W icked Web s K .N. L ee
There's a wicked web inside this heart It creaks It leaks It's cold and dark Dark poetry at its best. You will escape to a land where evil is confronted, dissected, and vanquished. Each poem tells a story. Horror, folklore, and supernatural tales. What are your darkest fears? Whatever they are...prepare to have them exploited. Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo
Tool s f or Soci al M edi a & A uth or Pl atf orm M anagement
MARKETING TOOLS
Audience Engagement
Hey Dolls and Gents, I would like to share some Tips with you that may help you with marketing your book(s).
ShortStack - Maximize your social media presence. Run contests, polls, while making use of data collection and analytics. Create apps to encourage sharing, referring, commenting, inviting. Embed your apps on your website, blog, or wherever you plan to drive traffic. Free up to 2,000 Facebook fans.
Facebook Market ing Post Planner - Saves you 2 hours daily on Facebook Marketing. It can triple your likes, shares and clicks. Find viral photos and trending content. Schedule posts to your Facebook Pages. Free to use or paid plans at $29/ mo. Social Media Management Hootsuite - Get serious about social (this is one of my favorite sites. I use this daily). Connect your dashboard to your Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ accounts. Analytics to track clicks to links and the metrics to measure your ROI (Rate Of Investment). Free to use. Pro versions available (I use this one).
Edit ing Hemingway App - Make your writing bold and clear. A bare bones editing tool to strengthen prose. Analyzes blocks of text and assigns a numeric grade based around readability. Highlights and advocates for the removal of difficult-to-read sentences, adverbs, obtuse phrases and instances of passive voice. Desktop version available. Language & Grammar Grammar Girl - Helping you remember the rules. Understand grammar rules and word choice. Learn through short and friendly tips, to keeping your punctuation and usage straight. Simple memory tricks help make complex grammar questions simple to recall and apply. Learn through Blog posts, podcasts or webcasts.
Find t he Right Words Merriam-Webster - Dictionary and Thesaurus. One of the most trusted online dictionaries. Improve your vocabulary with quizzes, trending words in news, and the word each day. Browse words by their topics, such as: Arts and Entertainment. Communit y Buil ding Goodreads - Promote yourself and your book(s). Reach over 25 million passionate readers. Publicize your upcoming events (i.e. book signings). Share book excerpts and other writings, post book trailers, or even start a blog. Advertise to the Goodreads Community. Lead a Q&A discussion group for readers or write a quiz about your books. Free to join. Newsl et t ers AWeber - Email Marketing software. Easily add, manage and segment the subscribers to your newsletter. Create follow up autoresponders to deliver a sequence of messages automatically. Choose from over 600 HTML Email Templates. Turn your blog posts into an email newsletter with the RSS to email tool. Sign up for $1. Writ ing Feedback Wattpad - The YouTube of writing. Gives you the chance to meet and engage with new readers. Serialize your stories and get feedback on it's direction. You can use "Fan Funding," which is Wattpad's crowdsourcing platform, to produce your next book. Easy to setup and use. Graphic Design PicMonkey - Free online photo editing. Add text, effects or overlays to your photos. Touch up your photos like the pro with wrinkle remover, airbrush and teeth whitening. Design banners, invites, cards and even Facebook covers from scratch. Create a photo collage with many flexible layouts. Free to use, or upgrade to Royale. Back Up Fil es Dropbox - Protect your writing. (I have been using this a lot lately). Keep your writing safe with cloud storage. Share and access your files from every computer you use. Save up to 2GB with free account.
Media Exposure Help A Reporter Out - Share your expertise with journalists. Nearly 30,000 reporters and bloggers use HARO every day. More than 75,000 journalist queries have been published since HARO's inception, and nearly 7,500,000 media pitches have been facilitated. It's entirely free to sources and reporters. Whew! I hope this information helps all of you as it has and is helping me with my writing. Have an awesome day. Until Next Time! Jeané
I am a courageous, talented, charming, confident, poised, determined leader. Let's take a moment to get to know Jeané. She loves being a woman! With all of its ups and downs, she wouldn't trade it for anything. Her life can be so complex at times, and then at other times she can find herself living it up at her favorite shoe store or at her favorite coffee joint. Sometimes it's just all about her family. She is interested in so many things, but more often than not, she doesn't get to enjoy as much of life as she would like to. She is a down to earth lady that loves life and has a passion for what she does. She's a sister, aunt, daughter, friend and good neighbor.
After several years into her career, Jeané Sashi realized that corporate American life was not for her. Needing an outlet for her creative energy and something to do with the stories she had store away, she decided to dust off those stories and put them to use and write her debut freshman novel, Intimate Moments, followed by her sophomore novel, The J Spot. You can find out more about Jeané from her website... http:/ / www.JeaneEBennett.com
DAPHNE LAMB
EXCERPT FROM THE GIRL'S GUIDE TO THE APOCALYPSE Author Bio Daphne Lamb is originally from Colorado Springs, and now calls Los Angeles home. She?s been writing ever since her mom would let her rewrite the endings of picture books. She?s a movie buff and comic book collector. In her spare time she does aeriels, performs in storytelling shows, blogs about bad movies and is a hardcore collector of all things Wonder Woman. Social Media Links: Twitter: @Daphne_Lamb Facebook: www.facebook.com/ daphne.lamb Website: www.DaphneLambWriter.com
In those three years, Bruce had slept through every movie that I picked, never ate any of my cooking and always chose a Patriots game over time with me. I supposed I should have noticed the signs, but there we were in this moment in time and it was over. True, the days of us hanging out on his couch over the weekends and spending evenings with friends, well, his friends, were never coming back anyway, but it felt so unnatural to try to reconcile that my plans wouldn?t take into account of his. ?Are you okay?? Robert asked. I looked up at him. He seemed genuinely concerned. bigger things wrong, I suppose,? I said.
?There are
He pulled out his textbook. ?Know where I turn when I?m feeling down?? ?Not to the secrets of risk management.? He made a pitying sound with his mouth, opening to a page in his book. ?You?re missing out. Listen. The chances of achieving organizational objectives while protecting enterprise value will be maximized by having a clear grasp on business realities, understanding what ?risk?is, tying risk tolerance to performance, and deploying risk management above and beyond compliance activies.? He looked up and beamed. ?Doesn?t that make you feel better?? ?I literally don?t know what any of that means or why its relevant,? I said. ?It?s comforting,? he said. ?Truth is a valuable commodity. And so are quality girls like you. That?s what I get out of this.? ?I?m thirty three and not a girl.? I smiled. ?But thank you again.?
AMBER LACIE
I grew up in the Chicagoland region and now live in a quaint little town in Northwest Indiana. I have two beautiful children and husband who worships the ground I walk on (or at least he should). I'm avid reader and I absolutely love books. Now I'm expanding that love into writing and looking forward to producing many books.
Eve was content getting lost in her books, while living with her best friends. She?s a beautiful girl surrounded by her friends and family. In her twenty six years of life, nothing exciting has ever happened to her. Everything is going perfectly for her. Little does she know, one summer at the beach could change her life forever. . .
When an amnesiac girl is rescued from the sea, she finds herself aboard a voyage of the damned. Led by the legendary immortal Charon, the crew must set sail across a vast subterranean ocean to reach Mt. Olympus, home of the gods. Being the only living person on a ship full of deceased criminals, traitors, and murderers, Hope must learn who to trust before her soul joins the ranks of the dead for all eternity.
Theron is the son of a cutthroat multi-billionaire business tycoon. He thought he left behind the world his father created, but things change. Now, he?s devoted himself to his eccentric grandma. His only hope at overcoming his past, is finding the one person he lost so very long ago. . .
With an array of obstacles before them, sailing across a world so hostile it can kill even the dead, Hope, Charon, and the crew of the Styx are not expected to succeed. But they must try, for the price of failure is beyond imagining. Along the way, they must come to terms with their own difficult pasts, an uncertain future, and what it means to be human.
CHARITY PARKERSON AUTHORS PLAYLIST Running up the Hill? Placebo The Beautiful People? Marilyn Manson Bad Blood? Tayler Swift Mad World? Jasmine Thompson Girl Crush? Little Big Town Happy Together? Filter Amnesia? 5 Second of Summer U Got it Bad? Usher Fight Song? Rachel Platten This Summer? Maroon 5
Charity Parkerson is an award winning and multi-published author with Ellora's Cave Publishing, Indie Publishing House LLC, and Punk & Sissy Publications. Born with no filter from her brain to her mouth, she decided to take this odd quirk and insert it in her characters. *Winner of 2, 2014 Readers' Favorite Awards *2015 Passionate Plume Award Finalist *2013 Readers' Favorite Award Winner *2013 Reviewers' Choice Award Winner *2012 ARRA Finalist for Favorite Paranormal Romance *Five-time winner of The Mistress of the Darkpath
charityparkerson.com
KRYS FENNER At the age of 16, I fell in love with psychology and creative writing. At the time I wrote my first short story dealing with sexual abuse and forgiveness. Psychological issues in my family have filled me with the desire to help others using my own experiences. So in 2004, I earned an Associate of Arts in psychology. And while my sister is the one with dreams of becoming a psychologist, I returned to Creative Writing. I am currently working toward a Bachelor of Arts and I plan to continue on to a Masters degree, where I can major in my first love (Creative Writing) and minor in my second (Psychology).
MICHAEL HOLMAN Michael W. Holman is a bachelor who has spent his entire life in the Pacific Northwest. He lives in Salem, Oregon. His favorite activities include distance running, reading fiction, and playing strategy board games with his nearby immediate family members on Friday nights. He's currently writing the sequel to Resolve and Retribution, which is his first novel.
LAW RENCE BOARERPITCHFORD Within the fiery crucible of the abyss of time I was conceived. From that sticky and unwashed oblivion emerged a man that clawed his way to the bottom rung of the ladder of life. From there he could only go up - after all, it was the only clear choice. It is to that second rung that I have pulled myself up to. Through heroic trials of bold deeds, and burnt offerings, a muse came to me, and with it the passion to put ink to paper. Unfortunately, skill took a little longer, and again I scampered with inspiration to jarring reality clinging to my feet as I hung from the rung. That's when hard work, divine intervention and blind luck came together to shape this lump of clay into what I now think to be an author.
J.C. And r ijeski USA Today Bestselling Author
Like Sherlock Holmes? Meet the sexy, psychic version, Quentin Black, and his partner in crime, forensic psychologist Miri Fox. Picked up as a suspect in the Wedding Murders, Black faces off with Miri, who works for the cops. She learns he?s searching for the murderer too, but with his own agenda.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR JC Andrijeski is a USA Today bestselling author who writes sexy, apocalyptic and cyberpunk-y science fiction romance and mystery books, often with a metaphysical bent. Current works include the gritty, epic, psychic warfare romance, ALLIE'S WAR, which follows Allie Taylor and her antihero partner, Revik, in their attempts to save the world from a dark, psychic force. Her dystopian science fiction romance series, ALIEN APOCALYPSE, features Jet Tetsuo, survivor and slave under alien conquerors, and her GATE SHIFTER series is about a shape-shifting alien and a tough-girl PI from Seattle. Her newest launch is QUENTIN BLACK, a paranormal romance and mystery series set in our own version of Earth. JC has a background in journalism, history and politics, travels extensively and has lived abroad in Europe, Australia and Asia, and from coast to coast in the continental United States. She currently lives in Bangkok, Thailand.
JOIN THE REBEL ARMY To learn more about JC and her writing, please visit jcandrijeski.com. If you want to get an automatic email when JC's next book is released, join THE REBEL ARMY at tinyurl.com/ JCAndrijeski. )C
THE W RITING PROCESS JC Andrijeski I still find the writing process pretty mysterious, honestly. There?s the whole craft side of writing fiction of course, which is much less mysterious and has to do with learning the tools and tricks of the trade to get ideas across more cleanly and effectively. I work on that side of things whenever and however I can to try and get better??by reading books on fiction writing craft, taking classes, watching movies and picking them apart and just paying attention while I read to see how other authors do things and noting what works and what doesn?t and why. But most of that is the ?figuring out how to manifest the idea? side of things. The part I still find pretty mysterious is where the ideas come from in the first place, at least for me. I?m what one of my writing teachers called an ?intuitive writer,? which means I don?t really plot things out in advance, at least not in great detail. Instead, I more or less just write into the dark and follow the threads of the action through the character?s eyes. I do some plotting, but mostly that?s a device to find my way back to the character and/ or story when I get lost or off-track midway. Getting lost can have all different kinds of causes, anything from fatigue/ burnout to ducking some kind of heavy emotion that?s necessary for the story and that I conveniently ?wrote around,? which sent me off in the wrong direction. Sometimes a story just isn?t quite ready to be written yet for whatever reason, in terms of the churning part that happens in some less-conscious part of my mind. I know this process differs quite a bit from writer to writer too, which just makes it even more mysterious to me really. For me, the process of writing a novel invariably starts with a character. Usually that character has some kind of inherent conflict about them (because really, who doesn?t have some kind of inherent conflict about them?), and I go from there. I know I?m ready to actually start a book (or really, I know that I?ll be able to finish it) when I get a really strong ?snapshot? of the last scene. The funny thing about that snapshot is, I don?t always understand what it means when I first get it. Truthfully, sometimes I don?t know what it means until after I write that final scene. As a result I often have to do a full pass on any manuscript just to make sure the threads all line up after the fact, since I tend to get a lot of light-bulb, ?ah-ha? type moments once I have a completed first draft. This even holds true for me from book to book in a series, where I?ll drop a detail in book one that won?t fully make sense to me until maybe book five. To me, that?s pretty bizarre, since so much of it occurs on a not-very-conscious level. It?s a hugely satisfying feeling though, I have to say, when all of those threads come together into something much bigger than what I could have wrote using purely the linear logic of my conscious mind. It really makes writing fiction kind of an adventure, at least for me. Every book is new, so it?s pretty much impossible to get bored.
JENNIFER MUNSWAMI INTERVIEW Where are you f rom? I?m from Guyana located in South America for those who are not familiar with the country, very sunny down there completely different from Canada. Right now I?m located in Pembroke, Ontario. I came here when I was eight years old and have been enjoying life in Canada so much I haven?t gone back home since. When did you know you want ed t o be an art ist ?
I?ve wanted to be an Artist for as long as I can remember, I was practically drawing in diapers, I was born into it since my father was an extraordinary artist. I do remember growing up though that I was into Sailor Moon, I drew every single one of them over and over again when I was young. At that age my teachers were impressed with me even then because I was a kid drawing detailed images at such a young age even though it was my obsession with Sailor Moon.
JM Are you sel f -t aught , or do you have any f ormal t raining? I?m a self taught artist everything I do and have learned was gained through experience. I did not attend school for it, so I think sometimes I?m blessed with a gift. It did take me some time to get where I am today however, but it was much worth it. What is your f avorit e piece t hat you've creat ed? My favorite piece would have to be my ?Hush Hush Patch and Nora? artwork because it?s one of my first works I?ve done which kept me up for nights trying to finish it. It was one of the most rewarding pieces I don?t think I have had any negative feedback from
RISING HORSE feedback from fans of ?Hush Hush?, when it came to that piece so I would have to say I enjoyed developing them as I see them in the book and come on! I have created one hot Patch with his hat on to! Don?t see much fan works like that. Who is your f avorit e art ist ? Oh this is a very hard question for me, I would have to leave this question open. I love all forms of art, and the many Artworks that intrigue me, I'm still counting, so I cannot say I have a favorite. What are your goal s f or JM Rising Horse Creat ions? My goals for J.M Rising Horse Creations would be to have my own store opened one day. Running a business is
CREATIONS challenging but this is a dream of mine to accomplish in the future. So look forward to it! You never know. What woul d peopl e be surprised t o l earn about you? People get surprised by a lot of things when it comes to me, one I am an only child (no one believes me every time I say this). Also I play the Violin and Guitar on my spare time. I also draw and paint traditionally. And last I am very superstitious. Where do you sel l your work? I currently do not have online store set up for selling my works, I am working on getting that set up this year. But I do answer messages periodically on Facebook and my website.
What inspires you?
Interview with Jennifer Munswami
I have many inspirations actually, one of the more important ones is my father, he passed away when I was very young and I didn?t really get to know him all that well, but I was thankful that I got his hands and his artistic mind, I feel a connection to him when I?m drawing or thinking of something creative. Another one would be my emotions, we all have many. As an artist I speak and feel though my drawings, it gives me a place to escape to. And last but not least is people, I like bringing life to characters that don?t exist and creating my own world based off other imaginations, it?s extremely exciting seeing that displayed in front of me when I?m done. If you coul d l ive anywhere, where woul d t hat be? If I could live anywhere...It would have to be somewhere sunny and full of sand. I have always wanted to buy a house near the beach, where I could admire the sunsets and sparkling water. Since I can't swim, I've always been passionate just by having the view. I haven't decided on a particular destination just yet.
If you coul d have any superpower, what woul d t hat be? Yay! Love this question! I have always been fascinated with this one particular power which is to freeze time. I feel that there is never enough time to enjoy things and take it in. So I would have to say that this would be a cool superpower, also in bad situations I could just freeze and run away lol, works for me.
BAD KITTY (CHRONICLES CHEERLEADERS IN HEAT OF MALCOLM) WARNING: ELECTRIFYING ORGASMS!!! NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART Miami Rattlers Cheerleader Cherie Redd is exquisitely beautiful, athletic, and very, very lonely. Romance: a puzzling phenomenon she figured had something to do with guys' fear of rejection or lack of self-confidence because they just didn't have what it takes to win someone like Cherie. Titillatingly sexy and breathtakingly beautiful, Cherie and her other cheerleading friends often spent their lonely Saturday nights lamenting their beauty and available just for the asking. The prettiest single women around: lonely, loveless and forlorn. Frustrated by too many quiet nights at home or with other cheerleaders, Cherie was oh-so-eager for romance and a man to seduce her lavishly. She wanted to feel what a real orgasm in the arms of an adoring man was like once again. So, she tucked her vibrator away and took to the Internet. Cherie had no clue how rapidly the seduction would begin or where her life would careen as a result. Painfully naive and overwhelmed by admirers before her spinning head cleared, Cherie was learning things her momma never even knew enough to warn her about.
When you make the Devil?s bargain, be prepared to take the heat. A lot of heat.
Chronicles of the Malcolm, Book 2 Most of Xia?s early memories are repressed, thank the Great Cat Mother. But her body remembers how to kill. The longer she and her fellow Malcolm crewmates are holed up on Cibari hiding from assassins, the twitchier she gets? until the planet?s insanely sexy warlord, Rahal Mizyar, borrows her skills to take out slavers. Rahal suspects Xia is his mate, but the human-raised female never learned the finer points of felinoid rituals. The solution: make her fall hard and fast for him, even if it means playing dirty. Hired to determine if Xia is the long-missing granddaughter of the felinoid prime minister, Cal Janssen has finally tracked her down. Getting past Rahal, though, is a problem? until he?s mistaken for a notorious arms dealer and playboy. And he finds himself the object of both Rahal?s and Xia?s seduction. When their first mission brings Xia?s memories bulleting back to the surface, she realizes she?s fallen for two men who don?t exist. Running away, however, could be her deadliest mistake.
Fogged Mirror Shane Hogan I do remember I was in love. There was an easy breeze That blew through all of those days. Sight spawned from Naivety Allowed me to live in short spells Of what I idealized. Your word and scent was my addiction. I arrived home drunk many nights On thoughts of tomorrow. Buzz.Buzz.Buzz You were my plant And I was your bee. Then one day change came. I did not understand how But did not think, i was still drunk. I believed the easy breeze would return. It did not. As my whole being entered withdrawal, What was idealized started to crumble. I was not the bee who found his plant. I was the bee who was fooled by the jam jar And only realized as i started to sink. I could never have known That ones beauty could so easily corrupt. Inflicted with a disability i still care, For a person who does not dwell within. For my love was a one horse race, That proved to be a very weak glue. Although it is sabotage I ponder on former actions. It is treacherous to be a long since Faded memory to someone, When they are not to you. I remember. I have loved.
Tish Thawer Award Winning Author, Tish Thawer, writes paranormal romances for all ages. Her magickal elements and detailed world-building are a welcome constant in every novel. Before becoming a writer she worked as a computer consultant, a photographer and a graphic designer. She also operates a custom glass etching business, in addition to being a wife and the mother of three wonderful children. She's been a fan of the paranormal for as long as she can remember. Anything to do with superpowers, myth and magic has always held a special place in her heart. From her first paranormal cartoon, Isis, to the phenomenon that is Twilight, this genre has always been a part of her life.
THE W ITCHES OF BLACKBROOK Through space and time, sisters entwined. Lost then found, souls remain bound. Three sisters escape the Salem witch trials when the eldest casts a spell that hurtles their souls forward through time. After centuries separated, fate has finally reunited them in the present day. One the healer, one the teacher, and one the deceiver. Will their reunion return their full powers, or end their souls journey forever? A Witches of BlackBrook novel.
Libby and Luke were the perfect couple. They had the prestigious condo overlooking the bay in one of the most exciting cities in the world, had financial success, and they had a love that was one of a kind. Libby?s world is suddenly turned upside down, and she is faced with many decisions. Drawn to two different men, Libby is tormented by the past and confused by the present. What will she do? The Salty Dog is a romantic tale of love and loss, and the essence of empowerment.
Theodora ?Teddi? Donovan and Calvin Wynne have always hated each other. They didn't have a choice after Teddi's bootlegger father killed Calvin's and left them both orphaned. The scandal has fueled gossip in quiet, quaint Brookhurst, New York, for over a decade. When a friendship develops between them as teenagers, they are ridiculed and shunned by the strict society that dictates life in their town. As they grow older, friendship turns into love, and Teddi and Calvin have to choose between their future and the scepter of their past. Spanning continents and decades, Forget Me Not is a coming-of-age story about truth, self-reliance, and the freeing power of love.
A mystery hovers around the Haunted Bear Glacier near the remote town of Charming, Alaska. Town manager Chia Petit is determined to solve it. There's nothing she loves better than a good Alaska adventure--when she's not obsessed by her sexual needs or her obedience to rules, that is. Hindered by her annoying practical joker vampire roommate, helped by her happy-go-lucky dog shape shifter best friend, Chia has more than a few challenges ahead.
Ang ela J. Ford ANGELA J. FORD Angela J. Ford is an imaginative and entertaining writer who creates stories of fanciful worlds that enable young adults to confidently believe in possibilities and overcome differences to be stronger together. Born in Ann Arbor, MI, and raised in Alabaster, AL, she moved to Nashville, TN, where she currently resides, to pursue a degree in Music Business at Belmont University. Although her career has not been largely focused on creative writing, it has been an integral part of her lifestyle. Brought up as a bookworm and musician, she began writing The Four Worlds, a fantasy action, adventure series at the age of 12. The storyline of those books was largely based off of creative games she played with her sisters.
THE FIVE WARRIORS SHARE # thefivewarriors Originally finished when she was 16, after college, Angela began to re-write the Four Worlds Series, bringing it from a child's daydream to an adventure young and old alike can enjoy. Inspired by fairy tales, high magic and epic fantasy, you?ll enjoy your adventures within the Four Worlds.If you happen to be in Nashville, you?ll mostly likely find her at a local coffee shop, enjoying a white chocolate mocha and furiously working on her next book. Make sure you say hello! www.thefourworldsseries.com
Quick Fire Q&A Brendan le Grange Cof f ee or t ea I don?t actually drink hot drinks, but tiramisu would have to push it towards coffee. Favorit e book The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-ExupĂŠry Favorit e pl ace t o t ravel There?s still so much to see, but with a toddler in tow we?re currently spending a lot of holidays on the islands of the Philippines. If you coul d meet any cel ebrit y or hist orical f igure, who woul d it be? Gandhi ? sorry, I can?t read a question like this without a Fight Club flashback Favorit e quot e ?I am a lover of truth, a worshipper of freedom, a celebrant at the altar of language and purity and tolerance.? ? Stephen Fry
Biography Brendan le Grange was born and educated in South Africa, though he now lives between Manila and Hong Kong with his beautiful wife and daughter. As a business consultant, he has travelled to forty countries and lived in three. And it is reading binges to break up these transits ? with the likes of Clive Cussler and Jack du Brul ? that inspired the writer to emerge, bringing to life the cities, characters, and history he encountered. Le Grange?s debut action thriller, Drachen, is a wild chase through North Europe along the Baltic coast. Based on a reimagined history of the medieval Hanseatic League, a young marine archaeologist discovers evidence of a treasure so valuable, it will test every allegiance.
Drachen Brendan le Grange
A marine archaeologist standing up for herself. A psychopath with mother issues. A hitman who hates failure. A soldier with a point to prove. A policeman out on a limb. And a treasure that tests every allegiance. Brett Rivera might not know exactly what?s going on, or who she can trust, but she?s in the race of her life and she knows she?s not going to give up; after three years of searching she has found the wreck of the Drachen. It goes downhill from there: first the hold is empty and then she?s attacked and almost killed. Why is a mother-obsessed psychopath spending so much money to catch her? Who is the British soldier really? How is the hazy amber globe and the rusted keys she recovered supposed to help her locate the Hanseatic League?s greatest lost treasure? Brett doesn?t know, but she has two things in her favour: Patrick, her best friend, and an ancient book which just might be the missing piece. She is pursued in Finland, double-crossed in Tallinn, abducted in L端beck, shot at in Bremen, and she?s not taking it lying down. A shipwreck. A lost treasure. A hell of a race from one to the other.
Suit (The Twin Duo)
When my sister, Isabella showed up, just ahead of a tropical storm, nostalgia and a need to reconnect took us on a ride? directly into the eye of a different kind of disaster. I woke from a coma unaware that I even had a twin, and married to a man with two little girls. Although I fell madly in love with the children that I didn?t remember, I didn?t feel like I belonged with Paxton Pierce. I couldn?t be who he wanted me to be no matter how hard I tried. But things aren?t always as they seem. I fought my own demons, trying not to be the submissive he required me to be, yet I craved it like a drug. I wanted him. Once upon a time I was an identical twin. And then I wasn?t.
Best Sel l ing Aut hor Jet t ie Woodruf f My name is Jettie Woodruff. I live in Ohio, but I don?t know why. I hate winter, and it?s right around the corner. I don't know what genre I write in. People tell me I have my own category. I write whatever is coming to me at the moment. I probably have like, six different novels started, all waiting to be told. The one that gets to thirty thousand first is my next release. Slut will release probably mid-November, and then I have something I am going to try under a pin-name. Some of my favorite things are, first and foremost my family, reading, writing, bike riding, hiking, BOOK SIGNINGS, my friends, and life! ?I'm selfish, impatient, and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I'm out of control, and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.?
Marilyn Monroe
W RITE LIKE A W IZA RD W RITING CHA LLENGE
JAN JACOB MEKES Your writing challenge: In 2000 words or less tell a story about a dream that you couldn't escape!
adjusted and am walking around, finding that not only the compartment but the entire carriage is completely devoid of people.
Dest ined
Still empty, but I hear the faint tones of violin music. Is it coming from the next carriage? I decide to investigate.
Jan Jacob Mekes I want to get off this train. That?s all I can think of as the sun slowly peeks over the horizon. An orange stripe, a glowing yellow orb, and finally a ball of white fire that illuminates the fields below. Endless flat, empty grasslands stretch out on all sides of this iron beast I?m on, held in check only by two thin strips of metal that seem to go on into the distance indefinitely. How did I get here? I don?t remember buying a ticket. I look around the compartment, for the first time noticing that, save for myself, it?s empty. I get up. My legs are bit wobbly, but I a minute later I?ve already
My heart starts jumping up and down in my chest, pearls of sweat begin to form on my forehead as I advance into the next carriage.
I do not find the source of the music, which is getting louder, and now has some piano playing mixed in? but I do encounter a man in a white tuxedo. ?Some coffee, sir?? he says. ?Yes, please, that?d be lovely,? I hear myself say, although I can?t imagine why, since I hardly ever drink the stuff; tea is my drink of choice. The man reaches into his jacket?s inside pocket and produces a full cup of coffee, which he proceeds to throw in my face.
Now I really want to get off this train. Some invisible force compels me to go forward, however. In the next carriage, I finally discover where the music came from. There?s not an on-board orchestra in sight, I am disappointed to find. The music is coming from a set of speakers. Funny, it sounded almost real enough to touch, but now? utterly fake. I look outside at the clouds that roll by as the train steadily moves forward, and wonder if those are real. Perhaps they?re just giant wads of cotton, stuck onto cardboard painted blue. These metaphysical musings won?t do me any good though. The train just keeps speeding up, and I find myself having to run to be able to progress to the next carriage, which really doesn?t make sense, because I should be moving at the same speed as the train I?m on. Then again, it begins to dawn on me that perhaps this isn?t a normal train. As I enter through the next door, my suspicions are not just confirmed, but slammed into the back of my skull with an ice pick. I?ve reached the engine. And it?s empty. I expect to feel panic, but I?m surprisingly calm. Everything around me slows down, even time itself is blurred as I sit down behind the wheel. I have no idea how to drive a train, but instinctively I know what buttons to press, what levers to switch. Even the order in which I do so is impeccable. The console rewards me with a satisfying beep, and I lean back in the quite comfortable chair, happy with my achievements in taming this runaway train. My eyes close as I begin to drift away, when suddenly the reality of my situation hits me like a sledgehammer. I haven?t done anything. I can push buttons and pull levers all I want, but this train just keeps rolling towards a horizon that never comes closer. I lean back in my chair and close my eyes. My lips begin to curl upward. Not in a happy smile, but a sarcastic smirk. I shake my head. I open my eyes. Still the same iron lines ahead of me, converging to nowhere. I throw up my hands. There?s nothing I can do here. I decide to turn back. As I pass through the carriage with the violin music, I stop to listen. Despite the metallic, tinny quality, the music itself actually isn?t bad. After a few minutes, I even begin to hum along. My spirits lifted somewhat, I proceed to the carriage where I got coffee thrown into my face. The man in the white tuxedo is still there. ?Back for more?? he asks, a grin on his face. He reaches into his inside pocket, but I hold his hand. ?Tea, this time.? I half expect him to sit down and sulk, but instead he raises his eyebrows, smiles, and says: ?Good choice, sir,? before putting a lovely, steaming cup of tea in front of me. I sit down and take a sip, letting the hot, aromatic liquid warm my soul. I look outside. The landscape looks somehow nicer. There?s even a hill or two. When I finish my tea, I get up and wander about, hands in pocket. The gloom of before quickly sets in again as the effect of the tea wears off. I begin to question myself, this train, the landscape
Dest ined Jan Jacob Mekes
When I finish my tea, I get up and wander about, hands in pocket. The gloom of before quickly sets in again as the effect of the tea wears off. I begin to question myself, this train, the landscape outside. The last of the hills disappears out of my view. I?m back again where I was. In a train I don?t want to be on, surrounded by empty grasslands. I sit down, close my eyes and sigh. At least the tea has done me some good. I?m getting drowsy. I fall asleep. I dream of being on a train against my will. In the dream, I try to escape, but my efforts are all in vain. I sit down and look outside. Another train passes. In it is a little girl, staring out the window, a silly grin on her face. When she sees me, she waves enthusiastically, confusing me to no end. I wake up. I look out of the window into green emptiness. And yet? what is that dot on the horizon? It comes a bit closer, just close enough so I can see it?s another train. It?s still miles away, and a bend in the track quickly removes it from my sight again. A shame, for I wished to have seen who was on it. It doesn?t matter though. Deep down, I know it was the little girl I just dreamt about. I lift my hand and wave back at her. A yawn, a stretch, and I get up. I look out once more at the sun, which is in the process of donning and shedding a cloud. I smile. A hill appears in the distance. I nod. A tree. ?Well,? I say to myself, ?this is my train, whether I like it or not. I might as well enjoy the ride.? I look out the window once more, and a train passes close by. A little girl is looking at me through one of the windows. She?s giving me a thumbs up. For more on Jan Jacob Mekes: http:/ / bouffonbooks.com/ https:/ / twitter.com/ haggisnl
An Inter view With Jan Jacob Mekes
I nterviewed by, W ritelikeawizard.com
Meet author, Jan Jacob Mekes! Where are you f rom? I was born and raised in Rotterdam, one of the largest (and definitely the best) cities in the Netherlands, and I live there still. It's funny how I write fiction in English then, and not in Dutch (although I have written a few short stories in Dutch that I submitted to contests, with varying degrees of success). I blame it on the amount of English-language cartoons I watched as a kid. Are you a f ul l -t ime or part -t ime writ er? How does t hat af f ect your writ ing? Alas, I am merely a part time writer. I would like to be able to write full time, but then again, not having all the time in the world makes you appreciate the time you do have more. Of course sometimes it just sucks when you can't get as much writing done as you would like, and on some days I hardly get anything done. On those days, it's good to remember the proverb: "The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones."
What are some day jobs t hat you have hel d? If any of t hem impact ed your writ ing, share an exampl e. I've been a software developer, which has helped me develop my analytical thinking (although truth be told, what I enjoyed most about that was writing manuals). I've also been a postman, which, like any job where you come into contact with a diverse range of people, is a great source of inspiration. Even if you don't have a job where don't meet a lot of people, it's good to always keep your eyes and ears open for story ideas or even snippets of dialogue that stick. Currently I work as a freelance writer and translator (if anyone out there needs something translated to Dutch, let me know!), which also helps keeping in touch with language; that's something that's important for any writer, and especially so if you're writing in a language that you don't speak natively. I also work as a volunteer for the police, doing historical research. That's oodles of fun, and I get to hone my writing (and research skills) as well. How l ong have you been writ ing? A long time - I remember in kindergarten, when making a drawing, I would write captions on them, like "THUNDERCLOUD" and an arrow next to a drawing of a thundercloud - the teacher explained that wasn't necessary when drawing, but I guess the writer in me was already emerging. However, I've only been seriously writing fiction since about 2010. That year I had my gallbladder surgically removed, which was a bit of an eye-opener for me: I decided to focus more on the things I wanted to do, rather than always doing what society expected. Studying history in university (2006-2009) also helped me see that writing was something I was pretty good at, and I enjoyed it to boot! Have you ever been t o a writ ing conf erence, cl ass, of crit ique group? How was t hat experience? I haven't. Since I write in English in a Dutch-speaking country, there aren't many people I could conference with. I do try to keep in contact with other indie authors online though, but it's hard to do so without sacrificing too much of the time I should be spending pounding out those words. What genre do you pref er t o writ e in? I don't really have one preferred genre, but whatever I write, I always like to add an element of the fantastical or surreal, if possible, and I definitely always try to add a dash of humour, even if it may not always be laugh-out-loud, thigh-slapping jokes. Subtle comedy can have a place in any good story. Life can be hard enough as it is, why make it harder by reading or writing stories we don't enjoy? What inspired you t o writ e your l at est book? Readers! My latest release is Bouffon Stories 2012, which is a collection of short stories I wrote on my website, bouffonbooks.com, based on writing prompts people submit to me. It's a two-edged sword: I get to practice my writing with ideas I may not have thought of, and the submitters get a (hopefully good) tailor-made story! How l ong did it t ake you t o writ e t he book? The 2012 collection contains 21 stories. Each one can take a few days to write, from conception to execution, although some writing prompts can have me stumped for weeks. That's the beauty of it: I'm always challenged to push myself. What books have most inf l uenced your l if e? The Bible, first and foremost. Apart from just a religious book, it's a book every writer should consider reading, if only for its literary qualities. Lord of the Rings is also a great classic, and highly-recommended reading for anyone looking to improve their world-building skills.
Is t here anyt hing you f ind part icul arl y chal l enging in your writ ing?
Do you recal l how your int erest in writ ing originat ed? I've always enjoyed telling stories, I don't really know where it came from exactly, although my mother used to tell me all sorts of cool bed time stories. I think it's important for children to be exposed to a wide variety of cultural outlets, whether it's stories, music, film, or anything else. As they grow up, they'll be able to decide what they like best, and maybe even turn it into their career. At the very least, they'll be much more rounded as individuals.
Writing. Thomas Mann once said that a writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than for other people. Sometimes it's coming up with ideas that's hard, sometimes it's the way you want to convey those ideas. Most of the time though, it's the editing that puts me off. There's nothing worse than when you've managed to pour out your heart and soul onto the paper, you have to sit down and edit it... Fortunately I have a great friend, Andrei Constantinescu, who helps me with that, by attacking my manuscripts with a chainsaw (not literally). It hurts at first, and it's still hard work, but in the end the story is much better for it. Who is your f avorit e aut hor and what is it t hat real l y st rikes you about t heir work? One of my favourite authors is Terry Pratchett, who wrote the Discworld series, a brilliant series of comedy fantasy. I especially like his writing style, he has that typical British talent of being funny with words, and especially dialogue. Another writer I like is Agatha Christie. I especially admire how she was able to put out such a massive amount of work, year after year, and most of it good.
How do you f eel about ebooks vs. print books and al t ernat ive vs. convent ional publ ishing? I think there will always be a market for print books, if only because they look great in a bookcase, and sometimes you just want to have something in your hands that you can not just see, but feel and smell. That said, e-books have been a great way to make both reading and publishing more accessible and comfortable to a lot of people, and I don't have any aversion against e-books whatsoever. Alternative vs. conventional publishing is a bit trickier. I think writers are slowly moving away from the latter, and I don't think that's bad. As an indie, you have full control over the creative process, but a downside is that currently the market is swamped. People sometimes say that we need gatekeepers, a role formerly taken on by the publishing companies, but I'm not sure. They let through a lot of crap with the good stuff, and ultimately the reader decides what's best for them, indie or mainstream.
J an J acob Mekes I think the current craze, where everyone and their dog is publishing e-books, will subside though, maybe in a few years. At least that's what I hope, that the market will stabilize a bit, and above all, that indie authors take themselves seriously and present themselves professionally - without going stuffy of course, writing should still be fun!. What do you t hink is t he f ut ure of reading/ writ ing? I think we'll see a different sort of consumption of stories. There will always be a place for big books like Ulysses, Lolita, Anna Karenina, Crime and Punishment, and what have you, but I think the majority of reading will be done in small chunks. With the advent of internet publishing, well, that's opened all sorts of doors. We can offer single stories for sale, or offer books in chunks, for instance (which is not really a new idea; 19th century writers already did this by selling their stories as serials). Also, as authors, we can (and should) look at innovations that come with the electronic medium, and see if we can use them. For instance, I'm toying with the idea of writing interactive fiction (after I've established myself as an author of traditional fiction). If you write children's stories, maybe you could try incorporating games, videos or music in your books. And there are also literature channels you might not have considered before. Twitter for instance, is a great place to publish super short stories (check out the # vss hashtag on there). However, don't turn your book into a gimmick. If those whistles and bells help your book, great, use them. But if the story is strongest on its own, just release it as a normal book. Just because we have Photoshop doesn't mean museums are now full of digital paintings. The synthesizer hasn't made the orchestra obsolete. And in the same way, traditional literature will never disappear.
What process did you go t hrough t o get your book publ ished? I self-published through Smashwords, which has a really helpful style guide, then formatted another copy for Amazon, through KDP. I didn't use their Select program, since I don't want to tie myself to one specific reseller. We live in an economically volatile world, and it's never a great idea to put all your eggs in one basket. For Struglend Tales, I also did a print version (something I also plan on doing for Mothered and future novel-length stories), through CreateSpace. Do you have any advice f or ot her writ ers? Keep doing your thing! If there's just one other person apart from yourself who enjoys your writing, you have your reason to keep writing. Another bit of advice that's more practical: don't break the bank. If you're self-publishing, don't go with scamming companies that require you to invest hundreds or even thousands of dollars just to publish your book. If you're really, really creative (or you have amazing friends who help you out), you could publish a book without spending a single penny. The only things to spend money on if you must, are your cover, and editing. Do you have anyt hing specif ic t hat you want t o say t o your readers? Thank you, you're amazing! If you coul d l ive anywhere, where woul d t hat be? Good question... I've always fancied living in a typical English cottage, complete with flowery wallpaper, ditto tea pots and cups, and a garden with roses and wild flowers. If there's a place like that somewhere where the weather is nice (warm but not too hot, and not too much rain), I'd love to live there! If you coul d have any superpower, what woul d it be? The power to read people's minds. Life would be a lot easier if you could go through it as an omniscient narrator... but probably not as fun. For more on Jan Jacob Mekes: http:/ / bouffonbooks.com/
Woodland Creek Series. 30 Authors. 30 Shif ter Stories. One Epic Release Day.
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