Thanksgiving MEGA Giveaway

Welcome to the Thanksgiving Mega Giveaway!! This giveaway was put together solely to say thank goodness for books and to celebrate them!

It was also put together to give back to readers and try to give as many people as possible some reading material for the holidays! There tons of ways to enter so everyone has a good chance of winning something. :)

A huge thank you to the authors who donated their awesome books  & swag and to the bloggers who also hosted and donated material!

Here are some simple rules to remember when entering.

• paperback and swag will be mailed to the U.S. only
• ecopies are international
•  You get to pick your prize if you're one of the winners of the contest!! You will only have 24 hours to pick your prize and return your choice in an email or another winner will be chosen.

Good luck to everyone and enjoy the holidays!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

Jo

My NaNoWriMo Suvival Kit

 It's that time of year again. NaNoWriMo is about to go into full swing. I'm girding myself and preparing like a person ready to survive a zombie apocalypse.

Why would I participate in something like this? I average 3k words a day, 5 days a week, anyway (I never write on the weekends). Why not? By my reckoning, I should have 66k words by the end of November just by doing what I do.

But demanding 3k words and flowing 3k words are two very different things. Goodbye blog post comments and Facebook updates for the month. Toodles to Tweeps! I'm going to be a very busy lady! All you'll get are my buffered posts.

I am pre-writing my blog posts for the month so I can have that time to write. Good stuff coming at you either way! And when I'm done for the day, perhaps you'll see me poke in here or there.

On to my survival kit! If you're doing NaNo, you should consider a survival kit. Mine includes:

Coffee (lots of coffee).
Pre-made dinners that I can throw into the oven out of the freezer (my kids will get sick of roast, I'm sure).
Sugar (to sweeten the coffee, duh!).
My Laptop.
My iPad with Evernote installed (in case I have to go somewhere).
A pen and notepad (for fact check notes).
MS Word and all the goodies I've prepared open and on the screen.
Pre-written blog posts for the month.
A strict schedule by which I will stick.
An out of town response on my e-mail (KIDDING).
Quick stuff to eat for lunch like sandwiches.
Nail clippers and a nail file nearby (ever try to type with long nails or a burr?).
Glasses (because I'm getting old).
Dance Central (for those moments when I don't know what else to do/write).

Hmmmmm... Have I forgotten anything? I don't think so... I'm sure I'll figure it out quickly if I did.

If you're a NaNo participant, add me as a writing buddy! Let's kick this thing's booty!!

Don't forget, go get your copy of the first book in the Mystic series FREE today. It's the LAST DAY!

The Amazon linky.

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

Jo

Mystic ~ Lily Released Today

 Women Save The World!

Today is the day you've all been waiting for! Book two of the Mystic series, Lily, is now available as both an e-book and a print book. Digital copies are $3.99 and a print copy will only set you back $8.99. Get one now! On Amazon or On CreateSpace.

IF you haven't yet read book one, Bronya, go get it now. On Amazon or On CreateSpace. It's FREE until tomorrow night at midnight. A little paranormal activity for you on Halloween!

Here are a few snippets from the reviews Bronya has gotten so far:

"Bronya is the first novella from the Mystic series, in this story we meet Markaza, a blue hair tattooed teenager and Bronya, a physically strong teenager living in a small town in Louisiana.

Markaza has the ability to see into the future and knows that she needs to recruit specific women from all over the US by befriending them..." ~ E. Mendez - 5 stars There's also a great interview over on Ms. Mendez's blog about the series. Check it out!

"I really found this book to be such an easy read that was quick and fast paced. Yet not so fast that nothing was ever not explained fully. Each of the characters presented were so rich and full of life as well as having flaws that made them so very likable. Characters that were judged by other people's standards and beliefs that made you want to root for the underdog to win out over all the haters, cheaters, losers, and liars of the world. Paranormal aspects of this story were cleverly woven in such a way that was just perfect blending into the background of the story and characters too." ~ Angie - 4 stars

"Congrats to Jo for writing a great novella. The characters are unique, and aren't often found in fantasy/paranormal stories. The writing and editing are both well done. It's a quick read, which is a bit disappointing - but only because I want more. Thankfully more are on the way!" ~ J. Chatfield 4 stars

Lily has also received a wonderful review over on Goodreads:

"The story of Lily picks up where Bronya left off. We see the main character Lily struggle with a big change in her life that left her unsure of where her place was in the world. We also find that people are not always what they seem to be such as fake friends who would rather laugh, ridicule, belittle, and be hateful of a person they claim to be friends with. In this book, we see a turning point for not only Lily but for Markaza and Bronya too." ~ Angie - 4 stars

Now for the synopsis of Lily:

Lily Conyers is a twenty-year-old who had it all going for her until a car crash left her with terrible scars, no modeling job, and an addiction to pain killers. When she meets a strange young woman named Markaza, Lily begins to re-build her life with encouragement from her new friend.

Problems arise when Lily leaves the safety of her apartment for the first time since her accident to venture back into the world she used to know. Her so-called friends shun her and her boyfriend recoils at the sight of her face. She rushes home with thoughts of suicide only to find a letter on her step from a company called WSTW; promising her a new life.

Lily packs her bags, bids Markaza goodbye, and sets off for the city. But going to New York is only the first hurdle Lily must jump. She must learn to use the power inside herself to help defeat an evil that is threatening to destroy the world. Once there, she meets a girl named Bronya and the two help one another re-build what was so negligently broken.

As Lily is boarding the plane bound for New York, Markaza boards another headed to Tennessee so she can collect the next young woman on her list: Shelia.

You can pick up a digital copy of Lily at Amazon or a print copy over on CreateSpace. You do not want to miss this second installment of the Mystic series.

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

Jo

Who Where Why

Good Monday, people of the blogosphere! Glad to have you back. Today, I'll be talking about 3 Ws of writing: Who, Where, and Why.

I do hope you'll take a little trip with me down the road of lessons. Let's address these Ws in order. As you all must know, I'm releasing Lily tomorrow so I'll use the Mystic series when giving comparisons. Nothing like a good tie-in eh? Grab your pencil and paper and let's get going.

Who
This is usually your protagonist. There's always a who. Whether it's a person, animal, or insect. This is the person you build your story around. But let's look at it from another angle, shall we? Who is also the supporting cast, the antagonist, and any creature in the book that helps the plot along. In Mystic, the primary who is Markaza. Supporting whos are: Bronya, Lily, Shelia, Melody, Coralie, Johanna, and the monster. These aren't folks that make an appearance and go away. Those, I like to call: Whonots. In Mystic, they would be: Cecilia, Grammy, Uncle Melvin, Aunt Ivy, Wilhelm, the other models, and folks I don't build well because I don't want them to be remembered when the book is done. I've been asked why I didn't name Cecilia's boyfriend. So you would forget him. I only want you to remember the main characters; those that pull the story along throughout the entire series. Good tip: Don't name someone you want people to forget.

Where
Every character is on a journey. They must start somewhere and end somewhere. Markaza is traveling all over the U.S. but she ends up right back where she began - in New York. Every supporting who also ends up in New York. They travel from their homes to join Markaza in her quest to save the world. So, New York is our main setting. Other places are secondary but equally as important. I've been to every state I write about and it's helped me describe the landscapes and scenery. If you can't visit, look at a ton of photos and read weather reports to get the gist.

Why
This is the whole reason you're writing a book. There's some compelling reason your protagonist must begin their journey. In Markaza's case, she must round up other women to help save the world (as only women can do). Her visions are a result of something that happened to her when she was young. But it's that occurrence which drives the whole series. Without her visions, she would never have embarked upon her journey the series is written around. You must have a why and a journey to resolution.

As a reminder, Lily releases tomorrow and Bronya is still free today! If you'd like to help a fellow indie out, tweet this:

#freekindlebook through Wed! http://amzn.to/PhxwdW 4star avg rating on #Amazon #paranormal Share with friends and go get one today!

or share this on your FB wall:

Lily releases tomorrow! Preview in the back of Bronya http://amzn.to/PhxwdW Free through Wednesday on Amazon. Please like and share this great beginning to the Mystic series by Jo Michaels. 4 Star average rating!

If you want a copy for yourself, go grab one here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009015NVQ

Come on back tomorrow for news on the release of Lily!

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

Jo