Amazon Sale! Shadow of the Eclipse is 99 cents (L. A. Kelley)

 

Shadow of the Eclipse

99 Cent Sale March 11-25

Ancient evil prowls the shadow of the eclipse, but the key to saving the present can only be found in the past.

Excitement brews in Crossroads for everyone but lawyer, Callum MacGregor. This year, the town harvest festival coincides with a total eclipse. With a recent breakup, Cal has no desire to attend until a visit from his old law partner, Isaac Bingham, drops a bombshell. Twenty years before Cal’s birth, his grandfather, Phillip Bingham, extracted a promise. Isaac must get Cal to the harvest festival or the world would face unparalleled disaster.

Cal is stunned. How could Phillip know Cal would be born and live in Crossroads? Why this nonsensical warning? The mystery deepens when Isaac tells him he’s not the only one to receive a mysterious summons.

Accountant Meg Adler’s day started badly when her boss fired her for refusing to cook the books, but then a letter arrives from a man named Bingham. It contains a lucrative job offer—details to follow. All she has to do is attend the Crossroads Harvest Festival on opening day and meet his representative to discuss details. Meg is leery, but it’s not the end of the world if this doesn’t pan out. Right?

Ancient evil prowls the shadow of the eclipse, but the key to saving the present can only be found in the past. In a time-traveling adventure, Cal and Meg enter a mystic maze and journey to Babylon, the Dark Ages, and 1906 San Francisco hot on the trail of two magic artifacts lost in the recesses of time. Can they dodge demonic forces, fulfill a dead man’s mission, and discover a new future with each other?

Excerpt

 “So, Cal,” Meg said. “Why meet here? What does this festival have to do with a job?” She flashed a cheeky grin. “I should warn you I don’t work the carny circuit.”

A job? An uneasy sensation settled in his gut. “I’ve no idea. I thought you knew why we were here.”

“Me?” Meg pulled back her hand and color rose to her cheeks. “What is this? Some kind of sick joke? Who does this Phillip Bingham think he is, anyway?”

Cal gaped at her. “Phillip Bingham contacted you? Not Isaac?”

“I got a letter from him with a vague employment offer from the Lux Foundation along with an invitation to attend the Crossroads Harvest Festival.” She wrinkled her brow. “It was a funny kind of letter on really old paper. The room at the inn was paid for by a man named Isaac Bingham, and I needed a job, so I figured what the hell. The instructions said a person would find me here to discuss the details. I assume that is you.” Her voice tightened in anger. “Is Phillip Bingham the town lunatic?”

“No, but I’m sorry to tell you he’s very much dead.” Cal gave her a recap of his meeting with Isaac.

As Meg listened, her eyes widened in astonishment. “Phillip Bingham died decades ago? How could he know I’d lose my job this week and be desperate enough to jump at this crazy offer?”

Cal ran a hand through his hair. “How did he know either of us would even be born?”

Meg took a wary step back. “I’m not sure I believe you.”

“I’m not sure I believe it myself. Listen, do you want to go somewhere and talk? Try to figure this out? I’ll call Isaac, tell him we found each other, and demand an explanation.”

Meg cocked her head toward the entrance of the corn maze. “Do you hear that? Someone called for help.”

“Probably lost in the maze. George made it extra challenging this year.”

“No, it’s different.” She sucked in a breath. “M-my name—I swear I heard my name.”

A gust of wind rippled the stalks. They bent toward the entrance, fluttery hands beckoning them inside. Cal strained to hear past the whispery rustle of the leaves.

Almost as if they were voices…

“I’ll check it out,” he said. “Maybe someone fell and got hurt. Wait here—”

“Not a chance.” Meg bolted into the maze, and Cal ran after her. They came to the first intersection, and she skidded to a halt. “Which way?”

“Left,” Cal said without hesitation.

They dashed deeper into the field, now left, now right, now straight ahead. With each step, Cal’s path became surer as if something pulled him with an invisible cord.

Meg puffed beside him. “How do you know which way to go?”

“I-I can’t explain it.” With every breath, the air around Cal became hotter and more oppressive, pressing on his shoulders like a stifling blanket. Humidity dropped to nothing. Beads of sweat on his brow evaporated. Cal licked his dry, cracked lips and grimaced at the gritty feel of sand on his tongue.

Sand in a corn maze?

They turned a corner and stumbled into a clearing. In the center was an arbor that arched over a circle of flagstones on the ground. A glowing flame hovered above the stones, suspended in midair. Meg and Cal exchanged dumbfounded looks and stepped forward. The clarion note of a distant horn sounded a soldier’s call to action. A surge of adrenaline flooded Cal’s veins. He hadn’t felt like this since his days on patrol with the Army. Unconsciously, Cal’s hand went to his hip, reaching for the sword. He stared at his empty hand. Sword?

The flame grew larger and brighter, shooting through the arbor into the heavens.

“Cal!” Meg’s voice sounded very far away.

“I’m here!” Cal reached for her, but the flame blinded him, blotting out the maze, blotting out the sun, blotting out the world.

Nothing remained but the roar of the cheering crowd.

 

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Chapter Structure Basics

 

You've got a story idea and some words down on the page. But you find yourself asking where the chapter should end, and the next one begin? Let's talk a bit about the basic chapter structure this month. 

Chapter vs. Scene

Some newer writers think that chapters are the building blocks that make up a story, but that's not quite right. Scenes are the building blocks, while chapters are how writers organize those building blocks to keep the reader reading. 

Scenes end when there's a big time jump, a POV switch, a change in setting, etc. Whereas, a chapter can have multiple scenes or maybe just a piece of a scene (if it makes sense to break a longer scene into two chapters).

Chapters are there to add to your story's overall pace as well as to give your reader more manageable chunks of the story to work through.

Traditional Chapter Structure

If you've been around the writing block a time or two, you're probably familiar with this chapter structure: 

Character's mini goal--> obstacle in character's way to accomplishing the goal--> character's goal is not achievable (or maybe it was but now there's a new complication)--> character makes a decision that leads them to the next step in accomplishing overall story goal

There's a reason this one is a classic in all the craft books. It's easy to understand and readers know to expect it. This pattern can be used in all genres, and written so many different ways. 

Your character has one big story problem to solve, and somehow has broken that problem down to a singular decision that will take us through a scene. For example, your protagonist has to go to the grocery store to buy cilantro. So, she hops in the car. Here's our mini-goal. Her overall story problem is that she's single and doesn't want to be.

Next, comes the obstacle to the smaller goal. Now that our protagonist is in the car, she turns the key, but nothing happens. Her car's battery is completely dead. 

Maybe she's not meant to make pico de Gallo. Maybe she should have made mashed potatoes instead. But then, she gets the thought to call her crush. This leads us to the third step. We've got to complicate the previous complication. Our protagonist takes a deep breath and calls her crush, but when the call connects, a woman answers the phone. Our main character quickly hangs up.

This leads us to the last step. She has to make a new mini-goal that will lead her to her ultimate goal. Maybe she gives up on her crush and joins a dating app, or maybe she decides to try to win her crush even though another woman answered his phone.

Chapter Revisions

During your subsequent drafts, don't forget to check your chapter breaks. You might just find that your chapter breaks need a bit of revision as well. 

Here's a quick checklist to ask yourself: 

• Does it make sense to break the scene here? 
• Do I need a tad more story meat here? Or maybe do I need less? 
• Are there any chapters that are way longer than the others?
• Are there any chapters that need to be a bit shorter to speed up the pacing?

Other Helpful Chapter Hints

Only name your chapters if you need extra connections within your story. But be sure to not make the chapter names too hard to connect. Otherwise, your reader will get frustrated trying to make connections that they can't make. It's totally okay to number your chapters because numbered chapters are easy to ignore.

Don't try to end every chapter on a cliffhanger. Cliffhangers are great for building tension, but they should be used sparingly in a novel. Too many and your reader will get annoyed. 

If you're newer to writing, don't stress too much about finding the perfect chapter breaks while you're drafting. Write your story first and then see where it makes sense to break up the story's scenes. Pick up your favorite author's book and see how they do it. See how the other novels in your genre are breaking up their story chunks. There's a lot of creative liberty in chapter breaks, so tuck this tool in your writing toolbox, and know that it'll come easier with time. 

Triple Cover Reveal of the Walk the Walk Series by Marilyn Barr

Do you have your sea legs? Can you Walk the Walk? Travel to 1718 and join me hearty crew of Patricia's Wish as they plunder the Caribbean. Will you swab the decks, climb the ratlines, or stand at the helm as our vampiress leads us on a merry chase toward treasure beyond your wildest imagination...

The series begins with Walk the Plank where we meet Magda the Vampiress and Branko the Pirate...on the run. Here's more about Walk the Plank (back of the book blurb):

Branko learns he will be sold into slavery when they dock in Charles Town, so he doesn’t hesitate to jump ship onto a neighboring sloop in the harbor. This boat will weigh anchor with him at the helm–once he decides what to do with the lady chained in the cargo hold who claims she’s a vampire.

Magda Dashkovari’s body has been given to science while she’s still living in it. Her prayers are answered when a pirate boards her boat, but she should have asked for her rescuer to be less bloodthirsty than she is…

Scientists hunt her in town, plantation owners hunt him from the north and south, Blackbeard blocks Charles Town Harbor to the east, and a war rages between settlers and natives to the west. These unlikely allies will have to link together to escape a life in chains…but will their trust in each other endure their journey to freedom?

(Walk the Plank releases on 3/23/2022)

Want to continue the adventure with Magda & Branko?

Be ready to Walk the Deck here.

 Branko has created a monster. Magda grows more aggressive by the day as she reclaims her inner identity. He would be proud of her if she didn’t risk her life at every turn. With each ship they take over, she’s first over the rail…taking his heart with her…

Magda loves life on the high seas and wants to claim the treasure only piracy can bring. Why does Branko want to settle on an island when he could have riches beyond his imagination? When evidence of a treasure galleon schedule turns legend into fact, Magda divides the crew into those members who wish to chase it and those who wish to settle…with Branko.

When Branko pushes his agenda, Magda must face her greatest fear or risk losing him forever. Will their opposing visions for their future tear their tenuous partnership apart, or will they find their love is worth more than gold?

 

(Walk the Deck releases on 4/19/2022)

And don’t miss the exciting conclusion of the Walk the Walk series.

Or are you too afraid to Walk the Night? 

(Walk the Night releases on 5/12/2022)

 Magda’s second chance at marriage promises to be a dream come true—if she survives her mysterious nightmare illness. She has been married for a week and is desperate for a much longer happily ever after.

Branko would trade places with Magda in a heartbeat, but the sickness plaguing Nassau prefers European hosts and spares the natives of the Caribbean. While he believes Mother Nature is punishing those who destroy her beautiful islands, he refuses to accept that Magda deserves to be on the list for retaliation

The civilized world hasn’t a cure for Magda, but Branko will try anything to save her—including reuniting with a ghost from his past. He requests the help of a Hoodoo priestess but magic always comes with a price… She’s asking for Leaf, the young wildcrafter and ship’s cook, in exchange. Will Captain Branko repeat the betrayal of Blackbeard and sell a deckhand for treatment, or say goodbye to the love of his life?

The Walk the Walk series will be released on Amazon as part of Kindle Unlimited.

     Pre-order the Walk the Walk series here - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09TYKMJLV 

Writer's Quirks: Create Yours Like a Professional By Keri Kruspe

 

Quirk: a peculiarity of action, behavior, or personality.

I recently came across an old article from Ava Jae about writer’s quirks. It gave me a laugh, but it had me wondering If I had any strange habits connected to my writing. If push comes to shove, I’ll deny having any writer’s quirks.

Que in the crickets.

All right… I guess I do. But before I share my little idiosyncrasies, for fun I wanted to share some common quirks that Ava Jae shared as well as some that famous authors are well known for.

See if any of these ring a bell with you. Enjoy!

10 Quirks Only a Writer Would Understand

1. We have a code. We talk about trying to get ARC’s or Beta readers. We talk endlessly about our NA/YA/MG/PB/SFR/etc. And let’s not forget about working our WIP’s with D2D and AMZ. And how we lose our chizzle over NaNoWriMo.

2. Our search histories are suspect. On any day, I research the best way to kill people and how to hide a body. What poisons work quickly and don’t leave a trace. I also have to know about humankind’s ancient past, which includes suspect sites from countries like Iraq, Iran, and Russia. On the other side, I am a romance writer to likes to add a little “spice” to my characters love life… and that’s all I’ll confess to that.

3. We talk to others like our characters are real. Hey, who says they aren’t?

4. We don’t have enough books. My office has wall-to-wall bookcases stuffed with books. I’ve also filled my eReader with a TBR pile (there’s that code stuff again).

5. We love/hate words. I’ll be honest, proper grammar and I aren’t the best of friends. I struggle to find the “right” word to create the best scene. Writing is hard, but I love getting lost in my words. 

6. We’d rather write a novel than a one-page synopsis. Amen, sista.

7. How well our writing turns out surprises us. This probably surprises most non-writers more than anything. Heh, me too. Sometimes I’ll reread something I wrote a couple of years ago and say, “Damn! I can’t believe how good that is!” 

8. We pay attention to everything and everyone around us. We are people watchers. I’d rather sit in a busy place (like an airport or an arena) and watch how everyone reacts to their environment. If a conversation catches my ear, I write it down or do a voice note on my phone. 

9. We laugh at our own jokes. Hey–I’m funny, darn it! Can’t tell you how many times my husband walks by my office shaking his head. He knows better to ask me to explain anything.

10. Last–but never least… we live in our own worlds. Even when we’re not writing. I can’t tell you how many times people will ask me, “what’s wrong”? I have to blink and focus on them because I was busy trying to figure out a character/plot/scene that was giving me trouble. My favorite thing is when I get a new idea for a story, I get lost in my head so I can play around with it. 

Famous Writers Are Quirky Too!

Guess what? It turns out all writers have a little somethin’ somthin’ we do that might seem a bit… odd. Here are five examples of what famous writers do that I had a blast uncovering.

Charles Dickens

Had a navigational compass with him at all times. At night, he always faced north while he slept. He believed it would improve his creativity and writing. 

Truman Capote

As one writer wrote, “an odd fellow, with more superstitions that a Stevie Wonder song”. He never started or finished his writing on a Friday. He also refused to call anyone if their phone number had a 13 in it. Nor would he stay in a hotel room with the same number.

Maya Angelou

She rarely wrote at home. She usually rented a hotel room. While there, she’d order that all the pictures and knickknacks be removed. Then she’d write in bed from 6:30 to lunchtime.

Dan Brown

He believed the best cure for writer’s block was to hang upside down! He swore it helped him relax enough to concentrate on his writing. He also keeps an hourglass on his desk to make time to do stretches, push-ups, and sit-ups. (Yeah, I should do that last part myself…)

Agatha Christie

Apples were her thing. She’d eat them while in the bathtub, examining murder photos.

My Secret Idiosyncrasies

Well, they’re not going to be much of a secret now, are they? Ahem… no matter. This is all in fun. As someone who embraces being a weird writer, I’ll give you five of my precious quirks:

1. Up at 4:30 every day. Weekdays work until 6:30 (I have to get ready for work). On the weekends, I get up at that time and work until 11:00 or 12:00. After that… housework (ugh!).

2. Lava lamp on!

3. Cup-o-joe, steaming and ready in my lucky purple Yeti that has my name engraved on it.

4. Classic rock-n-roll a-blastin’ on the headphones or my vinyl records booming through the speakers. 

5. Cell phone at my fingertips… but turned up-side-down so I don’t get distracted. 

What about YOU?

Come on share! I’d love to hear what quirks you have–even if you aren’t a writer. After all, I’m sure readers have strange habits as well…

Besides, you never know. You just might find I’ve added some of your quirks to my future characters!

Kaddim Brothers ~ A series about family

KADDIM BROTHERS ~ A SERIES ABOUT FAMILY

Hello everyone! Can you believe it's March already? Every years seems to fly by faster and faster!

At the end of February, the second book in my Kaddim Brothers series released. It is Genj's story. He's a shy and clumsy alpha space racer who has had an enormous crush on his younger brother's best friend for half his life. Genj is very different from Vawn, and from Ret, the brother whose story I'm writing now.

In writing this series, I was inspired by a video of seven guys walking together in racing suits with their helmets under their arms. For copyright purposes, I'm not sure I can share. But you can find the video here. My inspiration came at the end of the video. But I didn't want to write a story or series about seven racers. So I did a lot of pondering as to how I wanted to turn that image into a series. That's when I decided to focus on three brothers. 

The most important part was making all three of them different. And I think I've succeeded in doing so to this point. While the three brothers grew up on the same planet with the same parents, they always wanted different things. 

Vawn is an omega who always dreamed of having a family while being a fashion designer. His life wasn't always easy, as you can read in his book, but he managed to find his happily ever after.

Genj, as I mentioned above, is a shy and clumsy alpha. He never really knew what he wanted to be growing up, and never believed he was alpha enough to go after his crush. He ended up following his older brother to Eurebly to become a space racer, where he learned he has a talent for racing. He does find his happily ever after, but he needs a few nudges from his brothers to get there.

Ret is the oldest of the three. An alpha who always wanted to be a space racer, and has never allowed any romantic relationship to last more than one night. I'm writing his story right now, so I don't want to give anything away.

Since the three are brothers, there are scenes where they interact with each other and other family members. And their personalities must shine through here. But there is another family that I talk about in this series. The team.

Two of the three brothers are on the space racer team, ORIXA. Since the five members of the team train and live together for the majority of a star cycle (year), they do become very close like a family. So, their interactions are just as important as the three brothers when they're together.

Here's a snippet from GENJ, showing some family and teammate interaction... This is in Genj's point of view. Enjoy!

“Would you two stop it already?”

I glanced up after kissing Utahn’s neck, meeting my brother’s annoyed glare. “What?”

He sneered at me. “It’s sickening seeing you two all lovey, especially when it took the two of you forever to finally get together. I’m used to this behavior from Qé and Xac, but, somehow, with you two, it’s worse.”

Utahn shifted in my lap. “Well, if you had selected a more interesting holo-movie, we wouldn’t have had to occupy ourselves with other things.”

Qé laughed from the couch across the room.

“Hey.” Ret pointed to Utahn. “You be quiet. If not for me hacking into the hotel’s reservation system, and spilling my drink on the couch, you two still wouldn’t be together.”

“Um, what?” I tilted my head to the side, very confused. “You and Utahn planned this?”

Utahn jumped around to face me. “I had nothing to do with that. I’m not complaining that it happened this way, but none of it was my doing.”

Ret chuckled and shook his head. “No, it was Vawn who gave me the idea. We were both sick of hearing you two whine about how much you like each other. But now I’m regretting that. Can you please separate your mouths from each other for a bit?”

“It’s been a bit already.” Utahn cupped my jaw before kissing me.

Divine.

With a groan, Ret stood up. “It’s time to head out for dinner soon anyway. The all clear from the sandstorm came during the movie, so I’m going to have a quick shower.” As he passed Ilam, he placed his hand on the rookie’s shoulder. “And I’m very thankful I’m not the only single one here. Ilam and I are going to be bachelors for life, never committing to anyone.”

GENJ

Kaddim Brothers book two

by Jessica E. Subject

Genj is a cinnamon roll alpha. Even as one of the circuit’s best space racers, he’s shy and rather clumsy. Not qualities anyone wants in a mate, especially the omega he’s crushed on for years. But when Genj invites Utahn on a whim to visit him for a weekend, the omega agrees.

Utahn never expected his best friend’s older brother to reciprocate his feelings. Genj is a space racer, and everyone in the universe knows they rarely commit. When the two get together, sparks fly. And what once seemed impossible becomes a dream come true.

But situations change. And past relationships have a way of interfering with new ones. Can Genj and Utahn work through past traumas, or were they never meant to be more than a childhood crush?

Available in ebook and paperback:

Amazon US | Universal Buy Link

Also find Genj here:

GOODREADS | BOOKBUB

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! by Diane Burton

 

I've been complaining that this year is flying by, and here I am jumping the gun. Tomorrow is Dr. Seuss's birthday, not today. But what the heck! I like to spread out birthdays and celebrate all month, sometimes.

Who hasn't read a Dr. Seuss book? My grandkids like to read along with me. At first, the rhymes are memorized. Eventually, they actually read along. I love the memes on Facebook about reading aloud to children. It's my favorite thing to do. The child(ren) snuggle in and listen intently. If I've read the story many times before and stop reading, s/he fills in the words. Or says "Don't stop."

Reading to my grandkids is as much a joy for me as it is for them. I want them to experience the magic of reading. Books open new worlds.

 Books take you to faraway lands or those close by. And not just to places but times. We can go back to times past or ahead to the future. We can travel on horseback or in spaceships.

Children who are read to are most likely to want to learn to read themselves. (They complain we read too slow.) Children who read find other school subjects easier. 

Stories like One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish help children learn their numbers and number concepts plus colors. It makes learning fun. And isn't that what reading should be?

What about kids who get other kids into trouble? What kid (and adult) had had that experience? Good discussion openers. What would you do if...

In our house while I was growing up, I was always the reader. The others, not so much. One of my sisters found reading difficult. She doesn't "see" the scene play out unless she hears it. Audio books are so much better for her. My other sister reads a lot. Much of her reading is self-improvement or on the religious side. 

No matter what we read, our lives will always be enriched by books.

Tomorrow, raise your glass (or mug) to Theodor Seuss Geisel and wish him a happy birthday!

What's your favorite Dr. Seuss book?

 

The Ten Most Important Commandments for Writers (to Ignore) by L. A. Kelley

Ten Commandments for Writers (to Ignore)

1. Thou shalt write every day, according to a strict schedule, at the exact same time, and in the exact same place.

Oh please. I have a life. It’s great to set aside time to write, but other stuff has to get done, too. Don’t be so glued to a schedule, there’s no room for spontaneous fun.

 2. Thou shalt master one genre and stick to it forever.

Why? Maybe this one genre isn’t really for you. Maybe you’re better at something else. Maybe you’d be happier writing something else. Maybe you simply like more than one genre. Of course, if you’re a Baptist minister who wants to try a hand at male-on-male erotica…well, that’s what pen names are for.

 3. Thou shalt stick to one age group and never try to write for another.

Again, why? Go ahead. I will applaud your endeavors and there is no such thing as the writing police to haul you away to literary prison.

 4. Thou shalt write what you know.

I don’t know anything, but I do know how to use a web browser. It’s called research. If it’s done well, the book reads correctly and people think you’re much smarter than you are. (A definite plus in life.)

 5. Thou shalt neglect other parts of your life.

Sheesh. Do you really want to spend years alone, huddled in an unheated attic, eventually succumbing to an upper respiratory disease because no one bothered to look in on you? Not me.

 6. Thou shalt suffer for your art.

I don’t suffer for anything. All writers hit a roadblock once in a while. We write through it or put the project away and come back later. If every word is a constant agony, don’t write. Yeah, you heard me. This is not failure. This is life. Sometimes plans work, sometimes they don’t, but life is always too short to be miserable. Find what makes you happy. Of course, if being miserable makes you happy, keep plugging away at that unfinished novel.

7. Thou must edit, edit, and edit again.

Editing is important, but there comes a time when looking at that manuscript makes your stomach heave. Then it’s time to give it to someone else to read. Unless penning a journal, what good is writing if no one ever reads it? Get it out there. Get critical feedback. Excessive self-editing is useless, but editing with a purpose, knowing where to cut, and what needs to be clarified is essential.

8. Thou shalt read all you can in your genre and ignore everything else.

Nope. Every once in a while, read something in another genre, one you ordinarily wouldn’t pick. There’s plenty of good stuff out there and choosing something different may jumpstart braincells and give unexpected inspiration.

9. Thou shalt travel for inspiration

If you can travel, terrific. If not, one word. Internet. I can’t afford to go globetrotting. Heck, in this day of Covid, I’d be happy to sit at the corner bistro again without feeling as if I’m surrounded by a curtain of germs. Until that time, the internet is loaded with pictures, maps, and excellent travel writing, both current and historical.

10. Thou shalt not have a prologue or epilogue

Why not? Prologues and epilogues can be fun ways add a little extra detail to a story without interrupting the flow. The key word is little. Prologue and epilogues should be short. If not, stop kidding yourself. They’re chapters.

There you have it. Ten pearls of wisdom. Use them or lose them without guilt.

L. A. Kelley writes fantasy and scify adventures with humor, romance, and a touch of sass. She breaks rules just because she can.

Please Reduce, Reuse and Recycle! by Nancy Gideon

I’m a huge fan of letting nothing go to waste (hence the palazzo pants hanging in my closet . . . someday I’ll be wanting those!). In this day and age, nothing gets tossed out when it can be reused. As an author, I’m a firm believer in the word recycling! Because a clever phrase is a terrible thing to waste.

There’s a time-proven adage that if you wait long enough (and have enough closet/memory space!) your old favorites will be back in style! Being a waste not want not child of the ‘60s and ‘70s with parents from the Depression era, I tend to hang onto everything until it finds another chance for a useful life (sorry hip huggers, you are not among them!). Old vases from former Valentine’s Day surprises, Amazon shipping boxes and mailers, hotel pens from just about every state, leftover mashed potatoes . . . you never know when you’re going to need them! But the one thing we writers seem to discard thoughtlessly are words.

If you wrote (and rewrote and rewrote!) it, own it! So many authors make the mistake of letting their no longer Prime time books lay fallow in the fields, ignored by their original publishers. If you haven’t talked with your agent or editor to broach the idea of starting up a promotion cycle to catch new readers who weren’t around for the initial ride, what’s stopping you? That second go-round made stars of many a writer with a backlist. Buuuut, if they’re content to let the work lie, it’s time to get those rights back and consider either a new house or self-pubbing. It’s not as scary as it sounds.

In publishing, as with everything consumer-based, content is king. If it’s something that will spark excitement in new readers or nostalgia in older ones who’ve lost their dogeared paperback copy, having that decades old novel available in e-formats as well as print can earn a whole new tier of readership. And a whole new level of income.

If you can tempt a new or small press to take on your backlist (after you’ve carefully fine tooth combed your contract to make sure it’s unencumbered by legal obligations!) and get it back into print and e-book with a facelift – and even tack on additional books in an older series – as I’ve done/am in the process of doing with my By Moonlight shapeshifter series, Midnight vampire series, and “Dana Ransom” historical and contemporary books, there are royalties to be made, especially if they’re willing and able to promote it through their own channels .i.e. LIFETIME INVESTMENT w/a Dana Ransom is enjoying another rebirth and is on SALE this month:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Books

Published: September 30, 2014

Length: 178 Pages

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Note: if the work was represented by an agent, check your contract. Chances are, without definitive wording, they still get a percentage of those new sales! If not, self-publishing is the way to go.

Self-pubbing doesn’t have to be a scary new world. Do your homework. There are tons of information-backed workshops offered through targeted groups, i.e. from FF&P and Paranormal Romantics to writing organizations or industry professionals offering online classes. There are homebased companies who’ll do all the legwork of reformatting, re-registering, and supplying new covers and back blurbs. You can even send in those dog-eared oldies to have them re-scanned so you can re-edit them! And there are those out there who will take your money and leave you with nothing but empty promises – so do your research! Learn, listen, ask, ask again for more in-depth information from those who’ve been there. And realize that those wildly successful did-it-themselfers who pull down millions probably had half again as much to invest up front. Do your research and take the road that best suits your intended destination.

♚♚♚♚♚

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Paying it Forward by Julie Howard

I started small with fiction, first writing short stories and flash fiction (usually defined as under 1,000 words). This helped me get the rhythm of a story, practice dialogue in short bursts, and understand how a story arc works.

While my goal has always been to write novels, I’ve come to love the short story form as well. There’s a different skill involved in a shorter piece – sometimes I believe it takes greater talent to write a thousand-word story than an 80,000-word book. Done well, a short work can have a punch that stuns the reader.

I continued to write short stories even while I worked on my novels and have had a number of them published. Once I found a publisher, though, I focused all my writing on longer fiction. I believe having short stories published gave me credibility as a writer, and helped me find a publisher willing to take on my books.

A few years ago a fellow writer and I started a literary journal to help other writers get their works published and build a credible resume. We’ve been amazed at the reception the journal has received around the world – we have writers sending stories from Argentina to New Zealand, Africa to the U.S. The talent is phenomenal.

While I’d love to spend 100 percent of my time writing novels, I really do love the Potato Soup Journal project. It’s truly a labor of love.

Potato Soup Journal is primarily an online journal, with a new work published nearly every day, but we also publish a paperback and ebook “best-of” edition once a year. Our most recent edition releases this week – the best of all the stories published in 2021.

We now have several associate editors to read and judge the dozens of submissions that flow in each week. All of us volunteer our time, with a common goal to promote good writing and offer more opportunities for publication for other writers. As submission volume has increased, we’ve become choosier about which stories to accept. Only a small fraction of submissions make it into the book. The volume of more than sixty stories is something the authors (and we) can be proud of.

The books are available now. If you’re a writer interested in short stories, it’s free to submit. If you enjoy reading them, the site is free to view. Book proceeds go to support annual costs of the site. We invite you to take a look!

www.potatosoupjournal.com

ebook: https://amzn.to/3JJl7Rt

paperback: https://amzn.to/33IEGtJ

 

It Never Gets Old and Writing Out of Your Comfort Zone

 First of all - Did you notice the date 2-22-22? It’s a palindrome date, which means it’s read the same both backward and forward. Not to mention it can be called Twosday 2/22/22 on the second day of the week. LOL Due to the date's repeating numbers, it's considered an angel number in numerology, or a number bearing particular energy or universal message. Numerologists also claim the Once-In-a-Lifetime date 2-22-22 will deliver big energy for connections of all kinds, personal, professional, and romance. I think written  2-22-22 it looks cool. LOL

But I digress… Back to the topic at hand, the excitement of holding your novel in your hands never gets old. I received my print books of AN ANGEL’S WYLDER ASSIGNMENT the other day, Taco and Mystic had to help me unbox them.  Holding my sixteenth book in my hands was as exciting as my first one. What fun!

This book is a bit different than I usually write. An historical, time travel, western, mystery, paranormal romance. Whew. Writing out of your comfort zone can be down right scary. At least it was for me. Making sure I had all the nuances right for a story partially set in 1878 required research and a plan. Even then, I made a few of mistakes the historical writers in my publishing group were quick to point out. Sigh. However, I got through it and am especially proud of the results. I may even attempt another. We’ll see. I believe stepping out of my comfort zone, enhanced my writing abilities. If you’ve never written out of your comfort zone, you might want to try it some time.

So what’s An Angel’s Wylder Assignment about?

Angel Killian Dugan’s annual trip to the family castle in Scotland is shattered by the arrival of Legion Commander North. Killian’s skills are needed for an urgent time travel assignment. A rogue demon has escaped back in time. He must discover the why and where then stop the demon before it can damage the past and change the future.

Killian’s girlfriend Chinoah Grace, a Native American shapeshifter is included in the mission, which takes them to the wild west town of Wylder, Wyoming in 1878. She will have her hands full fitting in and making friends. Nothing is as it seems. They encounter visions, spirit quests, and a mysterious shaman. On top of it all, blending in as a blacksmith is more physically difficult than he imagined. But not as challenging as keeping his hands off his undercover wife. Will they complete their assignment or run out of time?

Buy Links:

 Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Angels-Wylder-Assignment-West-ebook/dp/B09PJQYXMX/

 Barnes&Noble  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-angels-wylder-assignment-tena-stetler/1140834339?ean=9781509240050

 Ibooks - https://books.apple.com/us/book/an-angels-wylder-assignment/id1602043436

Thanks for reading, see you next month!