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Saturday, August 31, 2013

Professional Edits & New Releases


Again with the wordiness.

Since signing contracts with Master Koda Select Publishing, I've had three manuscripts perused by my publisher and given the once-over (twice, three times...) by professional editors. It's an anxious time when your blood, sweat and tears are bound up in a file and sent off for others to dissect. As a writer, you know exactly what you're trying to say and the emotions you're trying to elicit from your readers. Editors, on the other hand, sift through your words to see if said words come together into understandable sentences, paragraphs and chapters. Does the work flow flawlessly between scenes? Is it historically factual? Is there too much clutter in the story?

It can be hard to slash things from a story you've worked on for months. Hard, but not impossible – and necessary. Editors don't get enough credit sometimes. I suppose it's because when our manuscripts come back to us with red marks scattered throughout, we sometimes bristle at their remarks. How could he/she possibly understand what I was trying to say here? They don't know what they’re talking about. How dare they suggest I cut that scene out! The fact is – they do know what they're talking about. Now, I know there are bad editors out there but I'm not talking about them. No, I’m talking about professional editors who know and love their work. These editors do nothing more than help writers make their story the best it can be.

Arlene O'neil is one such editor; she's straight forward and honest. She is also gentle with her remarks. This isn't an ad for A. O'neil but if you're looking for a great editor, she fits the bill. She has edited the first two books in my 'Rough Hewn Trilogy'; People of Kilmservy Village and Discoveries & Escape. Thank goodness that most of the red marks in these manuscripts have been in my punctuation.  Yes, elementary school stuff! *turns red and shakes head* But, that's one good reason to hire an editor. I realized that I needed the advantages afforded by a professional edit. I'm very happy that I did not publish without these edits. After all, we writers should publish nothing but the absolute best and most polished story we can have for our readers to enjoy.

DeEtte Beckstead Anderton at DeEditing Services is also such an editor. Her sweet, gentle way softens even the deepest red editing mark. She and my publisher, KimMutch Emerson, are responsible for the edits in my debut release; 'Ziggy Returns: A Short Tale', a short ghost story available at Amazon.com for 99¢. The edits on this story were my first professional editing experience. It was enlightening, to say the least. It was also the first story where I had to cut an entire scene. *Ouch* I liked that scene. It had lots of back and forth banter between the characters. But, in the end, it didn't move the story forward which made it pointless. If the reader gets bored and starts flipping through the pages, you've lost them and that's not a good thing for any author who wishes to engage their readers.


Here again I'll share with you what I've learned and am reminded of with each new edit - save the last one.

I am still guilty of being too wordy. I like to throw in a lot of nonessential words. Seriously, why do that? I suppose if I had the answers to that question, I wouldn't do it in every story I write!

Here are three examples of my wordiness from 'Rough Hewn: People of Kilmservy Village'. The first sentences are my original followed by the less wordy versions that sound much better while still saying what needed to be said. The last lines are the best however; the second lines work okay too.

  1. Allison said as she took the reins.
  2. Allison took the reins.

  1. Manus asked as he poked at the coals in the fading fire.
  2. Manus poked at the coals in the fading fire.
  3. Manus poked at the coals.

  1. Oliver said as he tossed a can over one of the rails in the shelter.
  2. Oliver tossed a can over one of the rails in the shelter.
  3. Oliver tossed a can over a rail in the shelter.


So, you can see from these three examples that it's not as difficult as it seems to cut things down while polishing your final manuscript. Believe me, it's worth every bit of extra effort you put into your book. Never be afraid to cut unnecessary bits from your story. Engage the reader - keep the story moving. Your readers will thank you.



As I mentioned earlier, 'Ziggy Returns' is available at Amazon.com now. The Rough Hewn Trilogy will release on 7 September, 2013. The first book, People of Kilmservy Village is the shortest in length of the three. Set in the mid to late 1800s, it follows the Stuttshire and Breckenship families’ travels from the beaches of North Carolina across the hills into East Tennessee where they build and settle homesteads that pass down through generations. This book shows the history of family feuds within the village and sets up Carolyn 'Carrie' Dunsmorrest's story, which follows in the second and third books.



Moonshine maker, Ziggy Fuller, was a mean man who drank too much of his own product. So much so that he accidentally shoots himself at the dinner table one evening after sampling too much of the days’ work. The damage is severe enough that a trip to the nearest hospital and emergency surgery cannot save his life. He dies on the operating table.

His widow, Minna, dreams of being free to live a peaceful and quiet life without her husband’s constant barrage of insults and cruelty.

When her husband dies, she sees it as her opportunity to finally have the life she has dreaming about for years. She sets out to remove all reminders of him from her home and life.

Little did she know that even a dead Ziggy would not leave home without having the last word. When she returns home from the hospital after learning of his passing, she feels his presence and soon realizes that he is still in the home with her.  He wants to make things right between them and refuses to leave until he has done so.

~~~~~~~

A new home in a new land brings with it far more than one family expected when they set out on their journey.

Oliver Stuttshire has one thing in mind - to make a better life for his family. While working toward that end, he learns the hard way that sometimes, even those closest to you cannot be trusted. 

Carving a village out of the wild hills of the mid south, he and his family welcome others whose descendants still live in the old homesteads. Murder, secrets and lies abound from the beginning. Family feuds are carried over for generations fed by the worst kind of evil that runs through the Breckenship bloodline.

Depravity lives on the mountain above the idyllic village of Kilmservy. 

         Coming to Amazon.com 7 September, 2013


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Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Author S.L. Wallace



At the desk today, we get a closer look at S.L. Wallace’s new book, Retrospection (which is on sale through the end of August for a mere 99¢) and the Reliance of Citizens trilogy. When not spinning fantastic tales to entertain readers, the author’s days are spent helping to mold young minds as a teacher. A little birdie told me that the children thrive under her tutelage and care. Plants, on the other hand, don’t do as well. It is probably best to give this author/teacher a lovely journal rather than a potted plant at the end of the school year kiddos. 

Let's get right to those books, shall we?
~*~

What if there is more to reality
than you ever imagined?

When Claire wakes up in the hospital, she discovers a stranger in her room who only she can see and hear. Learning Jhidhai's secrets will take her on a journey through both time and space. But Claire has secrets of her own—secrets that will lead her toward a destination she would never have imagined.

Set in Chicago 2001, as well as numerous historic time periods, the paranormal meets the historical in a seamless blend of action, wonder and excitement.





To purchase 'Retrospection', see the links below.


~*~


In a world divided by class warfare,the
Maddock siblings must decide who
to trust and where their loyalties lie.

Keira Maddock lives in a dark future in which the Elite have everything, and everyone else suffers. She is a survivor. Out of necessity, she has become a skilled seductress, thief and bounty hunter – a Freelancer. When a typical job goes awry, it changes everything. Alliances are formed, long kept secrets are revealed and lives are forever changed.


In book one of the Reliance on Citizens trilogy, S.L. Wallace introduces a world divided in which not everyone is who he seems to be. In a seamless blend of action, sci-fi, romance and political suspense, we are encouraged to consider the bonds that makes us human.


'Price of a Bounty' LitFlix:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uowu1xzASqk 

To purchase 'Price of Bounty', see the links below.


~*~

The class divide must be closed,
and Keira, Guy and Aimee are
determined to make that happen.
Greed. Power. Class division. Resistance.

The Terenian government has worked hard to divide the haves from the have-nots. Guy Bensen, Elite bachelor of the year, wants a better life for everyone. Thief/hired killer, Keira Maddock, hungers for equality. Together, they might be able to change society.

Meanwhile, due to tragic events caused by the Divide, Keira's younger sister, April, has left her baby in the realm across the sea. Now she returns to Terene. With the arrival of two very different men, her life becomes complicated. In order to be safe, April must hide her identity. In order to live, she must open her heart.

In book two of the Reliance on Citizens trilogy, S.L. Wallace delves deeper into political intrigue as we examine the bonds that make us human, blending the genres of action, sci-fi, romance and political suspense.

Canvas Skies Litflix:
                    
To purchase 'Canvas Skies', follow the links below:


~*~

What will it take for a broken
society to be repaired? ‘Eleven
year-old, Noah, is about to find out.
The laws of Terene may have changed, but that doesn't mean the hearts and minds of its people have.

Life in the peaceful and technologically advanced realm of Mediterra is all eleven year-old diabetic Noah can remember and all his sister, Nadine, has ever known. With a new President of Mediterra, however, the family is forced to leave. Scott Maddock has decided to move his family back to his homeland of Terene where life has supposedly changed for the better. Being dropped into the heart of a prejudiced society and becoming the target of the baddest bully at school, Noah isn't so sure.

How far will they go to stand up for what is right?

In book three of the Reliance on Citizens trilogy, S.L. Wallace takes a look at equality, bullying and prejudice, while seamlessly blending the genres of action, sci-fi and political suspense.
Heart of Humanity Litflix:



To purchase 'Heart of Humanity', follow the links below:


~*~



S.L. Wallace is an upper elementary Montessori teacher and lifelong writer who is a descendant of the famous William Wallace. Like him, she believes in freedom and independence. Unlike him, she fights her battles with the pen. S.L. has a quirky family and prefers quirky friends. If you see her out and about, she is likely looking for some fun.




~*~

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Monday, August 26, 2013

'Love & Betrayal on the Santa Fe' by Lisa Day




Please welcome Lisa Day to the desk today. It's a good day when one can share a Lisa Day book. That makes today a good day because we have her new novel.


The American Frontier is the setting for Lisa Day’s novel, Love & Betrayal on the Santa Fe. This fictional historical romance takes place in 1859 on the Santa Fe Trail.



As was the case during the early years, many unattached women left the more civilized settlements of the East to travel west into the wilds where clashes between Native peoples and newcomers were common. In many instances, stories were twisted by the time they reached the eastern coast. Natives were not all savages and all white men trekking across the frontier were not gentlemen. Six women learn these lessons first hand as they make the journey by wagon train under the watchful eye of Wade Masterson.


Pick up your copy today by clicking on the links below.

US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EEDTFYG

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00EEDTFYG

CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00EEDTFYG


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Wednesday, August 21, 2013

At the Desk today: G. Mitchell Baker's Books



I have a treat for you today - we're going to get a closer look at author G. Mitchell Baker's 'The Involvement of Emerson' as well as sneak a peek at his 'Lethal Believers' series of books.

I'm sure you've heard of G. Mitchell Baker. His books fly through the Amazon checkout line as fast as they hit the virtual shelves. If you haven't heard of him, you'll certainly want to check out his books today. I'll even add all the links you'll need to stalk...errr, I meant, find him and his books.

First up, 'The Involvement of Emerson'

Jon Emerson, no longer the arrogant legal professional and no longer the sovereign over meaningless relationships, finds himself on the streets of Seattle, eventually experiencing meaningful relationships
 with the likes of Bug Dog, Chilly, Lutza, Speedy G, Abra, and Dana. 

They all, in their own way remind, and sometimes teach Jon to remain involved in his Childrens’ lives, and to honor their need for their father, to remain involved.

Take up with Jon on his journey, and learn whether he listens more, and perhaps learns enough to sustain any commitment for re-
connecting with his children. Follow Jon to discover whether there emerges from him a sense of faith perhaps necessary for Jon to be the 
best father possible, under all circumstances, regardless of any challenge. Or, will Jon be left to consider more of what it will take 
to be, and remain a man involved. Find Jon, as he finds for himself what it takes to be involved in meaningful relationships.

'The Involvement of Emerson' is available for purchase at the links provided below.

Amazon U.S. (Kindle)   Amazon U.S. (Paperback)   Amazon U.K. (Kindle)   Amazon U.K. (Paperback) 




Next up, we have the 'Lethal Believers' series.

 'Lethal Believers: The Innocents'

“Lethal Believers: The Innocents” is the first in the Lethal Believers series. For Intense Metaphysical Visionary Paranormal with Mythic elements, look to Master Koda Select Publishing™ for “Lethal Believers: The Innocents”, the latest Amazon Best Selling novel by G. Mitchell Baker.

Malachi Danta-Mercadel believes his responsibilities as renowned paederast hunter conveyed to the next generation when he retired from INTERPOL. However, given his lifetime of handiwork for exposing and compromising Mantid Tranquil’s illicit operations, Danta’s long-time nemesis never agrees to accede, persisting to avenge Danta’s efficiency.

Reluctantly, Danta rises again to confront Mantid Tranquil, but there is the most intense intervention of what appears a persistent paranormal, a sophisticated supernatural, and perhaps this most pernicious of preternatural experience engaging Danta and Mantid Tranquil during the course revenge. Will Danta adequately defend against the known and unknown phenomena bearing down upon him, or, will vengeance of the Lethal Believers and the uncertainty of mythic elements prevail at the expense of The Innocents?

Purchase your copy of 'Lethal Believers: The Innocents' at the links below.
Amazon U.S.   Amazon U.K.


'Lethal Believers: DVM'


“Lethal Believers: DVM” is the second novel in the Lethal Believers Series as a year later, Danta, protector of The Innocents considers Lamia’s invitation to collaborate. The myth in search of rehabilitation, wants the company of her stoic enabler. Their worlds continue to merge as Kagan and Evan Brancher experience the loss of their champion horse, Random, by the scourge of Mantid Tranquil. With Mantid losing control of its DVM, worlds collide and there is more collaboration to protect in response.  Can ‘The Innocents’ be protected and will their determination and the mythology enough to make a positive difference in the chaotic world?  Are The Innocents learning enough to ultimately prevail against Mantid Tranquil, or, will Danta and Lamia collaborate and continue roping in the corrupted members of the insolent organization?

You'll can pick up your copy of 'Lethal Believers: DVM' at the links below.
Amazon U.S.   Amazon U.K.


Lethal Believers: DVM is not the last in the series so, if you want more after reading the first two, check out “Lethal Believers: Cave Ravens” which is now with Master Koda Select Publishing and scheduled for release 2014.


Now living in the Deep South, G. Mitchell Baker also enjoys living out west, from the southwest United States to western Canada. Having practiced law for more than twenty years, Baker enjoys researching and writing projects that draw him into the many genres, to include contemporary fiction, science fiction, and paranormal, metaphysical, and visionary works of fiction.  In addition, a writer of feature length screenplays, Baker enjoys adapting his novels to screenplay and, adapting his screenplays to novels.

Baker has been fortunate to compete at the highest levels in sports to include baseball and karate.  This spirit leads to his also striving to compete at the highest levels to entertain his readership. Moreover, it is in this spirit Baker invites you to visit and re-visit his ‘Anything But a Tired Barn’ author website and, to become familiar with his current and ongoing projects.



Remember when I mentioned that I knew where to find G. Mitchell? Here's where I share all that great information with you!

  • G Mitchell Baker, Author:

Website:  

Twitter: 
@G_MitchellBaker

Face Book:  

LinkedIn: 


  • The Involvement of Emerson:

Website:  

Twitter: 
@G_MitchellBaker

Face Book:  

LinkedIn:  


  • Lethal Believers: The Innocents:

Website:  
  
Twitter: 
@G_MitchellBaker

Face Book:  



  • Lethal Believers: DVM:


Website:  
  
Twitter: 
@G_MitchellBaker

Face Book:  




Thursday, August 8, 2013

End of the Rainbow - Not Hardly


No, there’s no pot of gold at the end of this rainbow. But, I have finally found the spot where the beams of color meet the ground. You might say I’m looking down from cloud nine at the end of the rainbow but that, too, would be a wrong assumption. You’ll notice from my wordiness here that I am a rambler, I’m certain I've mentioned that before. My publisher and editor have each noted that very thing. Thank heavens for them as they have saved me from my verbose self!

What’s my point? I have exciting news to share. My paranormal short story, Ziggy Returns, will be available on Amazon tomorrow. It’s the first piece of fiction I've had published. I’m lucky that I found the perfect publisher to handle my crazy style. To be an author with Master Koda Select Publishing means so much to me because Kim Mutch Emerson and her entire team worked with me, as they do with all their authors, to bring out the best of my Ziggy tale.

I am anxious about it going live, as most first time authors are, I imagine. Excited, yet, apprehensive that it will be out of the shadows of my hard drive and sitting under the lights at Amazon where anyone with a mind to can pick it up and read it.

I’m blessed to have the support of close family and friends who have pushed me along this journey. Now that I can see the end of the rainbow, it’s only the beginning…surely, there is another rainbow with a pot of imaginary gold to be found!

Thank you to my publisher, Kim Mutch Emerson at Master Koda Select Publishing. My editors, Arlene O’Neil & DeEtte Beckstead Anderton are absolute dreams come true and I’d love to chain either of them to the leg of my desk where I’d keep them forever. Just don’t tell them I said that!


 ~~~


If you've a mind to, please have a look at Amazon tomorrow for Ziggy Returns: A Short Tale. 
I’d love to hear what you think of the story.
~~~