Tag / guest post

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Blog Tour: Knife’s Tell & Victorian Catsup

Explore the shadows of Victorian Era London and encounter a new Jack the Ripper tale like you’ve never read before in Daniel Dark’s Knife’s Tell & Victorian Catsup Blog Tour, taking place February 20-27!

Knife’s Tell contains a tantalizing blend of thriller, horror, erotic, and alt. history elements. As an added bonus, author Daniel Dark (a former Victorian chef) also has included the authentic Victorian Era recipes of the dishes that are featured in the story!

In addition to Knife’s Tell, this tour also highlights Victorian Catsup: Receipts of the Past, which features history and recipes for a wide variety of authentic, Victorian Era catsups. The book itself also has a great story behind its development, and it is attached to a wonderful cause!

About the author: Daniel Dark, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, grew up with homicide every day. Having a homicide detective as a father, he was able to learn about those that were brought to justice, and the ones that were not.

Spending many hours in Central police headquarters and in his grandfather’s hematology lab gave Daniel an unusual childhood and a love for science. Along with this, his great uncle owned the oldest book store in Nashville. His parents took him there regularly, where developed a love of reading and found out about history.

Daniel went on to become an Electrical Engineer and Industrial Maintenance Manager till NAFTA took away his job. A year later he went to culinary school and studied Victorian cooking, after which he opened a Victorian-style restaurant.

He became a heart attack and stroke survivor at fifty years old, where he used writing to rehabilitate his brain. The first book written by Daniel was on Victorian Catsup, which had over two hundred catsup recipes in it from the late 1700’s to 1910, with over sixty different flavors. Daniel used the book to start his 1876 Catsup company as Mr. Catsup.

Knife’s Tell represents his debut novel as an author.

Book Synopsis for Knife’s Tell:   In 1888 one of the most notorious serial killers in history plagued London’s East Side.

Knife’s Tell is not about those murders, but the life behind them. What would cause a normal person to slay in such a horrific way?

Daniel Dark has explored an alternative tale of a doctor lost in reality trying to correct his past. With the help of his personal servant, he searches the Chapel for answers about his connection to the man with the knife.

Where did he come from? And how is the doctor part of his plans for escaping the police at every turn?

Read Knife’s Tell to learn the story behind the blade that killed London

Book Synopsis for Victorian Catsup- Receipts from the Past: The book you now hold in your hands is nothing new, only forgotten by most.

It is, however, how Chef Daniel, the Victorian Chef, recovered many missing segments of his knowledge after having a stroke in 2012. At that time, he had a forty-seat restaurant where he was recreating dishes from the Victorian Era. He was also developing his signature catsups to serve with each receipt that he placed on the menu.

After the stroke, he was forced to give up on his dream for the time being and start the long journey of rehabilitation of both body and mind. When Chef Daniel was able to stand in front of a stove again, he went back to what he knew best, making small batch catsup that he took to local fairs and sold so that he could make more.

This book is a big part of what kept Chef Daniel going each day. Now he wants to share that with others by contributing ninety percent of his proceeds to the Blood Banks that kept him alive by furnishing over twenty units to him when he was in need.

Author Links:

Twitter: @1876Catsup

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanielDarkAuthor/

Guest Post: Creating Powerful Characters

I have been asked questions like this by several different people over the last few years.

My first response is that you find a weak character and then make them powerful, but it is not that easy. When you are writing the characters. whether it is a fluffy bunny named Peter, a young boy named Harry, or in my case Victorian serial killers. it pays to know as much about them as you can. I was lucky to learn this simple trick at one of the first conferences that I attended in two thousand sixteen from a seasoned author.

The trick is to interview them.

Ask them anything that you can possibly think of. Then write out a comprehensive description of them. If you find out you need more info on them, like what did they want to do when they grew up, and you did not ask them before, no problem!  Corner them and ask more questions.

Now you are thinking, ‘Are you not just asking yourself questions and answering them’? Believe me, you are not. Each and every character in your writing has its own personality, background, and things that it will not trust you with until you deserve to know it by writing the story the way they want it to be told. They want to know that you understand their challenges in life and are willing to help them through whatever crap is going on all the way to the end.

The other part that I would remind someone is not to forget the other characters that contribute to the overall story. This is, of course, in my mind the settings, which will influence the rest of the characters temperaments and give their story substance.

Good luck. and write the best stories of the decade.

Tour Schedule and Activities

2/20     The Sinister Scribblings of Sarah E. Glenn
https://saraheglenn.blogspot.com/

2/21     Breakeven Books
https://breakevenbooks.com

2/21     I Smell Sheep
http://www.ismellsheep.com/

2/22     Horror Tree
https://www.horrortree.com

2/23     Sheila’s Guests and Reviews
http://sheiladeeth.blogspot.com

2/24     The Book Lover’s Boudoir
https://thebookloversboudoir.wordpress.com/

2/24     Books, Reviews, and More
http://bookworm1977.simplesite.com/435597726

2/25     Jazzy Book Reviews
https://bookreviewsbyjasmine.blogspot.com/

2/26     MyLifeMyBooksMyEscape
http://mylifemybooksmyescape.wordpress.com

2/27     Honestly Austen
https://honestlyausten.wordpress.com/

2/27     Willow’s Thoughts and Book Obsessions       http://wssthoughtsandbookobsessions.blogspot.com/

Amazon Links for Knife’s Tell:

Print Version: https://www.amazon.com/Knifes-Tell-Daniel-Dark/dp/1941706665/

Kindle Version: https://www.amazon.com/Knifes-Tell-Daniel-Dark-ebook/dp/B075RMJ4BJ/

Barnes and Noble Link for Knife’s Tell: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/knifes-tell-daniel-dark/1127157436?ean=9781941706664

Amazon Links for Victorian Catsup:

Print Version: https://www.amazon.com/Victorian-Catsup-Receipts-Daniel-Dark/dp/1948042479/

Kindle Version:  https://www.amazon.com/Victorian-Catsup-Receipts-Daniel-Dark-ebook/dp/B07DCFS2RL/

Barnes and Noble Link for Victorian Catsup: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/victorian-catsup-daniel-dark/1128827007?ean=9781948042475

GeekBuying.com

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Guest Post: Creating Powerful Characters

Get ready to explore a gem of mythic fiction in Michael Williams’ Dominic’s Ghosts Blog Tour. Taking place February 13-20, 2019, this blog tour celebrates a new stand-alone novel in Michael’s ambitious City Quartet.

Atmospheric and thought-provoking, Dominic’s Ghosts will take you on a unique kind of journey that involves a conspiracy, legends, and insights from a film festival!

About the Author:
Over the past 25 years, Michael Williams has written a number of strange novels, from the early Weasel’s Luck and Galen Beknighted in the best-selling DRAGONLANCE series to the more recent lyrical and experimental Arcady, singled out for praise by Locus and Asimov’s magazines. In Trajan’s Arch, his eleventh novel, stories fold into stories and a boy grows up with ghostly mentors, and the recently published Vine mingles Greek tragedy and urban legend, as a local dramatic production in a small city goes humorously, then horrifically, awry.

Trajan’s Arch and Vine are two of the books in Williams’s highly anticipated City Quartet, to be joined in 2018 by Dominic’s Ghosts and Tattered Men.

Williams was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and spent much of his childhood in the south central part of the state, the red-dirt gothic home of Appalachian foothills and stories of Confederate guerrillas. Through good luck and a roundabout journey he made his way through through New England, New York, Wisconsin, Britain and Ireland, and has ended up less than thirty miles from where he began. He has a Ph.D. in Humanities, and teaches at the University of Louisville, where he focuses on the he Modern Fantastic in fiction and film. He is married, and has two grown sons.

Synopsis of Dominic’s Ghosts:
Dominic’s Ghosts is a mythic novel set in the contemporary Midwest. Returning to the home town of his missing father on a search for his own origins, Dominic Rackett is swept up in a murky conspiracy involving a suspicious scholar, a Himalayan legend, and subliminal clues from a silent film festival. As those around him fall prey to rising fear and shrill fanaticism, he follows the branching trails of cinema monsters and figures from a very real past, as phantoms invade the streets of his once-familiar city and one of them, glimpsed in distorted shadows of alleys and urban parks, begins to look uncannily familiar.


Author Links:

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Mythical-Realism-The-Michael-Williams-Page-128713900543978/

Guest Post: Creating Powerful Characters

I was asked to write about creating “powerful characters,” which is an interesting distinction from the usual request about “good characters” or “believable characters.”

I could comply with the usual request. Consistency and plausibility are the foundation of any well-drawn character, and a number of writers can do those things and do them ably. But I have a feeling that what’s asked for here is something more—that intriguing moment in fiction where you encounter someone you’ll never forget: Sherlock Holmes, perhaps, or Madame Bovary. Captain Ahab, Hamlet or Gollum.

The figures who haunt you after you close the covers of the book.

Because almost anywhere you look, you can find the standard advice on character plausibility and consistency: writers I know keep notebooks, fill out character sheets, base the people in their stories on the people they know, or “cast” their stories with the screen personalities of appropriate actors or with the best guess at the temperaments of historical figures.

I mean, everyone has heard these methods already. Pick out a tactic that works for you.

Sometimes, though, you hear this complaint: “I just couldn’t relate to the character.” Pay close attention to those moments. Are readers actually saying the character is unrelatable? If so, the solution probably lies in some of the tactics I’ve mentioned above.

However, a lot of the time, what a reader might be saying is, “I couldn’t identify with the character.” And that, to me, is a very different thing. You can believe in a character without that kind of identity that a lot of readers demand: after all, who’d want to be Iago or Saruman, and yet we are fascinated by them, like by something glittering and poisonous. Very often the most powerful characters are figures strange to us, people who stretch our imaginations rather than confirm our assumptions. We do our work as readers in coming to know them, and the fascination of discovery takes the place of the ease in feeling that we already know them.

In short, when I read about a fictional character, I’d rather be asking “What’s up with her?” than resting in the assurance that “she’s just like I would be in that situation.”

My own Vine: An Urban Legend—one of the books in my City Quartet—met the objection of one reviewer that one of the central characters was “unsympathetic”. Well, a drug-addled homeless Elvis impersonator, haunted by paranoia and delusions of grandeur, might not be someone you’d want to buddy up with, much less grow up to be. But I maintain he’s interesting as hell, and his recurrence in the other three volumes—a secondary character in Dominic’s Ghosts, a cameo appearance in the pending new edition of Trajan’s Arch, and one of the two principal figures in the soon-to-be- released Tattered Men—make you more and more acquainted with Tommy Briscoe, so that when you glimpse him from the corner of your eye or when he settles in your sight, I’m hoping you’re curious, eager for more.

All of this without necessarily “identifying with him,” though depending on what book of the Quartet you read first (and you can start with any of them) you may be more sympathetic than if you began somewhere else. Just like living around someone like Tommy: where you start may shape where you end up. But you’ll stretch your thoughts along the way. Explore the character’s contradictions and layers. And that’s the power of characters, and of fiction.

Tour Schedule and Activities

2/13     Ravenous For Reads
www.ravenousforreads.com

2/13     Breakeven Books
https://breakevenbooks.com

2/14     Marian Allen, Author Lady
www.MarianAllen.com

2/15     Inspired Chaos
http://inspiredchaos.weebly.com/blog

2/16     I Smell Sheep
http://www.ismellsheep.com/

2/16     The Book Lover’s Boudoir
https://thebookloversboudoir.wordpress.com/

2/17     Jorie Loves A Story
http://jorielovesastory.com

2/18     The Seventh Star
www.theseventhstarblog.com

2/18     Willow’s Thoughts and Book Obsessions       http://wssthoughtsandbookobsessions.blogspot.com/

2/18     The Horror Tree
www.Horrortree.com

2/19     Sheila’s Guests and Reviews
www.sheiladeeth.blogspot.com

2/20     Jazzy Book Reviews
https://bookreviewsbyjasmine.blogspot.com/

Amazon Links for Dominic’s Ghosts

Print Version: https://www.amazon.com/Dominics-Ghosts-Michael-Williams/dp/1948042584/

Kindle Version: https://www.amazon.com/Dominics-Ghosts-Quartet-Michael-Williams-ebook/dp/B07F5Z4L18/

Barnes and Noble Link for Dominic’s Ghosts: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dominics-ghosts-michael-williams/1129262622?ean=9781948042581

MSC Cruises

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Bookworms : Bookmarks? — celinelingg

Hey bookworms! Check out this great post by Celine about bookmarks and all the uses we have for them and the types that we use 🙂

As a reader, there’s only one thing I need to emphasize right here and right now. Bookmark is a lifesaver. Who can relate? I can’t read without a bookmark. Before, I literally use anything to mark my reads. Guess what they are. Trust me, you don’t even want to know. Let’s see what type of […]

via Bookworms : Bookmarks? — celinelingg

And don’t forget about our current giveaway that is happening:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/5760930a6/?

We are busy over here reading a middle grade trilogy and will have a review of the first one for you tomorrow!

Are you dreaming of a candlelit, nature inspired wedding with a touch of glam? Fitting virtually any budget, My Wedding Favors offers a wonderful selection of rustic and chic wedding decorations and wedding favors for you to choose from.

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Time To Refresh Blog Tour: 7 Ways to Build Your Personal Author Brand

We joined up with a bunch of amazing book bloggers for the Time To Refresh Blog Tour!

BOOK IMAGE Time to Refresh (1)

Book summary

What happens when some part of your life comes to a screeching halt?

Time to Refresh: A 21- Day Devotional to Renew Your Mind After Being Laid Off, Fired or Sidelined, highlights Karen Brown Tyson’s journey through the Bible following one of three layoffs in her life.

Watch how God leads one woman on a 21-day journey through the Bible and teaches her how to G.L.O.W.— gratitude, listen, observe and witness.

Print Length: 68 pages

Genre: Nonfiction, Self-Help

Publisher: Constant Communicators

ISBN: 978-0692170489

Time to Refresh is available to purchase on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.

karenBrownTysonBranding_0015

About the Author

For the past 25 years, Karen Brown Tyson worked for Fortune 500 companies in the fast food, pharmaceutical, and telecommunication industries. Today, Karen is the founder of Constant Communicators, a lifestyle business that helps people improve their business writing skills. Time to Refresh:  A 21-Day Devotional to Renew Your Mind After Being Laid Off, Fired or Sidelined was released in August 2018.  Karen lives in North Carolina with her husband and son.

You can find Karen at –

Personal Website – www.karenbrowntyson.com 

Blog: https://karenbrowntyson.com/blog-2-feed/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KBTWrites 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Write-to-Inspire-385353048666490/

Without further ado, here is Karen’s article:

7 Ways to Build Your Personal Author Brand

Let me guess…

You are busy writing your book.  Or maybe you’re working on an article for Forbes or Inc. magazine.  Your writing career is finally taking off but you are always looking for ways to connect with potential readers.

Now you need to focus your attention on something just as important as your writing.

Your personal brand.

You have been so busy writing you haven’t thought about marketing your work, let alone building a personal brand.  And before you object, yes, you need a personal brand.  Why?  Because a brand is anything that separates one product from another.  Your personal brand as a writer will let people know who you are, what you stand for and what you write about.

Below are seven ideas on how to build your personal brand.  One thing to remember:  There is no one way to do this.  What works for one writer may not work for another writer. Focus on what works for you.  Be authentic and stay true to yourself.

Social Media

Using social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Snapchat and LinkedIn might connect you with your audience.   Before you tweet, post or like anything, determine the messages you will post and how often.  Create a simple strategy on how you will use social media.  Test different social media platforms and select two. Don’t build your brand on all platforms.

Content platforms

Consider posting content or chapters from your book on content platforms like Medium and Thrive Global. Drive readers to your website or landing page through links in your content.

Landing pages

A landing page is a single web page used to promote one topic or product.  With a landing page, you can sell your book, offer free giveaways like an ebook or course and build an email distribution list. If you don’t have a website, landing pages are a great way to connect with your audience.  Include a link to your landing page in your social media messages and articles.

Website

A website allows you to highlight several aspects of your writing — books, blog, workshops, speaking engagement dates, products, reviews, etc.  A website is good for sharing your work with potential literary agents and event planners looking for speakers for an event. A word of caution:  Keep your website updated with new information.  Create a plan for how you will manage your website including an editorial calendar if you are planning to have a blog.

Blog

A blog allows you to expose current and new readers to your writing. Use your blog to position yourself as a thought-leader with experience related to various topics. Make a list of topics you plan to write about regularly.  Create an editorial calendar outlining when you will cover each topic. Test how readers react to each blog post.

Guest posts

Writing content for other blogs is a good way to meet new readers and build your brand.  Pitch story ideas to bloggers who share your interests.  Include a link to your website or landing page in your guest blog post.

Podcast

Blogging and guest blogging take time.  If you are working on your next book, you may find it hard to write more content for a blog.  If so, consider starting a podcast where you interview guests about topics important to you and your readers.  You can post the transcript from the podcast on your website.

Here is the entire list of the blog tour dates:

November 26th @ The Muffin
What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Grab your coffee and stop by the Muffin blog where you can read an interview with author Karen Brown Tyson and enter to win a copy of her book Time to Refresh.
muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

November 29th @ Bookworm Blog
Be sure to stop by Anjanette’s blog where you can read Karen Brown Tyson’s guest post on managing career, home, and ministry.
bookworm66.wordpress.com

November 29th @ The Frugalista Mom
Visit Rozelyn’s blog where you can read her review of Karen Brown Tyson’s book Time to Refresh.
http://thefrugalistamom.com/

November 30th @ Amateur Twin Mom
Visit Jonelle’s blog to read what she has to say about Karen Brown Tyson’s book Time to Refresh.
https://www.amateurtwinmom.com

December 3rd @ Beverley A Baird Blog
Visit Beverley’s blog where Karen Brown Tyson talks about how to improve your writing life.
https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/

December 5th @ Break Even Books
Stop by Erik’s blog where you can read Karen Brown Tyson’s blog post about how to build your personal brand.
https://breakevenbooks.com/

December 5th @  Jill Sheets Blog
Stop by Jill’s blog today where you can read Karen Brown Tyson’s blog post about how to improve your writing life.
https://jillsheets.blogspot.com/

December 6th @ Beverley A Baird Blog
Visit Beverley’s blog again where she shares her thoughts about Karen Brown Tyson’s book Time to Refresh.
https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/

December 7th @ Bookworm Blog
Visit Anjanette’s blog again where she interviews author Karen Brown Tyson about her book Time to Refresh.
bookworm66.wordpress.com

December 8th @ A Storybook World
Visit Deirdra’s blog where you can read Karen Brown Tyson’s blog post about fearless writing.
http://www.astorybookworld.com/

December 9th @ Reducing Overload
Stop by Peggy’s blog to read author Karen Brown Tyson’s post about journaling and stress management.
http://reducingoverload.com/

December 13th @ Memoir Writer’s Journey
Visit Kathleen’s blog where you can read Karen Brown Tyson’s blog post about fearless writing.
https://krpooler.com/

December 13th @ M.C. Walker’s Blog
Visit M.C. Walker’s blog where she interviews author Karen Brown Tyson about her and her book Time to Refresh.
https://seeminoltawrite.com/

December 14th @ Strength 4 Spouses
Visit Wendi’s blog where you can read Karen Brown Tyson’s blog post about having faith during difficult times.
https://strength4spouses.blog/

December 15th @ Jessica’s Reading Room
Visit Jessica’s blog where you can read her thoughts on Karen Brown Tyson’s book Time to Refresh.
http://jessicasreadingroom.com

December 16th @ 12 Books
Visit Louise’s blog where she shares her opinion on Karen Brown Tyson’s book Time to Refresh.
http://www.12books.co.uk/

December 18th @ Look to the Western Sky
Visit Margo’s blog where you can read Karen Brown Tyson’s blog post about parenting.
https://www.margoldill.com/

December 20th @ Strength 4 Spouses
Visit Wendi’s blog again where you can read her opinion about Karen Brown Tyson’s book Time to Refresh.
https://strength4spouses.blog/

December 20th @ The Faerie Review
Visit Lily Shadowlyn’s blog where you can read Karen Brown Tyson’s blog post about journaling.
http://www.thefaeriereview.com/

December 21st @ The World of My Imagination
Visit Nicole’s blog where she shares her thoughts about Karen Brown Tyson’s book Time to Refresh.
http://theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.com

December 23rd @ Look to the Western Sky
Be sure to stop by Margo’s blog again where you find out what she had to say about Karen Brown Tyson’s book Time to Refresh.
https://www.margoldill.com/

December 23rd @ Coffee with Lacey
Visit Lacey’s blog where you can read Karen Brown Tyson’s blog post about journaling.
http://coffeewithlacey.wordpress.com

 December 24th @ Coffee with Lacey
Stop by Lacey’s blog again where she reviews Karen Brown Tyson’s book Time to Refresh.
http://coffeewithlacey.wordpress.com

December 27th @ The Frugalista Mom
Be sure to visit Rozelyn’s blog again where you can read Karen Brown Tyson’s blog post about change management.
http://thefrugalistamom.com/


Deals of the Week: new deals every week, online only!

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Guest Post: Exercise the brain and jog your inspiration

We joined up with another group of amazing bloggers to be a part of their blog tour. The tour is for All Eyes on Alexandra by Anna Levine.

image003 (1)

Book summary

 In All Eyes on Alexandra, young Alexandra Crane is terrible at following her family in their flying Vee. She can’t help it that the world is so full of interesting distracting sights! When it’s time for the Cranes to migrate to Israel’s Hula Valley for the winter, Alexandra is excited but her family is worried. Will Alexandra stay with the group, and what happens if a dangerous situation should arise? Might Alexandra—and the rest of the flock—discover that a bad follower can sometimes make a great leader?

Based on the true story of Israel’s annual crane migration.

Print Length: 32 Pages

Genre: Children’s Picture Book

Publisher: Kar-Ben Pub

ISBN-10: 1512444391

ISBN-13: 978-1512444391

All Eyes on Alexandra is available to purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Target and Thrift Books.

About the Author

Author photo

Anna Levine is an award-winning children’s book author. Like Alexandra Crane, the character in her latest picture book, she loves to explore new worlds. Born in Canada, Anna has lived in the US and Europe.  She now lives in Israel, where she writes and teaches.

You can find Anna Levine online at —

Author website: http://www.annalevine.org/

Twitter: @LevineAnna 

Instagram: @booksfromanna 

About the Illustrator

artist

 Chiara Pasqualotto was born in Padua, in northern Italy, currently teaches illustration and drawing classes to children and adults, in particular in Padua during the summer at the Scuola Internazionale di Comics and in Rome. Since 2008 she’s been living in Rome and working with illustration professionally: her first picture book, Mine, All Mine! was published in 2009 by Boxer Books (UK), since then she published with Oxford University Press, Giunti, Terranuova and some American publishers (Paraclete Press, Tyndale, LearningAZ, Kar-Ben Publisher).

You can find Chiara Pasqualotto online at –

Artist website: https://romeartweek.com/en/artists/?id=1495&ida=1004

Blog: http://chiarapasqualotto.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clairepaspage/

And now a guest post that Anna wrote for us!

Exercise the brain and jog your inspiration.

Like Alexandra, the character in my book, I move around a lot. I was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada grew up in Montreal, Quebec, lived in California for four years, Verona, Italy for one year and now live in Israel. When it comes to being inspired, for me there’s no better way than seeing new countries, living as a local (in Verona, where they don’t buy vegetables in bulk, I learned to buy lettuce by the leaf) tasting, listening and soaking up the atmosphere of new places.

But what happens when life interferes and you can’t just take off? That’s when I always come back to my favorite quote by Marcel Proust (author of Swann’s Way also known as Remembrance of Things Past) “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but seeing with new eyes.” At times we become so blinded to the familiar that we don’t see the beauty and uniqueness in the world we live. Here are some tricks I use to jog my imagination when I need inspiration.

#1. Leave the car at home. Take the bus, the train, the subway or metro. When you’re out and about take note of faces, fashions and unusual gestures. Listen to the mix of languages and dialects.

#2. Enjoy coffee from your favorite café, but from time to time try a new one. I love my neighborhood coffee shop, (which borders on a cemetery and is a very quiet space to work), but spicing up my cappuccino at a different cafe is sometimes exactly what I need to get a new perspective on a character or chapter of my manuscript.

#3. Walk. Bike. Ski. Skate. Jog. If it worked for the philosopher Henry Thoreau, who said that ‘the moment my legs began to move, the thoughts came,’ it’s worth a try. When I’m stuck on a plot development or annoyed with a character who isn’t listening to me, I get out of my chair and either take a long walk around the neighborhood or get on my bike. Writers spend a lot of time in their heads (and in our seats), we need to get up, move around and interact in order to be inspired and see our world (and our manuscripts) from a new perspective.

Blog Tour Dates


December 3rd @ The Muffin

What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Make sure you visit WOW’s blog today and read an interview with the author and enter for a chance to win a copy of the book All Eyes on Alexandra.

muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com


December 5th @ Cassandra’s Writing World

Visit Cassandra’s blog where she shares her thoughts about Anna Levine’s picture book All Eyes on Alexandra.

https://cassandra-mywritingworld.blogspot.com/

December 5th @ Break Even Books

Visit Erik’s blog where you can read Anna Levine’s guest post about how to jog your inspiration.

https://breakevenbooks.com/

December 7th @ Coffee with Lacey

Grab some coffee and visit Lacey’s blog where you can read her review of Anna Levine’s picture book All Eyes on Alexandra.

http://coffeewithlacey.wordpress.com


December 8th @ Author Anthony Avina’s Blog

Visit Anthony Avina’s blog today where he joins in the fun of celebrating and shares information about Anna Levine’s book All Eyes on Alexandra.

http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com

December 8th @ Christy’s Cozy Corners

Visit Christy’s blog and cozy up while you read her review of Anna Levine’s picture book All Eyes on Alexandra.

https://christyscozycorners.com/

December 9th @ Coffee with Lacey

Visit Lacey’s blog again where you can read Anna Levine’s guest post about designing your ideal writing spot.

http://coffeewithlacey.wordpress.com

December 9th @ Christy’s Cozy Corner

Visit Christy’s blog where you can read Anna Levine’s blog post about how she decided to use crane’s in her story.

https://christyscozycorners.com/
December 10th @ Thoughts in Progress

Visit Pamela’s blog where you can read Anna Levine’s guest post about how authors use anthropomorphic animals.

http://masoncanyon.blogspot.com/

December 11th @ Read. Write. Sparkle. Coffee.

Make sure you visit Jeanie’s blog today and read her thoughts about Anna Levine’s book All Eyes on Alexandra.

http://www.readwritesparklecoffee.com/
December 12th @ Author Anthony Avina Blog

Visit Anthony Avina’s blog where he interviews Anna Levine, author of All Eyes on Alexandra.

http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com

December 13th @ Read. Write. Sparkle. Coffee.

Make sure you visit Jeanie’s blog today and read Anna Levine’s guest post about building a theme day around a picture book.

http://www.readwritesparklecoffee.com/

December 13th @ Oh for the Hook of a Book

Visit Erin’s blog where she shares her thoughts on Anna Levine’s book All Eyes on Alexandra.

www.hookofabook.wordpress.com

December 15th @ A Storybook World

Visit Deirdra’s blog where she features Anna Levine’s book All Eyes on Alexandra in a spotlight post.

http://www.astorybookworld.com/

December 17th @ World of My Imagination

Stop by Nicole’s blog today where you can read her review of Anna Levine’s book All Eyes on Alexandra.

http://theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.com

December 19th @ Cassandra’s Writing World

Visit Cassandra’s blog again where you can read Anna Levine’s blog post about naming your characters.

https://cassandra-mywritingworld.blogspot.com

December 19th @ Linda’s Blog

Make sure you visit Linda’s blog today where you can read her thoughts about Anna Levine’s book All Eyes on Alexandra.

https://www.lindaleekane.com/blog

December 20th @ Word Magic: All About Books 

Visit Fiona’s blog where you can read her review of Anna Levine’s book All Eyes on Alexandra.

http://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com/

December 21st @ Bring on Lemons

Make sure you grab some lemonade and stop by Crystal’s blog today where she reviews Anna Levine’s book All Eyes on Alexandra.

http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/

December 27th @ Linda’s Blog

Visit Linda’s blog again where you can read her interview with author Anna Levine.

https://www.lindaleekane.com/blog


December 28th @ Beverley A. Baird’s Blog

Visit Beverley’s blog today you can read her review of Anna Levine’s book All Eyes on Alexandra.

https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/
December 31st @ Strength 4 Spouses

Visit Wendi’s blog and read Anna Levine’s guest post on learning about families and different cultures.

https://strength4spouses.blog/
January 2nd @ Author Anthony Avina’s Blog

Visit author Anthony Avina’s blog where he shares his thoughts about Anna Levine’s picture book All Eyes on Alexandra. 

http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com

January 3rd @ Beverley A. Baird’s Blog

Visit Beverley’s blog again where you can read Anna Levine’s blog post about getting into the head of your middle-grade characters.

https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/

January 4th @ Author Anthony Avina’s Blog

Visit author Anthony Avina’s blog again where you can read Anna Levine’s blog post about using fiction to write non-fiction.

http://www.authoranthonyavinablog.com

January 7th @ Strength 4 Spouses Blog

Visit Wendi’s blog again where you can read her thoughts about the book All Eyes on Alexandra by Anna Levine.

https://strength4spouses.blog/

Kobo Canada

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

The Pros and Cons of Using a Pen Name

We have a great post for you by Cindy Fazzi! She is the author of My MacArthur and she wrote a helpful article about the pros and cons of using a pen name. Without further ado, here it is:

After using a pen name in two traditionally published romance novels, my literary historical novel, My MacArthur, got published under my real name. It’s a dream come true, but it also posed a big challenge in marketing and branding. Let me share with you the lowdown on using a pseudonym versus one’s real name as a novelist.

Advantages of a Pen Name

You can write in different genres. When I wrote my first romance novel in 2013, I used a pseudonym—Vina Arno—to separate it from my other works. In the publishing world, there exists a line between genre (such as romance) and literary. I was afraid my non-romance novels would not be acquired by traditional publishers unless I separate them from my genre work. Also, the separation is beneficial in terms of targeting readers; the audiences are different for romance and literary fiction.

On Nov. 1, 2018, my first “serious” novel, My MacArthur, was published by an award-winning small press. It’s a fictionalized account of General Douglas MacArthur’s interracial, May-December love affair with Isabel Rosario Cooper, a Filipino actress, in the 1930s. Its publication came just months after my second romance novel, Finder Keeper of My Heart, was published by another publisher.

There are many other writers who have done the same thing. Mystery writer Agatha Christie wrote romance novels under the pseudonym, Mary Westmacott. Vampire genre writer Anne Rice wrote erotic novels under the pen names Anne Rampling and A.N. Roquelaure.

You can remain anonymous and maintain privacy. Best-selling writers like J.K. Rowling and Elena Ferrante use pen names to be able to write in peace. It worked for a while. Perhaps they were both too famous to remain anonymous. People eventually discovered that Robert Gailbreath was Rowling’s pseudonym for her thrillers. Meanwhile, an Italian journalist revealed that Elena Ferrante was really the translator Anita Raja, though she has not admitted it.

You can start over. When authors fail to sell enough books, they sometimes need to reinvent themselves using a pen name. It happened to Melanie Benjamin, the author of the historical novel, “The Aviator’s Wife,” whose real name is Melanie Hauser. She openly acknowledged that she adopted a pseudonym because her first novels (chick lit), published under her real name, were unsuccessful. The new name gave her a clean slate.

Disadvantages of a Pen Name

It’s a hassle. Adopting a pen name is like changing your last name after getting married. You have to get a new social security card, driver’s license, and passport, and change your name on bank accounts and credit cards. With a pen name, you don’t have to change documents, but you need to establish your new persona in terms of bylines, website, and social media accounts. Needless to say, it requires a lot of patience.

It’s confusing. During the publication of my first romance novel, I communicated with my editor and other staffers at my publishing house using my real name, but all of my documents were marked according to my pen name. On some email lists for authors, my pen name was used.

That was a minor headache compared with the pang of identity crisis I felt when I created an author’s page on Goodreads, Amazon.com, and Facebook. Maintaining multiple accounts using different names requiring slightly different biographies is confusing and inconvenient.

It’s a lot of work. It’s difficult to build name recognition. With a pen name, you have to do it more than once, depending on how many pseudonyms you use. For the past three years, I’ve been building my pen name. With the publication of My MacArthur, I have to do it all over again using my real name.

If you’re thinking of using a pseudonym, be sure to weigh all the pros and cons. Don’t take it lightly because it’s going to affect your journey as a writer.

 

About the Author
Cindy Fazzi is a Filipino-American writer and former Associated Press reporter. She has worked as a journalist in the Philippines, Taiwan, and the United States. My MacArthur, published by Sand Hill Review Press, is her literary debut. She writes romance novels under the pen name Vina Arno. Her first romance book, In His Corner, was published by Lyrical Press in 2015. Her second romance novel, Finder Keeper of My Heart, was published by Painted Hearts Publishing
in 2018. Her short stories have been published in Snake Nation Review, Copperfield Review, and SN Review.

You can find Cindy at –

Author Website: https://www.cindyfazzi.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CindyFazzi
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cindyfazzi/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cindy-Fazzi-779654065440439/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/862157.Cindy_Fazzi
GooglePlus: https://plus.google.com/+CindyFazzi/about

Blog Tour Dates

November 5th @ The Muffin
What goes better in the morning than a muffin? Stop by Women on Writing’s blog and read an interview with the author Cindy Fazzi and enter to win a copy of the book My MacArthur.
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com

November 6th @ Coffee with Lacey
Get your coffee and stop by Lacey’s blog where she shares her thoughts on the book My
MacArthur.
http://coffeewithlacey.wordpress.com/

November 7th @ Beverley A. Baird’s Blog
Stop by Beverley’s blog and find out what she thought about Cindy Fazzi’s book My
MacArthur. This book is sure to entice historical fiction readers everywhere!
https://beverleyabaird.wordpress.com/

November 8th @ The Frugalista Mom
Stop by Rozelyn’s blog and catch her thoughts on the historical fiction book My MacArthur.
https://thefrugalistamom.com/

November 9th @ The Frozen Mind
Grab a blanket and stop by the blog The Frozen Mind and read their thoughts on the incredible historical fiction book My MacArthur.
https://thefrozenmind.com/

November 11th @ Bring on Lemons
If life hands you lemons, read a book! Come by Crystal’s blog Bring on Lemons and find out what she had to say about the book My MacArthur.
http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/

November 13th @ Mommy Daze: Say What??
Want to know what this mom had to say about the book? Stop by Ashley’s blog and read her thoughts on the historical fiction book My MacArthur.
https://adayinthelifeofmom.com/

November 16th @ Amanda’s Diaries
Find out what Amanda had to say about Cindy Fazzi’s historical fiction book My MacArthur in her review today.
https://amandadiaries.com/

November 16th @ Chapters Through Life
Stop by Danielle’s blog where she spotlight’s Cindy Fazzi’s book My MacArthur.
https://chaptersthroughlife.blogspot.com/

November 19th @ Madeline Sharples Blog
Be sure to catch today’s post over at Madeline’s blog author Cindy Fazzi shares her tips for writing fiction about a famous person.
http://madelinesharples.com/

November 20th @ Let Us Talk of Many Things
Visit today’s blog where you can catch Cindy Fazzi’s post on overcoming prejudices against romance writers.
https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/

November 21st @ Mam’s Rants and Reviews
Stop by Shan’s blog where she shares her thoughts on the historical fiction book My MacArthur.
https://shanelliswilliams.com/

November 25th @ The World of My Imagination
Catch Nicole’s review of the book My MacArthur and find out what she had to say about this fantastic book.
http://theworldofmyimagination.blogspot.com

November 26th @ Break Even Books
Stop by the Break Even Books blog and read Cindy Fazzi’s article on the pros and cons of using a pen name.
https://breakevenbooks.com/

November 28th @ Charmed Book Haven Reviews
Visit Cayce’s blog and check out her thoughts on the book My MacArthur by Cindy Fazzi.
https://charmedbookhavenreviews.wordpress.com/

November 29th @ Memoir Writer’s Journey
Start your journey today at Kathleen’s blog Memoir Writer’s Journey where author Cindy Fazzi talks about the challenges of writing different genres.
https://krpooler.com/

November 30th @ Joyful Antidotes Blog
Want a joyful way to start your day? Stop by Joy’s blog where she reviews the incredible
historical fiction book My MacArthur.
https://joyfulantidotes.com/

November 30th @ The Uncorked Librarian
Make sure you stop by Christine’s blog and read what she thinks about the book My MacArthur.
https://theuncorkedlibrarian.com

December 1st @ Charmed Book Haven Reviews
Visit Cacye’s blog again and read her interview with author Cindy Fazzi.
https://charmedbookhavenreviews.wordpress.com/

December 2nd @ Author Anthony Avina’s Blog
Start your morning out right by reading Anthony Avina’s review of the book My MacArthur.
https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/

December 2rd @ 2 Turn the Page Book Reviews
Visit Renee’s blog when she reviews Cindy Fazzi’s book My MacArthur and interviews the author.
https://2turnthepagebookreviews.blogspot.com/

Enjoy the rest of the blog tour everyone!

There is also another book on the block that you should check out if you haven’t heard of it yet. It is called Addicted To Hate by Lucia Mann and it is a great one! You can find it on Amazon or on her website: www.luciamann.com!

Addicted to Hate - Front Cover


Deals of the Week: New deals every week, online only!

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

How to Create the Purr-fect Writing Space — The Cat’s Write

Hey bookworms! Every once and a while, I like to share a fellow blogger’s post to highlight some of the amazing talents we have in our blogging community. I felt that this post was fun and could apply to reading spots as well as writing spots.

Check out Samantha Blann’s creative and fun post on creating the purr-fect writing space.

by Samantha Blann Ahh the writing space: that magical place where all your words fall onto the page. It might seem like a place that only exists in your dreams, but it’s real, I promise you. The purr-fect writing space is different for everyone: Some writers like loud, busy cafes, while others prefer quiet rooms […]

via How to Create the Purr-fect Writing Space — The Cat’s Write


Get Booked! The hottest spring reads are here!

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Guest Post: How to Make Your Books Both Enjoyable and Educational

This is a guest post by author Fiona Ingram as part of her book blog tour.

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Teachers and parents welcome with open arms books that help kids enjoy reading, immerse them in a wonderful new world and encourage them to want to learn more about the subject or topics covered in the story. The hardest part of writing fiction that involves facts, history, mythology, geography and the details that my middle-grade adventures involve is knowing what to put in and what to leave out.

My first middle-grade book, The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, is set in Egypt. Although I actually went to Egypt with my mom and my two nephews (who later became the templates for my young heroes), going to a place and writing about it are very different. I think Egypt was even more daunting than I imagined because so much has been written about the country, its history, and its culture that I felt under enormous pressure to check, double check, and check again (just in case) all my facts. There are also conflicting opinions of experts so one must be careful whose opinion one chooses.

I confess I overwrote the rough drafts of the first manuscript. There was so much information that I ended up almost drowning in it. It seems a shame that hours of research goes into looking up facts that will make perhaps only a brief mention in the chapter concerned. However, there is no point in inundating readers with lots of information. After careful thought, I realized that all I should include was what the young heroes needed to know as the plot unfolded. Details should be carefully and subtly woven into the story, always being an integral part of what the heroes need to know to move along in their adventure.

So, after the excitement of Egypt, what came next? The next book in my adventure series The Chronicles of the Stone takes place in Scotland, where the heroes are in search of the Second Stone of Power. The title is The Search for the Stone of Excalibur and that should be enough of a clue for fans to see where the story is heading. I had already spent a few amazing weeks in Scotland, researching old castles. Ask me anything about castles … with or without drawbridges, moats, portcullises, battlements … you name it, I visited it.

Finally, I settled upon the fabulous, fairytale setting of Dunrobin Castle, for me
an exquisite vision, as the setting for Book Two. Interviews with experts are a real boon. Leila, our fantastic guide in Egypt, was a walking encyclopedia of knowledge on the country. Contrary to what one might think, travel guides (the official ones) in any country, have a vast amount of knowledge on their subject. It came as no surprise to find that Leila had a university degree!

In Book 3: The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper, set in Mexico, the young heroes must play an ancient form of a ball game, the Mesoamerican ball game, to survive. I was fortunate enough to find an expert on the subject whose advice and book were invaluable. Again, so much has been written on this topic, as well as the ancient cultures of the Maya and the Aztecs—that feature in the story—that I really had to pare down the details to just what was integral to the plot and to the young heroes’ survival. Dialogue is a great way to include details that are necessary and having characters exchange information makes the detail realistic and interesting. I try to include storytelling by characters to share information. In all my books there are old stories or legends that make an appearance and add to the mystery. Told as a story within the main story makes it interesting for young readers. This could also lead on to further activities—for example, the students might enjoy acting out scenes from the stories, or even undertake their own research to find out if and how the fictional version deviates from the known facts.

Stories within the main story are a must. This gives an added depth and introduces cultural elements that are so unusual for young readers in a modern, media-driven and technologically saturated world. Within each of my books, the young heroes are told old stories, either legends or myths or in the case of Book 2: The Search for the Stone of Excalibur, the old ghost stories surrounding the castle. What a lovely experience, with delicious shivers going up and down their spines! In Book 3: The Temple of the Crystal Timekeeper, the young heroes hear some important stories about the ancient Aztec and Maya gods, and when their adventures are finally over, they tell the story of their exploits to the villagers seated around the campfire, perhaps creating their own legends in a way.

Another excellent idea for authors whose books contain facts and relevant information is to include an appendix, either a young readers’ guide (which I do) or even just a glossary of unfamiliar words. Parents can then encourage their kids to read this to enhance their enjoyment of the story, achieve a greater understanding of the environment and atmosphere of the events, and teachers can use it to inspire further research. Contrary to popular opinion, kids love to learn, be it new words or new facts and/or details. Books that inspire the desire in kids to learn more deserve a top place on every bookshelf.

You can find Fiona at –
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/secretofthesacredscarab/
Website: www.chroniclesofthestone.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/FionaRobyn
Author Site: http://www.FionaIngram.com
Blog: http://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2868182.Fiona_Ingram


Save on Music, Books and DVDs at Indigo.ca

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Dani is not a spammer!

My friend Dani @ Touch My Spine Book Reviews is being attacked by WordPress for interacting with her fellow bloggers and liking/commenting on their posts. This is really not cool on WordPress’ part. I enjoy talking to Dani and she is always great for having a fun discussion abut books or just being a nice person. She doesn’t deserve to be called a spammer.

I couldn’t be more upset! I did nothing for spam behavior and I got sent this after inquiring about my followers!!! Look at this email!!!! I did nothing wrong at all guys! My spammish behavior was following like 5 or so people and commenting on my followers and posting a few times!!! Now it’s not […]

via So I might be Super Screwed Because of WordPress! Please read my followers! I might not be able to communicate much longer!😭 — Touch My Spine Book Reviews

The fact that the guy emailing her has the title of Happiness Engineer is a joke. He should recognize that she isn’t a spammer and help her out considering she put time and money into her website with them.

What do you think about this? Let me know in the comments.