ARE U A POPCORN KID?.....

Hello all of you Beauties!

Just had to share a bit of information with you which will begin with a truth.
Confession no. 1 - I enjoy eating popcorn. I like the smell, the taste and the sound of its crunch as I chomp on it. Sans the butter, I enjoy dipping my fingers in the bowl, scooping out a small handful and then stuffing it into my mouth. It is a pleasure of mine and, I'm sure, many other people. Theater or not, it's always a nice, added-on touch to most specific and non-specific events.

A few weeks ago, after popping a bag in the microwave, I recently came upon an article that discussed the problem with how this snack is prepared these days. And before I go any further let me throw this disclaimer out: I choose to share topics like this with you to inform, not scare you, because ignorance is not bliss. That sh#t can kill you.

Allow me to share:

Research by the U.S.government now reports that microwave popcorn may contain chemicals that can cause health problems.

The issue is that commercial popcorn companies often coat their microwave popcorn bags with a chemical called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) which has been found to cause boeth cancer and lung disease in laboratory animals. Making matters worse, the butter substitute that generally accompanies microwavable popcorn contains a chemical called diacetyl, a common food-flavoring agen that, according to health scientist, is responsible for bronchiolitis obliterans, a serious, debilitating lung disease.

photo by flickr user banlon1964

For an easy and fun healthy alternative, nutritionists suggest that we pop our own popcorn. All that's needed is a large, high pot, about four tablespoons of peanut or canola oil and a small handful of organic popcorn kernels. When the kernels start popping, shake the pot to let the steam escape and to let the unpopped kernels fall to the bottom. As soon as the popping slows down, remove the pot from the stove, pour the popcorn into a bowl, season with a small amount of organic butter or olive oil and a "good" salt.

Now I'd love to find a non-genetically modified organism (GMO) corn to pop. For more info on that, I recommend & refer you to watch  "Food, Inc". I'll have to do a post on that soon. But I'd also like you to consider another reason to pop your corn on a stove top rather than into a microwave. This specific issue having more to do with the method of popping your corn. The microwave.

One of the problems with microwave ovens is that carcinogenic toxins can leach out of your plastic and paper containers/covers, and into your food.

The January/February 1990 issue of Nutrition Action Newsletter reported the leakage of numerous toxic chemicals from the packaging of common microwavable foods, including pizzas, chips and popcorn. Chemicals included polyethylene terpthalate (PET), benzene, toluene, and xylene. Microwaving fatty foods in plastic containers leads to the release of dioxins (known carcinogens) and other toxins into your food.

 

Microwaving distorts and deforms the molecules of whatever food or other substance you subject to it.

 

And I bet you didn't know this:
 

After the war, the Russians had retrieved some of these microwave ovens and conducted thorough research on their biological effects. Alarmed by what they learned, the Russians banned microwave ovens in 1976, later lifting the ban during Perestroika.

Twenty years of Russian research (and German studies as far back as 1942 Berlin) make a strong argument against the safety of microwave cooking.

Their findings led the Russian government to issue an international warning about possible biological and environmental damage associated with the use of microwave ovens and other similar frequency electronic devices (e.g. mobile phones).

You can read more about this here, and here.

Just a few more reasons to cut down, if not all the way out, using your microwave. I'll admit that it is very convenient time-wise, but health-wise, I'd rather slide my cooked foods into a regular old oven for about 15 minutes on 450. Gets it good and warmed up everytime, sans the micro-waves. My fam can attest to that.

To a healthier you,

**First article from the August 2010 print of Natural Awakenings magazine

HAIRVEDA FALL MADNESS SALE IS GOING DOWN!!

When:  September 14th - 21st

Where: Hairveda.com

What:  Vatika Frosting

Urban Aroma Goodies

Hydrasilica Spritz

Cocasta Oil

Whipped Cream

Methi Sativa Set

Amala Cream Rinse

Moist Condition 24.7

SitriNillah Deep Conditioner

 

REDUCED !

ALL SALON SIZES ITEMS $30% off!

The Extra:  PRIZE DRAWING-  Place your sale order and you'll automatically be entered in to a random drawing! ONE customer will get the Ultimate Upgrade- We're gonna DOUBLE your order! Thats Right! Everything X 2!!!! Can you handle it???
 
This is one of my favorite lines so I just had to share.
Btw, Boutique B (a sister company of Hairveda) will be opening in September. Hey! That's tomorrow! Selling fashion jewels and such like arm trinkets, necklaces and hair candy. And from what I can see, I will be in line at the store opening.
 
Happy Shopping!

Interview with Jaleta Clegg

Available at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Nexus-Point-Jaleta-Clegg/dp/193602103X

I would like to extend a warm welcome to author Jaleta Clegg. I met Jaleta over on the new forum Bestseller Bound.  Welcome Jaleta!

Briefly describe your journey in writing your first book.

Nexus Point isn't my first book, it's just the first to see the light of day. Counting rewrites of existing manuscripts, I'd written over 20 novel length manuscripts before I wrote Nexus Point, including the rest of the series. It's a rewrite of a previous manuscript that had too many problems to be publishable. I'm very happy with the result.

As to my writing journey, it started years ago as an act of desperation. I was a stay-at-home mom with four kids ages seven to two. Summer vacation loomed as an endless Barney marathon. I couldn't stand it. I was going insane. So I escaped into an imaginary world. I've been addicted to writing ever since.

Did you query agents and traditional publishers?  How long before you got your offer of representation/your first contract?

I looked at the odds at the big SF/F publishing houses. The odds of me even getting my manuscript in front of an editor were slim to nil. More and more, they require an agent. Agents are swamped. I didn't want to wait years to hear, no thanks, we're not interested. With Cyberwizard, they wanted a brief pitch in the query of the whole series. I emailed it off, and got a response the next day. Within a week, I had an offer for the whole series. Cyberwizard Productions was the first publisher I submitted to. I don't regret going for a small press. They've been fantastic to work wtih.

What factors influenced your decision to go with a particular agent or publisher?

Cyberwizard Productions stated they were interested in series, not just the first books, but the whole thing. Since I had an 11 book series already written, it seemed like a good fit. Big houses wouldn't even look at me, not for a series, maybe for the first book.

Are you currently under a traditional publishing contract for future books or do you have manuscripts that you will publish directly for Kindle?

I've got 10 more books under contract with Altered Dimensions/Cyberwizard Productions. We haven't discussed ebook rights in detail yet, but I'd rather put it out in as many formats as I can. I went through Smashwords with the first book and I'll probably do that with the others. Kindle format will be supported as soon as Smashwords gets the contract bugs worked out.

Did you design your cover art?  If not, would you care to share your graphic designer’s information?

My publisher did the cover. The artist was Anna Repp. http://annarepp.com/

How did you feel when you got your first sale? 

Ecstatic. Well, sort of. Considering it was my mother ordering copies for my family, I kind of expected it. The most gratifying sales are those to people I've never met who think the book is wonderful. They aren't obligated to like it or buy it.

What kinds of social media [twitter, facebook, webpage, blog, writing forums] are you involved with trying to garner attention for your book(s)?

I'm on Twitter as @Jaleta_Clegg, Facebook as Jaleta Clegg, webpage is http://www.jaletac.com, blog is The Far Edge of Normal http://jaletaclegg.blogspot.com/, and I'm active on several different forums. The best one I've found so far is BestsellerBound http://quietfurybooks.com/messageboard/index.php. Lots of fun people there, but they're always looking for more authors and readers to join in the discussion.

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

My books are available on Barnes&Noble.com and direct from the publisher http://www.cyberwizardproductions.com/Altered_Dimensions_Press/Nexus_Point_science_fiction_book.html

If you like ebooks, Nexus Point is up on Smashwords in any format you want. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/10672a

What’s next for you?

Book 2 is in the final editing stage. Look for Priestess of the Eggstone sometime in early 2011. Dace is in more trouble.

I've also got three stories in three different anthologies coming up soon. Omega Museum is in The Last Man Anthology from Sword&Saga press, set to release in October. The Effect of Degraded Food Supplies on Indigenous Populations, a vampire story, is coming out in Fangs from L&L Dreamspell press as an e-thology. I just made that up, but it fits too perfectly. And finally, Charity Never Faileth is in Monsters and Mormons, due out in 2011, as well.

I'm working on more stories and novels. Books 3-11 of my series are written and under contract. All they need is editing. And publication, but that's coming, about one a year until they are all out.

And life, of course. With a houseful of kids, I always have something cooking, both literally and figuratively.

A QUICK HAIR UPDATE

Hola Chica’s and O’s!

I hope that all is well with you. I have many things going on but I also have much that I want to share with you, so it’s time for me to get going with it. From the feedback I’ve gotten, I’ll definitely continue the “Good News Monday Quote for the Week” and the “Heroine Entrepreneur “series. We’ll continue to get informative posts from Carolyn Akens (such a sweetie and joy to know). I’ll also continue my “Tuesdays Are for Tresses” post. Speaking of which….

I’ve stopped doing my buns for now because my edges are suffering. So I’ve begun incorporating protein treatments to strengthen my hair, and gone back to wearing twist-outs. BOR-RING! *Yawns* I’ve even tried a braid-out and while I liked it, I also felt it to be too similar to twists-outs for me to want to continue much with them. Soooooo, I’ve decided to embark upon roller-sets and straight looks just to shake it up a bit. I’m so bored with it. I really want to color my hair but I believe I’ve read that it won’t take well on top of henna. And I’ve hennaed my hair a plenty of times. Guess I’ll check a little further into that. One thing I do see is me doing another BC (big chop) in my future. I’m trying to hold on another year or two so we shall see. I’ll definitely keep you all posted on all of the above. But keep in mind that my current camera is a defiant one. So until I get my Nikon 5000, I’ll do my best to give you photos from my crackberry. Lol.

Now of course, I’ll be investing in a couple of other hair tools to achieve my roller set and straight looks. I’ve done my research and have decided to purchase a stand-alone hair dryer for my roller sets and a Sedu flat iron (my splurge item) within the next few weeks or so. A Pibbs Hair Dryer is my dream deferred but I’ve read similarly great things about the one that I plan on purchasing.

Well, that's pretty much what's been going on with me, as far as my hair is concerned.
What about yours?....

3 New Interviews for Moi

I've been very fortunate to have 3 interviews post in the last couple of days.  The links are here:

The Far Edge of Normal

http://jaletaclegg.blogspot.com/2010/08/author-interview-debra-l-small.html

Interview, August 30, 2010

Noahan Author Issue #4
https://sites.google.com/site/noahkmullettegillman/home/noahan-author/noahan-author-issue-4

Interview, scroll down to 3rd spotlight, August 29, 2010

Bitsy Bling
http://bitsybling.wordpress.com/debra-l-martin/

Interview, August 28, 2010

Thanks very much to Bitsy, Noah and Jaleta!

GOOD NEWS MONDAY QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

Lotus Flower

“Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful."

~Mark Victor Hansen

Have an awesome week!

{{Hugs}}<

**Who is Mark Victor Hansen?....

Mark Victor Hansen is an American inspirational and motivational speaker, trainer and author. He is best known as the founder and co-creator of the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book series. Chicken Soup for the Soul books are one of the most successful publishing franchises in the world today, with more than 140 million books sold internationally and more than 100 licensed products. The name “Chicken Soup” was chosen because of the use of chicken soup as a home remedy for the sick. The first Chicken Soup book, published by Health Communications, Inc., sold more than 2 million copies. There are now over 140 million copies in print and in 54 languages worldwide.

**The lotus flower ( I love this flower and have often contemplated getting a tattoo of it.)

Lotus flowers are amazing and have strong symbolic ties to many Asian religions especially throughout India. The lotus flower starts as a small flower down at the bottom of a pond in the mud and muck. It slowly grows up towards the waters surface continually moving towards the light. Once it come to the surface of the water the lotus flower begins to blossom and turn into a beautiful flower.

Most tattoo enthusiast feel that the a lotus tattoo represent life in general. As the lotus flower grows up from the mud into a object of great beauty people also grow and change into something more beautiful (hopefully!). So the symbol represent the struggle of life at its most basic form.

Lotus flower tattoos are also popular for people who have gone through a hard time and are now coming out of it. Like the flower they have been at the bottom in the muddy, yucky dirty bottom of the pond but have risen above this to display an object of beauty or al ife of beauty as the case might be. Thus a lotus flower tattoo or blossom can also represent a hard time in life that has been overcome.
from: www.ezinearticles.com

I'm Blown Away - Awesome 5 Star Review for THE RIGHT PATH

Our novelette THE RIGHT PATH, one of the Dark Future stories, has recently gotten a make over - ahh...shiny new cover from the artistic talents of Ronnell D Porter.  I sent Ronnell the story so he could get a feel for our bleak post-apocalyptic world and his cover depiction is spot on. Here's the new cover:

It's awesome, right?  Dave and I are both thrilled with it.  End of story, thank you Ronnell - right?  No, not the end of the story.  You can imagine my surprise when this morning my google alerts picks up a new review posted for the story.  What can I say?  I'm totally blown away and I'm walking around on Cloud 9.  Even my husband was impressed and he's used to me prattling on about our writing.  I'll share a small excerpt here, but the full review can be read here:
http://www.amazon.com/Right-Path-Dark-Future-ebook/dp/B003FGWUWC

Review Excerpt:  The last time I've seen an extraordinary example of the spectra of the human machine, from the darkest shade of cruelty to the lightest shade of kindness and charity, was when I saw the film 'Blindness' a few years ago. THE RIGHT PATH is a poetic start to an epic journey of reviving humanity. 
5 Stars across the board. If novelettes could be nominated for Oscars, this would be in the category.

Review - Justified Sins by Brian Drake

 4 of 5 Stars

Available at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Justified-Sins-ebook/dp/B003ZK5GRO

With its clipped writing style, this novella sets you on a bullet train of nonstop action and doesn’t let you off until the last word is read.  The story centers around Freddie and Sheila Webster and Sheila’s foster brother, Pierce.  Freddie is an ex-con who has promised his pregnant wife that he is done with his old life of crime, but with a baby on the way money is tight.  When Freddie is confronted with a proposition to make some easy cash, he makes a decision that sets into motion a series of events that he could not have anticipated. 

The story twists and turns with a full cast of ex-cons, mobsters, cops, politicians and a vigilante who goes about his business with a wink and a nod from the police.  On the surface, Pierce is the usual vigilante type—likes to play with guns and explosives and hunts bad guys, but throughout the story the author throws in snippets from his back story.  This is what captivated me. 

The life Pierce has endured fractures his soul one little piece at a time from the murder of his family, his stints in foster homes to his combat duty in war until his soul shatters and he’s nothing but an empty void that nothing can fill.  What happened to that budding artist who took hauntingly beautiful pictures? What did he see in the war that forever froze his heart?

You don’t always get such depth of character in a short piece of writing, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Pierce.  I slept on this review to see if my focus would change and as you can see it hasn’t.  So what do you say Mr. Drake, will you give us a story for Pierce because that’s the story I want to read.

Well done, Mr. Drake, well done.

Review - Dance of Cloaks by David Dalglish

 5 of 5 Stars

Available at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Cloaks-David-Dalglish/dp/1453706011
DANCE OF CLOAKS is the first book I’ve read by David Dalglish, author of the Half-Orc series.  It is a stand-alone book that completely captivated me and there was no need to have read any of the other books to enjoy this one.  From the shocking twist in the prologue until the very last word, this book demands your attention.

Thren Felhorn is a ruthless and powerful assassin and guild master of the Spiders – a guild of thieves in the city of Veldaren.  He rules through fear, intimidation and murder.  He suffers no fools, no questions, and absolutely no disobedience to his orders.  Any who dare try are met with the cold steel of a dagger.  There are no exceptions to this rule, not even for his son and this is the crux of the story. 

His youngest son, Aaron, is being groomed to be Thren’s heir and from the age of eight Aaron has obeyed his father without question.  At thirteen he begins to see the world differently when he refuses to carry out his father’s order to kill a young girl.  He glimpses something foreign to him – goodness and unwavering faith and his quiet rebellion against his father begins.  The author is masterful in letting the reader into Aaron’s thoughts.  We feel his pain, his anguish, his struggles and his guilt over what he is becoming and his efforts to change. 

The story is filled with well fleshed-out characters from various members of the thieving guilds, to the nobles of the Trifect, but most commendable, this author shines the light on strong female characters.  From Kayla, the assassin, to Alyssa Gemcroft and the Faceless Ones, the women play a prominent part in the book.

This book is non-stop action filled with twists and turns that continually surprise you.  Anyone picking up this book better reserve ample free time because once you start it, you won’t want to stop reading until the final word is read.

 Chat with author David Dalglish

1. Aaron Felhorn aka Haern is a character you have introduced in your Half-Orc series. What inspired you to write Aaron's story?

After my father finished helping me with my second book, he was clearly enamored with one of my characters. “You know who has potential for a spin-off?” he asked me. “The Watcher. I think he’s your most fleshed out character of them all.”

This struck me as a little funny. I always worried he was my most shallow, and least amusing. And I originally told him no, I didn’t have any story in mind. But the idea stuck with me, and so I went back and reread the rather pitiful history I gave for him in the second book. I realized that even in that, there were the bones for a wonderful story.

Much to my wife’s chagrin (she’s really, really been wanting me to finish book five) I sat down and cranked out a prologue, going way back to when Haern the Watcher was only a small child of eight. By the end of the scene, I knew I had a story to tell.

2. Dance of Cloaks is filled with strong female characters that hold their own against the men.  Which one was the most difficult to write?  Which one is your favorite?

The hardest were the Faceless Women. One of my editors kept mocking me when he read through their dialog, saying I either sounded like Shakespeare or Yoda. Trying to give personality to faceless, featureless women who’ve been indoctrinated into a fanatical, oppressive religion is no easy feat. I think I did all right. By the end, I had grown rather attached to one, and ended up saving her from my original plotted path of her dying.

My favorite was Alyssa Gemcroft. She’s such a different character for me. No special powers. No magic. No skill with blade or bow. She suffers terribly, but grows throughout the novel and by the end ascends to her (rightful) place of power. Loved it.

3. Your one-on-one fight scenes are incredible.  Do you have any martial arts training to help you choreograph the action or do you see it as a movie playing in your head?

It’s all just a movie in my head. Fight scenes are easily the hardest part of writing for me. I spent much of my high school life devouring the Drizzt books by R. A. Salvatore, so I’ve adopted many of his characteristics when it comes to combat. I want readers to know what’s going on, to feel like they’re in the moment, but at the same time give a feeling of epic grandeur to the whole shebang. It’s a tough balance, but I think more often than not I pull it off.

4. The struggle between the two religions of the time is compelling especially the fates of the Faceless Ones.  Is this modeled after the classic Catholic vs. Protestant dogmas we've seen throughout history?  

The two religions are fun for me. I wanted to create a dark, evil religion with Karak. At the same time, I wanted it to be believable. So many times you’ll see cults depicted with sacrifices and murderous leaders who’ve gone insane, and I always wonder who in their right mind would join something like that. With Karak, I have leaders who are calm, intelligent, and faithful. It’s only when you dig down, when you search for their final purpose or see how they treat those who err (such as the Faceless Women) that you see their true danger.

As for their opposite, Ashhur, I again wanted to do something I so rarely see. I wanted the ‘good’ religion to actually be…well, good. Nine times out of ten when you see a religious figure in a fantasy setting or movie, they’re going to be hypocritical, unhelpful, quick to anger, and working for the bad guy. Besides, with so much darkness and murder in my book, sometimes it is comforting to know I have a nice little beacon within that stands for something more.

5. The one question everyone will want to know is will there be a sequel to DOC?

Yes, tentatively titled A Dance of Daggers. I don’t know when I’ll write it. So far, it appears demand for the Half-Orcs is far greater, so I’ll try to appease my fans as they desire most. Perhaps after I finish book five I’ll come back and detail Haern’s triumph over the Trifect and the thieves’ guilds.

6. Do you have any plans to devote another book to any of your other characters in your Half-Orc series?

The paladins, particularly Lathaar, will be getting their own book soon. I wrote their story once while in high school, but needless to say, it needs a rewrite. I hope to crank out a short story or two to help fill in the back story for a few other characters, but for now, Shadows of Grace (book four) is top priority.

7. What are some of your favorite fan reactions to your books?

I’ve gotten so many e-mails it’s staggering, and not just from the U.S. Just tonight I received an e-mail insisting that for him, I was on par with Terry Goodkind and Raymond Feist. Another said he preferred me over David Eddings. These aren’t names I’m supposed to be beside. I’m a silly idiot self-publishing his stories of half-orcs and paladins and shadow-walking assassins. I shake my head and wonder what’s wrong with these people, they can’t say stuff like that and really mean it…can they?

8. What are you working on now?

As I’ve said before, hard at work on book 4, The Shadows of Grace. I’m getting a hold of Peter Ortiz to get me another awesome cover made, and I’m about halfway through round two. I need to finish up my tale of the Half-Orcs, then take a deep, deep breath and figure out what the heck I’m going to do then.

FLAMING DOVE, a dark fantasy by Daniel Arenson

Daniel, welcome back to my blog.  I read the sample of Flaming Dove and I’m intrigued.  Angels and demons are a special passion of mine.

Available at Amazonhttp://www.amazon.com/Flaming-Dove-ebook/dp/B004089EPA

Can you briefly describe the book?

Flaming Dove is my second novel, following Firefly Island.

The idea for Flaming Dove just struck me one day.  I was doing something completely unrelated when suddenly…  BAM, the idea hit.  I quickly jotted down the premise to the novel:

“Outcast from Hell. Banished from Heaven. Lost on Earth. 

“The battle of Armageddon was finally fought... and ended with no clear victor. Upon the mountain, the armies of Hell and Heaven beat each other into a bloody, uneasy standstill, leaving the Earth in ruins. Armageddon should have ended with Heaven winning, ushering in an era of peace. That's what the prophecies said. Instead, the two armies--one of angels, one of demons--hunker down in the scorched planet, lick their wounds, and gear up for a prolonged war with no end in sight. 

“In this chaos of warring armies and ruined landscapes, Laila doesn't want to take sides. Her mother was an angel, her father a demon; she is outcast from both camps. And yet both armies need her, for with her mixed blood, Laila can become the ultimate spy... or ultimate soldier. As the armies of Heaven and Hell pursue her, Laila's only war is within her heart--a struggle between her demonic and heavenly blood."

I still use that description on the novel’s Amazon page and on my website.  I don’t know what triggered the sudden inspiration, but once it hit, I had to write it down.

That evening, I began to write the novel.  As I wrote, I was leafing through Paradise Lost, studying the Gustave Dore illustrations.  There’s a lot of Dore in Flaming Dove.

Flaming Dove was fast to write.  I pounded out the novel in a mad dash, writing during evenings and weekends for several weeks.  I’ve edited it thoroughly since then, but the central concept remains.

Did you query agents or traditional publishers before publishing on Amazon?

I did at first.  Firefly Island was traditionally published, and that’s what I knew.  But by the time I had finished writing Flaming Dove, my publisher—Five Star—had decided to close their fantasy line.  I was suddenly homeless!  I made a few half-hearted attempts at querying agents, but heard only, “We love the novel, but the market is doing poorly, and we’re swamped besides.”  I quickly abandoned the idea of going to traditional publishers.

Something amazing happened then.  Kindle finally came to Canada, my country. To test the waters, I uploaded Firefly Island, my first novel.  Within a couple weeks, it had sold a hundred copies.  After a few more weeks, it had sold five hundred.  I was amazed! I knew I had to go indie with Flaming Dove.  And I did.  And I love it.  I love the sense of freedom and control.  And the 70% royalties I earn now are also not bad.

Will you try to garner a traditional publishing contract for any future books?

It depends on the novel.  I’m working on a quirky, comedic novel right now; so quirky, I think traditional publishers won’t know what to do with it.  Such a novel would be perfect to simply upload to ebook stores myself.

So far I’m happy with my new indie life.  If things keep going well, I might stay indie.  I think it really depends what offers I see for the next novel.  If a publisher offered me an attractive contract – large advance, high first print run – I would seriously consider it.  But indie is going well, so I’m happy where I am.

Did you design your cover art?  If not, would you care to share your graphic designer’s information?

Timothy Lantz, a successful fantasy artist, created my cover.  He’s fantastic.  I sent Timothy a detailed description of the main character, who is half angel, half demon.  In his artwork, she appears exactly as described in the text – down the finest details of her outfit.  More importantly, Timothy captured the dark, Gothic mood of the novel in his artwork.

You can view his website here:  http://www.stygiandarkness.com

You can view a large image of the cover on my website:  http://www.DanielArenson.com

How did you feel when you got your first sale for Flaming Dove?  Are you pleased with sales so far?

When my first sale occurred, I was surprised.  I had just uploaded the novel to the Kindle store, and hadn’t announced it yet.  In fact, its release was still something of a secret.  But right away somebody bought it.  

And yes, I’m pleased with sales so far.  The novel was only released a few days ago, but already people are buying.

What kinds of social media [twitter, facebook, webpage, blog, writing forums] are you involved with trying to garner attention for your book(s)?

My twitter page:  http://www.Twitter.com/DanielArenson

My facebook author page:  http://www.facebook.com/DanielArenson

My website:  http://www.DanielArenson.com

I also spend a lot of time at KindleBoards.com.

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

Yes.  You can buy Flaming Dove at Smashwords.com.  It’s available there in multiple formats for various ereaders.

Here’s a link:  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/22230

What’s next for you?

I’m hard at work on several new novels.  Keep an eye out for them!

Thanks for the interview, Deb.  It was fun as always.

Publishers Weekly Announces New Service for Self-published Titles

The full article can be found here at the Publishers Weekly website:
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20100823/44225-the-new-pw-select-a-quarterly-service-for-the-self-published.html


Volume 257 Issue 33 08/23/2010 The New PW Select: A Quarterly Service for the Self-Published 
By George W. Slowik Jr. 
Aug 23, 2010
We are announcing PW Select, a quarterly supplement announcing self-published titles and reviewing those we believe are most deserving of a critical assessment. The first supplement will appear in our year-end issue in December. Each quarterly will include a complete announcement issue of all self-published books submitted during that period. The listings will include author, title, subtitle, price, pagination and format, ISBN, a brief description, and ordering information provided by the authors, who will be required to pay a processing fee for their listing. At least 25 of the submitted titles will be selected for a published review.


The entire PW editorial staff will participate in a review of the titles being considered for review, and we'll likely invite a few agent friends and distributors to have a look at what we've chosen. No promises there, just letting some publishing friends take advantage of the opportunity to see the collection.

The first reading period for self-published books will be from September 1 until the end of October. All submitted titles will be registered online by the publisher at www.publishers-weekly/diy (which will be active before the start of the reading period); a processing fee of $149 will be charged. Once the registration process is completed, shipping instructions and a confirmation code will be issued. Additional copies of the supplement will be available for distribution. 


We briefly considered charging for reviews, but in the end preferred to maintain our right to review what we deemed worthy. The processing fee that guarantees a listing and the chance to be reviewed accomplishes what we want: to inform the trade of what is happening in self-publishing and to present a PW selection of what has the most merit.

Review - Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Sanderson's fantasy is set in a mist-haunted, ash-ridden world, and it pits Kelsier, "the Survivor of Hathsin," against the immortal Lord Ruler's 1,000-year domination of both the Great Houses and their serflike "skaa." Through Allomancy acquired in the Ruler's most hellish prison, Kelsier is able to "burn" 10 metals internally, fueling superhuman powers he uses to assemble rebels in a loose plan to destroy the nobility, the empire and the Lord Ruler himself. Kelsier uses Vin, a street urchin with the same Mistborn powers Kelsier possesses, to infiltrate the Great Houses' society, where she falls in love with philosopher prince Elend Venture.


I had high hopes for this book, but this book was much too easy to put down when I was busy [which I did often:] except for the last 150 pages. Then the pace picked up dramatically and I began to care what happened to the main characters. It's not a bad book, but not the best one I've read.  



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GOOD NEWS MONDAY QUOTE FOR THE WEEK

OKODEE MMOWERE - "the talons of the eagle"

“You are the embodiment of the information you choose to accept and act upon. To change your circumstances you need to change your thinking and subsequent actions.”

~ Adlin Sinclair

Peace and much love,



A few things about the photo and quote author:
 
Okodee Mmowere is the Adinkra symbol of "strength, bravery and power". Adinkra is visual symbols used in Ghana, West Africa. The meaning behind this symbol is as follows: The eagle is the mightiest bird in the sky, and its strength is concentrated in its talons. The Oyoko clan, one of the nine Akan clans of Ghana, uses this symbol as their clan emblem.



Adlin Sinclair is an accomplished businessman, motivational speaker and humanitarian. He believes that "the world is locked on a course toward self-destruction, if it remains fractious and unable to cope with the stresses and strains of modern living." "A unification of mankind is needed to bring sanity to our existence of ever-growing disparity and despair."
 
References:
A King in Ghana
Adinkra.org
MysticMadness.com
AdlinSinclair.com

Review - Best Served Cold, Joe Abercrombie

Best Served Cold by Joe Abercrombie

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I'm only going to give this book 2 stars because it was so gruesome. I don't usually mind gruesome if it advances the storyline, but in this book "gruesome" seemed to be the star. I absolutely loved Joe's "First Law" trilogy and that had gruesome parts as well, but the characters were the center stage. In this book, I think he could have curtailed a bit on the gory details and still got his point across. In the end I really didn't care who survived or who died.  I put this book down too many times and only because of my stubbornness to read most books I start that this book was finished.



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Digital Tablets - Should Schools Provide them to Students?

About a month ago, I finally took the plunge and got myself a Kindle.  This was after nearly a year of following Kindle reviews, forum posts about the pros and cons of Kindles and of course watching the price drop to less than $200.  I viewed this purchase as part business expense and part reward.  After all, how could I see what my books look like on the Kindle if I didn't have one?  And then, of course, there was the whole, "I've got a Kindle" excitement.

Now call me old-fashioned, but I'm not one to rush out and get the latest digital gadget every time one hits the market.  I carefully consider the pros and cons of the device and, of course, price. With the economy still in the toilet, price is a big consideration.

All of this is leading up to an article I read in the paper today.  In a Clearwater, FL, public high school, they plan on providing all 2100 of their students with a Kindle instead of using the traditional textbooks.  Am I missing something here?  Is this the best use of tax payers money?  I can tell you that I would not be happy if I lived in Clearwater and found out that my money was used this way.  I don't know what the school department's budget is like in Clearwater, but I can tell you up here in the Northeast, schools are struggling to provide standard school materials for their students.  What happens when the Kindle breaks?  If the student drops it?  If there is a spill of soda all over the screen?  How many Kindles will each student be issued?

I was even more shocked to read further into the article and find out that a parochial school in Wisconsin will issue their sixth- and seventh-graders Apple iPads.  Are you kidding me?  iPads costs $600!!! How long do you think it will be before those kids are doing everything with their iPads EXCEPT reading textbooks?

What do you think?  Am I way behind the times or are these schools the wave of the future?

Interview with Luna Lindsey

Available at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Make-Willing-the-Prey-ebook/dp/B003Z0CV68

Next up in my author interviews in Luna Lindsey.  Welcome Luna!

Briefly describe your journey in writing your first book.

Make Willing the Prey began in the summer of 1997.  I’d been writing a lot of short stories and novel-starts while participating in an excellent critique group in the Tri-Cities, WA. 

I got my inspiration from a music video.  I was briefly unemployed, so I spent about 6 weeks writing it.  At the end, the writer’s group gave me some very good advice: Keep the first third, but the rest is a downward spiral.  Let something good happen to the characters now and then. Conflict means ups along with the downs.

So this summer I took their advice and spent about a month on the re-write, giving my protagonists a fighting chance to survive.  I am very pleased with the results.

Did you query agents or traditional publishers before publishing on Amazon?

I’ve marketed short stories traditionally, about 13 years ago.  But when I returned to writing, I learned much has changed.  Ebooks sounded promising so I decided to go all-in, primarily due to my frustrations with the lengthy lead times and all the pre- and post-publication marketing that goes into publishing traditionally.  I’d rather spend that time writing.

What factors influenced your decision to self-publish?

In addition to the above, I quickly realized other reasons to go indie. I especially love having creative control over my work and financial control over the proceeds of my work.

Will you try to garner a traditional publishing contract for any future books?

Possibly, but not likely.  If I’m selling enough to get the attention of a major publishing house, why give up my 70-85% royalties?  If given a large enough advance, I may consider “selling out”.  There’s something special about the imagined thrill of seeing my books on a shelf at B&N.

Did you design your cover art?  If not, would you care to share your graphic designer’s information?

I did my own layout, and wish I had the talent to do the art myself, but actually my daughter Betsy did it.  She spends a lot of time sketching for DeviantArt.  She did a great job capturing the concept I explained to her.  She also worked with me to tweak little details as the image emerged.

What kinds of social media [twitter, facebook, webpage, blog, writing forums] are you involved with trying to garner attention for your book(s)?

I’ve been active in social media since the early 90’s when the term was “BBS” and “2400 baud modem”.  So it’s perfectly natural that I have all of the above.

Specific to my writing, I participate in several forums, particularly http://www.kindleboards.com/

Website and Blog: http://www.lunalindsey.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jamgrrl

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4122401.Luna_Lindsey

Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Luna-Lindsey-Author/138659596170552

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

Almost!  I’m setting up on Smashwords this week.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently working on the follow-up to Make Willing the Prey, which will likely involve some of the same characters.

Designing Your Fan Page

I've avoided setting up a Fan page because I thought it was just too overwhelming to think about especially with all the other things going on at the moment.

Today was the day that I decided I would tackle it and I'm glad I did.  I've been using Jon F Merz's "Social Media for Writers" and I have to say it's a fantastic guide.  He gives step-by-step instructions for nearly everything you can think of and a few more ideas that you wouldn't know about unless someone told you about them.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is setting up their fan page.  Thanks again Jon!

Google Alerts

One of the best ways to track every time your name, your books, your website/blog is talked about is to set up google alerts.  I have been pleasantly surprised over and over again to find out the places where others are mentioning me or my books.  With the help of google alerts, you can instantly find the websites  that are talking about you.

To set up an alert, go to your google account page.  On your profile page, you'll see an icon labelled alerts, click on manage and set up your own personal alerts.  One tip though, add "quotes " around your search parameters so the search will be specific to you, for example "Debra L Martin."  At first I didn't know about this little trick and I got alerts every time the name "Debra" was mentioned and trust me, there's a lot of Debras in the world.

So if you want to know who's talking about you, set up your alerts and you'll soon be finding out.  Along the way, you might even find new blogs to follow and great new friends!

Guest Post by Maureen A Miller

Today, I’d like to welcome Maureen A. Miller who has graciously offered to do a guest post today.  Maureen is the author of Victory Cove, Widow’s Tale and Rogue Wave.  You can find her books on Amazon.
Maureen, the floor is yours:

When I saw an ad for a position as the Charlotte Romance Examiner, I thought, "I'm a writer.  I write romance.  This will be perfect for me."  It was not a job to make money, but rather an extra-curricular activity—one that was right up my alley.

The challenge to this perfect opportunity was that I was supposed to write editorials featuring the fine city of Charlotte and associate romance to it.  After about the third or fourth "Eat at Joes, it is romantic", you're going to start to lose your audience.  So, I reconsidered the parameters, which were to focus on romance, and inject some local flare.

I confess, I'm a romantic suspense author, and the fiction demon inside me started plotting immediately. Yes, I held true to the editorial guidelines and submitted articles you would anticipate reading in a venue such as this, but I introduced a new take to the traditional act of restaurant reporting.

This new line of articles will be featured under "Chance Encounters", where instead of a documentary about a restaurant, you will find a three or four paragraph snippet of fiction taking place in that eatery.  I thought why not make the reader feel what it's like to be here?  Make the reader think that it is possible that they can find romance if they eat in this restaurant.

In addition to this little tangent, I have introduced a character called Leila Jennings, in my "Leila on the Lake" feature.  Once a week readers will be able to read the adventures of Leila as she settles into her new life on the lake, just north of Charlotte.  Again, they can learn about the area while reading about some of Leila’s eccentric neighbors and coworkers.

See what you get when you mix a romance author with journalism!

Sample from Chance Encounters on the Charlotte Romance Examiner site.

Picture yourself sitting outside the Corkscrew Wine Bar in Birkdale Commons. You are holding a glass of Chardonnay and the soft scent of apple tickles your nose. It is early evening on a pleasant August night. The temperature is cool enough that this wrought iron table beneath a tree is too irresistible to resist. You sit quietly listening to the outdoor band performing a subtle mix of Blues and Jimmy Buffet on the Green.  Before you, a bustle of shoppers pass by, some recently released from the Regal Theater.  You can hear clips of their animated conversations as they recap the romantic comedy they just saw. 

A crowd has started to form at the base of the stage, yet you are far enough away, sheltered in your little force field of tranquility. When the waitress appears with a menu and a smile, you ask for some more time, content to sip your glass of wine and remain a bystander to the activity a little bit longer. As she walks back inside you feel a brief rush of the air-conditioning and you sit back in your chair with a happy sigh.
“Excuse me, are you using this chair?”
 Before even looking up you make a quick assessment of your surroundings and see that the outside dining area of the Corkscrew has filled up and there is only one table vacant, seemingly scavenged of its chairs by nearby parties.
 “No,” You finally glance up into eyes that are soft and brown. Intrigued your gaze expands, rising just over six feet to take in the image of the man before you.
“I have to finish this paperwork for work,” he explains in a deep voice, “and I thought it might be less stressful with a glass of wine and some background music.”
 You glance down at your closed laptop. The same laptop you have purposely neglected in favor of this glass of Chardonnay. Your eyes lift six feet again and you offer a hesitant smile and reply, “No, I’m not using the chair.”

 

One Year Anniversary

I've been blogging for a year this month!  Actually the correct anniversary date was August 2, but I've been busy with posts this month and didn't even realize it.  I have to say that the time just flew by.  I'm having a great time especially with my author interview series and my newest addition of doing book reviews.  I look forward to continuing to blog about writing, publishing, and ebooks along with a few funnies thrown in now and again.

Thanks to everyone who follows the blog and I look forward to welcoming many more new friends!