Been there twice. ðŸ˜
 on BookWorks site:
Watch out for vanity and subsidy presses who lure you in with fancy marketing and promises of literary success.
I spend a lot of time helping authors extricate themselves from a vanity press that has failed to deliver, and sometimes we manage to do it without too much of a cash loss.
As a member of the Rave Reviews Book Club, I get to host blog tours for them and for 4-Wills Publishing. Today, it’s my pleasure to introduce you to Kim Cox and her Style & Profile series. You guys make her feel welcome, and those sharing buttons are there so you can easily help Kim spread the word.
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About the Main Characters: Style & Profile Series
This is for the books published and planned so far: ALL THIS TIME (book 1), BEFORE WE WED (book 2), and FOR THE DEFENSE (book 3)
JENNY MORGAN – In book one, Jenny is a serious workaholic who is the CEO and owner of Morgan Fashions after her father retires. She’s divorced, never dates, and stays away from relationships. She becomes best friends with her employees, Sarah Martin and Lynsi Patterson. In book two, she’s a great friend to the main characters Sarah…
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If not, why not?
I don’t have time
The author probably spent a heck of a lot more time writing the story than you took to read it, no matter how slow you think you are, so why not take a few minutes to record your feelings about it.
I can’t write long fancy reviews like those I see on book review blogs
You don’t have to, Amazon, for example, only ask you to use a minimum of 25 non repeating words.
I can’t express myself very well
No-one is asking you to produce a literary masterpiece, start off with things you liked, didn’t like or a mix of both about the book, e.g.,
I liked this book because –
it reminded me of –
it made me think about –
it made me so scared I couldn’t sleep for –
it made me feel homesick for –
it made…
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First, I’m already sweltering and haven’t even left the house yet. Â Just want to through that out there. Â Especially since this weekend is going to be busy. Â You’ll get some pictures tomorrow or Tuesday if I can muster the energy.
This week was the last one of school for my son until he starts his summer session.  So, I didn’t do much besides prepping The Life & Times of Ichabod Brooks for a July 3rd release and finishing a future book outline.  Also, I watched Claymore, which is a manga I need to get into.  Anyway, that was really it aside from biking and errands.  Didn’t have much of an urge since the next two weeks will be a lot of parenting.  Not that it’s a bad thing, but it means I won’t be online much and the chances of me going ‘meh’ and just clearing my Inbox at the end of the day will be high.  Sorry, but it’s hot and I’ll be chasing an energetic 7-year-old around.
Speaking of heat and running around, we’re having a Double Zoo Weekend. Â Today, we’re going to a small zoo that I’ve never been to before. Â Not sure why we never went there, but it might be due to the parking situation being a pain. Â It’ll be a fun outing and they have dingos there. Â This is a precursor to tomorrow where we go to the big zoo where they now have baby bison, baby lemurs, and possibly a baby porcupine. Â That’s a full day thing and will mean Monday is an indoor day for us. Â I’ll try to post some pics of the baby animals if I can get them from my wife. Â She’s the shutterbug and pack mule while I’m the kid-wrangler. Â Before anybody complains, she carries a backpack on these trips regardless, so why should I bring one too?
As far as writing goes . . . I don’t have much. Â Fiddling with a new superhero idea where the character wakes up with a new power every morning. Â Not one that is added to the other, but a reset when they sleep. Â Trying to figure out a story that utilizes animals too. Â Like a person in a place devoid of animals and they’re looking for something to revive the fauna. Â I don’t know if that one will be it’s own world, Windemere, or Super Earth. Â This is really just a distraction from my main problem.
I have NOTHING for 2018.  I’ve more time into Bedlam and the Windemere finale than preparing for next year.  I’m hoping to work on the Legends spin-off over the summer, but that’s a release for next summer.  This means I need to get to work on War of Nyt and I worry that I won’t have the first book ready by next spring.  I have the characters flushed out and the outline done, but it’s still daunting to step into a new series.  I don’t know what to do about Bedlam either.  The blog-only story is getting some compliments, but no activity on the published books.  Do I really want to put a bunch of effort into a 3rd published book when it seems very few people care?  Especially when I have the next Windemere series to start up.  Maybe I can do it later in the year?  Might depend on how long it takes to write the spin-off.  That’s about a 17 day project if I go 3 sections a day, which is doubtful.
So, this week of nothing will definitely give me a chance to get my head wrapped around all of the projects. Â The voices (not in my head) have been calling for me to quit or reconsider my path again. Â Really have to wonder how much longer I can keep going with the sea of negativity. Â I mean, I get 90% of my positive support from online, but I have to be on the computer for that. Â Why do people think it’s helpful to repeatedly question a person’s path? Â Is the saying now ‘when the going gets tough, the tough quit and work in a cubicle’?
So, what will I work on this week?
***Don’t forget to enter the SCOURGE giveaway at the end of this post!***
Gail Z. Martin is a prolific writer, having authored such fan favorites as The Chronicles of the Necromancer, The Fallen Kings Cycle, Ascendant Kingdoms, The Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures, Deadly Curiosities, and (together with Larry N. Martin) The Jake Desmet Adventures.  And on July 11, 2017, her newest book, Scourge, will be released; the first installment in a new series entitled Darkhurst, where three brothers toll as gravediggers in the city-state of Ravenwood, fighting to survive corrupt politicians and vicious monsters.  Enjoy the following excerpt featuring the first chapter, then enter the giveaway for a chance to win either a paperback copy or kindle ebook copy.
In a city beset by monsters, three brothers must find out who is controlling the abominations.
The city-state of Ravenwood is wealthy, powerful, and corrupt…
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Welcome and how many glockenspiels would you like? Â Not interested in our popular seller? Â We get that a lot ever since the Glockenspiel Garage opened up down the road and specialized. Â Thankfully, we’re not a niche seller and have plenty of instruments for all your needs. Â Want a trumpet that will give your neighbor nightmares? Curse weavers are in aisle 7. Â Looking for a bongo that keeps you awake as long as it plays? Â College student specials are on the third floor. Â So, tell me what you want and I’ll take you to the perfect place.
You’re a One Man Band, huh? Â That means you need a package deal, which includes various insurance levels. Â I mention that now because this is a very difficult role to succeed in. Â You will find many people willing to break at least one of your instruments. Â Some times it’s over your head, which is why we have such services. Â They range from single instruments to the whole combination. Â Now, how many are you looking at? Â Four doesn’t sound too bad, but it depends on what you pick. Â Come to the catalog wall and look at the pictures.
That’s a bell belt, which jingles whenever you move. Â It’s similar to the ankle bells that many of our dancing clients use. Â This requires a lot of hip movement, which is difficult if you have something like a drum strapped to your stomach. Â Yes, we can move the belts around and it comes in different numbers. Â For large cities, I recommend having at least seven and we can tune them to each other with a simple charm. Â There are other tricks that you can do like light spells or sparkle showers. Â I’m obligated to warn against any additions that emit flames. Â You can do this, but we won’t be held liable now that we’ve had this recorded conversation.
Ah, I see you found one of our more unusual percussion instruments. Â Those are kettle drum boots. Â Every step makes a boom and you control the volume by the force of your step. Â A dwarf invented them after getting bored with, as he said, flattened chunks of metal on his soles that are better suited for toothpicks. Â I believe it would go nicely with the bells if you enchant them to be heard over the bass. Â There are two problems with these that you can see are noted here. Â One is that you can’t turn them off. Â Once you put them on, the kettle drum boots work until you remove them. Â The other issue is that they can be punctured fairly easily, which means you need to clear your performance area of anything sharp.
Now for your main instrument a . . . bagpipes? Â It is easier to use with the belt and I guess it could go with the drums. Â Doesn’t seem like the easiest thing to dance with, which means you won’t be getting the full range of your other instruments. Â We have a nice selection in the basement, including a few that come with free enchantments. Â I would highly recommend one that increases your lung capacity and allows you to move around without your music suffering. Â Now, you still have one more . . . a nose flute? Â I know it’s a simple one and could mix nicely with all of the others. Â It’s just that you’ll have bagpipes in your mouth and the flute in your nose, so how are you going to breathe? Â We don’t have any magical versions and we’ve found that mucus disrupts some magic.
Oh, you had gills implanted in your neck and they take oxygen out of the air. Â You should have said something earlier since I can’t see them. Â By the way, isn’t it dangerous to keep them covered by a scarf even if your mouth and nose are clear? Â I only ask because you look a little dizzy and maybe you should sit down. Â Come right here and we’ll get back to your purchase once you recover. Â Since I have your ear, what do you say about buying a glockenspiel just for fun? Â Hey, I need to sell at least one a week to keep the name, so you can’t blame me for trying.
Authors needed! Free promo!
Lisa Burton Radio exists to help authors promote their books to a new audience. This spot has worked well for over a year now, but we need guests to keep it going. Here is a little data about how it works, and some past posts to browse to see what you’re getting into.
Tell your friends, maybe one of them needs a place to post.
Drop me a line at coldhand (dot) boyack (at) gmail (dot) com. Let Lisa promote your books for you.
It’s my pleasure today to welcome Jaye Marie to Entertaining Stories. She and her sister have a blog tour going on, and it’s their first one. Please make them feel welcome, and share this post across your social media.
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Interview with David Snow/Broken Life
I have interviewed David Snow before, but usually in my office. This time I am visiting him in the hospital, where he is recovering from the horrendous injuries he sustained in The Broken Life, the third book in my mystery thriller series.
I’m not sure what condition I will find him in, but I believe he is almost ready to be discharged. As my job as editor I have to find out what his plans are for the future. Rumour has it that he will be retiring, but I might have other ideas about that. It would be a shame to lose him now, as…
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