I had such fun this year. I went for Horror Hound – 16- books.
And I actually read and reviewed 63. Guess you can tell I love my horror. LOL
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I found this challenge, hosted by Yvonne @ Socrates Book Reviews, on my friend Stormi’s blog @ Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! . Thanks Stormi! I read so many cozies that the Cruisin’ thru the Cozies Reading Challenge is definitely one for me! Click On Yvonne’s blog link for rules and to sign up.
I went with Level 3 – Super Sleuth – Read 13-20 books.
And I actually read and reviewed 23. I did it!
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I also completed my Goodreads Challenge to read 125 books. I completed my challenge and actually read 210 books.
And I set a personal goal to read more books from my own TBR shelves.
I was able to read and review 68 books.
Here’s my list.
The Martian, Rattlesnake, Outage 1-3, The Woman In Crimson, The Grown Up, Mutation Z 1-6, The Lie, Onyx Webb 1-6, Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper 2-5, The Gleaners, Memory House, Descent, Forest Of Memory, Extinct, The Scorpio Races, Mercury retrograde, Creepy Christmas 2 books, A Hidden Element, Pandemic, Diary Of A Haunting, Witches, Tortures Of The Damned, Below, The Flip, Stillwell, The History Major, Who Walks The Night, Death Catch, Insects, Dawn Of The Spiders, Pale Rider, Allies & Enemies, The Army Of The Night., The Dead Of Winter, Every Color Of The Night, Uninvited Guests, Listen To Me Speak, Psychopathia, West Of Dead, Station 331, 332, and 333, Weird 1-3, Shallow Graves, Wally The Warm Weather Penguin, They Rise, Space Cowboys & Aliens, Chasers Of The Light, No Such Thing As Werewolves, NightShoft, The Northwoods.
This includes series reads, short stories, and children’s books spanning all genres.
I believe that comes to 68 books. The only problem is I probably added a bunch too. LOL
IndieLove Magazine is a publication promoting independent Authors, Musicians, Crafters, Artists, Film etc.
Issue 2 has some of the best, Authors Mia Sheridan and Amy Harmon grace the pages as well as Goddessfish promotions. Artist Kim Walker, Actor Shawn Hawkins, Derek Webb, Co Founder of Noisetrade etc.
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Kelly Oliver- recently enchanted assembled music lovers around the country on her 18 date second album tour. Kelly is a guitarist/ harmonicist, with influences ranging from the song style of Bob Dylan, the intense lyrics of Alanis Morissette and a touch of Kate Bush around the vocals. Her album Bedlam, which was released, March 6th, has been carefully crafted to show off Kelly’s strengths to full advantage. BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris is a fan and says she has a ‘beautiful, pure voice and is ‘a vital voice in British Folk’ and Chris Hawkins, who has played her on BBC 6 Music said she is ‘fabulously gifted, something special’.
Kelly Oliver is one of the new breed of bright young musicians who stands out from the crowd with her ‘golden vocals’. Bedlam features a range of songs with themes ranging from war to migration, and social injustice to love in all its guises as well as the ever tempting eternal triangle.
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Mia Sheridan Interview!
Question 1. Are you a planner or pantster kind of writer?
Sort of both! 😀 I do make an outline (a very short bulleted list of main plot points), but then I just sort of let the characters take the path they will between points.
Question 2. Who are Two of your favourite Authors? and why?
I really love Amy Harmon because she always infuses beautiful life lessons into her stories, and she just writes characters that are so easy to fall in love with. And I love AL Jackson because she writes with this intensity that always sort of puts me through the wringer, but in that way that has such a wonderful payoff in the end when you get your HEA. Love them both!
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
For 3 days only from the 1st of July to 3rd of July Issue 1 will be Free for readers of the blogs!
This year has started off with a bang. My resolution was to take in less review requests so I could start whittling down those books on my TBR. Well, that started great and then a whole bunch of new books caight my eye and I had to read them. LOL You know how that is, don’t ya?
So, I’ve been reading like crazy, but not feeling quite as much pressure to get reviews done on a deadline. That makes my reading even more enjoyable too.
And, I’ve either been incredibly lucky or my book radar is dead on because the majority of books I’ve read this year have been 4 and 5 Star reads.
If you click on the banners, it’ll take you to my challenge page and you’ll find links for my reviews.
Let me show you!
My 2016 Quarterly Reading Challenge Updates
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Books so far – 5
I take my time choosing which books to add to this challenge as I read so many throughout the year.
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Books so far – 18
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Books so far – 7
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My Goodreads Reading Challenge
I set my goal at reading and reviewing 125 books. I’ve completed 45 so far and am at 36%.
This is always fun to do. So many books already. Too many to post here.
I didn’t want to feel pressured so I didn’t sign up for a challenge. Just using this to keep track.
So far I’ve read 21 from my TBR.
Not even a dent in that sky high pile. LOL But, working on it. And I’m going to wait to showcase the books after I complete the challenge. Many also go with some of my other challenges too.
Welcome to My Monday Minis Reviews where I share short reviews of books I’ve read. For today I’ll be sharing reviews for The martian by Andy Weir, the book and the movie.
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My Review
You’d never know it from the jocular beginning, but in moments, s#!t will hit the fan.
The author wastes no time in putting his characters in jeopardy. Beginning years away from home, the first to walk on Mars, these astronauts know the risks. When Mark Watney disappears and is presumed dead during a dust storm, the crew must abort the mission and return home without him.
Wouldn’t they be shocked and horrified to learn that not only did Mark survive, he’s actually colonized Mars.
With so many reviews already written, this won’t be a long one.
I loved this book. From the beginning, I couldn’t wait to read the next paragraph, the next chapter. The humor helps lighten the suspense the author puts you through. There’s no guarantee an author won’t kill off his characters, even the heroes, so you can’t relax, can’t count on anything. Each time something went wrong, I thought, this is it.
I used to think I’d love to travel in space. Not anymore. I’m too old and too fond of my life to endanger it. I fully expect us to one day walk on Mars. Look at all of the amazing things we’ve done already.
Until then, I’ll enjoy books like these, and when I’m done reading, I’ll turn off the light and dream of space from the comfort of my own bed.
5 Stars
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Synopsis
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.
Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.
After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.
Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first.
But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
Holy cow! If you think the book is fabulous, wait until you see the movie.
The cinematography is out of this world, the casting is awesome, and the scenes you loved in the book come to life in dramatic and fun ways. Careful if you are drinking anything during the movie. I almost spit tea all over the place at one of those comedic scenes.
I’m not a huge fan of Mark Damon, cast as Mark Watney. His most memorable movies for me were The Talented Mr. Ripley and The Bourne series. He won me over with his superb acting. He had to carry most of the movie by himself.
For all of you ladies, I don’t know about you, but is he not ruggedly handsome now. I wonder why men get better looking with time, and we women fight gravity, literally. LOL
I read the book first. Usually do. I’d recommend you do that so you get more indepth info about the characters and their thoughts. Makes for a richer experience.
I found this challenge, hosted by Yvonne @ Socrates Book Reviews, on my friend Stormi’s blog @ Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! . Thanks Stormi! I read so many cozies that the Cruisin’ thru the Cozies Reading Challenge is definitely one for me!
1. Choose the level you wish to participate:
Level 1 – Snoop – Read at least 6 books
Level 2 – Investigator – Read 7-12 books
Level 3 – Super Sleuth – Read 13-20 books
Level 4 – Sleuth Extraordinaire – Read 21 or more books
2. The challenge runs from January 1, 2016 and ends December 31, 2016.
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I’m going with Level 3 – Super Sleuth – Read 13-20 books.
I’m sure I’ll likely read more but figure I’ll have more fun with less pressure. If this sounds like a challenge for you, sign up by clicking on the banner at the top of my post.
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Here are some free cozies to get you started. Make sure you check that they are still free before you click that buy button!
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You can check out all of my 2016 Reading Challenges HERE.
I have been hosting for Pump Up Your Books for a while now and love the diverse reads offered through the tours. Dorothy is such a sweet person and her tours are always fun and easy. So I’m thrilled to share 10 Things You Need to Know About Virtual Book Tours.
10 Things You Need to Know About Virtual Book Tours
By Dorothy Thompson, CEO & Founder of Pump Up Your Book
By now, most authors know what virtual book tours are or at least have heard of them. They’re that wonderful marketing tool that should be a must have in every new book’s campaign. With each new book I write, I’m making a game plan before the book is even published and a virtual book tour is the first promotional venue on that list.
While most of us know what they are, there are still a few new authors who might have heard of them but have no idea what they involve. I give you my top 10 things you need to know about virtual book tours so that you will know what to expect.
Virtual book tours are the BEST way to get the MOST online exposure for your book.
Not only are you presenting your book and yourself to thousands of people, all of your interviews, guest posts and reviews are archived which means months down the road, you’re still selling your book because of that one tour.
Virtual book tours ARE a lot of work. Not only are you searching for the perfect blogs to host you, you are acting as the middle man between you and the blogger unless you are using a paid service such as Pump Up Your Book who will do all the work for
you. Even if you do sign up with Pump Up Your Book, there is still lots of work to do completing assignments – filling out interviews and writing guest posts unless you choose an all review tour. Even though it requires a little bit of your time to fill out interviews and write guest posts, it’s well worth it.
You will learn more about your book than you ever did. I had an author tell me that through the interviews and guest posts she had to complete, she never learned so much about her book which caught her off guard. Now when she is interviewed on
radio shows and makes television appearances, she is better prepared.
Virtual book tours will build up your author platform. No matter if you’re a fiction author or a nonfiction author, virtual book tours will build up your author platform using your key search words.
Your reviews are guaranteed. Offline publicists while they mean well do it all wrong. They query a book blogger, make arrangements to send the book, then that’s where it stops. The review is not a guaranteed thing. The reviewer can post the review anytime they see fit. With virtual book tours, your review is guaranteed on a certain date unless the reviewer jumps ship which rarely happens. I had an author tell me
she signed up with an offline publicist who sent out many books and only one or two reviewers actually came through for them. That was money loss for the author. Books don’t come cheap these days so coming up with a date you and the reviewer can agree upon guarantees that review will be a given thing.
Many reviewers now take ebooks which save you money. Thank goodness someone was smart enough to invent a device that automatically loads a book in a few seconds (no waiting to go to the book store anymore my friend) and makes it fun to read. When Amazon lowered their price of the Kindle, sales soared and book lovers started talking about getting one. What that means is that it opened up a wonderful way to get these books to the book reviewers quickly and less expensively. Have you noticed how much books are and how much it takes to ship them? Not saying all reviewers will take ebooks, but as time goes on, most will have an e-reader and, as a matter of fact, will prefer an ebook.
More website hits, more blog hits, more Twitter hits and more Facebook Fan Page hits. All authors should have a website or blog and accounts at Twitter and Facebook. No matter if you think they’re all a waste of time. A virtual book tour will definitely give you more hits at all places as long as your links are in your bio.
Going on a virtual book tour raises your Alexa rankings. What is Alexa? Alexa measures how well you are doing in the search engines. By going on a virtual book tour, and including interviews and guest posts during that tour, your website and blog
links are included in every bio (or should be!). Those are incoming links which Alexa uses to measure your ranking. The more your website or blog link shows up on other sites, the more valuable your site is to them and thus, your rankings soar.
You will learn how to sell your book through media exposure. Not all authors take advantage of their interviews and guest posts by gearing them toward their audience, thus luring them to their book and/or website/blog. I’ve had many authors on tour and the ones who really take the time to make their interviews and guest posts effective selling tools are the ones who profit the most. The key thing here is to make your audience curious. One liners in the case of interviews may not cut it. Of course there are only so many ways you can answer “What’s your book about?” but take your time and get your audience’s curiosity peaked so that they do make your way over to your website or your book’s buying link.
Virtual book tours teach you how to connect well with others. There is no better way to learn how to network. All these wonderful book bloggers who agree to host you are your new friends in your extended network and they will be there for you the next
time you have a book to promote (unless they completely hated it of course). You’ll also learn how to use the social networks effectively as you study how to get people over to your stops by persuasive wording. Remember to talk to your audience, not at them.
There you have it. 10 reasons I feel you need to know about virtual
book tours in a nutshell. If you have a tour coordinator as opposed to
setting one up yourself, she will walk you through it so that it will be
a fun experience for all. Your book will thank you for it.
I committed myself to reading 130 books for this challenge. I actually read 254.
I know, it says 273, but I found several duplicate covers. I discovered that some of the reviews I wrote were counted as both eBooks and print books. The number 273 is actually probably pretty close to the right amount as I read many books that I didn’t get entered in the challenge.
The Alphabet Soup Challenge means that by December 31, 2015
your bowls must be full of one book for each letter of the Alphabet.
Each Letter Counts As 1 Spoonful
Details
This challenge will run from January 1st, 2015 until December 31st, 2015.
You can join anytime. You do not have to review the book. Books can come from any genre.
Crossovers to other challenges are allowed and encouraged!
It’s an alphabet challenge!!! The challenge is to read one book that has a title starting with every letter of the alphabet.
You can drop the A’s and The’s from the book titles as shown below. For those pesky Q, X AND Z titles the word with the challenge letter can be anywhere in the title.
Books can be read in any order and all formats – print – e-book – audio – are acceptable for this challenge!
Then when you complete the challenge copy and paste your completed list in a comment below andFILL OUT THIS FORM
My Books
Aoleon The Martian Girl
Bubba Done It Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things
Dead Girl Blues
Ella The Slayer
Fluency
Ghostcrow: A Tale Of Endor
Heart Search: Betrayal
In Her Blood
The Light At The End Of Judgement And Day
Killing Weeds
Ladle To The Grave
My Favorite Corpse
Nightlight Tales
Out From Under
The Publicist
The Quick and the Thread
Retaliation
The Stitching Hour
Threads Of Evidence
Victim Souls
Watch The Shadows
Brood X
Choose Your Own Death
The Zombie Combat Field Guide
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I had such fun, I’m doing it again this year.
Click on the image above to see the rules and sign up!
Halloween is fast approaching and I’ve been reading some scary good books.
I won all of these books by Michael Phillip Cash in a giveaway and being my type of stories, I dove right in. I read all of them in one week. LOL
Now, I need your help. I’d like to review one book each week, leading up to Halloween. I thought it would be fun to let you choose in which order I should review them. So, starting with Brood X as number one and Darracia ending as number seven, help me decide!
Brood X
Synopsis
Seth is laid off from work. His wife Lara just found out they are expecting a baby this summer. Seth plans on documenting the entire pregnancy with his brand new digital camcorder.
During an evening home watching television, the news reports that a swarm of cicada (Brood Ten) are expected to overwhelm the entire Northeast.
Brood Ten is vicious and ready to invade.
During a sweltering summer night, Brood Ten emerges and wreaks havoc with the electric grid, phone and cell service, wi-fi, food and water supply. Civilization as they know it is gone.
Seth and Lara are thrown back to the stone age in their own home with trillions of cicada trying to deposit their eggs and breed.
Fast paced and filled with tension, Brood Ten is the perfect summer read when you’re sitting outside listening to the cicadas sing.
Trailer
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The Flip
Synopsis
Julie and Brad Evans are house flippers. They buy low, clean out the old occupants’ junk, and try to make a profit. Enter Hemmings House on Bedlam Street in scenic Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island. Too good a deal to pass up, but with an ominous secret. The old Victorian Mansion has dwellers that do not want to be dispossessed. As the house reveals it’s past, will the couple’s marriage survive The Flip?
Trailer
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The Hanging Tree
Synopsis
Enter a world where spirits roam the earth in Michael Phillip Cash’s haunting new novella, The Hanging Tree. Set amid the eerie backdrop of Long Island, an area famously steeped in old legend, two young would-be lovers contemplate their future while visits from those who have come before them reveal the lure of fate…and the power of free will. At seventeen years old, Arielle’s relationship with her parents is slowly deteriorating. Angry and defiant, she is at a loss on how to cope with the tumultuous situation in which she finds herself. Arielle’s only comfort is Chad, an eighteen-year-old young man who seems to truly understand her struggles. Arielle and Chad meet beneath the low-hanging branches of what the local community has nick-named the “Hanging Tree”. An ancient and majestic landmark, it has long been rumored that the tree is haunted by ghosts. These ghosts span various centuries and vary wildly in age, but each one of them has one thing in common: their deaths are all somehow connected to the tree itself. As Arielle and Chad commiserate over their current situation and their precarious nature of their future, the spectral inhabitants of the Hanging Tree witness their conversation. One by one,the ghosts begin reminiscing about their own lives-and deaths- as they examine the inner demons with which their human forms long struggled. An eerie meditation on the oft-overlooked power of choice, Cash’s The Hanging Tree will stay with readers long after they turn out the light.
Trailer
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The After House
Synopsis
Remy Galway and her daughter Olivia are rebuilding their life after a failed marriage in a 300 year old cottage in historic Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island. Little do they know, another occupant is lurking in the haven of their own home. Will the After House be their shelter or their tomb?
Trailer
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Pokergeist
Synopsis
Sometimes life, as well as death, is about second chances. Luckless Telly Martin doesn’t have a clue. An awful gambler trying to scrape by as a professional poker player, he becomes the protégé of world famous poker champion Clutch Henderson. The only catch…Clutch is a ghost.
Telly and Clutch must navigate the seedy gambling underbelly of Las Vegas learning to trust each other in order to win the elusive International Series of Poker, repair their shattered personal relationships and find redemption in this life and the hereafter.
Trailer
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Witches Protection Program
Synopsis
Wes Rockville, a disgraced law enforcement agent, is given one last chance to prove himself and save his career when he’s reassigned to a 232 year old secret government organization. The Witches Protection Program. His first assignment: uncover a billion-dollar Cosmetics company’s diabolical plan of using witchcraft for global domination, while protecting its heiress Morgan Pendragon from her aunt’s evil deeds. Reluctantly paired with veteran witch protector, Alastair Verne, Wes must learn to believe in both witches and himself. Filled with adventure, suspense and a rousing good time, Michael Phillip Cash creates a tongue-in-cheek alternate reality where witches cast spells and wreak havoc in modern day New York City.
Trailer
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The Battle For
Darracia 1 thru 3
Synopsis
The Battle for Darracia Books I, II, and III, are now combined into one epic novel!
On the planet Darracia, an ever-widening social gap between its inhabitants is causing turmoil that is fracturing a once peaceful world. Struggling with his identity, nineteen year old Prince V’sair must harness the power of the elusive Fireblade, the secret to a warrior’s heart, in order to overcome his uncle Staf Nuen’s lust for supremacy. Will the energy of the Elements guide the young prince to his true destiny or will Staf Nuen conquer Darracia?
The Author Platform: How to build yourself a castle that will stand the test of time
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Description:
How To Build Yourself A Castle That Will Stand The Test Of Time
This first module of the Authorship Adventure Series for writers is intended to provide an overview of an author platform, an explanation of its use and operation, and the simple, practical steps to follow to get started on building your own platform right now or fix an incomplete, ineffectual one.
The second module of the Authorship Adventure Series for writers provides a simplified, clear way to construct a structurally sound novel, together with guidelines, suggestions, tips and a checklist to steer you away from rookie mistakes while helping you enhance the quality of your manuscript pre-edit.
How To Gain Perspective And Turn Setbacks Into Triumphs 10 Sane Thoughts For Harassed Writers
The third module of the Authorship Adventure Series delves into the psyche of writers and the way we relate to the demands of present-day society. Learn how to cope with your most hidden worries and fears, from the fear of failure to dealing with procrastination. Every chapter breaks down a problem before laying down tips and strategies for overcoming it.
Easy Basics Guaranteed To Save You Time And Money Proof And Edit 101 – Smart tips and tricks to put you ahead of the rest
The fourth module of the Authorship Adventure Series for writers provides a simplified look at basic grammar and punctuation, to give you a clear understanding of the most important factors when line editing and proofing your work. Tips and tricks for remembering easy rules, and examples every step of the way, provide you with the foundation you need to power through the mire of uncertain grammar and polish your novel to a high standard.
Use in conjunction with How To Build A Novel – What works, what doesn’t, and how to fix the unfixable, to improve more aspects of your writing, whether you intend to work alone or simply want to make your editors love working with you.
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Ella Medler is a U.K. author and editor who lives in a corner of Heaven, on the south-west coast of Ireland, overlooking the Atlantic. She writes fiction in many genres – some after her own tastes, and some to make her readers happy. Sometimes, those two happen to coincide. A fierce supporter of genuine talent, Ella Medler founded Paper Gold Publishing because she believes there are authors out there who deserve a chance to shine, authors who would otherwise fall between the cracks of a crumbling, forever-shifting industry.
As an editor, Ella Medler has the tendency to nit-pick on plot issues while ignoring the type of rule which doesn’t allow for a sentence to be finished in a preposition. If you want to win her over, make sure your books are action-packed, your characters real, and you bring chocolate.
The Authorship Adventure Series is a set of resources for writers, which is available free of charge to Paper Gold Publishing members (membership is free and unconditional).
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