THE MISTAKEN Blog Tour: Day Four

It’s Day 4.  Still with me?  You all have been amazing so far.  Thank you!

Today, I’m being interviewed by the lovely Julie Musil over at her place.  Isn't she gorgeous?  If you’ve spent any time here then you probably already know I consider Julie to be a mentor.  She is positively brilliant.  Her blog is packed full of interesting and useful information on the craft of writing.  I’m always learning something new from her.  I never ever miss Julie’s posts.  And neither should you! 

As a reminder, every follower who comments here during my tour will be entered into a drawing for an ARC of The Mistaken and a bookmark.  Plus, 5 runner-up winners will each receive an ebook copy.  Winners will be determined using Random.org and notified via email.   

Tomorrow  for Day 5, I’ll be dropping by Donna Weaver’s Weaving a Tale or Two where I discuss voice and writing a first-person narrative from multiple points of view.  Hope Roberson will be posting answers to some interesting questions. And Melissa Maygrove will have an excerpt from The Mistaken.  I’m already biting my nails!

__________

THE MISTAKEN  ~  the hell of revenge, the hope of redemption

Available at:
Kindle   Barnes and Noble   Nook   Amazon   Kobo   iBooks

Coming soon to Sony, Diesel Bookstore, and Baker & Taylor.

Next stops on The Mistaken Blog Tour:

10/23:  Questions and answers about writing and publishing with Julie Musil

10/24:  Voice, 1^st person perspective & multiple POVs at Weaving a Tale or Two

An author spotlight & an excerpt at Melissa Maygrove’s

And some SSP over at Hope Roberson’s Writing With Hope

10/25:  Discussion on organized crime in literature at Matthew MacNish’s The QQQE

10/26:  Killing off major characters at LG Smith’s Bards & Prophets

10/27:  Some one-on-one with Aimee Jodoin at A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman

10/29:  Compromising on content at Heather M. Gardner’s The Waiting is the Hardest Part

10/30:  Learn why I chose the Russian mafia as my antagonists over at Lisa Regan’s

           Find out more about where I live at Falling For Fiction

10/31   My thoughts on villains over at Jennifer Hillier's The Serial Killer Files

11/1:    Why building a platform is so important at Livia Peterson’s Leave It to Livia

            Another author spotlight and excerpt at Angela Orlowski-Peart’s

11/19:  Arlee Bird’s Tossing It Out for a follow-up on my launch and tour.

So what do you guys think of my tour so far?  Stay with me.  I have some interesting things coming up real soon.  

THE MISTAKEN Blog Tour: Day Three

Wow, the love is simply amazing here in the blogosphere!  I had way better than expected sales as a result of Alex Cavanaugh's generous post last Friday, as well as Arlee Bird's at Tossing It Out, and now, some great reviews have trickled in, and after only a few days, too! Thank you to all those who stopped by and to those who actually bought my book.  I am forever grateful.  Man, I really know how to pick awesome friends!

Today, I’m letting my protagonist, Tyler Karras, take the reins over at Carrie Butler’s blog, So You Think You’re a Writer, where he will try to work things out during an interview with his therapist.  Carrie is not only a much-loved critique partner, she’s also my pub sister at Sapphire Star Publishing.  More than that, of her own accord, she designed my blog header, my blog tour badge, and my book trailer.  Besides being altruistic and a talented writer, Carrie has mad, mad design skillz.  May I just say how much I love this young woman?  I do, I do!!

I also stopped by Jeff O’Handley’s The Doubting Writer today.  Jeff is also a critique partner, and a talented one, at that, but more than anything, he writes some of the most beautiful prose I’ve ever read.  Ever!  And because of his talent, he pulled more out of me as a writer than I ever believed possible.  Every writer should have a CP like Jeff.  So if by chance you want to know a little more about me, drop by his place. 

Remember, every follower who comments here during my tour will be entered into a drawing for an ARC of The Mistaken and a bookmark.  Plus, 5 runner-up winners will each receive an ebook copy.  Winners will be determined using Random.org and notified via email.   

Day 4 tomorrow at Julie Musil’s, an interview about process and publication.  Drop by and say hi.  She’s a real gem!

__________

THE MISTAKEN  ~  the hell of revenge, the hope of redemption

Available at:
Kindle   Barnes and Noble   Nook   Amazon   Kobo   iBooks

Coming soon to Sony, Diesel Bookstore, and Baker & Taylor.

The Mistaken Blog Tour:

10/18:  An interview at Mark Koopmans’

10/19:  A discussion on theme & symbolism over at Alex J. Cavanaugh’s 

And my book trailer at Arlee Bird’s Tossing It Out

10/22:  Some court-ordered therapy for my MC over at Carrie Butler’s So You’re a Writer 

Plus a different interview with Jeff O’Handley, The Doubting Writer

10/23:  Questions and answers about writing and publishing with Julie Musil

10/24:  Voice, 1^st person perspective & multiple POVs at Weaving a Tale or Two

An author spotlight & an excerpt at Melissa Maygrove’s

And some SSP over at Hope Roberson’s Writing With Hope

10/25:  Discussion on organized crime in literature at Matthew MacNish’s The QQQE

10/26:  Killing off major characters at LG Smith’s Bards & Prophets

10/27:  Some one-on-one with Aimee Jodoin at A Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman

10/29:  Compromising on content at Heather M. Gardner’s The Waiting is the Hardest Part

10/30:  Learn why I chose the Russian mafia as my antagonists over at Lisa Regan’s

           Find out more about where I live at Falling For Fiction

10/31   My thoughts on villains over at Jennifer Hillier's The Serial Killer Files

11/1:    Why building a platform is so important at Livia Peterson’s Leave It to Livia

            Another author spotlight and excerpt at Angela Orlowski-Peart’s

11/19:  Arlee Bird’s Tossing It Out for a follow-up on my launch and tour.

Getting tired of me yet?  Hope not.  I still have nine days left!  

A to Z Challenge: M is for Mentor

Welcome to Day 13 of the A to Z Challenge

Many bloggers have chosen a theme for the A to Z.  My pledge since becoming a blogger is to post about writing, so for this event, I will being posting about what I've learned about writing a novel.

________

M is for Mentor:  a wise or trusted counselor or teacher; an influential sponsor or supporter. (Dictionary.com)

I’ve wanted to do a post on mentors for a long time.  As a neophyte writer, I’ve come to depend on a select few to advise and steer me in the right direction.  The three ladies I constantly call on are skilled writers, as well as savvy bloggers. 

They are Jami Gold, Lynda R. Young, and Julie Musil.  All three are highly informed writers who share their considerable insight and experience on their popular blogs.  They each write on topics all writers should educate themselves on, both on craft and on the business, marketing, and platform side of things.  I find every one of their posts to be informative and entertaining.  I suggest scrolling through some of their old posts.  I guarantee, you’ll learn a lot.

Who are your most trusted mentors and why?  How did you find them?  

Giving Thanks!

            I had another post planned for today, but since it’s a short week, I thought I’d take this time to share what I’m most thankful for instead, aside from my family. 

First off, thank you to all those who offered me advice on last week’s post.  It has helped me a great deal.  Even more thanks to Lora Rivera for suggesting The Poisonwood Bible in her comment, and to Julie Musil for her post on the book, Hate List.  Both recommendations have helped me decide on how to proceed with my WIP.

Then there’s you, my followers and fellow writer-bloggers.  As writers, we know this is a rather lonely avocation, but we feel pulled toward it regardless.  Lucky for our generation, we have the Internet and Blogger, or whatever service you use, to connect with folks you’d normally never have the opportunity to connect with.  But just because they’re there, doesn’t mean there is automatically a connection.  You have to work at it.  And it’s not always easy either.  So for what it’s worth, I’d like to say how grateful I am that you’ve all allowed me to make that connection with you.  I feel blessed to have so many other writers who are willing to share, teach, advise, or just talk with me.  What would have been lonely is now anything but.  So thank you!  I really don’t think I could do this without you.

            Within my group of online acquaintances, I’ve made quite a few honest-to-God friends, people who exchange manuscripts with me and others who enjoy exchanging emails.  There’s even one writer I get to interact with in person!  *GASP*  Her name is Jennifer Hillier.  I won a signed copy of her book, Creep, last summer and quickly became a fan, but what’s even more remarkable is that we actually became friends.

She lives an hour away, so from time to time, we meet up somewhere in the middle and have lunch and chat about all things writing.  Since the Seattle Puget Sound Area is not exactly the friendliest place on earth, I was grateful just to have a new friend, but even more so since she was a fellow writer, and even more because we write in the same genre, so we understand each other in ways others may not.  But alas, as is my luck, Jenny is moving back to her home town and country, Toronto, Canada.  This saddens me more than I can say, but I’m grateful just to have met her and feel privileged to call her my friend.  That won’t change just because she’s moving away.

(God, I wish I had a picture of us together!)

            Last, but certainly not least, I am eternally grateful to God for bringing Lisa Regan  into my life.  Sure, she is a fellow writer, and even writes in the same genre, but what we share is so much more intense and profound than just our writing.  We share our lives, the nitty gritty, the happiest of moments, and everything in between.  Yes, it began as a critiquing partnership and I can honestly say we have helped each other become better writers, but even though we’ve never actually met in person, Lisa knows me better than just about any human being on the face of the earth, save my husband.  Then again, she knows things even he does not.  *Shhh*  I know I couldn’t have survived the insanity that is my life without her.  I love her like an identical twin sister.

            So for you, my followers and fellow writers, for Jenny and for Lisa, I am incredibly thankful and I want the world, or anyone who is interested anyway, to know just how much.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING, MY FRIENDS!

              

Pay It Forward

Today, awesomely cool bloggers Alex Cavanaugh and Matthew MacNish are hosting the Pay It Forward Blogfest.  The idea is to introduce all of us to everyone else, to meet and follow as many other bloggers as we like. In our posts, participants are to list, describe, and link to three blogs that we enjoy reading and believe others would enjoy, as well. 

Hmmm…only three blogs, huh?  That might be a bit of a problem, but I’ll try to contain myself.

1. Lisa L. Regan – Okay, for those of you who already know me, this is a given.  After all, she’s my very best friend and confidant, my number one critique partner, and a fellow thriller writer.  And while Lisa is a fantastic agented writer with two books currently on submission, she also has a lot to offer other writers.  Both her new blog and web page are filled with juicy bits of wisdom as she’s journeyed farther than most of us toward publication.  And what’s more, and possibly most important, is the fact that both she and her agent, Jeanie Pantelakis of the Sullivan Maxx Literary Agency, have teamed up to host a variety of book contests with a reading of the winner’s full manuscript as the grand prize!  That’s right!  No querying needed.  Just enter the appropriate genre contest and you have a good chance of having her agent request your full manuscript.

2. Jennifer Hillier of The Serial Killer Files – I know Jenny is already well-known in the blogosphere, but if you haven’t trolled through her blog archives, you’re really missing something.  Not only has Jenny written a novel, she’s successfully landed an agent and sold her first book, Creep, which, I must say, I’ve read twice now and think it’s freakin’ fantastic!  I know I’m partial.  She’s also a fellow writer of psychological thrillers.  Her second novel, Freak, already sold, by the way, is due out sometime next year.  On a personal note, I’ve become personal friends with this lovely lady and I can’t say enough good things about her.  I owe her BIG TIME!  So here’s a tiny little bit of payback, Jenny!

3. Julie Musil – There’s a reason Julie has so many followers and that reason is wisdom.  I swear, every time I tune into her blog, she teaches me something new.  Her archives are a virtual treasure trove of valuable literary insight.  She shares tip after tip on her blog.  I’ve taken to copying each one and compiling into a file I call “Great Writing Advice.”  And what’s even better than all that, if that’s not enough already, is that Julie personally replies to every comment I make on her blog.  She cares and takes the time to reach out and touch her followers.  In a word, Julie is amazing!

See, I knew I couldn’t keep it to just 3.  But I’ll make this honorable mention brief…er.

4. Jami Gold – Now, I don’t know Jami like I know the ladies listed above, but what I do know is that this writer is smart as hell and gifted beyond all get-out.  Her posts hit on what every writer wants to know or really, really should know.  This gal does her research and delves deep into the issues that concern us writers the most.  And damn if she doesn’t manage pull shit out of me in my comments that I swore I would never talk about.  Like I said, it’s a gift.   

I love each and every blog I follow closely.  Why else would I list them on my blog roll?  If you’re a Pay It Forward Blogfest blogger who is new to my neck of the woods, scroll through the left sidebar of my blog.  They are all worth a look and a follow. 

Like me, once you follow them, they follow you right back.