The Impact of Words

“Make a list over several weeks of the words or thoughts that people have said that have really helped.”

The above quote came to my inbox via the website where my personal journals are hosted, Penzu. Since I have three journals at that site, I get these prompts daily. Most of the time I just ignore them, but upon occasion, something triggers inside of me that I have to share.
I belong to several online writers' groups, including a few on Facebook. Over time I have reduced these for the simple reason, time. I feel guilty for not taking part in a group and after a while I decided that it was better to leave the group than to stay around, and not contribute anything.
There is one group that has had a huge impact on my writing - and that of other people as well. It is called My 500 Words. It was started with the intention to inspire writers and/or bloggers to write just 500 words everyday. But everyday.
As a writer I try to write everyday. Some days are easier than others, and there are days (as has happened in recent weeks) where I write...nothing. In my defence (or lame excuse, depending on your point of view) being away from home for work, is exhausting and finding the time and energy to write anything more than a tired journal entry, is not easy.
In this group I have made new friends, and continued friendships that started outside the group. Not everyone in the group is a novelist, most are bloggers, but I have learned a lot and sometimes things I have not been ready to confront in myself as a writer.
Until a few weeks ago where my FB friend, James Prescott, posted a piece about why we write. It touched on something that new writers often struggle with, and those of us who have been penning books for a while need to be reminded of.

This is an excerpt of that post: "But they [online writing resources about the elements of writing] aren’t about the art of writing. And they forget the most important thing - that our security and identity needs to come from something far deeper than what we do, know or achieve. We must know and accept our value, worth and security is already taken care of. We already have value. We are already secure. We already have infinite worth. Right now."
Of course, I have learned a stack (still do everyday) about writing, publishing and marketing my books, but the most value I have ever had from any online site, was the friends I made and the lessons and support I have received from them.

Join groups that add value to you as a person and a writer, but leave when you do not contribute or do not spend the time. It is not the number of groups that matter, but the contribution you make in the group that will help you grow.

Blog Tour: Summer at Castle Stone by Lynn Marie Hulsman

Excerpt

Heading out of the wind, and down the icy steps to the supper club, I was grateful that Maggie had let me off the hook and allowed me to wear her wedge-heeled boots instead of the ones with the skinny heels. The place was all leather, and wood, and scarlet tapestry. I was glad the club was warm, and not one of those sterile chrome-and-glass affairs. 

I pulled off my hat, and tried to fluff my crushed, damp hair. Scanning the bar for Jordan, I panicked, realizing I didn’t know what he looked like. There was a blonde guy walking out of the restroom. I raised my eyebrows and smiled. He put his arm around a thin brunette in a leather jacket and gave me a stern look. This was a stupid idea. I pulled my hat back on, ready to leave.

I felt a pair of hands on my shoulders, and I spun around, ready to snap. I recognized the green-eyed man as Jordan. Wow. He was actually a man. I didn’t remember him as being so filled out.

“Hi, Shayla? Are you all right? You look, uh, upset.”

“No! Not at all. Hey…you!” Brimming with nervous energy, I went in to kiss his cheek, to seem like a smooth player. When I lunged in, I caught my toe on his heavy boot. I fell forward, and he grabbed me hard by both elbows. Whipping his head around to keep his balance, he cracked me in the bridge of the nose with his jawbone. 

“Motherfuh …  uh…uh…oh, man,” I stopped myself from swearing even though I saw stars. The pain was so sharp, I didn’t even worry that blood was dripping onto my (Maggie’s) silk turtleneck. At least it was black. 

“Hang on,” I heard Jordan say. I couldn’t see him with my eyes squenched shut. In a flash he was back, shoving a handful of bar naps into my hand. I pressed them to my bleeding nose, and managed to open my eyes. His eyes crinkled at the corners, and on his lips sat the threat of a smile. “Why don’t we sit down?”

“OK,” I said through my napkins, “but not at the bar.”

Taking my arm, Jordan led me to a cozy leather banquette. “Two Maker’s Mark Manhattans,” he said to a passing waitress. I wanted a vodka and soda with lemon, but I let it go. “Why not at the bar?”

“I swore off perching on bar stools on my 21st birthday. Friends took me out to celebrate, and I woke up so sore the next day I felt like I needed traction. I like to be comfortable.” 

“Are you comfortable now?” He asked, smiling. “Because I am. It’s nice to relax with a gorgeous woman.”

My hand flew to my nose to make sure it was clean. “Ha ha, yes, this place is great. Small warm rooms feel kind of like a hug.”

He cocked his head and smiled. “I just have a thing about… I don’t know… not being cold. I positively will not go into a cold Lucite and metal bar. At least not in winter. It’s one of my rules.”

“You have a lot of rules.”

“No I don’t,” I said automatically. “They’re not rules, per se. Just ways that make sense to live.”

Find the book on Amazon

Linzé - I volunteered to review Summer at Castle Stone and you can find my impressions here.

Infographic Thursday: Keeping Track of your Time

It has been a while since I posted any advice on time management. So here is today's infographic to help out on projects, big and small, to help you get the things done that you have planned.

Why I love the amateur sleuths

My to-read amateur sleuths (horizontal books)

Any writer, aspiring, published or best-seller - everyone will tell you to read. And to read a lot. For me that advice was always, duh? You seriously need to keep up with me. I read a lot. Have always read a lot. And if I have a say in the matter, will always read...a lot!
The one genre that I love, and yet have no desire to write, are murder mysteries. Especially the amateur sleuth variety. I am completely addicted to those!
I found seven authors online at my favourite e-store and after reading their first books, I became a fan. Some have been writing since before I was born!
But why this specific sub-genre when there are so many murder mysteries and thrillers - and very good ones - available in the market?
The reason for that I ascribe to the fundamental reason that I read fiction: relaxation. 
I have an engineering background and the finer details of forensics and scientific information would not be too far over my head. I could always research any details that I don't grasp immediately. And there is the exact reason that I prefer the amateur sleuth series' - no scientific details, no intricate forensic explanations.
The series' written, and still going strong, by these authors have created characters whose lives I want to experience with them. Their friendships, love lives, traumas and achievements which are so much like the lives we live everyday. Sure, the main character in each series have a sleuthing trait, but that is part of the package, isn't it?

It is not everyday that someone will review a series, but that is what I am going to do. Giving the plot away? Never! But each of the series have something that appeals to me and I want to share that with you.

Maybe there is an author amongst them that you could add to your to-read list. You might end up with a wish list (to-read list?) as long as mine! :)

Decluttering my office...but that was the excuse

My to-read bookshelf, with my writing reference books top right :)

I have never been the most organised person on the planet. In fact my mother would probably roll her eyes if I claimed that I was. My home office had been organised, sort of, until the day I decided to reorganise the furniture.
For that habit I have to blame my mother since she habitually moved the furniture around when I was still living at home. It would seem that I inherited that vice (virtue?) from her. And yes, I do do that, even at my office at work, to the amusement, and dare I say entertainment, of my colleagues.
Since the move, a few months back, I have been feeling more than a touch claustrophobic in my office at home. Time to get it back to order, I told myself.
I have started, and still have a long way to go to truly claim a modicum of organisation, but I have done the one thing that I needed to do: organised my to-read books.
I confess to being a book addict - paperback and ebook. While I had all these books, I had them packed away in my stationary cabinet - again to get some order. This left me with a problem: finding something to read.
Stored right at the bottom, four stacks deep, it was simply impossible (read lazy) to find anything to read, unless I unpacked everything. So I made the time and did exactly that.
Now I can see all the paperbacks (and my collection of hardbacks) at one glance, and finding a book to read, became an exercise of reaching out, making a cup of coffee and putting my feet up.
Good thing my kindle is simply a question of a button push or two, otherwise I would have been in real trouble!

Look out for my posts on one of my favourite genres: the murder mystery, coming soon :)

Wishing you a happy reading week!

Infographic Thursday: Why Self-Publish

Source: www.visual.ly

There is a bit more to it than this, but the infographic does sum it up fairly well :)

Happily Ever After Romance Blog Tour

If romance is your game, book your spot to promote your book in September! Only 8 spots available. Drop me an email, SEPTEMBER ROMANCE in the subject line, at blog.tour.info(at)gmail.com and get more exposure - pun intended ;)

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Infographic Thursday: Your coffee personality

Source www.visual.ly

How long does it take to choose a book title?

How long does it take to choose a book title?

You might rightly wonder why I asked this question. As I had mentioned in a previous post, I had already written book 4 in the Nations of Peace Series, when I got the idea to write Michael's Mystery.

This story's title has been the only one of all that I have written published or not, that baffled me. In fact, I was planning on asking beta readers to help me figure out a title, because for some reason I couldn't get it right.

It went from Exquisite Pleasure to the Future Master, to Adrian's story (dull, huh?) to being Untitled.

Then it struck me this morning at work, while I was thinking about my tasks for the day. An Aha! moment indeed.

When I wrote it down (otherwise I would surely have forgotten) it just made perfect sense. It encompasses the fundamental issue in the whole story.

No, it is not a new 50 Shades (shudders) of anything. It will simply be titled: Waiting for Adrian, the first book of the sub-series The Future Masters.

And the most baffling thing of all - it took me three years to get to this point. Funny how the mind works, but it is the only option so far that not only makes sense, but feels right for the story.

Now I am so excited that I can barely wait to finish Michael's Mystery, so that I can dig into Adrian's story.

I sincerely hope that you have not encountered this problem, but if you had, please me tell how you overcame it so that it doesn't take me another 3 years if it happens again.

Infographic Thursday: Proofreading vs Editing

Source: www.visual.ly

Guest Post on Incantation Paradox by Annamaria Bazzi

Linzé: What inspired you to write the Incantation Paradox?

Annamaria: It was an unusual morning when I slipped out of bed from the wrong side. The innocent act set the stage for the entire day—wacky. The fog lingering in the peripherals of my vision set freaky tone to the day. I looked in the mirror and giggled as acts of mischief crowded my mind.

With my mug of latte I sat before my laptop and sent an email to a good friend. ‘I don’t know why,’ I typed, ‘this morning when I looked in the mirror I saw my young self.’ No I was not crazy, was actually chuckling as I wrote the email because my friend usually takes everything very literally.

His response triggered thoughts of Freaky Friday, the Walt Disney movie starting Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, and other movies where the protagonist ended up in a young body or an older one like Big with Tom Hanks. The world seemed to enjoy such tales—I did too.

The adventure began and I wrote an entire novel in first person to better express the protagonist’s feelings, but when I was done second thoughts crept in my mind. I wanted to get to know Eric, the antagonist, much better. I wanted to know what made him do the things he did?

Now it became a bit more difficult to show all of Dolores’s emotions and internal struggles, but I believe Eric has added a new and mysterious side to the novel.

The next adventure began as I got to know Eric while rewriting the novel in third person limited. It also gave me an opportunity to get to know Jason better and actually let him fall in love with the woman inside Mona’s body.

When the adventure ended and Incantation Paradox became a published reality, like any writer, I turned to the next project to keep me busy.

Linzé: So there you have it. Early morning thoughts that turned into a novel. Writers do get ideas in normal situations too ;) You can find more info about the Incantation Paradox on 

Amazon / smashwords / B&N. Enjoy!

Author Bio

Although born in the United States, Annamaria Bazzi spent a great deal of her childhood in Sicily, Italy, in a town called Sciacca. Italian was the language spoken at home. Therefore, she had no problems when she found herself growing up in a strange country. Upon returning to the states, she promised herself she would speak without an accent. She attended Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Computers with a minor in Spanish.

Annamaria spent twenty years programming systems for large corporations, creating innovative solution, and addressing customer problems. During those years, she raised four daughters and one husband. Annamaria lives in Richmond Virginia with her small family where she now dedicates a good part of her day writing.

You can visit Annamaria at:

blog http://annamariabazzi.com

website http://www.annamariasbooks.com
facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Author.annamariabazzi
email annamariascorner@yahoo.com
twitter https://twitter.com/AMBazzi
goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6890526.Annamaria_Bazzi
Check in on Kendíka’s facebook page https://www.facebook.com/kendika.burkeshire

Feeling disconnected from my story: Is this normal?

Being a writer can sometimes be an odd experience. Case in point: my third novel, Michael's Mystery.

It wasn't planned to be the third novel, in fact I had already written the third novel (untitled thus far) when I came up with the idea for Michael's Mystery.

Aside from publishing STORM, and a few other short stories, I have not done with Michael's Mystery that I had done on the first two, or even the now new number four, five and six. Yes, they are already drafted, and only await the heavy hand of editing before publication.

I didn't sit down and write the story of Michael and Andesine beginning to end, I stopped and did other projects in between. And now it is coming back to bite me.

As a pantser, I don't plan my stories in detail, my "planning" attention goes into my characters and their environment.

Keeping that in mind, I had to go back and reread what I have already written to pick up the trail of my story. Now that is normal practice for me, except that this time I ran into a wall. The internal editor wall.

The more I read, the more I wanted to sit down and fix the plot gaps, the grammatical errors and streamlining it with book 2 and book 4. Being consistent is after all very important in a series.

I have no idea if this ever happened to anyone else, but this is a first for me.

Is the story done and ready for editing? No.

I estimate that it needs about 15k words more. The word count is not that important, but it definitely needs the battle scene that has been threatening for a chapter or two and of course the ending needs to be done too. And knowing my characters, they won't be able to keep their hands off each other either, so a scene with an intimate encounter might also happen somewhere.

What do I do now? Write? Procrastinate? Edit?

For the short term, ie. Camp NaNoWriMo, I am working on another project to keep going on my target.

I have not decided yet on the course of action come August, but the deadline for publication of Michael's Mystery (a novel of the Grandmasters) is coming closer at a rapid rate.

And so I keep plotting ...