One Valuable Writing Lesson #IWSG

When I first started writing, I just wrote. I had no clue what I was doing, but that didn't hold me back. It was enough for me that I read a lot of fiction and from that reading I knew what worked and what didn't. Later down the track I decided to get serious about my writing, so I read copious amounts of books on writing, how-to articles, I went to conventions and listened to advice on panels, and I attended workshops. That's when I realised I had no clue what I was doing, and that did hold me back.

Eventually I got past the crippling notion that I can't do this, I can't do that, my writing is horrible and no one will like it. That was right about the time when I told myself, "You know what? Writing is a creative process. Rules don't need to rule. I have the freedom to experiment, to write what I like, to try new things and get creative. If it doesn't work, then try again."

It's important to learn what works and why, but that doesn't mean crippling yourself with doubts. Just write!! Then fix it. Or throw it away and write again. But don't give up because someone else said, "No!" And that's the most valuable lesson I learned since I started writing.

Every first Wednesday of the month the members of the IWSG post on their blogs about their writing insecurities or offer some encouragement to others. If you are new to the IWSG, then please go HERE to find out more and join up.






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Cover Reveal:

 JALAPENO CUPCAKE WENCH

AMAZING GRACIE TRILOGY, BOOK 1

A hot and spicy taste of murder—and more.

During the day, law enforcement consultant Gracie Hofner is on assignment at a small San Antonio bakery, waiting for a delivery. No one knows what it is or when it will arrive. The upside? Working next to Donovan Beck, a flirty hunk and a half—perfect fling material.

At night, Gracie resumes her search for a little girl and her mother who went missing following a double murder. Finding the pair is imperative or the girl will become a target.

At the girl’s aunt’s house, Gracie experiences a peculiar need to leave immediately. She tries to deny the urge to flee and pushes the pressure aside, but the compulsion intensifies. Gracie thinks she must have a brain tumor. Or is losing her mind. When similar events continue to occur, Gracie sees a pattern. Can she use this newfound ability to help her find the girl and her mother before it’s too late?

Where to connect with Carol:
Blog - Website - Facebook - Twitter - Amazon
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A reminder about our IWSG Twitter Pitch Party!

Hashtag #IWSGPit

July 27, 2017, 8:00 am to 8:00 pm Eastern Time

Cling to God: A Daily Devotional
by Lynda R Young

Published by Freedom Fox Press

Cling to God in the chaos of life…

A book of short devotionals for every day of the year to encourage you in your faith, to help you think about your beliefs and learn more about God. Perfect for people with busy lifestyles.

Amazon Paperback, Amazon Kindle, Amazon Oz Kindle, Nook, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, iTunes, Goodreads.

Is Self-Publishing for You? And Secrets of Honor

Today I'm over at the IWSG Website with an article about whether or not self-publishing is for you. Please pop on over. I'd love to see you there.

Today is the official Secrets of Honor release day. Yay, Carol!

By the end of a long evening working as a special set of eyes for the presidential security detail, all Kat Marengo wants is to kick off her shoes and stash two not-really-stolen rings in a secure spot. Plus, maybe sleep with Dave Krizak. No, make that definitely sleep with Dave Krizak. The next morning, she wishes her new top priorities were so simple.

As an operative for a covert agency buried in the depths of the Department of Homeland Security, Kat is asked to participate in a matter of life or death—locate a kidnapped girl believed to be held in Corpus Christi, Texas. Since the person doing the asking is the wife of the president and the girl is the daughter of the first lady’s dearest friend, it’s hard to say no.

Kat and Dave quickly learn the real stakes are higher than they or the first lady believed and will require more than any of them bargained for.

The kicker? They have twenty-four hours to find the girl—or the matter of life or death will become more than a possibility.

Available on Kindle and Paperback

Thanks to Mark Noce and Sittie for the Versatile Blogger Award. As part of accepting the award, I'm supposed to share 7 things about myself: I love God, garlic, friendship, my gorgeous husband, story writing, reading, and sunlight. 

Congrats to Mark for his two book deal as well!! How awesome is that?!

A note about the IWSG Guide to Publishing and Beyond: We've already received some fabulous submissions. Keep 'em coming! Your deadline is October 2nd. I'd like to encourage every member of the group to consider contributing to the book, even if you aren't currently published yet. What better way to get started?

Don't forget to pop on over to the IWSG Website.

4 Ways to Sift Through Writing Advice

There's a plethora of writing advice out there in bookstores, on the internet, at writing conferences, in critique groups, within the circle of family and friends. We are surrounded by well-intentioned people with opinions on how we should write. Some of the advice is sound, some of it contradictory, some baffling and some seems to make sense but you're not so sure a few months later. To find out how you can sift through all that information to know which advice to follow, click on over to the IWSG website where my post is today.

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I'd also like to share Carol Kilgore's exciting cover reveal. I love this cover!

Coming September 2014

You can connect with Carol and her books here:
blog . website . facebook . twitter . goodreads . amazon

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Congrats to Mark Noce who has a fabulous short story, "Meet Me at the Waterfront" on Every Day Fiction. It's well worth the read so pop on over.

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Last week I forgot to mention the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Milestone. I don't know how I forgot. The IWSG Facebook group hit the amazing milestone of one thousand members! We're up to 1081 now! Big thanks to everyone who have made this possible.

Just a reminder about the IWSG Facebook Guidelines:

1. Since the focus of IWSG is support, the Facebook page should reflect this ideal.

2. You are encouraged to support your fellow IWSG'ers who share their writerly-related experiences, which include accomplishments/disappointments/challenges, with the rest of the group. Keep in mind that writers are at different points of their respective writerly journeys. Some lurk for a long time, before finding the courage to share with the rest of the group. Since the IWSG is all about community, a word of encouragement or advice may be just what somebody needs. Or even just a smiley face/thumbs up...

3. News and Promotional Saturday is your opportunity to add a link. The IWSG administrators reserve the right to remove promotional links, especially if they are posted haphazardly. 

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After all this exciting news, don't forget to visit me over at the IWSG website! I'd love to see you over there.

A-Z Geek (D) + How Change Can Make a Story Sing

How Change Can Make a Story Sing
by Carol Kilgore

I had so much fun the first time I visited here with Lynda that I just had to come back to tell you one of the stories behind the story of my new book – SOLOMON’S COMPASS. And to say that maybe I’m a little enamored with Jake Solomon … but you didn’t hear that from me :-)

The manuscript went through a number of incarnations. When I’d finally made it as good as I could on my own, something was still off. I felt it, yet I couldn’t put my finger on the cause.
So away it went to my editor. And she zoomed right in on the problem.

In the original manuscript, USCG CDR Taylor Campbell already knew her uncle had been murdered. My editor suggested I change the premise so that neither Taylor nor the police know of the murder. They believe his death was due to accidental drowning. Another rewrite.

I saw the change in Taylor within minutes of making the first change, and my fingers flew through those 300-plus pages.

When Taylor knew of the murder, she suspected everyone. Instead of looking like a smart investigator, she came off as suspicious and hesitant.

But when she didn’t know, she developed a strong spine. Taylor acted the part of an officer accustomed to command of a hundred-person crew at sea. And although the story itself didn’t change, the entire tone of the book became more purposeful and urgent. It was such fun to see Taylor really step up and become the character I had envisioned from the get go.

One suggestion from my editor gave my protagonist’s attitude a whole new life.
Priceless.

A missing belt—her uncle’s prized possession. The lure of buried treasure. And a sexy former SEAL who makes U.S. Coast Guard Commander Taylor Campbell crazy. What more could any woman want. Right?
Taylor is in Rock Harbor, Texas, on a quest to unearth her uncle’s treasure—a journey far outside the realm of her real life. There’s one glitch. Taylor's certain the buried treasure was all in Uncle Randy's dementia-riddled mind. Now he’s dead.
Former SEAL Jake Solomon is in Rock Harbor under false pretenses to protect Taylor from the fate that befell her uncle and the other members of a tight circle of Coast Guardsmen called the Compass Points who served together on Point boats in Vietnam.
Jake is definitely not supposed to become involved with Taylor. That was his first mistake. Taylor is attracted to Jake as well, but she refuses to wait for him to locate the killer when she knows her plan will force her uncle’s murderer into action.
But the killer's actions are just what Jake is afraid of. 

Carol Kilgore has always had stories and characters in her head. She wrote short fiction for a few years and enjoyed a small success as a freelancer before giving it all up for her true love – novels. As a Coast Guard wife, Carol has lived in locations across the U.S. She and her husband now live in a San Antonio suburb and share their home and patio with two active herding dogs whose mission is to keep them free from danger, real or imagined.

You can find Carol and her books at these locations across the web:
blog . website . facebook . twitter . goodreads . amazon . amazon uk

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A-Z Geek (D)
by Lynda R. Young

GAMES

Doom (1993):The first computer I bought had a massive 40meg capacity and the first game I loaded onto it was Doom. The first and funniest first-person shooter I ever experienced.

Dragon's Lair (1983): The original came out as a laserdisc video arcade game. It required lightning fast decisions and reflexes.

MOVIES
The Dark Crystal (1982): Pure magic.

Die Hard (1987): a study in tight storytelling. Yes, I can turn a non-geeky movie into a geeky event.

BOOKS
Dragonlance Chronicles (1984-1985): A Fantasy trilogy written to formula but still enjoyable. I believe it's been reprinted many times.

TV
Doctor Who (1963-): I lined up for hours to get an autograph from Tom Baker. I even offered him a jelly baby.

What was it like buying your first computer? Which of these stories or games, or any other ‘D’ did you indulge in? Looking forward to reading Carol’s book? What kind of changes have you made that caused your story to sing?

Carol Kilgore: Balancing Social Media

Today, I have a special guest, the lovely and talented award-winning author, Carol Kilgore. She is here to share with us her social media experience. When she's not busy writing, you can find her here: website . blog . facebook . twitter . goodreads . amazon. Take it away, Carol!

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Hi, Lynda! Thanks so much for having me at your blog today. It’s still winter in San Antonio, and it’s great to find a touch of summer here with you.

I’d planned to write about writers and social media, but I had so much to say it was turning into a full-length article complete with subheadings, bullet points, and a sidebar feature. So I dropped back and regrouped to try for a more personal touch – my own social media experience.

Four years ago, I started my blog, Under the Tiki Hut. Blogging has been a totally rewarding experience, and I’ve met so many fabulous people. Present company included, of course :-)

Two years ago. I made a big leap into Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google+, and Pinterest – all at the same time. I advise not doing such a stupid thing. The learning curve was huge.

Google+ and Pinterest fell by the wayside. I’m still signed on, but I don’t participate.

And after all this time, I still don’t have a good handle on Goodreads. I hate to say this, but as much as I love the site, I’m there pretty much in spirit only. I need a Goodreads Fairy Godmother to totally handle my presence there because I simply do not have extra time. I could spend my reading time at Goodreads, but that would kind of defeat the purpose. See my problem?

Where do we draw the line so we still have time to write and read and have a family life?

The only answer I know is that the line will be different for each of us.

For me, the answer is this. I spend my social time almost exclusively on my blog, Facebook, and Twitter. In that order.

I like that I can do a lot on Twitter in a short amount of time. I don’t like the feeling of tweeting into a vacuum.

I like that on Facebook I’m almost able to make the same kinds of connections I make on my blog but with much less time and effort. I don’t like that Facebook doesn’t send my posts to everyone’s news feed.

A good friend of mine is very tech savvy (I’m a techie idiot). And she knows much about networking and social media. When I decided to join Facebook, she told me I needed an author page as well as a personal profile. I balked. She insisted. And she won.

So for two years, I’ve posted the same type of posts on each one and struggled with how to make the two different from one another. And I think I finally found a way. Time, of course, will tell.

Beginning February 1, my author page is now devoted to all things Book. We’ll chat about reading, favorite books, favorite authors. I’ll post new releases from authors I know. I’ll talk about my books, give some story behind the story and inside info on new releases. And the first Tuesday of each month will be a “Tuesdays Are Texas” feature. All my books are set in Texas, and I will post photos and tell things I know about the place or event or whatever the photo is about. All posts will be short. Everything will be open to comment. You’re invited to chat with me and with each other. And to post on the page.

My personal profile/timeline (and see, I still don’t know what to really call it) will be devoted strictly to writers. Same rules apply except my posts will be something related to writing or something I find so funny I just have to share. Mostly my ‘posts’ will be one-liners about a shared image.

My goal is for both page and profile to become totally interactive and destinations for readers and writers. I say ‘destination’ because Facebook won’t supply my posts to everyone’s news feed. The trick will be for readers and writers to add my sites to their favorites and remember to visit every once in a while.

Sure it’s a gamble, but it costs me nothing except a little time. Will I succeed in reaching my goal? I have no idea. But it’s better than muddling around like I’ve been doing.

So my best advice to you?

Try anything and everything. The established places like Facebook. Newer places. Places no one knows about yet. Find what works best for you.

And above all else … do it your way. Be yourself – your individual, unique self.

How do you handle social media? What works for you?

I hope you’ll share your secrets and give me new ideas to ponder.

And while you do, I’m sneaking off to the beach to dig my toes into some warm Aussie beach sand :-)

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No home. No family. No place to hide. For Summer Newcombe, that's only the beginning.

The night Summer escapes from a burning Padre Island eatery and discovers the arsonist is stalking her, is the same night she meets Fire Captain Gabriel Duran. As much as she's attracted to Gabe, five years in the Federal Witness Security Program because of her father’s testimony against a mob boss have taught her the importance of being alone and invisible.

No matter how much she yearns for a real home, Summer relinquished that option the night she killed the man who murdered her father. But Gabe breaks down her guard and places both of them in danger. Summer has vowed never to kill again, but she's frantic she'll cost Gabe his life unless she stops running and fights for the future she wants with the man she loves.

Available at Amazon
Kindle and Paperback

A missing belt. Buried treasure. And a sexy former SEAL who makes her crazy. What more could any woman want. Right?

U.S. Coast Guard Commander Taylor Campbell is on a quest to unearth her uncle’s buried treasure. There’s one other minor glitch. She's certain the buried treasure was all in Uncle Randy's dementia-riddled mind. Now he’s dead.

Jake Solomon is in Rock Harbor under false pretenses. He doesn't like the charade, but if he doesn't follow the plan, his dad will make Jake's SEAL training feel like a day on the monkey bars in kindergarten.

Jake is definitely not supposed to become involved with her. That was his first mistake.

Available at Amazon
April 2, 2013
Kindle and Paperback

10 Tips to Get Blog Tours and Guest Posts Right

Before the Make Believe Tour, I hadn’t experienced the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes of blog tours. There's a lot of juggling behind the fanfare. As a consequence, I learnt many important tips I thought I'd share here:

1. Always, always write down the dates you have scheduled for the tour and/or guest post. If you think you’ll remember them, you’re wrong. If you wait until the date is confirmed, you’ll forget. Just write them down. Use a pencil if you must.

2. Blog tours are often organised months in advance. It’s important to send out reminders of your visit a week before you’re due to be featured.

3. Try to have all interview questions in a week before the tour begins because once the tour has started you’ll be too busy to chase up questions, let alone answer them as well. The less panic you can cause yourself, the better.

4. In all your correspondence with your hosts, include the date you’ve agreed to feature on their blogs. This doesn’t guarantee no mistakes, but it sure will help to avoid them.

5. Always double check your posts and make sure they have no errors, and the content is good.

6. Read your emails regularly and make yourself available in case of any last minute changes.

7. Agree to a time of post. This is especially helpful when you live in a different timezone to your host. It’s a mistake to link to a host who doesn’t have anything there yet. It’s also a mistake not to link at all, which brings me to my next point:

8. Always link back to your host’s blog. Share the link on your blog and on other network sites, such as Twitter and Facebook.

9. Respond to comments on your host’s blog. And keep returning to respond to comments even when you’ve moved on in the tour.

10. Always thank the person who has generously given you their time and their blog space.

Carol Kilgore said it perfectly in an email: The best guest bloggers are those who will bring new people, interact with everyone, and have something interesting to say.

And that brings me to the final stop on the Make Believe Tour. The Secret Writer is hosting an ebook giveaway.

What do you think of Blog Tours? As a writer, do you think they are an effective promotional tool? As a reader, what’s your reaction to them?

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M.L.Swift has started up a Progressive Book Club.

They post on the third Wednesday of every month.

He describes it as, "A unique blog hop that's an online book club!" So please check it out!

Cover Reveal: Solomon's Compass

January seems to be the month for cover reveals and new releases. I have another exciting cover reveal for you today. This time it's from the lovely Carol Kilgore, author of In Name Only, with her second novel, Solomon's Compass due out soon. I love this cover!

The death of her beloved uncle, Randy Rankin, brings US Coast Guard Commander Taylor Campbell back to Texas to take care of his estate and find out if he really did bury his treasure. Jake Solomon’s job is to make sure Rankin’s killer doesn’t set his sights on CDR Campbell. Set along the Texas Gulf Coast, SOLOMON’S COMPASS is a story of love, loyalty, and the value of keeping a promise.

Carol Kilgore is an award-winning author of several published short stories and many essays and articles. Solomon’s Compass is her second novel, a blend of mystery, suspense, and romance she calls Crime Fiction with a Kiss – always at least one crime; always a love story. Carol and her Coast Guard husband live in San Antonio, Texas, with two herding dogs that like nothing better than pack time on the patio.

You can find Carol here:
website . blog . facebook . twitter . goodreads . amazon