Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Writerly Stuff, Hints, and Tips from Nathalie M.L. Römer author of Tainted Truth

 

Writerly Stuff, Hints, and Tips from Nathalie

 

As an author, I’ve come a long way from the person I was in 2014 who didn’t know anything about the writing process, editing or proofreading, publishing or what’s involved in the “epilogue,” i.e. the marketing and advertising.

A book begins with good research. You have to understand what you write about. For example, my series The Wolf Riders of Keldarra may be fantasy, but when you write any story it has to be grounded in reality. When I write any of my stories I foremost ask this question: “Would this happen?” or “Is this plausible enough?”

There’s one small aspect of my book series I purposefully give a disclaimer about on the About page of the book, and that’s about the timeline of Yalla’s pregnancy. It’s something like five times longer than it happens with wolves in our world. The rest of the information is as close as possible to the way it is in reality, such as how intelligent wolves are...

I read often still and have done so since early childhood. Reading for me is not just a chance to escape but also, especially now I’m a full-time author myself, a way to see my questions about my own books answers in someone else’s story. I don’t copy what I read as I got enough story circling my mind to last me a lifetime. Reading a book as an author should validate your own skill.

I prefer silence while I write, except in one situation which is when I write action scenes. I’ve found I write those better with a fast-paced music blasting into my ears. But the edit and re-evaluate that part of my writing I have to do it in silence. A few months I read an article about Nora Roberts, and how she writes, and in a way, I’m like her... I can write best when my partner, Anders, is at work, asleep, or in the living room. I love him but I need my “alone time” for my writing...

My favourite genre is fantasy, though I also write science-fiction or should I say “futuristic stories,” mysteries and here I’m partially influenced by reading all of George Simenon books my father owns (still!) as a child and realising that not every one of his stories had a dead person in it. Some had mysteries of missing people in them, and I decided I liked those sort of mysteries the best (Sorry, Agatha Christie!) so now I like to write mysteries that are about missing people (not necessary cold cases) and want to bring my own take of the genre. And then finally I love romance, but decided I wanted to tackle this genre differently too...

I write one book at a time, but have two days a week for brainstorming where I will polish plots for other books, figure out characters (both of a current draft or others), and generally expand my notes for books. Being well-organised is something to aspire as an author (or in any job really). Oh and I’ll answer one question I saw listed in the interview here: my biggest pet peeve is when people claim that being an author isn’t a real job. Remember that when you read the next article by a journalist (the author of the article), when you watch the next movie (where the script writer was the author) or anything else you read, such as a blog post by your favourite blogger writing about the authors and books out there. I stated in my other essay that we invented writing. We also invented storytelling. When someone specifically makes it into their career, show them the respect they deserve.

I’ll end this essay with the advice I always give in social media whenever someone says they have writer’s block. There’s no such thing....period. Here’s why, and the reason is biological. The next time you watch a marathon, or people completing with swimming, or any sport, watch what happens when they reach their physical limit. They stop. They let themselves get rest and recover. They wait until they’re no longer tired. Then when they’re recovered they recommence. The brain isn’t a muscle but you can train it in a similar way, which is also something newer writers should remember. Many authors on YouTube, Zoom, StreamYard etc. organise “writing sprints.” The NaNoWriMo effort was created to give you a platform to learn to write consistently. When I had a moment of not knowing how to move forward with my career my mentor and friend, Orna Ross, said this to me: “The MORE you write the better you get it.”

So if you feel the “writing juice” depleted, it’s like the athlete needing to rest after a sprint. You get this feeling after you had been writing, right? Well then, it means you take a break and give the “brain muscle” or “creative muscle” recover, reset, get the energy back and then you continue. An athlete who tries to force themselve to continue would get an injury in the muscle that takes longer to recover from. Forcing your mind to continue with writing when it is already tired creates a similar “creative injury.” That’s what this writer’s block is. The more you force yourself the long this injury stays present. Just leave it alone and you’ll come back better than before with renewed energy, drive and enthusiasm. It was not understanding this about myself that caused me to turn to Orna Ross for the advice I then received. Understanding from a television the science behind “sport” made me realise that what goes for them goes for us. Saying you have “writer’s block” is a negative approach to the situation. Saying you’re taking a break from writing is positive. It’s the latter that will help you in getting back to your writing...

 

Tainted Truth
The Wolf Riders of Keldarra Book 1
by Nathalie M.L. Römer
Genre: Epic Fantasy 


Begin your journey in the land of Keldarra...


It's a land on the brink of war. Who wins it depends on which side is stronger: truth or the lies of thousands of years of deception and manipulation. But whose truth? What lies? That's for you to find out in the first book of this nine-book series!


When truth and lies have been used as a weapon. When you fight an enemy from the past using lies, and truth becomes the weapon with which you fight that enemy.

The story takes you to an ancient land under siege. The history of Keldarra is long but forgotten. A distant past when someone knew the Wolf Riders would rise. They also knew they would come to an end.

The Truth: Words spoken.

Still spoken to speak a lie.

Marrida. Alagur.

Each individual has a reason for wanting change. But can the reasons co-exist without clashing? Can truth prevail when each of them exists because of lies? When they discover similarity it reveals a hidden past, a past that means so much more than either knew.








**Coming Soon!**

Stolen Truth
The Wolf Riders of Keldarra Book 2
**Release Date: Dec 1, 2020**




Truth of a Betrayer
The Wolf Riders of Keldarra Book 3
**Release Date: Aug 24, 2021**




Nathalie is a published author, based in Sweden, and born and bred in The Netherlands, with roots squarely planted culturally in Britain and Curaçao. She primarily writes epic fantasy, futuristic science fiction, mysteries, romance with a twist, and is now venturing into fairytale retellings, dystopian stories and much more (just keep visiting to see where stories take you and the author alike). And Nathalie describes her style of writing as unapologetically wordy, because she has discovered that the best part of writing is weaving a world that's interesting to explore, to discover its back the story, to meet its people, and find out what makes them tick. Nathalie weaves each world with her own experiences into the stories, and will touch on various causes and situations that speak to her...






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Signed Copy of the Book – 2 winners! , 
$10 Amazon gift card – 1 winner 






Tuesday, September 29, 2020

A Novel Life by Thornton Cline Genre: Thriller

 

Thornton Cline author interview

 

  • What inspires you to write?

I keep a “hook book” of ideas and titles on my tablet to draw from to write. All my fiction books are based on true stories that have happened to me or to others. It’s hard to make up this stuff and pull it out of thin air!  Lol!

 

  • What is your writing process?

My process varies. Some books were completely written from dreams I experienced. I woke up and had the entire movie playing in my head. I wrote the book exactly as I pictured it to be. Other times, I draw from my “hook book” and choose the title and idea that moves me emotionally at the time. I will write the condensed synopsis of the entire book into a few paragraphs and then complete a skeleton outline of the chapters. Then I begin writing without editing and let the creative process flow all the way to the end. Then I go back and edit.

  • What advice would you give to other authors?

Always write something every day whether it be lyrics, a poem, a short story, a paragraph, a letter, an email, a post on Social Media, or a thank you card.  You will find yourself improving as a writer as you practice. Also keep your eyes open and your ears unplugged so you can find that perfect idea that will move you emotionally and others too. Ideas are swirling all around us; we just need seize those moments that come along for the moment, and then write about them without procrastination or someone else will grab the idea. Next thing you know that someone will write the idea you had, and they will be successful with a published book or recorded song. Write from your heart with passion, whether you make one million dollars or two cents.

 

  •  What drove you to the field of writing?

My mother signed me up for piano lessons when I was five years old. I started writing little ditties, lyrics, and melodies. I continued to write and ended up developing a career as a professional hit songwriter with over 150 of my songs recorded by major and independent artists. I was honored with being awarded “Songwriter of the Year” twice-in-a-row and was nominated several times for a Grammy and Dove Award. I was awarded a platinum album for my hit song, “Love is the Reason” for the sale of one million units. I worked as a paid staff songwriter in Nashville for five years, writing songs with artists and songwriters, I wrote over 1,000 songs since I started in 1982, In 2012, I started writing fiction and non-fiction books, which seemed like a natural progression from writing all those songs. I always considered myself to be a writer, whether I was writing lyrics to a song, or words to a novel. Basically, a song is a three-to-four-minute condensed novel.

 

  • What does the word creative mean to you?

Being creative means keeping your mind open, always expanding it with fresh new ideas and new ways to approach an idea. Always keep your ears unplugged and your eyes fully open to those amazing creative ideas floating around us in the universe. Being creative means accepting ideas even when they seem so off the wall or out of the box that they would not be approved by others with their narrow thoughts.


 



Is Carlton the master of his own destiny, or is Mr. Turnbull the real puppet master and author?
Top New York publisher, Sheldon House, offers seventeen-year-old Carlton Tucker a book publishing contract with a $100,000 advance payment and a sixty-city book tour for his manuscript. Carlton believes he has authored the book, A Novel Life. But did he? Mr. Arnold Turnbull, Chief Editor of Sheldon House, has secretly written a manuscript with the same story and title. Mr. Turnbull flies Carlton to New York to meet him.
While Carlton is on his book tour in Laramie, Wyoming, he encounters uncanny, deja vu events which lead him to believe he has lived the same life before. Carlton discovers things he wrote in his novel over a year ago are coming to pass now. Is this merely a coincidence or some supernatural force at work?
Carlton falls more deeply in love with Taylor while signing his books in Laramie. But then he discovers a devastating tragedy about to happen to Taylor unless Carlton can convince Mr. Arnold Turnbull to allow him to change the ending of his book. There's only one problem. Unknown to Carlton, Mr. Arnold Turnbull controls Carlton's fate, and every event that's unfolding in "A Novel Life." Can Turnbull be stopped before it's too late for Taylor? Can Taylor be saved from the disaster that awaits her?

Ever since his mother signed him up for piano lessons at age five, Thornton Cline has been writing non-stop.; With over 1,000 published songs, 150 recorded songs, twenty-eight traditionally published adult, children's and YA books published, Thornton Cline has been nominated multiple times for Grammy and Dove Awards. In 2017, Cline won a first place Maxy Literary Award for "Best Children's Young Adult Book". Thornton Cline's books have appeared at the top of the Amazon bestselling charts. Cline has been honored with "Songwriter of the Year" twice-in-a row and has received a platinum award for certified sales of over one million units in Europe. Cline continues to mentor, speak, teach and inspire aspiring authors and songwriters around the world. He resides in Hendersonville, Tennessee with his wife, Audrey and two cats, Kiki and Gracie.




Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$20 Amazon

Sunday, September 27, 2020

DragonMan by Ted Lazaris

 



Series Intro:
DragonMan is not your typical Superman/Batman comic-style adventure. 
It is about the adventures of Luke Starr, a superhero, yes, but he is so much more than that.
These are all stand-alone adventures, He and his sisters solve crimes and mysteries. They run Starr investigations detective agency. The audience for these books range from 7-16 years old, but can still be enjoyed by people of all ages. 
The amazing story of DragonMan was born at the dawn of the 21st Century, when the world, about to change forever, watched in disbelief as four passenger airliners crashed, not only into buildings and a field in Shanksville Pennsylvania but into the American certainty that the horrors of the outside world could not touch them at home.
It was into this world that a new kind of superhero emerged, one for whom the lines between good and evil are blurred. Is he friend? Or is he foe? No one knows for sure. What they do know, however, is that as a friend there is no one better.



The Adventures of Luke Starr
DragonMan Series Book 1
by Ted Lazaris
Genre: Middle-Grade Fantasy 

Recommended for pre-teens all the way up to an adult, who want to forget about work tomorrow and lose themselves in a great story.

The amazing story of DragonMan was born at the dawn of the 21st Century, when the world, about to change forever, watched in disbelief as four passenger airliners crashed, not only into buildings and a field in Shanksville Pennsylvania but into the American certainty that the horrors of the outside world could not touch them at home.

It was into this world that a new kind of superhero emerged, one for whom the lines between good and evil are blurred. Is he friend? Or is he foe? No one knows for sure. What they do know, however, is that as a friend there is no one better.




The Poseidon Encounter
DragonMan Series Book 2

 In Ted Lazaris's first fantasy adventure novel, Dragonman, the Adventures of Luke Starr, the reader was introduced to the likable Luke and his seemingly normal way of life growing up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Luke was portrayed as a quiet, average kid plagued by all the inherent problems of the typical American teen: dealing with a crush on a girl he's too shy to approach, pesky sisters constantly poking their noses into his business, bullies at school and exams to study for. But Luke, readers soon discovered, was burdened by a far greater weight than any of his peers, as he struggled to come to terms with his birthright as The Chosen One, savior of the distant world of Spellville. Not only that but, like hapless Peter Parker forced to juggle his complex life as Spider-Man while pursuing his love interest and his not-always-easy career, Luke had to learn to harness the enormous powers of Dragonman, his super alter-ego, a persona that regrettably did not come with an instruction manual.

In this second, action comic-like installment, Dragonman: The Poseidon Encounter, Luke seems to have come to terms with his legacy and appears well in control of his superpowers--which he will be called upon to use this time around to save the world from an evil demon who seeks to claim the souls of every human being on earth.

The mood of impending danger is set from the very first page when author Ted Lazaris takes off his gloves to delivering a knock-out of an opening scene: Five-year-old Bobby Blakely, running downstairs on the morning of his birthday, finds not the hoped-for brand new bicycle as a gift, but rather an enormous blue whale that has somehow "washed up" in the small lake on his parent's isolated farm. While many consider the whale's appearance a hoax, others believe it to be a sign of impending Biblical doom. And it is enough to rouse Luke's suspicions that worse is about to happen--which it does.

In a pace that never flags, Poseidon Encounter unfolds in a complex thread of differing tales, from an old-fashioned detective murder mystery to a science fiction fantasy, all neatly stitched together by an intriguing cast of characters, both good and evil and not-exactly-as-they-seem. An imaginative writer, Lazaris blends magic, mysticism, religion, and the fast-paced action of the comic book world into a book that fans of the first Dragonman tale will find hard to put down.






Face of the Unknown
DragonMan Book 3

This superhero fiction is all about the power of love and faith to overcome the evil that lurks in the darkness, whether we know it or not. The superhero fantasy asks the questions we’ve all asked at one point or another, was life really created the way the bible says? Or could it be that mankind as we know it is the remnant of a past civilization which once lived on another planet – or even deep below the surface of our own? This adventure tackles these questions with a good sense of unbiased investigation, and at the same time, opens our eyes to the powerful issue of ‘What If?’

One hopes and prays they will survive the night, retaining dominion over their own world. While the other will wage war in ways mankind can scarcely imagine, in a gruesome fight to end all life on Earth. The bloody heroic war to determine mankind’s fate, battles between man and beast, journeys to other worlds, the power of the mind over evil forces, and the triumph of love.






Descendants of Man
DragonMan Book 4

 Why did the Anunnaki come here? Did they create human hybrids? What is their plan for earth? And for us, the human hybrids? Why did some; the original humans (Bigfoot) resist?

Will we survive what is yet to come? -- Those who look for the truth, already know -- those that fail to search, are lost -- but those with an open mind will soon come to know...The Descendants Of Man.

Much of the story information that was obtained to create this story is believed to be true by many people around the world -- Fact or fiction -- You decide.




Dragonman: Descendants Of Man from Ted Lazaris on https://vimeo.com">Vimeo
.


Unfathomable
DragonMan Book 5 

un·fath·om·a·ble

1.incapable of being fully explored or understood.

...

Synonyms: inscrutable, incomprehensible, enigmatic, indecipherable, impenetrable, obscure, esoteric, mysterious, mystifying, deep, profound
"unfathomable mysteries"
2.(of water or a natural feature) impossible to measure the extent of.

To most people, the definition above is just a word expressing similar definitions and nothing more. But when a bizarre sequence of events draws not only the United States but every world superpower on the globe into the threat of World War III the word takes on a whole new meaning. The President is Missing... And all the world can do at this point is watch as the horror and mystery slowly begin to unravel, revealing the UNFATHOMABLE.









Experiment in Terror
DragonMan Book 6 

Luke Starr: Milwaukee boy. Crown Prince of Spellville, aka DragonMan



Ten years ago, Luke discovered that he was the Chosen One of Spellville, a magical alternate dimension. He used his abilities as DragonMan to fight against the ruthless Unter. With the help of his great-grandfather Alaba and the other wizards of Spellville, Luke banished Unter into the inescapable Eon Vault. All was well.
Until a Supernova lends Unter the power to break free…
Now, the Evil One is back and stronger than ever.

Outraged by his previous defeat, Unter will hit Luke where it hurts most. Followers. Friends. Family. Kidnapping one of Luke’s sisters and his girlfriend Jenny Anderson, Unter will take one hostage on Earth, the other on Spellville. While the Dragon is distracted by his loved ones in peril, the Evil One will begin to terraform both worlds for his dying race.

Luke must make a choice: the Earth or Spellville, his sister or the woman he loves…

A cat-and-mouse game with no rewards, only consequences.
Our young hero must quickly adapt to this experiment in terror or watch his world be destroyed by a god-like being bent on revenge.

Time is running out, Chosen One. Tick tock… Tick tock…





The Awakening
DragonMan Book 7 

In the distant past, long before people populated the Earth, and before animals roamed the planet, something terrifying and cunning made its home in the vegetation covering the planet like a soft green blanket. Lying in wait for millions of years this species continued to evolve. Patiently crossing over and manipulating the genetic code of different species. And now, this perfect omniscient being... born from oblivion, has awakened and is ready to feed... God No Longer Rules Supreme... IT'S COMING.





The 13th Sign
DragonMan Book 8


 The 13th Sign is a chilling journey down a cosmic path, as ancient as creation itself. And in the final confrontation with the past, present, and future, The 13th Sign will ultimately determine if life on Earth will go on, or perish... the future is now in the hands of those who believe. 



Fear No Evil
DragonMan Book 9


Dead bodies have been turning up all over the place, and the public is scared as hell. Eight murders in a span of six months, all committed in the same brutal manner, and still, nobody has a clue as to who this malicious killer is and the body count is rising.

Luke Starr, a private detective working out of his Milwaukee office with his two sisters, are busy with less sinister cases at the moment. He doesn't know it yet but he is the only one who can stop this relentless psychopathic killer.

When his girlfriend, Jenny Anderson, a reporter, gets too close to the truth she finds herself in mortal danger.
She quickly enlists the help of her boyfriend Luke Starr and Homicide Detective John Logan to not only catch this psychopathic genius, who is always one step ahead of everyone else but to keep her alive for the biggest story of her career.

As the clues unfold, Luke discovers not everything is-as-it-seems. And what appears at first to be a serial murder spree might just be the beginning of the end of the human race. Can Luke discover the truth before it's too late? Time is running out.









As the author of the DragonMan Series I would like to share with you, my a lifelong struggle with dyslexia.
I have always struggled with the problem. In school, it was always terribly difficult for me to read what was right in front of me. And reading, writing, and spelling still to this day remain difficult for me. One thing I've learned despite having this learning disability, I can accomplish my goals, if I don't, get overwhelmed by the big picture... I just take things one step at a time.
DragonMan: Face Of The Unknown, authored by Ted Lazaris, who created DragonMan and wrote the series of novels, has accomplished the amazing feat of debuting at NUMBER #1 on AMAZON KINDLE, ahead of David Baldacci and James Patterson novels.






Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
 



Saturday, September 26, 2020

The Universe Chronicles Series by Claire Davon Genre: Paranormal Romance

 


Storming Time
The Universe Chronicles Book 3
by Claire Davon
Genre: Paranormal Romance 

Rescuing compromised Universe agents is nothing new for Zared Hersh. A fast car, a little rain-and-fog manipulation to cover his tracks, and his job is done. But when Hannah Nickels dives into his front seat, something about her aquamarine eyes strikes him like lightning.


Thank God she’s not psychic, or she’d be reading his hormones like a book.

Hannah’s been groomed to join Universe practically from the moment her time-freezing talent emerged. But recently, her power’s been glitchy. She knows she’s in trouble, and the last thing she needs is her instant attraction to Zared’s solid body and dark good looks.

When their escape is almost derailed by someone with a strange new light-manipulating gift, only Hannah’s chrono talent gets them safely back to Universe HQ. In the relative safety of Richmond, their relationship grows. But Hannah has a second, more dangerous power that few know about. And as her control slips, someone with a hidden agenda sets her up to fall—straight into Whisper’s trap.



Tracking Shadows
The Universe Chronicles Book 2


Since the day Jiana Falco was forced to join the paranormal agency Night Stars, she’s been planning her escape. She uses her bodyguard’s split-second of distraction to vanish into the shadows, and burns the last bridge by saving Quillan Hardis.


But now, locked in Quillan’s muscular arms, pinned by his calculating amber gaze, his invisibility talent shielding them both, she’s in even deeper trouble. If that’s possible.

Quillan didn’t get to Universe Corps’ highest echelons by being a fool. The rare shadow manipulator in his grip is too easy a prize to be anything but a setup. A pretty lure he should send back to Night Stars. Instead, he holds on—and in changing her fate, he seals his own.

Under a secret order to unlock her untapped power—by any means necessary—Quillan takes Jiana on the run with only a precog’s vague direction, and a spark of desire that blooms into something warm and genuine. But her fear of being clawed back into Night Stars’ control could drive Jiana so deep into the shadows nothing will get her out. Not even the light of Quillan’s love.

But her fear of Night Stars could drives Jiana so deep into the shadows nothing can lead her out. Not even the light of Quillan’s love.



Shifting Auras
The Universe Chronicles Book 1

Maya Wingfield was raised to trust no one—least of all the dueling U.S. and Russian paranormal agencies, Universe and Night Stars, who’d love to harness her mind-reading gift.


She thought Richmond a safe place to escape their influence and hide from a rising psychic malevolence that drove her out of San Diego. But when she gets yet another call to retrieve her drunken roommate, her mind shows her an amber-eyed Universe operative with an impenetrable net around his deepest secret—and a voice that sends shock waves of awareness down her nerve endings.

Maya’s curves and aquamarine eyes aren’t the only things that jolt Ian Sanderson’s mental shields, bringing sexual tension thrumming back to life. It’s a power his Universe-trained mind knows he shouldn’t trust. And a vulnerability that makes his telekinetic power burn in his palms to protect her.

But to Universe, she is just one of too many unanswered questions. A target for Whisper, a shadowy new group of paranormals with powers beyond anything Universe has ever seen. Once before, Ian failed to protect a sensitive from a brain-scrambling attack. He will not fail again . . . even if it means using his talent—or his body—to stop a bullet.



Claire can’t remember a time when writing wasn’t part of her life. Growing up, she used to write stories with her friends. As a teenager, she started out reading fantasy and science fiction, but her diet quickly changed to romance and happily-ever-afters. A native of Massachusetts and cold weather, she left all that behind to move to the sun and fun of California but has always lived no more than twenty miles from the ocean.
In college she studied acting with a minor in creative writing. In hindsight, she should have flipped course studies. Before she was published, she sold books on eBay and discovered some of her favorite authors by sampling the goods, which was the perfect solution. Claire has many book-irons in the fire, most notably her urban fantasy series, The Elementals’ Challenge series, but writes contemporary and shifter romances as well as.
While she’s not a movie mogul or actor, she does work in the film industry with her office firmly situated in the 90210 district of Hollywood. Prone to break out into song, she is quick on feet and just as quick with snappy dialogue. In addition to writing, she does animal rescue, reads, and goes to movies. She loves to hear from fans, so feel free to drop her a line.




Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$50 Amazon