she never knew she had, Markaza races to collect the others: Lily, Shelia, Melody, and Coralie.
Next up, a giveaway for an e-copy of the Mystic boxed set (International)!
Enter here!
How amazing is that? Tina, the owner of the page, and I met at Utopia, where she bought the first five Mystic books. As she read them, she messaged me her feels. I was blown away by her love for my young women. Now, she wants more of the series (good thing there's a spinoff in the works, huh?). She's such an awesome lady! Please, please, go show her page some love!
Did you enter?
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Thursday, September 10, 2015
Dialogue Pitfalls and How to Fix Them
Happy Thursday, everyone! Oh my, tomorrow is FRIDAYYYY! Who's excited? I can't believe it was just a four day workweek. I'm exhausted already. Ha! Today, I'm taking you all through an exercise to help with your dialogue. I'll start by outlining a few pitfalls, then explain how to correct in your first edit. Ready? Grab those pens and notebooks and let's get going!
We'll start with labels to keep it easy.
Here's a tip:
Seek out scenes where folks are talking and examine them. If you have to, put people in a room and assign them all part of your dialogue. Have them read their lines (in character). Make notes of their facial expressions, movements, and tone. Work it in.
Example #1:
Here's a tip:
Seek out those scenes where you're using something other than said to denote dialogue. Ask yourself why. Is it an action tag? That's a good thing unless it's pulling the reader out of the story. There are a handful of invisible tags you can use; just make sure they're relevant to the tone/situation.
Invisible dialogue tags are words readers don't have to process as they move through the story. They exist to avoid confusion only. They speed up the flow of your story (pacing).
Example #2:
Here's a tip:
Find those places where you have action and dialogue together, and remove the dialogue tags.
Example #3:
Here's a tip:
Find places where there are just two folks talking. See how much you can remove without getting confusing.
Example #4:
These are some of the most common dialogue errors I come across. If you do your homework, you'll come out the other side a better writer. For another trap post, check out this one.
I hope this helps in some small way.
What are the things that annoy you most in dialogue? Discuss!
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
We'll start with labels to keep it easy.
#1: Group Conversations
A common issue in creating group dialogue is when the author wants everyone to speak at once. Now, this can work if done properly, but line after line of Bob said, Marley said, Jane said, and Duke said gets tiresome.Here's a tip:
Seek out scenes where folks are talking and examine them. If you have to, put people in a room and assign them all part of your dialogue. Have them read their lines (in character). Make notes of their facial expressions, movements, and tone. Work it in.
Example #1:
"I didn't think I had anything to be worried about," Bob said.Fix #1:
"Seriously? What didn't you see there?" Marley said.
"Right? I could've picked up on the subtle clues if I were blind," Jane said.
"Bob, your wife hasn't touched you in months. Wasn't that clue number one?" Duke said.
"But it's always been like that," Bob said. "Ever since we were first married."
"Really?" Jane said.
"Yes, really," Bob said.
"Well, why did you stay married ten years then?" Marley said.
Mouth turned down, hand clutching a tumbler of bourbon on the rocks, Bob shrugged. "I didn't think I had anything to be worried about." Added action tag.If you add a little action and thought in with the dialogue, you show the reader more about the situation, and you avoid overusing said.
"Seriously? What didn't you see there?" Marley asked. Changed said to asked.
Jane snorted and curled her lip. "Right? I could've picked up on the subtle clues if I were blind." Another action tag.
"Your wife hasn't touched you in months. Wasn't that clue number one?" Duke asked. Changed said to asked.
Bob sighed and leaned back in the chair, studying his friends. They were all coiled and tensed up, like a snake ready to strike. There was no way they'd understand, but he figured he'd try. "But it's always been like that. Ever since we were first married." Applied exposition and action.
"Really?" Jane's head snapped up. Changed to action tag.
"Yes, really." We know it's Bob. Deleted dialogue tag.
Marley asked. "Well, why did you stay married ten years then?" Moved dialogue tag to front.
#2 Invisible Dialogue Tags
It's a common misconception to believe you have to change up the dialogue tags every time. While "said" gets tiring to read, you've seen one way to avoid having to use it on every line. But what about invisible dialogue tags? How many are there? Why should you use them?Here's a tip:
Seek out those scenes where you're using something other than said to denote dialogue. Ask yourself why. Is it an action tag? That's a good thing unless it's pulling the reader out of the story. There are a handful of invisible tags you can use; just make sure they're relevant to the tone/situation.
Invisible dialogue tags are words readers don't have to process as they move through the story. They exist to avoid confusion only. They speed up the flow of your story (pacing).
Example #2:
- Asked
- Said
- Answered
- Responded
- Whispered
- Shouted
- Yelled
- Screamed
- Ordered
- Commanded
- Howled
- Growled
- Slurred
- Hissed
- And so on.
#3: Mixing Action Tags and Dialogue Tags
If you have a person doing something, you don't need a dialogue tag to tell the reader who it is that's speaking.Here's a tip:
Find those places where you have action and dialogue together, and remove the dialogue tags.
Example #3:
Bob shrugged and panned his eyes over the faded wallpaper. He said, "I never thought Martha was the kind to do something like that."Fix #3:
"She's hitting the prime of her life, Bob. She's also a good looking woman," Jane said.
He slammed the glass on the coffee table, sloshing bourbon over the antique wood. "I know she's good looking. Hell, I'm the one who married her!" He yelled.
"All women go through a phase," Jane said as she shrunk back in the couch.
"Phase! Phase?" Bob screamed. "This is so much more than a phase!"
Jane nodded and said, "I understand."
Bob shrugged and panned his eyes over the faded wallpaper. "I never thought Martha was the kind to do something like that." Removed He said.Again, if you know who it is that's speaking, there's no need for a tag. But removing all those tags cleaned up the prose.
"She's hitting the prime of her life, Bob. She's also a good looking woman," Jane said. Left alone.
He slammed the glass on the coffee table, sloshing bourbon over the antique wood. "I know she's good looking. Hell, I'm the one who married her!" Removed He yelled.
"All women go through a phase." Jane shrunk back in the couch. Removed said as she.
"Phase! Phase? This is so much more than a phase!" Removed Bob screamed.
Jane nodded. "I understand." Removed and said.
#4: Using a Dialogue or Action Tag on Every Line
You don't have to go bananas with action and dialogue tags. When two people are having a conversation, you can delete most of the tags and still be okay.Here's a tip:
Find places where there are just two folks talking. See how much you can remove without getting confusing.
Example #4:
"My wife has drained my bank accounts, done things behind my back, and she wants to know why I'm upset." Bob dragged his free hand down his face and slurped his drink.Fix #4:
Marley sat forward. "She probably hit her mid-life crisis and didn't want to worry you. You're aware of how she treats her body. It was bound to happen."
Bob snorted. "Yeah, I just didn't think she'd do something this crazy at thirty-one."
"It's that milestone, brother. Hang in there. At least she's not cheating on you," Marley said, putting a hand on Bob's back.
He sighed. "You're right. I guess I should be grateful she wants to look good for me. What's a little face-lift in the grand scheme of things, right?" A choked laugh escaped. "But she lied. Plain and simple. Who knows, she might be cheating, too."
"I doubt that. She loves you." Marley leaned back.
"She loves my money," Bob said.
"My wife has drained my bank accounts, done things behind my back, and she wants to know why I'm upset." Bob dragged his free hand down his face and slurped his drink. Left alone.And, you still know who it is that's speaking! Amazing, right?
Marley said, "She probably hit her mid-life crisis and didn't want to worry you. You're aware of how she treats her body. It was bound to happen." Changed action tag to dialogue tag.
"Yeah, I just didn't think she'd do something this crazy at thirty-one." Removed all tags.
"It's that milestone, brother. Hang in there. At least she's not cheating on you." Marley put a hand on Bob's back. Removed dialogue tag.
"You're right. I guess I should be grateful she wants to look good for me. What's a little face-lift in the grand scheme of things, right?" A choked laugh escaped. "But she lied. Plain and simple. Who knows, she might be cheating, too." Removed action tag.
"I doubt that. She loves you." Removed action tag.
"She loves my money." Removed dialogue tag.
These are some of the most common dialogue errors I come across. If you do your homework, you'll come out the other side a better writer. For another trap post, check out this one.
I hope this helps in some small way.
What are the things that annoy you most in dialogue? Discuss!
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
777 Writer's Game
Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today, I'm playing a game because I was tagged by my friend, and co-conspirator, Kelly Risser, in this post on her blog. She's asking me to post seven lines from a page ending in the number seven from my work in progress. I'm also supposed to tag seven other authors. Well, this couldn't be more perfect if we'd planned it. Why? Because our work in progress is titled "7." Fitting, don't you think?
So, here are seven lines from page seven:
And, as a little teaser, here's the character talking with Queen Elizabeth:
His name is Sir Thomas Russell. Because we haven't revealed the cover! It's coming, so keep your eyes open. I know, I know, we're the worst kind of evil. You'll be seeing this gentleman again soon, too. *grin*
Be sure and read Kelly's post, then come on back here, and tell me what you think we're doing this time around.
Oh, and the swag! Let me tell you, it's special and, like the book, it's unlike anything you've seen before. As a bonus, anyone can get one!
I'm going to tag: +BJ Sheldon , +Amy Evans , +Christina Marie Mitchell , +Christina Mercer , +Heather Topham Wood , +L. K. Evans , and +Kelly Martin . Enjoy the fun, ladies!
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
So, here are seven lines from page seven:
It wasn’t long before he was chuckling along with her. Once their mirth died away, he asked the question that had been on his mind since Elizabeth mentioned it. “Might I ask what became of the thieves caught in my workshop?”
She smiled. It wasn’t warm, and her eyes were two pieces of rock in her face. “I had them hanged. No one steals in my kingdom and is allowed to keep their life.”
And, as a little teaser, here's the character talking with Queen Elizabeth:
His name is Sir Thomas Russell. Because we haven't revealed the cover! It's coming, so keep your eyes open. I know, I know, we're the worst kind of evil. You'll be seeing this gentleman again soon, too. *grin*
Be sure and read Kelly's post, then come on back here, and tell me what you think we're doing this time around.
Oh, and the swag! Let me tell you, it's special and, like the book, it's unlike anything you've seen before. As a bonus, anyone can get one!
I'm going to tag: +BJ Sheldon , +Amy Evans , +Christina Marie Mitchell , +Christina Mercer , +Heather Topham Wood , +L. K. Evans , and +Kelly Martin . Enjoy the fun, ladies!
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
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