Monday, August 29

Gorilla Island

A couple of relaxing days on Nolin Lake in Kentucky last week. Mid-week is the time to go. We had the lake to ourselves. No rain, calm waters, not too hot, and a little local lore to round out the scenic boat trip.


Christened Gorilla Island by locals, the lone resident of this tiny piece of land is--what else--a gorilla. Actually, it's the statue of a gorilla. How did it get there? No one is saying. One day it just appeared. The locals quickly adopted the new mascot. He--or she--dons a new outfit every so often so the community must be providing her--or him--with the "bare" necessities of life.


It just proves you don't have to travel to far away exotic places to see noteworthy sites. Or maybe it doesn't take much to entertain me these days. 

How was your week/weekend?


Saturday, August 27

Stephanie Faris, Barnes & Noble Author of the Month!

Congratulations, Stephanie!


Stephanie Faris's book signing today
Barnes and Noble Bookstore
Hamilton Place Mall
Chattanooga, Tennessee
August 27, 2016
2:00 PM










Wednesday, August 24

How to Kick the Rejection Blues

Welcome to Stephanie Faris's Piper Morgan Blog Tour. Her subject today is something that I must deal with on a regular basis: Rejection. 

Congratulations, Stephanie, on the release of two new *Piper Morgan books!




by Stephanie Faris
Rejection. Nobody enjoys it. In fact, for most of us, being told “no” can be either a) depressing or b) frustrating, depending on where we are in our careers. Writing rejection can be more difficult than any other type of rejection since our stories are so closely tied to who we are.
No matter how much success you have as a writer, you’ll still face rejection. Your publisher or agent will say “no” to the latest manuscript you sent in. Or a reader will leave a scathing review on Amazon or Goodreads. Every time you think you might have some small amount of talent, someone’s always there to knock you back to reality again, bringing those doubts right back to the surface.
Does it get easier over time? I think so. Eventually, you get a yes that makes all the no’s so much easier to take. The next 50 rejections are tough, but you get some good news and soon you don’t mind the rejections as much. Why? Because people have told you yes, which lets you know you have the talent it takes to get your work published. You’ll always have doubts, but with time those voices get a little quieter.
Some writers play a game that seems to work. They collect rejections. The goal is to get as many no’s as they can each year, counting each one and bragging about them. Those no’s are huge accomplishments because they represent the fact that you’re trying. If you send out five queries to agents or editors, you’re highly unlikely to get a yes unless you’re really lucky. If you send out 100 or 200? Your odds increase significantly.

My prescription for the rejection blues? Get back up, dust yourself off, and try again. And set a goal to wallpaper your bathroom with all of the rejection emails you’re going to get. Wear those rejections with pride. They represent the courage you have that so many other writers don’t. 


***


*In Piper Morgan Joins the Circus, Piper learns her mom’s new job will be with the Big Top Circus. She can’t wait to learn all about life under the big top, see all the cool animals, and meet the Little Explorers, the other kids who travel with the show. She’s even more excited to learn that she gets to be a part of the Little Explorers and help them end each show with a routine to get the audience on their feet and dancing along!

*In Piper Morgan in Charge, Piper’s mom takes a job in the local elementary school principal’s office. Piper is excited for a new school and new friends—and is thrilled when she is made an “office helper.” But there is one girl who seems determined to prove she is a better helper—and she just so happens to be the principal’s daughter. Can Piper figure out how to handle being the new girl in town once more?

BIO:  Stephanie Faris knew she wanted to be an author from a very young age. In fact, her mother often told her to stop reading so much and go outside and play with the other kids. After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in broadcast journalism, she somehow found herself working in information technology. But she never stopped writing.

Stephanie is the Simon & Schuster author of 30 Days of No Gossip and 25 Roses. When she isn’t crafting fiction, she writes for a variety of online websites on the topics of business, technology, and her favorite subject of all—fashion. She lives in Nashville with her husband, a sales executive.
You can find Stephanie online at:


Monday, August 22

A Time-Travel Book Review

Time and Again by Jack Finney

"Called 'the great time-travel story' by Stephen King, Time and Again is admired for its rich, painstakingly researched descriptions of life in New York City more than a century ago, and for the swift adventure at its core."

The greatest thing about this book is the very thing that made my eyes glaze over: The book's rich, painstakingly researched description of life in New York City in the 1880's. I love time travel books; it's one of my favorite genres, but I also like a lot of action from characters. This book claims "rich adventure" that I suppose is there, but I couldn't seem to dig it out. Action? Not so much.

This book was so filled with descriptions I had a difficult time sorting out the story. My mind wandered--a lot. I skimmed--a lot. The actual story, or adventure, starts about halfway through the book. I think anyone who is a life-long resident of New York City or anyone who is interested in the detailed history of NYC or detailed descriptions of what everyone was wearing in 1882 will find this book interesting. Did I mention how painstakingly detailed it is?

Critics seem to love it. Stephen King thought it was great. It's a classic. (Published in the 1970's and re-released this year.) That's the reason I read it all... the... way... through. If a book doesn't make me care about the story or characters by the third or fourth chapter, I usually stop reading and move on to another book. I love Stephen King's work and respect his opinion, but, this time, I must respectfully disagree. 

I've read time travel books that captured my interest in the beginning and kept me reading into the night on many occasions. My advice? If you're curious, borrow it from the library and read it before you buy it.

All of that said, it does have one of the best time-travel endings I have read in a long time. It touches on the debate among time-travel lovers everywhere: Can you go into the past to change the future? The ending almost made sticking with the book worthwhile. Almost.

Have you ever read a book that everyone loved, but you couldn't figure out why?


Friday, August 19

TODAY IS MY BIG DAY!

NOTE: This is not a violent story.

"Lucy Get Your Gun," is the fourth eBook in the Proctor Hollow Series of short-story/quick-read eBooks, was released today. Yay! Please join me in celebrating my latest book release with my new friends.

The first three books in the series hit the market without fanfare and sales were mediocre, but that's okay. It's the writing I love. I've been writing my whole life, but you won't see my name out there unless you go back thirty-some years. During my absence from the public arena, I've been hiding in plain site--ghostwriting. Recently, I found a new community filled with wonderful, supportive people and decided to put aside my disguise and add my name to my work. Come with me and I'll introduce you to a few of my new friends who have offered to help me with today's book release via a blog tour...

LIZ is a woman of many talents: writer, teacher, knitting expert. Her experiences as a substitute teacher make me smile--and sometimes laugh out loud

Click here to meet Liz A. and learn more about my new book, "Lucy Get Your Gun":
http://unicornbell.blogspot.com/2016/08/lucy-get-your-gun-by-valerie-capps.html

MADEIA writes MG, YA, and anthologies. For most of my life, I've overlooked these genres thinking they would be too simplistic. Boy, was I wrong! Check out her work. No matter what your age, you will not be disappointed.

Click here to meet Madeia and learn more about my new book, "Lucy Get Your Gun":
http://www.medeiasharif.com/

TAMARA's "Heart Stopper and Other Stories" is a book after my own heart. Short stories are my favorite reads when time is at a premium.

Click here to meet Tamara and learn more about my new book, "Lucy Get Your Gun":
http://www.tamaranarayan.com/2016/08/celebrate-small-things_19.html?showComment=1471639098841#c3709946315225124110

MERADETH writes about immortals, shadow creatures, time travel and more. Her paranormal books are page turners! Check them out on Amazon. When Meradeth’s not writing, she’s sequencing dead people’s DNA. For fun!

Click here to meet Meradeth and learn more about my new book, "Lucy Get Your Gun":
http://meradethhouston.blogspot.com/2016/08/blog-tour-lucy-get-your-gun-by-valerie.html

Many thanks to Liz, Tamara, Meradeth, and Madeia! I've turned off my comments for today so you can join me on my blog tour at the above links. See you there!

Monday, August 15

Introducing Lucy Get Your Gun


Friday is a big day for me. Lucy Get Your Gun, the fourth book in the Proctor Hollow series will be released August 19th on Amazon.com. The first three books in this series were released on earlier dates--before I started blogging regularly. These books are quick read/short stories.

Note: This is not a violent story.



I don't know much about the promoting part of the writing process and I'm relatively new to blogging, so I am reaching out to the writing community to see if I can recruit some support for my latest publication. If you can help with a book release post on my big day, please complete the form below. Your assistance would be greatly appreciated.






Powered by 123ContactForm | Report abuse



Tuesday, August 9

IT'S PIPER MORGAN DAY!

Congratulations to Stephanie Faris on the release of two new Piper Morgan Books! 


In Piper Morgan Joins the Circus, Piper learns her mom’s new job will be with the Big Top Circus. She can’t wait to learn all about life under the big top, see all the cool animals, and meet the Little Explorers, the other kids who travel with the show. She’s even more excited to learn that she gets to be a part of the Little Explorers and help them end each show with a routine to get the audience on their feet and dancing along!

In Piper Morgan in Charge mom takes a job in the local elementary school principal’s office. Piper is excited for a new school and new friends—and is thrilled when she is made an “office helper.” But there is one girl who seems determined to prove she is a better helper—and she just so happens to be the principal’s daughter. Can Piper figure out how to handle being the new girl in town once more?

Stephanie Faris knew she wanted to be an author from a very young age. In fact, her mother often told her to stop reading so much and go outside and play with the other kids. After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in broadcast journalism, she somehow found herself working in information technology. But she never stopped writing.

Stephanie is the Simon and Schuster author of 30 Days of No Gossip and 25 Roses. When she isn’t crafting fiction, she writes for a variety of online websites on the topics of business, technology, and her favorite subject of all—fashion. She lives in Nashville with her husband, a sales executive.

You can find Stephanie online at:



Monday, August 8

RULES ARE MADE TO BE BROKEN - SOMETIMES

Grammar - The Bane of my Existence.

I recently finished another short story draft and I'm ready for the part that always creates a conundrum for me--revisions. When it comes to grammar, should I do what is proper and mechanically correct or should I do what sounds and feels right?

Since returning to the writing world, I've discovered I don't know as much as I thought I knew about the English language. I used to be excellent with grammar, A's in English all through school, but some of the rules seemed to have changed in recent years. The subtle changes give me pause and make me hesitate in areas I've always been so confident about in the past. My doubts have me scrambling to look up the rules again. I wish I were all-knowing about writing (and everything else) like I was when I was sixteen. 

Now, what is an infinitive again? I remember I'm not supposed to split them. Ah, yes.  An infinitive begins with to followed by the simple form of the verb. Sometimes, but not always.

Never start a sentence with “There is” or “There are.” Except sometimes it's okay.

I've been taught never to begin a sentence with "This"; however, I've discovered it is now okay to do it--sometimes.

Use active not passive. Okay, this is important. I know this. Always use active voice. Except sometimes a passive voice can be perfectly acceptable. The passive phrase "rules are made to be broken" is a good example. 

Sometimes? It sounds as if many of today's rules should have a "definite maybe" clause attached. But I digress. 

Never start a sentence with "And" or "But." Oops. I need to make another pass through that draft. I also need to correct a sentence in the previous paragraph.

Never end a sentence with a preposition. That one reminds me of a joke...

Always use “more than” instead of “over” with numbers. Also, data is plural, so the verb must always be plural. Huh? No problem. I was born without a math gene, so I try to steer away from any subject that involves numbers.

Back when I was in school, my teacher told me never to use "fun" as an adjective. So I'm not supposed to say we had a "fun" afternoon at the movies. But what if we did have a fun afternoon? 

And what about those pesky second person plural pronouns! "Thou" is no longer in popular usage and when it went out of style, things became more complicated. My current series of stories are set in rural America in the 1950s (or is it 1950's?) so I often break all the language rules when my characters speak. I use "Y'all" a lot (for non-Southerners that is pronounced "Yawl.") Some of my characters occasionally say "youins." Those of you who grew up in the American South or Midwest will understand. For you Yankees, there is "youse" and "you guys." In my travels, I've heard "you guys" and "your guyses" more often than any of the other dialects combined.

So many subtle changes, and to those changes, so many exceptions. To further complicate matters for me, my husband is from London, England. He is writing his memoirs. It is a very interesting book. It takes him from a young man in the employ of the British Secret Service (MI5) in the 1960's to his days as a Road Manager for top Country Music Entertainers. I am trying to help him with grammar and punctuation, but do we use British or American English? We discuss the correct usage on an almost daily basis. 

When he was a child, my husband's mother sent him to class to learn the proper way to speak the Queen's English. The difference between British English and American English is a lengthy topic for another day. I'm pretty sure he is more often correct than I am--if we lived in England.

I think a writer can be in danger of writing the life out of their fictional story with too much mechanical structure, but maybe I'm wrong. Do you have any problems with grammar and punctuation or do you think rules are made to be broken?