Monday, November 30, 2015

Writing Prompts for Kids - 24 Writing Prompts to Spark Ideas for a Year

Happy Monday, everyone! I'm soooo excited today. I have been since last week, but I unplugged for the holiday so this is my first chance to share with you all. *squeal*

It's official! Writing Prompts for Kids is alive and kicking on Amazon. Here's the info:

Title: Writing Prompts for Kids: 24 Writing Prompts to Spark Ideas for a Year - A Child's Writing Journal (Writing for Kids Volume I)
Author: Jo Michaels
Genre: Juvenile Non-Fiction / Language Arts / Writing and Composition
Buy Link: Amazon Paperback $19.99

Blurb:
If your child wants to write, but needs a little help (or just wants something to write IN), this book is the answer.

With 24 solid writing prompts and a guided setup, your little one will be pumping out words before you know it. From author Jo Michaels comes a fun and interactive journal style book that will spark your child’s imagination and get them creating amazing things in no time.

Your child will be asked questions like:
What is my character’s name?
How old?
Is he/she human?
If no, what is he/she?
What is he or she going to try to do?
What are Mom and Dad’s names?
Where do they live?

Prompt #1:
Think of a time you were scared. What were you scared of? How could you be braver? What power would you like to have to help?

With pages for drawing book covers and scenes, this journal will keep your child engaged for hours.

I bet you're wondering why the heck I created this book. Well, because I wanted something for my own daughter, and nothing I found fit the bill. She loves to write, but she has a difficult time with the nitty-gritty creation details. Then, she mixes up her writing journals or loses them.

I wanted something I could keep, too. Yeah, I know it's selfish, but it is what it is.

There are pages in there for drawing, too, because I thought about those kids who hate to write and figured a little art might go a long way in keeping their attention on the story. Plus, I get pages upon pages of her ten-year-old artistic self.

This book is for kids age 7-12. After that, they're too old for these kinds of writing prompts. A teen version will be coming sometime soon, so keep your eyes open for that!

My fingers are crossed your kids will enjoy it. I kept it as gender neutral as I could.

Check out the look inside option, and tell me what you think in the comments below.

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

Jo

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope you have some awesome planned for the day, and my fingers are crossed all goes smoothly.





I have a little announcement to make (if you're still reading).

This week, a new kind of book I've written will go on sale. It's non-fiction, and it's for your kids (kind of).

Here's the dealio:

Your kids get a nice sized book to write, color, and draw in. But! What they'll be learning as they do these things is how a story is crafted on the most basic level.

What's in it for you?

You get a priceless keepsake, a record of your child's imagination at work at their current age.

Take a look at the cover:

Inside, there's space for your child to write 24 stories based on prompts provided. They get to draw their own book covers, doodle scenes, and flesh out their worlds with simple questions before writing.

If you think it's something you might like, keep an eye on the blog. I'll post here when it's ready to buy.

Thoughts? Comments? Suggestions?

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

Jo

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Free Novella - The first Short Story of The Geneva Project: Prequel Series by Christina Benjamin

The first Short Story of The Geneva Project: Prequel series is finally here!!! And it’s FREE for a limited time.

Before the ancient legend of Lux was discovered, before she realized her power, before she had a destiny to fulfill: Geneva was just a lonely orphan at Christmas. Get a glimpse into the early days of Geneva and Remi's lives at the Troian Center. There's always a little bit of high jinx, mystery and magic happening on Hullabee Island and the holiday season is no exception. Discover how Geneva and Remi forged a friendship that bonded them for life and made them “thick as thieves,” in this heartwarming Christmas tale where we discover that sometimes finding true friendship is the greatest gift of all.

http://amzn.com/1519334435

About the Author:
Award-winning young adult author Christina Benjamin fell in love with the magic of words at an early age. Benjamin’s writing hooks fans of mega-hit YA fiction like Harry Potter and Hunger Games, and offers them a new series to obsess over. She paints a vivid world, where magic and imagination run wild in her epic tale of adventure, courage and friendship.

Christina now lives in Florida with her husband, and character inspiring pets. She spends most of her time writing. Benjamin is dedicated to giving back to the community and speaking at schools to inspire creativity in young writers. When she has free time she enjoys to read, listen to music, shop and travel.


Follow the author!
https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaBenjaminAuthor
https://www.facebook.com/TheGenevaProjectBook?ref=hl
https://twitter.com/AuthorCBenjamin
https://instagram.com/authorcbenjamin/
https://instagram.com/thegenevaprojectbook_fanpage
http://authorchristinabenjamin.tumblr.com/
https://google.com/+ChristinaBenjaminAuthor
https://youtube.com/c/ChristinaBenjaminAuthor
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ChristinaBenjaminAuthor
http://christinabenjaminauthor.com/
http://www.thegenevaprojectbook.com/
https://squareup.com/market/thegenevaprojectstore
http://www.amazon.com/Christina-Benjamin/e/B009UZM14O/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6588515.Christina_Benjamin

Link to Trivia Quiz on Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/quizzes/results/29658

Book Trailer




I do hope you all go grab this awesome little freebie!

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

Jo

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Utopiacon Runs Black Friday Week-long Blitz Party

Happy freaking Tuesday, everyone! There's a HUGE party going on over on the Utopia Con 2016 event page on Facebook all week! TONS of authors have donated books, gift cards, swag, and more!

Up for grabs right now:
Signed paperback of Hear the Crickets by BJ Sheldon
Signed paperback of M and e-book of Fractured Glass by Jo Michaels (plus 4)
E-copies of the entire Tala Prophecy series by Tia Bach
Signed paperback of Always Remembered, a necklace, and lots of swag by Kelly Risser
Signed paperbacks of the entire Forces of Nature series by Elizabeth Sharp

Those links will take you directly to the giveaways.

What are you waiting for? GOGOGO!

Today, there will be another blogger giving things away, and Janet Wallace is popping in throughout the week with things like TICKETS to the con and SIGNING SPACE!

Plus, there's an amazing sale happening FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY ONLY for tickets to the conference. Check this out:






Regular/general admission tickets will also be on sale! But you won't know if you don't join!

I do hope you entered to win some amazing books.

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

Jo

Monday, November 23, 2015

Five Year Giveaway from Katie M. John

CELEBRATING 5 YEARS OF THE KNIGHT TRILOGY by Katie M John SPECIAL BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY


This December marks the 5th Year Anniversary of 'The Knight Trilogy' and as part of many other things I am doing all over social media, I am giving away this lovely Birthday hamper to one lucky Rafflecopter winner. The giveaway is international and will be delivered by surface mail.

So if you fancy winning a collection of signed paperbacks, jewellery from the magical forest of Broceliande, and many other gorgeous hand crafted book swag goodies, enter the rafflecopter giveaway below.

The Knight Trilogy tells the story of Mina Singer, an ordinary seventeen-year-old college student whose life is nicely ordered until the arrival of the mysterious Blake Beldevier. With his arrival, Mina is catapulted into a world she thought only existed in fairy tales, but she soon learns that fairy tales aren't for children, and that Morgan Le Fay is the wickedest witch of them all.

In this contemporary Arthurian series, readers are taken on a fantastical adventure from the wilds of rural Cornwall, to the temples of Egypt, to the magical Forest of Broceliande, and to Templar Head Quarters in the savage mountains of Switzerland.

In a true romantic quest, Mina, Blake and her friends have to undertake quests, recover lost objects and under go heart break in order to slay their own personal dragons.

In its 5 years of publication, The Knight Trilogy has been a Number 1 bestselling YA series & Fairy Tale series in both the UK and USA. It has also been a bestselling Amazon.com title. Book 1, 'The Forest of Adventures' won Reviewer's Choice 2011 from The Kindle Book Review, and the series was a finalist in the Silver Ink awards 2013.

Book 1 The Forest of Adventures
Book 2 Immortal Beloved
Book 3 Star Fire

To celebrate, EVERYBODY can get a free eBook edition of 'The Forest of Adventures' on all eBook platforms. (Except for Amazon, but PLEASE let them know, using the button at the end of the Amazon page, that it is cheaper elsewhere and hopefully they will drop it to free there too)

iBOOKS https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1055548158
B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-forest-of-a…/1120893224…
KOBO https://store.kobobooks.com/…/eb…/the-forest-of-adventures-1

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck all!!

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

Jo 

Friday, November 20, 2015

Romance Author Chelsea Fine on A Daily Cup of Jo

Happy FRIDAY! Hey, it's the weekend! Quick post today! I had the amazing Chelsea Fine on A Daily Cup of Jo yesterday as a Utopia Con Veteran. It was AMAZING!

You have to listen!

Do so here.

In other news, Chelsea recently gave a TedX talk on Why it's Okay to Throw Like a Girl.

See it here:

Isn't she inspiring?

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

Jo

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Fallen Sorcery Collection

Happy Thursday, everyone! I can't even!!!! You're never gonna believe who got into the first ever paranormal/dystopian romance Fallen Sorcery collection releasing end of next year. That's right! ME!

Think I'm a little excited?

Yeah, that's an understatement.

You can get updates about the releases (and several awesome goodies) by subscribing to the newsletter here. First one will be published September of 2016.

Give us a like on Facebook and a follow on Twitter!

Here's the list of AMAZING authors in the collection:
USA Today Bestselling Author REBECCA HAMILTON
Amazon Bestselling Author SYLVIA FROST
USA Today Bestselling Author APRYL BAKER

USA Today Bestselling Author RAINY KAYE writing with NATASHA LARRY
USA Today Bestselling Authors CONNER KRESSLEY & REBECCA HAMILTON
USA Today Bestselling Author JC ANDRIJESKI
USA Today Bestselling Author CONNER KRESSLEY
Amazon Bestselling Author LISA SWALLOW
USA Today Bestselling Author NOREE COSPER
USA Today Bestselling Author ANGELA FRISTOE
Amazon Bestselling & Award Winning Author J.E. TAYLOR
Amazon Bestselling Author SHANNON ECKRICH
Amazon Bestselling Author AMY LEE BURGESS
Amazon Bestselling Author HEATHER MARIE ADKINS
Amazon Bestselling Author JARET MARTENS
Award Winning Author JO MICHAELS

Hello! How cool is that? 

I do hope you hopped on board with us and are looking forward to all the awesome.

What do you think? Are you excited, too?

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

Jo