Paying It Forward!

Greetings, readers. I am thrilled to be participating in the Rave Reviews Book Club Pay It Forward Week. Today, I am happy to introduce indie author Suzanne McKenna Link.

I discovered this incredibly talent author through the community of writers and readers at Rave Reviews Book Club. Suzanne is one of the most supportive members involved with RRBC.

Suzanne is the author of the New Adult/Contemporary Love Story Saving Toby.

Book Synopsis:

Loving someone through their hard fall from grace takes a lot of grit.

In school, Toby Faye was a moody kid who sat in the back of class and looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. Claudia might have forgotten him if it weren’t for the two fatal circumstances surrounding his family. In their small town, the Faye name was infamous.

An unexpected job offer drops Claudia back into Toby’s life, and that of his widowed mother. Older now, Toby is a mass of muscles and unruly hair; a real head-turner. Despite Claudia’s attempt to stay away from Toby, his blue-grey eyes expose a need she cannot ignore. Toby’s world is a place where sadness lingers and old wounds run deep. Touched by the family’s plight, Claudia vows to help Toby and his mother move past the hurt.

When a local hate crime is linked to Toby and his friends, doubts are cast. Old friends become enemies. Animosity between Claudia’s father and Toby strains the father-daughter relationship. Taking Toby’s side means Claudia will be forced to face situations she never imagined. She will have to be tougher than she’s ever had to be. Does Claudia have the grit to love Toby through his fall?

Saving Toby is the first book of a two-part series that follows the emotional and inspirational tale of a young couple’s journey to find themselves.

Full length, New Adult, Contemporary Love Story.
Recommended Reading Age 18+

Meet Suzanne:

Suzanne McKenna Link is the debut author of SAVING TOBY. The literary love story follows the moving journey of a damaged young man and his love for a girl who might just save him. A lifelong dream to write and an avid interest in psychology has Suzanne digging deep into the reasons for her characters’ behaviors. The native Long Islander is fascinated by the how and why of people’s actions. As a result, her characters come to life on the pages. Suzanne is a page-layout artist and freelance writer for a local family of newspapers that covers events on the South Shore of Long Island, New York. She continues her work there. She is currently working on “Keeping Claudia,” the emotional sequel and finale to Saving Toby. To keep up-to-date on Suzanne’s newest writing endeavors; visit her author page on Facebook. Suzanne resides in the town of Sayville with her husband and two children.

Discover this talented author for yourself:

Saving Toby: http://www.amazon.com/Saving-Toby-Claudia-Suzanne-McKenna-ebook/dp/B00EV6K2AC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1379097630

Suzanne’s Blogspot: http://suzannemckennalink.blogspot.com/

Find Suzanne on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuzanneMckennaLink

Suzanne on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SuzMcKLink

When Does It End? (And Other Writing Matters!)

Writing entertaining stories and articles takes skill and know-how. But there’s more to writing than simply constructing sentences, scenes, and characters—though these are worthy and necessary talents to possess.

Outlining helps keep the plot in place. An outline is merely a road map meant to guide the author from the beginning of the journey to its ultimate climax many chapters later. An outline allows for travelers (both writer and reader) to exit the highway and visit attractions found in that area between start and finish.

Creating characters that are compelling and alive will ensure the reader retains interest throughout the story. This is perhaps the most important aspect of telling a great story: If your characters are dull and lifeless, than so too will be your story. The only good dead characters are zombies and vampires.

Okay, so you’ve outlined your story. You’ve developed believable characters that you can actually hear inside your head. They have personality and charm; they can even make your readers laugh or cry or feel anger. You sit at your desk (or wherever it is you feel most comfortable) and you begin your story. This is actually the easy part. The scenes unfold with ease as your fertile imagination gives birth to word combinations that nobody else has considered. Time ceases its existence. Days blur into weeks, weeks run together forming months. Before you know it, the journey is almost over.

Next on the itinerary is the ending. That perfect place to bring the characters, the plot, and the months of your hard work to its ultimate close.

But how and when and under what circumstances will this story end? The ending can make or break a story. A misplaced ending will sink even the best stories. So how do we decide on the finish line? That is something the author should always have figured out before putting the very first sentence onto the page. You should know exactly where you are going before you load the kids, the dog, and suitcases in the car and jump onto the highway. The getting there, those spaces in between start and finish, are open to changes and tinkering along the way. The ending is something that must stand out. It is the very last moments of your creation. It’s what remains with readers in their immediate memories. An ending that lingers and comes back to a reader without invitation is usually the best sort of finish.

There really is no stock answer for a proper ending. Some authors prefer to tie up all loose ends, leaving little to ponder—Jimmy and Thelma eloped and ran off to Fiji, where they grew old together and lived happily ever after. However, some authors choose to leave endings loose and open to interpretation—Jimmy and Thelma ran away together, but did they marry? Did they ever get to Fiji? Or did they decide on Hawaii, because Jimmy had gone there as a child and had always dreamed of returning?

By tying up loose ends, the author signals closure to this particular journey. By leaving ends dangling in the breeze, this invites readers to become part of the journey. We get to decide what has happened to these characters that we’ve invested time into getting acquainted. Neither way is wrong.

When do we end our story and prep it for that first rewrite? Only the author will truly know that answer. Have your characters and plot line arrived at that point you imagined before beginning? Is Disney World in sight? Check the map; make sure your destination isn’t supposed to be the Eiffel Tower. If everything feels right, go back to the beginning and start that rewrite! Most importantly, have fun.

 

Earth 8-8-2: Boundless Limits Blog Hop

 

Dear Reader, Writers and Precious Patrons,

All Authors Publishing House would like to bring you a Double Book Release of earth shattering proportions.

Are there any limits out there which are boundless? Two characters, two different stories of paranormal drama, put that to the ultimate test!

“Earth 8-8-2: The Genesis Project”

by

Y. Correa

Blurb:

Could Science Serve as Salvation?
One-fourth Human.
One-fourth God.
One-fourth Superhuman.
One-fourth Vampire.
For Dr. Scott, the combined strengths of each life form represent the answer to the onslaught of malice and tyranny plaguing his Earth. When his creation—Genesis—begins developing, the lines between scientist and father become blurred. Soon the time approaches where Genesis is expected to fulfill her purpose. Does she go along willingly, or will her rapid evolution obliterate everyone’s best laid plans?

“Boundless Limits: Transcendent Choice (Book One)”

by

Da’Kharta Rising

Blurb:

There’s Love … and then there’s Love Beyond Limits.
Felipe and Therice had a love that knew of no boundaries. When Therice and “Mama” lose their lives in a tragic car accident, Felipe has a gaping hole that just refuses to heal and Therice has a determination to see him again that just refuses to die.
Heaven feels anything but, when Therice discovers that spirits are prohibited from visiting loved ones after they have died. Sensing that her angelic guide Amare possesses empathetic traits, Therice develops a plan of appeal in the hopes she will see Felipe near the anniversary of her death.

Get Your eBook Copy Today!

Boundless Limits: Transcendent Choice Book One

Earth 8-8-2: The Genesis Project

Coming Soon to …

A Day of Joy!

Hello, dear readers. It is truly my pleasure and an honor to introduce indie author Joy Nwosu Lo-Bamijoko. Joy is not just a talented writer, she is also an incredible supporter of others who have taken the indie road. Take it away, Joy…

 

Joy’s Bio

Life at  the University of Lagos (Unilag):

When I was hired as Lecturer II by the University of Lagos in April, 1975, I applied to Radio Nigeria for a transfer to Unilag, but was denied a transfer. My then boss vowed that the only way I could leave was to resign. He was shocked that I could get a job at the University with what he believed was an inadequate qualification. Only God knows what else he did underground to stop my getting the job.

However, my first two years at the University were good.  My colleagues were happy to see me join them.  I had already made a name for myself as Joy Nwosu, the Voice. Ayo and I teamed up for his and my concerts.  Then Akin Euba joined us.  He came in already a professor. I believe that was the deal he made for taking him from the University of Ife to the University of Lagos.  I was happy when he joined us, and was planning for the great things we could do together.  I loved all my colleagues because they were all great men in music; Laz Ekwueme, Ayo Bankole and Akin Euba. I was honored to be among them.

The same year Akin joined the University; rumors started filtering in that I may not be qualified to be a lecturer at the University.  These rumors, I learned later were coming from my colleagues at the Radio station. A top professors at the Faculty of Arts started putting pressure on Ayo and Akin to expose me. Laz was considered my mentor, the one instrumental in getting me hired, so he was excluded, but he let me know what was going on.

At the time, we had a wonderful man at the helm of affairs at Unilag, The Vice Chancellor, Professor Ade Ajai, may God bless him.  I went to him to complain about the rumors, and to tell him that I was ready to go to the US for my Ph.D. to stop the rumors.  By this time, Laz had also become a professor.  So Professor Ade Ajai suggested to me that I should do my Ph.D. at Unilag, under the supervision of the two professors of music that we had. Prof. Ekwueme was doubtful about the outcome, but Professor Euba was blunt and did not mince words with me. He told me that he did not believe that I was qualified to do a Bachelor’s degree, how much more a Ph.D.  He followed up this claim by going to the Italian Embassy in Lagos with my Italian credentials translated by him, to get the Italian Ambassador in Lagos to agree with his translations, and to sign it as correct.  He did not speak Italian, nor did he understand the Italian system of rating their credentials.

I came to know about this because, the Ambassador himself, who knew me quite well because I was a regular performer at the Embassy, sent his driver to Unilag to pick me up and take me to the embassy. There he told me about this man who came to him with a lady, and tried to talk him into signing his translation of my credentials and assessment as correct.

“Of course I refused to sign his papers.” He told me. “I told him that we have a department in Italy that deals with certificate assessments, that he should send his papers there for proper assessment if he really wanted to know the truth about my qualifications.  Now, my advice to you is to leave that place if they do not believe in you.”

I left the embassy in shock and determined to follow the Ambassador’s advice.  Luck was on my side.  It was 1977, and FESTAC was just winding down, when the US embassy in Lagos offered a number of exchange visitor scholarships to some Nigeria artistes, and I was one of them. I took the opportunity of my visit to the US to apply and audition for schools.

Months after I returned from the US, I received a letter of admission to a doctoral program in music education from the University of Michigan.  I was aesthetic!  I first ran to Professor Ekwueme with my letter.  After he read it he asked whether I have shown it to Professor Euba, I said no but that I was going to do so immediately. By this time Professor Euba treated me like a parrier. He will not return my greeting if I greeted him. I knocked at his door, opened and entered.  I had a broad smile on my face, and he was scowling at me.

“I want you to see this.” I told him handing him the letter.  While he read it I watched his face for reactions. He put the letter down quietly on his table, stood up and offered me his hand and said, “Congratulations colleague.”

I took my letter from his desk, folded it and walked out of his office.

I later learned that the witch hunt on me started from my former boss at Radio Nigeria.  They wanted Ayo to be the one to flush me out, but Ayo refused.  May his soul rest in peace.

Websites:         http://sbpra.com/joylobamijoko/  Mirror of Our Lives …..

                           http://sbprabooks.com/JoyNwosuLoBamijoko/ Legend of the Walking…

Buy Legend…..from Amazon.Com:

http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Walking-Dead-Igbo-Mythologies-ebook/dp/B00JLYFCQS/

Buy the B&N e-Pub version at:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/legend-of-the-walking-dead-joy-nwosu-lo-bamijoko/1119171565

Buy Mirror of Our Lives…Amazon Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Our-Lives-Women/dp/1450278965

Barnes & Noble Link

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mirror-of-our-lives-joy-nwosu-lo-bamijoko/1102630079?ean=9781450278966

 

Book Trailer:  https://youtu.be/UhSyMaUz0Uk
Link to my Blog:         jinlobify.Com 

FaceBook Link: https://www.facebook.com/joy.lobamijoko

Twitter Handle: @Jinlobify

“This tour sponsored by 4WillsPublishing.wordpress.com.”

The Jean Shorney Blog Tour Stops Right Here!

Hello, amazing readers! Today I am thrilled to introduce an incredible indie author on her blog tour. Please give a warm welcome to Jean Shorney.

Take it away, Jean…

 

INSPIRATION

 

Inspiration is all around us, it’s no wonder so many are writing, painting or composing. For me inspiration comes in many forms. From a snippet in a newspaper to a work of art. Or even a mural found on the side of a building in a London street.

 

I was writing Night Of All Evil at the time, and out in London in company with my son, his partner and my granddaughter doing  our own Jack the Ripper tour, which took us to Mitre Square where Catherine Eddowes was murdered. Not that I had plans to write yet another Ripper story. Atmosphere and emotion continue to remain in this part of London. One of my characters, a sadistic killer named Goethe, was inspired by the Ripper. Plus I saw  a wall mural depicting  a young woman whose features were obscured by black tape. Goethe’s victims were found this way.

 

Sometimes  a mere headline in a newspaper can spark off a character creation, or even an entire story. One of the Sunday papers carried the story of a woman married to a Greek restauranteur. When his wife had an affair, her husband hired someone to throw acid in the lover’s face. A twenty five chapter novel was written in the wake of that story.

 

Several  of my female characters might have stepped out of a Rossetti painting. The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group of rebellious young artists in Victorian London, exemplified their own style of Art. It was ‘previously not seen in this England’, at least according to their patron, the writer and artist John Ruskin. The women invariably have long auburn  hair, as red as molten lava, flowing down their backs.

 

Art is an inspiration in itself. seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth century is my favourite. How often I have mentally utilised the paintings of Rossetti or Hogarth for creating a character or story.

 

Highgate Cemetery holds a fascination for me also. The old Victorian cemetery in North London is the perfect setting for a supernatural or Vampire story.

 

The Waltz tunes of old Country music are  another inspiration of mine. I listen to it while I write, losing myself in the music. The songs of Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, Kitty Wells… Emmy-Lou Harris’ soulful voice does it for me every time. The music is also conducive to scene setting. However, for the action scenes, Meatloaf’s Bat Out Of Hell is pure inspiration in itself.

 

Of course there is another inspiration of mine, that some of my readers will already be familiar with. To write so many books about one character, in the first person, I needed a face. And no face comes more photogenic and good looking than the actor Aidan Turner (Poldark, Being Human and The Hobbit). Aidan Turner is the perfect inspiration for Aidan McRaney and all the situations my protagonist finds himself in.

 

 

Author Bio:

 

I live in a country village called Thatcham, in rural Berkshire, England. I am a widow with two sons and a granddaughter. My granddaughter also writes and is training to be a dance choreographer.  I love music, especially old Country, as I have since I was a child. I enjoy listening to Irish Country music, which I also write to. When I’m not writing, I work in a care home for the elderly with dementia. I enjoy watching movies and collect old gangster and horror films. I once owned over two hundred and fifty books on supernatural accounts, but was compelled to give them to charity shops as I had run out of room.

 

I own over five hundred movies, and enjoy old anthology series such as The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. My favourite writers are Elliott O’Donnell, Robert Bloch, MR James and HP Lovecraft. I also enjoy the Irish terrorism thrillers of Jack Higgins.

 

I would like to post an acknowledgement to the lovely Helen Treharne, @Tea_Talks on # Twitter for recommending  Rave Reviews Book Club, and for her continued support.  She’s read all my books to date. Bless her.

 

 

 

Link to Blog: https://jmshorney.wordpress.com

Twitter: @jmshorney

Stalking Aidan

Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stalking-Aidan-JM-Shorney-ebook/dp/B00FL0I35S

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stalking-aidan-jm-shorney/1116997236?ean=9781909878662

Progeny Of A Killer

Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Progeny-Killer-J-M-Shorney/dp/1910223050/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426852661&sr=8-1&keywords=progeny+of+a+killer

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/progeny-of-a-killer-j-m-shorney/1119687532?ean=9781910223055

“This tour sponsored by 4WillsPublishing.wordpress.com.”

Congratulations To ReLaunch!

I would like to take this opportunity to bid a hearty and heartfelt congratulations to the ReLaunch podcast for a strong showing at the 2014 Podcasters’ Paradise Awards.

For those who may be unfamiliar with ReLaunch, it is an internet podcast hosted by Dr. Pei Kang and Joel Boggess. The show specializes in sharing stories of real people overcoming difficult situations to experience a re-birth in life, career, attitude.

I would like to invite you to stop by and browse their archives and listen for yourselves to the amazing stories of real life, of the struggles, and ultimately, of the victories enjoyed by those who have found their own Relaunch.

ReLaunch Archive:  http://relaunchshow.com/relaunch-archive/

Here’s my own story: http://relaunchshow.com/getting-sober-author-beem-weeks/

A New Novel From Indie Author Harmony Kent

Greetings, wonderful readers. Today I am sharing my blog with my dear friend Harmony Kent. Please give a warm welcome to this incredible indie author! 

Take it away, Harmz…

Hello and thanks for stopping by! I would like to thank my host for today for letting me invade their space. And a big thanks also to 4Wills Publishing for setting up this blog tour for me. For my previous tour stops, please check out the 4Wills current events page.

I am so excited to be able to share my book trailer video with you today for my latest book, Finding Katie.

 

https://youtu.be/gMgSD_R1Ggo

 

Life hasn’t been kind to Kate Charlesworth, and by seventeen she’s had enough. More than enough. The self-harming started out small, just the odd cut here and there. But one day she made a mistake, and cut too deep. She ended up in hospital, and she wants out.

Excerpt from Chapter One:

          

The hard floor is cold beneath my bare feet. Already, the bitches have stood up. The big black one has her hands on her hips. She means business. Well, I’ve come this far. The little mousey nurse stands to the left and behind the other one. I aim for her.

Squeaks and slaps echo as I lift, drop, lift, and drop my feet. The polished floor keeps sucking at my soles—hence the squeak every time I lift my foot back up.

The wheezing and pounding from behind tell me that Fat Angie has joined in the chase. Oh what good fun at the fair! I giggle as I run. Can’t help it. It’s not nice, though. It doesn’t touch me. As old Shakes said: ‘Mirth cannot move a soul in agony.’ Have I ever been happy? Not sure I know what that is, when you get right down to it. Cold Kate—that’s me.

I barrel into the small nurse. She goes down flat on her back. She makes the biggest slap/squeak of all. I’m home free! My hand is on the door handle when the big black bitch tackles me from behind. Shit.

‘Get off me, you cow!’ My yells, screams, kicks, and head-butts do nothing. She just yanks me off my feet with my arms pinned at my sides. She might look fat, but she’s all muscle—solid. Why’d she have to be on tonight of all nights? Unfair much? Fruitless as it is, I struggle and wriggle all the way back to my room.

 

Book Blurb:

 

I killed someone, you see. I killed the girl, who used to be me.

 

I’m Kate … Kate Charlesworth. I’m seventeen, and self-harming. This time I cut too deep, and I’m in hospital. I hadn’t meant for it to be so bad—it just sort of happened. I needed a lot of distraction that day.

 

You’ve had bad days, right? Days it hurts too much to think. Days you just wanna stay in bed. Days when the world needs to go away for a while. Right?

 

What do you do when you’ve hit rock bottom? When there’s nowhere left to turn?

 

This one little mistake lands me back on a psych unit—the last place I wanna be. Only this time, the nurse I end up with isn’t content to stick on a band-aid and send me home. She wants me to face my demons. But to do that, I’ll have to face who I am … who I used to be … I’ll have to find Katie.

 

PREORDER HERE

 

Author Bio:

 

Harmony Kent is famous for her laughter, and has made quite the name for herself … she’s also, um, a writer … and fairly well known for that too. She lives in rural Cornwall with her ever-present sense of humour and quirky neighbours. She is single and not admitting to her age.

 

Here are ten things she thinks you ought to know about her …

 

1. Born in 2013 (at least the author was …)
2. Really boring
3. Has absolutely no sense of humour
4. Biographer is a compulsive liar
5. Reads … a lot
6. Writes … even more
7. Completely sane(in)
8. Neighbours are nuts
9. If you’re feeling extra brave she’s around
10. Online …

 

Website: www.harmonykent.co.uk

Twitter: @harmony_kent 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/HarmonyKentOnline

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/HarmonyK

Amazon US Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Harmony-Kent/e/B00CO0AR7U/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

Amazon UK Author Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Harmony-Kent/e/B00CO0AR7U/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

4Wills Publishing Author Page: http://4willspublishing.wordpress.com/our-authors/author-harmony-kent/

 

Other books by Harmony:

 

 

 

 

Fiction:

 

The Battle for Brisingamen

The Glade

Elemental Earth

 

 

Anthologies:

 

Concordant Vibrancy

Rave Soup for the Writer’s Soul

 

 

Non-Fiction:

 

Polish Your Prose

 

“This tour sponsored by 4WillsPublishing.wordpress.com.”