How to join the Self-Pub Club

It is ridiculously easy, hitting the “save and publish” button at Amazon’s KDP site.

And there it is, in front of God and everyone. My first self-published event.

Out of Magic is the prequel to Wilder Mage, book one of The Magic Withheld series. 

The short story is about Sable, a young woman, who learns there is magic in the world. Finally, her life makes sense. She is a mage. And nothing good can come of it.

My series is about four main characters. Justus, the wilder mage, who fights against the one who would take his freedom. 

Sable, the adept, who holds the ability to do magic, but can’t use it. 

Bert, a young man in his first full bloom of adulthood. His saga is strangest of all. A human youth, in love with magic; until he gets in the middle of a battle between wizards.

Tiarra, head of the magical guild, holds all five elements. She wants all those with magical ability under her bonding collar. Her strength is mighty but underneath, she fights her own demons. Alone and silent.

I invite all to check out my short story. 

Reviews are desperately needed. 

Cephalopod Coffeehouse Chat - Night Broken

From the ArmChair Squid: “The idea is simple: on the last Friday of each month, post about the best book you've finished over the past month while visiting other bloggers doing the same. In this way, we'll all have the opportunity to share our thoughts with other enthusiastic readers.”

Night Broken by Patricia Briggs-

Mercy Thompson can’t have normal problems like every other shape-shifting coyote. Even married to an Alpha

werewolf, having an on-again off-again war with the vampires, cops who want to charge her with murder, and a Gray Lord wanting his precious artifact back isn’t enough trouble.

Now the needy ex-wife wants help.

Patricia Briggs proves once again why she could write out a grocery list and I’d hold onto it enthralled. This series keeps getting better. That goes without saying. But this book surpasses them all.

If I could give ten stars I would. Night Broken is just that good.

A to Z Blogfest – Theme Reveal

Feed a monster and watch it grow. Such is the case with the mighty Blogging from A to Z Challenge started by the suave and multi-talented Arlee Bird in 2010.

Every day in April, except Sundays, bloggers post, visit other blogs, and make a bevy of new friends.

Today is Theme Reveal day, hosted by  Vidya Sury, Anna Tan, Csenge Zalka, Guilie Castillo Oriard and Samantha Geary

My theme is Guess the Movie. Quotes from famous and not-so-famous movies. Scroll and use highlight to reveal each answer.

Example: EXPOSED TO HIGHLIGHT

The Challenge will stretch you to the limits, hone your blogging skills, and challenge your capacity for chocolate and/or liquor. You will beg for mercy by the end of the month.

Paranormal Thrillers are Pure Dee Fun

Vincent Graves probably isn’t his real name. But he’s used it so many years he’d forgotten his own. He’s a soul and he investigates murders using memories of the deceased.

This latest case is driving him bonkers though. Someone is trying to kill him. Again.

Fast paced, humorous, with action and drama on every page and paragraph, this paranormal thriller is reminiscent of one of my all-time favorite authors. I absolutely agree with one of the reviews. This is like Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files but with a flavor all its own. Skilled writing makes this book shine.

It’s been many a moon since I’ve found a book that held my interest. Grave Beginnings is just that book.

RR Virdi is fame-bound with this series. The writing is excellent. The cover, the first marketing tool in our writerly toolbox, pulled me in right away. If you like Jim Butcher, you'll enjoy this one. Highly recommend.

Epic Fantasy Done Right - The Disciple series by L. Blankenship

Epic fantasy is a genre in need of a writer’s fine touch. The readership is there but always searching for the kind of story that lures softly, then grips with an iron fist.

Such is the series by L. Blankenship, Disciple

Her newest cover reveal is here. Disciple IV, to be released March 10th

Blurb:

Kate can’t avoid the simple truth any longer; as much as she loves Kiefan, he’s now the king and his duties leave him precious little time for her and their newborn son. Kate’s husband Anders, the ne’er-do-well knight, is the one who kisses her cheek every morning and soothes the baby to sleep on his shoulder. 

Kiefan’s protective jealousy still casts a shadow over her life. He would gladly throw Anders to the wolves if it will keep alliance negotiations from collapsing. Their homeland desperately needs these allies against the invading Empire. The kingdom barely survived the first wave of the enemy’s monstrous army and more is to come. 

But Kate can’t stand by and let Anders become a victim — or let Kiefan suspect she’s falling in love with her husband. 

The first three volumes of Disciple are at Amazon or buy them all together in Disciple, Half-Omnibus

Visit her blog at Notes from the Jovian Frontier. Or find her at our writers group spot on UnicornBell.

If you want something that traps you in a world of fantasy during these gray winter days (I don't care what the calendar says, it's still freakin' winter), you can't go wrong with these books.

IWSG - Introvert Hell

IWSG—Insecure Writers Support Group, coming together on the first Wednesday of every month for a virtual pat on the back. 


Look around you at a social gathering. I am the one in the corner with a book or playing on my smart phone.

Who is that person sneaking into Wal-mart at the ungodly hour of 8 am? That would be me. And don’t believe the rumor that I blacken my face and wear camo gear. It simply isn’t true. For the most part.

So how did I find myself speaking to a bunch of middle school kids about writing? Giving interviews to newspapers? Offering a presentation to the Missouri Writers Guild?

It appears I have committed the grievous sin of walking down this writerly path and arriving at the intersection of Published and Author.

Promotions might start with the query, continue with the book cover and tours, but they don’t end with the book’s release. People, the ride down this hairy lane is only just beginning. 

Introverts: get over it, cuz this is all a part of the ticket you bought when you wrote the manuscript.

For those who need a little gumption, try Public Speaking for Authors, Creatives, and other Introverts by Joanna Penn. 

Her website, Creative Penn, is a must for all writers. She is the author of other self-help books about marketing as well as the Arkane series of thrillers.

Somehow, I got through the ordeal of speaking in public with nary a scratch. Proving once again, that I am invincible!

Now where did I put that camo?

****

Insecure Writers Support Group: The Final Frontier.

These are the continuing voyages of the Ninja Captain, AJC. His mission, to explore all new writing venues, to seek out new authors and new blogs. 

To boldly go where no blogateer has gone before.

A Published Author is Born - Marcy Hatch and West of Paradise

I met two talented writers in the fall of 2010. At that time, all three of us were green as a willow switch and just as fluttery. We’ve gone many a mile since then, our roads converging into one on the way to Published Author. Charity Bradford, me, and Marcy Hatch.

Today it is all about Marcy.

West of Paradise comes out March 25th on Amazon. 

Blurb:

Katherine Kennedy has it all; she’s beautiful, she’s wealthy, and she’s engaged to the perfect man: Antonio D'Salvatore. There’s just one problem. She can’t marry him. Worse yet, she has no idea why. All she knows is there is suddenly nothing she wants, not Antonio, or any of the other hundred thousand things money can buy. 

Jack McCabe comes home from the war with a pretty medal and a lot of ugly pictures in his head. He has little in the way of possessions, less in the way of wealth, nowhere to go and no one to go anywhere with. All he has is a vague sense of discontent, a restlessness that will not abate.

Separately, they are drawn to Paradise Tours on the privately owned Cristobel Island. There they meet Louis Cade, a man who offers them the unimaginable, something neither can quite believe until they actually find themselves over 125 years in the past, 1881 to be exact.

For Jack McCabe it’s the adventure he always dreamed of – until he meets a beautiful but deadly train robber. Katherine can't believe an ignorant bounty hunter has mistaken her for a criminal – until she sees the picture, which looks exactly like her.

Set in the old west, this is a tale of mistaken identity, romance, and murder.

West of Paradise is at Amazon and WiDo Publishing.

You can find Marcy hanging out at her blog, Mainewords and our writers group site, UnicornBell.

My bestest wishes goes out to her and all she represents of our business. An excellent writer and all-around great human...Marcy, *heart to you*.