Beyond Words

A new year is upon us, and that makes it the perfect time to evaluate ourselves and determine just what we want for ourselves in the coming year. Now’s the perfect time to look at the changes you want to make in your life, whether it’s your personal life or your professional life. If you’re looking to make changes in your personal life, such as living a healthier lifestyle, doing something that will make you happier, changing a bad habit, or starting a project that will make you feel better about yourself, now’s the best time to begin planning for it. If you’re looking to lose weight, or just start living a healthier lifestyle, begin to eat healthier and exercise more. If you’re trying to break a bad habit, do it in small steps that are easy to reach. If you’re looking to start a project that will make you feel good about yourself, check out local volunteer organizations in your neighborhood. If you’re looking to make changes in your professional life, start by determining what kind ...

I'm departing from my usual routine of posting author interviews to share with you some of what I've learned so far about publishing. I've got one book published. A coming of age story titled Invisible . Invisible only took four months to write. I was very lucky. I wrote it while on a break from writing my paranormal thriller, Dark Angel , which I am still working on (big sigh). After finishing Invisible , I tried for a time to find an agent and though I came close, was ultimately unsuccessful. Lesson number one, it is extremely hard to land an agent. My advice to new authors is to skip the agent. Go directly to an indie publisher. Invisible was rejected by only one indie publisher before finding a home. Now here comes lesson number two - don't expect to make a lot of money. I can hear hearts breaking from here, but the sooner you realize this, the better. Having t hat first book published by an actual publisher (indie or not) will bring you credibi...

Today, I'm pleased to host author, Vanessa Grillone on my blog. Vanessa has written a book comprised of poetry and prose that started as her journal and before she knew it, became a book that she hopes will inspire and help other young women coming of age. A bit about My Pen, My Voice - Every girl has secrets. Every girl experiences things she is afraid to talk about. And every girl has her own outlet. For Vanessa Grillone, that outlet is writing. My Pen, My Voice artfully records the trials and errors one girl endures in order to become an independent and strong young woman. Through a mixture of prose and poetry, Grillone digs into the heart of the often difficult teenage years, when emotions are high, changes are fast, and life is all-consuming. Grillone's entries encompass the turbulent range of teenage angst. From struggling to understand her need to go her own way to trying to come to terms with her frequent mood swings, her poems reveals with painful intimac...

Lola’s not pretty. Lola’s not popular. Lola wishes she could disappear … and then one day she does just that... For seventeen-year-old Lola Savullo, life is a struggle. Born to funky parents who are more in than she could ever be, Lola’s dream of becoming a writer makes her an outsider even in her own home. Bullied and despised, Lola still has the support of her best pal Charlie and Grandma Rose.   Not only is she freakishly tall, Lola’s a big girl and when forced to wear a bathing suit at her summer job as a camp counselor, Lola’s only escape from deep embarrassment seems to be to literally vanish. Soon after, she discovers the roots of her new “ability”.   Slowly, with Charlie’s help, Lola learns to control the new super power. The possibilities are endless. Yet power can be abused, too…   Then, when tragedy strikes, Lola must summon her inner strength, both at home and at school. She has to stand up for herself, despite the temptations and possibiliti...

I'm pleased to host Aubrie Dionne on her blog tour today. Aubrie Dionne is an author and flutist in New England. After reaching a high point in her flutist career Aubrie decided to pursue other creative passions. “I’d always loved writing and reading fantasy/sci fi books ever since I was little but I always pushed it aside for flute. I felt like I needed to explore more of my interests in life. Ever since I started writing, I couldn’t stop! I use what I’ve learned about craft, diligence, structure, from my flute playing. It’s exciting to start a new discipline and have no idea where my boundaries are: how far I can go with it, how good I can get.” Paradise 21, Aubrie’s fourth book, was released August 2 as one of Entangled Publishing’s ten l aunch titles. Aubrie is represented by Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency. Her short stories have been featured in Mindflights, Niteblade, Silver Blade, Emerald Tales, Aurora Wolf, A Fly in Amer, Moon Drenched Fables and vario...

I'm pleased to welcome Vickie Britton and Loretta Jackson to my blog today . Loretta Jackson and Vickie Britton are a sisters co-authoring team.   Loretta lives in Junction City, Kansas, and Vickie in Hutchinson, Kansas. The sisters have traveled to each setting used in their novels. They love wandering through old ruins and viewing relics from past cultures.   Because of this, archaeology has provided a background for much of their work.   The Mayan Mask of Death , set in Central America, is their thirty-ninth novel, and the first in the Arla Vaughn Pre-Columbian Treasure Series.   A second Arla Vaughn novel, this one about Inca treasure, The Lost City of the Condor,   will be available soon. The Mayan Mask of Death When Arla Vaughn accepts the role of temporary Dean of Archaeology, the museum’s purchase of an elaborate Mayan mask seems an evil portent. The dual face, one side a handsome Mayan nobleman, the other side a skull-like visage with a gli...

Book Launch & Book Fair in Support of Charity Aurora author, Heather Anne Lambert, launches her action-packed page turner – Cassius: Blood Rights – at the Literacy Council York-Simcoe on Friday, December 2 nd from 5-8 p.m. This event includes a Book Fair. Local authors will sell and sign their books – unique gift items just in time for Christmas! Reception and mingling with local authors to follow. Agenda 5-6 pm – Book Sales (meet local authors and browse a selection of home-grown book titles) 6-7 pm – Launch of Cassius Blood Rights (readings from author, Heather Anne Lambert) 7-8 pm – Book signing, shopping, refreshments and mingling Place Literacy Council York-Simcoe, 17817 Leslie St. Suite 12, Newmarket ON Cassius: Blood Rights was released in September 2011 and is for sale internationally at Amazon, Barnes & Nobles and other online stores – now available in Kindle. This exciting, fast paced book is the first in a new series that begins here, in Toronto’s night time pl...

I'm happy to welcome Chris Stralyn to my blog today. Chris' novel This Time You Lose is nominated for best cover on Goodreads. Stop by and vote if you have a chance http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/14472.Best_Cover_Fall_Winter_2011#12853426 Tell us something about yourself and how you became a writer. I never intended to be a writer. Short-order cook, security guard, safety officer, childcare provider, and teacher were all titles I’d worn – but never writer. Then I entered an essay contest for “The Worst Vacation Ever” and won. Writing became my new hobby, and soon I had several articles in print with local publications. This was followed by a short story, The Khaki Pants, which was published by RDR Publishing in an anthology that went on to sell over a million copies. A suspense thriller was my next undertaking, and in 2008 This Time You Lose was named a finalist in the TNBW Strongest Start Novel Competition. Four months later it earned the distinction of b...

Today I'm happy to have author, Justin Swapp visiting my blog. Hi, Justin and welcome. Tell us something about yourself and how you became a writer. I live in the shadows of the Wasatch mountains, and I come from a family that is very creative (we think anyway). This was probably the beginning for me. I remember writing a story for a middle school teacher about a creepy doll in a basement. I really had fun writing that story, and trying to create an atmosphere. I forgot about writing for many years, and then when the Harry Potter series came out, like so many others, I was reminded what it was to have a good storyteller cast a spell on you. Then, I remembered that I had wanted to write all those years ago. So, I did, despite at that very time I had just started an MBA program (which, yes, I did finish). Tell us about your novel and where readers can purchase a copy.     Currently I have four short stories accepted for publication. Two you can get now from www.thecrimsonpact...

It’s my pleasure to welcome Bob Stewart to my blog today. Welcome Bob :) Tell us something about yourself and how you became a writer. I studied three years for the ministry before I decided to become a heathen journalist. But the years were not wasted, the protagonist in Hidden Evil is a minister with a tragic secret. I wrote my first journalism piece my junior year in college (about the top Bible salesman in America), met this beautiful blonde and got married. I haven’t looked back since, spending my life in a career uniquely suited to my personality. I have often felt sorry for anyone who got up each day and went to the same job; putting lids on tin cans. With me, I never knew if I was going to the scene of a murder or a high society tea party or rub elbows with an electric celebrity.     I have been managing editor of three small dailies (one named the top newspaper in its category in the state by the Associated Press Managing Editors) and knocked around at big cit...

I'd like to welcome, Geoff Gander to my blog today. Take it away, Geoff... Hello everyone, I’m delighted to be here!   First off, I’d like to thank Jeanne Bannon for being so kind as to host me on her blog (yay!)   I’m excited that my first major release is out, and I appreciate every opportunity to spread the word.   I’d like to talk a little bit about myself, before treating you to a little excerpt of The Tunnelers . Growing up, I didn’t have any siblings, so whenever my friends weren’t available I just turned to the nearest book to entertain myself.   That wasn’t a problem, because there were books everywhere, about nearly everything.   The books that interested me most, however, were the ones about dinosaurs, the universe, and world history (especially if they had a lot of maps).   I remember staring at the pages, and imagining myself flying to other worlds and doing all sorts of fascinating things.   I guess you could say I got hooked on s...