Ink in the Book

It's better late than never, right? This was a fun interview and I hope you enjoy reading! Questions: Favorites: 1. What is your favorite movie? This is a hard one. I think it depends on if I'm in the mood for funny or serious. I love Rebecca, but I also love Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Oh, and the Princess Bride. No matter what mood I'm in, I'll always watch the Princess Bride.    2. Food? Only one? Chocolate. Good, yummy, chocolate. Preferably in truffle format.   3. Ice cream? Pistachio. Or Chunky Monkey.  Worst Nightmare: 1. What color do hate most? Orange. I can't wear orange. It makes me look sickly, and clashes with my hair. Well, not as much as it used to, since my hair is turning white, but orange makes me look sunburned.   2. What scares you most? How sad is it that this is the toughest question for me? I can't really think of anything that scares me. Well, nothing REAL. I'm plenty scared by...

Today, we have come together to remember quite the ladies man. Born Jonathan Jacob Georges 38 years ago this glorious summer. He is survived by his sister Margo and his mother Margaret George. Many of his friends and acquaintances have signed the guest book and we thought it only appropriate to view some of these high quality, gracious and kind remarks left by some of those who knew Jean-Jacques the best. From Jessica Flavors: "Well, I know how much he loved to goose, I mean how much he loved geese. They were his favorite pet." From Philip Arnelds: "He wasn't much on drinks, you know, unless they were the "adult" kinds. No sir. He wouldn't touch those weak drinks at all." Old high school friend, Gracey Felps: "He had such a loving heart. He loved the ladies, you know?" Hometown tax collector, James Lance: "He knew how to handle his money in such creative financial ways. He never really needed much tax advice." Granny H...

The Letter That Started It All Dear Jean-Jacques- I'm so thrilled you'll be helping the Roanoke Garden Society with our feature article in June's Garden Delights Magazine . Your work is beautiful, and I believe perfectly suited to display one of Roanoke's most exquisite gardens. La Fontaine is a historic home west of Roanoke and the majestic garden to the back covers more than an acre. Each season, master gardener Henry Larsson collaborates with Neil and Evangeline Patrick, owners of La Fontaine, to design a seasonal masterpiece. The spring feature is scheduled to create a mosaic of a stargazer lily from above and includes rhododendrons, azaleas, jasmine, sweet olive, and a variety of smaller flowers in reds, pinks and whites. The text I'll be including will talk about the founding of the Roanoke Garden Society and their commitment to gardening excellence in Roanoke, so I'd like to pull a few examples of your photographs from your African shoot and note th...

What do I think of Social Media, eh?  Firstly, I love it! It's like getting on the phone and calling a lot of different people, whom I don't know, and chatting with them. It's like gaining new friends while having a back yard party on my computer.  It's like going to the library and filling my backpack with more books than I could ever read.  It's fun! It's exciting!  It's a lot of work! Yes, my dear readers, Social Media takes time and energy. Sometimes, it takes money. Even free social media isn't free because of the time invested. Now, this, of course, is for those who do social media correctly. Here's my take on it: I read an article just last week on Writer Unboxed about being a tourist in the community of readers. I really enjoyed the article and thought about it all week and even through the week end. The thought I took away from the blog post was this: Be genuine when you post, whether it's an article or a comment. Visit ...

We have another interview for our CQ Carnival! It's Victoria Smith and she's got sme really fun questins to answer. I won't keep you waiting. Here's Victoria! 1. Tell me about "The Call" and how your were feeling the day AFTER. I read the email about my contract on my iPhone while in my office.   My co-worker just happened to be sitting in there with me.   After I read the email, I practically leaped from my desk chair.   My co-worker was so surprised that he almost spilled his coffee on himself.   After I composed myself, I made him leave (sorry, my friend!), so I could close the door and do a happy dance around my office.   True story.   I called my husband and sent out emails to my critique partners right after.   Everyone told me to think long and hard about it before I made any decisions, so the next day, I just kind of read over the contract.   It was a very calm approach and I felt really good about it.   I too...

I have been working on one of my manuscripts, editing, adding chapters and scenes and WORDS. Glorious words. I love words, don't you? My recent work, which I just finished, Soul Driver, has went through some major editing. I decided to write an inspirational fiction and Soul Driver was the perfect manuscript. I added ten chapters! I just wanted to share my good news. I'm still looking for a CP. Who else is in the editing process? How's it coming?

Today's reviews? How do I pick just one? That would be impossible. I will start with my all time favorite must read don't try to write without this set of books. I will testify that this set of books had me jumping on the edge of my seat, writing non stop until I finished. I was mesmerized and almost overwhelmed with the amount of information and helpful advice and examples. I beg anyone who needs writing help to check this books out. I started with the free version, but I bought the entire as soon as I finished the free version. What books am I talking about? Begin with the free course from HOLLY LISLE Free Professional Plot Outline Mini-Course http://howtothinksideways.com/ holly-lisles-professional- plot-outline-mini-course/ A SOLID 5 STARS, double that for 10!   My 2nd review/recommendation is for author Donald Maass, THE FIRE IN FICTION: The book begins with creative exercises that ask: "Is your protagonist an ordinary person? Find in him any kind of ...

Pelican Book Group Staff Blog: Thursday's Tips: Key Elements of Point of View If you struggle with POV, this article will be a great asset. The author goes into great detail with easy understanding on how to write correct POV, and also helpful is her explanations of how NOT to write POV. Go ahead and check it out. I promise you will love this little gem:)

What is the question for today? It's a puzzler! Can you guess? Want to try? G ahead, even if you haven't read the book, you can guess. It' will be fun. Go ahead!!!!! Adalia done something she regretted with a broken heart. Was it serious? Was it truly terrible? Did she find forgiveness? What happened???? Do you know? Take a guess. If you don't know, that's alright! Visit MaryLu's blog for more details and find a link to buy it C ross and Cutless

Good, Good, GREAT news! My complete hard drive was saved on an external hard drive BEFORE the techs ever started work on my MacBook when I took it in for the optical drive repair! Yipee! EVERYTHING was saved!!!! Not only that, but we went ahead and bought a new MacBook, so I can get back to work! I thank God for keeping everything safe and sound. And not only that, my old Macbook will be getting a new facelift and because I bought the extended warranty, I get it all fixed for free. I'm so happy, and thankful:) Here's my first posting.... I'm looking for a... That's right. I need some help! I'm looking for someone who is interested in being a critique partner. I'm ready to start querying agents but before I do, I'm looking for help...Thoughts on everything from my plot to my characters to my grammar. So anyone who wants more information, let me know and I'll see what we can do to make my manuscript perfect!  

Who doesn't have a favorite book? One that you've read over and over again? One that you carry around with you.w372299999999999999999999k= You see all those crazy numbers up there? That's what happened as I furiously tried drying the coffee from my keyboard before the screen went black. I left them there for the memories.... Now about those must reads. PLEASE COME BACK TOMORROW. I'm getting a loaner computer. AGAIN.

The Good: I got my MacBook back from the shop and it worked perfectly. Well, I mean everything I sent it away with came back just as it was when I sent it away. They *said* the optical drive worked, but alas, I haven't had a chance to try it out yet. Why, you ask? The Bad: My son walked in the door and apparently slammed the door a little too hard. (Remember, we are living in a camper. Out door latch as a mild crimp, meaning you HAVE to slam it or it will not close.) My coffee cup was siting on the table and it literally jumped off the table and into my lap. I kid you not. It really did jump. Honest. The really bad? My MacBook was sitting happily on my lap. The Ugly: Coffee spilled on a laptop equals broken laptop. The REALLY UGLY: I'm not for sure what will happen this time for repairs. I'm sure something is really broken because my computer will not turn on at all. Needless to say, my posting this week will be like last week. Minimal. I am really disheartened at t...

As I have previously stated, much to my dismay, most of my posting will be delayed until I have my computer back from repairs. Nothing major. But with no Apple store close by, we had to ship somewhere far away ( do you miss me as much as I miss you?) I had the honor of "talking to" Krystal Wade. We discussed her writing, her editing and a few of her habbits. But listen to me when you can listen to her? She's the author of Wilde's Fire and Wilde's Army and it won't be long until book 3 will be available through Curiosity Quills Press! Yay!! Krystal does have a character who will be hosting a booth in the carnival. Flanna will be taking care of our House of Mirrors (just as soon as I have my computer back.) So be on the lookout for that! Okay Krystal, the blog is all yours! Take it away:) 1. How do you juggle your time between writing and editing? Do you have a schedule?     I don't have a schedule but probably need one. Most days I just do ...

Adalia Winston is the MC in MaryLu Tyndalls's Veil Of Pearls. Yes, she went to a party! She was invited to attend, but refused the invitation. An important event changed her mind.  It was a late evening and Adalia was on her way home. An unsavory gentleman emerged from the shadows and somebody was there to save her. Who was it? What happened? Don't leave me hanging like that, right? Oh, but alas, I can't tell you. Read the book. It's explained rather nicely! Now, for the party, which of the following items did Adalia not include in her wardrobe? This party was quite eloquent and so she would have worn the very best. Please remember. I was unable to locate exactly what I needed and so some items may not fit the period of 1811, in which this story takes place. Use your imagination and PRETEND all the photos are from the nineteenth century.   Flickr/Commons Lovemaegan littledebbie Flickr/Commons Flickr/Commons

I have been waiting for a LOOOOooooog time for this tour! I really have and I am so excited to have one of my favorite authors spotlighted this week. MaryLu was actually the first EVER author I contacted and asked if she would be interested in doing a book tour on my blog. So, this is kinda surreal to me and just plain excited to have her here on my blog all this week:) Veil of Tears is just an amazing book. The story id full of faith, but also masquerades and secrets. I couldn't help myself. I knew I HAD to do a Masquerade Ball.  How exciting! I'm have a Ball! You bet I am:) I hope to get my computer back very soon because I have some fabulous graphics and photos for my party (along with my other tours and the CQ carnival. Yes, my heart is still broken...but feeling better. Don't weep for me. Your eye make up will run...heheh)  Anyway, on to the ball! Since Masquerades are all about hiding the real you, I thought we would play a few games this week. MaryLu's char...

I can't believe we are already starting week three. Time has flown by! For me anyway, and this week we are posting the last three books we have read and what list is on our KINDLE. The last 3 books I read are: Robin Hood by Tony Allen (out loud to my 8 year old son) 3 stars Veil f Pearls by MaryLu Tyndall: SOLID 5 stars! Make a Scene by Jordan E. Rosenfeld: SLID 5 stars! My Kindle has to many books to list them all, so I let you know my recent downloads. I have not had a chance to read all of them, yet. Actually, I have only "thumbed" through a couple of them and read only one. So, no comments, only listing, okay? The Busy Writer's One Hour Plot How To Land and Keep an Agent Wilde's Fire The Emotion Thesaurus Rivet Your Readers With Deep Point of View So what are your favorite last three bed time stories? Let me know... Make sure you visit the other Buccaneers!

Hello beautiful followers and readers! I am finally able to catch a breath, but only a short one (!) and post my thanks for the rewards I revived not too long ago. Before I posted this, I did a search on the Liebster to find out what it meant. Liebster is a German word and it means, "dearest" or "loved one" from what I could find and it is given to those bloggers who need some encouragement to keep going, keep blogging and keep on smiling. I am thrilled that someone thought about me and included me in the "Keep your chin up, dear!" award! Thank you Kimberly , for thinking of me:) The rules are simple enough. You are to thank the one who nominated your blog. (done) Link back to their blog. (done) Nominate 5 others. (done) Comment on their blog and let then know you nominated them. (doing so now!) You MAY want to check out this article about the Liebster Award . The rules are different, but I am keeping with what was awarded to me. It's you...

Ahoy Matey's! Today in the Buccaneer BlogFest, it's time to share an Aww-Ha moment. These could be some really long posts, but I will try and keep in simple, short and sweet. Try, I said. Okay I said try... My first series, which is my family saga, had it's beginnings when I learned my family arrived on the shores of America as indentured servants. As the plot thickened, I learned about the French Privateers who "rescued my greatest of all Grandpa's and some how he arrived in America free, but not free. Another part of my family was banished form their country for religious beliefs only to come to America and find themselves shunned and sent away, again. Add to this crazy mix my family actually established and founded the town of Hazard, Kentucky, the Aww-Ha moment happened not so suddenly. All this history was just waiting to be written down! Daniel Boone's sister married my Indian side of the family and when I discovered Daniel Boone's sister husband fa...

That's right! It's a derby like you've never seen before! As before, I'm NOT telling you who the character is that is hosting this booth or who the author is. You have to guess! But I will give you a clue: Wrecked cars! (Um..right. Hence, demolition derby...) This character may be revenging the fact he lost his dream car in an untimely fashion. Hint #2. If he were a haunting ghost, I imagine this is the way he would haunt: through a demolition graveyard...  Take a guess by commenting below and earn a ticket for the prizes at the end of the carnival! While you are at it, vote on your favorite deserted car! These pictures are so great, but when I came back to read the post, I realized the photos are so small you can barely see the picture. Unfortunately, when I tried to enlarge them, they blurred. (Yes. I saved them wrong) So I am adding a few new ones that are larger:) photo thanks to Flickr/Commons

I wanted t take a few minutes and let everyone know how sorry I am for lagging behind. I am lost without all my goodies from my MIA Macbook. Yes, I have a new one and will learn to love it, I am POSITIVE about that. But I had so many book marks and programs and software that was compatible with a Mac that cost m*o*n*e*y to buy and pictures and graphics saved on my desktop and my wonderful I-love-you-to-death Photoshop and my Bamboo and my logo creator and... Well, I guess you get my drift. AND MY MANUSCRIPTS WRITTEN IN WORD DOCUMENTS!!!! Wa-wa:( So, my fellow bloggers and faithful followers, my postings will be short and no where near as colorful as usual. For now, I am singing, "You picked a fine time to leave me MAcBook. With four hungry blog tours and blog hops in the field..." And yes, I'm POUTING!!!

Where Fantasy and Love Take Flight: Guest Post from A. L. Jackson and G*veaway of Take This Regret - How to Avoid the Slush Pile I thought this would be an excellent way to end my Sapphire Star Spectacular! A.L. Jackson transformed into a Princess right here on Ink in the Book! Here in this interview, A. L. offers SUPERB advice for staying out of the dreaded slushpile. Read it. And smile. Thank you Nicole for this wonderful guest post. I loved reading it!

I am so looking forward to today's CQ Carnival booth opening! We have a mystery interview! That's right! I am NOT telling you who this fabulous author is. You have to guess!    So, if you are brave enough to throw a guess out, that means you will need to comment, which means you will earn a ticket for the end of the Carnival drawing. Free books, people, free books! So why not grab yourself a ticket, or two because you can earn two tickets today. Or you can earn many tickets. No matter how many times you comment on ANY CQ Carnival booth, you earn another ticket for the drawings taking place at the end of the Carnival. Woot! Woot!  (picture from Flickr/Creative Commons) The other way to earn a ticket is by telling me about the ROLLER COASTER RIDE as the life of an author. What kinds of ups and downs have you experienced? Any loop-de-loops? Upside down turns? Sudden drop offs or slow uphill battles? Share your roller coaster ride with me.  What advice can...

Ahoy Mates! Today I will be sailing the high seas with Sailor Bridges. She's the MC from my current WIP. Well, one of them anyways. I am working on quite a few, but Sailor is my newest fave. Please don't tell mt other characters I said that! I love them all, but since she's new, she's fragile and needs lots of help. I thought it would do her some good to take part in the CQ Carnival and in the Buccaneer Blog Fest. The others really don't mind. They are having a great time getting to know Sailor, just like I am! She was more than happy to answer the questions below, so please be kind and give her a big thanks in the comments. She is not really shy, but it takes a while for her to warm up to new people. Ink: Hi Sailor. I really appreciate your generosity in answering my nosy questions in front of all my lovely readers. Sailor: You're welcome! Ink: So, Sailor. I'll start with something easy. Do you have any pets? Sailor: Yes, I do. I have a little gol...

For today's endings, I have the first five last lines of each chapter. Sad to say, with my computer still MIA I haven't been able to do any writing. I miss MY MacBook! I did get a  new, gorgeous baby that started out as a loan while mine was being repaired. But we have decided to keep it. It is super nice, but ALL my *stuff* is on my old computer and I miss my *stuff*. IF that even makes sense... Are you ready for my hangers? I hope you like them:) ********** Chapter 1: For all it's worth I am so in trouble. Chapter 2: Not only is it pouring down rain, it is pitch dark and  I have no idea where I am. Chapter 3: Before I had a chance to explain, total mayhem flew through the door. Chapter 4: Sure he's smart and funny and absolutely gorgeous but that doesn't matter because he can never be mine. Chapter 5: Vanity waltzed into the room decked out like she was going to the ball. ********** That's it for now. All I need now is your comments! Thanks s...

Linn's newest book, The Restaurant@ The Mill calls for a blog tour all about food! What better way to celebrate food than with an outdoor BBQ with family and friends! Today, I need my readers to post a comment and let me know what you FAVORITE BBQ is! We are kicking off a family BBQ and it's happening allllllll week long so we are posting fantastic recipes, fun games and whatever you can contribute to our gathering. Today is BBQ faves! I hope you lovely readers and followers (and especially Linn) will please forgive the short postings. I have something very personal I am dealing with that is emotionally draining. AND my MacBook is sick and so while it is at the doctor, I am borrowing a laptop. Needless to say, all my "stuff" is on my sick Mac. So please be patient with me this week. It's going to be a long week... I need your BBQ!! How about it? Hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken!!!

Hello lovely Readers! Sorry this is so late in posting. I've had a personal crisis in my family and I had to deal with some pretty emotional things. It's going to be a long week... Now, today for the blog fest we are to post the first paragraph of our current in progress. This is my newest endeavor and a totally new concept for me. I posted the first five chapters first line in the Hookers and Hangers Blog Hop below. Here, you get the first paragraph. I don't have a title yet and there are only five chapters, but it's a start! I would love your comments! So go ahead and tell me what you think. Be honest! ***********      Forget who I am for just one minute and put your feet in my shoes. Although I am a member of the Guardian Elite, I am also a person. A person with feelings that hurt, rejoice and gets scared just like you. Sure, I have other feelings in my heart but these are the ones I'm dealing with right now so it makes it easier for me to talk about the...

I know. It sounds like... well it's not! It's all about first lines of your manuscripts and WIP. And it's a contest from over at Falling For Fiction , one of my new favorite places to hang out! What you do is post the first line of a chapter, or many chapters, from your current story and theres's going to be about 10 winners who will receive a critique. And let me tell you! These ladies do amazing critiques! So without any more nonsense, here's my first lines from my current WIP (Really, I have about 5 WIP, but this is my most recent!) Chapter one: Forget who I am for just one minute and put your feet in my shoes. Chapter two: Don't get me wrong, 'cause Star is a great friend but not so much a leader. Chapter three: In all reality, this place is not totally bad with a capital B. Chapter four: Without warning the chair flew out from under him. Chapter five: The dock smelled of stinky fish and the conversation buzzed around the latest invention:  t...

Welcome back to the carnival! This is a scavenger hunt and we are collecting clues to various Curiosity Quills Press Authors. Did I just hear some applause? Yep, I thought so! Now, you can read the first two clues HERE. I am creating a new booth for the third clue because I want everyone to have a chance to see all the clues. So, without further ado, here is the 3rd clue... (I didn't know I was a poet!) CLUE 3 D o N ot A nswer to quickly... and that's all I'm saying.  Now, here is the link to the article I want you to read. Just for your info and my satisfaction, this article is about MY FAMILY. I kid you not. For real! If you need to read a little about Sharon's book, THE CHARGE, you do so HERE.  Article clue is HERE.

What's a carnival without a haunted house? Who doesn't love a spooky place to visit on Friday the 13th? We have a special host, too. You want to know who he is? I'm sure you do! First, here's a picture~~~ His name is Frankie. You may not know something really important about him. But you know me by now, don't you? I can;t tell you. Well not in an easy way. You can read this little article and find out what you need to know. THEN we will continue with the haunted house... 1. What's like being a ghost? Well, I guess if I could describe it in one word, I'd say lonely. Like, I'm here, with people around me almost all the time, but yet I'm completely alone. I can't touch the girl I love, can't hug her. Can't open doors. Can't smoke a cigarette. Its like I exist, but I don't. Its limbo, purgatory. But ... if I had to do it over again, would I want to really die, and go to wherever it is I'm supposed to go? No. I...