For writers

Publishing and other forms of Insanity has this post on great writing contests with no entry fee that have great prizes as a reward. They range from poetry, creating writing to published novels. Check them out and a huge thank you to Publishing and Other Forms of Insanity for the tip!

https://publishedtodeath.blogspot.com/2020/08/29-writing-contests-in-september-2020.html

Little shout out

Just wanted to give a little shout out to someone that I personally think is a great writer, Luther M. Siler. You might not have heard about this particular author but he’s been around for a bit. He writes mostly fiction but, here’s where he’s really great: he writes so fluidly that reading his work is effortless. Plus, and this is a big one for me, he’s funny. There’s a humorous aspect to his writing that makes me keep wanting to read.

Let me give you a little example. Take this book review blog entry. Blog entries are small, humble and basically just provide some information or show a point of view. Book reviews are usually informative. That’s it. They’re not fun to read in themselves. Luther’s is informative (without spoiling the book) but it’s also so fun to read.

I was just snooping around his site when I read this book review. It’s not the type of book I’d read but, his review is simply delicious. I read it twice and had to stop and admire just how well he writes.

He hasn’t asked me to write this and has no idea I’m doing it. I just thought I’d share it because talent is hard to find but when I do find it, it’s just lovely.

So, if you’re on the hunt for a good read, you might want to check out his site.

A surprising holiday gift

A little while ago, I moaned on this little blog that my beloved computer had died. I finally got it back and we have renewed our loving relationship. However, it didn’t have Word working on it. The computer kept asking me for the Key Number and the box was lost in the depths of our basement.

Along the same time, I got a little surprise from D. Emery Bunn, a writer and editor who I believe will go far. He had finished the second book in his series Darkness Trilogy and wanted me to have a look at it. I had checked out his first book, Darkness Concealed and loved it, so I was super excited that I got his second book as a holiday gift.

The only problem was that his book was in Word.

Here is where the magic of the holidays came back in because today, my lovely hubby (who loses more things than the Bermuda Triangle) found the Key for me.

I’ve started reading Darkness Revealed…

I’m pretty pumped. And I’m pretty scared. This is not a book for the faint of heart.

But you can bet there’ll be a review in your future of the book… 🙂

For Authors

This is for those among you who are authors. Positive Writer has this great compilation of fantastic blogs just for you. In fact, they have the top 50 from 2016 with their top posts ready for your inquisitive click.

Here’s the link: http://positivewriter.com/top-50-writing-blogs-for-2016/

And a huge, HUGE thank you to Positive Writer for that awesome gem of a post!

For authors

I spotted some really great resources for authors and I had to share them. Here they are, with a tiny explanation as to why they’re awesome.

1. How to query. This one is from Heather Webb an editor and writer herself, from Romance University. She tells you what to do and what to avoid in those so-important queries.
2. If you’re writing a query, you must start by finding an agent. You can look everywhere, or you can go to Agent Query. Truly the best site on the web for such a search. It’s not only the largest online but the most up to date.
3. If point number one only ended up terrifying you (which happened to me), then hang on and read these posts on the Fear of Writing from Kelly Leiter or try this one from the Tiny Buddha on how to transform Self-Criticism into Self-Appreciation!
4. Finally, if you’re shouting, great links, Taylor but I want more! Here’s a great resource site from Tina Hunter with tons of links. Her site rocks! Just check out this page filled with reviewers by genre!

Yeey links!

 

Pay It Forward: Heather B. Costa

Pay It Forward Fridays came from this post by Emily Guido. The idea is to feature a blogger or author on Fridays and give them a little shoutout. Anyone goes as long as they’re interested.

I’ve received an incredible amount of support from bloggers, authors and people I’ve met on line who didn’t know me and were just very kind, supportive souls. And, when I read that post by Emily Guido, I thought: time to give back.

I loved this quote from Emily’s mother:

“I cast a couple of pieces of bread on the water and the waves bring me back a ham sandwich.”

Karma is a beautiful thing.

Today I’m focusing on Heather B. Costa.

I apologize for the tiny picture but Heather is a little shy. This is her avatar.

She says of herself:

“My name is Heather B. Costa and I am an aspiring writer who one day hopes to have her own book published. I only began writing seriously in 2012 and it has gone from being a hobby to a way of life.

I devote as much time as I can to learning my craft and developing my skills and I am now taking my first serious steps towards achieving my goals and becoming a published author in my own right.”

Heather is an aspiring author who’s working hard at her dream. She has an awesome blog that has several amazing features.

Check out her Writing Resources. She also does music and media film reviews here.

Heather is even open to reviewing other books, indie or traditionally published.

Heather has a fantastic sense of humour. Check out the section in her blog dedicated to silly, fun stuff.

Most importantly, Heather is incredibly talented. Check out one of the fantastic pieces of fiction she published in her blog. Here was her prompt: “I’m telling you this story because you are the only person I can trust not to judge me . . .”

“I’m telling you this story because you are the only people I can trust not to judge me. Ever since we first met, when your eyes met my own, I knew we had a connection. You looked at me with such trust that I felt some of the walls I’d built around my heart crumbling and falling away.

We’ve known each other for long enough for me to tell you the truth. This may be hard to hear, but knowing this will save you a great deal of heartache in the future.

There are bad people out there, some closer than you think. Even people who were meant to love and protect you will be the ones who’ll hurt you the most. Who knows what drives the darkness in their hearts, but know now that your trust and respect should be earned by those around you. Make sure that, whoever you open your heart to, you choose wisely, for once a heart has been broken it can never be truly mended. Those scars will stay with you for the rest of your life, fading with time, but a painful reminder of past hurts.

For some, you will never be good enough, no matter what you do. There are people in this life who want to hurt you for no good reason. Don’t give them the time of day and NEVER let them know that their cruel words have left their mark. Look those people in the eye and know that you are better than they will ever be.

Life is full of mistakes, but learning from them is what counts. Trust me, I’ve made a few of my own. When something goes wrong, use the experience to do better in the future. Don’t blame yourself for mistakes made, for that is how we learn and grow as people. Have courage in your convictions and stand up for what you know is right. Your heart is pure and untainted – keep it that way.

Time is precious so spend it with the ones you love and don’t be afraid to tell them how much they mean to you. Live and love with all of your heart; you can be anything you want to be.

You’ll grow, get older and probably outgrow my company, but know this: I will be with you every step of the way, teaching you, guiding you, supporting you to be the best that you can possibly be. I’ll be there for every birthday, every Christmas and every life event in between.

I’ll be there to remind you of your aunt and how much she loved you, how delighted she would be in the progress that you’ve made and everything you’ll ever achieve. I can never replace her, but I can try to fill some of the void that her passing caused.

She’ll live on through us all – in our hearts, in our minds and in our memories.”

Wanna know more? Want to give her some support? You can follow her on Twitter @HeatherBCosta or check out her blog Trials of a Wanna-Be-Published Writer.

Karma

Pay It Forward: Callum McLaughlin

Pay It Forward Fridays came from this post by Emily Guido. The idea is to feature a blogger or author on Fridays and give them a little shoutout. Anyone goes as long as they’re interested.

I’ve received an incredible amount of support from bloggers, authors and people I’ve met on line who didn’t know me and were just very kind, supportive souls. And, when I read that post by Emily Guido, I thought: time to give back.

I loved this quote from Emily’s mother:

“I cast a couple of pieces of bread on the water and the waves bring me back a ham sandwich.”

Karma is a beautiful thing.

Today I’m focusing on Callum McLaughlin.

He says of himself: “Born and raised in the Scottish countryside, Callum McLaughlin works as a freelance content writer and in November 2013, published his first book, The Vessel. His next release came in October 2014 with False Awakening.

Outside of fiction, he is a keen poet and released his first collection in 2015.

A lover of all things literature, music and nature, he takes his biggest inspiration from the world around us.”

His influences are: “Thomas Hardy, JK Rowling, Henry James.”

A very talented author, Callum has already published two books.

The Vessel is a suspense thriller and Callum’s first book. Here’s the blurb:

“The story follows nineteen year old Eva Cole as she struggles to expose the truth in a world equally as ravaged by famine and disease as it is ruled by corrupt government. With extreme measures being taken to try and save the dying population and innocent people becoming embroiled in secrets and lies, she could be the only chance the people have to obtain justice.”

It is available to buy now via Amazon UK, both as a paperback and a Kindle download here or in the same formats via Amazon USA here. You can also find it on Goodreads here.

False Awakening is a mystery thriller and Callum’s second book. Here’s the blurb.

“The story follows teenager Abi Watson, who wakes in a hospital bed with no memory of the incident that put her there. She must strive to uncover the truth from the depths of her own mind while dealing with the various complex relationships with the people around her.”

It is available to buy now via Amazon UK, both as a paperback and a Kindle download here or in the same formats via Amazon USA here. You can also find it on Goodreads here.

But that’s not all. Callum is also an amazing poet. His first poetry collection is available now. Check out the incredible cover.

You can click on it to find out more or head to Goodreads. It’s also available for purchase at Amazon.com or Amazon.uk.

You can also check out his site callummclaughlin.wordpress.com Callum is also incredibly supportive. Contact him at this link! He loves to hear from “readers and writers alike”. Why not check out this talented author?

Karma

 

BE PREPARED FOR ACTION! #MONDAYBLOG #1000SPEAK

Inspired by this post from Melissa Barker-Simpson, I thought I’d join in and add some beautiful quotes on compassion. Meanwhile, to find out more about the project, click here.

Pay It Forward Friday: Wanted

Pay It Forward Fridays came from this post by Emily Guido. The idea is to feature a blogger or author on Fridays and give them a little shoutout. Anyone goes as long as they’re interested.

I’ve received an incredible amount of support from bloggers, authors and people I’ve met on line who didn’t know me and were just very kind, supportive souls. And, when I read that post by Emily Guido, I thought: time to give back.

I loved this quote from Emily’s mother:

“I cast a couple of pieces of bread on the water and the waves bring me back a ham sandwich.”

Karma is a beautiful thing.

So far, I’ve been picking people but it occurred to me that some might not appreciate it or the timing might not be what they want. Instead, I thought I’d ask.

Are you interested in getting a little attention? Is there a date that might suit you? My blog is humble but I promise to give it all my shouting power. You can contact me through the Contact tab and keep your comment private. Or you can suggest someone else who might be too shy to speak for themselves.

Or you might be sick of this feature, ask that I stop, in the name of all the gods above, and get a new idea. I’m good with that too.

Karma

BE PREPARED FOR ACTION! #MONDAYBLOG #1000SPEAK

Inspired by this post from Melissa Barker-Simpson, I thought I’d join in and add some beautiful quotes on compassion. Meanwhile, to find out more about the project, click here.