Guest Post

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Showing posts with label #stormypieces. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #stormypieces. Show all posts

Sunday, January 2, 2022

Onward! Looking hopefully forward to a Far-Better year

cj Sez: I did not make a New Year’s resolution. To me, the word insinuates a passive ending, something resolved. My career in a corporate environment taught me to use the word “goal,” a word that infers action, a constant striving to reach it or be defeated. I will change direction and adjust my expectations if necessary, but I will not be defeated.
 

   As it was for 2021, my one goal this year is to not quit writing for public consumption because the thought seriously (seriously) crossed my mind. I struggled for weeks before I made the decision to re-up my memberships for 2022 in the Mobile Writers Guild, Sisters in Crime and their on-line Guppy chapter. Memberships in other organizations were renewed in the middle of 2021, so I have yet to reconsider those for 2022-2023.  

    I love words. Even more so than the plot of a story, the syntax and cadence of a well-crafted sentence, paragraph, chapter, story invites me to read those lines over and over.  But my personal writing enthusiasm wanes and ennui waxes when I contemplate finding a critique group/partner and having to go through the tedious processes of self-publishing and marketing of novels. Marketing dollars, of course, are the main deterrent for me. I think I earned less than $20 in royalties last year.

 “Goals are dreams we convert to plans 
and take action to fulfill.” Zig  Ziglar
    
   For 2022, I must make a monthly budget/plan for marketing.

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 2021 publishing recap:

   I took a flyer with an interactive gaming publisher, Crazy Maple Studios, and submitted my stand-alone thriller/suspense novels for their new app. My intent was to get more exposure of my author name and works. I think it worked.

   I submitted two short stories that were accepted:

      “Ida, Fate, and Mister Leon” was published in the Mobile Writer’s Guild STORMY PIECES anthology.  

Buy Stormy Now   Free on Kindle Unlimited and $1.99 for ebook at the time of this post.


      “The Firebug” short story accepted for THE BIG FANG publication by a west Michigan humane society is now scheduled to be launched sometime in 2022.

   I submitted a short story for a proposed 2022 Mobile Writers Guild anthology but am still awaiting a yea or nay acceptance notice.

   I began work on a flash memoir piece in response to a call-for-submissions. 

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Etcetera

    When I first saw Mr. Scrappy Rooster on Facebook, I wasn't sure if he was the winner or the loser. Then I thought, he's not only upright, he’s strutting, He’s definitely the winner.

   I said last January that I was thinking about making him my mascot for 2021 and should have, because I look a lot like him as I skid into 2022.

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   I want to end this first Lyrical Pens post of 2022 with one of Billy Graham’s prayers for a new beginning for all of us in another uncertain year…
“Our Father and our God, as we stand at the beginning of this new year we confess our need of Your presence and Your guidance as we face the future. We each have our hopes and expectations for the year that is ahead of us—but You alone know what it holds for us, and only You can give us the strength and the wisdom we will need to meet its challenges. So help us to humbly put our hands into Your hand, and to trust You and to seek Your will for our lives during this coming year. In the midst of life’s uncertainties in the days ahead, assure us of the certainty of Your unchanging love.” —Billy Graham
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   That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. 

cj

P.S.  The Haunted Bookshop has author-graphed copies of my stories in stock. TO ORDER my autographed books or any book of your choice on-line from a favorite, indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us

 
➜ Follow me . . .     
➜ on Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page
➜ on Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6 

Sunday, October 24, 2021

Coming soon: Stormy Pieces and a guest post by author Barbara Hinske

cj Sez: From the Facebook press release from the Mobile Writers Guild: “The Mobile Writers Guild is excited to shine the spotlight on the local contributors of our 2021 anthology, STORMY PIECES, as we countdown to our book signing at November’s ArtWalk (in downtown Mobile).”

   
   “Today we asked suspense writer cj petterson Author what inspired her short story, “Ida, Fate, and Mister Leon.”

   (And cj Sez:) “The idea for my story started way back in 2005 when I saw a writing prompt about a woman doing a traditionally man’s job. I wrote a few pages featuring an unnamed November storm then buried the draft in an “Ideas” file. 

   When the MWG published a call for submissions for STORMY PIECES, I thought, “Eureka! I’ve already written that story.” So I dug it out and named the November storm Hurricane Ida, after the one that meandered around the U.S. in 2009. 

   And (pinky-swear), I submitted my story on February 11, six months before 2021’s Hurricane Ida devastated the Gulf Coast and northeastern U.S. on August 29."

   If you’re in the Mobile area, anthology copies, as well as cj’s thriller/suspense novels, will be available at The Haunted Book Shop, 109 Dauphin St in Downtown Mobile for an ArtWalk book signing, November 12th, 6-8pm”

   Available for preorder   Buy Stormy Pieces Now

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NEXT SUNDAY IS HALLOWEEN
Wow, where did the year go? To get you in the mood, I’ll suggest an anthology to read before ghosts, goblins, witches, and troops of trick-or-treaters come knock, knock, knocking on your door.

Buy Halloween Pieces Now
   Halloween Pieces, the fourth installment in the Mobile Writers Guild anthology series, has an eclectic collection of stories, poems, and a play that explore the chills, thrills, and giggles of the day. Halloween is the theme, but every piece is an enjoyable read for any season.

   My short story, “Once in a Blue Moon,” (a fantasy mystery so named because Halloween fell on such a rare event in 2020) is one of 18 pieces in the anthology.

   At the time of this post, HALLOWEEN PIECES is free on Kindle Unlimited and $1.99 to buy for your own library.
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS
On November 10 author Barbara Hinske arrives to do a guest post about her soon-to-be-released The Unexpected Path. You’ll read of her deep and emotionally charged dive into first-person research for her story about the struggles and victories of newly blind Emily Main and her guide dog.
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  The Yellow Wood … Jeff D. Johnston photo computerized to resemble a painting.
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STILL ON SALE: 
The ebooks of DEATH ON THE YAMPA and THE DAWGSTAR are on sale @ only $1.99 each. Fast-paced and exciting suspense, with a touch of Jane Bond romance. Available at your favorite eTailer, and on request from your local library—just provide them with the ISBN number.
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cj Sez: That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.
§§
P.S. TO ORDER a book by any author on-line and support an indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us

   If you’d like me to autograph or personalize one of my stories for you, be sure to tell them, and I’ll run by the shop.

➜ Follow me . . .     
➜ on Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page
➜ on Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

Sunday, October 17, 2021

Which would you rather do first…read the book or see the movie?

cj Sez:  Here are two authors who have both formats for you. In case you don’t remember, on Oct 3, I posted a Lyrical Pens 4+star review of #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner’s novel BEFORE SHE DISAPPEARED.


   The novel is peopled with flesh-and-blood characters you want to love, want to hate, and want to win. And her settings? You will know where you are, and you will fear who lurks in the shadows.

   Seems some movie folk liked it, too. From a press release:

   “Entertainment One has acquired the rights to bestselling author Lisa Gardner’s novel Before She Disappeared with Oscar winner Hillary Swank set to star and executive produce via her Film Bandits banner.”

Congratulations Lisa Gardner!

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   Be sure to watch for a guest post by author Barbara Hinske about her soon-to-be-released THE UNEXPECTED PATH, the second in the Guiding Emily series featuring her blind protagonist,  Emily Main.

Buy The Unexpected Path Now

   I’ll announce the date of the mid-week post on Facebook soon.  In the meantime, the Kindle version of THE UNEXPECTED PATH is available for pre-order for 99 cents.

P.S. Barbara is the author of the novel THE CHRISTMAS CLUB, now on the Hallmark Channel.
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New to my TBR books:  
   I went to the library on Saturday and picked up THE WORLD PLAYED CHESS by Robert Dugoni…hailed by one reader as “A fearless and sensitive coming-of-age story.” Since it’s a hold-in-my-hand-hardcover book with a time limit on it, I’ll start it next week.

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Buy Halloween Pieces Now


 My short story, “Once in a Blue Moon,” is one of 18 short stories and poems in the anthology HALLOWEEN PIECES, the fourth anthology from the Mobile Writers Guild.

Click here to watch as I read an excerpt, and watch for the cameo by the cat.   

   As of the time of this post, HALLOWEEN PIECES is priced at $1.99 and free on Kindle Unlimited. 

NEW NEW

Buy Stormy Pieces Now

The STORMY PIECES anthology launches November 3 and is now available for preorder. 

   From the Amazon blurb: 
“In this fifth installment of the Mobile Writers Guild Pieces anthology series, our members give you their unique perspectives in the form of short stories, poems, and one play.

Look for my short story, “Ida, Fate, and Mister Leon.” 

   My inspiration for the storm in the story came from a NOAA report… “November 10, 2009: The beginning of the extratropical cyclone that would become known as "Nor'Ida", which formed from the remnants of Hurricane Ida made landfall in Dauphin Island, Alabama and later in mainland Alabama before moving into Florida.”

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SALE: The ebooks of DEATH ON THE YAMPA and THE DAWGSTAR are now on sale @ only $1.99 each. Fast-paced and exciting suspense, with a touch of Jane Bond romance.

                  DEATH ON THE YAMPA 

... is available at Amazon, Apple, Baker & Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Bibliotheca, Hoopla, Kobo, OverDrive, Scribd, Tolino, Vivlio and on request from your local library ( ISBN 978-1-7369146-1-8 )


                        THE DAWGSTAR

... is available Amazon, Apple, Baker & Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Bibliotheca, Kobo, OverDrive, Scribd, Tolino, Vivlio and on request from your local library ( ISBN 978-17369146-0-1 )

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That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

cj

P.S. TO ORDER a book by any author on-line and support an indie bookstore, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us

   If you’d like me to autograph or personalize one of my stories for you, be sure to tell them, and I’ll run by the shop.

➜ Follow me . . .     
➜ on Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page
➜ on Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6