Monday Giveaway: Nora Roberts and Jim Butcher

Haven’t Rated Yet

It’s Monday Giveaway time again, and you know what that means. You have a chance to win a free ebook download, and all you have to do is be the first to email me after 3:00pm EST, and ask for it. Simple, right?

Today, in keeping with my plan to offer earlier issues in The Dresden Files series (for those of you who somehow haven’t read it yet), I’m giving away a free download of Book #5, Blood Rites.

And for those who love Nora Roberts and her way with romantic suspense and mysteries, I’m offering a free download of her newest book, The Collector.

You know the drill. Again, email me at mmeara@cfl.rr.com, after 3:00pm Eastern Standard Time, and request the book you want. If you are the first, I’ll gift you with a copy. Easy-peasy, but set your alarm. You don’t want to miss out!

Sunday’s Blog of the Week: Caitlin Stern Writes

Caitlin Stern is my good friend and my editor, as well, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be objective about her blog. I can be, and I am, and it’s a very nice place to visit. She posts various regular features throughout the week, such as Top Ten Tuesdays, and Weekend Writing Warriors, and these are always fun to check out. She also shares her thoughts on a variety of topics related to books and writing, and these are thought-provoking topics as well. But the best thing about Caitlin’s blog for me are the days when she shares a new poem.

Caitlin is a gifted poet whose observations can be touching and profound, or light-hearted and amusing. Or sometimes, a combination of both. No matter the mood of the poem, it is sure to speak to something in your soul. If you love poetry, as I do, I highly recommend checking out her blog. And even if you don’t, the other posts are certain to pull you in. I’m especially fond of her participation in Top Ten Tuesdays. One of these days I’m actually going to sign on to take part in that, myself, but until then, it’s always a treat to see how Caitlin tackles each week’s subject.

Stop by to see what’s happening at Caitlin Stern Writes, and be sure to tell her I said hello! You’ll enjoy yourself there.

Caitlin Stern Writes

What Are You Reading?

Time once again for Friday’s feature, What Are You Reading? As always, I’m nosy, and I take notes! 🙂 Me, I’m reading a freebie paranormal mystery/romance called Along Came a Demon, by Linda Welch. Pure escapism, with no visible redeeming social value…my favorite kinda book these days. I’ll be reviewing it soon, along with Nora Roberts first two books of the O’Dwyer series, and a creepy, dark, disturbing, and totally compelling little urban fantasy called Summoned.

Your turn! What are you reading? Inquiring minds…as always…wanna know, so let us hear from you! And happy Freya’s Day!

Robert Crawford Books On Sale

PLEASE NOTE: Robert has asked me to let you know that he is currently running a promotion on all three of his books from now until the end of July. American Zen and Toy Cop are both reduced to $1.99, and The Misanthrope’s Manual is on sale for $.99.

American Zen

Toy Cop

The Misanthrope’s Manual

Great Weather for…Soliciting?

Well, must be something about 90+ degree days that brings out the solicitors en masse. The last week or two has been one constant barrage of doorbell ringing, accompanied by the not-so-dulcet tones of two frenzied dachshunds who continue to bark for another three or four minutes after I’ve chased off whoever was at the door to trigger their stubby-legged outrage.

I’m trying to write, here, but instead, find myself under constant assault from people of all ages and clothing tastes, trying to sell me home security systems, cemetery plots, life insurance, flood insurance, frozen steaks in bulk all the way from Omaha, and even salvation, or at least their particular concept of what being saved is all about. Doesn’t matter if I tell them I have my own concept, a freezer full of steak (I wish), all the insurance I need (doubtful), a place in the garden set aside for my eternal rest (ha), and plenty of home security, provided by Ankle Biters, Inc. No matter what I tell them, the hits just keep a-comin’! Finally I got smart, and no one has rung my doorbell since. Could it really have been this simple all along?

Great Photo! (Indulge Me)

Every now and then, my daughter sends me a photo of my grandson, Kaelen, and I’m reminded what a good photographer she is. I just had to share this one, and it was not even taken with her “good” camera, but with her smartphone. It’s nice that it features my little grandbaby, but the fun part of this pic is in the details…particularly the ones seen in the lens of his borrowed-from-mommy sunglasses. Whaddya think? Cool, eh?

Wednesday’s Author Interview – Robert Crawford

 

 

PLEASE NOTE: Robert has asked me to let you know that he is currently running a promotion on all three of his books from now until the end of July. American Zen and Toy Cop are both reduced to $1.99, and The Misanthrope’s Manual is on sale for $.99. Links at the end of the interview.

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Today, it’s my pleasure to welcome author Robert Crawford to Bookin’ It. So nice to have you here, Robert. Could you tell us a little bit about how you became a writer? When did you decide that’s what you wanted to be, and what steps did you take to prepare for a writing career?  

RC: I’d always shown aptitude as a writer. My mother would tell me about the wagon full of building blocks they’d bought me when I was a toddler and I’d perfectly spell out words with them. As a kid, I’d make little four-page comics for my classmates (although I was more into the artistic aspect than the writing) and they’d pay me with their milk money. Five or ten cents apiece. My first royalties! But I wouldn’t begin writing in earnest until the end of my high school days. The month before graduation, we learned about the Romantic poets and when we were studying Keats, suddenly I woke up as he had when he’d read Spenser’s Faery Queen for the first time.  Keats showed me the possibilities of the written word and I’d like to think the little guy would be heartened by that fact. 

How to get published

Some sound advice on Traditional Publishing, for those of you who might be considering this route. Some of this is good advice, even for those of us who have chosen to self-publish.

Chris Hill, Author

Here’s a post which is a bit different from my usual ones about writing and reading – it’s in answer to a question a lot of new and unpublished writers have asked me. The question is: ‘How do you get published?’

I don’t just get asked this on social media – I get asked in everyday life too. In fact, in the next few weeks I have two speaking engagements coming up where, as well as reading from my novel and answering questions about that, I’m also due to be asked about my ‘road to publication.’

So I thought I’d share what little wisdom I have on the subject with you. My credentials for doing so are straightforward – I do have a novel out, it’s published by Skylight Press. You can find Song of the Sea God here in the UK and here in the USA and read the first…

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Monday Giveaways: Harper Lee, Emily Bronte, and Jim Butcher

Whew. Almost missed getting this posted in time. Sorry! It’s been one of those mornings! Today, I’m offering three Kindle downloads for free to the first person to email me after 3:00PM Eastern Standard Time and request the one they would like. So easy. Email me at mmeara@cfl.rr.com and tell me which download you’d like, and I’ll gift it to you from amazon.

I’ve been offering the older books in Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series each week, and will continue with that. Plus, I’m offering two classics that everyone should read. If you haven’t already, this is your chance. And if you have, but would like to read one of them again, this is your chance, as well.

1. Jim Butcher’s Death Masks, #5 in the Dresden Files series

2. Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird

3. Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights

Let me hear from you if you’d like a free download of one of these. And have a great day!

A Good Idea

So, So Important!

Saw this on Twitter yesterday with a request to share, so…I’m sharin’! Lots of people honestly don’t know how important some of these things can be to an author, especially an independent one, who depends on word of mouth so completely. Hope you’ll pass it along, too. Let’s get the word out (in the nicest way possible, of course.) Folks…if you read it, and you love it, please let the world know. Thanks!

Sunday’s Blog of the Week: Silver Birch Press

One of My Favorite Silver Birch Press Anthologies
Definitely 5 of 5 Stars

Silver Birch Press was one of the first blogs I started following when I joined the WordPress family, and it’s still one of the most inspiring out there. Filled with every sort of poetry, excerpts from essays and books, and quotes and ideas that inspire me daily, it’s my Go-To place for a quick look at the difference words can make in our lives.

An independent publisher out of Los Angeles, Silver Birch Press represents new voices in Fiction, Non-Fiction, Plays and Poetry, and does so with flair and style, but they also keep us in touch with the voices of those who have gone before. Part of the fun of seeing what’s new each day is never knowing if I’m going to discover a brand new writer, or be reminded of the brilliance of someone whose work I admired years ago. And I have a special fondness for SBP, since they have given me an opportunity to express my voice, as well. I’ve had poems included in several of their wonderful anthologies. Without that experience, I might never have decided to take the plunge and write my first novel.

For all of the reasons listed above, I’m happy to present Silver Birch Press as my Blog of the Week, and I hope some of you will head on over to check them out. Follow SBP, and you’ll get an email notice keeping you abreast of each new poem or excerpt, so you won’t miss anything that speaks to your heart.  Take it from me, there’s always something wonderful, fun, or inspirational being shared there.

Silver Birch Press

Check Out This News From Nick Taylor & Alisha Payne of Spellbound Consortium

 

I’m so happy to share Nick & Alisha’s excitement! Congratulations, Ladies!  So many good things are happening to them. Just take a look! (BTW, you two…The Collector’s Treasure? Very hot cover!)

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N&A: We are incredibly proud to reveal the next covers of A Spellbound Consortium. Our four novel series is an adult ride into the world of romantic Urban Fantasy.The Collector’s Treasure will release 10/1/14 on Amazon & Nook. In the meanwhile, add it to your to-read list at Goodreads!

A Spellbound Consortium: The Collector’s Treasure

Download the Prologue for a sneak peek! CLICK FOR PDF FORMAT.

What happens when the hunter becomes the hunted?

Griffin MacNeil makes his living as a treasure hunter, a magical adventurer with a knack for surviving against the odds.  He travels the world, exploring tombs and ancient ruins for lost treasure.  It’s a risky business, but usually the rewards make it worthwhile – until suddenly, his luck takes a turn for the worse, and the dangers become more lethal than ever before. Disaster strikes deep beneath the Egyptian sands, and Griffin’s entire life is turned upside down.

Read an Exchange with Author @NedHickson #interview #humor

Another great interview with Ned Hickson. Check it out on Eden Baylee’s blog. You’ll be glad you did. Eden & Ned are FUN!

Ned Hickson is a terrific writer, and he does it with a sense of humor. On more than one occasion, I’ve done a spit-take while reading one of his blog posts.

It’s my great pleasure to introduce him to you, and I can’t remember the last time I’ve laughed so much conducting an author interview. Thanks Ned, I need to clean my computer screen again! That’s the last time I drink expensive scotch while I’m reading your stuff!

Please give a warm welcome to Jurnalist and funny man, Ned Hickson.

* * * *

Ned, how would your best friend describe you in 20 words or less?

“He is thoughtful, funny, attentive, romantic and without question the most incredible lover I have ever had.” (Did I mention my wife is my best friend? I probably should have said that first.)

Yes, that might have helped! Are you a full-time writer…

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Happy Thor’s Day Joke #3

Might as well throw in a cat, too! 🙂

Happy Thor’s Day Joke #2

Oh, why not. One is never enough, right?

Happy Thor’s Day Joke #1

Crazy busy day here! Almost let Thor’s Day slip by without a joke! 😯 But better late than never, as they say! Here ya go. Have a laugh on me.

Wednesday Author Interview: Nick Taylor & Alisha Payne

 

The Regent’s Gamble
by Alisha Payne & Nick Taylor

Today, I’d like to welcome the writing team of Alisha Payne and Nick Taylor, two creative ladies who have joined forces to write some very intriguing Urban Fantasy. Welcome to Bookin’ It, Ladies!

BI: Nick & Alisha, can you tell us a bit about how you became a writer. When did you decide that’s what you wanted to be, and what steps did you take to prepare for a writing career?

N&A: Becoming writers wasn’t exactly planned. It just sort of happened. We both tended to write stories of the fan fiction variety when we were growing up and then met each other through an online roleplay chat room. Oh yes, we are total nerds by the way. We started to write our own little story lines then realized that, “Hey, we could make this a book.” So we did. It took lots of work, a miraculously successful Kickstarter campaign, and the support of good friends and family.

BI: It’s always great when things come together like that, and give new writers a chance to be successful at making their dream come true. Were either of you you inspired by any particular authors, past or present, and what is it about their work that impresses you, or moves you?

Sequel to Wake-Robin Ridge: Meet Rabbit

Introducing Rabbit.

This is actor Tristan Lake Leabu, my inspiration boy for the sequel to Wake-Robin Ridge. Rabbit is a little boy who has been raised isolated from civilization, in the deepest wilderness of the North Carolina mountains. Circumstances have left him alone in this wild and remote area at the age of ten. His journey to find the Good People his dying grandmother told him about, makes up the first part of his story. But an even bigger journey awaits him, as he learns how to live in a world full of things he has never even imagined, and struggles to win the love of the man he believes is supposed to take care of him.  I’ve just started on Chapter 6 of my draft, and so far, I think the story is shaping up pretty well. Hope my Beta readers think so, too.

Everything about Tristan Leabu is exactly the way I have described Rabbit, and having his picture on my Inspiration Board keeps me focused on his long journey out of the wild and into today’s world. He has already stolen my heart.

 

Monday Giveaway: Barbara Ashford & Jim Butcher

5 of 5 Stars

Happy Moon’s Day, Everyone! Hope your week is off to a great start. And to make it even greater, today’s giveaways include a book I picked up by chance, and fell in love with, and another of the earlier books of the Dresden Files series. To win a free download of either of these books, simply be the first to email me after 3:00 Eastern Standard Time, at mmeara@cfl.rr.com , and ask for the book you want. That’s it. No forms to fill out, no trick questions to answer, no gimmicks. Just email me and ask!

Book #1: Barbara Ashford’s delightful Spellcast, a cleverly titled novel about a summer theater troupe, led by someone just a wee bit different than you might expect, and the spell that pulls in a passing woman, and never lets her go. It’s beautifully written and cleverly imagined, and the backdrop of the theater was an unusual touch that worked to perfection. Read my review here.

Book #2: Jim Butcher’s Summer Knight, the fourth book in the Dresden Files series. I’m working my way right through the series, offering those who have never started on it a chance to win some of the older books for free. Hop on this! You know you’ve been meaning to read this series forever! 🙂

Author Interview Openings

Have a couple of openings for my Wednesday Author Interview feature, coming up July 9 and one on July 23. If you’ve written a book (or several) and would like to be featured on either of those days, please drop me an email at mmeara@cfl.rr.com  and I’ll give you full details. It’s easy and fun, and best of all, FREE. Hope to hear from some of you.

Sunday’s Blog of the Week: Sharechair

Are you a bonafide computer geek, knowledgeable in all things technological? No? Me, neither. Would you like to learn how to do more with the devices in your life, and have all the tips and tricks explained in easy-to-understand terms that make everything simple and clear? Me, too. That’s why I visit Sharechair: Everyday Technology for Everyday Folks so often.

From the most basic instructions on how to use your iPhone and iPad, to settings that require a bit more understanding, to fun games and apps, Sharechair will show you the way. And you’ll have a good time, too. The link I’m providing takes you to the About The Blog page, but the menu across the top will take you to all sorts of other goodies, like: All Things Kindle, How-To’s, iOS7, and Very Beginner Series. I’d suggest, however, starting at the tab marked New Visitors Please Start Here. (Sort of self-explanatory, that one.)

Wherever you start, if you own an iPad, a Kindle, or an iPhone, I bet you’ll learn a ton of stuff you never knew existed. I sure did. Stop by and say hi, then start finding out about all the cool things you can do that you never knew about before. Have fun!

Sharechair: Everyday Technology for Everyday Folks

Of alligators and erotica: Revealing myself to Marcia Meara and Eden Baylee (Part 1)

That Ned Hickson! Never had anything “reblogged” from here quite like this! You simply have to read it to believe it! 🙂 You rock, Young Ned!

Ned's Blog

It’s Friday, and we all know what that means… That’s right! It’s time to call in sick for a three-day weekend! It’s also time for Ned’s Nickel’s Worth on Writing, which many bosses, especially editors, accept as a legitimate cause for illness. So go ahead and read this before making that phone call! For those who might be visiting for the first time, I should explain my weekly NWOW is when I take what I’ve learned from 15 years as a columnist and filter out the impurities, much like that water filter in your refrigerator that hasn’t been changed since you bought it, and offer you a refreshing glass of slightly sulfuric-smelling wisdom.

But don’t take my word for it! Publishers Digestion has called my NWOW, “…Writing advice you can’t find anywhere else. And we’d like to keep it that way…” and what The Master of Horror® Stephen King…

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Excerpt from Swamp Ghosts: Description of Gunnar Wolfe

 

After devoting my blog tour post to Maggie Devlin, I guess it’s only fair to give her big Viking, Gunnar Wolfe, equal time. Here is a very brief excerpt from the book. Gunn has just walked down the floating pier to Maggie’s boat, and she’s sizing him up. Literally.

What Are You Reading?

Better late than never, I guess. Somehow in all the excitement yesterday of doing the Blog Tour and seeing Swamp Ghosts come out in print, I managed to forget my Friday What Are You Reading post. So, here it is, for those who enjoy it.

I just finished (last night) a very dark, unusual, and compelling book called Summoned by Rainy Kaye. I’ll be reviewing it soon. Suffice it to say, it was unlike any story I’ve ever read, and I have very mixed feelings about it. Most are good, though.

Now it’s your turn. What are you reading? As always, inquiring minds wanna know!

Swamp Ghost Available in Print Format Now!

It’s official! You can now download the Kindle version of Swamp Ghosts, OR buy the book in print format! Those of you who have been waiting for the print version can order it on amazon.com as of today! Doin’ the happy dance, here! Don’t wait! Grab yours today!