Category Archives: Blog Hop
Blog Tour and Giveaway ~ The Intrepid Men of #eNovAaW ~ Mike Markel
Mike Markel
Mike Markel writes the Detectives Seagate and Miner Mystery series, which is set in the fictional small city of Rawlings, Montana, home of Central Montana State University. That university is somewhat like Boise State University, where Mike is a professor, but in Rawlings the weather is colder, the football team less successful, and the murder rate much, much higher.
Pete Barber
Born into a blue-collar family in Liverpool, England, Pete missed The Beatles but did go to The Cavern a few times. He immigrated to the US in the early 90s, and became a citizen. After twenty years in the corporate madhouse, Pete moved to Western North Carolina where he lives with a couple llamas, two spoiled dogs, a brace of cookie-eating goats, one ferocious cat, and a wonderful wife who thankfully understands his obsessive need to write fiction.
Joe B. Parr
Joe B. Parr is a North Texas based Mystery Suspense writer. As a native of the Fort Worth, TX area, his novels are crime dramas based in and around DFW. Residents of the area will enjoy the familiar sights and sounds. For others, he provides a virtual tour highlighting the area’s feel and diversity.
His current releases, The Victim and Stolen Innocence, are available in both paperback and ebook (Kindle) on Amazon.com, Barnesandnoble.com and selected independent book stores.
He writes entertaining fiction with an undercurrent of social commentary. His books address provocative issues by introducing characters who provide multiple perspectives so that the reader is driven to explore their own thoughts.
In The Victim, those issues include gangs, media stereotypes and the racial tensions within the community. In Stolen Innocence, he highlights the growing issue of Human Trafficking and its disproportional impact on immigrant and minority communities.
What are you reading now or what do you have in your TBR pile?
I’m reading Lionel Asbo by Martin Amis, the British novelist. Even though he produces the most incendiary prose now written in English, I don’t always love his books. His satire is so astringent that sometimes it’s difficult for me to like any of his characters. But Lionel Asbo, about a young British lout who wins the lottery, and his bookish nephew, is, I think, a real breakthrough. It’s being described as a modern Great Expectations, and so far I agree. I’m loving it.
Do you write an outline before every book you write?
Yes, I do. Because I write mysteries in which three or more people could have done the initial murder, my plots are quite intricate. I always have follow-up crimes, too, that occur when my detectives begin to tighten the noose. Therefore, I have to orchestrate the action down to the day and hour. Sometimes I have to revise the outline when I think of something better, but I can’t just let the story take me where it will or I’ll end up in a ditch.
While you were writing, did you ever feel as if you were one of the characters?
Yes and no. My protagonist, the extremely flawed Detective Karen Seagate, derives a lot of her dysfunctional personality from me. And the poor woman talks a lot like me. But I made her a female because I wanted to be sure she couldn’t become me. She’s got enough problems of her own.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
This might sound stupid, but I would start with this question: Why do you want to write? If the answer is to become famous or rich, that probably won’t happen. If it is to share your story, that’s somewhat less unlikely, but still not all that likely. In fact, if you can be happy without writing, that would probably be best. Figure out another way to make money or become famous or fill your time.
Being a writer is, in some important ways, unwise. You sit in a chair all day, cutting off the circulation to your legs, making sentences and paragraphs that clearly are not very good–at least until many drafts later, and even then there’s no guarantee. Then–this is the worst thing about it–you ask people to give you something really valuable. I don’t mean a few bucks; I mean a few hours.
When I read a writer announcing a new book with words like “Exciting news: my new novel is now available,” I wonder if he or she realizes that while it might in fact be very exciting for the writer, in what universe is it likely to be exciting for the reader? With many hundreds of thousands of new books appearing, and most of them not very good or at least not to the reader’s taste, the writer is pushing a boulder up a very steep hill.
Let me be clear: I’m not talking about all those other writers out there, but not myself. I’m talking about me, too. Why should anyone care if I’m publishing a new novel? I think it’s good, just like every other author does about his or her new book. But do I think everyone ought to think it’s good, too, or that it’s worth a few bucks and a few hours? I’ve written too much to be that naive.
So, long story short (“Too late,” Dorothy Parker famously said), if you write and ask people to read it, you’re setting yourself up for a world of hurt.
But I’ll end with one other small comment. I love to write. It makes me happy. And when I get positive comments from readers, which I do surprisingly often, I’m very glad that they, for one reason or another, gave me a few hours and thought my book was not horrible.
Three-Ways ~ NanoStrike ~ Stolen Innocence
Books by Mike Markel
Detectives Seagate and Miner Mystery
Three-Ways, Volume 4
Books by Pete Barber
Love Poison
Books by Joe B. Parr
The Detective Jake Hunter Series
So what or who is #eNovAaW?
eNovel Authors at Work is a group of indie authors who believe in paying it forward…
We are dedicated to helping one another to understand the challenges facing writers in the digital universe.
Everything we discover will find its way into these pages, to help authors and readers alike to navigate the ever-changing world of books.
Our goal is all about THE BOOK. We help each other to get our books noticed and expand our audiences. Indie Publishing is constantly changing, and we do our best stay informed.
Our members can participate in individual and group promotions.
Whether an author has published one book or ten, success requires diligence, dedication, and focus. We don’t know all the answers, but we are learning who to ask, who to listen to, and how best to use the tools available to sell BOOKS.
While we respect an author’s choice in what he or she writes, we do not promote erotica, gratuitous sex, or violence.
Right here is where you can subscribe to our newsletter (at the top of the sidebar on any page). eNovel Authors will only land in your mailbox when a good book is free 99 cents or a special deal . Now and again we’ll tell you about a new release, a blog hop, or a book we discovered that made us laugh or cry or dream.
#BlogHop :: Spread Some #Indie Love
I absolutely love reading!! And what I have discovered over the last couple years, is that my favorite authors and books tend to be Indie authors! So I joined up with this blog hop to spread the word about 2 of my favorites!! If you haven’t read anything by this author, I very much encourage you to do so because she is FABULOUS!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Trina M. Lee
About Trina ~
Trina M. Lee was born in Edmonton, Alberta Canada. Writing fiction since childhood, a fascination with the supernatural developed in her early teen years and an immersion in paranormal fiction began. Trina enjoys hearing from readers and has an active social media presence.
Connect Links ~
Website: TrinaMLee.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/AuthorTrinaMLee
Twitter: Twitter.com/TrinaMLee
Her Books ~
The Alexa O’Brien Huntress Series
(click on cover to find out more)
Coming 2014
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stand Alone ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
REBEL HEART SERIES
New Series Coming Soon
Spike is a bad ass rock n’ roller with an attitude to match. She’s also a nephilim, half angel and half human. Mortal with limited angelic traits, she’s a wild child living the rebellious and sometimes dangerous rock n’ roll lifestyle. Spike wants nothing to do with her father’s kind, believing she has no place among them. Until she’s approached by an angel who insists she’s needed to join the battle between light and dark.
This series takes place in the same world and city as the Alexa O’Brien Huntress series, though each series stands on its own.
Release Date To Be Announced
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ENTER THE GIVEAWAY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE OTHER BLOG ON THIS HOP HOSTED BY b00k r3vi3ws
AND DISCOVER SOME MORE GREAT INDIE AUTHORS!!
Blog Tour and Giveaway ~ Where Words Fail by Katheryn Kiden
Abby Irons has it all together.She has a life everyone envies. She’s the frontman for the band Thirty Ought Six and co-owns Ironsound Records with her twin brother Alex. A girl with the world at her feet so young must be happy.
Except everything is tainted by a past that won’t stop coming up. A present that is falling apart everywhere but onstage, and a future that shes not so sure about.
Deceased parents, a sick brother, a six year old niece with no mother and a band and business to keep going while everything is falling apart.
When her lead guitarist Derek admits himself into rehab for a drug problem will his replacement cause more problems than he fixes?
Jameson Williams lost the love of his life because of an addict father.He won’t keep a woman around for more than a night because of it and hasn’t had much of a life since he got out of the Marines. His older brother pushes him audition for a temporary guitar position for a major band and make something out of himself. When he gets it he’s more than excited…Until he reaches the tour bus and meets the band.
Will his past bite him and ruin any chance of a future?
Money,fame,love and life are all up in the air.
Excerpt #1:
Motherfuckers. Just because I’m a freshman doesn’t mean anything. I don’t usually let myself get walked all over, but I just can’t seem to help it. I’m a freshman. Fresh fucking meat and I have to behave myself. It doesn’t help my case that I’m probably the smallest person here, or that I have bright red hair and glasses. Nope that just makes it easier to stomp on me.
The only person I know at this school is my twin brother Alex. But even he doesn’t know how to handle how they treat me. He’s the lucky one out of the two of us. Somehow he got the height and ended up a blonde instead of a goddamn ginger. As a freshman, he already stood five feet nine, and the doctors don’t expect him to stop growing anytime soon. Me… They say I probably won’t make it over five four.
Fuck my life.
Excerpt #2:
Abby swiveled around from her usual perch on the backwards chair at the counter to see who walked by. “Oh, Izzy I can’t believe I haven’t introduced you guys. Jameson come here. This Izzy, is Jameson. He’s the new guitar player. Jameson, this is my niece Izzy.”
“Hey Izzy… It’s nice to meet you.” I’ve heard this girl talk before. She’s usually sweet and talkative.
“Do you do drugs?” Whoa… Never expected that from a six year old.
“Izzy!” Both Abby and Alex scolded [KK1] her.
“No, it’s ok guys.” I turned my attention back to the screen. “No, Izzy. I do not do drugs?”
“Good… Because drugs are bad and don’t think for one second I wouldn’t make you go right where Uncle Derek is.”
“Well I certainly hope you would. I don’t like drugs or what they do to people.” Abby smiled beside me as I said my goodbyes to Izzy and started to walk away, but Abby grabbed my arm and told me she wanted me to meet Alex too. My stomach dropped. My hands started to sweat, and my heart was racing a mile a minute. I knew. I knew something bad was going to happen.
I should have run away. Run away and not look back.
Excerpt #3:
When we finally got to the edge of the stage, I grabbed her hand and tugged her back towards me.
“I think we need to talk.” Her green eyes bore into mine.
“Yeah… I think we do, but I can’t do it right now. Maybe once we get settled back home, but not right now. I need to get back to Alex and Izzy and deal with all that.”
I just nodded and let go of her hand. I could handle not talking right this second, even if I didn’t want to wait. I’d give her time as long as it meant that I got her back in my life. And I wasn’t quite sure what she meant by having to deal with Alex and Izzy, but I wasn’t going to push it. She knows, so now all I can do is wait for her to be ready to talk to me.
Katheryn Kiden was born in Boothbay Harbor Maine in 1989 and raised in Newcastle. She was raised with four brothers. Katheryn graduated when she was sixteen and has been writing since she was young. When she isn’t attached to a keyboard you can usually find her with her two younger brothers, friends, or with a camera in her hand.
Facebook – Twitter – Author GoodReads – Add on GoodReads
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAY BLOG HOP
WELCOME!!
Hello and welcome to my stop on the Home for the Holidays Blog Hop!
I am super excited to share two(because I could NOT decided on just one LOL!) recipes that have been family favorites and traditions to have every year!
The first is one that my mother made every year without fail for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners ~
Green Bean Casserole
2 cans french cut green beans, drained
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup milk
1 can French’s fried onions
1/8 tsp pepper
Spray cooking spray in a casserole dish, pour in the green beans. Mix pepper, milk and mushroom soup together until well blended and pour over green beans. Sprinkle half of fried onions over top. Cook uncovered at 350* for 25 minutes. Sprinkle rest of fried onions over top and bake for 5 more minutes.
********************
My second favorite recipe that my granny made every year is a dessert, of course!
Granny’s Chocolate Pie
Filling ingredients:
4 tablespoons of cocoa or 1 1/2 squares of baking chocolate
3/4 cups of sugar
5 tablespoons of flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
2 egg yolks, beaten slightly
1 tablespoon of butter
Meringue ingredients:
2 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon of salt
4 tablespoons of sugar
Your favorite pie crust
Directions
Mix your sugar, flour, salt, cocoa, eggs and milk (all except vanilla and butter) with a whisk.
Cook while stirring on medium until it bubbles and thickens, about five to 10 minutes. If it becomes lumpy, just beat out the lumps. (It will not get any thicker in the oven so cook until it’s as thick as you want it.)
Grand Prize Shopping Spree: $450+ Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Second Place Grand Prize: (1) E-Book from every participating Author.
Grand Prize Shopping Spree: $450+ Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Second Place Grand Prize: (1) E-Book from every participating Author
Be sure to leave a comment on the blog post with your email addy to be entered to win the grand prize! Every stop you visit and comment at will get you another entry toward the grand prize! Be sure to visit all the stops!
TOUR LIST OF STOPS – CLICK HERE!
– See more at: http://www.snifferwalk.org/2013/11/13/home-holidays-blog-hop/#sthash.Vw1KKRTZ.dpuf
Grand Prize Shopping Spree: $450+ Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Second Place Grand Prize: (1) E-Book from every participating Author
Be sure to leave a comment on the blog post with your email addy to be entered to win the grand prize! Every stop you visit and comment at will get you another entry toward the grand prize! Be sure to visit all the stops!
TOUR LIST OF STOPS – CLICK HERE!
– See more at: http://www.snifferwalk.org/2013/11/13/home-holidays-blog-hop/#sthash.Vw1KKRTZ.dpuf
A Book Junky's Obsession 
You must be logged in to post a comment.