Book Blitz and $10 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway - The Forgotten Ones

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! I have two posts for you today. This first one is a book blitz for my buddy, Laura Howard. She's screaming all over the web about her new book, The Forgotten Ones. I'm giving her a hand because, well, I love Indie authors! Let's get going, shall we?

First up, a little about Laura.

About the Author:
Laura Howard lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children. Her obsession with books began at the age of 6 when she got her first library card. Nancy Drew, Sweet Valley High and other girly novels were routinely devoured in single sittings. Books took a backseat to diapers when she had her first child. It wasn’t until the release of a little novel called Twilight, 8 years later, that she rediscovered her love of fiction. Soon after, her own characters began to make themselves known. The Forgotten Ones is her first published novel.

Goodreads  ~  Website  ~  @LauraHoward78  ~  Facebook

On to the book info!

Title: The Forgotten Ones (The Danaan Trilogy #1)
Author: Laura Howard
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Length (print): 197 pages
Published: April 28th, 2013
Links to purchase: Amazon - Kindle $2.99  ~  B&N - Nook $2.99

Synopsis:
Allison O'Malley's plan is to go to grad school so she can get a good job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She has carefully closed herself off from everything else, including a relationship with Ethan, who she's been in love with for as long as she can remember.

What is definitely not part of the plan is the return of her long-lost father, who claims he can bring Allison's mother back from the dark place her mind has gone. Allison doesn't trust her father, so why would she believe his stories about a long forgotten Irish people, the Tuatha de Danaan? But truths have a way of revealing themselves. Secrets will eventually surface. And Allison must learn to set aside her plan and work with her father if there is even a small chance it could restore her mother's sanity.

Add it to your Goodreads shelf!

Wouldn't you love to read an excerpt? Guess what? I have one!

I caught a glimpse of my mother staring out the den window. She held her violin loosely under her chin, and the bow dangled from her fingertips. Her jaw was slack, her eyes locked on something in the trees beyond me. I knew that haunted expression. I froze.

I swallowed hard as her eyes shifted to me. The violin fell from her chin, and I could see her bottom lip trembling.

I should have been used to that reaction from her when she saw me during an episode. It happened every time. But I wasn’t.

I flew into the house as fast as my feet would carry me. The screen door crashed behind me as I came to a halt outside the den. My mother clutched fistfuls of her blonde hair, garbled words spilling from her lips.

“I have to. I have to go out there,” she said. “He’s waiting for me.”

She stood in the semi-darkness, mumbling, the only other sound the hum of the ceiling fan. I clung to the doorjamb as I watched my grandmother approach carefully. She placed her hands on my mother’s shoulders, and on contact my mother’s body stopped quaking. Gram crooned, rocking her back and forth, as she pulled her into her arms and led her away from the window.

My stomach tightened, and I backed away to leave them alone. If she saw me again, who knew what would happen.

I cringed as the floor creaked beneath me, and she jerked her head in my direction. Her eyes widened when she saw me, and the shaking began again. Breaking away from my grandmother, she stumbled backward toward the window. She raked her fingers down her face and hair as she moaned. “Liam…” Tears streamed down her cheeks, causing thick strands of hair to stick to her face.

I entered the room slowly, desperate not to step on another squeaky floorboard. Her green eyes burned into mine, and I locked my eyes on hers. No matter how many times she fought my attempts to soothe her, I had to keep trying. She was my mom.

For your chance to win, here's the Rafflecopter entry form! Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you all entered to win and check out Laura's book!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, write on!

Jo

Mystic Freebies and Reductions for Black Friday!

Happy Thanksgiving, dear readers of my blog! Today, I'm sharing with you all a little freebie and holiday promotion I have going on.

Yeah, you read that right! For the first time ever, Lily will be free on Amazon. And the other three novellas in the series will be just $0.99! That's a total of just $2.97 for the entire five book starter set. You're saving almost ten dollars so grab 'em while they're hot!

Have I gone insane? Perhaps! But you're the one getting the great deal.

Here are the links:
BRONYA
LILY

SHELIA
MELODY
CORALIE

This sale is for five days only! Get yours starting at midnight tonight!

What do you think about this deal? Are you excited yet?

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

Jo

Painting with Words

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today, I'm gonna be talking about art. Not with colors on canvas, but with words on paper. I know you've all heard me go on and on about too much description. Well, today I'm gonna talk about imagery. You can still give great description without going into minute details. Wanna know how? Grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!

Look at the image above. See how it's all over the place? What works for art, doesn't necessarily work for a book. You could write long passages about the image, but what will your reader see in their mind? How do you describe something so chaotic so the person devouring your text gets a good idea of what the scene looks like? You don't. They can decide for themselves. I bet you're scratching your head, huh? Keep reading!

Let's go for an example or two, shall we?

Using description:
On white canvas that covered an entire 8'x14' wall, splatters and thin lines of black, pink, magenta, yellow, orange, green, purple, blue, brown, peach, teal, cerulean, hunter, and ocher overlapped. In the top left corner, pink, hunter, and magenta were deeply concentrated, set off by large spatters of black. In the center, only thin lines were present, drawing the eye in and allowing for a central concentration of the viewer's mind.

Now, I took an art class (okay, I took many art classes) in college, and that's what they want you to write when you're describing a painting. Note that word: "describe."

If I came across a passage like this in a book, I'd become bored as the writer went into every detail of the scenery. Did you read every color word? Probably not. Rather than tell your reader what to see, leave it to their imagination. Books are good at activating that little node in the back of your brain that paints its own pictures. Let's try again.

Using imagery:
It was a riot of every color in the rainbow covering the whole wall. Colors danced together in thick and thin lines, overlapping like freshly fallen leaves on a snowy lawn. I became lost in the chaos of it all as I tried to ascertain what the empty space in the middle was trying to tell me. Reminiscent of a Pollock painting on steroids, it drew me in and left me breathless.

Now, your reader's brain is activated. They paint the image in their head as they read. You aren't telling them what to see, you're letting them decide for themselves. Is it exactly what you see? Probably not. But, that's what's beautiful about it.

Paint vivid pictures with strong verbiage and allow the reader to feel the scene, rather than just be a bored onlooker.

• Riot
• Chaos
• Reminiscent
• Breathless

Those are all words that make the second passage much stronger than the first. Needless to say, I got fussed at a lot in design school for my creative briefs. I would launch into something like the second passage and not be succinct enough. They wanted straight and to the point. Blah. Bland. Phooey!

Let's not be bland. How about we strive to be artists of a different kind: Authors.

What about you? What do you prefer when reading?

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

Jo

Cover Reveal - The Druid's Doorway

Happy Tuesday, good people of the blogosphere! Today, I bring you a cover reveal for Ms. S.G. Daniels, someone I'll be doing an interview with in April, 2014. She's one of the authors who'll be attending UtopYA next year. But enough of my blabbing, let's get going to the visually pleasing aspects of this post!

Title: The Druid’s Doorway
Author: S.G. Daniels
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Cover Reveal Date: November 24, 2013
Publication Date: December 14, 2013
Synopsis:
Jake Reese thinks he’s just a screwed-up high school kid living in a small town isolated in the Arizona desert. Traumatized at an early age by his mother’s sudden death—and believing he might have had something to do with it—he’s allowed his guilt and lack of self-confidence to rule his life.

Hailey is the fiery little redhead that sees Jake as more than a just a good friend. When she invites him as her date to a school function, it brings down the walls he's built to protect his heart, and sets off a series of events that threaten not only Jake’s life, but that of everyone around him.

The discovery of a portal on the outskirts of town brings Jake face-to-face with death and reveals a closely guarded secret about his mother. No longer is his memory of her the only thing that haunts him. Something evil from her past has escaped through the portal, and nothing will prevent it from trying to steal Jake’s future.

Can Jake overcome his fears to keep Hailey safe? Will the decisions he's forced to make destroy everyone he knows and loves? And ultimately...is he strong enough to live with those choices?

About the author:
S.G. Daniels lives in rural Central Illinois with her husband of thirty-one years, and two spoiled cats, Payne and Jenks. She works full-time in a local medical facility as a patient accounting refund specialist. Most of her evenings she can be found in front of her computer, working on story ideas, or learning the ins and outs of the writing world. On the weekends, if she’s not spending time outside, she’s usually found nose-deep in a book. When S.G. unleashes her inner daredevil, she usually takes off through winding timber trails or country roads on the ATV. Her weaknesses are iced tea and pretzels, especially when she’s working on a story.

Website: http://www.sgdaniels.com/
Facebook: Author Page
Twitter: @SGDanielsAuthor
Pinterest: S.G. Daniels

I bet you're all eager to see that cover now, eh? Okay, okay! Here you go!

Isn't that gorgeous?

Here's the full wrap cover!

I hear the oohs and ahhs! Very nicely done, eh?

Why don't you give this little lady a follow on social media so you can be sure and catch the book when it hits the shelves?

What do you think of the cover?

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

Jo

Megan Curd Author Interview

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! As you all know by now, Mondays are reserved on the blog for the lovely authors who’ll be attending UtopYA Con 2014. If you don’t have tickets yet, be sure and click the name to pick yours up today. They go fast. Between now and then, these ladies will tell you about themselves, give you little tips and tricks for writing, publishing, and marketing, and we’ll have a ton of photos for you to look at so you’ll know them at a glance when you meet them face to face.

Today, I have with me Ms. Megan Curd, author of a number of YA titles. So grab your coffee (she’ll appreciate that one), pull up your favorite comfy chair, and let’s get going!

Jo: Hiya, Megzie! Okay, I won’t call you Megzie again; I just always wanted to say that. Sorry. *grin* Backing up! Hiya, Megan! Thanks for joining us on the blog today and agreeing to this interview. I do hope my research on you doesn’t freak you out too badly.
Megan: Hiya back! And no, it doesn’t freak me out…I think! We’ll have to see how in depth you got before I give my final verdict. *smile*

Jo: My readers are like rabid animals (please don’t feed them or poke them with sticks), and we don’t really want to take too long to get to the meat of the interview, so I’m gonna start off by asking you something they can sink their teeth into. I see you’ve lived in Wisconsin, Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio, and South America (those are the ones I could find). I mean, South America? Wow. I’m impressed. You move around some. I can’t imagine living in so many places. Tell us why you lived in each place, if I missed any, and what your favorite thing about each was.
Megan: Oh, wow, you really HAVE done your homework! Most of my friends forget half the places I’ve lived, haha! Well, I was born and raised in Fairborn, Ohio. When I was 18, my grandparents took me on a missions trip to Quito, Ecuador with them, and right then, I knew I wanted to do something with missions work. I went on another trip to Ecuador as a short-term missions worker, but then when I went to college (in St. Paul, Minnesota!), I was given the opportunity to intern as a missionary and have it count toward my degree! So I went down to Quito, Ecuador for a semester, and then also had the opportunity to spend an additional three months in Cochabamba, Bolivia and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Those were amazing experiences, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. Then, after finishing college, I married my best friend, and we lived in Wisconsin for a few years, before his job moved us down to Kentucky, where we now reside. Lots of moving, as you said! :) As for my favorite things, Ohio will always be home (GO BUCKEYES!), but I really loved living in Wisconsin. There’s so much to do outside, and the people are so kind. I love snow, so I was the weirdo that loved when we got loads of snow. However, if I was ever given the chance to go back to Ecuador, I would in a heartbeat. I loved the people, the way of life, the fact that they aren’t focused on the next big thing. They’re content, and that is just such a wonderful feeling to experience. Plus, my mentors live there as the missionaries, and I would love to spend more time with them. I miss them very much. (Phew, was that enough for you? Ha!)

Jo: *grins* I like to dig around for info on my authors. You’re lucky to have been able to visit and live so many places. Oddly, I’ve been to almost all of the fifty states; but never to any of the ones you’ve lived in. Haha! Onward! You’ve published four books since 2009. From what I’ve read, you can crank out between 2k and 3k words in a sitting. Is there a reason you’re only up to four or do you have a ton of partials (like so many of us do)? If so, what are they?
Megan: Ha, I have a few partials, but I also didn’t take writing seriously until this past year. It was more of a hobby, something I enjoyed and I loved sharing with others, but I wasn’t sure I could do as a career. When I attended UtopYA, I realized just how much I loved the writing community, and just how possible a career could be if I put my mind to it. So, I do assure you, there will be quite a few more novels in the future, and it won’t be one a year. :) But you asked what the partials were, right? I have one NA Paranormal Romance about the Grim Reaper (sitting at around 30k), I have Steel Lily’s sequel, IRON PENDULUM, which will hopefully release around Christmas, that is sitting at 66k, and then I have an idea that won’t leave me alone, whose main character is a very handsome pirate. But…that’s all I can tell you about those. :)

Jo: That sounds awesome. I can’t wait to wrap my eyes around your pirate story! What degree do you hold from Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and what led you to pursue that particular vein of study?
Megan: My degree is in Intercultural Studies with a minor in Bible. After I started participating in missions work, I knew my heart was there and that I wanted to serve cross-culturally. I still do, and I hope at some point that I will be able to go back to Ecuador or another South American country and serve with my family.
 
Jo: Sounds like an honorable mission. It looks like you haven’t updated your personal website in a little while with links to your new books. Is there some reason for that?
Megan: Yes – because I have been running like a chicken with my head cut off! It’s about time for a personal assistant, ha. But thanks for reminding me! ::jots down on to-do list::

Jo: When you get a PA, lend him/her to me for a week or so, mkay? *grin* So, according to an interview I read, you say you can’t cook. What made you realize that? Was it some embarrassing moment? *crosses fingers* Did you ever have a desire to cook?
Megan: Oh Lord, there were an array of embarrassing moments, but one that sticks in my mind was when my husband and I were dating, and he came to visit me at my college. I wanted to make a good impression, so I attempted to make spaghetti…which SOUNDS easy. Problem is, with me, no cooking is easy. I burnt the spaghetti to the bottom of the pan and set off the fire alarm. I think that was the moment in time he knew that if he married me, we were either going to starve, or he would have to cook. :) I personally don’t really care to cook, and I’m glad he loves it. Every once in a while I’ll get a surge of domestication and try something, but it’s not often, and people are probably happy about it. Last time I tried something, I forgot to take the toothpicks out of the bread holding the whole piece together…and then had to warn everyone to be very careful about their sausage rolls, since they might be booby-trapped. Luckily everyone knew the fact I had even tried meant I really liked them, lol.

Jo: Oh my… Thanks for being brave enough to share that one with my readers! You say your husband is a science guy. Expand on that, please. Tell us what it is he does and how that could relate to your writing.
Megan: When we first met, my husband was a high school science teacher. He taught AP Bio, Biochemistry, Anatomy & Physiology, and a touch of Chemistry. He has a master’s degree in Biology as well. He taught for 11 years, and I can tell you this much: anytime we went outside on a date, if we hiked or anything, it was a science trip. :) I love watching him with our 2-year-old son. Now, he’s a pharmaceutical rep and he’s really enjoying that as well. For me, I always ask him the science-y questions for my books, but I also ask him for his opinion with “guy” stuff. He’s a very straightforward answer type of guy, so he is always honest with his opinions. It helps me know if I’m on the right track with an idea or not.

Jo: Wow. Sounds like a super intelligent guy. Your son is the cutest little man! Okay, I’ll be honest with you. I went through almost every review on every one of your books. Some people rave about them, other people can’t stand them. It seems no matter what, you never respond. I understand that you feel it isn’t really your baby anymore once it’s published; but, I’m wondering if people ever contact you to see if you saw their review and what you feel inside when it’s a less than stellar write-up.
Megan: First off, I will say that I strive to read EVERY review on GoodReads and Amazon about my books. I appreciate every review, no matter what the opinion! I do have people contact me about their reviews via other routes, and when they do, I always thank them for their time, no matter what the review was. It takes time to read a book, just as it takes time to write a book! In my mind, like you mentioned, I feel that once I press the publish button, it’s out of my hands. I’ve done what I can, and now it’s up to the people who are reading the book. Will there be positive reviews? I sure hope so! And when those come, I do a little fist pump, touchdown dance and what not. Will there be negative reviews? If I didn’t expect those, I would be fooling myself. Not everyone will love every book, and that’s a GOOD thing. It means the book industry is diverse and giving people options. Does it hurt to read those reviews? I would be lying if I said no. It bums me out to a degree, but I also know that I’ve read books that I didn’t like, and others absolutely love. It’s a matter of opinion, and I think the best thing about books is that they elicit emotions in the readers. Not everyone will like a book, but if I’m giving them some emotion about it, then I feel as though I’m on the right track. :) I also want to say that I strive to be extremely accessible through Facebook and Twitter. If they would like to chat with me, I’m definitely around, I just choose to allow the reviewers their space to review, without them needing to worry about me censoring their opinions one way or the other. I appreciate everyone who takes the time to read and review my books. That’s how I know if I’m on the right track with the books or not. :)

Jo: I’m the same way. I go so far as to thank every reviewer, too. As a fan of great coffee, I have to say I admire your Starbucks mug collection (over 100!). I have a couple of very special ones myself (yes, they’re from SB). Have you been to the first Starbucks store in Seattle? In your best writerly voice, tell me what you think it would be like to go there. If you’ve been, tell me what it was like.
Megan: Oh man, you have mugs too?! You need to show me which ones you have sometime! I’m up to around 175, if they all show up! My husband is starting to get a bit concerned (I think he was long ago, but now he’s *really* concerned, ha!). I haven’t been to the first Starbucks store in Seattle—yet—but I hope to get to go sometime in the future! That’s like the mecca of all things coffee. I have heard the store isn’t as big as some people imagined it to be, but I don’t really know much else besides that. I would love to experience it. That’s also where the Starbucks Headquarters is, which I think would be neat to see. One of my favorite mugs is the Pike Place Market icon I have–a long, very hilarious story is behind it, but it’s best saved for another day. If you’ve been there, please show me pictures!

Jo: Yes, I was there. If you go, you’ll be shocked. It’s packed! Wall-to-wall people. That’s a lot of mugs, dear! I have nowhere near that many! Quick! What’s your theme song?
Megan: Ha! I’ll be very honest, lately I’ve been in a writing funk, and I keep listening to Imagine Dragon’s “Amsterdam,” since the lyrics are, Your time will come, if you wait for it, if you wait for it, it’s hard, believe me, I’ve tried. I think a lot of times it’s the patience and the continuation to drive forward, even when the words aren’t flowing as easily as they do other times. I am hoping to get back on track this week.

Jo: If your passion is writing, let nothing derail you from that dream. In your photo on Twitter, your website, and Facebook, you have blonde hair. Is there a major reason you changed it?
Megan: Ha! Does it look blonde? I’m going to have to look at that closer. They’re actually highlights. I’ve always been a brunette…and I think I’ll stay that way. :) I used to do highlights quite often, but I got tired of having to go touch them up, so now I’m all brown, and in the summer, it looks almost black. The Native American/Spanish genes kick in during the summer, which is okay by me!

Jo: It does look blonde. Haha! Interesting to know. You write with a pen name. Any particular reason why?
Megan: It’s actually my maiden name, and I began writing before I got married. When we got married, I thought about switching it, but then I realized I’d have to build up my audience again under my new name, so I just kept it as Megan Curd. The only time it gets confusing is if I’ve signed a lot of books, then try to write a check or something. Then people give me strange looks as I scribble out my last name and put my married one. Oops!

Jo: Ahhhhh I know the feeling. I use a pen name to protect my anonymity. My books are kind of controversial and I don’t need people knocking down my door. Haha! I know of your distaste for the whole querying and long waiting process thing. I agree; I’d rather be writing and letting folks read my work than waiting! What would it take for you to take the leap to a trad publisher?
Megan: I would never be opposed to a traditional publisher, if the offer was right. It would be nice in many ways to not have to be a jack-of-all-trades. I love having creative control over my covers and over my pricing, but I would love to have the opportunity to be in a brick-and-mortar store. I’m happy with being an indie right now, but I would never go so far as to say I would never go traditional. It’s a bridge I’ve yet to cross, so we’ll see what happens in the future. :)

Jo: Amen to that. You can still get your book into brick and mortar stores, it just takes money. Time to ask the alien question of the interview! You know the theme for UtopYA Con 2014 is aliens so we just have to! Are you planning to wear or bring a costume to the event? Is there something special you’re gonna do so we know who you are at a glance?
Megan: I don’t have a costume planned, but I’m pretty sure anyone can tell you from last year, I’m a jeans and a t-shirt kind of girl no matter what the occasion! I love being comfy, so I will definitely be in jeans and a t-shirt all of next year, too. I’m actually plotting my awards outfit, though, and I’m thinking I’ll spice it up a little bit…and put a jacket-vest over my t-shirt…you know, maybe bust out a fedora. You never know, ha. I’m pretty simple, though. I can count on two hands how many times I’ve worn a dress!

Jo: I love my jeans, too. Time for you to tell us about your featured book of the week! What’s the title, why did you write it, and why does it hold a special place in your heart?
Megan: STEEL LILY! This one is near and dear to me because of the effort that went into it. I wrote it in two months, but then between querying, revisions, then having to part ways with my agent, revisions, book cover, etc., it was nearly a year and a half before it released. (Hence that delay in books coming out, ha!) This book was close to never coming out. I had become jaded with the system, and I’d decided that I was fine with not doing much in the writing arena. Then my very good friend (and amazing author—just wait until you read her debut!) Mindy Ruiz pushed me to go to UtopYA, and it changed my life, quite literally. I was renewed and excited about writing, and I realized how much it meant to me. I released Steel Lily two months later, and now we are here today, with me almost finished with the sequel and planning a third for early next year. :)

Jo: Anything I didn’t ask that you wish I had?
Megan: I must say, you are the most in-depth interview I’ve had, and I loved it! I think you covered everything.

Jo: That’s all the time we have for today. Thanks for stopping by and chatting with us, Megan! I look forward to meeting you in person at UtopYA Con in June.
Megan: Thank you so much for having me! I’m honored to get to be here today, and get ready for your tackle hug at UtopYA Con! :)

Jo: I’m so ready to be there already. LOL

Now for some information about the featured book!

Title: Steel Lily
Author: Megan Curd
Genre: Dystopian with hints of Steampunk
Length (print): 314 pages
Links to Purchase: Amazon—$2.99 Kindle  B&N—$2.99 Nook  Kobo—$2.99

Synopsis:
AVERY PIKE is a commodity. No, more than a commodity. Her existence is guarded at all costs.

She's a water Elementalist, the strongest of her dwindling kind. She creates steam to provide energy to fuel Dome Four: the only thing standing between humanity and an earth ravaged by World War III. No steam, no Dome. No Dome, no life.

Or so she thinks.

That is, until a mysterious man offers her a way out of having to donate steam. A way to escape the corrupt government of Dome Four. While the offer seems too good to be true, Avery is intrigued. But when she arrives to her new home, she realizes the grass isn't any less dead on this side of the fence. Instead, the lies are just hidden better.

...Which means digging deeper.

When Avery enlists the help of her friends to uncover the truth, she learns that while some secrets are better left concealed, humankind was never meant to live in a cage. And when you can control the most sought after resource, you can learn to control anything...including the fate of your world.

You can pick up a copy at the links above. While you’re here and clicking on stuff, why don’t you give this little lady a follow on her social media platforms!
Twitter: @MeganCurd
Facebook: Author Megan Curd


I do hope you all take the time to pick up one of Megan’s books. She’ll be featured on the sidebar of the blog for the next two weeks so if you didn’t get to take all this in today, come on back tomorrow.

Get on down to the comments and ask her a couple of questions. Seriously. Do it now.

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

Jo

Common Editing Errors

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Is it the last day of school for your kids, too? I sit here, cringing with the knowledge mine will be home all next week. Why? Because that means work comes to a screeching halt and I have a zombie novel to edit. About that, I got the most awesome bookmarks in the mail last week. Take a look:

These will be available exclusively at UtopYA Con 2014. 

If you don't have tickets to that event yet, you should. YA authors from all over the world will be there with their wares. You can get your tickets here:
www.utopyacon.com

But that's not the topic for today. I'm gonna talk to you about common editing errors in the hopes it'll help you avoid these pitfalls. So, grab your pens and notebooks and let's get going!


Learning to edit a book is like anything else, it takes practice (along with a handy reference guide to what works and what doesn't). Over at INDIE Books Gone Wild, we give editing tips now and then. If you follow them, your book will cost less to have edited by one of us.

Today, I'd like to go into some of the things to watch out for when you're doing those edits.

1. Watch for homophones. I know that seems like an obvious SMH thing, but they're more common than you think.
2. Use commas with care. In these two sentences: I went to the window and Bob moved to my side. I went to the window, and Bob moved to my side. You can see the one without the comma flows more easily. While they're both correct, common sense tells you to nix the comma on that one for readability.
3. Adverbs can be cut if you use stronger verbs. Do a search for ly endings and eradicate by pumping up your prose. Here's a post that goes into that.
4. Pay attention to pronouns. This is one of the most common errors I find when editing. See a post here about how to see if you're using the right one.
5. Use contractions! Again, something I find a lot of when editing. We speak in contractions and read them more easily than we do when the words are broken out in two pieces.
6. Watch out for the big words. Your reader knows you're a writer with a gargantuan vocabulary. Be careful not to shove it down their throats.
7. Repetition in word use or information given. Okay, you told us his eyes were blue. Either find a new way to describe those peepers or cut the repeated information altogether.
8. Hunt down your ize and ization words and kill those, too.
9. KISS your reader. Keep it Simple, Silly. Use shorter words and smaller sentences (but remember to create variation, too) because readers can process information better when you do.

I hope that helps. I'll be working my way through I, Zombie today in an attempt to eradicate my own writing errors.

What do you think? Did you know to watch out for those?

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

Jo

The Abigale Chronicles - Book Blast and Reviews

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

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

The Abigale Chronicles

by Jo Michaels

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I hope you get a chance to grab a sample.

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

Jo