https://blog.nanowrimo.org/post/180591717410/what-to-do-with-your-manuscript-in-december
Guest Post
Sunday, December 1, 2024
NaNoWriMo What's Next and a call for submissions
Sunday, November 24, 2024
Thanksgiving! And words to the wise
cj Sez: Since we won’t be together for the Thanksgiving Day holiday . . .
In the Did You Know Department:
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Sunday, November 17, 2024
Questionnaire: Why that book?
cj Sez: I found the questions below at another blog and
thought, "What a great idea." So, here are some questions for you authors and
readers.
What makes you want to buy a book? Is it the cover or the
blurb on the back of the book?
For me, it's both. The cover has to
grab my attention, then the blurb has to make me want to know more about the
story, so I browse through the beginning pages and a few more.
When you get into a story, what keeps you reading? Is it the bad boy hero or
the tough, strong-willed woman or the cast of characters that help push the
story forward?
Really doesn’t make any difference to
me. That said, whether heroine or hero, I am drawn to a fast-paced story, and I
have to find a plot. I also like to find humor and some quick repartee in even
the darkest of moments. It’s kind of a release valve from the danger.
What makes you like one author more than another?
I’m a wordsmith. That is, I want to be
enchanted by the author’s voice and choice of words…how she/he uses a few
precise words and syntax to evoke some visualization and/or visceral reaction
in me.
Which brings me to reviews: Do you take the time to write a review?
Without readers, authors have no audience, and without an audience, authors are out of a job. Honest feedback—Amazon, Facebook, Goodreads, etc.—is what keeps us going. We want to know our strengths and our weaknesses. We’re polite; we say please and thank you. . . except to trolls. A Facebook friend once wrote that someone seemed to have joined Goodreads just to give her latest book a one-star rating. The problem was, the book hadn’t even been released.
I’d love to know your answers to these questions. So write in, already.
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Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for a happy and safe you and yours.
cj
Books make perfect gifts for everyone, and it’s not too early to do some holiday shopping.
Blatant Self Promotion:
Here are a few books to put on your shopping list. (The stories in the Christmas anthologies may have a holiday theme, but each of them is a year-round enjoyable read.)
Christmas Through a Child’s Eyes
You'll find 70 stories written by adults recounting their extraordinary childhood Christmas memories.
My story, written under my maiden name of Marilyn Olsein, is titled “Dancing with Daddy,” and relates how six-year-old me reconnected with my Swedish father after a thousand-mile, years-long separation.
The anthology is available on Kindle at
Amazon.com : Christmas Through a Child's eyes
Finally Home
This anthology gifts
you with eight Christmas stories, all about our four-legged friends and the
special people who rescue them. From funny, to sad, to romantic, there’s
something here to tug at everyone’s heart strings.
If you’re looking
for free versions of these fast-paced reads, break out your library card. You
can read the ebooks free from Hoopla.
Nota bene: Angela Trigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us
P.S.: Pop on over to my Amazon Central Author Page for links to anthologies in which I have a short story.
Sunday, November 10, 2024
They are all one and the same
Surviving soldiers came to see the poppy as more than a flower—–it became a symbol of their sacrifice; a tribute to the price of freedom.”
November 30? Now that I think about it, since I get paid monthly, that means I have only one more payday before Christmas. Aarrgh
cj
Now some words from my sponsors:
This anthology has 70 stories written by adults recounting their extraordinary childhood Christmas memories.
This anthology gifts you with eight Christmas stories, all about our four-legged friends and the special people who rescue them. From funny, to sad, to romantic, there’s something here to tug at everyone’s heart strings.
Nota bene: Angela Trigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us
➜ Amazon: Amazon Central Author Page
➜ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor
➜ BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson
➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6
Sunday, November 3, 2024
Today we have Plan B
I actually did set back all my clocks way too early on Saturday and then spent the rest of the day not really knowing what time it was. By the by, I think I found the answer to why there is a time change twice a year. According to one news dot com site: “Daylight saving time was first enacted by the federal government March 19, 1918, during World War I, as a way to conserve coal.”
“Story structure promotes the concept that every scene of your story should serve a larger purpose—e.g., the inciting incident sparks the problem, and the climax eventually brings everything to a head.
Murky Middles Begone: Ensure the Middle of Your Book Stands Strong | Jane Friedman
Gothic fiction, also referred to as gothic horror, is a subgenre of Romantic literature born out of the late 18th century. These stories typically feature a hauntingly beautiful and dilapidated setting, suspenseful narratives, and dark themes like oppression, guilt, shame, and insanity.”
cj
Nota bene: Angela Trigg, the RITA Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copies of my paperback books in stock. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us
➜ Amazon: Amazon Central Author Page
➜ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor
➜ BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson
➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6
Sunday, October 27, 2024
Sunday, October 20, 2024
We're baa-ack!
cj
Sez: Lyrical Pens is back . . . Let’s kick off the blog’s return with a “It’s
Fall, Y’all” sale.
A Mobile Writers Guild Anthology @ Amazon.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PUlZ7kUswE
"Paths Not Taken" will release in March 2025. Pre-order is available. |
THE DAWGSTAR is a suspense/thriller filled with international political gangsterism, nanosatellites (real things), assassins, fears of frankenfood, and more! A fast-paced Jane Bond-ish read with a touch of romance.
Sunday, September 8, 2024
Something's come up
cj Sez: Labor Day (it was Sept 2 in case you missed it) is sometimes called the unofficial end to summer. Witness: Most schools are back in session, and stores have already begun their multi-holiday advertising and sales. So let me be the first to wish you . . .
That said, Lyrical Pens is on hiatus. The current plan is to return online in mid-October. Sorry for the abrupt notice, but life doesn’t always give warnings.
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Okay, that’s it for today. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.
cj
Now some words from my sponsors:
THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA are available on Amazon
or through your favorite e-Tailer and bookstore. Got a library card? You can
read the ebooks free from Hoopla.
Nota bene: Angela Trigg, the RITA-Award-winning author and owner of The Haunted Book Shop has a few signed copies of my paperback books in stock. If she’s out, she’ll order one for you, and I’ll pop over to sign it. TO ORDER, contact: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us
P.S.: Pop on over to my Amazon Central Author Page for links to anthologies in which I have a short story. The Haunted Book Shop has a couple of those, also.