Jaye’s Journal (week 3)

This got me thinking. Yes, we are cut off from the world without electricity if we do not have a mobile phone. I used to keep mine in the car just for emergencies, but my family tend to communicate via text messages and become irate if I do not answer!

anita dawes and jaye marie

Jaye Marie’s writing life

The good news this week is that the WIP is almost sorting itself out.

After weeks of deep thought and frustration, my muse has obviously returned, with her sleeves rolled up and determination written all over her face. Parts that were previously difficult to understand, have become clearer and easier to read. My mind seems to know what to do, so I’m not arguing!

Then, on the third day, the power went out. We had no hot water, electricity, Internet or heating. Zilch!

Instantly, we needed coffee, then toast. Looking at the blank computer screen was depressingly annoying. I had visions of us being discovered, emaciated and frozen stiff, huddled together fYou get the picture!

Somewhere in the house, we had a camping stove although I had no clue where. If we wanted coffee, I would have to find it.

The worst part was not knowing…

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Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Sunday Interview – Getting to Know You 2019

Thanks to Sally Cronin at Smorgasbord for her Sunday Interview slot – this time of Robbie Cheadle. Robbie, it would be great to meet up if you ever came to the UK!

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

Welcome to the Sunday Interview – Getting to Know You 2019

The return of the Sunday interview is about to start next week with three guests already lined up for January. I hope that you will accept my invitation to participate in the this year’s interviews.

As writers we tend to share aspects of our work in interviews, such as our blog posts, books and characters, and that is very important. However, sometimes we don’t get to share some of the other aspects of our personalities.

In last year’s Getting to Know You interviews we found out some different and very interesting facts about authors and bloggers that we bump into every day here and on social media. It was a lot of fun..

**If you would like to participate again.. no problem… just answer five different questions from your first interview.

There are over 50 questions to choose from…

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Creating an Audiobook Using ACX – My Experience – Part 1 of 3

Useful info from Don Massenzio on using ACX for the creation of audiobooks. I have several audiobooks which are with the royalty share option, so I did not pay anything for their production. I also placed a sample of my manuscript online for audition, and on average had to wait about 2 -3 weeks before somebody read it.

Author Don Massenzio

In a recent post, I described the process for striking out on your own and recording an audiobook. As I mentioned in that post (found here), I originally went down this post and didn’t like my result because of the quality of my voice.

The route that I took instead, was to use a professional voice actor and create my audiobook through ACX, Amazon’s audiobook platform.

This three part series will describe, in some detail, the process that I went through to create my first of two audiobooks. I hope you find it helpful.

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Step 1 – The Platform

This part of the process turned out to be a no-brainer. I was skeptical at first, however, because I had tried the exact same tactics in the past with no positive results. The overwhelming suggestion for a platform was to use acx.com. ACX is another one of those content publishing companies…

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End of the Year Promote Your Book Party!

Thanks to Charles French for this opportunity.

charles french words reading and writing

(https://pixabay.com)

Hello to everyone! At the end of the year, I thought it would be a good time to share what you have been writing and what you have written. I want once again to offer an opportunity for all writers who follow this blog to share information on their books. It can be very difficult to generate publicity for our writing, so I thought this little effort might help. All books may be mentioned, and there is no restriction on genre. This includes poetry and non-fiction.

To participate, simply give your name, your book, information about it, and where to purchase it in the comments section. Then please be willing to reblog and/or tweet this post. The more people that see it, the more publicity we can generate for everyone’s books.

Thank you for participating!

Keep on writing!

(https://pixabay.com)

Celebrate and promote your writing! Shout…

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What Would I Say To My Younger Self?

Good one. I’d also say don’t be too trusting.  Live true to yourself, however hard it may be to achieve, and don’t take the easy option of sweeping it all under the carpet. Look on the bright side, and don’t complain…

Writer's Treasure Chest

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Dear AJ

In only a few short days it will be 2019 and I decided today, that it might be time to look back to your life and maybe help you out living it by sending you some advice. You’re 16 years old and I think it’s time you get some hints.

Just in case you think someone plays a trick on you, believe me, nobody does! Look at your desk. The lowest drawer, in the very back, there is a little envelope, glued to the bottom of the drawer. You remember you hid a love letter, a dried red rose and a silver necklace with a heart from your very first ‘boyfriend’ ever? How would I know about that if I wasn’t you? Let me tell you: one day you will regret the decision to throw that envelope away, after keeping it for more than 15 years. One day…

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Love is Complicated

I so agree with Aurorawatcherak’s view of love. Sometimes it’s just hard work! I’ve never been one for taking the easy option, and perhaps that’s why Sam and I took the time to work out all our problems instead of running away from each other. We are still together after 39 years.

aurorawatcherak

Do you believe in true love?

Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants’ blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person’s blog post. Use#OpenBookwhen tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.

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Yeah, asking a writer who specializes in apocalyptic fiction if she believes in “true love” is going to garner a complex answer. There’s a reason I have never successfully written a romance novel. The hearts and flowers version of love doesn’t live in my house, never did and never will.

Brad and I have only ever been married to each other (33 years this month), but our parents had eight marriages between them…

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2018 Christmas Charity Appeal – Help Me Raise £250 For The Dogs Trust By Leaving Me Links To Your Blogs And Books

Leave a link to your blog and your author page on Hugh’s Views and News to help him raise money for charity.

Hugh's Views & News  

The Christmas tree is up, but something is missing. There are no gifts under it, and I need your help to put that right.

For this year’s Christmas charity appeal, I’m asking you again to help me raise some money for The Dogs Trust.

The Dogs Trust, formerly known as the National Canine Defence League, is an animal welfare charity and humane society in the United Kingdom which specialises in the well-being of dogs. Click here to go to their website.

Want to get involved? Here’s what you need to do.

1. In the comments section of this post, leave the name of your blog and a link to it. This can be a link to your ‘about me’ page, a favourite blog post you’ve published, or the home page of your blog.
2. If you’re an author, you’re also welcome to leave a link to any books you have published. So, for example…

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December’s Featured Blogger: Author D.G. Kaye

Thanks to Rob Goldstein for sharing this thought-provoking interview of D.G Kaye.

Art by Rob Goldstein

“For every kindness, there should be kindness in return. Wouldn’t that just make the world right?” D.G. Kaye

 

December’s Featured Blogger is Author D.G. Kaye.

D.G. Kaye was born in Canada and lives in Toronto. She is an accomplished author and an active blogger on WordPress. 

In your bio, I hear a sense of determination and hope. How do you find hope?

I don’t find hope, I keep it tucked deeply inside. Hope is all we have when facing tragedy or adversity. In our darkest moments many of us, like myself, cling to that hope. But those who cannot focus on the light often get lost in the abyss of the darkness of the moment. I refuse to go to that place. I’m a firm believer that we manifest what we focus on to the universe. And what we focus on we attract. Staying focused on the negative and dark thoughts…

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Sally’s Cafe and Bookstore – Buy a Book for Christmas – #Social Injustice #Thriller #Fantasy with Yecheilyah Ysrayl, Stevie Turner and Fiona Tarr

Thanks to Sally Cronin for featuring ‘A House Without Windows’, which by the way is only $0.99 until 8th December.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine

Welcome to another selection of christmas gift ideas from the Cafe and Bookstore and some books that explore the darker side of human nature and social injustice. The first is the latest release from Yecheilyah Ysrayl – A novella – Even Salt Looks Like Sugar.

About the book

Wanda wants nothing more than to escape the oppressive upbringing of life with her abusive foster mother. Miss Cassaundra manipulates the system by bringing lost children into her home turned whorehouse and collecting the money. Wanda knows what it’s like to be abandoned and has no doubt Abby is Cassaundra’s next case. When an opportunity arises, that could save them both, Wanda must find a way to get the paperwork that will secure their freedom. But Cassaundra’s got eyes everywhere and no one can be trusted when even salt looks like sugar.

One of the reviews for the novella

Lisa T 4.0…

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How People Really Decide To Buy Your Book

Some interesting information here from Nicholas C. Rossis on ten reasons why people buy a book.

Nicholas C. Rossis

People judge a book by its cover. However, as every author knows, that’s not the only thing that makes them buy a book. Tucker Max recently explained in The Writing Cooperative what else influences their decision in a post we should all bookmark. As he points out,

Almost every potential reader will judge whether or not to buy and read your book before they have read one single word inside the book.

He then continues to explore the unconscious process of choosing whether to buy a book or not, breaking it down into a handy list, listed in order of what readers will consider, from first to last:

1. The title of the book
2. The recommending source
3. The book cover
4. The book description
5. Editorial reviews
6. Customer reviews
7. The author bio and picture (depending on where the picture is placed)
8. The length of the book
9. The book text itself (the “see inside” function…

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