Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Author Life ABC's - B

Happy Wednesday! Today marks the halfway point of the week! Who's excited? I know I am. Tomorrow, you get yet another excerpt from Provocation, which is sitting at 36k words at the moment with around 15k to go. Keep your eyeballs peeled for that. I can't wait for release day. EEK! Anywho, for today, we're back on the ABC's of author life. Ready for letter B? I know you are. Grab your coffee, or tea, and let's get going!

My chosen word to go with letter B is Break.

Why? Because I see so many authors with this on their horizon. Every year, too many of us break apart and quit. Those authors reach the point where they don't see why they're doing what they are. They throw in the towel and walk away.

So many more sit and stare at their computer screens or that blank piece of paper and wonder why they're bothering to do what they do. They're nearing the point where they'll break and quit. Of course, several of them reevaluate and push forward, slamming the keys day and night in a continuous loop, charging toward that pot of gold they see at the end of the rainbow.

And still others remember why they started writing in the first place.

If an author sets out to make a million dollars, thinking this is the way they'll make an astronomical amount of money for living, most will end up quitting within a few years. After all, "the big break" only happens to about 2% of writers. Several authors make a decent living, and they're happy with that, but they fall in a rough 5% category, so those aren't the folks I'm talking about here.

Like I said in last week's Author Life ABC's post, you first have to define what success is for you. That's the starting point, and then you gotta run with it. Be realistic, and post it somewhere you can see it every day.

Why did you start?

Many of us became authors because we're addicted to the written word. We have to write. It's what makes our blood move through our veins and what drives us out of bed each day. Even if we never sell a single book, we're in it for the words.

If that's why you started, you should never have a near break day. You're doing what you love, and no matter what, you'll find a way to do it. Putting the words on the page is what it's about. That, in and of itself, is satisfying as hell.

I always say, "I write because I must, and I design because I can."

If it's important to you, you'll find a way;
if not, you'll find an excuse.

I'm not sure who said that, but damn, how true is it?

What do you think? Have you ever hit the point where you thought you might break and quit? How did you come out of it?

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

Jo

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Book Review - Shadows of Jane

Happy Tuesday! EEEEP! Today, I'm bringing you another book review :D I read through this one last weekend, and it kept my attention the whole time. I didn't want to put it down! So, grab your coffee or tea, and let's get going!

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

Title: Shadows of Jane (The Shadows Trilogy - Book One)
Author: Amy Hale
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance
Length: 151 printed pages
Buy Link: Amazon Paperback

Blurb:
Colt Henderson is a man who lives for the moment. His past has taught him that life is unpredictable and often disappointing. A confirmed bachelor, he believes that love only exists in fairy tales.

She’s lost, scared, and can’t remember a thing about her past or her identity. She senses all is not as it should be, but without her memory, how does she know what to fear and what to trust? Because of her status as a Jane Doe, she names herself Jane and works to put her life back together. In the process she learns that she possesses unique abilities that certain people will kill for.

Fate throws Colt and Jane together, but they both have a lot to learn about forgiveness and acceptance. Colt’s determination and Jane’s remarkable gifts will send them on a journey they never expected. To survive they will need each other, but sometimes facts are scarier than fiction, and the truth is better left unknown.

~~~~~

Now, let's get to the good stuff!

I picked this paperback up at an event where I got to meet the author, and I'm now kicking myself for not buying the whole series at once. I wanted the next one as soon as I finished the first (reader problems). Yeah, it was that good. What really gripped me about the story is the way Ms. Hale built her characters from the first page to the last. There was great development. But enough high-level, let's get into the details.

From a Reader's Perspective:
I loved the main characters, Jane and Colt. They were always at odds with one another, but you could tell they wanted to be together from the first time they met. Their reactions were typical for people going through what they were, and I was genuinely invested in the outcome because I liked them both so much. I wanted Colt to get over himself at the same time I wanted Jane to realize what she had in him. It was a nice juxtaposition of personalities. Story flowed well from beginning to end, and there was never a time I felt lost or jarred by the action happening. Details were spot on. Just enough to allow me to build the scenes in my own mind rather than being told that the curtains were just so or the couch had a small tear in the arm. I read this in one day.

Only one thing was a bit jarring: The sudden jolt from one POV to another. It was clear the author tried to scene/POV break, but then the prose would leap to the POV of another person in the room. That threw me out of the story a couple times, and it forced me to read back to make sure I didn't miss something.

From an Editor's Perspective:
Overall, the editing was good. There weren't a ton of errors, and nothing that took away from the story itself. I'm leaving the POV leaps to the reader part of the review, because I believe that's reading preference rather than a true editing error.

Rating:
1 Star for giving me characters I could root for
1 Star for not bogging me down with unnecessary description
1 Star for flow/pacing
1 Star for editing
-1 Star for the POV jumps

Overall: 4 out of 5 stars! A highly recommended read that will go quickly and keep you engaged.

What do you think? Will you pick it up?

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

Jo

Monday, January 29, 2018

How to: Photoshop 101 - Tools

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you enjoy the introductions to the tools in Photoshop. It's just a speedy overview (about 7 minutes). I'll be going a little deeper on some of these things later on. Enjoy the video!😁


What did you think? Did you get anything useful out of that? Are there any other tutorials you'd like to see besides Photoshop?

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

Jo

Friday, January 26, 2018

Fun Fact Friday - a "Did You Know?" Post

Happy Fridaaaaaay! Who's ready for the weekend? I promise you, I am. It's been a long week, eh? You're gonna LOVE the information I found for you today! I'm going to hit this up next week with a test drive, and I'll be posting a "How-to" on it! Ready to know what it is? Grab your coffee, or tea, and let's get rolling!

May I introduce:

AMAZON X-RAY

Some of you may already be aware of this feature, but I'm guessing most of you aren't. So, let's take a gander at how Amazon says it should work, shall we?


From your bookshelf (if you don't remember what that is, go read this post I did on KDP publishing), click on the ... next to the title you'd like to add X-ray to.

Oh, wait. Let's back up a bit.

What is X-ray?

It's a feature that allows readers to long-press a word in your Kindle book to read more about it. Could be a character's name or location. A word that's not commonly used so you can provide a definition. Anything.

Pretty cool, right? Okay, let's move on!

Here's the ... flyout:

You can see where it says "Launch X-Ray." That's where you'll go when you're ready to get this going. I'm not clicking it right now, but I will when I check it out next week. Likely on Yassa since that one has the most options for historical references.

From the information page, it says you can add links to Wiki articles or add text, but you can't add links to other websites or marketing avenues. Keep that in mind.

I'm looking forward to checking it out! How about you?

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

Jo

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Facing Facts - How Men are Pigs and Women are Delicate, Pristine Flowers

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I'm all about a discussion. I've read a couple of articles this week (and I saw a couple of FB posts) that have my brain ticking. I'm gonna talk about them, and I'm probably going to piss a lot of people off. Ready? Grab your coffee, or tea, and let's get going!

Okay, so on the heels of the #MeToo movement, I've seen a lot of posts from women (and a few men) and how things have happened with men. Don't get me wrong here, I'm 100% NOT saying anything about those victims or what they've been through (it's all quite horrifying); rather, this is a perspective from the female side of this blog post and a discussion about looking at ourselves. I'm also going to touch on the comments made on this post from Facebook because that matters, too.

Yes, ourselves.
Women. Powerful. Strong. Capable.

Sadly, we're also often complete hypocrites. I don't believe all men are pigs and all women are lily-white, innocent bystanders. On the contrary, I know women can be just as bad as men when it comes to thoughts and actions.

It's not often you run across a post from a man about being sexually assaulted by a woman, but it happens. A lot more than you may think. Most times, people assume the man has the same thoughts as the guy in the post referenced above.

But what if they don't?

What if a woman is acting in a way that makes a man uncomfortable? What if he feels the pressure to say yes even though what he wants to say is no?

I've seen men run from women, firsthand, because they were all over the guy and he was not into them. I've heard first-hand accounts from men who decided (at the last minute) they didn't want to have sex, and the woman they were with screamed, cried, and (sometimes) hit the guy for saying no.

Is that okay because the genders are reversed?

I've seen a group of married women groping a man (he was eating it up at the time), but also hear those same women complain about how their husbands look at other women.

But I have yet to hear from the men about all of this. Are they as ashamed as all those women were before the #MeToo movement started? According to the article referenced in the blog post, that seems to be exactly what it is.

If you say no, you're not a man.

I can hear you all saying how crazy this is. Of course guys want aggressive women, right? Actually, that's not the case most of the time. Yeah, there are shy guys who need a little coaxing out of their shells, but that doesn't give women the right to shove their tongues down his throat or grope him in public (or private if he's saying no).

But that's what most women have been ingrained with.

You have to be aggressive or you risk losing the man.

If you lose the man because you can't behave like a lady, so what? A man that's worth it will be there whether you're aggressive or not. You don't want a man to touch you unless you're into it, so don't assume a man wants you to touch him.

This brings me to the post on Facebook that's referenced above.

She's wearing an alluring outfit. That's going to get attention, no matter where you go or who you are. She's probably aware of that. What she's not doing is giving consent for sexual acts by dressing that way. Is she aware men will look at her? Uh, yeah. Does she have to put up with men touching her? Should she expect that? Absolutely not.

Men are not creatures that cannot control themselves when presented with an alluring, scantily-clad woman.

On the contrary, men think and can be taught. Just like women. No, ladies, guys don't want you pawing them. Look all you want, but don't touch unless given permission.

Sadly, sex sells. Just look at the covers of romance novels. They don't even have to be erotica. We, as women, flock to these books because of the attractive male bodies on the front. Now, I want you to think about something:

Would you be okay with your husband ogling a half-naked (or fully nude) woman?

Most women (and there are exceptions to this, as there are with everything--you can't make blanket statements, and I get that) aren't okay with that. These actions are where the hypocrisy comes in. Those women want to be able to do it, but they don't want their husbands doing it.

That's not the way any of this works.

It's never "do as I say and not as I do." If you want someone to do something, you need to be 100% willing to do the same thing. Never ask something of another person that you're not willing to do yourself. This goes for both genders.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Period. It's not a difficult concept. Act with integrity always. ALWAYS. Seems so simple, yet it also seems such a foreign concept for so many people. *sigh*

Personally, I'd like to hear the mens' stories, too. I know they exist because I've heard them first hand. I haven't seen more than a couple handfuls on social media (even when I search the hashtag). That guy in the post above makes a lot of sense, but he doesn't give a woman's perspective (because he can't--he's a man).

Like the men have been told: She needs you to force it on her because she secretly wants it.
Women have been told: He always wants it; you just need to put it in his face.

I mean, what? It's the truth, but dear me, how did we get to this place? What broke? How do we fix it?

I'm just over all the women screaming from the rooftops and not hearing a peep from the men. There needs to be change on all sides of the issue, not just one. Until we have HONEST, open dialogue, not a lot is going to be done.

How about it, guys? Wanna hit me with a story? Feel free to post without a name. I'll still click publish!

What do you ladies think? Have you witnessed things like this? Been part of them and now look back and have a question mark over your head? Tell me your story!

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

Jo

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Meet a Book Blogger - Bewitched Reader Book Blog (Stormi Johnson)

Hey everyone! *waves like a maniac*

My name is Stormi, and I write over at the Bewitched Reader Book Blog. I don’t like coffee. I’m obsessed with fuzzy blankets. I’m a member of the Hufflepuff house. Walking without tripping is a true struggle for me. Oh, and I love quotes! I even have a page on my blog dedicated to nothing but quotes.


Fantasy, specifically Harry Potter, was the genre that made me fall in love with reading. I’ve branched out a little since 8 year old me first checked out The Sorcerer’s Stone from my elementary school library. Romance novels, thrillers, and young adult books can now be found right next my fantasy novels on my bookshelves and Kindle. Well, maybe not right next to them. I’m very particular about the way my books are organized…

I started my book blog as a way to connect with other book worms in the world and have a place where I can talk as much as I want about the books I’m reading with people who understand my love of fictional worlds. I have met so many wonderful authors over the past year and half that I’ve been blogging. Sharing their books, both old and new, has become one of my favorite things to do in my free time. I post all of my reviews to Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, and Bookbub. For authors requesting a review. I do ask that your request include the title and genre of the book, as well as a short blurb and the desired time frame for the review.

If you’ve made it this far into my ramblings, thank you! I would love to have you follow me at one or all of the places below and to share a bit about yourself in the comments.

What are your favorite genres to read? What book made you fall in love with reading? What is your favorite quote?

Blog: https://bewitchedreader.wordpress.com/
FB: https://www.facebook.com/bewitchedreader/
FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BewitchedReader/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewitchedreader/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BewitchedReader

Y'all go give this lovely lady a follow! Thanks for coming, Stormi! Nice to meet you!

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Book Review - Juggernaut

Happy Tuesday! I'm back with another book review for you all. Grab your coffee or tea, get warm, and let's get going!

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

Title: Juggernaut
Author: K.S. Adkins
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance (18 and up)
Length: 371 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle  ~  Paperback

Blurb:

jug·ger·naut
ˈjəɡərˌnôt/
noun;
1. A literal or metaphorical force regarded as mercilessly destructive and unstoppable
2. Any terrible force, especially one that destroys or that demands complete self-sacrifice

In other words, me.
I truly was a dancing, singing, man-plowing, alcohol-guzzling, human wrecking ball of fun.
With a reputation for chaos so legendary, I made a career out of it.
Men came (pun intended), men went, but as long as I had my girls and Sunday brunches, I was solid.
I didn’t need a man to complete me. Hell no, I was in total control of my destiny.

But see, that’s where I went wrong.
I challenged the universe.
It accepted by sending a man who knew my weaknesses.
All it took was lemon drops, one kiss and a wish.
By granting it, I doomed us both.
No mortal man could handle my kind of destruction forever.
Even if he begged for it.
I was called Juggernaut for a reason.
In my case, be careful what you wish for was very, very, literal.

He really should have listened…

~~~~~~~~~

On to the good stuff!

I picked this paperback up at Great Lakes Book Bash in October of 2017. Why did I grab it? Well, I heard it was based on a true story. I love books based on true stories. I dove in right after I finished Weeds of Detroit, and I gobbled this book up just as quickly. Anyone who calls their circle of friends "The Sh*t" is someone I want to see into the mind of. It's awesome how books give you that ability. Anyway, let's get to the review!

From a Reader's Perspective:
Oh, where to start? Maybe that I identified with one of the characters right off the bat? Our MC is named Taylor (aka The Juggernaut), and she's a firecracker. Outspoken, brash, and tougher than a box of finishing nails, this lady's antics will leave you with your jaw hanging. But that wasn't the best thing about her. No. She's also fiercely loyal. That was the trait that had me rooting for her through the whole book. Loyalty is everything to me, and Taylor has it in spades. I wanted her to get the guy, and I needed her to have a happily ever after. That's the tantamount of a great read, in my opinion, and "Juggernaut" knocked it out of the park.
As far as flow, the book did a great job of going from A to Z without meandering along the way. There were a few stories on the side in there, but I felt they were necessary to show Taylor's personality, the friend group dynamic, and how much she'd be willing to sacrifice for someone else.
There's not a lot of flowery stuff in this book. It gets right to the point (which I love), and world-building was done in a direct way. I could see the scenes in my head, but I didn't get bogged down in details.
Pacing was right on the mark. It starts a little slow, with just enough to hook you, and then it takes you on a wild ride to the end. There was never a time I wanted it to speed up or slow down.

From an Editor's Perspective:
There were several typos and grammatical errors, but the story was so dang good, I was able to ignore them after a while. If you're a stickler for this kind of thing, you'll need to turn that off. I can only give half a star for editing.

Rating:
1 Star for giving me characters that made me laugh, get angry, and fist punch the air
1 Star for flow
1 Star for world building
1 Star for pacing
.5 Stars for editing
Overall: 4.5 out of 5 stars, but I round up, so this goes to five. Highly recommended if you love a great best friend read with a romance that'll make you sigh.

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

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

Jo