On Gratitude

Because of the recent launch of the new edition of Cling to God: 365-Day Devotional, I'm out and about more than usual. (I've been a bit of a hermit the last few months for various reasons, one of which is getting this book ready for its exciting release into the world). 

So, today I'm over at Patricia Josephine/Lynne's blog, writing about gratitude. Please pop on over to check it out and say hi. 

A big thanks to Patricia and my lovely supporters, helpers, and readers. You are all so wonderful. I deeply appreciate all of you.

--

For something different, I'm also taking part in a book promo, so if you love Epic Fantasy reads, then you might find a new treasure in this lot: HERE

Don't forget to check out Patricia Josephine/Lynne's blog.

What's your favourite genre to read? Do you have a tendency to hermit away when you get busy or life becomes more of a challenge than usual?

 

Launch Day and Book Titles vs Blurbs #IWSG

Today is the exciting and official launch of the new edition of Cling to God: 365-Day Devotional.

This special devotional book is a year-long journey with daily inspirational messages and uplifting scripture to help you spend time with God. With 365 days of short Bible-based teachings, it is faith building and thought provoking. It will encourage and refresh with reassuring reminders of God’s love. 

365 days of inspiration and Bible wisdom to lighten your heart.
365 devotions to bring you peace in uncertain times.
365 ways to Cling to God. 

A great companion for individual worship or for group Bible study. The perfect gift book or personal keepsake that will be cherished for years to come. 

Start each morning with Cling to God to brighten your day and draw closer to God. 

Available as Kindle ebook, Paperback, and Hardcover.

I'm super excited about the hardcover.

For a short time only, you can get the ebook for the special launch price of $2.99

If you don't own a kindle, you can pick up the free kindle app and read my book on your phone, tablet, or computer. 

--

Titles vs Blurbs. Which is the more difficult to write?

This is the IWSG question of the month, and it's not an easy one to answer. Both the title of the book and the blurb are important. The title is the first thing a potential reader will see after the cover. It defines the book. If done well, it places the book in a clear genre/category and entices the reader to pick it up. Once picked up, the blurb is the next stage of the decision-making process to read the book. No pressure. 

Sometimes the title is the first inspiration I get before the book is even written. Other times, I struggle badly. I had a massive brain-block with an old fantasy story. When the story was picked up by a publisher, it had a terrible name. Blood in the Snow. It sounded like a crime story! Thankfully my publisher suggested we brainstorm a few titles until at last we agreed on Birthright. The original story is no longer in print and when I got the rights back, I rewrote the whole thing and released it as Well of Ash. That title came to me like a strike of inspirational lightning. 

Blurbs are a whole different story. I always struggle with blurbs. I'll admit non-fiction blurbs are a thousand times easier than fiction blurbs, but I still question everything over and over. Is it interesting enough? Have I captured the book without giving too much away? Have I captured it enough to snag the reader's interest? Have I reflected the genre well? Have I included the conflict, the excitement, the essence of what I love about the story? 

My best advice on the topic is take your time. Let the new title or blurb sit for a while before sending it out into the world. Get second opinions. Do your research. But mostly, don't rush. 

--

Please visit the blogs of the lovely and generous people helping me with my book launch today for Cling to God: 365-Day Devotional. Tyrean Martinson, Jemi Fraser, and Lynn Simpson. Thanks so much! You're all so wonderful!

How about you? What are your tips for writing titles and blurbs? Are you excited about my new release? What's your reading preference: ebooks, paperbacks or hardcovers?

Cover Reveal and New Releases #IWSG

Today we have cover reveals, new releases, a guest snippet from the great Tyrean Martinson, and the IWSG question of the month. So let's begin!

COVER REVEAL

Cling to God: 365-Day Devotional

Take advantage and pre-order your ebook for only $2.99. The price will go up after launch. Or, if you’d like to join my review team, I’ll send you a free copy. Just leave your email in the comments. 

365 days of inspiration and Bible wisdom to lighten your heart.
365 devotions to bring you peace in uncertain times.
365 ways to Cling to God. 

This special book is a year-long journey with inspirational messages and uplifting scripture. It includes short Bible-based teachings that will encourage and refresh. It is faith building and thought provoking with reassuring reminders of God’s love.

 A great companion for individual worship or for group Bible study. The perfect gift book or personal keepsake that will be cherished for years to come. 

Start each morning with Cling to God to brighten your day and draw closer to God. 

OFFICIAL LAUNCH DATE: 3rd Nov

--

GUEST POST by Tyrean Martinson 

Klah in Dragonsinger and Coffee by Other Names 

If you read science fiction and fantasy or enjoy science fiction and fantasy movies, you might have noticed a tendency for writers to give a unique twist to one of Earth’s favorite beverages: coffee. 

As a reader, the first instance I encountered of coffee by another name came in the form of klah in the Harper Hall Series by Anne McCaffrey. I loved the sound of Klah. It was always warm and soothing to the characters, as well as a slight stimulant for waking up. 

In Dragonsinger from the Harper Hall Series, the main character Menolly is rescued and taken to Harper Hall, where she is removed from everything she knows except for her fire lizards, her music, and the comfort of the familiar klah. 

It makes sense for science fiction and fantasy writers to bring coffee, tea, or their favorite comfort beverages into their unique worlds, whether they call it coffee, klah, or another name. 

In The Rayatana Series, the beverage “awak” is like a mixture of coffee and tea with similar stimulating properties. When I came up with the idea, it was in homage to all the other science fiction and fantasy beverages out there in the books and movies I love. 

NEW RELEASE

Nexus: The Rayatana, Book 2

Amaya is supposed to bring peace to the galaxy. Which is tough when she’s being held for crimes against the Neutral Zone. Her imprisonment is on her own ship with her own crew. But close quarters create tension. 

Honestly, her role as Rayatana is a mess. 

She may never get to use her powers for anything good. Not if her teacher continues to keep secrets, and not if her powers keep harming others. Putting her mother in a coma should put her in prison, but she has a mission. She wants to bring peace to her people. She needs to become the Rayatana. 

Amazon, Smashwords, Apple, Kobo, Goodreads, Bookbub. 

Tyrean Martinson is a word hunter. She forages for words both sweet and tart in the South Sound of Washington State. An eclectic writer, she writes speculative fiction, contemporary and historical fiction, short scripts, devotions, writing books, song lyrics, and poetry.

Tyrean's Writing Spot Blog, Tyrean's Tales, Instagram, Twitter, Tyrean's Tutoring Website.

--

IWSG question of the month

In your writing, where do you draw the line, with either topics or language? 

While I have no qualms reading stories with salty language, it seems I'm not comfortable including it in my own writing. You'll find no F-bombs in my stories, or colorful phrases. As for topics, I try to stay clear of anything too sensitive or controversial. I want my fiction to be escapist and fun. Of course, having said that, I do deal with physical abuse in Wielder's Prize, my debut fantasy novel. It's a topic that makes many people uncomfortable so I softened an instance of it in a more recent edition. I didn't want the focus to be on the abuse. I wanted it to be on overcoming it and forgiveness.

--

Don't forget to leave your email in the comments if you'd like to join my review team and get a free copy of Cling to God:365-Day devotional.

What topics or language to do you shy from? Are you excited to read Tyrean's new book? What do you think of the new cover for Cling to God: 365-Day Devotional? 

A big thank you to Tyrean Martinson and Jemi Fraser for supporting me with my cover reveal. Please pop on over and say hi from me.

 

The Definition of Success as a Writer #IWSG

Before I started writing, I had big dreams and believed success meant achieving a household name status. Something equal to JK Rowlings or Tolkien.

Before I'd finished a single manuscript, I adjusted my outlook and decided success meant getting published by one of the Big Six. 

After finishing that first manuscript, I packaged it up and sent it off to countless publishers (I had no clue at the time…clearly). Turned out, I needed an agent. So I sent off countless queries…and more. I began to think that success meant getting an agent and everything else would fall into line. 

Ah, the positivity of youth.

I ended up getting short stories published, a novelette, articles, anthologies and even a book of Christian devotionals. Over time, my definition of success shifted again. 

That first short story I got published was a massive achievement. The first time I opened a bound book containing one of my stories was incredible. The first time someone actually paid me for a story was just as awesome. Success became finishing a piece and sending it out. It became seeing my words in print. It became reading the great reviews from strangers. It became getting fan mail. 

Then I decided to take the publishing reigns myself. A scary leap. My first book, Wielder’s Prize, was a monumental achievement because of the steep learning curve. It was years in the making and to this day, I’m super proud of it. 

Since then, I published Wielder’s Curse and then Wielder’s Fire. I released the boxed ebook set, Wielder’s Storm Trilogy. Then I released Well of Ash, my fantasy novella. I’m proud of every book and see each one as another rung in the success ladder. I have to pinch myself to believe I actually achieved all that. 

And then recently, I took another scary step and got back the rights to my Christian Devotional, Cling to God. I’ve been working hard on it and will be releasing its new and shiny self on November 3rd. Eek. 

If you’d like to help with its cover reveal and/or its launch, please leave a comment. 

What is your definition of success?

This post was written for the IWSG. Every first Wednesday of the month, members post on their blogs about their writing insecurities or offer some encouragement to others. If you are new to the IWSG or want to learn more, then please go HERE. 

 

On Resting a First Draft #IWSG

The IWSG question of the month: How long do you shelve your first draft before reading and re-drafting? Is this dependent on your writing experience and the number of stories/books under your belt? 

Regardless of my six published books and the countless others I’ve written, the drafting process of every book has been different. 

The first book I ever wrote has been shelved for a gazillion years—after years of writing the first draft, then multiple rewrites with little sitting time between drafts. Same with the second and third books, although the third one got shelved after the first draft.

The fourth was the first I got published and that had mere months between polished drafts while I sent it off to friends, family, and an editor and waited for their feedback. Once completed, though, it sat for years more, because I hadn’t been sure what to do with it. It was non-fiction—my daily devotional, Cling to God, and my writing focus had changed back to fiction during that sitting time. 

Then life unceremoniously reminded me that it would be tragic to let the completed book disappear into oblivion. So I found a wonderful publisher, edited it again, and got it out there. 

My fifth book then got a revisit. I had paused worked on that one after the first draft, stupidly convincing myself it wasn’t good enough. Because of that foolishness, it languished in isolation for too many years. That was Wielder’s Prize. It ended up being my fantasy novel debut. And I’m so proud of it. During its editing phase, it percolated for a couple months between drafts as I waited for professional feedback. 

Wielder’s Prize needed a series. So Wielder’s Curse and Wielder’s Fire were written. Wielder’s Curse was born during a particularly difficult time in my life. It was a mess when it was first drafted. I had to let it sit before I could finish it, let alone rewrite it. Finding clarity had been a massive struggle. Time and pigheadedness fixed that. 

Wielder’s Fire wrote itself and it got almost no sitting time by comparison. Only a few months while I worked on marketing and covers and everything else associated with releasing books. 

And that’s just part of the story. I have more books under my sleeves, but as I said, they’ve all been different—different in the way I approached them, how long it took to write them, how long I let them sit, how often I reworked them… and so forth. 

There is no magic formula. I am a slave to the needs of each story and the demands of life. 

How about you? What’s your writing process and how long do you let a story sit? 

This post was written for the IWSG. Every first Wednesday of the month, members post on their blogs about their writing insecurities or offer some encouragement to others. If you are new to the IWSG or want to learn more, then please go HERE.

 

Christmas Joy and Chaos

Christmas is a mere two weeks away. There is much to do, many friends and family to spend time with, and a scary amount of shopping to conquer. Consequently, I'll be taking a blogging break for the rest of the year. I'll pop in occasionally, but not to post.

A big thank you to everyone for supporting me during my chaotic year of personal stuff, renovations, selling up house, buying a new place and moving interstate, all while releasing my debut devotional, Cling to God. Gasp, gasp, gasp.

If you are looking for a present to give someone, please consider, Cling to God, 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.

What kind of Christmas will you be hoping for this year? 

Edit: I almost forgot to post a pic of my tree again! Well, here it is! What's your tree like?

Brisbane Meet and Greet

Last week I finally got to meet fellow Aussie blogger, Denise Covey. We had lunch together at a delightful place in South Bank, called French Martini. The service was exceptional, the food was yum and the dessert, a creme brulee, was a silky taste of heaven.

It was a rather toasty day, and particularly humid, which did my hair no favours (Yes, I need an updated author pic). Denise took me on a tour of the state library, which was wonderfully air conditioned. I'm looking forward to spending a lot of time there in the near future. Then we headed to the James Squire Brewery, called the Charming Squire, to cool off with a chilled glass of cider. It's a great pub!! My hubby wants me to take him there someday soon. Speaking of whom...

With all the food blogging I've been doing lately, my hubby didn't want to be left out, so below is a pic of the al fresco dining he set up on our balcony, complete with homemade pizza and wine. While we ate, we watched the boats go up and down the river as dusk closed in and evening cooled the air. I'd give this eatery five stars!

Thanks, Denise, for an awesome day out. We will definitely do it again.

Looking for the perfect Christmas gift? How about my devotional?

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.

Brisbane Review: Viet de Lite and Dumpling Republic

An update on the move and all those boxes. It's been three weeks since I moved to Brisbane from Sydney. The majority of the boxes have been unpacked. Not everything has been put away, however. And where to store all those empty boxes until we can send them back to the moving company? In the guest bathroom, of course!

Being a relative newbie to Brisbane, my diet has taken a hit because of all the delectable places to sample. Last week I had dinner at Viet de Lites, at South Bank. It offers Vietnamese style cooking in a semi al fresco setting. The mixed entree wasn't awesome due to overcooked proteins, but the dau phu xao (tofu stir fry with cashews) was brilliant. Generous and tasty with the vegies perfectly cooked. Would I eat there again? Probably not since there are so many choices in Brisbane.

Then on the weekend we took a ferry across the river and walked into the city for the first time. After much shopping, we found a wonderful restaurant hidden away in the Wintergarden mall: Dumpling Republic. Yum. Service was excellent, the food was amazing, and we walked out totally satisfied. Would I eat there again? Absolutely!

And in case you might've forgotten... Cling to God, a great Christmas gift to give:

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.

 

Brisbane Storms, Food, and Interview

Today I'm over with Juneta Key for an interview. Please pop on over to learn a little more about me and my devotional, Cling to God.

Today is officially two weeks since I moved from Sydney to Brisbane. There are still boxes to trip over but not as many. The place is starting to look like a home. I'm thoroughly enjoying it here. So I thought I'd share some pics.

This is a storm that rolled in. They grow their storms BIG here in the subtropics. Great to watch from a balcony that offers plenty of sky.

This is Medley, a wonderful cafe only a five minute stroll from home. Normally open for breakfast and lunch, they recently opened for dinner as well. I highly recommend their pear and chocolate smoothie. Yum!

To work off all that good food, I enjoyed Zumba in Captain Burke Park under the Story Bridge, Kangaroo Point. No pictures. Too busy missing my steps, flailing my arms about in the cool breeze coming up from the river.

Lastly, I put my Christmas tree up because I had no idea where I was going to store this massive thing. It hadn't seemed so big in my old place. I'm going to buy lights for it tonight so you'll have to wait for a proper pic. Speaking of Christmas... Now is a great time to start buying gifts for your friends and loved ones. And I have the perfect Christmas gift you could give:

Cling to God: A Daily Devotional
by Lynda R Young

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.

Published by Freedom Fox Press
Cling to God in the chaos of life…

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

 

 

If you've Zumba'd before, did you feel as gangly as I did? What do you love most about storms? Started your Christmas shopping? 

Don't forget to pop over to Juneta's!

Brisbane and Getting to Know the Author

As some of you know, I've been going through the busy time of selling house, downsizing and moving from Sydney to Brisbane. Today, having been offline for a few days, I finally arrived in Brisbane in our new place. The pic is the view as of five minutes ago as dusk takes on its hues. I've literally just arrived and set up the laptop on the kitchen bench because the apartment is completely empty.

In the middle of all that, I am also over at the wonderful blog of Karen Lange. Please pop on over and learn a little more about me and my debut devotional, Cling to God.

The Writing Process

Because I'll be leaving Sydney soon, I've been madly running around the garden, taking photos of the spring flowers as they bloom. The above pic shows the flowers from a succulent I planted years ago. This is the first year it bloomed. Probably because I remembered to water it. I had to share.

Do you have a green thumb? (I definitely don't). What are your favourite flowers?

Today I'm over at Rachna's blog, sharing my writing process for Cling to God, my debut daily devotional. Please pop on over and say hi.

Reviews, Interviews, and Ninjas

I wanted to share some quotes from some of the reviews for Cling to God that have trickled in:

"Honest contemplations from a consecrated heart."

"What a wonderful way to start each day with a small, edible bite of God's Word that applies directly to everyday life."

"On good days and bad there is something in these short messages that will lift the reader’s faith, give guidance and direction about the truths of scripture, about God’s unfailing love, power and greatness."

"This will make a good gift for anyone who has a habit of reading devotionals."

The reviews have warmed my heart and confirmed that I did the right thing to share my devotional with the world despite the crazy times I've been going through. This experience has shown me--again--that the only right time is God's time.

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

Today, for something a little different, I'm over with the Ninja Captain himself, Alex J Cavanaugh. I'll be interviewing him rather than the other way around. Please pop on over to check it out.

Please also visit, Bish Denham. She is featuring my book on her site. Thanks, Bish!

What great plans do you have for this week? How do you get through the chaos?

On Gratitude and Twitter Warriors

The launch for my debut devotional, Cling to God, was wonderfully successful and a whole lot of fun. If you haven't yet, but would love to buy my book, you can find it here:  Amazon Paperback, Amazon Kindle, Amazon Oz Kindle, Nook, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, iTunes, Goodreads.

Again, I couldn't have done it without you and I wish to thank more people who are continuing to spread the word:

Please drop in on  

Lori L. MacLaughlin 

and 

Lexa Cain 

Both are featuring my book on their blogs. 

Thanks guys!!!

I would also love to thank all the Twitter warriors who have tweeted and retweeted my book. In particular, I'd like to thank those who tweeted multiple times. You guys are so awesome! Thank you to Tyrean Martinson, Medeia Sharif, Crystal Collier, Victoria Marie Lees, Carol Kilgore, Gwen Gardner, Julie Flanders, Beverly McClure, Denise Covey, Bish Denham, Alex J Cavanaugh, Rachna Chhabria, Jemi Fraser, Jenni Enzor, Chrys Fey, L.Diane Wolfe, and the irrepressible Lexa Cain.

If you'd like to help spread the word about this devotional, then feel free to copy/paste some of the tweets below, or make up one of your own:

For an uplifting read, Cling to God: A Daily Devotional http://amzn.to/2dVFHTg @LyndaRYoung #Faith

A great Christmas gift: Cling to God: A Daily Devotional http://amzn.to/2efAyD6 @LyndaRYoung #Faith

Something to challenge you everyday? Cling to God: A Daily Devotional http://amzn.to/2efAyD6 @LyndaRYoung #Faith


Pic: My publisher sent me a pick of my print copies. So exciting to see them like that.

Cling to God Launch Day!

I can't believe this day is here at last. It was both super fast and painfully slow to get here, but here we are: Cling to God, my debut daily devotional with a devotion for every day of the year, has now been released into the world. So exciting!

To find Cling to God: Amazon Paperback, Amazon Kindle, Amazon Oz Kindle, Nook, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, iTunes, Goodreads.

Below is a glimpse into the current chaos I'm facing in my life:

What do I do when everything gets so overwhelming and chaotic (like having a book launch right in the middle of selling up and moving interstate)? I cling to my God. He brings me a peace the world can't even come close to offering. I find refuge in His love and acceptance.

Also, I couldn't have done this launch without YOUR help. A big thank you to everyone who has offered to help spread the word. I will have a proper roll-call of thanks later, but in the meantime, I wish to thank those who will be posting today on their blogs (Please let me know if I've missed anyone):

Beverly Stowe McClure - I'm there sharing the setbacks

 faced while writing Cling to God. Please visit!

Also please pop in on these generous people:

Cathrina Constantine

Julie Flanders

L. Diane Wolfe

Alex J Cavanaugh

And tomorrow please visit JQ Rose 

There will more people sharing the happy news in the following days and weeks and I'll spread the word on those days too. Also there will be many tweeting and sharing on Facebook. A huge thanks. If you'd like to help too, then yes please do share this post, and below are a few tweets you can copy paste to make it easy for you, or make up your own tweet:

Launch Day for Cling to God: A Daily Devotional http://amzn.to/2efAyD6 @LyndaRYoung #Faith

Cling to God: A Daily Devotional http://amzn.to/2efAyD6 @LyndaRYoung #Faith #NewReleases

For an inspiring read, Cling to God: A Daily Devotional http://amzn.to/2efAyD6 @LyndaRYoung #Faith

To find some calm in the chaos of life: Cling to God: A Daily Devotional http://amzn.to/2efAyD6 @LyndaRYoung #Faith

On Being Finished and Needing Help #IWSG

The big question this month for the Insecure Writer's Support Group is, When do you know your story is ready? 

With my daily devotional, Cling to God, coming out later this month, this question has been on my mind a lot lately. It's a question I've struggled with for a while, and will continue to struggle with for each separate piece I write. I may be too much of a perfectionist. Consequently I love deadlines because they keep me focused and there's only so much faffing and doubting and nail-biting and questioning a person can do before the final edits have to be in.

Honestly, I believe a piece of writing is never completely finished. If you had all the time in the world, you could tweak it endlessly. And it gets worse as time passes because as you grow and change, your ideas or the way you express yourself also grow and change. The piece will never be perfect. So don't try for perfection. All you can do is make sure the story has gone through all the stages of critiquing and multiple editing passes, and also make sure you've taken a break to get some eye-clearing distance. After that, if all you are seeing is tweaks, then send that baby out. That's when you'll really know if it was ready or not.

How about you? When do you know your story is ready?
--

The IWSG Short Story Contest 
Happy news!! Due to a number of inquiries, we've decided to drop the word count limit for our Fantasy 'Hero Lost' short story contest to 3000-6000 words. So get writing! For more info on the contest, go here.

--

Help! As I mentioned earlier in this post, my book is coming out later this month. October 18th to be precise. I am also in the middle of sorting through my horded collection of junk, which was the result of living in this house for almost thirty years, and trying to either sell, giveaway, or pack it for an interstate move to sunny Queensland. Madness, I say! I need help! No, I won't make anyone rummage through the dust bunnies at the back of closets. Instead, I need help with my book launch.

If you would love to help me spread the word about the daily devotional on or after October 18th, then please send me an email (lynfaw at gmail), or leave your email in the comments section. A quick tweet on the day would be awesome, or a Facebook share, or share the news on your blog, or if you'd like me to guest post on your blog some time just let me know. Whatever you'd like, I would be deeply grateful! 

IWSG 2016 Writing Contest Announced

I got my first review for Cling to God on Goodreads! Check it out here. I'm so thrilled. Also, if you haven't already, and would like to, then please mark my devotional to-read in preparation for the release on October 18th. Eek! Thanks again to everyone who helped me with my cover reveal. Most recently my two favourite Carols posted the cover on their blogs: Carol Riggs and Carol Kilgore. Thanks so much! Please visit them and say hi from me.

And one more thing re my book and then I'll stop nattering your virtual ears off about it, but I just had to share. It's the freakiest thing in the world to see your book cover on a t-shirt, mug and playing cards, but here it is!! So, if you are in the USA, you can pick them up here.

The IWSG: sign up here
September’s question: How do you find the time to write in your busy day? 
That's a difficult one to answer at the moment. I'm in the middle of selling house and moving interstate, plus doing final checks and edits on my book, plus getting ready for launch day, plus reading an author's book for review, plus... plus... there's so much going on at the moment that I haven't had any time to write. All my other projects are currently on hold. That happens sometimes. It's ok. It's part of life. I guess I'm still gathering ideas, my creativity is still percolating away, so that's a part of writing isn't it?

Announcing the 2016 IWSG Anthology Contest!

Eligibility: Any member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is encouraged to enter – blogging or Facebook member. The story must be previously unpublished. Entry is free. 

Word count: 5000-6000 

Genre: Fantasy  

Theme: Hero Lost. It could be about a hero turned villain, a villain's redemption, a hero's lack of confidence, a hero's lack of smarts, etc. It can be about any kind of hero including superheroes, mythological heroes, unexpected or unlikely heroes, or a whole new kind of hero. This theme has plenty of scope and we’re open to pretty much anything along these lines. No erotica, R-rated language, or graphic violence. 

Deadline: November 1st 2016 

How to enter: Send your polished, formatted, previously unpublished story to admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline passes. Please include your contact details and if you are part of the Blogging or Facebook IWSG group. 

Judging: The IWSG admins will create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official judges. 

Prizes: The winning stories will be edited and published by Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology. Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title.

We’re excited to see the creativity and enthusiasm that’s such a part of this group put into action. So don your creative caps and start writing. And spread the word! 

Our amazing judges this year:
Richard Harland finished his first novel in 1993 and resigned a university lectureship to become a full-time writer. With seventeen fantasy, SF and horror novels published since, he went international with his steampunk fantasies, Worldshaker, Liberator and Song of the Slums. He has won six Aurealis Awards and the A. Bertram Chandler Award in Australia, the Tam Tam Je Bouquine Award in France. Writing Tips 

Ion Newcombe is the editor and publisher of AntipodeanSF, Australia's longest running online speculative fiction magazine, regularly issued since January 1998. His qualifications and employment range from horticulture through electronics into literature and communications. 

Elizabeth S. Craig writes cozy mystery series for Penguin Random House, Midnight Ink, and independently. She curates links on Twitter as @elizabethscraig that are later shared in the free search engine WritersKB.com. 

Laura Maisano has an MA in Technical writing and is a Senior Editor at Anaiah Press for their YA/NA Christian Fiction. She’s excited to release her debut YA Urban Fantasy SCHISM, and she’s finishing up the sequel UNITY. 

Russell C. Connor has been writing horror since the age of 5, and has been in the self-publishing industry for a decade. He has published 8 novels and 4 novellas in both paperback and eBook, including the Box Office of Terror Trilogy and "Whitney," an epic horror novel about hurricane survivors fighting a washed-ashore sea monster. He also designs books for clients and assists them with self-publishing endeavors. 

Dawn Frederick is the founder of Red Sofa Literary, previously of Sebastian Literary Agency, and she brings a broad knowledge of the book business to the table—with multiple years of experience as a bookseller in the independent, chain, and specialty stores; sales, marketing, & book development at a YA publisher, a published nonfiction author, and an agent associate literary agent at Sebastian Literary Agency. 

Michelle L. Johnson is a literary agent, the founder of Inklings Literary Agency and has a business administration background in addition to a lifetime of working with books (sales, editing, and writing) and authors (marketing, promoting, event planning), and also has been a script/story consultant for an independent film. 

Lynn Tincher, Author, Public Speaker, and Executive Producer, born just outside of Louisville, Kentucky in the beautiful city of La Grange. She has written four books, with the fifth one currently in the making. Her first book, Afterthoughts was optioned for movie production by Kilted Pictures and Dancing Forward Productions in Los Angeles. It is currently in pre-production with plans to shoot in Louisville, Kentucky very soon.

So, how do you find the time to write? Are you going to enter the contest? 

Green Dragons and Special Thanks

A big thank you to everyone who helped spread the word about my daily devotional, Cling to God, coming out in October, as seen in my previous post. A special thanks in particular to Michael Di Gesu for the beautiful introduction he wrote about my book on his blog. If you haven't already, please check it out here. I was thrilled beyond words to read it. Thank you also to everyone who shared the news on Facebook and on Twitter. There were too many to name here, but Jemi Fraser was a stand-out with multiple tweets. You are a gem, Jemi.

And now I'd like to share C. Lee McKenzie's new book, now available and full of awesome adventure:

Three plucky sleuths. A crumbling skeleton. A quest.


After six months in a new school, Sam’s finally fitting in. He’s the one kid with enough talent to hit the winning home run and bring the baseball trophy back to Haggarty Elementary. But Sam’s guardian is shipping him off to boarding school before that can happen.


When teammates, Joey and Roger, hear his bad news, they plot to hide him until the big game. Their secret cave is a perfect place until an earthquake shatters a wall and reveals a wooden chest with a red-eyed dragon carved into its top. Inside, a bony hand clutches a map with a note, promising treasure.


With Joey and Roger, Sam sets off to track down the clues and hopefully discover treasure. When some puzzle pieces start to make sense, the boys become lost in a labyrinth of underground tunnels, trapped by dangerous thieves and sealed inside an airless tomb.


Sign of the Green Dragon gets a high five for fantasy, fun and some fearsome adventure. If you like intrepid would-be knights on impossible and dangerous quests, you’ll love this story. As one reader says, this book, “has more twists than a dragon’s tail.”


Buy now to jump into the adventure.

Buy it now on Amazon

And don't forget to pop on over to Lee's blog too to thank her for sharing the happy news about my book!

What awesome books have you read lately? Which ones are you looking forward to? Who are you grateful to?

A Super Exciting Announcement #IWSG

I don’t know how I’ve managed to keep it quiet until now, but at last I can shout to the world: I have a book coming out!! It will be released on October 18th this year. So exciting!

Cling to God is a book of devotionals for every day of the year. The aim is to encourage Christians in their faith, to help them think about their beliefs and learn more about God. The devotions are short and inspirational so that people with busy lifestyles will still be able to spend time with the Lord each day. It will appeal to a wide Christian audience, to those new in their faith as well as those matured beyond milk and honey.

How awesome is the cover?! I’m thrilled by it. While I did take the photo of the flowers (they grow by the steps leading to my front door), I didn’t design the cover. That was expertly done by my publisher’s designer. I think every author is nervous about seeing the final cover for the first time, myself included, but I literally whooped out loud and ran to my husband to show him. We had cake to celebrate.

I also have a few online friends helping to celebrate today. Please help me show my gratitude by visiting their blogs: Alex J Cavanaugh, Denise Covey, Michael Di Gesu, Susan Gourley, S A Larsen, Anna Simpson, Stephen Tremp, Michelle Wallace, Diane Wolfe.

And also some more friends will be helping out in the coming days: Lexa Cain, Chrys Fey, Carol Kilgore, Joylene Nowell Butler, C Lee McKenzie, and Carol Riggs. Thank you to everyone who has shown friendship and encouragement and support over the years. You guys are awesome!

This month’s question for the IWSG is What was your very first piece of writing as an aspiring writer? Where is it now? Collecting dust or has it been published? You’ll find my answer on the IWSG website along with, hopefully, a little encouragement.

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.