All work and no play?

We work hard not only to gratify our desire of accomplishments, but also to provide for our families. If you obtain all that you desire but have no one to share it with, what would the point be? If you disagree with me and feel that life alone is the best life that is fine. Please explain that to me because I don't understand it.

Skill or Spill

Do you write with skill or with crayons from once upon a time?

I'm sorry that I've been away for a bit, and that even now I'm late with my blog. Life has a tendency to distract us from our regularly schedule programs. Please don't think I'm out of commission. I'm simply a bit late this week, but eager to move forward with my thoughts.

Does Sex Sell?

Have you noticed how often sex is used to sell a product? Consider the sexy book covers. Comic books are riddled with huge muscular men and fall to your knees sexy females. What about movies and TV shows? Some people consider it sexist, but it's not just females anymore. Now they use male as well as females sex symbols. Gyms are capitalizing from the new idealism. Everyone is now lifting weights, dieting, and joining all types of aerobics classes.

Announcing the In Leah’s Wake Social Media Whirlwind Tour—WooHoo!

As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, the price of the In Leah’s Wake Kindle edition has dropped to just 99 cents this week.

Writing comedy…

Friends used to be one of America's most favorite TV shows. Many people believed it was the funniest show on television. For us guys my first question is simple. Who is the hottest looking girl on the show? I think Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow is the best looking of the three. Monica Geller (Courteney Cox) has a very sexy face, but she's entirely too thin for me. Although many considered Rachel Green (Jennifer Aniston) to be the hottie of the show, I only liked her hair.

A Deprived Life..

This post is about my upbringing and how it deprived me of regular everyday things. Please understand that I am in no way coming against any religious believes. In fact, I strongly believe in God. What I have issues with are some people's interpretation of those believes. Back in my youth most religious people judged in the manner in which they were taught. Therefore I understand it was not entirely their fault.

Dancing around your writing…

Those of you who know me know that I love dancing Salsa. I don't know what you dance when you go to the club, but this is what we do. Salsa takes technique in your feet, your hands, and your hips. The dance moves are intoxicating and addictive. The more you learn the more you want to dance.

Technology or science fiction...

Should we freeze future technology to make a profit with what we have? Most people believe technology is brought to the public at the time it is developed. Others, like me, believe that our scientists are much more advanced than what we know. That technology is kept quiet until the market makes the desired profit, and then the next level is introduced to the public. This is why you see a new upgrade each year.

To remove or not to remove...

In writing less is more. Therefore, take out what you don't need. Let's talk unnecessary phrases or clauses. Many people get very confused with this type of sentence. They're unsure if a comma should be use or not. The question is what the comma will do to the sentence. I don't know if you're aware of this or not but the comma will change the meaning entirely. That will take your readers down the wrong path.

Friends with Benefits...

I obtained tickets to see the preview this past Tuesday and thought my wife would like to see it. Chick flicks, I've seen tons of them, and any guy out there that's laughing at me right now is either in an unhappy relationship or alone. Because if you have a girl friend or are happily married you too, my friend, watch chick flicks in abundance.

O about that… dream, or fantasy…

What is your fantasy, your dream? What make you smile from ear to ear every time you see? Is it that new car? You know that dream car you've been fantasizing about. The one that makes you smile every time you see one drive. When something goes wrong you pull up that picture you have of it to calm yourself down. You can just smell that new car smell in it. The sleek design, the seats, dash, even the steering wheel looks good on it.

Grilling a novel...

I have several friends who consider themselves grill masters. I use specific spices when I grill, and of course, that changes depending on the type of meat I will be grilling. For this example, I will be using chicken as my meat of choice since it is very popular for grilling. First I season the meat with Adobo all purpose seasoning. I use this condiment on almost everything I grill or cook. It is very versatile. Next I sprinkle Black Pepper on the chicken breast or wings. Third I like to use Garlic. Usually I prefer the Garlic spice without salt, but if you have garlic salt that's fine too.

Guest blogger Lisa Skone...

Many people use Twitter to meet others with similar objectivity. We now have #WW and #FF to introduce others to our list of friends. It is a great way to meet new people, and increase your circle of friends. Still, you are limited as to how much you actually get to learn about them.

Guest blogger L. Carroll

As promised here is the cover for the new book.

Once in a while you read a book in which you can delight in. Lor Mandela Destruction from Twins by L. Carroll is such a book. I can't contain the excitement to introduce to you L. Carroll as my guest blogger today. As you very well know authors get better with every book and now she has book 2 of this series coming out on July 15, 2011 for your enjoyment. If you have not read the first book I recommend it. I don't always recommend books as openly as I'm doing with this series. However, I believe in the quality of the writing and the story line. Therefore, without further ado here is  L. Carroll…

My Synopsis...

Okay friends, I have put together an official synopsis. I have read many blogs, books, and other material to put this together, but after reading so much on the subject, it seems to confuse me more. Am I alone in this? Nonetheless, I am seeking your assistance once again to guide me, more or less, towards editing my work.

Freedom...

Young mothers don't want to hear you telling them how to do things. Regardless, of how much they know your instructions must be subtle and unnoticed if you want to them to adhere. A mechanic doesn't want to hear what you think it is or how to fix it. Otherwise you can do it yourself, is their thinking. Young couples don't want to know if you agree or not with their lifestyle or how they need to save money.

My Query Letter Part 2...

After listening to your advice, I decided to give it another try. I know many of you said you liked the first query letter I drafted. However, a few made suggestions that I thought were very good. In view of the suggestions made, I put together this new query. Please go over it and see if there is anything I've missed. I want to know which you think is better the first one or this new draft. The details I mentioned in the previous query will be in the synopsis which I will share once I nail down the query. So here goes:

Birth…

These are my four grandchildren. Jaiden is ten days old now and I'm a happy grandfather again.

I found there is nothing more mysterious than the birth of a child. Let me explain to you why this is such a baffling event to me. First of all, I see the human body as a machine. Just like a car it can be moved, and directed to accomplish our needs. Our eyes are the windows to the outside world. We live inside moving the machine at will. Like any other machine, it starts out shiny and new, but with time it will slowly deteriorate. When the machine ceases to function, we leave. This is the only way we can function in this material world of energy and atoms.

Beauty...

Things of beauty stir every emotion inside of us. A painting can be beautiful, a flower, a song, a meal, even a lover's touch. You see beauty engages all your senses. Your sense will bring your emotions with them as a friend. To believe that beauty is only in the eye of the beholder is to limit the experience of a life changing event.

A sample of my query letter...

Sorry but blogger has done it again. It seems I can't attach a picture to my blog now. No matter life goes on. Today I wanted to let you see my query letter in the hopes that you will assist me by giving my your critique. This will be a great help for me in putting my best foot forward. In my last blog I had everyone vote as to the title of the book. I listened and changed everything accordingly. Please let me know what you think.

An idea for a new name...

I have thought of another possible name for my book and decided to ask you guys what you think of it. In order to emphasize the title, I needed to justify it and change the synopsis. This is not a complete synopsis just a quick idea for one, but you get the general idea. So, here goes, tell me what you think.

Super 8 On -- Father's Day

The movie has a few funny moments. You have to love a kid who wants to blow everything up. I'm just glad he doesn't live in my neighborhood. Every now and then, we all make mistakes and its hard finding your way back home again. How to deal with the situation at hand is what this movie is all about.

The name of my book is...

I am so sorry that I've been out of commission for a couple of days here. I've been working on interviews for regular employment, and desperately trying to finish editing my book before I become employed. I'm not sure if any of you have been in my situation, but it gets too much to keep up with at times like these. If you commiserate let me know your situation, and we can compare notes, maybe help each other out.

Super 8

If you haven't heard yet, Super 8, written ad directed by J.J. Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg is coming out this week. Being a huge Sci-Fi thriller fan I decided to get all over it. The movie is not out, and it's already stirring up a bit of controversy. Some people are criticizing it for its ads,

Interview with Michelle Brooks

Bone Dressing

By: Michelle Brooks

Time is running out… the dark that’s been chasing Syd for many lifetimes has finally caught up with her…

Book Review of Bridges...

BRIDGES

A local restaurant in my home town has pictures on the wall from when the tobacco industry first came to Florida. I look at these pictures and wonder what life was like in those days. I walked into a shop a couple of months ago to drop off two treadmill motors for repair. On the walls, they had pictures from when they first opened shop, which was in the 40's. There were women in dresses and men with nice shirts repairing small motors on their benches. When they took us to the back the scene was completely different from what I saw in the pictures in the front office.

What I'm working on now...

Please excuse the long breaks in my blog. I am attempting to finish my book and blogging as well as Twittering consumes much of my time. You guys are awesome and I love you all for following.

Let me give you a small synopsis of what my book is about. I also want to get your opinion on the name. Let's start with the synopsis:

Avoid writers block...

A love you never thought of...  

I have talked about music being a great source of inspiration. I have also pointed out how different scenery can influence your desire to write. If you were to couple these two it would enhance the vision of your character and the story line even greater. I would go as far as to suggest taking pictures of your vacation, or any other time you visited a beautiful place, and create your own video. You can also place the pictures on your wall to look at while the music plays.

The Versatile Blogger Award...

I have been awarded the Versatile Blogger Award by my good friend Nomar Knight. Please check out his blog Knight Chills for some frightful good fun. Now the award comes with several rules and in accepting this award I will honor the rules as well.

A picture says a thousand words…

Are you trying to write something in the same room you've been writing in for many years? It's no wonder sometimes we get writers block. It's our mind's way of saying, get me out of here.

Oh this is too sweet and kind

I have won an award from the wonderful and sweet S.B. Poscente. Please check out her blog. She talks straight from her heart good thought provoking subjects.

What moves me to write

Writing is all about mood. If you are not in the mood to write chances are your characters will take a wrong turn. They might rebel against you, or do something rash. Now you may have a different way of getting in the mood. For instance, one of the things that get me in the mood to write is a good rain mixed in with a little lightening. Rain always makes me feel melancholy, which brings back old memories flooding my mind with day dreams of I should have, and could have's which I use in my writing. Another thing which moves me to write is sitting under a shady tree on a breezy day listening to nature while I eat a sandwich and drink wine.

You ever feel stuck?

Frustration begins to take over when you're starting out. Or if you've been working hard at putting together a platform to let everyone know about your writing, but it doesn't seem to be enough. I can't tell you how many times I've wished someone would have just told me how I needed to do things. Instead I had to endure the trial and error method. I don't know about you, but I hate doing things that way.

The Mystic Comma

Oh my God is that comma ever going to end? Entire books have been written on the comma alone. The comma has that many uses and is misused even more. If you're asking yourself, do I really need to know this, the answer is no. You don't need to publish a book either. You don't need to sell more than five eBooks because someone gave it a dreadful review for its bad grammar. If you want to continue being a mediocre writer with little to no recognition for your work go right ahead. For those of you who want people to enjoy reading your novel you need to write correctly.

Review

BRIDGES

a tale of Niagara

Coming June 4th

The day we decided to go down into the gorge of Niagara Falls—to walk on the ice bridge—had started out normal enough but quickly showed itself as anything but normal …

Contest Winner

I want to thank everyone who participated in the contest and those who came in to take a look. This contest was mainly to promote what I believe to be a truly great book.

Don't fear the comma:

I know that the comma can be a cause of great fear for many. If you don't understand it and use it incorrectly it will bring death and destruction on your writing. However, once you have the necessary knowledge it can no longer terrorize your manuscript or render it unreadable. Therefore, do not be afraid to attack it with fierce intellect after learning its proper usage.

Rachel in the OC

If you’re at all familiar with @RachelintheOC via my Twitter feed, my blog, or my new book A Walk In The Snark, you probably know me as that redheaded Queen of Snark in a sea of blondes (OC does stand for Orange County, CA, home of the Tragic – I mean Magic – Kingdom), after all. Essays like Stupid Pants Syndrome, Men are from Seinfeld, Women are From Friends (Mancode), and I’m Fine. Deconstructed. (Chickspeak) certainly cement that fact. But who am I and why should anyone care what I have to say?

Guest blogger and Contest

Please make sure you visit us April 29, when Rachel Thompson will be my guest blogger. You don't want to miss getting to know her. She is an Indie author that has gotten great reviews for her book A Walk in the Snark. If you haven't read it yet you do want to go out and get it. It is a wonderful read and very funny.

Three steps to working with a comma

Don't let the comma kill your writing.

I consider the comma one of the most important punctuation marks in grammar, and the most misunderstood. Many think they know how to use it, but they really don't. Some writers don't use it enough others toss them around like glitter on a child's poster board painting. Although it can be confusing, I will try to break it down for you starting with the simple sentences.

Great Contest...

I am proud to announce this contest showcasing Rachel Thompson. Rachel will be a guest on my blog on Thursday April 29, 2011. I will be giving away a copy of her new book in this very simple Easter contest. Ah…, the holidays, gotta love 'em.

How to enter:

6 steps to develop the right

1. Must be likable:

The protagonist is the most important figure in your writing. Therefore, if you put forward a protagonist that is not likable, you have just made your story unlikable. And I don't mean we like him a little. We have to find him/her so interesting we want to continue reading more about him/her.

Who categorizes your book and how?

Phoenix Sullivan is a great writer and has reflected it in a tale which brings together beauty and horror. The book speaks of the horror of war in all its gory details and the beauty that can sometimes be found in the most unexpected places. However, Amazon has not looked at it this way.They have labeled this way. They categorized it as erotica limiting her ability to reach potential readers.

Boy, did you write the wrong thing.

You ran you're spell checker for misspelled words and now you think your ready, but is that correct?

Are you there yet? Because they're watching you with their critiquing eyes, and will judge you accordingly.

Funding your self published book

I had to share this with you friends. It's a blog from Nathan Bransford on Kickstarters to fund your self published work. I have never heard of this until today, but it sounded too interesting not to share with the rest of you. I know for some of you this is just what you need to help

Great contest

If you're looking for a great book to read, you can win "Those That Wake" in a simple contest. Check it out.

O' about editing

I have heard stories of people who send their writing to an editor and then refuse to make the changes they advised. To me, this makes no sense. To rewrite, edit, change, and cut much of your novel will help you become a better writer. Completing these requests, by their agents or publishing house, has helped many become published.

Is self publishing the way to go?

Self publishing is the big question lately. Many authors are debating whether self publishing is the way to go. Traditional publishing houses still look down on SP and agents will not accept it in the bio of your query letter. Still SP is here and taking momentum. The success stories of such authors like Amanda Hocking, who

Need a really good query letter?

I just came across a wonderful interview on Sheri Larsen's blog. Please check it out. Taking under consideration from my last blog that some might find themselves a bit overwhelmed I wanted to offer some light at the end of the tunnel for you. It's not all dread and despair for us writers, only challenging. I love the challenge and I hope you do as well. Along with those challenges, there are also some tools to assist us in our quest.

The wonderful world of writing

Is it enough to write a good story? I'm sure many of you have heard "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." The same can be said about writing a good story, "A good story is in the eye of the beholder." Some may believe a great plot is what makes a good story; however, some people will disagree with that. In fact although you have a great plot, if your story is not written well some will say it's not a good story. Education is paramount for a writer these days. There are many things to consider when you seek to have your book published. A good story is a well written story.

Eliminate most adjectives and adverbs

In your writing, you may think "beautiful" fully describes what you have in your mind. However, that word can have different meanings to readers. To say something is "beautiful" is not enough when writing a novel.

Essentials of writing - Active voice versus passive voice

In your endeavors to have your novel published, you must take a good look at your writing voice. The use of an active voice as apposed to passive voice in your writing will greatly improve your chances.  Let me explain the difference between the two. When you use an active voice in a sentence, the subject is doing the action. We'll use the following sentence as an example, "Jack loves Jill." In this sentence Jack is the subject, love is the action he is doing, and Jill is the object. If this sentence were passive it would read as follows, "Jill is loved by Jack." Hopefully you can see the difference between these two sentences.

Contest and other news

Hanna Moskowitz and Suzanne Young are hosting an awesome contest. Please check it out.

Also Kiersten White has a cool Supernaturally contest you should check out.

If you haven't heard Borders has filed chapter 11. If you don't know what chapter 11 is exactly, you want to know how that will affect you as an author, how will publishers react to this, or how will e-books factor into all this Pimp My Novel has some answers for you.

A song you'll remember

For those of you who love music, and for all musicians you have to check this out.

Polishing your novel

Gary Corby has a unique and systematic way of editing his novels after he's written them. This could be what you need to make your writing flow. Please check it out right here.

Sweet memories of love

This scene is rated R for adult themes, nudity, and sexual situations. But adults, please check out this scene which lacks a lover.

Query Contest

For those of you interested in a query critique, don't wait a minute longer and click here for an ongoing contest at P J Hoover.

Sweet memories of love

In continuation of this series, please check out my new post. If you are new to my blog you can check out the first in the "Sweet memories of love" series from last weekend. Don't forget to critique what you like or dislike about the writing, also critique grammar. And now on with the show:

Contest

writtenwyrdd is hosting a contest. The winner will receive a free book for writing a short story from one sentence to 200 words. Please check it out here.

Sweet memories of love

Considering Valentines Day fast approaches I thought you might want to read some of the love scenes I've written. Please read and critique. Let me know what you think about the writing, feeling and so forth. Also critique the grammar. Well, here we go: 

Good reasons to read

Why do people like to read so much? There is the action portion along with the entertainment value. For others the drama depicting the pain and joys of life as seen through other people's eyes leaves us to feel we are not alone in our plights.

How to get in your write mind

My write mind

            Many people go through writers block and struggle with the concept of what they will write about. Everyone writes differently and there is not set way of making it work. Some write without the worry of what the story will turn out to be. Others want to envision what their story will be about.

Live as though someone is writing your story

            Valentine's Day is fast approaching. If you ask any woman she expects flowers, gifts, and a night out on the town. It seems simple enough however this day can make or break your relationship, married or single. If you ask most men, it is not a gift giving day; flowers and candy are the only required tokens of affection.