Wednesday, August 3, 2016

IWSG - WRITING





Be sure to thank them!



August’s IWSG question is - What was your very first piece of writing as an aspiring writer? Where is it now? Collecting dust or has it been published? 

I wrote the third place-winning essay for the American Legion Young Citizens Contest when I was in the 10th grade, but my first published piece was a poem for rape victims.

Although I do have a file cabinet that collects dust, and it does have several hand written projects sitting in a file, so yes, a few are collecting dust. So many ideas, so little time! J

I hope you all have a great writing month!



Don't forget to sign up for the latest WEP Flash Fiction Challenge – it's all about Gardens!

Here are a few words about gardens, to inspire you!


In my garden I spend my days; in my library I spend my nights. My interests are divided between my geraniums and my books. With the flower I am in the present; with the book I am in the past.

~Alexander Smith, "Books and Gardens," Dreamthorp: A Book of Essays Written in the Country, 1863


If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.


~Cicero


A garden was the primitive prison, till man with Promethean felicity and boldness, luckily sinned himself out of it.


~Charles Lamb, 1830




Sunday, July 31, 2016

A NEW CHALLENGE





It's easy. It's simple and it's fun!

Prizes are awarded!

In the garden I tend to drop my thoughts here and there. To the flowers I whisper the secrets I keep and the hopes I breathe. I know they are there to eavesdrop for the angels. ~Dodinsky 




Monday, July 25, 2016

DRAGONS AND GOLD

     Today I'm honored to have C. Lee McKenzie.
Author of Sign of the Green Dragon
her third Middle Grade novel.
You can read my review HERE!


Welcome Lee!

     1.   How long does it take to research a topic before you write? And for this book? Did you learn something unusual during your research that you can share here?

ANSWER: Each book takes a different length of time. For Sign of the Green Dragon, I’d already done a lot of research into Chinese Dragon lore, and I had a fair background in the early history of the Gold Rush era. I happen to love that period in California history, so I read a lot about it.

I think the tenacity of the Chinese miners is the most unusual thing I stumbled on and used in this story. When white men abandoned a mine because it didn’t have the gold they wanted, the Chinese were “allowed” to take over. They mined what’s called the “tailings” and with long hours of  back-breaking work they pulled out a lot of gold. They suffered a lot of injustice from our system, and were so heavily taxed that many left mining and went to live in San Francisco.

     2.   What resources do you use? In general and for this book? Do you use professionals to verify your facts, such as the police? Is there a good way to approach them? How valuable is their input? Or do you just wing it?

ANSWER: With Dragon, I used my background knowledge of the era and what I’d read about dragon mythology. For other stories, I’ve gone to the police to ask for verification of what I think is true. I’m just wrapping up a young adult story and I wanted to use a lucky charm to save a shooting victim’s life. I needed to be sure 1) a small charm could deflect a bullet sufficiently and 2) I could write that it was a 22 calibre bullet used in the shooting. Two police people have said yes, so I’m going with it.

My first book was about cutting, and I had never known a cutter, so I read a lot, but I was very lucky to sit next to a suicide counselor at a conference. We talked and she offered to read the scenes I wasn’t sure about. She was a great help and my scenes about the cutting and the counseling sessions are as accurate as I can hope to make them. BTY since that book, I’ve met cutters. They’ve read my book, and they say I got it right.

     3.   Did you self-publish or have a publisher? Would you recommend self-publishing and building an audience before approaching a publisher? What's the best way to build an audience before publication?

ANSWER: I’ve done both. I’ve had two publishers. One bought two of my young adult books, and I received $5,000 for my debut novel and $6,000 for the second one. (I’m telling you this because the story of my publishing journey is weird, yet probably not unique) Then I “sold” two more young adult stories to a different publisher, but this time out I didn’t see any up-front cash. They only pay me in royalties.

I self-published my three middle grade novels. Frankly, I never expected to make any money from these books. I wrote them because I needed a break from YA angst and I love to write adventure/fantasy for this age group.

I  have no idea if self-publishing is a route to take and build an audience. In fact, it probably isn’t. A lot of agents don’t like to take on self-published people unless they’ve sold mega books and created a stir. That’s hard to do, but when it happens it’s wonderful. One thing I know for sure, there is no formula for building an audience except: a darned good book and lots of promo. Even if the promo’s good, if the books isn’t, there’s not a ghost of a chance for an audience.

     4.   Does writing provide you a sufficient income to live on? If so, how long did it take before this happened? Is it your goal to be financially successful, or do you write and publish solely for the 'satisfaction of sharing your stories’?
 
ANSWER: No. Pure and simple. I’d have to move to the middle of the Mojave and eat insects if I had to live on what I make writing. I’ve had one career and that has made me financially secure and very happy in many ways. I write stories because I love to do it, and I so appreciate that money isn’t a motivation.

     5.   What's the funniest thing that happened to you on a book tour?

ANSWER: I had to evacuate a hotel in my coat with nothing else on. The fire alarm sounded just as I stepped out of the shower, so I threw on my coat and headed to the fire escape along with hundreds of others. I was in New York on the 20th floor of the Hilton. Do you have any idea how far twenty floors is when you can smell smoke and you’re wearing nothing but your coat?  Oh yes, and my hair was wet. It was February. I remember thinking how much I loved California because having wet hair there in February wouldn't have been such a big deal. It didn’t seem funny at the time, but time has revealed the humor to me.

     6.   What's the next step for you? Television, movies, a new genre? Tell us what the future holds - what can your fans expect?

ANSWER: No new genre yet. I’m always open to TV and movie contracts, but they don’t seem headed my way. However, my next book should be on the way to my lovely agent soon. It’s a young adult and it’s one of the hardest books I’ve ever tackled. I’ll have to write three middle grade stories to recover from this one. 

Blurb:

Three plucky sleuths. A crumbling skeleton. A buried treasure.

After six months in a new school, Sam’s finally fitting in. He’s the one kid with enough talent to hit the winning home run and bring the baseball trophy back to Haggarty Elementary. But Sam’s guardian is shipping him off to boarding school before that can happen.

When his teammates, Joey and Roger, hear his bad news, they plot to hide him until the big game. Their secret cave is a perfect place until an earthquake shatters a wall and reveals a wooden chest with a red-eyed dragon carved into its top. Inside, a crumbling skeleton clutches a map with a cryptic note, promising treasure if the finder reveals the truth about an old murder and returns the remains of the victim to China.

Is the note a hoax? Maybe. But what does Sam have to lose? With Joey and Roger, he sets off to track down the clues and hopefully discover treasure. When finally some puzzle pieces start to make sense, they become lost in a labyrinth of underground tunnels, trapped by dangerous thieves and sealed inside an airless tomb.

Sign of the Green Dragon gets a high five for fantasy, fun and some fearsome adventure. If you like intrepid would-be knights on impossible and dangerous quests, you’ll love this story. As one reader says, this book, “has more twists than a dragon’s tail.”

Buy now and jump into the adventure.


*****

C. Lee McKenzie's Amazon Page – Learn about her other books HERE!


C. Lee McKenzie has a background in Linguistics and Inter-Cultural Communication. Her greatest passion is writing for young readers. Sign of the Green Dragon is her third Middle Grade novel. Alligators Overhead and the sequel, The Great Time Lock Disaster were her first two. She has traditionally published four young adult novels: Sliding on the Edge, The Princess of Las Pulgas, Double Negative and Sudden Secrets.
As a native Californian, and after living a lot of different places in the world, Lee landed back in her native state on the edge of a redwood forest. When not writing or blogging Lee is hiking or practicing yoga.

Read more about the talented C Lee McKenzie, HERE!

***

Thank you, Lee!

How about you readers?
Have you experienced your worst nightmare during a book tour?




Thursday, July 21, 2016

BLOGS AND VACATIONS

Hi, folks!


Today, I'm visiting with Patricia Stoltey and discussing
Writing A Trilogy

Please stop by and say hello!

Thanks for stopping by this week to support Tara, while I played at the beach. 

The vacation came up suddenly, and we took advantage but blog obligations had already been made too. 
So, here's to trying to do both!


VACATION!


Our first night we were amazed by
a storm that blew in from the northwest.
Notice the waves, they weren't the least bit impressed,
but we were! The lightening was amazing. 
Sorry, I couldn't capture that!


Immediately after the storm a double rainbow!


The moon was amazing, as always!


The night life bright!


And the beach, well, it's a beach!


We'll be home soon.
Too soon!
LOL


Monday, July 18, 2016

MARKETING STRATEGIES

Hey folks, it's Monday and
I'm on vacation, actually at the beach, 
but Tara Tyler is here!


She's talking Simulation and Pop Travel 
her writing journey and marketing!

Take it away, Tara!


Thanks so much for the opportunity to be here, Yolanda!

Today I'm going to talk about Marketing Strategies & SIMULATION, she needs some love! And at my own blog, I'm lamenting The Second Book Syndrome.

Can you tell your readers something about why you chose this particular topic to write about? What appealed to you about it? Why do you think it is different, and your approach is unique?

SIMULATION is about clone androids, which are illegal copies of people with android brains that can be controlled and programmed - can you imagine a powerful politician or famous celebrity under control of an evil villain?

The Cooper Chronicles are set in the near future and I love coming up with new technology that could become reality. My approach is to use our current society and tweak it into the future with plausible new gadgets. That's where my sci fi is more realistic and hopefully more appealing to contemporary readers. I know some folks say "I don't read sci fi" but those who say that and try my series are pleasantly surprised. Plus there's LOL humor!

What resources do you use? In general and for this book?

Resources, well Google of course. But I have some technical geniuses in the family whose brains I pick frequently. And when I say Google, I cross reference and check my info on many reliable sites, like technology e-zines, college research, and government .orgs. For people to get into a book, the futuristic technology must be plausible as well as using proper terminology and procedures. I have had one or two criticize the believability of my gadgets and the methods they work, but sci fi also uses a little magic that most of us gloss over - how many people really understand the internet or how a TV works? Technology magic!



How do you handle the marketing required to succeed? Any tips or tricks that you can share here?

Marketing is THE hardest part of being an author. I doubt I'll ever make enough money to give up the day job, but I'll never give up writing either. Here's what I do for marketing:
  • Start by inviting family and friends to a LAUNCH PARTY - the scale of each party is smaller for each book, which costs less money for me, so that's okay. I sell a ton of books at these things.
  • Organize a BLOG TOUR - these aren't as popular because they're preaching to the choir, so I like to mix it up with informative posts that will draw folks to read them, and not just say, Hey I wrote a book, please buy it! I'm also trying new methods and reaching out to Book Bloggers.
  • Solicit REVIEWS - I'm lucky my publisher helps out with this initially. And I hate asking for help in this regard, but it's a necessary task. We need reviews to let readers "try it on" and help them decide to buy the book! It looks so cute on you! Here's a tremendous Book Blogger List.
  • Do LIVE BOOK EVENTS - these are my favorite things to do, especially with my writer friends, and I always make new ones when I go. Plus, the more books you have to sell, the more books you DO sell! And don't forget the swag!
  • Host GIVEAWAYS - I have found that just giving away books doesn't always draw a crowd, you have to add a gift card to amp up the response... Doing a group giveaway draws more to it as well.
  • BOOK TRAILER - I like to have them because I enjoy making them, but I'm not sure if they help yet - it's one of the items I'm reworking...
  • INTERVIEWS & GUEST POSTS - after the initial Blog Tour, gotta keep talking about it, and get over the shamelessness of self-promotion
  • Have a SALE! Pick a reason, a holiday, a birthday, whatever! And put the book on sale for a limited time
  • BOOK SITES - Bookbub, The Fussy Librarian, It's Write Now, Shout my book, etc. There are so many sites to promote a sale or be highlighted, for a fee. They have reach to tons of readers and they fill up quick, so if you're having a sale, get in early!
  • Get SOCIAL - don't be obnoxious, but do Tweet and Insta and FB and Pin (Snapchat is for the young and penniless from what I've heard) Things to post - again, NOT just "Buy my book" - post fun pictures, informative articles, as well as sales, sneak peeks, cover reveals, and release news. A Newsletter is a great tool as well.
  • KEEP WRITING - I said earlier the more books you have out, the more you sell. And with all this marketing, we need to write to remind ourselves where our passion is rooted.
What's the funniest thing that happened to you on a book tour?

Well, the Sci Fi Cons are the funniest. The last one I went to, I was positioned between two antique/collectible toy sellers. The gentleman on my left wore a shark suit and he was a hoot. More surprising than funny, the group on my right had a little skirmish, an actual fight amongst themselves. There are many characters at the Cons and people-watching is primo!

What's the next step for you? Television, movies, a new genre? Tell us what the future holds - what can your fans expect?

Wouldn't we all love to do TV or a movie? I wrote a screenplay of Pop Travel and submitted it to a couple of contests (and sent it to a couple of agencies). I don't expect returns on a first script, but you never know! And I'm thinking of a TV series for kids that isn't mind-numbing like the ones they have out right now - can't stand them. We'll see. Hopes and dreams keep us going!

PS - To celebrate my book bdays I'm hosting a GIVEAWAY if you'd like to check it out!

Thanks again for having me here, Yolanda!



Tara Tyler has had a hand in everything from waitressing to rocket engineering. After moving all over, she now writes and teaches math in Ohio with her three active boys and Coach Husband. Currently she has two series, Pop Travel (techno-thriller detective capers) and Broken Branch Falls (fantasy adventures). To squeeze in writing, she economizes her time aka the Lazy Housewife. Make every day an adventure!


Talk to me!




***


Thanks Tara!

Well folks, what do you think of time travel? 
If you had the opportunity to travel via teleportation would you?
Do you have a marketing strategy that works?
Please share!




Thursday, July 14, 2016

TOO EASY

The Winner of Patrick Hatt's

MURDER HAS A PRICE
is
BLUE GRUMPSTER

CONGRATULATIONS!


*****

AND TODAY


Rochelle Wisoff-Fields 

Presents a flash fiction challenge 
write a complete story 
in 100 words or less.
·     Take your time
·     Proofread
·     Edit
·     Include photo prompt and InLinkz code
·     Post and Link your story URL
·     Reciprocate. Read 
and comment. 
It's half the fun!
MAKE - EVERY - WORD – COUNT




TOO EASY

"Like leading sheep to slaughter!" Greer laughed and threw another shovel of dirt.

Monkee-See-Do, the latest mobile app had inspired his technological but sociopathic mind. Greer had fashioned hacking magic, and now his victims came to him.

The grave covered, he took in his surroundings. The trees were greener and stood taller. Soon nutritious fresh grass would cover the ground. Greer had given his animals a cool and delicious place to graze.

He smiled. Monkee-See-Do now compensated him with a growing bank account and the solution for poor soil - the perfect fertilizer – the clueless with their heads up their asses.

Fiction 100 words
Yolanda Renée ©

***


Click the blue frog to see more entries!




Don't forget

Chrys Fey's SUMMER BOOK BASH
Friday, July 15, noon to 8 PM


&





Just curious, how many of you are into the Pokemon Go game?

Have a great weekend!


Monday, July 11, 2016

MURDER HAS A PRICE

You all know Pat Hatt and his cats?


But do you know Patrick Hatt - mystery writer?

Well, he's here today to discuss one of his latest releases!

MURDER HAS A PRICE



Welcome Pat!

1.             Can you tell your readers something about why you chose this particular topic to write about? What appealed to you about it? Why do you think it is different, and your approach is unique?

The main reason I started as the idea popped in and then I just started writing it. Plus I wanted to explore other genres a bit and write a one off book. Whereas some other books I’ve written had sequels this one was more a one and done with the door left open a crack. As I’ve always got ideas. So that was the appealing nature, just trying something new. I think it’s different as it’s more go go go and the main character isn’t worried about being a detective or following any rules but his own. He has his goal and everything else be damned.

2.             How long do you think about a topic before deciding to write about it? Do you have a set of notes or a notebook where you write down topics that appeal before making a decision as to which topic this time?

I usually just get an idea in my head. Then I come up with the beginning and ending and just go to it. I have a list of ideas saved and many more in my head. So I’m never lacking in that department. I’ll croak, even if I live to be 100, before I run out of ideas.

3.             How long does it take to research a topic before you write? And for this book? Did you learn something unusual during your research that you can share here?

Depends on the book I write. Kids books are just fun rhymes, so very very little, if any. My biggest was some of the myths I had to explore, like Greek gods and stuff. I knew most but I wanted to be sure in some cases. For this book there wasn’t a whole lot. I don’t think I learned anything unusual. I know one reason research takes long for some books as one picks a setting, so they have to research the place. I purposely create a setting where it can happen in multiple places, as I like to create the aspect that it could happen nearby the reader. So that saves time on research. Although my latest demands I use actual places, so it’s taking some research time.

4.             What resources do you use? In general and for this book?

Google is my main resource. That and, like for this one specifically, I’ve watched a lot of cop shows and read many as well, so that leads to the knowledge I have in my head.

5.             Do you use professionals to verify your facts, such as the police? Is there a good way to approach them? How valuable is their input? Or do you just wing it?

So far I’ve been more of a just wing it. If there comes a case where I actually need procedure and the like down the road, then I’ll have to go asking.


6.             Did you self-publish or have a publisher? Would you recommend self-publishing and building an audience before approaching a publisher? What's the best way to build an audience before publication?

I have self published all 104 works I have out there. One of the main reasons as a publisher takes foreeeever. That and I like my writing freedom. I’d recommend self-publishing beforehand because then you’d  have something else for a publisher to look at.

The best way to build an audience is to pick a few social media platforms and stick to them. Don’t stretch yourself on everyone until you have a good audience on one or two. Then just enjoy it. If you don’t enjoy doing a blog or Twitter or what have you, people can tell and they won’t give a crap because you don’t.

7.             How do you handle the marketing required to succeed? Any tips or tricks that you can share here?

Pfffft I’m still looking for tip and tricks myself. In order to really get good marketing it takes money to make money. You could have the best book in the world, but if no one sees it, it won’t do a bit of good how well it is written. And the only paid marketing out there that actually works 100% is Bookbub, that I’m aware of anyway, but getting a book in there isn’t easy unless you have 100 reviews on Amazon or elsewhere. That’s my only words of wisdom with marketing.

8.             Does writing provide you a sufficient income to live on? If so, how long did it take before this happened? Is it your goal to be financially successful, or do you write and publish solely for the 'satisfaction of sharing your stories'?

It buys groceries some months, does that count? I would like to be financially successful, who wouldn’t? But unless a book made a million bucks and you can use that to live off while you wrote others, it would kind of get a bit stressful and maybe suck the fun out of doing it. Always worrying how the bills would get paid and such.

So do I want the dough? Heck, yes. But my main goal is to get the stories out of my head and out there for whoever to see that sees them.

9.             What's the funniest thing that happened to you on a book tour?

Can’t say I ever went on a book tour, digital or otherwise.

10.        What's the next step for you? Television, movies, a new genre? Tell us what the future holds - what can your fans expect?

TV and movies would be great. That is where the real money is. But that is even harder to break into. So many who try that end up being waiters the rest of their lives. No thanks. I’ve got 2 novels done I’m sitting on. Love Thy Self, a very strange meta story, and A Not So Universal World, the 8th in my other series. Just need to get covers for them and give the later an edit or ten. Now I’m working on a combo comedy book, taking two ideas and mashing them together. A Thousand Miles is the title. It’s different then what I’ve written before in a way, as it’s more comedy and action. There are no powers or aliens or murders or anything like that. But that’s all that I can say on that one until it is done and ready to go.


And just for you a rhyme shall come due. Thanks for having on by Pat Hatt or Patrick Hatt the double named guy. One for non rhyme and one for rhyme. I think you can figure out which is which in no time. 


Detective Hollerin has received his badge after a few short years with only one thing in mind, find the real person who was behind the murder of Torrie and Kurt Price and put them in the ground. He, along with the Price's butler Mr. Dunker, know without a doubt that Mr. Price would never kill his family. Even if all signs point to him being the killer, Detective Hollerin will find the real truth behind the murders. With secrets of his own, like hiring the Los Hugos gang for jobs the police aren't willing or allowed to do, Detective Hollerin pushes forward on the case. 

His one and only goal is to find the killer and end their life. But his search ends up unraveling a conspiracy that extends to all levels of the city and beyond. Detective Hollerin's quest for vengeance leads him to places that he never thought he would go. Now he must use all the skills from his past and his present to survive, end the conspiracy, and find the real person behind the Price murders, no matter the cost.
*****


Pat Hatt can be found in the East Coast of Canada. He hates writing these things but doesn’t mind talking in the third person. He dabbles in a little of this and a little of that, not afraid to attempt something new.

He is owned by two cats, one of whom has his own blog, It’s Rhyme Time. Yeah a rhyming cat, who knew? He would be considered a both person when it comes to cats and dogs.


He is also quite the movie and TV buff. As you can probably tell does not take himself seriously and has more stuff in his head than is needed. Thus the novels, short stories, adult books and kids books, so far 104, as just one more form of release.


Link up with Pat:



Patrick Hatt Amazon

Pat Hatt Amazon

*****

Did you know our master rhymer had written a detective novel?
Will you pick up a copy?
Do you enjoy writing in different genres?
Leave a short rhyme in the comments and win an Ebook copy of Murder Has a Price!



ALSO
Father Dragon, Al Diaz
is in need of some help
Check out his Blog - Calling All Angels
or send him an email for more information.
fatherdragon1@gmail.com