December Volunteers Request #2

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Charles Yallowitz

(There is absolutely no connection between the topic and this video.)

So, I posted before that I’m looking for guest post opportunities for December.  This is when I plan on releasing the final Legends of Windemere book.  After 5 years and 15 books, the adventures of Luke Callindor, Nyx, Fizzle, Sari, Delvin, Timoran, and Dariana come to an end.  So, I really want to do as much as I can instead of the ‘Book is Live’ carbon copy post I always do.

So far, I have 17 volunteers who are each getting a unique post.  I will be sending them out after the book is live in December, so that the sales link can be put in the body of the email along with the cover art, author bio, book blurb, etc.

If you want to be a part of this then let me know and we’ll discuss a topic.  I’m trying to work hard on it now because I’ll be out a computer for a week or so starting on Thursday or Friday.  If I can get all of the posts written and saved now then it takes a lot of pressure off my mind.

Thanks in advance.

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Watch RWISA Write Blog Tour – Michelle Abbott #RWISA #RRBC

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Charles Yallowitz

John W. Howell's avatarFiction Favorites

Rave Reviews Book Club. One of the objectives of the club is to recognize outstanding talent in its membership. A literary group has been established within RRBC named Rave Writers – International Society of Authors (RWISA). This month the club is featuring these authors on a tour. I will be hosting them throughout the month and I hope you enjoy being introduced to some excellent writing.

RWISA

Michelle Abbott

The 136

By Michelle Abbott

I can do this. I can make it. Wet hair plastered to my head, gasping, I propel myself toward my target. The 136 bus. My heel catches on a crack in the pavement. My ankle twists sideways, sending a sharp pain up my leg. Wincing, I hobble towards the stop, just as the bus closes its doors and pulls away.

“Ahhh,” I scream in frustration.

“Here, use my umbrella.”

His voice startles me. I was so focused…

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Sally’s Cafe and Bookstore – New on the Shelves – Witchlet (Book One The Magaical Chapters Trilogy) by Victoria Zigler

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Charles Yallowitz
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The Thinking Hero: Brains Over Guts

Posted on August 7, 2017 by Charles Yallowitz

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A while back, I did a series of posts on type of fighters, which included strength, speed, and tactical.  It was this last section (labeled as Counters and Caution) that I had trouble with because I couldn’t put my finger on the best explanation.  Strategists still use strength, speed, and agility when they enter the battle.  This left me wondering how one writes the tactics of various characters.  So, I’m going to look into what I considered the two mental extremes: Thinker and Instinct.

Today is all about the Thinking Fighter/Hero who comes up with a plan before stepping into action and keeps their mind working throughout the event.  This would be Delvin Cunningham more than any other champion and it’s his specialty.  Because of his skill at coming up with plans, he is able to hold his own and defeat opponents who outclass him in turns of magical and physical power.  His equipment shows this too since he is the only champion with a shield, which allows him to block and wait for an opening.  All of the others need to move quickly to avoid getting hit or strike first, but Delvin can stay close and take a little more abuse while thinking of a solution.  I’m not saying the other characters don’t do this, but it’s certainly more apparent with him.

A Thinker can work great as a solo hero and within a group.  With the former situation, this is how such a character would stay alive and build up a serious reputation.  Those who don’t think much and just barrel into battle tend to be seen as dangerous, unbalanced, and immature.  This is the reason Delvin climbed the ranks of the mercenary world and is treated like the adult in the room more often than his friends.  This mentality also shifts to non-combat situations because he is used to thinking before acting.  Puzzles, traps, and even commonplace social encounters are made easier because the character has trained themselves to stop and think.  It doesn’t always make for the most exciting scenes since they act slower and talk more, but they certainly can have a more stable presence.

Especially when you put them in a group where they can create plans and be the one who keeps the team together.  Having everyone work off instinct gets sloppy, but having that one Thinker can forge a formidable group.  This character needs to be social too because the others need to listen to him and he needs to learn about them.  One reason Delvin is an effective strategist is because he takes the strengths, weaknesses, and habits of the others into account.  He also knows not to keep too tight a hold on the reins because that can cause conflict.  Thinkers can easily fall into the control freak role, which means they won’t be very effective.  A group dynamic needs trust and respect, but that goes double for a character like this.

The one thing I love about the Thinker is the effect it has on me.  When writing Delvin, I have to take on his mentality and think many steps ahead.  Yes, I outline and write character bios, but that doesn’t mean I have the specifics.  Many of the Legends of Windemere battles owe a lot of their details and scenes to me having Delvin come up with a tactic.  Even if it isn’t mentioned in the book, I get a sense of what he would have told the others or come up with on his own.  That’s only when he’s involved in the fight too.  When he isn’t in the scene, I still need to be a Thinker to make sure the flow works out and that every participant has a role to play.

I’m hoping to do more Thinkers in the future.  They’re a lot of fun to write, but that might just be the Plotter in me.

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Watch RWISA Write Blog Tour – Jan Sikes #RWISA #RRBC

Posted on August 7, 2017 by Charles Yallowitz

John W. Howell's avatarFiction Favorites

Rave Reviews Book Club. One of the objectives of the club is to recognize outstanding talent in its membership. A literary group has been established within RRBC named Rave Writers – International Society of Authors (RWISA). This month the club is featuring these authors on a tour. I will be hosting them throughout the month and I hope you enjoy being introduced to some excellent writing.

RWISA

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

By Jan Sikes

Henry Jacobsen ran gnarled fingers through 84 years of living and swatted at a fly that buzzed around his head. The sun warmed his old bones and he turned to face his longtime friend. “You know, Aaron, what the world needs now, is for people to show a little more respect to each other. Back in my day, if I acted or talked disrespectful, I got my hide tanned.”

The wooden boards underneath Aaron’s rocker creaked in syncopated rhythm with…

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What goes into world-building? In @LiviaQuinn’s case, it’s personal… #paranormal #amwriting

Posted on August 7, 2017 by Charles Yallowitz
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…my pal, Authoress, Sally Wragg has a new book for yeez to enjoy…

Posted on August 7, 2017 by Charles Yallowitz

Seumas Gallacher's avatarSeumas Gallacher

Can I start by thanking Seumas for his great kindness in allowing my ramblings on his wonderful blog page and by saying that I feel very honoured to be here. That said, it has left me with the slight problem of how to introduce myself and explain my presence here. It’s the reason why, this sunny day finds me lolling in a deck-chair in the garden, on the pre-text of topping up my sun-tan but in reality, chewing on my pencil-end, fretting over what I can possibly say that might make anyone want to read it without lamenting poor Seumas’ blog page has taken an inexplicably sad turn for the worse. In other words, I sense you’re an educated lot and I don’t want to be found out.

I am a writer, so I know I’m here to talk about my new book, ‘Villa Cassiopeia’  https://www.amazon.co.uk/Villa-Cassiopeia-mysterious-Greece-perfect-ebook/dp/B073XL11MG  which is set…

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Watch RWISA Write Blog Tour – Wendy Scott #RWISA #RRBC

Posted on August 6, 2017 by Charles Yallowitz

John W. Howell's avatarFiction Favorites

Rave Reviews Book Club. One of the objectives of the club is to recognize outstanding talent in its membership. A literary group has been established within RRBC named Rave Writers – International Society of Authors (RWISA). This month the club is featuring these authors on a tour. I will be hosting them throughout the month and I hope you enjoy being introduced to some excellent writing.

RWISA

Wendy Scott

Navigator by Wendy Scott

Luke’s body whirled through the portal in a kaleidoscope of starlight and rainbows. Burnt ozone stung his nostrils, and his stomach roiled as if live dragonflies flitted inside. He clutched his grandfather’s palm tighter, the only connection anchoring them together while they spun into the void, guided by the compass in his grandfather’s other hand.

“We’re here.” His grandfather’s words whistled with wheeziness.

He released Luke and turned away, pocketing the compass, but his old man’s movements weren’t…

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A Week of Legos Comes to an End

Posted on August 5, 2017 by Charles Yallowitz

Well, it took all week to make the 8 sets and here we are.  Going to try to put them in order and add a few notes.  Hope everyone enjoys the fruits of our labors.  Now, to go back to icing my thumbs because those studs are rough on the pads.

A Wall of Lego

This is the birthday haul.  Where to begin?

The Lego Batcave

This was the big one.  1,047 pieces and a lot of moving parts. The suit rack spins, the Bruce Wayne to Batman section spins, the platform at the front goes up, Alfred’s spot spins, the back of the penguin cage can get knocked out, and that’s not even counting the vehicles.  I’d say it took 3-4 hours.

The Joker Lowrider

This was done on the same day as the Batcave because he gave up most of his night time fun stuff.  He really wanted this because it had another Harley Quinn figure, so he now has good Harley and evil Harley.  This thing actually bounces like a lowrider because of rubber bands on the bottom.  Also, the folded Batman blanket on the couch in the back is so soft that we want cold weather just so he can use it.

Brainiac Attacks

This was the Monday project and it definitely felt like an older set.  Mostly because the directions weren’t as detailed as the newer ones.  Now, the reason he loves this set isn’t because of Brainiac (left), Supergirl, or Superman.  It’s that green guy up top named Martian Manhunter.  Somehow, that character has claimed one of the top spots along with Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Star Sapphire, Black Canary, Zatanna, and Flash.  Only three of those are easy to find merchandise for.

Spider-Man Bank Heist

This is a Spider-Man Bank Heist one that we did on Monday too.  Rather simple, but he got confused on why the bad guys had Hulk and Captain America faces.  Tried to explain they were wearing fake masks when robbing the bank, but it didn’t fly.  He did love that one guy with the chain gun.  This is his evil Spidey too.

Wolverine and Magneto Racers

He did get some Marvel heroes like these two.  They’re Mighty Micros and he does know a little about the X-Men to recognize the characters.  This was a quick build on Tuesday before his first swim class.

Avengers Truck Battle

We managed to do this the same day since both sets were fairly simple.  This is from Civil War, so it’s Captain America and Hawkeye vs Vision and Spider-Man.  Turning a dial on the truck has those flames pop out and open the whole thing up.  Vision drew most of his attention though.  Then promptly got defeated by Martian Manhunter and good Harley Quinn.  Not sure about his face there.

Iron Man and Thanos

‘Give a big smile’ led to this.  He was more excited about his swim class.  He really didn’t have a major interest in these two.  Putting them together was fun, but they haven’t shown up in his scenarios much.  At least Iron Man doesn’t.  Thanos does and apparently has the voice of a teenage girl that doesn’t want to do her homework.  Think I’d be more excited about Infinity War if Thanos ended up talking like this.

Lego Batman Clayface

First, that is his 8th Lego Batman figure.  3 more and he’ll have a Batman only football/soccer team.  Sadly, Clayface came with a part missing, so I emailed Lego and its on the way.  The plus side is that Clayface’s hands are interchangeable.  He has two gatling gun fists and one hammer.  The missing piece was for the second gun fist, so we were still able to do this picture.  Clayface is also fairly fragile because all of his limbs, his head, and his mouth move.  You can also switch the eyes to make him either angry or sad.

The Collection

These are all of his Legos.  Not only the ones from his birthday, but the other Lego Batman ones, the DC heroes, Ninjago, TMNT, Angry Birds, Lego Movie Spaceship, DC Superhero Girls, and a Lego City airplane.  That’s also me going through the pile of manuals to figure out where a fallen part went.  Ended up being the mufflers for one of the Pig Motorcycles.  This picture was a pain to set up and even more of a disaster to put away.  Mostly because Matilda’s house (structure on the left with pink on top) fell apart as I was lifting it.  I stopped to answer my son’s question and the bottom broke off and crashed into the motorcycles below.  Had to piece everything back together.

Can only imagine what the next set will be.

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I Think I’d Rather Have a Hole in My Head

Posted on August 5, 2017 by Charles Yallowitz

Writing this on Thursday because it’s been one of those weeks.  I know I promised a Lego picture post, but things had to be said and we still have one more set to build.  I’m hoping to get the photo maven to give me the pictures after lunch and I’ll set the post up for afternoon/evening.  Maybe tomorrow if things go horribly wrong, which is the theme of this week.

Oral Appliance

I went in for adjustments on Tuesday.  Apparently, I shouldn’t be able to flick the bottom part out of my mouth with my tongue.  It was tightened and it feels more secure.  I also didn’t get very good sleep that night.  Wasn’t sure if it was the appliance or the other factors.  I tried sleeping without the next night and found that I stayed asleep longer, but woke up groggier.  People pointed out that the snoring came back too.

The roughest part about this is that it will take time to get used to it.  I don’t really have that luxury since my son wakes at 6:30 AM for school and weekends usually result in me having to be the adult that gets up to tend to the kid.  So, I’ve been doing the whole ‘once I’m up, I’m up’ thing for a few years.  Maybe this trained me to not go back to bed even if I only got 3-4 hours of sleep.  If that’s the case then I have to break that habit in order to get the full effect of the appliance.  It’s going to be a long, hard fight.

Book Sales

Don’t ask.  It’s August.

The Laptop

Anybody remember in June when the sound started going and I had to send my laptop back to Dell for repairs?  Got it back about 19-20 days later with new speakers and things worked fine . . . until Wednesday.  Guess who’s back and it isn’t Eminem.  Lost an afternoon talking to tech support and the laptop goes back next Friday.  I have the label and everything, but I need to finish Bedlam and get other things ready before I give up the tech again.  After next week, the kid is done with summer school, so I won’t be at too much of a loss.  Still, this is really fucking frustrating.  They’re going to replace the sound card and reinstall the whole system, so I hope there’s nothing else like a loose wire or god knows what.

Derailing Bedlam

By the time the weekend hits, I’ll have less than a chapter to go.  This has been a fun story with Lloyd getting couple time and Cassidy trying to come to terms with her impulse control issues.  Ended up putting a hint to the next one and did some very interesting research for this.  Hoping I can muster the funds and interest for a release next year.  It’s getting really tough to rationalize spending so much on this series.  I’m actually considering doing a bundle at one point, but it would be Crossing, Chasing, and Protecting as the set.  That won’t be for another year though.  Funny how I fear that I’ll have to stop and still plan things in advance.

December Post Volunteers

Just throwing it out there that I’m still looking for volunteers to help promote the final book in December.  Yes, I know Path of the Traitors isn’t out yet, but I really want to lock in guest posts.  Mostly because I never know when this computer will need to go to the doctor again.  So, any offers will be greatly appreciated.  As far as the next release, I’ll be sending the ‘Book is Live’ post to the permanent volunteers like before.  That’s not for another month though.

Goals

  1. Finish writing Derailing Bedlam
  2. Schedule posts for September.
  3. Work on guest posts for December.
  4. Finish reading Claymore
  5. The usual stuff
  6. Prepare to go without a laptop again
  7. Check outline for the first War of Nyte book.  That’s the next project that I’ll start in on once school starts again.  Going to be odd starting up the vampire series.
  8. Fiddle with the notebook for the Sin stories.
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