Viewpoint - The Bachelor and Honesty

Happy Thursday, everyone! So, today, you're getting some randomness. Now and then, I'm going to throw these posts out there that talk about stuff. Stuff that's on my mind, that I've discussed with others and found interesting, and that I feel you might want to get into with me. Today is one of those days. Ready? Grab your coffee or tea, and let's get going!

I was watching The Bachelor (mine and the hub's guilty pleasure--oh, the drama!) the other night, and the hubs and I found ourselves, once again, amused by the women trying to do things to "stand out" among the crowd. They drive up in special cars or ride up on horses, wear costumes, bring gifts, and say crazy things. My husband and I find this rather hilarious. Of course, my brain started ticking, and I glanced over at him and said, "You know, if one of these girls really wanted to stand out, she'd forego the dress, extensions, false eyelashes, and makeup, and she'd show him what he'll really be looking at in a few years."

That got me thinking. Is the reason these relationships don't last unrealistic expectations that are set from day one?

What if those women wore their regular clothes and looked the way they looked when they're just bumming around the house? After all, that's what the man is going to see once the show is over.

Why not let them stay in the person's hometown and go on dates at local places? That's where they'll be going on dates once they're married.

Instead, these women put on their best faces, pretending to be something they're not, and jaunt all over the world on exciting adventures trying to win the heart of a guy they barely know.

I'm all about reality outside of books. I mean, you know what that person shows you in the few hours you get to spend with them. Some of the women leave without ever getting one-on-one time with the guy. How is that an opportunity?

While I love the drama and the crazy that happens on the show, I think we'd still get that, in a more raw form, if these ladies were just to all date the same guy with none of the glitz and glamor the show spends money and time on.

Once they leave, their hairdressers and makeup artists leave, too! Back to old Plain Jane.

Oh, and don't even get me started on the stuff they say (make up) to look better in the eyes of the guy. I mean, sit down and have a real conversation. Ask about him. Tell him about you. Don't lie. Lies in the beginning? What's the point? He'll find out eventually, and then what do they say? Oh, I didn't want to tell you that for fear of you judging me?

If someone can't accept you for exactly who you are, flaws and all, why would you want to be with them?

What a crappy romance story it would be if writers told it as the women doing anything to impress the guy!
Guy: "Oh, I can't be with you anymore because you own a dog, and I hate dogs."
Girl: "I can get rid of the dog!" Runs from the room crying because she loves that dog and doesn't want to get rid of it.
*Couple breaks up a year later because she gets tired of compromising.*

If it wouldn't work in real life, what in the world makes us think it'll work in the realm of reality TV?

I don't know about all of you, but I'd watch the show that put guys and girls in real situations with real time and honesty, with their actual selves, just to see what actually came of it.

What do you think? Does this drive you bananas, or do you think there's a reason ABC hasn't done a "real" reality TV Bachelor?

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

Jo

Meet a Book Blogger - Post Apocalyptic Playground (Gaynor Smith)

WELCOME to my new twice-a-month feature! Because I hear everyone asking where all the bloggers have gone, I've decided to introduce you all to some of them. You'll get a little about the blog and the person (or people) behind it, their review policy, and all the links so you can follow them! First up, we have Post Apocalyptic Playground! Woooooohoooo!! Get goin'!

Hey everyone, my name is Gaynor, and I run the Post-Apocalyptic Playground book blog. Thank you so much to Jo for hosting this opportunity for us to get to know each other!

As a little bit about me, I am in the UK with my awesome husband and 2 little crazies who love to read as much as I do! I have a stressful muggle job by day which is why I love to escape into epic fantasy at night. I started the blog about 18 months ago as I felt that was a gap in the representation of some genres in the Indie blogging community, I wanted to help fill that gap and I kind of hope I have a little. Alongside with promo and reviews, I also hold my “bookish ramblings” where I like to share with my followers things that I have been up to, not only to do with books but also gaming, TV shows, and my new obsession of collecting bookish merchandise (I think I have more candles, teas, Funkos, and bookmarks on my shelf than books lol.) I am also an active bookstagrammer and occasional dabbler on twitter.

When it comes to reading, YA fantasy has to be my favourite genre of all time, but I love dystopian (1984 is one of my favourite reads) and science fiction as well. I’m pretty open as to the direction books take so if it loosely falls into one of the above I’m probably going to like it!

I’m going to come clean and say that I don’t have an active review policy on my blog, I’m kind of a “if I love it, I’ll review it” kind of girl. You won’t ever find a review on my blog that is fewer than 3 stars because I appreciate that firstly, not every book is for everyone, and secondly, I know exactly how much blood, sweat, and tears goes into writing a book, and who am I to bring that down? If you would like to approach me to review (and I am always humbled to be asked) please do. I will be open with you if it’s not my cup of tea, but if it’s on genre, the chances of that are slim ;) I don’t offer reviews on contemporary romance or erotica. I’m not against the content, however, I would just prefer it to be wrapped up in a fantasy world! As well as my blog, I also post my reviews to Amazon UK, Goodreads, and I share the review link on twitter.

You can find me in all kinds of places and I would be humbled if you wanted to contact me or follow me on any of these platforms:
Blog: https://post-apocalypticplayground.blogspot.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/postapocalypticplayground/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/postapocalypticplayground/
Twitter: @PA_Playground

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this, if you have anything you want to ask me, then please go ahead in the comments, or if you wanted to get in touch privately you can contact me either via the Facebook page or at postapocalypticplayground [at] gmail [dot] com!

<3

For really, you guys! She's awesome. Go show her some love! Thanks for coming round and chatting at us, Gaynor!

Book Review - Weeds of Detroit

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm bringing you a BOOK REVIEW! :O I don't think I wrote a single review in 2017, and that's just criminal. This year, I'm doing at least two a month. Some will be books I read last year, and some will be books I read this year. Who knows? But you're getting those reviews! Get your clicking fingers ready, and let's get going!

On the chopping block today is:

Title: Weeds of Detroit
Author: Misty Paquette/Misty Provencher
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Length: 392 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle ~ Paperback

Blurb:
A NOVEL, BASED ON TRUE EVENTS.

I turned seventeen less than two months ago.

A week ago, I ran away from home, in the country outskirts of suburbia.
Now, I’m living at a hotel in downtown Detroit.

At home, you could walk to the corner store when it was dark outside and hear frogs croaking in the ditches on either side of the dirt road.
At the hotel, you don’t go out at night. All you hear is squealing tires and curses shouted from broken windows.
At home, we didn’t lock our front doors at night.
There are three locks on my hotel room door. One in the knob, a chain, and a dead bolt. I’m not sure it’s enough to keep everyone out.
At home, I’d be starting my Senior year in high school.
Here, I’m learning what it takes to survive.

I hope I make it to eighteen.

~~~

Now for the review!
I'm a long time Provencher fan. Since I read The Fly House, I've been watching for another I thought I might enjoy. I grabbed Weeds from Misty at an author conference (Great Lakes Book Bash) a few months ago. I was so excited to read it, I started the day after I got home. I'd heard great things about the book, and I might have wanted a peek inside her life and head. *grin* It's always interesting to find out what events shaped a person into who they've become. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. I was lost in the world of vagrants and thugs as this seventeen-year-old girl tried to find her footing as a free-range chick. Anyway, enough about how I got hold of the book; let's get to the review!

From a Reader's Perspective:
Oh, man. I connected with the MC, Lael, on a whole other level. I could feel her pain, fear, and shattered heart acutely as she reacted to things that happened around/to her, and I knew her frustration as she ranted at her mother in the beginning of the book. As teens, we always think we have it figured out, right? Anyway, as Lael faced the new and frightening situations in her story, I was actually scared for her. Misty did a great job of pulling me into the story and putting me in Lael's shoes. Even the secondary characters came to life on the page.

Pacing of the story was spot on, and there was never a time I felt like it dragged at all. It was smooth from start to finish. I loved the descriptions of the places the characters were in. There was just enough so I could see it in my head, but it didn't bog me down in details. Plot was smooth, also, and the story worked from beginning to end. It was cohesive.

You know you've gotten hold of a great book when you tear up as you're reading, and this book did that to me. I felt angry, sad, and fearful. It was just perfect.

From an Editor's Perspective:
I didn't find a crapton of errors. That's rare these days, so woooooooo!!! Of course, like I said above, I'm a long time Provencher fan, and this is one of the reasons.

Rating:
1 Star for giving me characters I loved and had feelings about
1 Star for an awesome plot
1 Star for just enough description to keep me engaged
1 Star for pacing that was bang on
1 Star for editing
Overall: 5 out of 5 stars. Highly recommended read!

What do you think? Have you read it? Plan to?

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

Jo

How to: Write a Book Review

Happy Monday, everyone, and welcome to my new schedule! At the beginning of every week, you'll be getting a How to post to warm you up for the five work days ahead. These range from Photoshop tips and tricks to basic marketing plans and beyond. Be sure you subscribe to get all the yummy goodness in your inbox! Today is all about writing a book review. Yeah, you're probably thinking how easy it is, but let me tell you, I've seen some doozies. There are people out there who need to read this. Even if you think you have it down pat, keep going. See if there's something you might be able to do better.

Why am I writing this post? Because I saw a thread on FB yesterday where people (authors AND readers) were raging about the way reviewers review books. I thought perhaps I could help. Ready? Let's get going!

There are a few very simple steps to a book review (all of these are optional, of course):

• Talk about how it made you feel when XYZ happened.
• Talk about how well or poorly the plot was structured.
• Talk about the characters and why you liked or didn't like them or what they made you think of. Did you connect with any of them? Why?
• Talk about the formatting of the book.
• Talk about the pacing (too fast or too slow).
• Then talk about what the book left you with. Thoughts or feelings you had when you were done.

And it's that easy. You can even sum this up in just a couple of sentences. Like so:
This book blew me away when it twisted the way it did. I felt like Henry and Gina were two of my closest friends, and I didn't want to see that little hiccup; it made me cry. There was no way I could put this book down once I started! It flowed from beginning to end beautifully and kept me riveted to the pages. Highly recommended read!

Or, if you hated it:
I could barely finish this book. Because Henry and Gina were never given backstory, they felt very one-dimensional to me. There wasn't a single main, or secondary, character that I connected with. This plot dragged on and on, and it felt like the story was never going to end. I was left sorely disappointed.

See? Those aren't long, but they communicate the basic idea. You don't even have to include all of the above, but it sometimes helps people understand why you're rating the book the way you are.

Now, a lot of the people like to sum up the story. I strongly suggest trying to avoid this when possible. I mean, if the idea is to sell the book and surprise the reader, telling the whole plot in the review makes it so no one really needs to read the book, right? Don't talk about the story itself; talk about your feelings about the story.

Writing a book review isn't rocket science. You can do it, and it literally takes just a few minutes to make a lasting impact.

What do you like to see in a review? What do you not like to see?

Come on back tomorrow for one of MY book reviews! I'm playing catch up from this year, and first on the list is Misty Provencher's Weeds of Detroit!

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

Jo

Looking Back and Forward - A 2018 Yearly Planning Post

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and New Year's Eve/Day. Today, I'm laying my blog and writing plan out there for you all to see. We'll look back over 2017 and see what can be improved upon in 2018. Ready? Let's get going!

First up: This Blog

Looking Back
This year was abysmal. Life happened, and a lot of my time was given to things around here. I'm not sorry, because my family will always come first, but since everyone is on the upswing health-wise, I'm going to do MUCH better this year. I only had 71 posts for the entire year, and that's just not okay. I clocked 158 in 2016, and nearly double that the years preceding. Time to fix it!

Looking Forward
Going forward, I've decided to go back to my five day posting schedule, but with a little something different. Sure, I'll share the occasional new release for myself or a friend, I'll share excerpts, and I'll be posting book reviews again for the first time in a LONG time, but the bulk of the blog will be news, tips and tricks for authors on writing and marketing, the occasional opinion post, and learning type posts. This will all begin next week. I have a plan for those posts, and I intend to stick to it like glue. It's not difficult to come up with a year's worth of content; I just needed to DO IT. Planning is everything (you know how I preach this--I just need to practice what I preach LOL).

As you all know if you've been around a while, if life happens and my family needs me, I'll go dark, but this year, I promise to be more open about what's going on so you're not thinking I've quit.

Next: Books and Writing

Looking Back
2017 was a pretty good publishing year for the F5, but no so much for myself. Our little group put out 30 episodes of a serial this year! Impressive, to say the least. You can see what we did on the Frayed Fairy Tales website here. That being said, I only released two books of my own: Utterances and How to be a TOTAL LOSER. That's just over 100k words. I can do better.

Looking Forward
2018 will be full of words. I already have a ton of writing done on Provocation and Intensification, and The House is written but not yet tweaked or edited. Those will be released in the first quarter of the year. Second quarter will be all about more words. I've stepped way back from other things, and I intend to put all my effort into getting stories told. I'm a writer, and I need to write. It's my happy place.

Last: Marketing, Events, and Life

Looking Back
I did a crap job on marketing this year, but sales have been okay--not nearly as good as 2016, but what did I expect? I attended five events: RAI, Utopia, Chapter.con, OIBF, and GLBB. Four of those were as an author. Myself, the F5, and IBGW also sponsored (in some way or another) four events: Chapter.con, OIBF, GLBB, and OUAB (I like to help when and where I can). I'm not positive there was a huge return on those investments, but most of them felt good/right. Life, of course, was full of ups and downs, but I feel as though I handled them with grace and dignity. There was no crying in a corner or pitching a fit like a toddler.

Looking Forward
I'll be doing more of the marketing I did in 2016 and adding on a couple of new things. I'm only attending one event this year: RAI, but there will be no others. That was a difficult decision, but it's what's best for me at this time. I have a writing/planning retreat scheduled in June of this year with the other F5 ladies (helloooooo, beach!), and that's going to be IT. My office will get an overhaul so it's more conducive to writing, too. This year is allll about the words and the wellness. Even when I'm not writing in my special place, I'll be thinking about writing and putting ideas on paper. Many plots will be had, and many hours will be logged in my home gym.

So, if you want to see me or get autographs or pics, you'll have to be in Roanoke, VA in April. Period. I'm not even sure what will happen in 2019 at this point. We'll see.

2017 had me by the balls. I fought MS, my husband fought cancer (like a beast, I might add), we buried my father-in-law in September, my eldest son did a tour in Afghanistan, and my second eldest had a serious fight with depression. I questioned decisions I made, got burned by a couple of people I thought had my best interests at heart (like I did theirs), and made mistakes.

But there was good in there, too. I connected with my husband on a deeper level than ever before and jaunted all over Europe with him, I got some great road time with my best friend (who I'm positive was my twin in a previous life), I made some amazing new friends, laughed until I couldn't breathe, saw my granddaughter turn one, lost a crapton of weight and gained a new lease on life, and KILLED NaNoWriMo (like, crushed it, seriously).

2018 is going to be my best year yet. I can feel it. BRING IT ON! Let's do this thing. Thanks for sticking with me through that post. I know it was long.

Do you make plans like this? Share some!

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

Jo

New Release - Sigils and Spells (Charon's Quest by Eva Pohler)

Happy Tuesday, everyone! And Happy New Year! Today, I'm bringing you all info on a new release from the fabulous Eva Pohler! Bet you're all wondering what's in it for the year 2018, huh? Well, I'll get into that tomorrow. If you're a veteran of this blog, you're aware that I look backward and forward around the turn of the year. There will be some changes around here. Big ones. I'll also be updating my link list of helpful posts, and maybe do some rearranging. We'll see. Anyway, enough about all that! Let's get you to the release info! Get your clicking fingers ready, and let's get going!

Book info first!

Title: Sigils and Spells (Charon's Quest by Eva Pohler)
Author: Eva Pohler
Genre: Paranormal
Length: Box Set ~ 5585 pages
Buy Links: Amazon  ~  Barnes and Noble  ~  iBooks  ~  Kobo  $0.99

Blurb:

The ferryman of the dead is forced to leave the life he’s always known.
Apollo has had a vision: as the life of each soul flashes before Charon’s eyes, the ferryman ages like an old man. Charon needs to experience his own adventures to become youthful again, or he will soon die.
The last thing Charon expects is to fall in love with a mortal woman—someone he can’t take with him when he returns. Charon must decide whether to abandon the love of his life or his duties.

***Charon's Quest will only be available in an exclusive limited time edition of a box set with over twenty other urban fantasy stories with diverse representation. You get ALL THE NOVELS for only 99 cents in Sigils and Spells.

Here's the boxed set cover!

What do you think? Gonna pick it up?

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

Jo

Next On My Roster of Writing Plans

Happy Thursday, everyone! Today, I'm gonna share with you a couple of covers and blurbs for upcoming releases. These will happen at the beginning of 2018. Ready? Grab your coffee or tea, and let's get going!

Title: Provocation - Pen Pals and Serial Killers - Story Two
Author: Jo Michaels
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Length (guessing): ~ 60k
Release Date: March, 2018

Blurb:

Doctor Victoria Ward has been killing men for over thirty years. Her victims all have one thing in common: they’re abusive. Righteousness is a close companion—it helps her sleep at night—and she holds the virtue closely as she defends the innocent, upholding the law when it won’t rise to protect those who need it most. When she meets a young girl named Kelly, and follows her down a twisted path of deception, Doc Ward finds herself face-to-face with a ghost from her past. Never before has she wavered in her resolve—but can she defend another against someone she loves?




Title: Intensification - Pen Pals and Serial Killers - Story Three
Author: Jo Michaels
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Length (guessing): ~ 60k
Release Date: March, 2018

Blurb:

Detective Hank Reynolds has just been handed the case of a lifetime. Another reality TV star has gone missing, and it’s up to the Atlanta police department to find her before it’s too late. While he’s digging around, he discovers there have been nearly twenty similar kidnappings in the surrounding areas over the last twenty years, and while trying to find out more—and a witness that’s still alive—he’s dragged into a past he wishes he could erase. His dreams become nightmares about the women, and his sanity unravels. Even his eyes begin to play tricks on him, but no hallucinations are as devious as the antics of the killer—who’s always one breath away—waiting for the chance to strike again.


Title: The House
Author: Jo Michaels
Genre: Short Story Collection/Horror
Length: 51k
Release Date: April, 2018

Blurb:

This house is cursed, and everyone who lives there is in grave danger.

Ever wonder what stories you would hear if walls could talk?

What if those walls witnessed unimaginable horrors?

Inside these pages is the story of one such house. What it sees, the people it meets, and what happens when a terrified spirit is invited to stay.

Story 1 – The Butcher
Story 2 – Marna, Fred, and Kimberly McDade
Story 3 – Lacy Mae Ritter
Story 4 – Mark and Olivia Cullpepper
Story 5 – The Writer

The House is a collection of short stories that ties in with the Pen Pals and Serial Killers series by Jo Michaels. You’ll find a couple of those characters named, and discover how one grew the teeth he used on the women he captured later.

~~~~~~~~~~

And I'm finishing up a cute, romantic, young adult, short story titled Black Tie Christmas for a charity anthology that will release next year.

How fun is this?

Which one are you most excited for?

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

Jo