Inspiration, Confidence, Success: Motivational ideals to live by. by Nicholas Muir ★★★★☆ I can't say much about this book simply because it is very short and the content has nothing to do with plot. Without giving away what's inside, I can tell you that it's a motivational book. Unlike most it's short, more like a handbook you can refer to for little bits of motivation with clearly marked titles that will guide you to the type of inspiration you may be in need of. This book has several gems that are full of truth. It’s short, concise, and gets to the point like a mini handbook companion to other more expounded similar works, and it’s one of those pieces that you can get more out of every time you read it. Definitely recommend it. My favorite point was #30, but to appreciate it you need to build up to it through the previous points which are just as important as they are not only motivational but show you how to appreciate yourself as an individual. This review was done as an exchange. To request a review exchange follow the instructions via this link.
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Often times, I listen to music while I'm writing. One of my favorite things is spotify's "weekly discovery". A playlist of songs that they think you'll like according to the things you've been listening to. Today, while working on my oldest and most beloved project, a song in that playlist started going. Oh my life. I almost cried. This song perfectly, and I mean PERFECTLY fits the very scene I'm working. This poor king is so broken hearted over the loss of his wife and has seen so much evil and darkness that the pain described in this song and communicated through the music itself has me on the verge of tears. So, I'm going to take a minute to share with you this song and write a quick scene I imagine while its playing. This isn't in the book but reveals very much everything he's been keeping inside. The pain the Savarion family suffers is just too cruel. And yet. That pain, I think, is why I love them so much. Anruil accepted the letter delivered to him and broke the seal. The throne room, dark as it always was, felt as if it swallowed him whole when he read the words. His brother was dead. Trembling, the clean golden parchment slipped from his fingers and floated to the ground. There, it rested at his feet. His hands came up to his face and he trembled all over. Why? Why again? He clamped his eyes shut, remembering the day his wife died. He'd ridden so fast when he heard news that orcs had crossed into their land by way of the sea. The only place his power could not reach to protect their borders. His beloved and their son were there! He shouldn't have let them go. He'd asked her not to. He begged her to wait until he or someone else could accompany them. But she was so stubborn and Doristanen had wanted to go so badly. She was a starling, yes. A powerful being with great magic. But she'd not ever used that power to fight. She'd dedicated her magic only to serving the land and healing the broken hearted. She couldn't fight orc. And Doristanen. He'd barely learned how to walk! He rode as fast as he was able, not bothering to have saddled or bridled his horse. The mustang beat through the brush, pushing the forest aside in his haste in response to his master's desperation. He could hear the surf. The ocean was lapping gently over the sand. He was close. He could sense them. But then he heard crying. Tears sprung to his eyes. "Mom!" It was his son. His lips slid open into a frown and an anguished cry racked up from his ribs and rattled out of his chest. He burst through the forest and came stomping onto the sandy shore. The orc there stopped to see him. The King of Elves, the great warrior who had united his people to fight evil, came like a cruel loathsome beast. The mustang's long waving main and tail floated on the ocean breeze, his hooves making deep imprints beneath him. But it was his rider, looking down on them with fierce hatred that made them step back. Holding his sword already, he looked down to discover his son trying to protect his fallen mother. He was crying, wailing and holding her and begging her to get up. Seeing her lain on her side, blood pouring from her chest, and her eyes open but dull made his jaw tighten. Without a sound, he sped his mount on. The beast leapt forward, racing around the mother and her child. The orcs, feeling the dark curdling madness of his bloodlust, ran. They couldn't escape him. He swept his blade down at them, even leaping off his horse to catch them. Blood flew from their bodies and splattered onto the sand, some of it even blasting into his face. Gritting his teeth and tears streaming down his cheeks, he killed them all mercilessly. And then, with them all dead, he stood still, breathing heavily and his sword barely hanging onto the tips of his fingers. It was too much. This horrible terrible anguish inside of him. There wasn't enough of them to break it on. It was still festering inside him. He couldn't contain it and yet it had nowhere to go. He fell to his knees, his arms limp at his sides. And then he bent forward and screamed into them. Crying and wailing hoarsely as tears blobbed out of his eyes and gushed into his hands to then drip on the sand. A sweet breeze came off the ocean and curled past into the forest. The many branches within them shifted, their sound like a sad lament as they bent. They felt his sorrow and could do nothing but cry with him. "Papa!" A little voice whimpered behind him. Twitching, Anruil came out of his hands and slowly turned, red-faced, to gaze at his miserable son. He twisted around, falling onto his hands and crawled to him. Once there, he scooped the boy into his arms and held him fast, burying his face in his shoulder as the two of them wept. As he did, he lowered a hand and took that of his wife's. That her fingers didn't curl around his like he was used to made him buckle with grief and he fell. Yet Doristanen stayed in his arms. He watched, aching as he watched his father pull her into his lap and held her even as he still clung to Doristanen. And now... He looked down. Realizing that he hadn't let the letter go at all. It was still trapped between his fingers. His grip was so tight it was crumpling with a heat between them. He lowered his head into one hand and shut his eyes. It had happened again. But this time...he didn't have any orc to kill. All right. So maybe this belongs in the book. I try very hard to keep my chapters at a certain page number...but maybe I'll start worrying about word count instead and place this in there since it fits too perfectly into this particular scene.
Oh it hurts! Someday, when I find an agent or publisher, look for The Bearer of Power series. These are some of the best characters I've ever written. You can learn and read more about them here in my script-like conversations with them at Character Arguments. COVER REVEAL FOR SAKURA’S SECRET.
With the Blue Siren’s help, Ales was able to meet the Guild Master Rumpelstiltskin. And he agreed to make a deal: send her back in time to hide from her brother who wishes to make her his bride in exchange for a piece of her. But when the Spirit King demands she’s brought back to the present, she’s on the run again. In attempting an escape, she meets a fox. And though he’s got the wit to protect her, he’s not interested in saving a spoiled princess. LEARN MORE HERE Book 8, Sakura’s Secret: Tales of Evermagic Sign up for the newsletter for updates and release. After a long wait, a Witch's Song, the third tale of Evermagic, is now available in iTunes!
Read about a runaway girl who's taught herself magic after learning she's a witch and the Witch Hunter whose heart she steals quite by accident. Check out other providers at Tales of Evermagic's official page! Japanese mythology is near and dear to my heart. I’m a lover of anime and I’m really excited about this next tale of Evermagic. The story is a Western fairy tale, Italian to be specific. Of course, there are various versions of this story but we’re sticking with Penta’s version. This is a tale I hadn’t heard of until I came upon it on Rejected Princesses FB page. Click this link to discover what got me to write this tale. You’ll see that Penta has nothing to do with Japanese yōkai. But you know what, that’s okay. This is my world where every kingdom has its own mythology, but we can’t help it if they often cross borders to intermingle. That’s what makes the world of Evermagic magical – you see what I did there, ha ha. Anyway. In this post, I’ve included a music video by one of my most favorite Japanese music artists (Gackt). It pretty much sums up the essence of the MC's love story, and so far it’s my favorite one I’ve ever written. Included are the translated lyrics. Push play, enjoy the epic beauty, and get ready for one of the most romantic stories Evermagic has ever told. (Also, don’t forget to sign up for the Evermagic Newsletter. There’s a FREE TO READ story of Evermagic coming out soon. It will be released in weekly chapters on wattpad until completed, but if you sign up now, you’ll receive a full downloadable copy before it hits the site! There’s no better way to know whether you like an author and her style than getting a free sample first.)
Nicolette has won her story in The Masked Slipper. She went from Cinderella to a character she'd never heard of and is now living contently with a husband who adores her and a child on the way. As for her best friend, Rose the Snow White, she's just killed some zombies and been rescued by her true love's kiss. Now it's time for a wedding.
But can a heavily pregnant Cinderella make it to the next kingdom for the party? CLICK TO READ what happens after The Masked Slipper and Fire's Hart! To get news like this directly emailed to you sign up for the newsletter.
Available for $0.99 limited time only. Click here for the synopsis and links to sale platforms. *REVIEW* "After Ber learns to control shifting between human and beast form he is finally reunited with Serren, or at least who used to be Serren. The Blue Siren is surprising and more real than most fairytales. For that reason this book is very hard to put down and captivates you, getting you wrapped up in everything that has turned the beast's beauty into the blue siren."
Welcome to author Ann. Thanks so much for taking the time to fill out 27 Questions so readers can better get to know you and your work!1. What got you started writing to begin with? I started out as a voracious reader, I read anything I could get my hands on. Gradually, through reading indescriminately, I developed taste. When I got married and started having children I decided that keeping a record of their lives was a good idea and so, over the years, I wrote every Sunday evening in their journals. The material was endless and before I started writing I would read through the growing record. This taught me what worked and what fell flat. Where I needed more detail and where brevity would have made the story better. We now have a family of 10 children and I count that journal keeping discipline as the best thing I could have done to hone my skills. 2 .What was the first thing you wrote? A little book about life and death called 'Goodbye Flutterfly'. A condolence book for those who grieve. Our son died at age two and this book attempts to explain death by showing the parallels between our lives and the life cycle of a butterfly. 3 .What inspires you? My children. I learned from them that each of us is endlessly creative and so I gain confidence that I am creative as well. They give me hope. 4 .Do you “people watch” for your writing? I feel bad about this because I put my son-in-law in my book and ended up killing him off. When I named the character I thought that if it didn't work out I would just re-name him but it didn't work out that way. He became as real as you or I and so it proved impossible to change his name. 5. Who are your favorite authors? I love great story tellers. JK Rowling, Jane Austen, Eric Stanley Gardner and Charlotte Bronte, Harper Lee 6. What is your favorite book? To Kill A Mockingbird or the Harry Potter series 7. What genre do you most like to read? Mystery/Thriller 8. What genre do you write? Is this reflective of what you read? My novel is a historical mystery and before I wrote it I thought that it would make a great Dan Brown book. I love fast paced books that have an element of truth in them. My book 'The Throne of David' is all of that! 9. What genre do you have a difficult time with that you wish you could write? I start 30 love stories to find one that I like although I don't think I will ever write a full-on love story. Including a love story in a larger work, that I will attempt. 10. What kind of research do you do or have you done for your story? The research needed for 'The Throne of David' was extensive. Writing about a true legend means that everything has a basis in fact and I had to check and re-check the details to be accurate. There is a lot of controversy over the throne of David legend and I had to sift through everyone's opinion to get to the truth. It was something I really enjoyed. 11. Do you have any writing rituals like eating chocolate or lighting incense? My rituals involve convincing the kids to leave me alone for a period of time. I talk to them, remind them and then tape a sign on the door to keep them from interrupting my concentration. 12. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind? My real world is so noisy that I seem to need complete quiet while I write. The voices in my head are clamoring to be hear and music drowns them out. 13. Introduce us to your current book. 'My book, ‘The Throne of David’, is a historical mystery and joins works such as the ‘Da Vinci Code’ or ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ in unraveling ancient legends. The story follows the history of the throne of David, you might remember that king David was promised that his throne would endure until Christ came to personally reign on the earth. David's throne has always been joined with a sacred stone and you might be shocked to learn that this throne exists today, hidden in plain sight. The book is set in New York, London, Ireland and Scotland and is a fictionalized account of the intricacies of this great mystery. Prophecies about the throne abound and my book follows its history through time and across continents. The book ultimately reveals the likely resting place of the coronation stone - symbol of the royal throne of David. 14. How long did it take you to write it? It took nine months from start to finish. I found that the writing was extremely difficult but I adored the editing. Weird, right? 15. Which character(s) of yours do you most relate to? I think I would have to say that I relate to Camryn because she has known death and is struggling to survive her grief. I admire her vulnerability and grit. 16. Who is your favorite character in this story? David Lord, by far. He is smart and tender and does what is right in spite of his own self interest. 17. Which character is the best role model for readers? I have received more feedback on Enrique than on any of the other characters. I think that his background in the military and his struggle with addiction resonate with my readers. 18. How did you decide on your cover? My cover was designed by an award winning designer named Michelle May. She wins awards every year and although I envisioned something a bit more political thriller-ish Michelle designed the cover to show the historical moodiness of the book. I loved it from the first time I saw it. 19. What do you hope people discover while reading your story? My hope is that my readers come away from reading my book understanding the history of some of the most famous artifacts of the British monarchy. Why they are venerated and how the religious history of Ireland and Scotland is woven all through their secular history. 20. Have you written anything else? Tell us about it/them. Just the two books, 'Goodbye Flutterfly' and 'The Throne of David' 21. Do you experience writers block, how do you deal with it? I believe that writers block is nothing but a writer that is on empty. When I struggle to write I stop and take time to fill myself up with music or art or nature. I sit on our front porch and listen to great music (and by that I mean music from the 70's!) or I take the kids to the river and watch them play. Once I feel renewed I spend a day immersed in the scriptures - I can feel creative energy flowing back into me and I can create again. 22. What do you not like about writing? I am not a super happy writer. It is such a battle to envision the scene, figure out how to make it important and significant, add details that will move the characters forward and get it all down on paper, so to speak. It is very hard work, for me anyway. Editing is another story completely. 23. Are you working on anything now? Yes I am, it is a sequel to 'The Throne of David' and is tentatively titled 'Defender of the Throne'. 24. How do you market your work? I am doing some really fun things marketing-wise. My daughter put together a list of bloggers that might be interested in highlighting a 55 year old mother of ten children who managed to write a high concept potential best-seller and I am doing some guest posts for them. I am also speaking to large church groups on the subject of 'A Remarkable Journey Towards Creativity'. Also doing radio shows. This is the fun part! 25. What would you say to readers? You will ultimately decide if it is a story worth sharing, if it is one of those books that takes on a life of its own. David Lord only exists if someone opens the book and reads his story! So, I ask you to give my characters a chance to really live. 26. What would you say to writers aspiring or otherwise? I have written about the creative process in a pamphlet I call ‘A Remarkable Journey Towards Creativity’. I believe many people who read my book might be interested in reading this as well. It is the story of how I came to write, in spite of the time and space challenges inherent in my life. It is said that 80% of us believe we have a book in us! I have written this to try to explain the extraordinary process of creativity. It is on my website - http://annfarnsworth.com/ - and can be downloaded for free with the code ‘free’. My hope is that my story helps to motivate and inspire someone who is now contemplating or struggling with the act of creation. Before I ever attempted writing, I spent a lifetime as a voracious reader. I know the power of words. That power is limitless, endless and an extraordinarily force for good or ill. The Throne of David, this act of creation, has enriched my life and my hope is that it will bless yours as well. And keep in mind, if I can do this, anyone can. We all have dreams and aspirations - obstacles are just a way to prove we are worthy of those dreams. 27. Where can one purchase your book(s)? The best place to purchase the book would be here: http://www.throneaccess.com/ If you would like to read reviews you can go here: http://amzn.to/1RqzwB5 Or you can ask your library to order a copy with this: ISBN 13: 978-1-4621-1714-7 Social Media author website: http://annfarnsworth.com/ Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1Z30Zhu to buy the book: http://www.throneaccess.com/ twitter: @AnnFarnsworth
Welcome to author Kristen. Thanks so much for taking the time to fill out 27 Questions so readers can better get to know you and your work!1. What got you started writing to begin with? I had no idea authors had to actually sit down and make up things until, in my college years, I read Youngblood Hawke by Herman Wouk. Poor Youngblood died of something like tuberculosis while working night and day to finish his masterpiece, but never mind that. I wanted to try this fascinating thing. 2. What was the first thing you wrote? A quite awful story about infertility. The notebook where that thing is scribbled is good and lost. And no, I’ve never suffered from infertility. 3. What inspires you? Other great novels. Even People Magazine profiles, even though I hardly read them anymore. But they gave me a sense of where people come from and the odds they face while chasing their dream, or finding themselves trapped in caves or whatever. 4. Do you “people watch” for your writing? Oh, my yes! And I wish I could eavesdrop, too, but I have really bad hearing. 5. Who are you favorite authors? I love Tom Wolfe, Diana Gabaldon, Herman Wouk. 6. What is your favorite book? My current favorite is I Am Charlotte Simmons by Tom Wolfe. It can be explicit in parts (and I wonder if the political rants at the end are a new addition) but Wolfe is a master at showing what people want, at how they think and feel. 7. What genre do you most like to read? I like good old literary novels. 8. What genre do you write? Is this reflective of what you read? I write literary stories, so yes, I guess that reflects my own reading. 9. What genre do you have a difficult time with that you wish you could write? I won’t read much fantasy or paranormal (except for Gabaldon’s time travel series), but oddly enough, I think I’ve got one fantasy story in me. 10. What kind of research do you do or have you done for your story? The research was the fun part! I interviewed a physical therapist, an ER doctor, a boat owner. I read master theses and tracked down a guy who runs a website on bomb shelters. I visited the real “Boxford” multiple times, burrowing into local history shelves, walking its streets. I rode Greyhound buses from Provo to the East Coast, although in the book, the characters ride in the opposite direction. 11. Do you have any writing rituals like eating chocolate or lighting incense? I sit in my special chair, kind of an IKEA bent-wood thing with its own hassock. I sip Diet Dr. Pepper. I set a timer and hope for the best. And sometimes, I look up at the sign on my office wall that says “Resist Paralyzing Perfectionism.” 12. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind? Nope. I need quiet. I shouldn’t even talk to myself. 13. Introduce us to your current book. The Boxford Stories is a collection of short stories chronicling the Runyons and the Feldsteds, two Mormon families in 1970s Maryland. Far from their Western American roots, they cling to each other like exiles clutching a precious box of topsoil from the old country. In The Boxford Stories you will meet Ada Runyon who always turns to Ruthalin Feldsted when she needs an ear—sharing her deepest confidences, her everyday musings, and her bits of horrified gossip. Yet Ada dies inside whenever Ruthalin’s country-cousin manners poke out in public. Latham Runyon, a history professor, and Erval Feldsted, a hospital engineer, bond every Sunday night over gooey desserts and vigorous religious discussion, a game their children call Stump the Rabbi. Underneath their balding heads and graying temples, each man desperately seeks a sign that God would choose him as a buddy. The Feldsted and Runyon children, running breathlessly through each other’s houses and backyards, have long considered each other substitute cousins. However, Ginni Runyon plots to change herself from the girl next door to the girl Marc Feldsted can’t live without. And when Boxford’s Mormons mix with the rest of the town, everybody could use a field guide to the other species. 14. How long did it take you to write it? Decades! I started it when I was pregnant with my second child. She’ll be 30 this fall. I originally intended it as a novel, but my notes grew and grew until I knew that, if I ever finished this book at all, I’d be a nobody with a big fat manuscript. I got the bright idea to divide it up into stories, send them out for publication, then later collect them into a book. You can read four out of the seven stories in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought and Irreantum. And I’ve still got material for more stories. 15. Which character(s) of yours do you most relate to? Ginni Runyon embodies a lot of my teenage self. Her mother, Ada, draws from my adult self. 16. Who is your favorite character in this story? I really like Erval Feldsted. He’s a bit of a hothead. He’s also out of his depth, living in a time and place far from his Utah boyhood. He just wants credit for being a good guy instead of a Mormon oddity. 17. Which character is the best role model for readers? April Feldsted, Ginni’s best friend. Ginni’s a flighty one. She cares more about covering up her pasty white legs and attracting the attention of April’s brother, but April is the person who can talk some sense into Ginni. 18. How did you decide on your cover? I wanted something that depicted a typical Sunday evening, with the two families gathered for dessert. By the way, the model for the man in the lawn chair is my husband, and artist’s children portrayed the boy and girl chasing each other on the lawn. But you’re supposed to see it as young Marc and Ginni. 19. What do you hope people discover while reading your story? That Mormon fiction is worth their money. 20. Have you written anything else? Tell us about it/them. I’ve written essays and news features. I’ve written about my drop-dead gorgeous cat, about my daughter’s echoing belches, about my interrupt-the-meeting loud stomach on Fast Sunday. I write a blog on my website, http://kristencarsonauthor.com/, where I talk about books I’ve read, books I’ve given up on, and meals I’ve cooked (and the failures). Stop on by, especially if you love chocolate or flour tortillas as much as I do. 21. Do you experience writers block, how do you deal with it? Oh, boy yes!. When writer’s block hits, the problem is often that I’ve gotten off the subject. I have to trace back to the last place I liked and re-start from there. Lately, I’ve found that writer’s block is a symptom of structural problems. Here’s a quote I picked up from Screen Plays by David S. Cohen: “How do you know when a scene isn’t working? “You can’t write it. You can’t write it. “So what do you do? “Figure out why you can’t write it. Go to the basics, sort of like the acting basics. What does each character want? Are they going to get it? If there’s no drama, why not?” Another book I find useful is The Dramatic Writer’s Companion by Will Dunne. It’s full of exercises on character and structure, and includes a marvelous trouble-shooting chapter. 22. What do you not like about writing? I hate it that I work so slowly. I’ve really got to pick up the pace. Again, I think it comes down to structuring a story well, and being willing to write a rotten first draft. Did I mention that sign on my office wall?: “Resist Paralyzing Perfectionism.” 23. Are you working on anything now? Yes, I’m writing a novella about a good-hearted farmer and his wife, whose dangerously innocent world view threatens their family. 24. How do you market your work? I follow the fantastically helpful suggestions of Tim Grahl, whose webinars and courses help writers spend their marketing time more effectively. Other bloggers with good advice include Jane Friedman and Joanna Penn. 25. What would you say to readers? I hope they love the Runyons and the Feldsteds as much as I do. I hope they want more! 26. What would you say to writers aspiring or otherwise? Set aside time for your craft; find a writer’s group either in your community or online; submit your work and listen to their critiques. Your ultimate goal is to provide a great experience for readers, so be willing to change what doesn’t work. 27. Where can one purchase your book(s)? I sell on Amazon. Social Media Website: http://kristencarsonauthor.com/ Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/kcarsonauthor/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kcarsonauthor Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kristencarsonauthor?skip_nax_wizard=true&ref_type=bookmark |
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