My Summer Reads!

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booksI love reading, but sadly, with family, work, and writing commitments I don’t get a lot of time to just sit down with a good book. This summer I’ve made a commitment to myself to spend more time reading. Not only because it is important for self-care to take time doing the things you love but also because as a writer, reading is an essential part of my growth and development.

I think Jan Fortune nailed it in her blog post ’14 reasons why writers need to read’.

Here are Jan Fortune’s 14 reasons why writers need to read, but honestly… you need to click the link above and read her full article to fully understand the list!

  1. Because reading is your world
  2. Influence is good
  3. For the love of language
  4. To encourage imagination
  5. To see what works
  6. To see what doesn’t work
  7. Because the more you read, the more you understand the human condition
  8. Because the diversity of history, culture and thought is all contained in writing
  9. Because it will encourage you to take more risks with your writing
  10. Because it’s good for you
  11. Because books are the best place to escape
  12. Because reading increases your ability to be alone with your thoughts
  13. Because the best writers read
  14. Because you know what it’s like to want readers

Now for my list, in no particular order… MY SUMMER READS:

  1. Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline (Video Review)
  2. A Wrinkle In Time, by Madeleine L’Engle (Video Review)
  3. The Darkest Minds, by Alexandra Bracken (Review) (Video Review)
  4. Never Fade, by Alexandra Bracken (Review) (Video Review)
  5. In The Afterlight, by Alexandra Bracken (Review) (Video Review)
  6. Through The Dark, by Alexandra Bracken (Review) (Video Review)
  7. Cujo, by Stephen King (Review) (Video Review)
  8. Dead Boy, by Laurel Gale (Review) (Video Review)
  9. Gwendy’s Button Box, by Stephen King (Review) (Video Review)
  10. Origin, by Dan Brown (Review) (Video Review)

Because I started my summer reading list at the end of May, when my kids got out of school, I’m already a few books in… Reviews will be posted as I get to them. With everything life throws at me, I’m not sure I’ll make it though this whole list by the end of summer (actually I’m positive I wont), but I’ll try my best. What I don’t get through during summer will remain on my list till I get it read. I plan to post reviews as I get them done and will make sure to add the links above. Check out the reviews and share your thoughts on the books too.

 

My 2 Cents… The Post

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The PostThe Post – A cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country’s first female newspaper publisher and a hard-driving editor to join an unprecedented battle between the press and the government.

WOW!!! As always, Meryl Streep (as Kay Graham) and Tom Hanks (as Ben Bradlee) blew me away. They were perfectly cast and flawless in their performances. The whole cast was incredible, down to the smallest of parts.

Director Steven Spielberg brought this true story to life in a way that made you feel like a voyeur eavesdropping in on private conversations.

The pacing of the film kept me engaged without feeling rushed. I was on the edge of my seat with anticipation to find out what they would do at every roadblock. I highly recommend seeing The Post, if you haven’t already.

 

See the official trailer here:

 

Never Fade (The Darkest Minds #2)

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Never Fade

TITLE: Never Fade (The Darkest Minds #2)
AUTHOR: Alexandra Bracken

RATING OVERVIEW
Writing: ★★★★
Story: ★★★★
Characters: ★★★★
Appearance: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★ (4.25)

AMAZON DESCRIPTION:
Book two in the hit series that’s soon to be a major motion picture starring Amandla Stenberg and Mandy Moore–now with a stunning new look and an exclusive bonus short story featuring Vida before she joined the League.

Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby ‘Leader’, but she knows what she really is: a monster.

When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future and who now wouldn’t recognize her.

As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?

Buy it HERE on Amazon!

THE CRITICAL POINTS

WRITING: Just like with book 1, I cannot stress enough how good of a writer Alexandra Bracken is. Obviously, her English and History studies at William & Mary in Virginia suited her well. She is a well-deserved #1 New York Times best-selling author.

STORY: Bracken does not disappoint with book 2 of The Darkest Minds series. This one doesn’t start exactly where the first one ends, so your left with unanswered questions and an eagerness to find many of the characters who have seemingly been left behind. However, it isn’t long before Bracken pulls everything together and you feel like the story is back on track with a new mission and new character motivations pulling (or pushing) you forward to keep reading.

CHARACTERS: Book two introduces the reader to a whole new group of characters. Although as a reader I wasn’t sure if I trusted them, or even wanted to trust them, I quickly became invested in their lives and their survival. Bracken beautifully weaves Ruby’s old life with her new life showing us both the mental and physical struggles she has to deal with and eventually overcome if she wants to survive.

APPEARANCE: The cover is again, beautiful. However, unlike with the first book, after reading book two I’m not sure how the cover relates to the story. When you pull back the cover this time, you’re no longer surprised, but instead eager to find the second full-color cover, to read the character quote, “I don’t want to just see someone’s face; I want to know his shadow, too.”

Check out my NEW YouTube channel and the video review here… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video.

https://youtu.be/j9KdE83MbXw

PS.. I’m still new to the YouTube things, so be patient with me while I figure it all out. I promise my videos will get better. lol

 

I think my computer hates me!

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I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not very good with technology. I can turn on my computer and use the programs… most of them… ok, some of them, but much more than that and I’m lost.

My kids are the IT department of my house and will probably run their own technology firm some day, if they don’t secretly have one already. I’m not kidding, my kids know more about my computer and phone than I do!

Blue screen of death… “Kids, mommy needs you!”

Phone screen freezes… “Kids, mommy needs you!”

iPad tells me it hasn’t been backed up in 18 weeks… “Kids, mommy needs you!”

When I was their age, we didn’t have a home computer, much less portable tablets. Phones, well there was no such thing as a cell phone back then. Our phones were still tethered to the wall with a coiled cord. If you wanted privacy you pulled the phone as far from the kitchen as you could, stretching the cord till you could almost hear it cry. More often than not you found yourself sitting in a closet, your head on the floor next to the phone as you tried to whisper loud enough that your friends would still hear you. The day I got my own bedroom phone… a bright yellow Pac-man phone… WAS AMAZING!!! It was like my parents had handed me the golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. 

I never dreamed of carrying a pocket-sized phone around with me. Don’t get me wrong, I love my cell phone. Cell phones are cool. I am constantly connected… phone calls, emails, internet searches, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, YouTube, blah blah blah, INSERT NEXT NEW APP HERE!!! WE ARE ALWAYS CONNECTED…

But seriously, cell phones are great for safety. I love that my kids have them and can reach me whenever they need to… but love it more when they want to. With all that said, I’m sure my next statement is of the unpopular brand… I think cell phones have killed childhood. OK… that’s a topic for another post. 

The whole point of my post ‘I think my computer hates me’ was to say this:

I often feel like my computer deliberately deletes my files! There, I’ve said it. My computer deliverately deletes my files! What is that? What did I do to my computer to make it hate me so much? I backup everything… I have thumb-drives (do people still call them thumb-drives or is it flash-drives now?) for all my work and I keep a downloaded backup (multiple in fact) of everything I do. Yet, the other day, after discovering that 5 of my 7 eBooks had somehow mysteriously disappeared from Amazon, I tried to find the files on my computer and THEY WERE GONE!

Shock!

Fear!!

Terror!!!

To say that I was freaking out would be putting it nicely. Luckily I found a way to get the files… but my computer didn’t make it easy… the files weren’t formatted.

NO FORMATTING AT ALL!

Paragraphs and chapters ran into each other like one long run on. How does something like this happen? I tried everything, but in the end I ended up spending hours re-formatting one book… I have four more to do… FOUR MORE! 

I’ll look on the bright side… I haven’t read those books in a while, so at least I get to reconnect with some of my past characters. I have missed them.

Has something like this ever happened to you? If so, tell me your story and what you did to fix it. Misery loves company, right? 

 

My 2 Cents… Cobra Kai

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Cobra 🐍 Kai – Set thirty years after the events of the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, the series focuses on Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) reopening the Cobra Kai dojo, which causes his rivalry with Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) to be reignited.

Ok, if you liked the Karate Kid movies than you’re going to LOVE Cobra Kai. Believe me, I was skeptical at first but once I started the first episode I was hooked. I binge watched the entire series in just two days and it was a great way to introduce my love for the Karate Kid to my kids.

The writers do a great job bringing back the original characters in a way that you can believe their choices/life paths have brought them to where they are 30 years later. It’s the perfect combination of serious and comedy. If you give it a try, you won’t be disappointed!

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt7221388/?ref=m_nv_sr_5

The Darkest Minds (book 1)

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The Darkest Minds

TITLE: The Darkest Minds
AUTHOR: Alexandra Bracken

RATING OVERVIEW
Writing: ★★★★
Story: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★ 1/2
Appearance: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★ (4.625)

AMAZON DESCRIPTION:
“Book one in the hit series that’s soon to be a major motion picture starring Amandla Stenberg and Mandy Moore—now with a stunning new paperback look and an exclusive bonus short story featuring Liam and his brother, Cole. When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that got her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that killed most of America’s children, but she and the others emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control. Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones. But when the truth about Ruby’s abilities—the truth she’s hidden from everyone, even the camp authorities—comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. On the run, she joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp: Zu, a young girl haunted by her past; Chubs, a standoffish brainiac; and Liam, their fearless leader, who is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents. While they journey to find the one safe haven left for kids like them—East River—they must evade their determined pursuers, including an organization that will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. But as they get closer to grasping the things they’ve dreamed of, Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.”

Buy it HERE on Amazon!

THE CRITICAL POINTS

WRITING: Alexandra Bracken is a wonderful writer. She has a natural talent for describing things so perfectly that you can see, smell, hear, and feel everything as if you’re experiencing it firsthand. Her characters are fully developed, believable and relatable. Although there were a handful of typos throughout the book they weren’t distracting. Besides, as an indie author, I love seeing that even the big publishing houses have editing issues and types in the books they put out. We’re all just human and no one is perfect!

STORY: Bracken has taken an often-overused theme of ‘characters with powers’ and fashioned something completely new. The dystopian world she has created is terrifying and unthinkable. The story is gripping, leaving you eager to turn the page and find out what will happen next. With every twist and turn you become more and more invested in the characters and what their destiny’s hold.

As an author, I love a good cliffhanger, and Bracken does not disappoint. The heartbreaking cliffhanger at the end of book 1 will leave you wanting more! From page one to the end this book will keep you guessing and engaged.

CHARACTERS: In the beginning of the book we’re introduced to a number of characters and given just enough time to start feeling emotionally connected before they’re ripped away and out of the spotlight. Although irritated, and left with unanswered questions, the book’s fast pace and intense action doesn’t leave the reader disappointed for long. Ruby, one of the dangerous ones, and the primary character soon finds her tribe unlikely friends; Liam, Chubs, and Zu.

I’m a huge fan of back story, and for the most part The Darkest Minds delivers, but by the end of the book I was still left with unanswered questions and wanted to know more about each of the main characters. You’d think that was a bad thing but because I was able to go straight to the bookstore and buy the next three books in the series, I didn’t mind at all.

APPEARANCE: The cover is beautiful yet ominous. The mysterious glowing symbol on the front makes you wonder what to expect before you even break the spine. When you pull back the cover you’re surprised with a second full-color cover, and a quote from one of the main characters, “Time to carpe the hell out of this diem.” Very well done!

Check out my NEW YouTube CHANNEL and the video review here… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video. 

PS.. I’m new to the YouTube things, so be patient with me while I figure it all out. I promise my videos will get better. lol

Bullet Journaling for Indie Authors

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By now, I’m sure everyone has heard of bullet journaling. If you haven’t you are seriously missing out. Bullet journaling is an easy yet fun way to stay organized and creative all at the same time. 

2

Are you interested? You should be! 

Still need more convincing? Watch these short YouTube videos to see how easy can be!

https://youtu.be/OuaaotSpifM      |      https://youtu.be/EtWmUdiMu74     |     https://youtu.be/fm15cmYU0IM

Now that you’ve watched the videos, understand how easy it can be, and are excited to start your own…

WAIT!

I want to share something with you – because I’ve made bullet journaling EVEN EASIER!

As an indie author, I wear many hats. I’m sure you do as well. So, I have created a Bullet Journal just for Indie-Authors [JUST WRITE]. 

Author Bullet Journal 8x10 Front Cover

JUST WRITE is the Ultimate Author’s Bullet Journal designed as a planner-journal hybrid to help new and experienced writers stay organized while still fostering creativity. It is the perfect complement to So You Want To Write A Book: An Indie Author Guide To Outlining And Planning Your Next Novel. Track your project progress along with daily and monthly word count goals/actuals. Plan your writing and publishing goals, maintain your personal/business to do list, never miss another deadline or appointment again, keep track of writing ideas, schedule and log social sharing and blog post ideas, keep a record of books you’re reading or want to read, maintain a running playlist, etc. There are even monthly logs to track exercise, water intake, etc.

This easy to use bullet journal is already designed to keep you motivated and organized, but there is plenty of room for creativity in the layout. Make it your own and enjoy the freedom that bullet journaling provides.

FEATURES:

  1. Dot grid Paper 
  2. 265 pages measuring at 8×10 inches each (16-inch spreads) 
  3. Sturdy matte-finish paperback cover 
  4. Perfect bound Sections in this comprehensive planner include, but are not limited to:
  • Future Log
  • Year at a Glance
  • Books to Read
  • Writing Playlist
  • Social Sharing
  • etc.

Monthly/Weekly Spreads include, but are not limited to:

  • Monthly Goals
  • Daily/Monthly Word Count Tracker
  • To-Do Lists
  • Shopping Lists
  • Notes Pages
  • Etc.

Are you interested? Good.

All you have to do to get your copy is click HERE! It is as easy as that.

Why I chose to Self-Publish instead of going the Traditional Publishing Route

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self publishing

photo credit: http://www.jektz.com

Did I consider going the traditional publishing route? Of course I did. There isn’t an author, or want-to-be author, out there that hasn’t daydreamed of being picked-up by a traditional publishing house, given a huge advance, and being allowed to write full-time without fear or worry of not being able to pay the bills. 

The reality is that daydream becomes a reality for far fewer authors than you’d think. With that in mind, self-publishing has become a great alternative to traditional publishing. Over the past few years, self-publishing has also become more and more acceptable as a form of professional publishing. 

The benefits of self-publishing are numerous: 

  1. You Can Make More Money
    Unless you are Stephen King or John Grisham you have the potential to make a lot more money by self-publishing than you will going the traditional publishing route – AS LONG AS YOU DO IT RIGHT! The money you can make from your book doesn’t end with book sales, you also have to consider the possible income from movie rights, audio books, author appearances, foreign rights, and special packages that you are able to offer when you maintain full rights to your work. 
  2. Control Over Cover Design
    As a self-published author, you have final say over what your cover looks like. You will have to hire a cover artist, unless you are artistically inclined, but you control the final product. When you go down the path of traditional publishing, your publisher will take on control of your cover and often you have little to no input on how the cover looks.  
  3. Speed To Print
    As a self-published author, you control when your book publishes! That doesn’t mean you should publish your first draft, but when you are ready to publish – after all formal rounds of edits – you are in control of hitting [PUBLISH]. If you go the traditional publishing route, your publisher determines your publish date. At the time your novel is complete, your publisher may determine that the market isn’t right for the genre, this can result in your book being shelved for an undetermined time… and sometime indefinitely. Self-publishing can speed up your publication date by a year if not more.
  4. Content Control
    As an author, you put your heart, soul, sweat, and tears into your book. As a self-published author, you publish your book – the book you want to publish! As a traditionally published author, your book is changed – adapted – converted – whatever you wan to call it by the numerous interns, editors, publishers, and marketers at the publishing house. By the time your book goes to print, it may not even resemble the story you had originally set out to tell. Traditional publishers control character development, story arc, even the ending of the story, and so much more. If they say change it – you changed it. In the world of self-publishing, you determine what needs to be changed. You’re editor will give you suggestions, but you decide which of the suggestions you’re going to take and which ones you’re going to toss out with last weeks trash. 
  5. Avoiding Stress
    You are worthy! Why put yourself through the stress and anxiety of submitting your manuscript to hundreds of publishing houses only to be turned down time and time again. The fact of the matter is, it doesn’t matter how good you are – you can be turned down by a publishing house. Their acceptance is often based on the market – what is selling at the time of your submission. The following is a short list of BEST SELLING AUTHORS who were all rejected at one time or another: 
  • HERMAN MELVILLE 
  • ERNEST HEMINGWAY 
  • GEORGE ORWELL 
  • H.G. WELLS
  • F. SCOTT FITZGERALD
  • STEPHEN KING
  • WILLIAM GOLDING
  • MARGARET MITCHELL
  • WILLIAM FAULKNER
  • ANNE FRANK

NOTE: This list is just a small sample of best-selling authors who received that dreaded rejection letter… the list could go on and on and on.

8 Female Indie Authors Who Are Killin’ It

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read

This article, written by Shayla Raquel, from 2015 recently popped up in my news feed, and made me realize just how far I’ve come as an author in the last 3 years.

8 Female Indie Authors Who Are Killin’ It

“It’s no surprise that girls rock. They rock so much, in fact, that we featured eight female indie authors who are killin’ it in the self-publishing world. Are you ready to meet your next favorite author?”

…

Awaken, Nina Soden

Genre: Fantasy/Science Fiction
Summary: Awaken is set in a world very much like our own, yet Atlanta isn’t just an ordinary city and Alee Moyer isn’t just an ordinary girl. Having barely survived her childhood, it will take the death of her father for the truth of her true bloodline to come out. Even if it means losing her life, or at least her identity, she won’t be able to escape her true destiny as the first surviving Dhampir in history. Surrounded by a new world where the horror films she grew up watching have become reality and the most unlikely characters have become her lifeline, Alee will struggle to find herself and her purpose.
When I think about an author who is always hustling toward her author goals, I think about Nina. This girl does not slow down. She is constantly working hard to push out one more book—she’s a no-excuses kind of gal and we could all learn something from her.
One reader reviewed the book, saying, “I quickly inhaled this story. The author has a very easy-to-read talent that engulfs the reader.” Ah! I pray that one day someone will read my novel and inhale it like this reader did.

What are you up to now? I am currently in the editing process for SECTOR C: The Hunted (book two in the SECTOR C Series).

…

Check out all 8 of the authors and read the full article HERE!

Featured Authors:

read

Building an audience can be one of the hardest parts of being an indie-author. Mainly because we do all of the marketing, publicizing, etc. on our own. So, word of mouth from readers, amazon and other online reviews, and blog posts like these are so important for our success. If you can take a minute to check out the authors on this lists, maybe you’ll find your next favorite book. If you do, comment below and tell me what you read and what you thought of it.

 

2018 Catfish Literary Festival

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Catfish Literary Festival

4th annual Catfish Literary Festival at the Athens-Limestone County Public Library (603 South Jefferson Street, Athens, AL 35611, phone: 256-232-1233) Saturday, 4/28/18 10am to 3pm.

One of the things I love the most about being an indie-author is getting out and talking to people about my books and about the self-publishing process. I got to do just that on April 28th, when I spent the day at the Athens-Limestone County Public Library for the 4th annual Catfish Literary Festival.

The festival offers book-lovers a unique opportunity to connect with authors to chat, ask questions, purchase autographed books, and sit in on writing panels and book readings throughout the day. I was lucky enough to be asked to participate in a panel discussing the self-publishing process and to help new authors interested in self-publishing figure out if it is right for them.

 

If you have questions about the self-publishing process, or how to get started in the writing process, please reach out. I’d love to help. You can comment below with questions and I promise to respond. If I get enough interested in the topic, I’ll do a post answering everyone’s questions.