Okay so I know this is a bit late seeing as this movie came out in 2012 but here is my review regardless. I watched this movie yesterday on my day off. It was a pretty nasty day out so I had nothing much better to do other than to do a SyFy movie marathon and this is one movie I had yet to see.
The cast includes: Danielle Panabaker as Maddy who studies marine biology and is co owner of a water park along with her ex-step father played by David Koechner as Chet.
Chet has decided to turn the water park into an adult themed attraction in a section of the park featuring as the movie calls them water certified strippers. As you can imagine this is where the audience sees an eye full of large breasts swing to and fro in the skimpy bikini's. I was not bothered by this in the slightest after all it is summer time and we are all adults and can see this in any public swimming park. Maddy on the other hand wants to see the park as just a regular water park, which causes strife between the two.
This all takes place after the horrific attacks of the prehistoric piranhas introduction to Lake Victoria which was the set of the original movie. Somehow these vicious critters with an outrageous appetite have found their way into nearby lakes rivers and ponds. As a handful of attacks begin to be reported, Maddy and her ex boyfriend now police officer, Kyle played by Chris Zylka and her good friend Barry played by Matt Bush are out to find the source of why the fish are being drawn to the water parks. Reprising his role as Mr. Goodman from the first movie Christopher Lloyd explains that the eggs emit a chemical that is found in chlorine and will draw the spawning fish into anything that has chlorine added to it. YIKES!!!!
Maddy, Barry and Kyle all take off to make sure the the outflow pipes have not been compromised. Maddy is attacked and barely makes it out alive, but now she knows for sure the pipes have not been chewed through and feels slightly better about the grand opening of the park.
In the meantime, four of Maddy's friends have went skinny dipping and one of these nasty lil fish makes it way into a young woman's vagina..... (ok, that is a bit unnecessary and highly ridiculous) then two other of the four are making out in a van and accident roll into the lake where they are quickly devoured by the hungry fish.... as the young woman who is now in serious pain from the crazy ass fish swimming through her body confesses to her boyfriend that if she is going to die she doesn't want to die a virgin ( we have all heard that one in other campy thrillers) and true to its form, the young man steps up to help the maiden out, however while they are in the midst of the devirginizing the young woman begins to convulse and suddenly the fish comes out and latches on to the unsuspecting young man's manhood! Ya, who didn't see that coming? The young man runs into the kitchen in hysterics and decides to cut the fish off, effectively severing his own manhood. As far as "fluff" for a movie this was acceptable and pretty humorous. This scene had me laughing and cringing at the same time.
Pressing forward, opening day has arrived and Chet has hired David Hasslehoff to be a guest lifeguard as a promotional stunt. A young boy approaches Mr. Hasslehoff believing he is a real lifeguard, and the two begin to have a conversation about how the boy has no clue who he is ( apparently this intrigues the big guy and he now keeps watching the kid.). As one can expect, soon all hell breaks loose and piranha begin to fill the pool and devour the guests.
Maddy bravely begins to try to help the visitors escape the pools, as Chet watches in horror knowing that he is now financially ruined. Chet goes to the office and gathers up all the cash and intends to run off, however he comes across a little girl sitting beside her dead mother, he looks at her and says he's sorry and throws cash at her as he runs off and gets into his golf cart to make his escape. He backs up and runs over the little girl killing her then goes forward and runs her over again. As he is fleeing the scene he is caught off guard by a woman with extremely large fake breasts and doesn't see the low hanging flag banners which somehow slices his head clean off. Justice is served!
Hasslehoff, rescues the young boy and proudly declares he is a real life guard! Meanwhile Kyle refuses to help and tries to drag Maddy out of the park. Maddy ends up finding Barry and tells him to go drain the pool. Maddy ends up in the pool as it is being drained, and is sucked to the bottom of the pool while she is being eaten. Kyle now full on runs away and it's up to Barry to rescue Maddy, however he can not swim. Throwing all caution aside he jumps in anyway, but he quickly climbs back out. Barry finds his trident that is a part of his costume, and spears one of the last man eaters that comes at Maddy as she is stuck to the bottom of the pool, he nails his target and Maddy is saved from being eaten but not from drowning. Finally the water level begins to recede and Barry jumps in with a large cinder block to keep himself under the water to be able to get to Maddy. He pulls her to safety and performs mouth to mouth on her reviving her. She kisses him and then we see Kyle return to the scene and jump in screaming for Maddy as he pulls out a mostly eaten corpse. He looks over to see that Maddy was safe and now with Barry who he had been bullying the entire movie.
One of the workers who had been attacked by the fish, goes to the water pumps and throws some type of chemical down the tubes and throws a light joint in the mix, blowing up the fish. Unfortunately the trident that saved Maddy is blown sky high and comes down landing in Kyle's head.
A side note, two other former cast members reprise their roles from the first movie, one is deputy Fallon who had his legs eaten off and the cheesy side kick slash cameraman Andrew, who are at the park to try to get over their fear of the water. Deputy Fallon now has titanium legs and enters the water and uses his prosthetic shotgun leg to kill some of the killer fish to help save a few more lives.
The ending shows the good doctor calling Maddy and telling her that they have now evolved into walking fish. She replies that she knows, the camera pans to the fish walking slowly out of the water and the young boy that had been rescued by Hasslehoff is recording the fish walking as his mother keeps telling the boy to get away from it. The boy tells his mom not to worry because they are slow on land and suddenly the fish lunges up and bites the boys head off in front of his mother and guests. End movie.
Okay, I was okay with this movie up until the very end scene. I found it to be in extremely poor taste to show this scene, it added absolutely no value to the movie in any manner. In fact I would not suggest this movie to anyone ever based on that one scene. Hey guys you had a decent campy horror/comedy up until that fatal mistake, you crossed the line, not to mention the running over the little girl not once but twice, that's not funny in the slightest.
All in all I give this movie a huge negative 10!!! Don't watch it.
That is my take and my review I literally have nothing else to say about this movie other than I am completely disgusted by it which says a lot seeing as though I love these types of movies.
Cheeky
Friday, November 6, 2015
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
My new project
Hi cheeky readers!! I wanted to tell you all about a new project I am currently working on...
I am making a semi-documentary about my life with agoraphobia and social anxiety disorder... So far it has been both a relief to talk about my anxiety and fears, as well as horrifying and emotional. Once I feel I have enough video, I will post it.
I ask that as you watch to keep an open mind as this is my life and the daily struggles I go through.
Why I am doing this? I am doing this because I feel that there is not enough exposure out there for people like myself who have to fake a smile and pretend there is nothing wrong. More people need to be aware that although we (people like myself) may appear to be quite normal on the outside, we are not OKAY on the inside.
I honestly can not say how long I will do these recordings as I am trying to capture the real side of my life and it is not always possible to get a camera rolling as I have a melt down.
Again, thank you in advance for being open minded enough to view the movie once it is released.
I am making a semi-documentary about my life with agoraphobia and social anxiety disorder... So far it has been both a relief to talk about my anxiety and fears, as well as horrifying and emotional. Once I feel I have enough video, I will post it.
I ask that as you watch to keep an open mind as this is my life and the daily struggles I go through.
Why I am doing this? I am doing this because I feel that there is not enough exposure out there for people like myself who have to fake a smile and pretend there is nothing wrong. More people need to be aware that although we (people like myself) may appear to be quite normal on the outside, we are not OKAY on the inside.
I honestly can not say how long I will do these recordings as I am trying to capture the real side of my life and it is not always possible to get a camera rolling as I have a melt down.
Again, thank you in advance for being open minded enough to view the movie once it is released.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Review Swaps
Here's a great idea, and I know some authors already do this but in my opinion not enough do. A review swap is simply just that. Authors share their books with each other and take the time to read the books then give out a review of the book. Honestly who better to give a professional review?
Writing is most of the time a competition: We all want to be ranked number one, however, we should be gracious and support one another as well. The top readers are of course authors (no I'm not saying that all readers are authors, what I am saying is that obviously authors are readers and seeing as though this is at times their main profession they would be considered top notch readers).
Writing should never be a competition between authors, each one of us knows how difficult it is to make it in this profession, so we all should be showing some support and reviewing each others books.
Give it a go, we all know another author, grab a copy of their book and leave a review. I do it, why aren't you?
Here is the link to my book The Immortal Design.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WBRO0O2?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
If you want to do a book swap contact me.
Also, the book is $1.99 to buy as an eBook, or if you are a member of Amazon prime its free.
Writing is most of the time a competition: We all want to be ranked number one, however, we should be gracious and support one another as well. The top readers are of course authors (no I'm not saying that all readers are authors, what I am saying is that obviously authors are readers and seeing as though this is at times their main profession they would be considered top notch readers).
Writing should never be a competition between authors, each one of us knows how difficult it is to make it in this profession, so we all should be showing some support and reviewing each others books.
Give it a go, we all know another author, grab a copy of their book and leave a review. I do it, why aren't you?
Here is the link to my book The Immortal Design.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WBRO0O2?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
If you want to do a book swap contact me.
Also, the book is $1.99 to buy as an eBook, or if you are a member of Amazon prime its free.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
What do you want??
Okay people, I am asking you, what do you want to see more of here on The Cheeky Rooster?
1. More book reviews
2. More interviews
3. More personal stories
4. My daily rants?
5. My views on what's going on in the world???
You tell me what you would like to see more of!
1. More book reviews
2. More interviews
3. More personal stories
4. My daily rants?
5. My views on what's going on in the world???
You tell me what you would like to see more of!
Saturday, October 24, 2015
Immortal Design
The Immortal Design by Angel Ernst
Please leave a review or rating I now how many free copies went out and how many were sold, with out ratings or reviews, there is no way to let others know how much you liked it, or even hated it.... show support for your authors We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you.
**update** two reviews now in!
Please leave a review or rating I now how many free copies went out and how many were sold, with out ratings or reviews, there is no way to let others know how much you liked it, or even hated it.... show support for your authors We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you.
**update** two reviews now in!
OMG! Though this is not a genre I normally read. I could not put the book down.
The mystery and chemistry within the pages, intrigued me, making me what to hurry up and finish the book. And get the answers to my questions, yet when I was finished, i was disappointed. NOT in the story by any means, but in myself for being so impatient.
I wanted to slap myself. So what did i do? Yes, I went back and read it a second time.
The mystery and chemistry within the pages, intrigued me, making me what to hurry up and finish the book. And get the answers to my questions, yet when I was finished, i was disappointed. NOT in the story by any means, but in myself for being so impatient.
I wanted to slap myself. So what did i do? Yes, I went back and read it a second time.
Review by: Paul Zunckel on April 28, 2015 :
This is an amazing story, a wonderful fresh approach to the Dracula Saga and it falls into the category of a real page turner, and that is what it did to me, as I had the privilege of reading The Immortal Design while the author was traveling down the dark road, and she kept me waiting for the next chapter, and wanting more.
The two main characters are really great, and the love that simmers under the surface of all the deceit,horror and history in the story will have you reaching out to them and supporting them as the story reaches its climax.
This is a very well written book, and the author put her heart and soul into it, and I wish her all the best.
The Immortal Design will transport you into another world,and at the end of the journey, you will close the book, sit back and say,"Man that was a great read."
This is an amazing story, a wonderful fresh approach to the Dracula Saga and it falls into the category of a real page turner, and that is what it did to me, as I had the privilege of reading The Immortal Design while the author was traveling down the dark road, and she kept me waiting for the next chapter, and wanting more.
The two main characters are really great, and the love that simmers under the surface of all the deceit,horror and history in the story will have you reaching out to them and supporting them as the story reaches its climax.
This is a very well written book, and the author put her heart and soul into it, and I wish her all the best.
The Immortal Design will transport you into another world,and at the end of the journey, you will close the book, sit back and say,"Man that was a great read."
By Seven Steps Author on October 30, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Jonathan is a typical high school kid, with a very strange lineage. Then his friend, Pete, goes missing, only to turn up in a hospital with a fantastic tale: Jonathan's girlfriend saved him from a wolf attack and carried him to the hospital.
Jonathan's girlfriend Willa, the new foreign exchange student, is exactly what she tells everyone she is, a vampire. When her past comes back to bite her, she must save Jonathen, even if it means sacrificing herself.
Great read with classic elements of Dracula, and Van Helsing.
Jonathan's girlfriend Willa, the new foreign exchange student, is exactly what she tells everyone she is, a vampire. When her past comes back to bite her, she must save Jonathen, even if it means sacrificing herself.
Great read with classic elements of Dracula, and Van Helsing.
Support Cheeky
Morning everyone! I'm asking that you all show some support for this blog and everything I do for you. I work hard on this blog and now the video reviews for you all, and yet I haven't seen anyone follow this blog as of yet....
Another way to help support this blog and Cheeky, is to click our ads and see what our advertisers have to offer...
Without continued support, Cheeky will have to go away, and that would be unfortunate.
Many people do not realize that the ads on our page is our only source of revenue. They may be annoying to you, but some of them have a lot to offer, I have looked at them myself and found them to be interesting. Unfortunately there is no donation button to keep Cheeky alive....
So If you enjoy this blog or even any other blogs, show your support, follow, share, and with your help we will continue to grow!
Thank you to all who stop by and see what's going on here at Cheeky Rooster!!
Another way to help support this blog and Cheeky, is to click our ads and see what our advertisers have to offer...
Without continued support, Cheeky will have to go away, and that would be unfortunate.
Many people do not realize that the ads on our page is our only source of revenue. They may be annoying to you, but some of them have a lot to offer, I have looked at them myself and found them to be interesting. Unfortunately there is no donation button to keep Cheeky alive....
So If you enjoy this blog or even any other blogs, show your support, follow, share, and with your help we will continue to grow!
Thank you to all who stop by and see what's going on here at Cheeky Rooster!!
Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Kaycee's Tattered Spirit Video review
I had a lot fun making this video. Keep coming back for more of me Cheeky Rooster and more great books and authors and my reviews..
Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Working on Cheeky
Good morning readers!!! Sorry I haven't posted lately, but I have been busy working my other job (13 hour days ugh, but hey its extra money for later). In my last post I wrote that I would be adding videos to my blog, and that is what I have been working on for this blog. I am going to be doing video reviews as well as written reviews. I will also be adding video interviews once I get a good platform to work with.
The next step is to find businesses or people interested in placing ads in the video. So if you are interested in this please contact me for a quote on the price of advertising.
I'm looking forward to doing a lot more reviews and interviews of authors, so if you are interested in being featured on my blog contact me.
Have a great day and stay Cheeky!!
The next step is to find businesses or people interested in placing ads in the video. So if you are interested in this please contact me for a quote on the price of advertising.
I'm looking forward to doing a lot more reviews and interviews of authors, so if you are interested in being featured on my blog contact me.
Have a great day and stay Cheeky!!
Thursday, October 15, 2015
Coming soon...
In the near future, you will be able to see the face behind the Rooster!! I will be doing video reviews, and I am currently working on setting up video interviews! If you would like to be a part of this new venture please contact me here @ the Cheeky Rooster,
Also if you are interested in ad space on the videos please contact me for details.
Have a great day!!
Cheeky....
Also if you are interested in ad space on the videos please contact me for details.
Have a great day!!
Cheeky....
Wednesday, October 14, 2015
The Cheeky Rooster : A little fun this morning
The Cheeky Rooster : A little fun this morning: This was a little project i had started a while back, I have yet to finish it, but I am always looking to restart the project..
A little fun this morning
To try for a publisher or not to try.... That is the question
This morning, as I was scrolling through my news feed on Facebook, I noticed that people were debating on whether they should or should not try to get published. There are many good points to this debate.
For one a publisher can get you a wider audience and potentially (and in all reality) increase your book sales. Second, a publisher has a marketing team on hand to do all that tedious and daunting marketing, that makes you want to rip your hair out ( well it does for me most of the time and frankly I do not have the time in the day to do the marketing 24/7). Third and most importantly a publisher has the ability to get your books into major retail stores, this is not easily accomplished if you are flying solo. I'm not saying it can't be done, but again it takes a lot of hard work and money to track down where and how to get this accomplished.
On the flip side, staying independent a person makes their own options. You have total and complete free reign on when you want to put out your next book, or if you even want to. You the author have the option to print on demand and set your own prices of your work. Most importantly you retain your freedom and your rights to your work.
It all boils down to this, what do you want out of your work? Do you want to be in the book stores and major retailers? Do you want to be able to reach a bigger audience, do you like to have the control or would you rather let someone else do all the tedious stuff and allow you time for writing?
The choice is in your hands alone. Yes submitting to publishers or literary agents, is a lot of work and you will get a lot of rejections, but you are not alone. Look up some of the more famous authors and see how many rejections they received before they landed a deal that made them famous and pulling in the big bucks... you would be surprised at what you find.
For one a publisher can get you a wider audience and potentially (and in all reality) increase your book sales. Second, a publisher has a marketing team on hand to do all that tedious and daunting marketing, that makes you want to rip your hair out ( well it does for me most of the time and frankly I do not have the time in the day to do the marketing 24/7). Third and most importantly a publisher has the ability to get your books into major retail stores, this is not easily accomplished if you are flying solo. I'm not saying it can't be done, but again it takes a lot of hard work and money to track down where and how to get this accomplished.
On the flip side, staying independent a person makes their own options. You have total and complete free reign on when you want to put out your next book, or if you even want to. You the author have the option to print on demand and set your own prices of your work. Most importantly you retain your freedom and your rights to your work.
It all boils down to this, what do you want out of your work? Do you want to be in the book stores and major retailers? Do you want to be able to reach a bigger audience, do you like to have the control or would you rather let someone else do all the tedious stuff and allow you time for writing?
The choice is in your hands alone. Yes submitting to publishers or literary agents, is a lot of work and you will get a lot of rejections, but you are not alone. Look up some of the more famous authors and see how many rejections they received before they landed a deal that made them famous and pulling in the big bucks... you would be surprised at what you find.
Saturday, October 10, 2015
Love is For Suckers... A review
Sorry I have not posted in a couple of days... I know "how dare I?" Well, I have to take time out for reading, so I can post these reviews for you. This time, I have been reading two books at once but I'm going to start with Love is for Suckers by Matt R Jones.
I'll need say this, this short story is just that, a short story that gives us a glimpse into the world of The Hollywood Vampires series.... and it has me hooked for more!
This short story is action packed and full of energy. A perfect read for adrenaline junkies who love to read. Matt brings out a ton of imagery and detail to make you feel as though you are right there on the back of the vampire seeing through his eyes, hearing with his ears, and feeling every hard packed crunch and snap of his body or the bodies that pile up around him.
Matt has over 30 published works under his belt, and is an extremely accomplished writer. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more of his books. This is definitely NOT your typical vampire story and if you are like me and your still loving the 80's then this is a book for you along with the other titles Matt has published...
Loved it 5 stars for sure!!!
now, go get a copy.
I'll need say this, this short story is just that, a short story that gives us a glimpse into the world of The Hollywood Vampires series.... and it has me hooked for more!
This short story is action packed and full of energy. A perfect read for adrenaline junkies who love to read. Matt brings out a ton of imagery and detail to make you feel as though you are right there on the back of the vampire seeing through his eyes, hearing with his ears, and feeling every hard packed crunch and snap of his body or the bodies that pile up around him.
Matt has over 30 published works under his belt, and is an extremely accomplished writer. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to reading more of his books. This is definitely NOT your typical vampire story and if you are like me and your still loving the 80's then this is a book for you along with the other titles Matt has published...
Loved it 5 stars for sure!!!
now, go get a copy.
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
IL Needs to Follow Colorado's Footstep's and Here is Why.
I live in IL. I recently have been reading in the news how bankrupt my state is. For example, I read online the other day that our own state can not afford to pay the utility bills, and that they may end up loose the power at the state buildings. I also read very recently that all Lottery winners that win over $25,000.00 are being given IOU's, however the state is still selling lotto tickets!
According to an article in the Chicago Tribune dated 10/07/2015 A couple of people are now attempting to gather a class action law suit against the state of IL for non payment. The article reads that IL can not pay lotto winners until a state budget is passed. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-lottery-lawsuit-met-20150909-story.html
IL Secretary of State Jesse White, says that due to the stand off on the budget that the electricity may end up being turned off at the Capitol : http://wgntv.com/2015/09/29/electricity-may-be-cut-at-government-facilities-due-to-illinois-budget-standoff-official/
This is all just some info on why I have a big issue with my state. Now let's look at what Colorado has done, they have raised over $150 million in taxes since they legalized marijuana. Washington, has also legalized the pot and has raised $83 million in taxes. So why is it so difficult for our own state to see the big picture? IL took the first steps in legalization by opening the doors Legal Medical Marijuana. That is just the first step however, only a handful of doctors (that I could find in my research) are willing to sign off on the required doctor approval need to get the medical card. Is that enough to make a big change in rescuing my state and getting our butts out of bankruptcy? Heck no it's not....
Wake up IL we need to legalize pot, the benefits, out weigh the risks.
1. Patients with debilitating diseases, would be able to get a supplement that works at a lower cost.
2. The war on drugs will be lowered, since one drug is now legal.
3. Less arrests and overcrowding of our prisons, effectively cutting costs, to house the criminals
4. All the tax money brought in can be put to use to help build a better infrastructure for our state, the surplus can go back to the communities that are in desperate need!
5 Last but not least, our state would finally be out of debt.
Wake up IL and start looking at the facts. If our Governor truly wanted to make this state a better place to live, then he would act on this right now. What are you waiting for?
Oh and for your information, no I do not smoke pot. I am just being very realistic and looking at the big picture for my state. Personally, I see nothing wrong with it. I know a lot of people who do it, and I can safe for sure that they are some of the most relaxed and happy people I have ever met. I also know a lot of people who are alcoholics, well I can't say the same for them unfortunately.
You have mean angry stupid drunks, however I have never once seen a pothead mean, or angry, so which is lesser evil? you decide.
According to an article in the Chicago Tribune dated 10/07/2015 A couple of people are now attempting to gather a class action law suit against the state of IL for non payment. The article reads that IL can not pay lotto winners until a state budget is passed. http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-lottery-lawsuit-met-20150909-story.html
IL Secretary of State Jesse White, says that due to the stand off on the budget that the electricity may end up being turned off at the Capitol : http://wgntv.com/2015/09/29/electricity-may-be-cut-at-government-facilities-due-to-illinois-budget-standoff-official/
This is all just some info on why I have a big issue with my state. Now let's look at what Colorado has done, they have raised over $150 million in taxes since they legalized marijuana. Washington, has also legalized the pot and has raised $83 million in taxes. So why is it so difficult for our own state to see the big picture? IL took the first steps in legalization by opening the doors Legal Medical Marijuana. That is just the first step however, only a handful of doctors (that I could find in my research) are willing to sign off on the required doctor approval need to get the medical card. Is that enough to make a big change in rescuing my state and getting our butts out of bankruptcy? Heck no it's not....
Wake up IL we need to legalize pot, the benefits, out weigh the risks.
1. Patients with debilitating diseases, would be able to get a supplement that works at a lower cost.
2. The war on drugs will be lowered, since one drug is now legal.
3. Less arrests and overcrowding of our prisons, effectively cutting costs, to house the criminals
4. All the tax money brought in can be put to use to help build a better infrastructure for our state, the surplus can go back to the communities that are in desperate need!
5 Last but not least, our state would finally be out of debt.
Wake up IL and start looking at the facts. If our Governor truly wanted to make this state a better place to live, then he would act on this right now. What are you waiting for?
Oh and for your information, no I do not smoke pot. I am just being very realistic and looking at the big picture for my state. Personally, I see nothing wrong with it. I know a lot of people who do it, and I can safe for sure that they are some of the most relaxed and happy people I have ever met. I also know a lot of people who are alcoholics, well I can't say the same for them unfortunately.
You have mean angry stupid drunks, however I have never once seen a pothead mean, or angry, so which is lesser evil? you decide.
Monday, October 5, 2015
It's About Time
I have been feeling, uninspired lately. I have gotten trapped in a cycle and it seems to me, that most of my viewers want to see nothing but posts about writing. When I started this blog, I had intended on using my voice for reviews and interviews, as well as talking directly to my viewers about ME and what's going on in my life, as well as sharing my advice or opinions that may affect my readers.
In this short time, I have completely and totally forgotten about me. That is just not OK. I completely and totally do this to myself in every aspect of life. I tend to get so wrapped up in helping others that I forget to have time for me, (this is just in my nature) and it takes it toll.
Today I am taking time for me and I am writing about me for a change. There are a lot of things going on in my life outside of this blog. Recently I had a minor procedure done to check for bladder cancer ( I had been waiting for over a month to hear if I did in fact have cancer of the bladder, all signs had been pointing to yes!!). Fortunately for me , they did not find any cancer, however, I have been diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis. Well, you'd think that was good news, it really is not though. Life long severe pain of the bladder. It is manageable IF and that is a big IF, your insurance will cover the medication needed for this disease. Apparently mine won't cover it..... well screw me then! (I won't go on a rant about insurance companies dictating what patients can or can not have, I'll be on that rant for days!! ).
Moving on..... Through all of that, I work a regular full time job in a nursing home as well and I do it in pain each and every day. I keep it from my patients, because their needs outweigh my own.
I also have a young teenage daughter. Recently her grades have slipped, and she has been on an emotional roller coaster ( you call them boys, I call them ..... well never mind what I call some of them). It is a constant battle of wits with this one, as she is very much like me. It's pretty hard to fight with yourself (lol). I worry so much about her, that it makes my job(s) almost impossible. I constantly get messages from her asking if she can go here or do this and that, and when my answer is "No you have chores and homework to do first" its on like Donkey Kong! Yesterday I had to turn my phone off, I can't get it through her head that I am at work and can not keep getting messages while I am there. Lately, I feel like I should leave my job and stay home so I can be here for her, but I can not afford to do that. So what's a mother to do?? A very big problem that I have come to realize is that, some parents these days aren't old school like myself. Their children are allowed to run the streets and have absolutely no responsibilities! Where did we go wrong? I know back in my day, I hated how strict my parents were. I certainly don't want to be that bad, so I try my best to make it an even medium. With that being said, my daughter gets sh*t from other kids because I make her do chores, and ground her if she does not follow the rules. There is nothing more I can say, other then I would love to tell those kids off! I remind my daughter that these are life lessons she needs for when she is older and out on her own. I wonder if my words haven fallen of deaf ears? (probably)
You may be wondering why I am putting all of this out there. This is my answer. This blog is about me, in total, and I would love to see it go further so I can eventually be that stay at home mom, who can still earn a living. It is also about you. I know I am not alone, on any of the subjects, I write about. This is my medium. I can be me, and I can be there for you as well.
Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to read, and share my blog. Without you I would just be sitting here, writing to myself.
In this short time, I have completely and totally forgotten about me. That is just not OK. I completely and totally do this to myself in every aspect of life. I tend to get so wrapped up in helping others that I forget to have time for me, (this is just in my nature) and it takes it toll.
Today I am taking time for me and I am writing about me for a change. There are a lot of things going on in my life outside of this blog. Recently I had a minor procedure done to check for bladder cancer ( I had been waiting for over a month to hear if I did in fact have cancer of the bladder, all signs had been pointing to yes!!). Fortunately for me , they did not find any cancer, however, I have been diagnosed with Interstitial Cystitis. Well, you'd think that was good news, it really is not though. Life long severe pain of the bladder. It is manageable IF and that is a big IF, your insurance will cover the medication needed for this disease. Apparently mine won't cover it..... well screw me then! (I won't go on a rant about insurance companies dictating what patients can or can not have, I'll be on that rant for days!! ).
Moving on..... Through all of that, I work a regular full time job in a nursing home as well and I do it in pain each and every day. I keep it from my patients, because their needs outweigh my own.
I also have a young teenage daughter. Recently her grades have slipped, and she has been on an emotional roller coaster ( you call them boys, I call them ..... well never mind what I call some of them). It is a constant battle of wits with this one, as she is very much like me. It's pretty hard to fight with yourself (lol). I worry so much about her, that it makes my job(s) almost impossible. I constantly get messages from her asking if she can go here or do this and that, and when my answer is "No you have chores and homework to do first" its on like Donkey Kong! Yesterday I had to turn my phone off, I can't get it through her head that I am at work and can not keep getting messages while I am there. Lately, I feel like I should leave my job and stay home so I can be here for her, but I can not afford to do that. So what's a mother to do?? A very big problem that I have come to realize is that, some parents these days aren't old school like myself. Their children are allowed to run the streets and have absolutely no responsibilities! Where did we go wrong? I know back in my day, I hated how strict my parents were. I certainly don't want to be that bad, so I try my best to make it an even medium. With that being said, my daughter gets sh*t from other kids because I make her do chores, and ground her if she does not follow the rules. There is nothing more I can say, other then I would love to tell those kids off! I remind my daughter that these are life lessons she needs for when she is older and out on her own. I wonder if my words haven fallen of deaf ears? (probably)
You may be wondering why I am putting all of this out there. This is my answer. This blog is about me, in total, and I would love to see it go further so I can eventually be that stay at home mom, who can still earn a living. It is also about you. I know I am not alone, on any of the subjects, I write about. This is my medium. I can be me, and I can be there for you as well.
Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to read, and share my blog. Without you I would just be sitting here, writing to myself.
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Friday, October 2, 2015
The Escape : Eve Ate the Apple Book One; A Review
Wow where do I even begin with this one? I'll start with the words taken from the book cover: "A Forbidden Love. A Daring Escape. An Epic Adventure."- Seven Steps, Author.
Well that really about sums it up! This book truly has it all. I admit I am not one for Science Fiction, with that said, I am so overly happy that I got a chance to read this book and met with the Author Seven Steps.
It is a difficult thing to bring about a completely unique story, but Seven Steps has fully accomplished this with her book. I am almost at a loss for words after reading this story( I said ALMOST). So moving on. The story begins on a futuristic Venus where women are the rulers, and men are reduced to servants. Our two main characters adore their slaves, in fact they love them, one outright declares from the get go, although her slave knows all too well the consequences of their love will mean certain death for the both of them. The second character tries in vain not to care for her slave, but soon comes to realize that she has been kidding herself the entire time, she does love him, and will do anything to ensure his safety.
With out giving away too many spoilers (you will just have to buy the book and read for yourself what happens) there is a great escape and the women along with their slaves, and two mysterious children, are on the run. They time jump to Earth. Unfortunately they landed in the wrong era, and most definitely in the wrong place.. (how's the saying go? Out of the frying pot into the fire?? It's been too long for me to remember)
Peril and an unforeseen loss mixed with tragedy, war, and new found freedom make for an epic adventure. There is a mystery here that needs to be solved, our adventurers are loosing their memories, the only thing holding them together is the overwhelming sense, that they belong together through the bond of love and friendship.
I give this book 4.5 stars out 5. If Seven Steps, hasn't yet landed a book deal with a publishing company she really should be!! You will be hard pressed to find such a beautifully written well told story like this one. Move over Arthur C Clark, there's some new competition in town and the name is Seven Steps!
Well that really about sums it up! This book truly has it all. I admit I am not one for Science Fiction, with that said, I am so overly happy that I got a chance to read this book and met with the Author Seven Steps.
It is a difficult thing to bring about a completely unique story, but Seven Steps has fully accomplished this with her book. I am almost at a loss for words after reading this story( I said ALMOST). So moving on. The story begins on a futuristic Venus where women are the rulers, and men are reduced to servants. Our two main characters adore their slaves, in fact they love them, one outright declares from the get go, although her slave knows all too well the consequences of their love will mean certain death for the both of them. The second character tries in vain not to care for her slave, but soon comes to realize that she has been kidding herself the entire time, she does love him, and will do anything to ensure his safety.
With out giving away too many spoilers (you will just have to buy the book and read for yourself what happens) there is a great escape and the women along with their slaves, and two mysterious children, are on the run. They time jump to Earth. Unfortunately they landed in the wrong era, and most definitely in the wrong place.. (how's the saying go? Out of the frying pot into the fire?? It's been too long for me to remember)
Peril and an unforeseen loss mixed with tragedy, war, and new found freedom make for an epic adventure. There is a mystery here that needs to be solved, our adventurers are loosing their memories, the only thing holding them together is the overwhelming sense, that they belong together through the bond of love and friendship.
I give this book 4.5 stars out 5. If Seven Steps, hasn't yet landed a book deal with a publishing company she really should be!! You will be hard pressed to find such a beautifully written well told story like this one. Move over Arthur C Clark, there's some new competition in town and the name is Seven Steps!
Thursday, October 1, 2015
It is NOT OK to.........
This will most definitely come off as a "rant" and I don't really care about that. (if you're offended by that simple statement, I'm not sorry, because you need to keep reading).
It is NOT OK, to take books out of the classrooms!! I realize that we are advancing in society with new technology, however NOT all people learn the same way. I am not against technology in the classroom, but to take away actual physical books with written words that you can read and re read until you can comprehend what is being taught is ridiculous, (but, Cheeky you can do that online!! Ya and I can look up porn online too but it doesn't mean that I do or that it is a fit for me). You may think that this does not relate to you, STOP right there!!! Yes it does. Most of my readers are Authors, and publishers, and everything in between. How would you all feel if all the sudden, you no longer had the ability to sell your physical copy of your book?? Pretty crappy huh. Technology is putting publishing houses and printers out of business, and that is just not OK with me, but that is really only a portion of my rant.
I HATE AND DESPISE the COMMON CORE practice in the schools. It's all tied together, I have letters from teachers, that say that due to common core and the new tech, they no longer carry the actual books. WTF??!!! How am I as a parent supposed to HELP my child learn or unlearn, that 2+2=4??? How do we as society accept this idea? "Well you got the wrong answer to the mathematical equation, BUT your steps to show your answer are good, so you pass. How the heck did we let this happen? Is this OK with you? NOT me!
So, when I call up a teacher and ask where the book is, I get pretty ticked off when I hear, well we don't have them, or why don't you know how to use the technology?? First and foremost, that is extremely insulting to my intelligence, and yes I find that insulting. The best reply I got from teacher when I questioned him about the text books, was " I have them take notes in class"....I found this utterly laughable. My reply was this, " Not everyone is capable of writing down the notes and try to keep up with what you are teaching, and not all people are good note takers, this is where you are failing. You can not expect a young child to be put under that type of pressure in class and thrive. This is NOT college, this (at the time) is 7th grade!"
Every person on the planet is an INDIVIDUAL, not everyone learns in the same manner, so why are the schools forcing our children into a one track mind set? It is not right and yes I will fight on this, not just for my own child, but for others as well.
BRING BACK THE BOOKS!!!!
It is NOT OK, to take books out of the classrooms!! I realize that we are advancing in society with new technology, however NOT all people learn the same way. I am not against technology in the classroom, but to take away actual physical books with written words that you can read and re read until you can comprehend what is being taught is ridiculous, (but, Cheeky you can do that online!! Ya and I can look up porn online too but it doesn't mean that I do or that it is a fit for me). You may think that this does not relate to you, STOP right there!!! Yes it does. Most of my readers are Authors, and publishers, and everything in between. How would you all feel if all the sudden, you no longer had the ability to sell your physical copy of your book?? Pretty crappy huh. Technology is putting publishing houses and printers out of business, and that is just not OK with me, but that is really only a portion of my rant.
I HATE AND DESPISE the COMMON CORE practice in the schools. It's all tied together, I have letters from teachers, that say that due to common core and the new tech, they no longer carry the actual books. WTF??!!! How am I as a parent supposed to HELP my child learn or unlearn, that 2+2=4??? How do we as society accept this idea? "Well you got the wrong answer to the mathematical equation, BUT your steps to show your answer are good, so you pass. How the heck did we let this happen? Is this OK with you? NOT me!
So, when I call up a teacher and ask where the book is, I get pretty ticked off when I hear, well we don't have them, or why don't you know how to use the technology?? First and foremost, that is extremely insulting to my intelligence, and yes I find that insulting. The best reply I got from teacher when I questioned him about the text books, was " I have them take notes in class"....I found this utterly laughable. My reply was this, " Not everyone is capable of writing down the notes and try to keep up with what you are teaching, and not all people are good note takers, this is where you are failing. You can not expect a young child to be put under that type of pressure in class and thrive. This is NOT college, this (at the time) is 7th grade!"
Every person on the planet is an INDIVIDUAL, not everyone learns in the same manner, so why are the schools forcing our children into a one track mind set? It is not right and yes I will fight on this, not just for my own child, but for others as well.
BRING BACK THE BOOKS!!!!
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Editing and Editors.................
Disclaimer *** This article is not about bashing Editors!! It is in general a warning in regards to freelance editors who prey on new authors as you will read in the next paragraph.....
Is it necessary for an Indie Author to hire an Editor? The answer is no. In fact I have books that come across my desk that have been professionally (supposedly) edited for a huge sum of money that have clearly NOT been edited in the slightest.
I am not saying that there are not stellar Editors out there (there really are!), but if you are going to go this route make sure you are getting what you pay for. Here's a piece of information for you, a publishing house, if your manuscript is accepted, will have their own editors going over the same manuscript you just paid to have edited. So you spent money for nothing.
If you intend on staying on the Indie route, then by all means keep your editor, but keep them on their toes, and avoid being ripped off. Do your work, and go over the manuscript with a fine tooth comb after the editor has done his/her own work on it, if you find even one single error, call them out on it. Demand that they make it right and refund part of the money, they obviously didn't do the job they were hired for now did they? You wouldn't pay a plumber to put in half of your plumbing and say it's usable would you? Hell NO.
Don't be afraid to be demanding in your work and what you are paying for. They should also be looking for a publisher for the manuscript, if they are not then chances are, you are being over charged. In most large Publishing companies, it is the editor's job to say "hey this is great stuff! I think you should take it on".
Also you can cut cost by buying your own editing software, there are tons of them out there! Yes some are expensive, but think of it this way, would you rather pay $500-600 one time or each time you have a new book coming out? Personally a one time fee sounds much better than the latter. Another question you should be asking is, did I get my money back in sales? Did anyone else, review and remark that there were mistakes in my work? If so , You need to have a word with your editor and have them make it right.
There are those out there that will prey on an inexperienced writer, so beware of what you are buying, shop around before you get into something you may regret later.
Stay cheeky and be on your toes!
Is it necessary for an Indie Author to hire an Editor? The answer is no. In fact I have books that come across my desk that have been professionally (supposedly) edited for a huge sum of money that have clearly NOT been edited in the slightest.
I am not saying that there are not stellar Editors out there (there really are!), but if you are going to go this route make sure you are getting what you pay for. Here's a piece of information for you, a publishing house, if your manuscript is accepted, will have their own editors going over the same manuscript you just paid to have edited. So you spent money for nothing.
If you intend on staying on the Indie route, then by all means keep your editor, but keep them on their toes, and avoid being ripped off. Do your work, and go over the manuscript with a fine tooth comb after the editor has done his/her own work on it, if you find even one single error, call them out on it. Demand that they make it right and refund part of the money, they obviously didn't do the job they were hired for now did they? You wouldn't pay a plumber to put in half of your plumbing and say it's usable would you? Hell NO.
Don't be afraid to be demanding in your work and what you are paying for. They should also be looking for a publisher for the manuscript, if they are not then chances are, you are being over charged. In most large Publishing companies, it is the editor's job to say "hey this is great stuff! I think you should take it on".
Also you can cut cost by buying your own editing software, there are tons of them out there! Yes some are expensive, but think of it this way, would you rather pay $500-600 one time or each time you have a new book coming out? Personally a one time fee sounds much better than the latter. Another question you should be asking is, did I get my money back in sales? Did anyone else, review and remark that there were mistakes in my work? If so , You need to have a word with your editor and have them make it right.
There are those out there that will prey on an inexperienced writer, so beware of what you are buying, shop around before you get into something you may regret later.
Stay cheeky and be on your toes!
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Announcement!! New Literary Agent
I posted a day ago , I had some big news to come.... here it is!!
I am opening my doors as a Literary Agent!! I am in the first steps of the process, and I am currently taking submissions and queries.....Please use the contact form on this blog for express interest and I will get back to you within a few days time...
Feel free to ask questions at anytime.... my doors are open, and I hope to open some doors to you as well.
For Publishers, contact me on who I already have signed... I may have something you MUST have.
I am opening my doors as a Literary Agent!! I am in the first steps of the process, and I am currently taking submissions and queries.....Please use the contact form on this blog for express interest and I will get back to you within a few days time...
Feel free to ask questions at anytime.... my doors are open, and I hope to open some doors to you as well.
For Publishers, contact me on who I already have signed... I may have something you MUST have.
40 FREE Copies...
If you just read my latest post (and I know how many of you have I have stats on my blog), then you know that I have a book out there.... what you do not know is this: I gave out more than 40 free copies!!! What else you do not know is; not one of those freebies gained me a review or a rating. WHY???!!!
There are 2 possible reasons: 1. They didn't like the book, OK! Fine, but they could at least say so
2. People, want something for nothing... this is true and it is not just in the book world. It is in every aspect of life. Why are we as people so greedy? Do we just not give two craps about what it took for a person to create something from nothing? Apparently so.
I personally do give reviews and ratings. I don't hype up a book because I want something in return. I give a review because it is the polite thing to do. I know a lot of people LOVED the book, how do I know this? There are programs that show people promoting my work! But yet, there are still no ratings or reviews. While I appreciate the the promotions, what an Author really needs to make a splash is those very simple, ratings or a small review of why, you liked, loved, or even hated that book you got for free.
Another thing that irks me to no end,(and I know I am not alone in this, I have friends in this business, yes I know that sounds weird... LOL I have friends!) Some of us take time away from our day, our work, our whatever to push another persons work..... but not one of those people do the favor in return!! Seriously, what the heck is up with that??!!!
The biggest thing you can do for an author is give them a review or rating and tell someone else about their book. There is absolutely NO reason not to share your thoughts or opinions on something you got for free, or bought. what are you afraid of? It was the Author who put themselves out there, not you.
So I will leave it at this... LEAVE A RATING, OR REVIEW! (Rant over and yes I am being very Cheeky this morning as the Rooster Crows!)
There are 2 possible reasons: 1. They didn't like the book, OK! Fine, but they could at least say so
2. People, want something for nothing... this is true and it is not just in the book world. It is in every aspect of life. Why are we as people so greedy? Do we just not give two craps about what it took for a person to create something from nothing? Apparently so.
I personally do give reviews and ratings. I don't hype up a book because I want something in return. I give a review because it is the polite thing to do. I know a lot of people LOVED the book, how do I know this? There are programs that show people promoting my work! But yet, there are still no ratings or reviews. While I appreciate the the promotions, what an Author really needs to make a splash is those very simple, ratings or a small review of why, you liked, loved, or even hated that book you got for free.
Another thing that irks me to no end,(and I know I am not alone in this, I have friends in this business, yes I know that sounds weird... LOL I have friends!) Some of us take time away from our day, our work, our whatever to push another persons work..... but not one of those people do the favor in return!! Seriously, what the heck is up with that??!!!
The biggest thing you can do for an author is give them a review or rating and tell someone else about their book. There is absolutely NO reason not to share your thoughts or opinions on something you got for free, or bought. what are you afraid of? It was the Author who put themselves out there, not you.
So I will leave it at this... LEAVE A RATING, OR REVIEW! (Rant over and yes I am being very Cheeky this morning as the Rooster Crows!)
The Immortal Design
I write a lot about other Authors and their works, I review them and occasionally give out an interview.... I love this.
What I have not talked about is my own books. That's right, I am an AUTHOR as well (if you didn't already know that where have you been?).
My last book I wrote I consider my best by far, ( I won't go on about how many free copies I have given away, and the fact that I gave out those copies on good faith that I would get at least a handful of reviews or ratings) The book is called THE IMMORTAL DESIGN. It is a paranormal romance (of sorts) in the Young Adult genre.... Here is the link to the book where you can purchase it....http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WBRO0O2?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
What I have not talked about is my own books. That's right, I am an AUTHOR as well (if you didn't already know that where have you been?).
My last book I wrote I consider my best by far, ( I won't go on about how many free copies I have given away, and the fact that I gave out those copies on good faith that I would get at least a handful of reviews or ratings) The book is called THE IMMORTAL DESIGN. It is a paranormal romance (of sorts) in the Young Adult genre.... Here is the link to the book where you can purchase it....http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WBRO0O2?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
THE IMMORTAL DESIGN
Johnathan Stokes is the
Great-Great-Great Grandson of Bram Stoker author of Dracula. He has been
unknowingly trained as a vampire assassin by his father Kenneth Stokes, who is
the head of The Order of the Dragon, a secretive Order that has dedicated
themselves to carrying on with Bram Stoker’s work; tracking and destroying
vampires. Johnathan’s family is one of the wealthiest families in the country,
and Johnathan has everything he could ever want; except his freedom from his
father’s reign.
When Willa Alucard comes
to town as a foreign exchange student, Johnathan’s world is turned upside down.
Willa, is not your typical foreign exchange student, she is running from her
own past. Born of Royalty and the one true vampire himself Dracula and Mina
Harker, she has been brought up by her older brother Mihial. Willa is not a
full-fledged vampire, she was born after Mina was turned back to a human, as
Van Helsing (who turns out to be Bram Stoker himself) murdered Dracula. The two
are drawn to each other like moths to a flame. Together they discover they were
meant to be mortal enemies, but as Johnathan’s mother says; sometimes The
Immortal Design has other plans.
Sound interesting to you?(Well it did to me! I suppose that is why I wrote it). In my book you will find, mystery, romance, intrigue, deception, murder, and a unique answer to what happened to your favorite characters of Bram Stoker's Dracula (which let's face it is a classic!)
There is a story within a story in this book and for some reason it has been over looked, by readers (except for those who read the free version). I am not only trying to get you to take look at my own work, but I am giving you a huge example, of where things can go wrong in the self publishing world. I have had an offer for this book, however it was from a vanity press, and I will not pay thousands of dollars to publish my book! I have had several publishers interested in the story, however, I like so many others was to eager to get my book out there, I was turned down, because I published it first, then sent it out to publishers.... If I had only took my own advice in the beginning!! Well now I (and you too hopefully) now better. All good things come to those who wait...
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Big News Coming Soon!
To all my new friends out there.... I have some very BIG news coming out soon. Stay tuned for the announcement...
Some you may be glad it is out there!!
Some you may be glad it is out there!!
Starting Out as a New Author
Starting out as an Author can be a very scary process. The Author took the time to create this whole new world, and developed the plot and characters, and delved deep into their own self consciousness, to bring this all together. the rough draft is done! next thing you know self doubt sets in..... it happens.
The Author starts to ask will everyone love this book? Will I get an agent? Will I get a publisher?? The questions go on and on.... If I can give one piece of good advice to any new author out there it is this : STOP DOUBTING YOURSELF!!
Rejection letters suck, yes they do. Now let's take a look at some famous Authors: Did you know Stephen King was rejected roughly 30 times, for his best seller Carrie??? Let's not forget J.K Rowling received about 12 rejections for Harry Potter... look at them both now!! (bet those publishers/ agents are kicking themselves right now).
Let me ask you this, why did you give up after a handful of rejections??? Because you let your own self doubt come to fruit! Keep plugging away and working on your query letters, look some up online see what works, do your research on the agencies and publishers see what they really want, research the market and see if you can compare your work to others and let them know why your work is better.
Do NOT give up on yourself..... writing takes time, if you are in a hurry, then you are in the wrong business. Sure you can always self publish, but are you willing to do what it takes to market yourself?? (trust me here, it takes a lot to do this! It is a full time plus overtime job to market your work.).
In the end all I can really say, is don't give up... did you get that?? If not let me put it in a simple way for you.
DO NOT WHAT SO EVER GIVE UP!
The Author starts to ask will everyone love this book? Will I get an agent? Will I get a publisher?? The questions go on and on.... If I can give one piece of good advice to any new author out there it is this : STOP DOUBTING YOURSELF!!
Rejection letters suck, yes they do. Now let's take a look at some famous Authors: Did you know Stephen King was rejected roughly 30 times, for his best seller Carrie??? Let's not forget J.K Rowling received about 12 rejections for Harry Potter... look at them both now!! (bet those publishers/ agents are kicking themselves right now).
Let me ask you this, why did you give up after a handful of rejections??? Because you let your own self doubt come to fruit! Keep plugging away and working on your query letters, look some up online see what works, do your research on the agencies and publishers see what they really want, research the market and see if you can compare your work to others and let them know why your work is better.
Do NOT give up on yourself..... writing takes time, if you are in a hurry, then you are in the wrong business. Sure you can always self publish, but are you willing to do what it takes to market yourself?? (trust me here, it takes a lot to do this! It is a full time plus overtime job to market your work.).
In the end all I can really say, is don't give up... did you get that?? If not let me put it in a simple way for you.
DO NOT WHAT SO EVER GIVE UP!
Thursday, September 24, 2015
To Agent or not to Agent
I have been recently asked if I would consider becoming a Literary Agent (on my own and not with in a company).... I am putting some serious thought into this business.
I know it is not the easiest job in the world, but I have made enough contacts in the writing biz that I could potentially make a go of it.
So now do I decide to leap or stay where I am and keep doing what I do???
Tough question. so I ask my audience for their opinion and views on this subject.
You tell me what you think.
I know it is not the easiest job in the world, but I have made enough contacts in the writing biz that I could potentially make a go of it.
So now do I decide to leap or stay where I am and keep doing what I do???
Tough question. so I ask my audience for their opinion and views on this subject.
You tell me what you think.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
A Few Updates
Good Morning, Afternoon, or Evening depending on what part of the world you are in, and thank you for reading!
I have been blessed, to have a few new Authors, get in touch, and soon you will know all about them and their works!
Here is the line up for some upcoming reviews and interviews from these Authors.
Matt R Jones: (I am currently reading Love is for Suckers) his titles include; Hollywood Vampires; Unholy War, Love is for Suckers... just to start.
Seven Steps: The Escape: Eve ate the Apple
Shirley Mclain: Dobyns Chronicles.
I look forward to reading each one of these titles and passing on my views of each one for you to consider..
Now the, let's not forget my own works.
You can check out my own books; The Cypress Hills Series (horror) and The Immortal Design (paranormal romance/mystery). Both titles are on amazon.com and are at a low cost for Ebooks.
I have been blessed, to have a few new Authors, get in touch, and soon you will know all about them and their works!
Here is the line up for some upcoming reviews and interviews from these Authors.
Matt R Jones: (I am currently reading Love is for Suckers) his titles include; Hollywood Vampires; Unholy War, Love is for Suckers... just to start.
Seven Steps: The Escape: Eve ate the Apple
Shirley Mclain: Dobyns Chronicles.
I look forward to reading each one of these titles and passing on my views of each one for you to consider..
Now the, let's not forget my own works.
You can check out my own books; The Cypress Hills Series (horror) and The Immortal Design (paranormal romance/mystery). Both titles are on amazon.com and are at a low cost for Ebooks.
Monday, September 21, 2015
Interview With K.c. Rice
Author K.c. Rice comes to us from Frankfort Ky. She is married and has three grown children and two precious grand-babies!! K.c. obviously a southern gal, loves the typical out doors, long walks on the beach and spending time with her husband and family, but I bet you didn't know she also loves to paint!
K.c. took time from her busy day to do me the honor of giving an interview, so without further delay here we go:
Q:WHERE DID YOU COME UP WITH THE INSPIRATION FOR YOU BOOK KAYCEE'S TATTERED SPIRIT?
A: My mind is always turning... I was day dreaming different scenarios and the idea of an online love affair popped into my mind. I decided to use a lot of my own insecurities in the creation of Kaycee.
Q: WHY PICK ROMANCE OVER ALL THE OTHER TYPES OF GENRES OUT THERE?
A: I have always been a romantic at heart. I have a strong passion and desire for erotic, yet realistic stories. So many stories focus on the sex... Because let's face it, sex sells, but I wanted my readers to see Kaycee as a true person with feelings, desires and dreams. I have a story working inside of my head that will be a paranormal/romance. I think that will be fun!
Q: AFTER READING YOUR BOOK I FOUND MYSELF NEEDING TO READ THE NEXT BOOK. SO THE BIG QUESTION IS; WILL THERE BE A SEQUEL?
A: Yes! Actually there will be at least two more books. I am currently working on book two: In RECONCILED, you'll see Kaycee still struggles at times to stay true to her new independent self. Mason, and she cross paths again. There's love, sex, mystery, new characters, a martyr and a cold blooded murder.
Q: YOU HAVE A FEW LOOSE ENDS IN YOUR STORY, IS THERE A SPECIFIC REASON FOR THIS?
A: It's the Hook to keep you wanting more.... Everyone is asking what the heck happened to Shane? What is the big secret job and life that has caused his transformation into the a**? You will get your answer in RECONCILED.
Q: AT ANYTIME DURING YOUR WRITING CAREER DID YOU THINK "THIS IS IT, THIS IS THE LAST ONE I'M DOING? IF SO, WHY? AND WHAT MADE YOU KEEP GOING?
A: YES!! Actually I felt that way with this book. I made up my mind "If this book doesn't intrigue readers- I'm going to quit. I poured my heart and soul into this story. I want my readers to live through Kaycee and miss her when the book is over.
Q: DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS OR ADVICE FOR NEW WRITERS?
A: 1. Always keep a notebook and pen handy You never know when an idea or scene will pop up. I have been known to text myself ideas that have just popped up.
2. Don't give up. Like everything in life, it's a challenge, but if you truly enjoy sharing your inner voice and characters with others it's well worth it.
3. Do your homework, self publishing is not hard at all. many people are under the impression that it is, but once you've researched and familiarized yourself, you will see it's rather simple. There are cut throats out there that prey on newbies, if it seems too good to be true chances are it is. Become friends with other authors who can and are willing to nurture and guide you. I am an Indie Author, a newbie, but friends with so many other authors, we are a tight knit family and we stick together and help one another out. I love my Author family dearly!
Marketing: How When and Where?
This has to be one of the hardest topics most self published Authors face. How do I get my new book out there? When do I jump in and market and WHERE the heck do I do it??? It's enough to make you wanna hide under the bed and have a major freak out!!!
It truly is a very daunting task to self promote, but never the less it must be done if you want your book out there. If you are like me, you just can't afford a promotions team to do the work for you. I sat down this morning and found a few reputable places for your submit your work to that will help you gain exposure and get this.... it's free!
Let's go with the obvious choices first. FACEBOOK. Set yourself up with an Author page and send out page invites to friends and family. Ask them to share your page with their friends as well. BOOM you are on your way to marketing.
The next obvious choice is TWITTER. Don't have a twitter account? Well get off your booty and set one up!! There are millions of contacts out there on Twitter!! Author's, Agents, Publishers! I have even made contacts within the movie industry!!
So now you have those first two steps accomplished, next link the two accounts. When you post from Facebook it will automatically post to your twitter feed for you. Pretty simple right? (Don't kick yourself if you didn't already know this, no sense in abusing yourself over it!)
Moving on to the not so obvious sites.
THE READERS GAZETTE: here you can list your books with them and they tweet your book 24/7!! (unfortunately they do not allow erotic books due to the fact that they have a family audience including children)
http://readersgazette.com/world/index
GOODREADS: Here you can create an Author page as well and get your book in front of millions of avid readers! This site also allows you to link your Facebook page and Twitter account, and you can tweet your book and it's reviews from their site as well as post them to Facebook.
SHELFARI: Here you can list your books, for free.. I don;t get on this site as often as I should, however someone else may find the time to really have a go at it on this site. They have a lot of members and communities, so your books will be seen on the site.
http://www.shelfari.com/
These are just a very small few of the places you can find to promote yourself for free....It takes time to do a great job of promoting yourself. You literally need to submit to every site you can find, and you NEED to do this daily even all day everyday if you can.
Another suggestion is to take out a small add in your local newspaper. I know it's not "free" but it gets your local community behind you and you'll find more readers this way.
Oh my!! I almost forgot another place to get promotions!! Here at The Cheeky Rooster!!
Get Cheeky! Do your own thing, and don't let marketing get you flustered. If you want it bad enough, you will find the time to do these steps!!!
It truly is a very daunting task to self promote, but never the less it must be done if you want your book out there. If you are like me, you just can't afford a promotions team to do the work for you. I sat down this morning and found a few reputable places for your submit your work to that will help you gain exposure and get this.... it's free!
Let's go with the obvious choices first. FACEBOOK. Set yourself up with an Author page and send out page invites to friends and family. Ask them to share your page with their friends as well. BOOM you are on your way to marketing.
The next obvious choice is TWITTER. Don't have a twitter account? Well get off your booty and set one up!! There are millions of contacts out there on Twitter!! Author's, Agents, Publishers! I have even made contacts within the movie industry!!
So now you have those first two steps accomplished, next link the two accounts. When you post from Facebook it will automatically post to your twitter feed for you. Pretty simple right? (Don't kick yourself if you didn't already know this, no sense in abusing yourself over it!)
Moving on to the not so obvious sites.
THE READERS GAZETTE: here you can list your books with them and they tweet your book 24/7!! (unfortunately they do not allow erotic books due to the fact that they have a family audience including children)
http://readersgazette.com/world/index
GOODREADS: Here you can create an Author page as well and get your book in front of millions of avid readers! This site also allows you to link your Facebook page and Twitter account, and you can tweet your book and it's reviews from their site as well as post them to Facebook.
SHELFARI: Here you can list your books, for free.. I don;t get on this site as often as I should, however someone else may find the time to really have a go at it on this site. They have a lot of members and communities, so your books will be seen on the site.
http://www.shelfari.com/
These are just a very small few of the places you can find to promote yourself for free....It takes time to do a great job of promoting yourself. You literally need to submit to every site you can find, and you NEED to do this daily even all day everyday if you can.
Another suggestion is to take out a small add in your local newspaper. I know it's not "free" but it gets your local community behind you and you'll find more readers this way.
Oh my!! I almost forgot another place to get promotions!! Here at The Cheeky Rooster!!
Get Cheeky! Do your own thing, and don't let marketing get you flustered. If you want it bad enough, you will find the time to do these steps!!!
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Kaycee's Tattered Spirit: A Review
I have recently been blessed to make a great new friend, K.c. Rice- Author. We met through a mutual friend online and quickly became fast friends. K.c Sent me her book Kaycee's Tattered Spirit. I confess I am not much into erotic books, but I have read a good handful including the first book in the series of 50 shades of Grey. So I will leave you with that for now. (It's not that I don't like these types of books, I am just more of a fantasy and horror kind of gal.)
Let's begin!!! Now, I have told you I don't normally read this genre, however, I am glad I took the time to explore this book. K.c. Rice's writing style is beyond my expectations in regards to this specific genre. I suppose because of my age, I am used to reading more of a porno type book..... that is to say that this genre has come a long way from it's origins. Yes I admit that I used to sneak my parents old erotic books as a teenager and read them..... don't judge me! (LOL)
Back to the book. I will say this, this book was far and away much better than the 50 Shade's series!! We have Kaycee who is a married young woman, who has taken up an online romance with a dark and romantic stranger. She is very much in love with her husband, but the fantasy of another man, is overwhelming, making Kaycee question herself. Her husband is becoming a completely different person due to his new job, and becomes more violent and in my own opinion a control freak. The dark and handsome stranger has his own problems he is dealing with, which only adds to the mystery of the plot as we have yet to really uncover what that may be. This character has hardened his heart and is at first a complete ass, but there is something in Kaycee that has ripped through him and his own hardness. He must have her, no matter what the cost is. Once they finally meet in person, Kaycee, has been through enough with her husband and his new found aggressiveness, that she gives into the kindness, of a man who wants to care for her truly.
She ends up leaving her husband and moves into her own place, taking steps to ensure her own dreams come true, not just in romance but her career as well. (You Go Girl!). However, due to Mason's secret life (the handsome stranger) he has unwittingly pushed Kaycee away, and now that she has found her own two feet she has decided, to never let another man use her again. In the end she leaves both of them behind and learns that she does not need a man in her life, and she is now focused on her and her alone.
Now then, let's talk the about the steamy steam steam!! WOW! If the love scenes in this book don't make you want to throw down your own lover, I seriously do not know what will! The scenes in this book were not over the top and not too "fetishy" (is that even a word? agh, I don't care if it is, it's the only way I can describe it). If you are a fan of romance mixed with some steamy love scenes, that make your own imagination go crazy then this is a book for you. Unlike 50 Shade's, this book is very well written, and there is no "young" girl being used by a man, for his own sick pleasures. (biggest reason I did not like 50).
I will admit, that there are a few plot holes, however, they are there for a reason. This was a very clever tactic used by the author, because now I NEED to read the follow up book, and I do hope there is one. This book has it all, mystery, romance a slight touch of horror (in the form of an abusive husband) and danger. A long with not one but two very strong characters who grow within the story. It is no wonder that K.c.Rice has many followers on her Facebook page!
Overall with this book I would give 4.5 stars out of 5 ( only due to the plot holes, but I admit they are necessary to the story). You can find this book on Amazon.com. The book blurb had me hooked before I even opened the pages...
Stay tuned, as K.c.Rice has generously agreed to an interview!!! I can not wait to hear form her on her work.
K.C.Rice currently is self published, however.... she really ought to be picked up by an eager publisher, the woman has numerous followers for her work and there is no stopping for her in the future..
Let's begin!!! Now, I have told you I don't normally read this genre, however, I am glad I took the time to explore this book. K.c. Rice's writing style is beyond my expectations in regards to this specific genre. I suppose because of my age, I am used to reading more of a porno type book..... that is to say that this genre has come a long way from it's origins. Yes I admit that I used to sneak my parents old erotic books as a teenager and read them..... don't judge me! (LOL)
Back to the book. I will say this, this book was far and away much better than the 50 Shade's series!! We have Kaycee who is a married young woman, who has taken up an online romance with a dark and romantic stranger. She is very much in love with her husband, but the fantasy of another man, is overwhelming, making Kaycee question herself. Her husband is becoming a completely different person due to his new job, and becomes more violent and in my own opinion a control freak. The dark and handsome stranger has his own problems he is dealing with, which only adds to the mystery of the plot as we have yet to really uncover what that may be. This character has hardened his heart and is at first a complete ass, but there is something in Kaycee that has ripped through him and his own hardness. He must have her, no matter what the cost is. Once they finally meet in person, Kaycee, has been through enough with her husband and his new found aggressiveness, that she gives into the kindness, of a man who wants to care for her truly.
She ends up leaving her husband and moves into her own place, taking steps to ensure her own dreams come true, not just in romance but her career as well. (You Go Girl!). However, due to Mason's secret life (the handsome stranger) he has unwittingly pushed Kaycee away, and now that she has found her own two feet she has decided, to never let another man use her again. In the end she leaves both of them behind and learns that she does not need a man in her life, and she is now focused on her and her alone.
Now then, let's talk the about the steamy steam steam!! WOW! If the love scenes in this book don't make you want to throw down your own lover, I seriously do not know what will! The scenes in this book were not over the top and not too "fetishy" (is that even a word? agh, I don't care if it is, it's the only way I can describe it). If you are a fan of romance mixed with some steamy love scenes, that make your own imagination go crazy then this is a book for you. Unlike 50 Shade's, this book is very well written, and there is no "young" girl being used by a man, for his own sick pleasures. (biggest reason I did not like 50).
I will admit, that there are a few plot holes, however, they are there for a reason. This was a very clever tactic used by the author, because now I NEED to read the follow up book, and I do hope there is one. This book has it all, mystery, romance a slight touch of horror (in the form of an abusive husband) and danger. A long with not one but two very strong characters who grow within the story. It is no wonder that K.c.Rice has many followers on her Facebook page!
Overall with this book I would give 4.5 stars out of 5 ( only due to the plot holes, but I admit they are necessary to the story). You can find this book on Amazon.com. The book blurb had me hooked before I even opened the pages...
Stay tuned, as K.c.Rice has generously agreed to an interview!!! I can not wait to hear form her on her work.
K.C.Rice currently is self published, however.... she really ought to be picked up by an eager publisher, the woman has numerous followers for her work and there is no stopping for her in the future..
Saturday, September 19, 2015
Plot Holes: Avoid Them!
Let's get a bit serious for one small moment. Plot holes are a writers worst nightmare!. We as reader's hate to read a book and come out with questions to the plot of you story.
Personally when I am reading, I hate to see a main character who is obviously up to something, but as you read on, you NEVER find out what the heck that character was up to! This is dangerous waters people. Most reader's will say it leaves a bad taste in their mouths and won't recommend your book to another person.
I have read books that have done this to me. I hate to say it, but to be critical, those holes need filled in! A writer should never leave a reader hanging, it's just poor form!
As a new writer, my suggestion is this: after you have completed your manuscript put it aside and walk away. It is very important to do so. You have your head so far up that project that you will not catch the flaws on your own. The only way to see them is to walk away for a week at least. Let it stew, then go back and re read your own book from the beginning to end. Make mental note of how you felt about the book, not your work. While reading did you find a plot hole? Did you feel this was the very best you could do? If the answers to those questions are yes and no, then it is time to rethink your story and fill in the gaps.
It is difficult to be a good writer, but it is more difficult to be a great writer. Most writers take upwards of a year to accomplish a completely polished and ready for print book. As a new writer, your anticipation can and will cloud your judgment. You will most likely get rejection after rejection if you have not taken the time to make some serious changes to your story.
We all want that piece out there and hear how great our story was, but if you aren't getting the attention that it deserves then you need to go back and make those changes. I know it can be disheartening to not see those sales, and see the rejection letters pouring in, but you must maintain and persevere! Get a second and third pair of eyes on your work, take constructive criticism and use it. Don't be offended by the critics, their opinions matter. You are in the business of selling not just your books, but yourself as well. You need to be professional and develop your own skills. If you can't handle the rejection or criticism, then maybe being a writer isn't for you.
You have to take the good and the bad, and put them in a mixing bowl and whip them into something that stands out from the crowd. With so many new books being published every day across the world, you need to dig deep and work hard. Do not give up, keep those pot holes filled in and you will find a less bumpy road to success.
Personally when I am reading, I hate to see a main character who is obviously up to something, but as you read on, you NEVER find out what the heck that character was up to! This is dangerous waters people. Most reader's will say it leaves a bad taste in their mouths and won't recommend your book to another person.
I have read books that have done this to me. I hate to say it, but to be critical, those holes need filled in! A writer should never leave a reader hanging, it's just poor form!
As a new writer, my suggestion is this: after you have completed your manuscript put it aside and walk away. It is very important to do so. You have your head so far up that project that you will not catch the flaws on your own. The only way to see them is to walk away for a week at least. Let it stew, then go back and re read your own book from the beginning to end. Make mental note of how you felt about the book, not your work. While reading did you find a plot hole? Did you feel this was the very best you could do? If the answers to those questions are yes and no, then it is time to rethink your story and fill in the gaps.
It is difficult to be a good writer, but it is more difficult to be a great writer. Most writers take upwards of a year to accomplish a completely polished and ready for print book. As a new writer, your anticipation can and will cloud your judgment. You will most likely get rejection after rejection if you have not taken the time to make some serious changes to your story.
We all want that piece out there and hear how great our story was, but if you aren't getting the attention that it deserves then you need to go back and make those changes. I know it can be disheartening to not see those sales, and see the rejection letters pouring in, but you must maintain and persevere! Get a second and third pair of eyes on your work, take constructive criticism and use it. Don't be offended by the critics, their opinions matter. You are in the business of selling not just your books, but yourself as well. You need to be professional and develop your own skills. If you can't handle the rejection or criticism, then maybe being a writer isn't for you.
You have to take the good and the bad, and put them in a mixing bowl and whip them into something that stands out from the crowd. With so many new books being published every day across the world, you need to dig deep and work hard. Do not give up, keep those pot holes filled in and you will find a less bumpy road to success.
Character Development: It Is Important!
Cockle Doodle DOOOOO!!! Good Morning readers! Let's talk turkey, oh wait I meant chicken! Today I wanted to go over something very crucial to writing. CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.
Outside of a great story plot, this is probably one of the most important pieces to the writing process. A character should grow as your story unfolds. everyone loves to see your creation become stronger and overcome the plot, but they also love to see that they have overcome some of their own flaws. Let's say you have a female character that is full of self doubt and has to face a number of challenging issues that are within the plot of your story. Does she, by the end of the story overcome some of those doubts or does she fall further into them? If she hasn't grown out of some of those personal doubts about herself, go back and re think how can you make her become a better stronger person. You want your character to not only defeat the bad guys, but defeat the inner demons that they start out with.
The same goes for male characters, often we put a strong male character out there as a tough bad ass that is fearless. To develop his character we need to bring out his kindness, and break him of being the rough and tumble just a bit, show the world that there is another side to him.
I read reviews and the biggest hit that a writer can take is "there wasn't enough character development, but the story was great!" To write a great and lovable character you should make them as close to real as possible. We as people all have flaws and when faced with challenges that one would not normally be comfortable in , we adapt and change to over come those fears, or we wither and die. The same goes for your characters. Each character should have some sort of internal flaw, and through out your story, that character should be developing and working on overcoming what is being thrown at them.
Examples, a battered wife, should grow to overcome her pain and fear, and do what is necessary to get herself worth back.
A male character who is a tough hardened man with no love or caring, should by the end of the story find some of his self worth as well. Let him keep is bravado, however open him up to some vulnerability.
With that being said, there are characters who are already developed in all manners; tough and rugged, but passionate and loving, fearless but can feel the fear, and overcome it.
My main point is this, take a good hard look at your characters, you know them best! You created them, look deep into their souls and see where you can get them to grow! This will make for a better story line, and get you a lot more attention from your fans as well as publishers and agents.
Well this was just my thought for the day. I hope you take my advice and expand those characters into someone we just can't live with out!
By the way it is OK to get them to be a bit cheeky too!!
Outside of a great story plot, this is probably one of the most important pieces to the writing process. A character should grow as your story unfolds. everyone loves to see your creation become stronger and overcome the plot, but they also love to see that they have overcome some of their own flaws. Let's say you have a female character that is full of self doubt and has to face a number of challenging issues that are within the plot of your story. Does she, by the end of the story overcome some of those doubts or does she fall further into them? If she hasn't grown out of some of those personal doubts about herself, go back and re think how can you make her become a better stronger person. You want your character to not only defeat the bad guys, but defeat the inner demons that they start out with.
The same goes for male characters, often we put a strong male character out there as a tough bad ass that is fearless. To develop his character we need to bring out his kindness, and break him of being the rough and tumble just a bit, show the world that there is another side to him.
I read reviews and the biggest hit that a writer can take is "there wasn't enough character development, but the story was great!" To write a great and lovable character you should make them as close to real as possible. We as people all have flaws and when faced with challenges that one would not normally be comfortable in , we adapt and change to over come those fears, or we wither and die. The same goes for your characters. Each character should have some sort of internal flaw, and through out your story, that character should be developing and working on overcoming what is being thrown at them.
Examples, a battered wife, should grow to overcome her pain and fear, and do what is necessary to get herself worth back.
A male character who is a tough hardened man with no love or caring, should by the end of the story find some of his self worth as well. Let him keep is bravado, however open him up to some vulnerability.
With that being said, there are characters who are already developed in all manners; tough and rugged, but passionate and loving, fearless but can feel the fear, and overcome it.
My main point is this, take a good hard look at your characters, you know them best! You created them, look deep into their souls and see where you can get them to grow! This will make for a better story line, and get you a lot more attention from your fans as well as publishers and agents.
Well this was just my thought for the day. I hope you take my advice and expand those characters into someone we just can't live with out!
By the way it is OK to get them to be a bit cheeky too!!
Friday, September 18, 2015
A bit ruffled this morning!
I am sure by now that most of you have been hearing about "The View and Joy Behar, and Michelle Collins"and how they have certainly made a HUGE (and that is an understatement) mistake in their "opinion" on the nursing profession!
Both women from this TV. show are now under scrutiny for their "view" and their comments. Millions of nurses have now flocked together along with Doctors to show support for this noble profession #NursesUnite.
I support my colleagues, no I am not a nurse, but I do work with them daily at my regular job and have done so for 26 years. Let me tell you this, in a medical facility outside of a doctors office, you will only see a doctor for an average of 15 minutes. You will however see that nurse for the remainder of your time. In nursing homes there are no doctors The nurses run the show! They make the critical decisions needed to care for your loved one. In a hospital a doctor makes his morning rounds and then dictates to the nurses a plan of action, the nurse is responsible for carrying those plans out, and they often find errors and report it back to the doctor, in short they save lives everyday!! So how dare these two women mock this woman, for being 1. courageous enough to be different and show the world a true talent? 2. calling her out and saying in short that being a nurse is not a talent??
FYI**** Scrubs are not costumes, they are a UNIFORM! A STETHOSCOPE is NOT called a DOCTOR'S STETHOSCOPE! All nurses use them and so do C.N.A's ( certified nursing assistants).
Last night I saw a brief clip of these two trying to back track and support nurses. However, there was no apology given. The statement that one of them has a nurse in the family just goes to show, she isn't very close to that family member, otherwise she would truly KNOW what it means and what true talent it takes to be a nurse!!!
Oh and by the way that nurse they mocked on national TV, was named second runner up of the pageant. Not to bad for being just a nurse huh?
I need to make mention here: I just came across and article that a few advertisers are puling all ads from this show, in support of nurses everywhere! Shout out a big thank you to those companies...
Just remember nurses use big needles and use catheters too!!! I wouldn't get one to angry.
Both women from this TV. show are now under scrutiny for their "view" and their comments. Millions of nurses have now flocked together along with Doctors to show support for this noble profession #NursesUnite.
I support my colleagues, no I am not a nurse, but I do work with them daily at my regular job and have done so for 26 years. Let me tell you this, in a medical facility outside of a doctors office, you will only see a doctor for an average of 15 minutes. You will however see that nurse for the remainder of your time. In nursing homes there are no doctors The nurses run the show! They make the critical decisions needed to care for your loved one. In a hospital a doctor makes his morning rounds and then dictates to the nurses a plan of action, the nurse is responsible for carrying those plans out, and they often find errors and report it back to the doctor, in short they save lives everyday!! So how dare these two women mock this woman, for being 1. courageous enough to be different and show the world a true talent? 2. calling her out and saying in short that being a nurse is not a talent??
FYI**** Scrubs are not costumes, they are a UNIFORM! A STETHOSCOPE is NOT called a DOCTOR'S STETHOSCOPE! All nurses use them and so do C.N.A's ( certified nursing assistants).
Last night I saw a brief clip of these two trying to back track and support nurses. However, there was no apology given. The statement that one of them has a nurse in the family just goes to show, she isn't very close to that family member, otherwise she would truly KNOW what it means and what true talent it takes to be a nurse!!!
Oh and by the way that nurse they mocked on national TV, was named second runner up of the pageant. Not to bad for being just a nurse huh?
I need to make mention here: I just came across and article that a few advertisers are puling all ads from this show, in support of nurses everywhere! Shout out a big thank you to those companies...
Just remember nurses use big needles and use catheters too!!! I wouldn't get one to angry.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
A Few Sample Reviews For You to Peruse
Okay, so I know that all of these pertain to a particular Author, (what do you expect of me? This is what has been on my desk for the better part of a year!) However, you can get a feel for the kind of reviews I give and what I do for Authors who I truly love.
Sample reviews:
Sample reviews:
Today I sit down and write about
some of my favorite Authors. Of course there are the very well known and
popular Authors out there; such as Brandon Mull (Fable Haven series) Cassandre
Clare, Kami Garcia of course!! But there has been a new addition to my all time
FAVORITE Authors..
Since I have taken that scary leap into self publishing and networking I have come across a few very genuine and lovable Self Published Authors like myself. On the top of that list is Mr. Paul Zunckel. His writing is both terrifying and beautiful to say the least. As he resides in South Africa his stories are set in the African bush. What a mirror image of his writings!! Beautiful and yet terrifying. Mr. Zunckel has brought forth some of the best new characters to date. As with Mr. Brandon Mull the characters you can fall in love with grow attached to and feel like they are apart of your family each time you read a new tale. He makes you worry for them, feel pride in them when they over come the challenges set before them, I could go on but I will stop there. As I stated before the stories are great! A good author will make you enjoy a good story but a GREAT Author will draw you in and leave his/her mark on you for the rest of your life. Mr. Zunckel has done just that, and if you take one moment to read his works you may find yourself agreeing with my assessment. Mr. Zunckel is a GoodReads author and you can find his works on Goodreads along with my reviews of his works.
Since I have taken that scary leap into self publishing and networking I have come across a few very genuine and lovable Self Published Authors like myself. On the top of that list is Mr. Paul Zunckel. His writing is both terrifying and beautiful to say the least. As he resides in South Africa his stories are set in the African bush. What a mirror image of his writings!! Beautiful and yet terrifying. Mr. Zunckel has brought forth some of the best new characters to date. As with Mr. Brandon Mull the characters you can fall in love with grow attached to and feel like they are apart of your family each time you read a new tale. He makes you worry for them, feel pride in them when they over come the challenges set before them, I could go on but I will stop there. As I stated before the stories are great! A good author will make you enjoy a good story but a GREAT Author will draw you in and leave his/her mark on you for the rest of your life. Mr. Zunckel has done just that, and if you take one moment to read his works you may find yourself agreeing with my assessment. Mr. Zunckel is a GoodReads author and you can find his works on Goodreads along with my reviews of his works.
Man
in the Shadows Review
Where to
start? What to say?? Paul brings us one of the most terrifying psychological
thrillers to date! I had the privilege of reading this right off and had I been
better prepared, I may not have had the nightmare or two that followed. Man in
the Shadows is about a literary agent who has spent many years, working hard on
building up his business, working long hours pouring his heart and soul into
his business, putting everything else on the back burner including his family.
This will only prove to be his demise however! I won't give anything away here in my review, but I know if I were an actual literary agent, this book would have me looking over my shoulder every five minutes!!
A superior story, well told, and definitely not for the faint of heart! So creepy, I'm not sure I could read this book again. If you really want to be scared, and enjoy the fear adrenaline, then this book is for you. The story starts out thrilling, and ends in the same way.... you can't put it down, (that is unless it literally scares the hell out of you!)
I will admit, I do not scare easily, if at all. However, this book had me freaked from the beginning all the way to the end.
In other words I LOVED IT!
This will only prove to be his demise however! I won't give anything away here in my review, but I know if I were an actual literary agent, this book would have me looking over my shoulder every five minutes!!
A superior story, well told, and definitely not for the faint of heart! So creepy, I'm not sure I could read this book again. If you really want to be scared, and enjoy the fear adrenaline, then this book is for you. The story starts out thrilling, and ends in the same way.... you can't put it down, (that is unless it literally scares the hell out of you!)
I will admit, I do not scare easily, if at all. However, this book had me freaked from the beginning all the way to the end.
In other words I LOVED IT!
What an outstanding story!
Mr. Zunckle has out done himself this time with Whispers in the Wind. Once
again our favorite characters are back and are in more danger than before. The
element of human trafficking in Africa is deeply explored in this story, and I
believe that Mr. Zunckle has a good grasp on the subject. Id you are a fan of
Mr. Zunckle's and have not yet read this story you need to. I applaud the
author for also developing his own subjects and exploring new territory in his
writing, this time he brought a surprising touch of romance to the forefront.
Good for you sir! The love scenes are steamy but nicely written so that the
reader is not put off by the material. So let's take a look at what you will
find in this book, romance, steamy love scenes, horror of a family torn apart
by human trafficking, and then a wonderful ending... I loved how the main bad
person this time around was a female, and she got hers in the end as well as
her minions!! It is no wonder that this book was chosen for publication, so you
will be seeing it soon in stores! Loved it and definitely a five star
read.
Review by Angel C Ernst.
Mr. Zunckel has taken a great leap in his
writing this time around. Instead of writing mostly from a male point of view
he has delved into the inner workings of the female mind as she has encountered
great loss and tragedy.
Juliana De Luca, had met her one true love
Paul Stewart… a whirlwind romance develops and fast forward to the honeymoon
where everything goes wrong. A group of thugs, ambush the couple at a masked
carnival, Paul valiantly tries to save his new bride but dies in the attack.
Juliana is brutally raped and cut deeply killing her unborn child. Left for
dead in the cold streets, she loses consciousness and awakens in a hospital where
she is given the news. Her mind is set and with the backing of her well
connected family revenge begins to take shape for the murders who committed the
worst crimes imaginable.
She travels back to Paul’s Safari business
and informs his loyal employees of the events that had unfolded. The plot begins to unfold even more with the
support of the Safari staff. Juliana will have her revenge. One by one the men
are lured in by her and her staff, and one by one they suffer greatly before
the perish at the tormented woman’s plot.
Throughout the story, Juliana is thrown
back to earlier happier times with her beloved Paul and she feels his presence
as she sets out to embark on revenge for his and her child’s death. It is her
only solace as she faces the men who tried to kill her as well as her family.
This is a very dark and powerful story. It is not easy for some to write about
personal feelings, and for a gentlemen to capture how a traumatized woman would
feel, is truly an amazing feet. Mr. Zunckel has done just that with this story.
The emotions take you on a roller coaster ride and let’s face it, not many women
out there would not feel exactly the way Juliana feels after suffering at the
hands of the thugs.
Surprisingly enough, at the end we run into
a couple of old friends from Paul’s previous books and one may wonder will
Juliana be making an appearance anytime soon in Mr. Zunckle’s future writings??
All around I would give this a 5 star
review. Well done Paul capturing the inner workings of the female mind.
By Angel C Ernst
These are just my latest reviews, and I have many more to do as I am an avid reader and plan to pick a book daily to review for you.
If interested in a review of your own from me, please contact me for details.
Interview with Author Paul Zunckel : The Blood Trilogy
Paul Zunckel hails from South Africa. He began his career as an Indie Author and after much trials and tribulations has landed full publishing for his work with Vanilla Heart Publishing. Paul has graciously taken a few moments of his time to give us an in depth interview of his work.
Q: Where did you get the inspiration for your book Blood Moon Over Africa and the subsequent followups in The Piet van Zyl Adventure stories?
A: The inspiration for Blood Moon Over Africa came for my love of Africa, it's mysteries, superstitions, beliefs and different cultures.
1. Africa in general is steeped in superstition and supernatural beliefs. The local people both in the rural and urban areas of Africa, have a very deep rooted belief in witchcraft and even a common cold can be attributed to a spell being cast on them.
2. The Hyena is to African what the black cat is to Europe. The wide spread belief is that the hyena is used by the witch doctor to ride to meetings deep in the bush.
3. The Wambugwe of Tanzania believes that every witch doctor possesses one or more hyena that is branded with his mark and is referred to as his "night cattle".
4. A common belief around the hyena is that the animal gives birth in the witch doctors hut, and the owner milks them once a day.
5. There are no free hyena...the belief is that all hyena are owned by witch doctors.
6. In BMOA I took the cultural belief in the witch doctor/ hyena working hand in hand and joined the two in order to create my creature, I also used the superstition of the full moon to act as the trigger.
Once I had completed Blood Moon Over Africa, my characters took on a life of their own, and it was as if a tap had been opened. The ideas just flowed. Blood Spoor in the Dark, I took facts and fused them with fiction, while Blood Demon- revenge was just a figment from my dark side, giving birth to the The Blood Trilogy, I had no control over it, I just went with the flow. The Devil in Eden just naturally followed the flow.
Q: How would you best describe Piet and company?
A: Veronica Strydom was intended to be my main character, but Piet van Zyl decided that "n' Boer maak n' plan" and just took a life of his own.
Piet van Zyl is and ex-pat from South Africa, making his way in another country, doing what he loves and that is living in the African Bush. I think that the best description of Piet and company would be described as normal hard working people who value friendship, and stick together no mater what. The type of people you can relate to, not super hero's but the boy ad girl next door, who just happen to be in the wrong place at the right time.
Q: A lot of new Authors give up after a few rejections, what made you keep going?
A: Determination to succeed, but also the belief that my family and some very special friends had in my work. I would be very hard pressed to give out the title NUMBER ONE FAN, to a couple of very special people in my life.... my wife has been a pillar of support, but so have a few others who all believed in me, and that alone made me believe in myself.
Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring writer's?
A: Wow, now you are asking me something. I think my answer to the above question sums it up. Believe in yourself and do not take rejection to heart. Keep writing and persevere, don't give up. Make a small sign and paste it where you can see it all the time... it should read...."Dreams do come true". Mine did, but I will admit to pinching myself now and then to make sure I am not dreaming.
Q: What has been the best part of being an Author for you personally?
A: 1. The people I have met on my journey, and the friendships that have been formed over a common love for writing.
2. The absolute satisfaction of being able to type "The End" to something that started out as an idea.
3. The conversations I have in my head with my characters.
4. The support that I get from family and friends, the positive reviews, plus I get to travel the world in my imagination.
Q: do you for see ending the Piet line and moving on to a new line of story?
A: At the moment, No. Piet seems quite popular with the readers in general and it would be a shame to leave them all hanging. On a serious note, Vanilla Heart Publishing has just released the Piet van Zyl African Adventure Thrillers, and there are a further three books waiting to be written, and hopefully take the reader on another roller coaster rode of mystery, superstition, thrill's and suspense with just a touch of horror.... after all you never know what is waiting out there in the dark under the Blood Moon.
Q: Where did you get the inspiration for your book Blood Moon Over Africa and the subsequent followups in The Piet van Zyl Adventure stories?
A: The inspiration for Blood Moon Over Africa came for my love of Africa, it's mysteries, superstitions, beliefs and different cultures.
1. Africa in general is steeped in superstition and supernatural beliefs. The local people both in the rural and urban areas of Africa, have a very deep rooted belief in witchcraft and even a common cold can be attributed to a spell being cast on them.
2. The Hyena is to African what the black cat is to Europe. The wide spread belief is that the hyena is used by the witch doctor to ride to meetings deep in the bush.
3. The Wambugwe of Tanzania believes that every witch doctor possesses one or more hyena that is branded with his mark and is referred to as his "night cattle".
4. A common belief around the hyena is that the animal gives birth in the witch doctors hut, and the owner milks them once a day.
5. There are no free hyena...the belief is that all hyena are owned by witch doctors.
6. In BMOA I took the cultural belief in the witch doctor/ hyena working hand in hand and joined the two in order to create my creature, I also used the superstition of the full moon to act as the trigger.
Once I had completed Blood Moon Over Africa, my characters took on a life of their own, and it was as if a tap had been opened. The ideas just flowed. Blood Spoor in the Dark, I took facts and fused them with fiction, while Blood Demon- revenge was just a figment from my dark side, giving birth to the The Blood Trilogy, I had no control over it, I just went with the flow. The Devil in Eden just naturally followed the flow.
Q: How would you best describe Piet and company?
A: Veronica Strydom was intended to be my main character, but Piet van Zyl decided that "n' Boer maak n' plan" and just took a life of his own.
Piet van Zyl is and ex-pat from South Africa, making his way in another country, doing what he loves and that is living in the African Bush. I think that the best description of Piet and company would be described as normal hard working people who value friendship, and stick together no mater what. The type of people you can relate to, not super hero's but the boy ad girl next door, who just happen to be in the wrong place at the right time.
Q: A lot of new Authors give up after a few rejections, what made you keep going?
A: Determination to succeed, but also the belief that my family and some very special friends had in my work. I would be very hard pressed to give out the title NUMBER ONE FAN, to a couple of very special people in my life.... my wife has been a pillar of support, but so have a few others who all believed in me, and that alone made me believe in myself.
Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring writer's?
A: Wow, now you are asking me something. I think my answer to the above question sums it up. Believe in yourself and do not take rejection to heart. Keep writing and persevere, don't give up. Make a small sign and paste it where you can see it all the time... it should read...."Dreams do come true". Mine did, but I will admit to pinching myself now and then to make sure I am not dreaming.
Q: What has been the best part of being an Author for you personally?
A: 1. The people I have met on my journey, and the friendships that have been formed over a common love for writing.
2. The absolute satisfaction of being able to type "The End" to something that started out as an idea.
3. The conversations I have in my head with my characters.
4. The support that I get from family and friends, the positive reviews, plus I get to travel the world in my imagination.
Q: do you for see ending the Piet line and moving on to a new line of story?
A: At the moment, No. Piet seems quite popular with the readers in general and it would be a shame to leave them all hanging. On a serious note, Vanilla Heart Publishing has just released the Piet van Zyl African Adventure Thrillers, and there are a further three books waiting to be written, and hopefully take the reader on another roller coaster rode of mystery, superstition, thrill's and suspense with just a touch of horror.... after all you never know what is waiting out there in the dark under the Blood Moon.
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
If you would like an honest review of your work, look no further
Ok Im going to put this out there. I do reviews, I know a lot of new authors are anxious to get a review or just some sort of input, on their hard work.
If interested in having me do a review, please contact me here. I will charge a fee, however, each fee will be different, and I only give our honest reviews. I won;t sugar coat anything.
For more information send me a quick mail, and query. I get back to people within 24 hours or less.....
**My fees are lower than most standard paid reviews.
If interested in having me do a review, please contact me here. I will charge a fee, however, each fee will be different, and I only give our honest reviews. I won;t sugar coat anything.
For more information send me a quick mail, and query. I get back to people within 24 hours or less.....
**My fees are lower than most standard paid reviews.
A little off Topic: Public speaking.
I have written in previous posts, that I have numerous hobbies. What I haven't stated is that I used to give speech's for a living. This was at first, a very difficult position, you see I suffer from anxiety and I am not real found of being out in the public. However, I found that I was really good at it. Once on stage, I could be myself crack jokes and get the audience to laugh with me, once I established that I was much more at ease.
When I was in College, I would hear students dreading taking Speaking 101. For me, after having done so many public speech's it was no big concern. But how did I get rid of that fear and anxiety standing up in front of a room full of strangers? That is a good question.
The fear and anxiety was always there, up until I hit the stage. However once I got the attention of the audience, I felt confidence grow inside of me and from there I took charge of the room. I made sure to always make the crowd feel like I was speaking directly to them. I spoke with encouragement, and guided them to what I was speaking on.
So here are a few tips for you to use when it comes to public speaking.
1. Do not be afraid to be nervous. This is natural. Once you begin your speech, focus on your speech, this will distract you from your fears.
2. Stick with topics you know. It is much easier to talk about something you know a lot about, but if required to give a speech on something you are unfamiliar with, do a lot of research and make good notes to refer to.
3. Do not be afraid to give your honest opinion on the subject. The audience wants to know how you, the presenter, feels about the subject matter. If you can't convince yourself, of your topic, you will not convince you audience.
4. Use humor when humor is needed. Do not go up and be a comedian, unless you truly can pull it off. Stick to the topic!
5. Eye contact is essential!! Making eye contact draws your audience into you, you have their attention, now they are listening.
6. Walk around, use hand gestures, and get excited! There is nothing more thrilling than to see some one who is up their, putting on a great performance!
7. Give thanks, and gratitude for their time!!
It all comes down to this, make it personal, for you and your audience... Speak from your heart and your compassion. I promise once you see the first person, really paying attention to what you are saying, all those fears and doubts will go away, and you will walk off that stage with a renewed confidence in yourself.
In this matter I encourage you to get very Cheeky!!
When I was in College, I would hear students dreading taking Speaking 101. For me, after having done so many public speech's it was no big concern. But how did I get rid of that fear and anxiety standing up in front of a room full of strangers? That is a good question.
The fear and anxiety was always there, up until I hit the stage. However once I got the attention of the audience, I felt confidence grow inside of me and from there I took charge of the room. I made sure to always make the crowd feel like I was speaking directly to them. I spoke with encouragement, and guided them to what I was speaking on.
So here are a few tips for you to use when it comes to public speaking.
1. Do not be afraid to be nervous. This is natural. Once you begin your speech, focus on your speech, this will distract you from your fears.
2. Stick with topics you know. It is much easier to talk about something you know a lot about, but if required to give a speech on something you are unfamiliar with, do a lot of research and make good notes to refer to.
3. Do not be afraid to give your honest opinion on the subject. The audience wants to know how you, the presenter, feels about the subject matter. If you can't convince yourself, of your topic, you will not convince you audience.
4. Use humor when humor is needed. Do not go up and be a comedian, unless you truly can pull it off. Stick to the topic!
5. Eye contact is essential!! Making eye contact draws your audience into you, you have their attention, now they are listening.
6. Walk around, use hand gestures, and get excited! There is nothing more thrilling than to see some one who is up their, putting on a great performance!
7. Give thanks, and gratitude for their time!!
It all comes down to this, make it personal, for you and your audience... Speak from your heart and your compassion. I promise once you see the first person, really paying attention to what you are saying, all those fears and doubts will go away, and you will walk off that stage with a renewed confidence in yourself.
In this matter I encourage you to get very Cheeky!!
To pick a pic or not to pic, That is the question
So this entire time you have envisioned your character in your mind, the physical features and the personality to go with it. You the writer, know exactly what your character looks like, you dreamed him/her up right? But how well does your reader know your character?
Recently, I saw a new cover for a book very near and dear to my heart, this is a book I read pre- publishing, so I had my own image of the the characters already made up in my mind and stored them there for future reference. I for one, like to put a face on a good strong character, or even the smarmy creepy, little buggers who are often the bad guy, or just a two faced pig who you love to hate. However, when I saw an image post-publishing, I thought, "THAT IS NOT WHAT I HAD IMAGINED" WELL DAMN!!
So, what happens if a writer doesn't put his own image on that front cover for you to see? Well, it's left up to the reader's imagination to sort it all out. As a new writer, if you choose to omit the picture of a character, or at least an in depth description, you may end up disappointing some fans, later on down the road. It's a small hiccup in the process of writing, but that is what your reader's are here for. We love the detail, the imagery, the charisma and the general attitude of the character.
TIP: As a writer, decide ahead of time, if you want your reader's to use their imagination to detail your characters for themselves, or stick to your guns and put a real face to that piece of hard work you have running around in your head.
It is not always easy to create a cover design from scratch on your own unless you happen to be fluent in this particular department. I for one am creative, but I have no clue how to create a computer image and do those tricky over lays to create the perfect cover for my own books. It is a drawback for being a beginner, especially if you are going to self publish. If you can wait it out (the thrill and excitement of putting your hard work out their for the public) save some money up and contact someone for a price on a great cover for your book. Books unfortunately do sell a lot by the cover alone. Sad thought, that is: however people are superficial at times, and like to see what they are getting before they open the pages to great story.
All in all it is up to you the writer to guide your audience in the direction of the story. Keep writing and keep reaching for the stars. One day your baby could be on the Best sellers list!
Good Luck and have a great day!
Recently, I saw a new cover for a book very near and dear to my heart, this is a book I read pre- publishing, so I had my own image of the the characters already made up in my mind and stored them there for future reference. I for one, like to put a face on a good strong character, or even the smarmy creepy, little buggers who are often the bad guy, or just a two faced pig who you love to hate. However, when I saw an image post-publishing, I thought, "THAT IS NOT WHAT I HAD IMAGINED" WELL DAMN!!
So, what happens if a writer doesn't put his own image on that front cover for you to see? Well, it's left up to the reader's imagination to sort it all out. As a new writer, if you choose to omit the picture of a character, or at least an in depth description, you may end up disappointing some fans, later on down the road. It's a small hiccup in the process of writing, but that is what your reader's are here for. We love the detail, the imagery, the charisma and the general attitude of the character.
TIP: As a writer, decide ahead of time, if you want your reader's to use their imagination to detail your characters for themselves, or stick to your guns and put a real face to that piece of hard work you have running around in your head.
It is not always easy to create a cover design from scratch on your own unless you happen to be fluent in this particular department. I for one am creative, but I have no clue how to create a computer image and do those tricky over lays to create the perfect cover for my own books. It is a drawback for being a beginner, especially if you are going to self publish. If you can wait it out (the thrill and excitement of putting your hard work out their for the public) save some money up and contact someone for a price on a great cover for your book. Books unfortunately do sell a lot by the cover alone. Sad thought, that is: however people are superficial at times, and like to see what they are getting before they open the pages to great story.
All in all it is up to you the writer to guide your audience in the direction of the story. Keep writing and keep reaching for the stars. One day your baby could be on the Best sellers list!
Good Luck and have a great day!
Monday, September 14, 2015
A Wealth of Information for Indie Writers or Aspiring Writers Trying to Break in to the Big World of Publishing
I sit down this morning, and share with you some of the more reputable sites I have come across while attempting to get my own books published.
I am listing here some of the sites that may be of great interest to you to look into, on your own journey in trying to get your book published and out there.
I have been researching some of these places listed for a few years now, and have found nothing that would make me think that they are not worth giving a try.
1. Artwork: For a great book design ( and let's face everyone judges a book by the cover) I found Amygdala Design.... They offer great products and stunning imagery! The price is very reasonable as well. ( I plan to use them when I can fir it into my budget). They get right back to you with any questions you have and give a fair price for their work.
http://blog.amygdaladesign.net/
2. Want some sites that are looking for submissions sent directly to your inbox? Subscribe to Author's Publish Magazine, You can get to the site through this link here: http://www.freedomwithwriting.com/freedom/uncategorized/the-top-5-publishers-for-new-authors/?2
I get several leads weekly on publishing companies look for stories, that pay and pay well.. This subscription is free, and all you do is look over the sites they send you, the also include a brief synopsis of each site they send, along with what they have researched on the sites. They put a lot of work into put this out their for us aspiring writer's and it is well worth the time to subscribe to them.
3. Go directly to the source it self. The site I am linking here is a site where agents and publishers are listed. There are hundreds of agents listed, looking for their next client.....(that is if you want to go that route)
http://www.agentquery.com/writer_hq.aspx
4. Writer Beware (literally) this is also a website that digs up info on unrepeatable publishers and agents who are out to scam you. It is definitely worth it to look into this site.
http://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/
5. A handful of good places to start your submissions: I have submitted to these, and even though I had no luck, I still find that they are honest in their work and have a good standing as small press publisher's
http://www.fireandiceya.com/subs.html
Samhain Publishing,
Dark Hall Press,
and many others
If you area Horror Genre writer check out the Horror writers Association
http://horror.org/
If you want to stay strictly Indie, then use Creatspace for your book publishing, they do not charge fees and you can order copies of your books cheap, they will also cross over your book to eBook format for Amazon.
You can also go directly to the source and use Amazon's site, however they do not offer the chance to print a hard copy for you, it is strictly eBook.
Smashwords is right up there! There you can create your eBook for free, and put it out there, they also allow you to print coupons for your customers, so you have the chance to give away as many free copies as you would like.
These are but just a small handful of places I have used and researched. If you have had a good experience with a company not listed, please leave a comment below for the readers of this blog.
Enjoy and Good luck on your search.
I am listing here some of the sites that may be of great interest to you to look into, on your own journey in trying to get your book published and out there.
I have been researching some of these places listed for a few years now, and have found nothing that would make me think that they are not worth giving a try.
1. Artwork: For a great book design ( and let's face everyone judges a book by the cover) I found Amygdala Design.... They offer great products and stunning imagery! The price is very reasonable as well. ( I plan to use them when I can fir it into my budget). They get right back to you with any questions you have and give a fair price for their work.
http://blog.amygdaladesign.net/
2. Want some sites that are looking for submissions sent directly to your inbox? Subscribe to Author's Publish Magazine, You can get to the site through this link here: http://www.freedomwithwriting.com/freedom/uncategorized/the-top-5-publishers-for-new-authors/?2
I get several leads weekly on publishing companies look for stories, that pay and pay well.. This subscription is free, and all you do is look over the sites they send you, the also include a brief synopsis of each site they send, along with what they have researched on the sites. They put a lot of work into put this out their for us aspiring writer's and it is well worth the time to subscribe to them.
3. Go directly to the source it self. The site I am linking here is a site where agents and publishers are listed. There are hundreds of agents listed, looking for their next client.....(that is if you want to go that route)
http://www.agentquery.com/writer_hq.aspx
4. Writer Beware (literally) this is also a website that digs up info on unrepeatable publishers and agents who are out to scam you. It is definitely worth it to look into this site.
http://www.sfwa.org/other-resources/for-authors/writer-beware/
5. A handful of good places to start your submissions: I have submitted to these, and even though I had no luck, I still find that they are honest in their work and have a good standing as small press publisher's
http://www.fireandiceya.com/subs.html
Samhain Publishing,
Dark Hall Press,
and many others
If you area Horror Genre writer check out the Horror writers Association
http://horror.org/
If you want to stay strictly Indie, then use Creatspace for your book publishing, they do not charge fees and you can order copies of your books cheap, they will also cross over your book to eBook format for Amazon.
You can also go directly to the source and use Amazon's site, however they do not offer the chance to print a hard copy for you, it is strictly eBook.
Smashwords is right up there! There you can create your eBook for free, and put it out there, they also allow you to print coupons for your customers, so you have the chance to give away as many free copies as you would like.
These are but just a small handful of places I have used and researched. If you have had a good experience with a company not listed, please leave a comment below for the readers of this blog.
Enjoy and Good luck on your search.
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