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Melynda Price: Win by Submission

Melynda Price is the author of several contemporary and paranormal romance titles, including Until Darkness Comes, Shades of Darkness, Courting Darkness, and Braving the Darkness, all in the Redemption Series. Price writes for ardent readers who want to fall in love over and over again. Her goal is to make the unbelievable believable while taking her characters to the limit with stories full of passion, heart, and unexpected twists. Salting stories with undertones of history whenever possible, Price adds immeasurable depth to her well-crafted books.

Win by Submission is the first book of her upcoming mixed martial arts–themed Against the Cage series.

She lives with her husband and two children in Northern Minnesota, where there are plenty of snow-filled days to curl up in front of the fireplace with a hot cup of coffee and write.

http://www.melyndaprice.com

https://www.facebook.com/melynda.price.9

Contemporary  Romance

Age 18+

Synopsis:

To win her heart, he’ll be in for the fight of his life.

After an illegal kick during a CFA title fight fractures Cole Easton’s spine, doctors say there’s nothing more they can do for the bitter Vegas fighter. They say it’s a miracle he can walk, if that’s what you call his crutch-dragging limp. Unwilling to give up on him, Cole’s manager sends the injured fighter to the best physical therapist he knows: his niece, Katie Miller. When Cole arrives in the small town of Somerset, Wisconsin, he quickly discovers his sly manager may have had reasons other than rehab for sending him to this frozen tundra.

After a year of running from an abusive ex-boyfriend, Katie has returned to her hometown to care for her father, who’s recovering from a stroke. When Uncle Marcus calls in a favor, she reluctantly finds herself taking on a rancorous MMA fighter, broken at the height of his career.

He’s insanely sex-on-a-stick hot—and everything she loathes in a man.

If Cole thinks his fighting days are over, he’s dead wrong. To save Katie from her past and to win her heart, he’ll be in for the fight of his life.

You can pick this book up click here.

To enter the Giveaway click here.

Follow along with the event on Facebook.

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And all the participating blogs

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http://lynnromanceenthusiast.blogspot.com

http://silenceisread.blogspot.com.tr

http://fictionalrendezvousbookblog.blogspot.com/

http://www.rubylovesbooks.com

http://authorsandralove.blogspot.com/

http://chapsandbustles.blogspot.com/

http://lizjosette.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Addicted-to-reading/1554130711466153

http://littleshopofreaders.com/

http://taliasreviews.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/Bookhangoverpage

http://booksshelly27.blogspot.com/

http://www.bound4escape.com

Writing dialogue in flash fiction

Dialogue is something I struggled with a lot when I first started writing. It can still be challenging, but I’ve found a few tips that help me. For the purpose of this post, I’ll use example of a pirate and a king.

1. Know the characters and their history.
This includes education level, personal relationships, where they grew up, major events in their life, hobbies, occupation, etc.
On the surface stereo types show a pirate and a king will speak differently. The Pirate is full of “Arg mateys” hardly language a King would use. But what if the Pirate grew up with the same tutors that the King had? And the King was overthrown by an invading army. Did the voices you hear for these characters change?
This brings me to my second and third tips.

2. Setting.
Where the characters are. The event(wedding, feast, war, etc.), the location(prison, palace, bar, etc.).
The properly educated pirate will use different words with his crew compared to business men.

3. Who they speak to.
I’m going into more detail here as to how I see this. Are they speaking to an enemy? A romantic interest? Their mother? Who they speak to will effect the word choice a character uses. I speak differently when talking with my best friend vs. my boss.
The King will speak a certain way in the court of a foreign leader. But when forced to hide from his enemies on a pirate ship he’ll need to use different vocabulary to blend in.

4. Emotion.
How emotional are they? By this I mean are they able to control themselves.  In the heat of the moment, people will say say what they feel.

5. People watch.
This last tip probably sounds strange. In order to better understand how different types of people really talk, and not the cliche “Arg mateys”, listen to real people speak. Go to the food court at the mall.

Secrets and Doors cover artist: Faun Jackson

I’ll admit it. I love the cover for the Secrets and Doors anthology. Faun Jackson truly created something wonderful.

Author Meriann Boxall interviewed Faun about her work. Being new to the world of cover art and design, I found the process Faun used to design the Secrets and Doors cover to be fascinating.

You can read the interview with Faun Jackson on Meriann’s blog.

Cover Reveal: Secrets & Doors

I haven’t posted in a while, however I have continued on my journey as an author. I’m happy to share the results of multiple authors(including myself) hard work for a great cause. I will have more to share about the anthology Secrets& Doors in the days coming.

The beautiful cover is from Faun Jackson.

image

About the book:

Open the door and unlock the secrets in eleven short stories from The Secret Door Society, an organization of fantasy and science fiction authors dedicated to charitable work. All proceeds from this anthology benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in their quest to cure Type One Diabetes (T1D).

In these pages you’ll discover a modern woman trapped in an old fashioned dreamscape, a futuristic temp worker who fights against her programming, a beautiful vampire’s secret mission disrupted by betrayal, a sorcerer’s epic battle against a water dragon, the source of magical mirrors—and more. There are tales for every science fiction and fantasy taste, including new works from award-winning authors Johnny Worthen, Lehua Parker, Christine Haggerty, and Adrienne Monson.
Join us in the fight against T1D as you peek into a world of magical and mysterious doorways—if you dare.

Secrets & Doors is available in ebook and paperback.

Cover reveal! Curse of the Mummy’s Uncle by J. Scott Savage

Mummy's_Uncle

Curse of the Mummy’s Uncle is book four of the Case File 13 series.

About the Book:

You hold in your hands a very sinister story.

I have searched every nook and cranny to compile the evidence in Case File 13. Now, in this book, you will find the next eerie installment in the adventures of Nick, Carter, and Angelo, three monster-obsessed boys whose harmless trip to Mexico turned into something so horrendous, so revolting—

Wait a second, Mr. B! You’re making this whole thing sound way scarier than it really was. Maybe dial it back a notch?

But Nick, it is that scary. In this volume alone there are haunted pyramids, alien artifacts, and even a mummy with a terrible curse.

True, but there’s also the part with the hidden treasure, and the time when Carter used his knitting needles to—

Yes, all right, you win. Now if you’ll excuse me…
 
You hold in your hands a very sinister, VERY SILLY story, following the WACKY adventures of three boys whose expedition to Mexico turned into something OUT OF THIS WORLD. This is the fourth volume. Read on if you dare…

About the Author:

JScottSavage
J. Scott Savage has returned after being lost in a Mexican rain forest. His office is now filled with Mayanscrolls, hieroglyphics, artifacts, and star charts. His children and children-in-law, Big Nick, Erica, Scott, Natalie, Jake, and Little Nick, look pale, and claim to be cursed. His grandchildren, Gray, Lizzie, and Jack, are heavily wrapped in mummy-like bandages. And his wife, Jennifer, has reportedly been seen glowing green and hexing the neighbors.

You can visit him on his blog jscottsavage.blogspot.com or on Twitter@jscottsavage.

Being West is Best by Monique Bucheger

I must say that the book Being West is Best by author Monique Bucheger pleasantly surprised me. I don’t typically read middle grade novels, but I found myself pulled into the story of love, hurt and learning to be a family. Being West is Best is book four in the series, and despite not having read the first three, I was able to jump right in and follow along.

Set on a farm, the story follows two twelve-year old girls who are best friends. Ginni and Tillie are excited to become step-sisters now that Ginni’s dad has proposed to Tilli’s mom. However their planned happily ever after is threatened when Tillie’s father shows up. He abused Tillie and her mom before leaving for six years. He says he’s changed and wants his family back.

I found myself flipping through pages as fast as my eyes would read. Unlike other novels I’ve read, I found I couldn’t skip ahead. When I tried to skip, I just had to go back and read what I missed.

The variety of characters in the story kept me involved as I learned more about their pasts, dreams, and fears. The author was great at showing there is more than one side of a story. While characters had to face abuse, the reactions to dealing with it varied. So many stories shy away from the subject of abuse, but it is something that children and adults unfortunately encounter. That being said, the story made me laugh and cheer, and while it had depressing subjects I feel uplifted.

I was satisfied by the story plot and ending. The characters drew me in, and the world was easy to understand(family farm in modern times). I want this book so that I can share it with others. I feel this novel is one that can be enjoyed by anyone who can read it. I highly recommend it for anyone twelve or older. Out of five stars I give it a five.

To learn more about the author:

Monique Bucheger (author of The Secret Sisters Club: A Ginnie West Adventure)

Blog: http://moniquebucheger.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Monique-Bucheger/193789017310198

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/MoniqueBucheger

Books available at: Barnes and Noble and Amazon

Copper Descent by Angela Hartley

I had the pleasure of reading Copper Descent by Angela Hartley. Her novel is the first I will rate on my blog using the system I described in a previous post about writing book reviews. Before I get into that, read the short synopsis of the novel. It describes the story very accurately, which is why I’m not going to rephrase it myself.

The tale of Sinauf was a secret nineteen-year-old Nina Douglas’ ancestors kept hidden for eighteen generations. But the truth has been brought into light.
The dark god of legend is real.
Caught in an ancient war still raging strong in the modern world, Nina is confronted with Sinauf—the embodiment of all she fears and desires. Like a moth drawn to a deadly flame, Nina must resist the seductive charm of a beautiful monster, or prepare to lose everything she holds dear.
Temptation has a name, and he is coming for her.

1. Overall Plot
I felt that the novel as a whole had a very cohesive story. Every time I had to put the novel down (only because my work breaks were over, or I needed sleep so I could function). I found myself wondering what was about to happen and why some things had happened. By the end of the book, my questions were answered to my satisfaction, and Angela Hartley, left enough intrigue for sequels. But I’ll get into that a little later.

If I had to choose something that I was disappointed by … The ending came too quickly. A lot of things happen in the last 37 pages. I would have liked more detail on things that happened at the end. (I really don’t want to spoil the story for you, which is why I’m not getting more specific) Although I have to admit the balance of action and description was handled well.
I wouldn’t say the plot was the most complex I’ve ever seen, but there were nice surprises that I didn’t see coming. It never lost my attention, and I wasn’t confused by any events/action that transpired.

2. Characters
My emotions were with the characters. I felt the anger, betrayal, loss and love right there with them. The main Character Nina had a lot of challenges she needed to face and she stepped up to them. By the end, I could clearly see the girl she had started out as, and the woman she had become. But a story wouldn’t be satisfying for me if it only involved one character. While the majority of the story is told about Nina and what she is experiencing, the other characters also had journeys of their own. At the end, none of the characters are the same people as they were at the beginning. They became better or worse based on their choices and experiences.

3. World
I enjoyed the imagery Angela Hartley used in her writing. Whether in the cold snow or visiting the sandy ocean, I could see it as the character did. Being familiar with Utah snow, I’m a fan of it personally; I wanted it to melt away as I began to hate it with the character. I longed for the ocean with Nina, even though I’m not usually one for the beach.
The alternate world Nina gets to go to was also no problem for my imagination. Angela Hartley introduced the various pieces as they were applicable to the story and characters. The light/beauty and darkness/desolation were both accentuated appropriately and proportionally within the places Nina visited.

There were also lovely references to various cultures that I found fascinating.
However I wish I understood Nina’s powers more. There were some interesting pieces of the puzzle given. But I want a better understanding the limitations to her powers as well as the full extent of what she can do.

4. Would I read it again/buy the sequel?
Re-readability, if that’s even a word. I would read it again; because I liked the satisfaction I received from the character growth and the overall plot.

The intrigue for sequels I mentioned. Yes it’s there, and I want more. At this point it doesn’t matter if sequels would be from the same character point of view or another person’s. This is a book series I want adorning my shelves. I also hope any sequels will provide further insight into the extent of Nina’s powers.

5. Would I recommend it?
I definitely recommend it to anyone interested in the new adult genre. That being said, I will caution that there is some mild cursing by characters, and the topics of sex/rape/physical temptation and evil. If you aren’t comfortable with those topics, take it into consideration.

Overall I give Copper Descent 4.5 out of 5 stars. The only reason I’m not giving this a five, is because I want a better understanding of Nina’s powers.

If you would like to learn more about the author of Copper Descent:

Angela Hartley, Author of The Sentient Chronicles
www.angelahartley.blogspot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Angela-Hartley/267442633281341
Publisher: www.foxhollowpublications.com

More thoughts on writing book reviews

What do I do about the lurking worry my review will hurt an author’s feelings? How to be honest without sounding exaggerated, mean, fake, etc.? The best advice I was given for solving both these questions, “You can be kind without being nice.” I pair with that, who are you writing the review for? One author, numerous readers, or friends?

This is how I interpret that advice. Being kind is about telling the truth. Being nice is about saying whatever you think the person wants to hear. Being nice means you’ll still be friends and avoid awkward public situations. Being nice didn’t avoid awkward situations for me.

The earlier book reviews I wrote suffered from niceness. It’s pretty obvious to any who read the reviews as well. The reviews are bland and not a completely accurate depiction of what I felt. I tried to have an open discussion about a book I posted about with fellow humans. I felt like my credibility was thrown out the window. My written review gave a different perception than the one I tried to tell in conversation. If the book is awful, who wants to convince someone who gave it five stars of their folly?

That being said, I’m not saying don’t be compassionate to the author. No one likes a bully, and authors spend a lot of time and heartache on their work. Kindness involves word choice. For example, I can say “I didn’t like that the villain was killed without the hero standing up for themselves”. This explains why I feel the way I do. The statement also allows readers to decide if that situation is something that would bother them.

I don’t have to say “I think the hero should go jump off a cliff for being a worthless collection of letters on a page”. This doesn’t tell anyone why I think the hero is worthless and why you should think it to. Although I’ll confess I have had thoughts about worthless characters and the authors who wrote them.

A book review is not about telling the author what they need to revise or change in their story. That’s a conversation someone should have had with the author before the book was published. A book review is something you write for others to read and use in their decision about reading the novel.

To answer the question about sounding mean, fake, etc. I imagine telling my best friend (who isn’t the author) about this book I just read. What would I say to them about it and why?

The truth is everyone will love or hate different parts of a book. The girl should have picked a different guy, the dog should have lived, and the hero should have torched the villain…. The author gets to pick the ending. A book reviewer should give their honest opinion to their audience.

Writing Book Reviews

I’ve been thinking a lot about writing book reviews. How can I be fair and honest with the book, reader, and myself? I’ve come up with five areas in which I will rate books I review.

Notice I say book, not author of the book. I feel that books should be judged for the content they contain and not necessarily who wrote them. I’ve read novels by well-known authors who, after becoming famous, felt because they signed their name it should be a best seller. Some probably could market their grocery lists and be successful, but that doesn’t mean the content would be worth reading.

I’ve read other novels, by lesser known authors, which are comparable to lists of vegetables and dairy products. I think the reader is entitled to know what they are getting into, and if it is worth their investment of time and money.

Writing my own novel makes me appreciate the angst authors feel putting their work out there for criticism. It also makes me painfully aware of my own weaknesses where writing is concerned. I know I commit grammar mistakes that cause some to shudder and cringe. I’m working on it.

At first I thought I would write reviews only from the viewpoint of a reader. The multiple filled bookcases adorning my home can attest to my love for feasting on the written word. I’ve re-read so many of the books on my shelves I’ve purchased additional copies as replacements. However I cannot just review as a reader, the author in me notices things I cannot remain blissfully unaware of.

As time goes on this list may change and it may vary slightly based on the novel I’m reviewing. I’ll give each of the five areas points from one to five. The overall score will be based on an average of each of the five areas.

Therefore, here are the things I will review books for:

1.Overall Plot
2.Characters
3.World (Mostly for fantasy/sci-fi/paranormal genres, but still applicable to others)
4.Would I read it again/buy the sequel
5.Would I Recommend it