ALERT: Revisions on Smashwords
If you downloaded “Seventy-Two Hours Too Long” from Smashwords during last week’s sale, click either Smashwords icon to get a revised copy. This copy is also for free.
Some of the spacing between scenes was deleted. I changed to separators, so your reading experience will be less confusing.
Secrets to #pitmad Success
For anyone new to Twitter Pitches or #PitMad in general, this sums it up. It also has great tips for creating pitches (which is tough stuff for most writers).
As the 2018 Pitch Wars Social Media director, I’ve overseen a year’s worth of #pitmad events. (If you’re unfamiliar with #pitmad, it’s a quarterly pitch party on Twitter where writers tweet a 280-character pitch for their completed, polished, unpublished manuscripts. Agents and editors make requests by liking/favoriting the tweeted pitch. More info at the link above.)
Overseeing #pitmad consists mainly of answering questions and keeping one eye on the hashtag for twelve hours straight (with help from our wonderful volunteers, of course!). Over the past year, I’ve made observations and thought I would share with you things that can increase or decrease your chances of a successful #pitmad.
Read the Rules & FAQ and … Follow Them!
I know it seems obvious, but so many people don’t bother to read the rules or think they’re somehow above them. Every single one of these rules is there for a reason —…
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Smashwords Sale of “Seventy Two Hours Too Long”
“Read an Ebook week” at Smashwords means a free copy of #OwenandMakayla, part 3!
“Seventy Two Hours Too Long” is FREE only at Smashwords and only this week! Available in several formats for a variety of ereaders.
Pick up a copy today and complete the series! (Click on pic below to download.)
THE LATEST: A drama-filled end–“Seventy-Two Hours Too Long”
“And now, the end is here“
Owen and Makayla are just finding out their relationship when Devon–annoying and supposedly “silent” investor stirs up trouble. This drama-filled ending just appeared out of thin air right after I published part two of their story, “Forty-Eight Hours of Bliss.”
The end to this trilogy takes a dark turn, but it is a romance, after all, so I promise an HEA for all of us #romancereaders .
“Seventy-Two Hours Too Long” is on sale TODAY! Pick up a copy for only $0.99 and see how it all ends!
A little self-endorsement while endorsing others
Last week my first book review with BookTrib.com came out. It was for Annie Ward’s psychological thriller novel Beautiful Bad which was an entertaining page-turner.
There’s something kind of jarring about writing a book review, especially for an author. It’s like having your own writing style on display when writing about another author’s work. You have to tow the line of being a know-it-all blowhard, while at the same time lend your credibility as an author in giving your opinion about another author’s work.
It’s so much easier when it’s a good book which this one is. Pick up this one and enjoy!
Owen & Makayla 3: Cover Reveal
Cover Reveal! So, Valentine’s Day is not my favorite day. Even though I write love stories. Romance to me is not about being obligated to buy your loved one a card or chocolates (although those things are nice), it’s about how you feel and show your feelings to that loved one throughout the year for as long as you’re together, especially through the hard times.
So I feel like this reveal is apropos. “Seventy-Two Hours Too Long” follows Owen and Makayla as they make their relationship work through Owen’s impending trial. But Devon, silent yet annoying business partner, wants Owen locked away for good. With the trial date getting closer, will Devon pressure Owen into confessing? Can Owen and Makayla’s relationship survive the pressure? And what is Veronica doing here after all these years?
It’s love story at its core, but it’s love swirling in a dark and sinister cloud. Perfect for Valentine’s Day. *wink* AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW, RELEASE DATE 2/26/2019
TV to Inspire: Shows I Watch
A couple of years ago, a friend of mine requested that I send her a list of all the shows I watch. At the time, I was watching a show that she fell in love with (can’t remember what that show was?? Anyway), and I guess she thought I had interesting tastes in TV.
Well, I finally got around to creating this list. I pick my TV mostly by what I like in general: I’m a superhero nerd, I’m a writer, I love love stories, I love to laugh, and I like dramatic action. The TV shows I watch give me inspiration for some of my stories, motivation to work on my crafting projects, and some great new music for playlists (I Soundhound a lot while watching TV) among other things.
Here’s a good sampling of many of the shows I watch right now, categorized by my interests/likes. Some of these fall into duplicate categories, but I’ll only list them once. These are in no particular order.
Regularly Watching
Dramas (aka “Good Stories” or “Good Writing”)
- Ozark
- Manifest
- How To Get Away With Murder
- For the People
- Succession
- The Good Fight
- The Bold Type
- Queen Sugar –from the book Queen Sugar by Natalie Baszile: This is here, and not in the TV from a Book section, because I fell in love with this show for the show itself. I didn’t read the book or have an appreciation for the book before I watched the show. Also, the cinematography is amazing (can’t get that in a book).
- Black Love –Love what I have seen so far, just need to add it to my queue to keep watching.
- Ballers
- All-American
Action Shows/DIY shows (My “Weekend DIY Girl” side)
- The Rookie
- Blindspot
- Legacies
- This Old House
- P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home
- Growing a Greener World
- For Your Home
- Design on a Dime
- Ask This Old House
- Black Lightning (Honorable Mention– interest waning in season 2)
TV From Books (The “Nerd Bunch”)
- Younger –from Younger by Pamela Redmond Satran
- You –from You by Caroline Kepnes
- The Flash –from the comic book series (DC)
- The Handmaid’s Tale –from The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
- Marvel’s Runaways –from the comic book series (Marvel)
- Marvel’s Jessica Jones –from the comic book series (Marvel)
- Marvel’s Luke Cage –from the comic book series (Marvel)
- Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger –from the comic book series (Marvel)
- The Gifted–from the X-Men and EXiles comic book series (Marvel)
- Outlander –from the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
- Supergirl –from the comic book series (DC)
TV from TV
- Homeland –from Israeli drama series Prisoners of War (2009)
- Charmed (2018) –from Charmed (1998)
Guilty Pleasures (aka “The Ratchet (the correct word is Wretched!) Bunch”)
- The Real Housewives of Atlanta
- The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
- Vanderpump Rules
- UnReal
- Empire
- Star
- Claws
When I Need a Laugh
- Grown-ish (Black-ish gets an Honorable Mention. I’m not really a regular watcher)
- Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee
- The Big Bang Theory
- Insecure
Reruns I Keep Re-running
- Star Trek: TNG
- Star Trek: Voyager
- Star Trek: DS9
- Scandal
- House
- Living Single
Sporadically Watching/TBW
Upcoming Shows/Shows on my “To Watch” List
(They interest me, but I have yet to really dive in and put them as my favs.)
- Game of Thrones–This is kind of like The Sopranos for me (see below). I missed the initial hype, and it’s almost slipping away (last season). It looks like it might be my kind of thing, but I don’t know. The 1st book is in my TBR pile as well.
- Black Mirror
- Atlanta
- Harlots
- Pose— Only 2 episodes in so far
- Bosch
- Killing Eve
- Good Girls
- Dietland–I’m trying here, for my sisters (the BBW club)
- Good Trouble–new series
- Star Trek Discovery –on principle, I don’t like what CBS is doing with its All-Access platform, and this show had issues in production, but I am a Trekkie, so I have to check it out. Plus, it got a Season 2, so…
- A Million Little Things –see “This is Us” (below). Trying to get past the 1st ep. crying spell.
- The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Also, I thought these two categories would be pretty cool:
Shows that a lot of people like, that I don’t/didn’t watch (& why)*
- Stranger Things* — Aliens? meh. Trying to get convinced to add it to my queue, but I haven’t yet, so it stays here.
- TrueBlood — The books are so much better and richer when it comes to story. HBO went overboard on the shock value and forgot the story. Also, one of the fun Easter Egg/tropes in the books couldn’t be repeated on screen because of fan response.
- This is Us* — Watched 3 episodes, cried uncontrollably, can’t go back.
- Grey’s Anatomy* — Got invested too late, couldn’t stay invested.
- The Walking Dead* — I don’t do zombies. I don’t do much horror. (“Legacies” is hanging on by a thread with their latest episodes)
- The Sopranos — Missed the hype. Not sure I want to go back now that it’s over.
- Being Mary Jane (Is this one over?)* — ditto Sopranos
- The Haves and Have-Nots* — Too soap-opera-y for me. Plus, I never got invested.
*still running as of Jan 2019
Shows that I wish weren’t canceled/that created a “ShowHole” even though they ran their course
- Mistresses –from the BBC series Mistresses (2008): It was going off the rails, but the fact that it’s gone created a summer “showhole” for me. If they had kept the show in LA where Alyssa Milano could stay on, this might still be running.
- Devious Maids –Created a fun-bingewatch “showhole” in the summer for me, but it was starting to lose it.
- Sleepy Hollow –I wish this wasn’t canceled, but I totally agree with why. Google all the controversy about it. I’m totally with fellow fans on this one.
- Fringe — Went off the rails, but I still miss it!
- The Originals –obviously a vampire show can only go for so long, but I miss this one! Legacies can’t fill this showhole.
- Reign –the CW didn’t really give this one a chance (same with The Coven–Although, I’m glad most of those actors got other roles in some great CW shows.)
- Gossip Girl –I miss the drama and love-relationship aspects. And Ed Westwick. But if there was a good adult version of this, I wouldn’t mind–The show itself ran its course. (same for One Tree Hill and The O.C.)
- The Client List —Claws fills this showhole nicely, but I do wish I knew what happened! I need closure!
- Girlfriends –I still need closure.
What are some of your favorite shows? What more should I be watching?
Note: This is one person’s ginormously uncontrollable TV habit. It is by no means indicative of anyone sane. Seriously though, I was not paid to mention, endorse (or disparage) any specific TV show, network, or TV streaming service. This is merely my opinion about TV shows and commentary on my personal choices.
