What Makes a “Real” Writer?

Gotta love her!

Author Kristen Lamb's avatarKristen Lamb's Blog

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I’m finally home from speaking in Pennsylvania. Was honored to keynote for The Write Stuff Conference and super sad to leave. I get so attached to the writers and miss them when I have to go. Their passion, imagination and enthusiasm never fails to inspire me. I’d keep them and collect them in my basement except apparently this is called “taking hostages” and is “illegal” *rolls eyes*

…that, and I don’t have a basement.

I never prepare a speech. I’ve tried. But I am too ADD and end up ignoring/forgetting everything I prepared, so why not save time? Also, I present quite often and never want attendees to feel like they will hear the same things from me. Every class, every presentation is new. I love listening to those around me so my content fits better because it’s custom made.

This said, when I arrived in Pennsylvania, I had no…

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New Release: Lovely Distraction by J.J. Dorn

Lovely Distraction
By: J.J. Dorn

I met him over five years ago, when I was still going to the University of Tennessee. I was on spring break and having drinks at a local bar called Havens at home in Huntsville. That was the exact moment when my path collided with Jamieson Wellington and my life was forever changed. He was unlike anyone I had ever met before. I knew I would never be able to forget him after that night, nor did I want to. But unfortunately for us, fate was not kind.
Now as I sit on this airplane about to leave for my bachelorette party in Las Vegas, I look up to lock eyes with the one person who continuously haunts me day and night. I fight back a sick feeling in my gut, knowing my life has just forced me to a crossroads. I feel the static electricity in the air between us and I know I’m not strong enough to resist him. I never have been, but this time I have so much more to lose. This time Jamieson may just ruin me.
Prologue
“Are you totally excited or what BFF?” Olivia beamed at me from the window seat of our first class seats.
“Yes! I can’t believe we are going to Vegas for my Bachelorette party!” I was very excited for a weekend getaway with my two best friends, Audrey and Olivia. In a few short months I was going to be getting married to my boyfriend of a year, Cain Stratford. We had met in law school during our third year and we had become study partners. It took Cain all of three study sessions before he asked me out with such confidence it stunned me at first. But I knew on that first date that Cain and I were perfectly matched. We had similar passions and goals in life. We made sense.
“I for one can’t wait to get my party on.” Audrey announced from beside me, shifting my attention back to our ensuing trip. I was looking forward to this vacation. I needed it. I was exhausted between planning this wedding and working endlessly as a new associate attorney at large firm. I was hoping a three day vacation would be the perfect thing to reenergize me.
“Oh shit.” I heard Olivia say as I was rummaging through my bag on the floor in front of me.
“What did you forget?” I looked over at her but her eyes were wide and her face was locked on the front of the plane.
I followed the direction in which Livy was looking and I gasped. I couldn’t help it. The mere sight of him sent my body and my mind into overdrive. It took just a half a second before his eyes locked onto mine and a hint of a grin spread wide across his lips. Fuck my life!
“Oh no, here we go.” I heard Audrey mumble from the seat next to mine but I couldn’t respond to her. I felt like I was having an out of body experience. What are the chances that the one that got away, or in my case the one that ran away, ends up crashing my Bachelorette party?
*  *  *
Five Years Earlier…  Continue reading this story here…..
 
 
 

J.J. Dorn lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and terrifyingly maniacal cat, Pippa Kiddleton. She currently owns three American Paint Horses. She has been riding and competing since she was a very young child. J.J. competes on a national level with her horses. When she isn’t spending time at the barn, she is busy working on her next novel.

***** 5 Cranky Stars

I still love this book!

LK's avatar

queen

5 Cranky Stars

In a ruined world, King Lazuli, Montes decides in a treaty for peace he wants something more than simple surrender.

Serenity Freeman is a warrior through and through. She doesn’t know the word surrender.

The blurb says: Only in war, everything comes with a price. Especially love.

This story is the kind that snags you up and doesn’t leave. It’s beyond compelling what with the lies told, the harder truths, and of course, savage war. We cannot expect less than bloodshed, but can it hold us emotionally? The answer is an emphatic: Yes!

This book…THIS BOOK! I was at my wits end!
The characters are so strong that they can’t possibly find a way to a middle, you assume, and how the sway of your loyalties as a reader from side to side, it’s pure waffling madness! Nothing short of Game of Thrones type writing here in…

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From Newbie to Master—Understanding the Writer’s Journey

Read. This.

Author Kristen Lamb's avatarKristen Lamb's Blog

Pirate Code=Writing Rules. Clearer now? :) Pirate Code=Writing Rules. Clearer now? 🙂

The mark of a pro is they make whatever we want to do look easy. From running a business to playing guitar to wicked cool Kung Fu moves, masters rarely seem to even break a sweat. Same with authors. With the pros? The story flows, pulls us in, and appears seamless and effortless.

Just check out Ronda Rousey’s 14 second record-breaking WIN from this past weekend for an idea of JUST how EASY pros make things look…

Many of us decided to become writers because we grew up loving books. Because good storytellers are masters of what they do, we can easily fall into a misguided notion that “writing is easy.” Granted there are a rare few exceptions, but most of us will go through three acts (stages) in this career if we stick it through.

Act One—The Neophyte

This is when we are…

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Authors: Give success a try, but don’t let it spoil you.

rchazzchute's avatarC h a z z W r i t e s . c o m

I love talking to people on the way up. Striving for excellence, many authors manage to stay humble and helpful and fun to be around. Nobody knows everything yet and, contrary to what you’ve been told, not walking around in God’s presence is easy on the nerves. Then there are those who think they are gods on Earth.

1. My son was sick on the day a popular author came to his school. The kid was disappointed that he was too ill to attend so, while on a Kleenex box run, I went to the school in search of an autograph for him. The author’s mood could best be described as pissy. He’d visited too many elementary schools and he obviously felt the event was beneath him. He had forgotten what it was like to aspire to his position.

Suggestion: Remember when you imagined one of the perks of authorship was signing a book and inspiring…

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Cover Reveal! Before the Sky Fell by: Aria Michaels

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RELEASE DATE: 2/15/15
Book 0.5 in the Icarus series

ADD ON GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24472767-before-the-sky-fell

SYNOPSIS
*A prequel novella to the dystopian thriller, Icarus Series*

Seventeen year old Liv Larson’s world came crashing down around her six months before Solar Storm Icarus devastated the rest of the planet. Suddenly orphaned, and with all of her carefully constructed plans laid to ruin, Liv is forced to make a decision that could change everything. Will give in to her grief, or fight for what is left of her family, her friendships, and the future that existed…before the sky fell.

COVER REVEAL 1

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFSqsU6DreY

BTSF COVER REVEAL 3

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Aria Michaels live in a small town in Illinois with husband, who also happens to be an author, and her six (yes, SIX) energetic boys. Always the creative type, Aria began writing and illustrating her own stories at a very young age. Her first book, a story about a fox and a chicken, had a brief stint with publication in her third grade classroom and elementary school library. Aria’s passion for creation and love of the human spirit followed her to the university level where she graduated with an Associates Degree in Fine Arts, and a Bachelors Degree in Communications with a minor in psychology. After years of juggling parenthood with a hectic career in higher education, the universe gave Aria the shove she needed to get me back to her original passion…writing.

According to Aria, writing has been the single greatest adventure (outside of motherhood) she has ever had the pleasure of experiencing! When she’s not glued to her computer or painting her next masterpiece, Aria can be found playing in the dirt with her kids, snuggling up to a good zombie flick with her husband, or sipping a glass of wine by the fire with friends.

SOCIAL LINKS
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AriaMichaels.Fiction

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AriaMichaelsYA

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8573796.Aria_Michaels?from_search=true

Website: http://www.ariamichaels.com

WANT TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Check out the first book in the Icarus series, Killshot.

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Buy links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Killshot-Icarus-Book-Aria-Michaels-ebook/dp/B00O0B9IOE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1422554673&sr=8-3&keywords=killshot

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/killshot-aria-michaels-aria-michaels/1120805384?ean=2940150636347&isbn=2940150636347

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/killshot-icarus-series-book-1/id941342797?mt=11

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Aria_Michaels_Killshot?id=nJPIBAAAQBAJ

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/killshot-4

Release Day Blitz! Dreamweavers C.C. Ravanera

 

Title: Dreamweavers
Author: C.C. Ravanera
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: January 29, 2015
Publisher: Blue Tulip Publishing

beautiful teen girl portrait with windy hair

 

Beautiful girl freezing outdoor, autumn, cold, blue

Anima thrives in a parallel world where she harvests human dreams, but she has a secret. She longs for something more. She wants to be a part of it all and not just a visitor in another body.

Something within her is changing, something she can’t explain…..no longer is she comfortable in her own skin.

When she suddenly discovers a way to have it all she soon finds out that nothing is as it seems. Everything she’s ever known is changing. One things for certain, she’s in over her head.

Thrust into a reality where she’s killing people, fighting for her very existence and meeting the angel of death. She soon finds out her entire existence has been a lie and she is the only one who can change it.

They call her the savior, but she’s just Anima, how can she save everyone when she is unsure if she can save herself?

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Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

After creating a nice pleasant dream for one of my assigned humans for the night about walking a big yellow dog down the beach, whereas I was the dog, something peculiar happened. I was in the middle of harvesting a decent amount of Lumus when I heard a voice in my head.

“What are you doing?” I was asked.

Startled, I looked around and found the man in the dream looking at me curiously. I quickly assessed him and found his conscious mind was still asleep. I was faced with an alert subconscious — another new thing I had never encountered before — and one I didn’t know how to deal with.

“Oh, hi, ahh… I’m working?” Is this the next test?

We were in the middle of his brain activity, which had a faint purple hue to it. I felt calm and rested inside it, even though I’d been rushing all night, finishing our assignments. The energy was gently flowing into me and my human, Michael Red, was watching the process thoughtfully.

“Are you absorbing me?” he asked curiously.

Uh-oh. Was I? What was I supposed to say? I didn’t really know what happened to humans when they woke up after my visits. I’d always assumed our visits had been undetected, and humans had not been affected by them at all. Since we’d never stayed around to see dawn, nobody had ever seen a human wake up afterwards. Should I stop letting the energy soak into me? But what if this was a test?

I must have taken my time answering because Michael Red started speaking again. “I’ve read about beings like you,” he said, changing the topic. Either he wasn’t bothered with being absorbed or he was changing tactics.

I was beginning to think that perhaps I should leave, but what he’d said tweaked my curiosity. He’s read about us? “Oh, have you?”

He nodded in response. “You look exactly how I imagined you would look.”

He’d just hit my most sensitive spot. But how could he see me, the real me, that is?

I straightened up and regarded him more carefully. There wasn’t really anything that striking with the man. He was tall for a human and slender in build but not too thin. Humans would consider him handsome, I supposed, with his intelligent-looking green eyes. He had a strong nose and a nice smile, though his black hair made his complexion paler than it was.

“How do I look exactly?” I countered back.

Again that nice smile appeared. “Ethereal.”

I blinked at him stupidly. Ethereal. I’d never considered myself or anyone from the Realm as ethereal. Was there something wrong with his sight?

 

CC Ravanera

C.C. hailed from the Philippines but now lives in England with her husband and two young boys. She works as a full-time nurse and absolutely enjoys it. When she’s not working she spends the rest of her time running around the house with the boys and spending quality time with her husband. In her spare time (whew!) she writes her books and dreams of becoming a ‘proper author’.

She’s addicted to coffee and chocolates. She loves reading books and waking up to the sound of birds early in the morning.

Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Wattpad | Blog | Dreamweavers Website

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January releases/reveals and then some!

Coming January 29th 2015

“One loopy scientist, two enormous tarantulas, five bungling pirates, a suspicious chicken, and a ten year old boy with a fondness for whales come together on a small island within the vast folds of the ocean to discover utter silliness in a colorful adventure. Twisty mind-candy for both kids and good-humored adults still young at heart.”

Kimscover

Check out the Goodreads reviews!  This looks great!


January 20th Release

“What would you do if everything in your life felt wrong, that you had no control over your own fate, like you had married the wrong man? What if, when tragedy strikes, you find out you did.

Mary Alice married Alex Williams of her own free will. Or did she?
Trapped, like the white heron she was given as a wedding gift, she finds herself living a lie, while the truth watches silently from the shadows.
She has no idea that a mysterious event has caused her to forget the one man she’d promised to love and cherish forever.

Devoted to her, that man isn’t ready to let her go.

They all live in the Shadow of the Heron.”

cadriscoll

One click to pre-order! 


Already Released

“Kristiana Stanislav never asked for the power to destroy anything or anyone who got in her way. The power came anyway, and with it came a choice: compulsory military enlistment and training, or permanent exile. She never wanted to be a Marine, but she had to become one, if she ever wanted to go home to her children and her husband.

She traded home and family for barracks and bunkmates, and she threw herself into her new duties with determination. If she had to be a monster, she would learn to do the job right. Going back was not an option. She could only charge ahead and hope for the best.”

cover

Click here to purchase!


Just out today. I’m currently reading and loving!

“In the future, the world is at war.

For the last decade, King Lazuli of the Eastern Empire has systematically taken over the world. No one knows much about him other than a series of impossible facts: he cannot die, he has not aged since the conflict began, and he wants to rule the world.

All Serenity Freeman has known is bloodshed. War has taken away her mother, her home, her safety. As the future emissary of the Western United Nations, the last autonomous region of the globe, she is responsible for forging alliances where she can.

Surrender is on the horizon. The king can taste it; Serenity feels it deep within her bones. There is no other option. Now the two must come face to face. For Serenity, that means confronting the man who’s taken everything from her. For the king, it means meeting the one woman he can’t conquer. But when they meet, something happens. Cruelty finds redemption.

Only in war, everything comes with a price. Especially love.”

TQOATD copy

Click right here to get it!


A new page to like: Five Star Author Reads!

These gals are fun, fabulous, and going to help you choose your next big adventure in bookland!

XOXO

L

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