This is my last post on Random Thoughts

Dear readers,

I have moved my blog to my website (joanszechtman.com) here: http://joanszechtman.com/blog. Please adjust your bookmarks to point to the new location or just go to my website and click on blog on the navigation bar.

I will try to copy all my posts to an archive on the new site as time permits.

Thank you all for sticking with me through thick and a lot of thin.

Signing off....Joan

THIS TIME second edition released on Amazon Kindle

The second (Kindle) edition of THIS TIME is live. It has been expanded to account for the discovery of Richard III's scoliosis (a side to side curvature of the the spine) when his remains were found in 2012. The first chapter of LOYALTY BINDS ME, the second book of the three book series, has been added to the end of first book.

If you've already bought the first kindle edition from Amazon, I believe you can replace your current edition with this update. Amazon used to automatically update the Kindle version, but no longer do so because bookmarks, notes, and highlights made in an earlier edition are wiped out with the update.

The new Kindle edition may be obtained at no cost through the matchbook program if you bought the paperback from Amazon. Updated paperback version coming soon. The second edition is now a 6" by 9" format, so the number of actual pages is less, but the number of words is approximately the same.

Link to Kindle edition on Amazon's US site.

Two Mini Book Reviews

THE MINE (Northwest Passage Book 1) by John A. Heldt (3.5 stars)

Having just graduated from college in 2000, Joel Smith explores an abandoned mine and emerges in 1941, a few months before the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were engaging and the plot interesting. How Joel managed his situation was plausibly developed and there was just enough happening throughout the story to keep my interest. Most of the story revolved around Joel finding the love of his life decades before he was born. I liked how the author resolved Joel’s conflict between wanting to return to his own time and not wanting to abandon his love.

My main quibbles with this book were some consistency issues and not knowing whose head I was in while reading. Most of the story is from Joel’s point of view, but there were times where I suddenly found myself in another character’s head without a scene or chapter break. This caused a few speed bumps where I had to go back and read through a few paragraphs more than once. The book could stand another edit.

Overall, I think most will find this a fun read, especially if you like time travel.

* * *

3 a.m. (Henry Bins Book 1) by Nick Pirog (4 stars)

HENRY BINS has a sleeping disorder named after him. Henry sleeps 23 hrs a day and is only awake from 3 to 4 a. m. regardless of the time zone. So in order to have any kind of life, he has to regiment his time very carefully—every second counts. Then one day, his life is turned upside down when he hears a woman scream from the apartment across from his. When he goes to investigate, he finds a dead body.

Despite the improbability of Henry Bins and his disorder, I found it very easy to suspend my disbelief and just enjoy the well-crafted story. The characters were well fleshed and unique and the plot was a doozy. So kick off your shoes, leave your skepticism under a rock, and enjoy the read.

Amazon's Matchbook

About a month ago, Amazon.com contacted authors who have published Kindle editions of their print books, offering a new feature called Matchbook, giving us the opportunity to discount the digital editions from 50% of list to free. I've opted give away the Kindle editions to anyone who buys or has bought new print editions of This Time and Loyalty Binds Me.

If you scroll down past the book's description, you'll find a box towards the right of the screen:

If you buy a new print edition of this book (or purchased one in the past), you can buy the Kindle edition for FREE. Print edition purchase must be sold by Amazon.

So, for those who like holding a real book when convenient, but love the option of carrying an entire library for the weight of a book, you can now get a free Kindle edition with the purchase of the print edition.

A quick note on my long absence: I've been dealing with some personal issues that have pretty much occupied me full time. I hope to get things under control by the end of November, so that I can resume my normal activities.

Status: the 3rd book in the Richard III in the 21st-century

As many are aware, my third book has been delayed (working title: Strange Times). Although some probably have made an educated guess as to the reason, I figured I ought to provide some detail for this delay.

I’m planning on publishing digitally first, following with a print edition after about three months. The digital edition will be fully edited, but will be subject to correction depending on feedback. I don’t yet have an estimate for publication.

Even though I was over the moon when Richard III’s remains were found beneath a municipal parking lot in Leicester, UK, my third book, still a work in progress, suffered a set back. The three factors that contribute to my revising the book follow.

1. Richard suffered from scoliosis—a condition I hadn’t considered because I had not found any contemporary evidence to support this abnormality. I intend to make Richard look more or less as he would have with the scoliosis for this book, but have no plans to revise the first two books except to write a forward acknowledging the discrepancy. It is my understanding from people I know who also have this condition, that the effects become more noticeable as the person ages, and for many, is not visible to others when the person is wearing normal street clothes. In addition, there are exercises that help alleviate pain caused by this condition.
2. From the condition of the remains’ molars, Richard apparently ground his teeth. There was also evidence of decay. I had given him teeth that were in much better condition than they actually were. Here too, I plan on showing that he has work done on his teeth, and maybe gets an implant or two for teeth that he had pulled in his lifetime.
3. I had tried to “not change history,” only speculating where things were unknown, such as with the fate of the princes. While I haven’t changed past history, my story does change present history. Half of the third book takes place in 2006, starting days after the end of the second book. When I had started the 3^rd book, the search for Richard’s grave was in the beginning stages at most, and I didn’t have any knowledge of Philippa Langley’s research or know that she was to instigate this incredible find. Originally, I had planned on making finding Richard’s remains a significant plot point, but have decided to change it to a fictitious artifact now that that Richard’s remains have been found. 

For details on the actual research and dig, I encourage all to go to the Richard III Society channel on YouTube and watch the Leicester Grey Friars conference (9 videos).
 

Dandelion and Tomato Pizza

And now for something completely different--a recipe!

I no longer consider dandelions a weed and find the greens add a delicious tang to a salad. On my walk on a town trail that is away from the road and in my backyard that I don't treat with any chemicals,* I have been finding many more greens than I can use for salad, so began looking for ways to use them. This pizza is one result that I adapted from a tomato and spinach recipe of my own creation.
*One caution—make sure the dandelions you harvest are growing where there are no pesticide or herbicide applications and away from the roads since they will absorb the pollution from exhaust and run-off.

The recipe includes making the dough, so appears longer and more complicated than it is.

Dandelion and Tomato Pizza

Prep time: 1 hr (if making dough); cook time: 25 – 30 min.

Equipment: Pizza stone or large cookie sheet if don’t have stone

Pizza dough (you can buy the dough in most supermarkets if you don’t want to make it):

(Makes 14” round pizza)

½ cup more or less warm water

¼ cup vegetable oil or olive oil for cooking (veg. oil makes a lighter dough)

1 tsp dry active yeast + ¼ tsp sugar

1-½ cups flour

Put yeast and sugar in a bowl and add about ¼ cup of the warm water. Let proof for 5 to 10 minutes until yeast starts foaming. Put all of the flour in a large mixing bowl and add the proofed yeast. Fold in flour and add water as needed. Knead until dough forms a ball and comes away from the sides of the bowl. Put on floured board and knead until dough becomes elastic.

Pour a couple of tablespoons in bowl and add dough and coat with oil. Cover with a towel and place in warm spot. Let dough rise to double in bulk.

Topping:

4 – 6 cups raw dandelions chopped

4 or 5 plum tomatoes sliced into eight-inch rounds

4 – 6 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

4 Tbs minced cilantro (or parsley if you don’t like cilantro)

4 – 5 cloves garlic, crushed

1 – 2 tbs olive oil

pinch baking soda

salt & pepper to taste

semolina flour to keep pizza from sticking

While the dough is rising, wash and roughly chop the dandelion greens. Bring water to a boil and add a pinch of baking soda to take the bitterness out of the greens. Blanch the greens for no more than two minutes and immediately immerse greens in cold water to stop cooking. Let greens drain while dough is rising.

Chop cilantro and crush garlic into a small dish and add olive oil. Shred cheese and slice tomatoes.

When dough is ready to be rolled out, preheat oven to 425°F (If you have a pizza peel, preheat stone too.) Place dough on floured board, lightly knead to get any air bubbles out and then roll out to about a 14” round shape. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of semolina on the stone, peel, or cookie sheet (I prefer semolina over all-purpose flour because it doesn’t smoke). Lightly fold dough in quarters to transfer to stone and then unfold.

With a pastry brush, spread the cilantro, garlic, and oil mix on the dough. Then spread the blanched dandelions to cover the dough, leaving about a half inch from the edge. Then arrange the tomato rounds to cover the dandelions and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Finally, cover with the shredded mozzarella and bake for about 25 minutes until crust is crisp on bottom and lightly browned on edges.

Note: if substitute spinach for dandelions, can spread raw spinach on dough—no need to blanch.

Review: Wool by Hugh Howey

Wool Omnibus Edition by Hugh Howey

550 pages

Broad Reach Publishing

Nook Edition April 6, 2012

From the book description:

Thousands of them have lived underground. They've lived there so long, there are only legends about people living anywhere else. Such a life requires rules. Strict rules. There are things that must not be discussed. Like going outside. Never mention you might like going outside.

Or you'll get what you wish for.

Review:

Brilliant!

Let me start by saying although I love science fiction, I’m not a fan of dystopian stories. So when such a novel overcomes my innate objections to this sub-genre, it has to have great characters, narrative, detail that makes it real, and a satisfying denouement. Wool hits all the points.

Howey’s character development is most impressive. I’m going to get a tad technical here, so please bear with me. Wool was written in third person limited, which means the only character whose head the reader should be able to see into is the point of view (POV) character for that scene or chapter. Here’s an example where Howey added flesh to another character through the eyes of the POV character:

Jahns glanced over and saw that her deputy's gaze had crept toward that dark crook in the hill. He covered his mouth with a fist of sharp knuckles and faked a cough.

    Most of all, it was the quality of the writing that allowed me to suspend my disbelief and ignore the some of my objections to the plausibility of the silo “world”—essentially an underground biosphere. I still wonder why Howey didn’t use geothermal energy and heating, the best source of power readily available to this underground environment that he created. One thing that made me buy into the author’s vision was his attention to detail while leaving enough for the reader to imagine and play with. I felt the reader needed this insight into how the silo could provide a livable environment that would support a viable population for hundreds of years.

    Even though most people don’t read such things as acknowledgments, I would have liked one, and was disappointed that it was missing from my edition. Perhaps there’s one in the print edition.

    This is one book that I will read more than once.

Review: The Last Days of Richard III and the Fate of his DNA

The Last Days of Richard III and the fate of his DNA: the book that inspired the dig [Kindle

Edition]

by John Ashdown-Hill

192 pages

The History Press, January 31, 2013

A must read for Ricardians

In August of 2012 a team of archaeologists from the University of Leicester went digging in a social services parking lot with the idea of hopefully finding evidence of the Grey Friars Friary. Not only did they locate the friary, they found Richard III’s remains.

In 2003, before the dig was ever considered, John Ashdown-Hill started his investigation of finding a living descendent from the female line of Richard’s mother, Cecily Neville. The female line of descent is necessary because children inherit an exact copy of their mother’s mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), but only the female passes this copy to the next generation. The author describes the process of finding a living descendent of one of Richard’s sisters and of the mtDNA analysis. The mtDNA was now available for comparison to the remains’ mtDNA. As exciting as this information is (for me), this is the present day science. This book is so much more.

Ashdown-Hill paints a fresh picture of a man, who despite terrible personal tragedies—his only legitimate son had died suddenly in April of 1484 and less than a year later, his wife died after a long illness (probably tuberculosis)—looking forward to remarrying and producing an heir and to a long reign as England’s king. Although there can be no doubt that Richard genuinely grieved for his son and wife, he nevertheless was planning for the future. This refreshing image is different from what most historians and novelists have portrayed.

The reader also gets a sense of what daily life was like for Richard, what some of his duties were, and how he would execute them.

One Ricardian myth the author dispels, is the one that purports Henry Tudor antedated his reign to August 21, 1485 (the battle where Henry defeated Richard was fought August 22). Ashdown-Hill could not find any extant contemporary evidence to suggest Henry’s reign was backdated by one day. The suspicion is the myth began ca 1647 from an error translating (from Latin to English) Richard III’s Epitaph (Buck’s translation with the dating errors are presented in Appendix 6).*

I found this book to be rich in detail and informative about Richard III’s last 150 or so days and about the role of DNA in confirming the remains. Not only is “Last Days” a significant historical reference, I found it a delight to read. John Ashdown-Hill achieved what is rarely seen in such a scholarly work—a reference that can be read from beginning to end without compromising the facts. I can’t recommend this book enough.

*Note: Several on Facebook who responded to this post pointed out that the antedating is part of the Parliamentary Rolls from Henry VII’s first parliament in 1485. Per Chapter 9, footnote 10:

This interpretation is based on Crowland, pp. 194– 95. However, the relevant passage does not, in fact, say that Henry antedated his accession, and there is no evidence to support such a claim in the surviving acts of attainder against Richard III’s supporters.

[Ashdown-Hill, John (2013-01-31). The Last Days of Richard III and the fate of his DNA: The Book that Inspired the Dig (Kindle Locations 3964-3966). The History Press. Kindle Edition.]

Pronay, N. & Cox, J., The Crowland Chronicle Continuations 1459– 1486 (London, 1986).

My search of the digital edition of Parliamentary Rolls for Henry VII’s first Parliament (November 1485), shows that Henry VII antedated his reign by a day. I emailed this information to John Ashdown-Hill and he is investigating this new (to him) evidence with the intent to amend the edition to reflect this information.

 

Review: To Kill a Mocking Dog

To Kill a Mocking Dog by Angela Cowan

209 pages

Kindle Edition

Book Description from Amazon:
Dead serial-killer Martin Hollis gets one last chance at life - only it’s more of a living hell for him. The Committee decides that as part of a new trial initiative, Marty will travel in time, find would-be victims and become a serial-saver. The alternative is spending eternity in black nothingness.

To say he's not best pleased would be like saying Genghis Khan was a bit cranky, but Marty wants another chance and agrees. Then he discovers he won't be travelling through space and time alone...and when he meets his new partner, the whole black nothingness thing suddenly doesn't seem quite so bad.

Review:

Redemption?

I have to admit, I was both intrigued and turned off by the premise of turning Marty, a serial killer into a serial saver, but Angela Cowan’s skillful writing made me identify with and like Marty and his partner Weedgie the mocking dog. I was able to suspend my skepticism within a few pages.

Despite the serious aspects of this book, Cowan wrapped it with humor and whimsy making it deceptively easy to read and hard to put down. I appreciate it when an author gets her point across without bludgeoning me with her position on morality.

If there was one thing I would fault, is I felt the reason Marty became a serial killer a bit too convenient and not entirely convincing to me. That did not affect my enjoyment of the book, however.

So if you are looking for a fun read with some substance, I heartily recommend this book.

Review of Bridgebuilders by Marlene Dotterer

The Time Travel Journals: Bridgebuilders

Marlene Dotterer

244 pages

Nook Edition

In the second book of The Time Travel Journals, we meet Sarah Andrews, Casey Wilson’s granddaughter, and the Sam Altair of the second universe are working to find a way to bridge to the first universe. Before she died, Casey made Sam promise to return to the first universe and then go back in time to visit her parents so that they should know what happened to their daughter. However, when Sam and Sarah bridge to the first universe, they find a dystopian Earth where climate change has devastated large parts of the planet, causing extensive flooding, drought, and famine.

In the first universe on dystopian Earth, we meet Andy and Moira, who are for me the main characters of the book. Andy is a graduate student who is teaching physics in an exclusive school for girls. Moira is a brilliant student on scholarship who is assigned to Andy. We learn that Moira is from a fundamentalist enclave and is desperate to escape. I found myself really caring about Andy and Moira—they came alive for me. Dotterer cleverly weaves the characters from both universes together for a gripping conclusion. To avoid spoilers, I won’t go into the details. Suffice it to say, I had a hard time putting the book down, even when good sense told me that it would be there the next day and that I should get some sleep.

Although the book starts with Sarah and Sam as major characters, the larger part of the book focuses on Andy and Moira. This, for me, was an issue. Because the book started with Sarah and Sam, I fully expected to become invested in them and follow them for most of the book. However, for a fair part of the book, Sarah and Sam were supporting roles for Andy and Moira, and once I met Andy and Moira, I didn’t want to leave them.

Bridgebuilders is a worthy sequel to Shipbuilder. If you enjoyed Shipbuilder, I think you’ll like the sequel. It’s not necessary to have read first book to understand the sequel, but it is worth reading in or out of sequence.

Deck Us All...

Every year at this time I grow nostalgic for the comic strip Pogo by Walt Kelly and his wonderful Deck the Halls parody--Deck Us All with Boston Charlie. Through the magic of YouTube I'd love to share this bit of holiday magic with you.

Happy Holidays and a Healthy New Year everyone!

The Next Big Thing

Last week, CLR Dougherty—sailor and author extraordinaire—tagged me and four others for The Next Big Thing. The way it works is for an author to answer  ten questions on their blog and then tags five authors to do so the week after. This presumes said author has been sociable enough ito know five others who authors and who are willing to participate in this experiment. 

On to the Q & A:

1) What is the working title of your next book?

     Strange Times—it’s the third book in the series about Richard III in the 21^st-century.

2) Where did the idea come from for the book?

    Since this is the third book in the series, I need to first talk about why I chose to write about Richard III and to employ time travel to bring him into the 21^st-century. I read “The Sunne in Splendour” by Sharon Kay Penman that showed me a human Richard III, one very different from the Shakespearean arch-villain. I had to learn more about Richard, and in doing so, became compelled to write about the real medieval monarch. The result was This Time followed by Loyalty Binds Me. The idea for the third book came from what is probably an apocryphal story about Francis Lovel, one of Richard’s most loyal supporters and close 15^th-century friends. The legend is that two years after the Battle of Bosworth where Henry VII defeated Richard III, Lovel joined up with a rebellion to restore the yorkists to the throne. They were defeated at Stoke. Most rebels were killed, but Lovel’s fate was unknown. One story was that he returned to Minster Lovel, his estate just outside Witney where he became trapped in an underground storage chamber and starved to death. Richard reads this tale and can’t get it out of his mind, even though it’s probably not true. He becomes obsessed with this story and tries to come up with a plan to save his friend from such a horrible end.

3) What genre does your book fall under?

    These three books aren’t represented by single genre, although the unifying thread is historical fiction. In addition to science fiction and adventure elements, the other main focus is character. As a reader, I want to become invested in the characters, so as a writer I tried to create characters that people would want to know.

4) What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?

    I really like Stephen Moyer (Vampire Bill Campbell in “True Blood”) for Richard. He resembles the National Portrait Gallery painting of Richard III.

5) What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

    How much will Richard risk in order to save a friend from starving to death 500 years in the past?

6) Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

    Self or indie.

7) How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

    I’m still writing it. I’ve been working on it off and on for the past five years, but have been interrupted with trying to market the first two books (This Time and Loyalty Binds Me) and life in general. I do have the book planned out, but as they say, the devil is in the details.

8) What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Because my books aren’t straight historical fiction, they are somewhat unique, not quite matching up to other books in the genres, including historical fiction that uses time travel as a device, because historical fiction that uses time travel usually has their protagonists go back in time to their chosen historical period instead of bringing a historical figure forward in time as I’ve done. I think the second book, “Loyalty Binds Me” can be compared somewhat to “Daughter of Time” by Josephine Tey, in that they both examine the mystery about the princes in the Tower in some depth, but in very different ways.

9) Who or what inspired you to write this book?

    As I previously mentioned, I was inspired first by “The Sunne in Splendour” Penman’s wonderful novel about Richard III, and then by what I learned about Richard in my research. One of the first things that got to me about Richard III was that he was only 32 when he was killed in battle. I felt his story was unfinished.

10) What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

    Personally, I hope that those who read my books will become interested in the life of Richard III and will want to learn more about him and possibly join the Richard III Society to connect with others who are interested in Richard’s life, the Wars of the Roses, and 15^th-century England and its culture.

The following authors have graciously agreed to participate in The Next Big Thing. Their post will be available December 12^th. Please visit them to whet your reading appetite.

Annamaria Bazzi

Brian Wainwright at Greyhounds and Fetterlocks
Kris Jackson at Kris Jackson Design
Lloyd Lofthouse at Anything Goes—a blog
Peter St John at Jenno’s Blog 

Going Indie: Why Quality Matters

It is my pleasure to welcome Helen Hollick, historical novelist and indie author discussing what it takes to be a successful indie author.

Indie authors – self-published writers – are gradually gaining respect from potential readers, but it has been, and still is, a long haul for those of us to publish our novels under independent means (i.e. not with a traditional mainstream publishing company) and not be condemned as failures or not good enough for “proper publishing”.

Most of us who have chosen the Indie route have done so for a reason. In my case it was because my previous UK mainstream publisher (Heinemann) decided to drop my backlist. Historical fiction had fallen from popularity, my books had not sold as well as expected mainly because of poor marketing. I also discovered that my agent was doing nothing for me. We did not see eye-to-eye on a project I passionately wanted to pursue (my Sea Witch Voyages) so she dropped me. End of career, I thought.  I retrieved my copyright, wrote the pirate-based novel I wanted to write, picked myself up, dusted myself down and found a small Indie company who had an even smaller mainstream imprint.

Looking back, the quality of the books they published for me were less than wonderful. Poorly set in places – even printed in Comic Sans for the first few books (I didn’t realise they would print exactly what I sent them – I assumed they would set everything in “house style”.) I was not especially surprised when the company went bankrupt. The staff did their best, but when the MD didn’t pay them, the printers, the office rent or due royalties to most of his authors, perhaps his going belly-up was a good thing.

For me, however, being with that company gave me a breathing space, to learn things quickly (how to and how not to do things!)  – and allowed the publishing world to cotton-on to the emerging importance of Indie Publishing. I am now with a fantastic UK Assisted Publishing Company, Helen Hart’s www.silverwoodbooks.co.uk. This is Helen’s own company and she does all she can to produce, quality books for authors who, for whatever reason, decide against Mainstream Publishing.

There is one thing that my personal experience has taught me. A book is only as good as it is written, as good as it has been edited, and as good as it has been produced.

 There is an ocean of difference between poor-quality, unedited, incorrectly formatted self-published books – and the ones that, frankly, are no different than those published by Random House, Harper Collins or any of the Big Boys… in fact, some self-published novels being produced now are even better than those being produced by the traditional houses. This is because those of us who take our writing – and self-publishing – seriously, do so with a professional eye. We are determined to prove that we mean business, that we are capable, respectable, worth-reading authors, and are taking care to produce quality books.

So what do I mean by “quality”?
If you are going to produce your own book – either literally self-publishing it, or commissioning a company to do all the technical stuff for you – type-setting, cover design etc – the writing itself must be good. Maybe you have been turned down by agents and publishing houses for a reason, perhaps your story really isn’t good enough yet. It needs polishing, it is too much “tell” not “show”; too many point of view changes; too much author’s voice. The plot, perhaps, does not have enough pace. Or just (I’m sorry to say this, but I am being honest) too badly written.

Get an independent critique from a professional company. And be honest with yourself. You cannot get an honest opinion from friends and family – your Mum/Aunt/Best Friend is going to love it, even if it is more boring than the latest edition of the telephone directory. An outsider will give that professional opinion – and if they say it needs work, don’t get all huffy. Real writers appreciate constructive criticism, professionals give constructive appraisal (not destructive – someone who says “this is rubbish” because they happen to prefer thrillers to romances is not being helpful!)

So when you know your labour of love has potential, find a professional editor. And no, this is not just for checking the spelling and punctuation. You will need a full, concise, edit to pick up on things like continuity errors, rambling passages – scenes that are too slow, missing explanations or too much explanation. After a full edit (and a re-write) then comes the copy edit for grammar, punctuation, spelling. Then the proof read – again get someone else to do this as well as yourself – you will not pick up your own errors.

Engage a professional cover designer. Yes your favourite niece might be a budding artist, but what makes an attractive picture does not necessarily relate to an eye-catching book cover, especially when it is reduced to thumbnail size.

Then there is the typesetting. Use a respected font, not Comic Sans, make sure the margins are not too narrow, nor too wide – and straight-edged on each side. Professionally produced books do not have ragged-edged (i.e. left justified) margins! Single line spaces, not double, page numbers at the bottom if you are publishing in the UK (at the top is the trend in the US) In short, do your homework. Look carefully at how established publishing houses produce their books and emulate their examples of layout from the copyright page to the end-piece.

If you want to be regarded as a good, high-standard, worth-reading author, then ensure your books look, feel and are of the highest quality. Give your readers the full enjoyment that they have paid for and leave them wanting your next glittering diamond, and the next … and the next...

Thank you Helen for informative and encouraging suggestions on what we aspiring self published and indie authors can do to make our brands hold their own with those traditionally published. I would also add that in lieu of finding local writing groups and critique buddies, that there are many online critique workshops where we can get honest feedback. When I first started on my writing adventure, I joined Critique Circle where I was able to get the support I needed. But it doesn't stop with peer critiques. Helen's point about engaging a profession copy editor cannot be stressed enough. 

Discover more about Helen and her books on her website: Helen Hollick's World of Books.

Her book, Discovering the Diamond, A guide to writing and getting published from a bestselling author can be found:

On Amazon.com Kindle $2.99

On Amazon.co.uk Kindle £1.54

Tofu--a Revolutionary food?

Last night, I saw the first part of a delightful interview of David McCullough, award winning presidential biographer, on 60 Minutes. Among other fascinating facts, I learned that in a letter from London to John Bartram in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on January 11, 1770,  Benjamin Franklin introduced tofu to our diet some 200 years before the hippie movement seems to have rediscovered this source of plant protein. (The second part of the interview will be aired next week.)

Further reading:
David McCullough (on Wikipedia.org)
Franklin's Favorite Foods (on benfranklin300.org)
Chronology of Tofu Worldwide: 965 A.D. to 1929 (on SoyInfo Center)

Yay--Another Books-a-Fire Giveaway!

The indie authors I partnered with for the September giveaway had so much fun with that one, we decided to do it again. This time the raffle will run for two weeks--November 3rd to November 17th.

Here's what we're giving away:

• Main prize is a Kindle Paperwhite with one copy of the books featured for a total of eleven books
• $50 Amazon Gift certificate
• $25 Amazon Gift certificate

 Go to my website here for a peek of This Time, my featured book.

Win a Free e-Book

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY--One Entry per person per email--SIX chances to win

THIS TIME by Joan Szechtman--2010 Next Generation Indie Book Awards Finalist for General Fiction/Novel

Instead of dying in battle, Richard III awakens in the 21st-century. Can he adapt? The story follows two parallel paths: the present where Richard must learn how to adjust to not only the technological advancements but also the more difficult cultural differences; and looking back at the past to solve some of the mysteries that have haunted and maligned his image for over 500 years.

Giveaway starts October 19, 2012 at 12:01 AM and ends October 22, 2012 at 12:01 AM. Winners will be announced the next day. Unless the entry is a winner, remaining entries will be eligible for a free ebook until the giveaway ends.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Celebrate Local Authors

Celebrate Local Authors at

Barnes & Noble in Waterbury

Who:    Open to the public.

What:    Fall Evening with Local Authors

When:    Wednesday, October 17, 2012 from 6:00 –8:00 p.m.

Where:    Barnes & Noble Booksellers
                 235 Union St. (Brass Mill Commons)
                 Waterbury, CT

Local authors and Barnes & Noble have joined forces to provide an evening to celebrate area literary talent from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, October 17, at Barnes & Noble, 235 Union Street, Waterbury. A variety of local authors will sign books that are available for purchase at Barnes & Noble the day of the event, as well as available for pre-order.  The authors are available for autographs and photo opportunities.

This fall’s featured authors are:

• Gerri Brousseau-A Pirate’s Ransom (historical romance) ebook only
• Tyrone Coleman, Jr.- The Keller Effect (family relationships and child care)
• Kady Cross/Kate Locke/Kate Cross –The Girl in the Steel Corset, The Girl in the Clockwork Collar, God Save the Queen, Heart of Brass: A Novel of the Clockwork Agents (teen fantasy & adventure, science fiction/fantasy, romance)
• Mark Heiss-Beacon Falls, Connecticut, Images of America Series (local history)
• Mark Heiss & John Wiehn-Waterbury, CT 1890-1930, Postcard History Series  (local history)
• Donna Palomba-Jane Doe No More (biography)
• Mary Donnarumma Sharnick-Thirst (historical fiction)
• Joan Szechtman-Loyalty Binds Me, This Time (historical fiction)

 

GMTA Blog Tour: Lyra McKen

How Zombified Was Born

Lyra McKen

When asked to discuss how I came up with the concept and story line for my novel Zombified, I had to think back. I had to think of where I was mentally when the idea formed. I had been annoying my family and boyfriend for weeks talking about the Zombie Apocalypse. My Dad would say something about, "If the economy doesn't do something then we are in for it." That isn't exactly what he said, my father doesn't speak like that, but for the sake of this article that is what he said. I would respond with, "The Zombies will take over!"

As annoyed as my family was, I was fascinated with Zombies and why they enthralled our culture so. I begin to think how would you feel if you knew you were going to start eating people and rotting away? Cassie started to form in my mind. She was a young girl with a bright future, derailed by a disease and the end of life as she knew it. I then started thinking, what if Zombies actually could communicate and had a purpose with their constant wondering around. Slopar was born, my idea of the Zombie language. I pictured Cassie talking to someone about her life as she snacked on him and wrote the beginning.

After this I started thinking, what if you bit your crush? I had to give Cassie a gorgeous guy, figure out how to get them alone, and let her ruin it with her soon-to-be-dead tendencies. I really enjoyed writing the novel. I wanted to explore the thoughts of the partially infected, and what would happen when they met up and tried to fight the desire to feed as the infection spread. I hope people enjoy reading Zombified as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks for taking a trip into my mind. 

ZOMBIFIED 

Cassie is a typical teenager.  She’s crushing on a boy and trying to make it through high school. It’s a typical day of classes when all hell breaks loose. Forced to run and hide the situation just keeps getting worse. She makes a mistake and soon becomes infected. She meets others like her and together they sent out to find a cure. Is their fate already sealed? Can they find a cure before it’s too late? See what happens through the eyes of the infected when Cassie tells you how Zombies are people too.

Buy Zombified at Amazon / Creatspace

About Lyra  

Lyra McKen (aka, Emily Walker) resides in the mountains of North Carolina. She lives on top of a mountain quite literally with her other half of nine years and her fur baby, Rebel. After a couple of jobs ghost writing for other successful authors she embarked on her own journey to write a novel.

Visit Lyra at Author Page / Website / Twitter / Facebook Fan Page 

Visit Emily at Twitter / Facebook / FB Fan Page / Blog

Visit Zombified at its fan page on Facebook