Switched by Amanda Hocking (Trylle Series #1)

Blurb:

When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy discovers her mother might have been right.

With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - a world both beautiful and frightening, and Wendy's not sure she wants to be a part of it.

My Thoughts:

I have to say I was a bit shocked and impressed by Amanda Hocking. 

At first, I was sorta on the fence, since the first chapter was good and all, but not a WOW! like expected, but still, it made an impact. 

But after Wendy met Finn, I was hooked! 

I know, I'm a sucker for the paranormal dude. And besides, that twist in there! I didn't expect it! And now I want to write about what she's writing about, lol.

The only thing that let me down was, strange enough, the editing! There were typos in it, and that just killed me! And there were enough of them for me to notice and wonder if she's republishing these books, they should be clean. Why aren't they?

*slams head into desk*

But I'll let her slide. The books was good. Let's break it down on why it was such a good solid book.

2 Book Giveaway and Author Interview: Rusty Fischer

Please welcome the wonderful YA author, Rusty Ficscher!

Bio

Rusty Fischer is the author of several YA supernatural novels, including Zombies Don't Cry, Ushers, Inc., Becca Bloom & the Drumsticks of Doom and Panty Raid @ Zombie High.

Want to know more about Rusty? Then check out this blog: http://www.zombiesdontblog.blogspot.com/

Trust me, you want to check this out! This blog has useful information while being entertaining at the same time. Best of both worlds! 

Interview

When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing when I was 8- or 9-years-old, mostly because I enjoyed reading so much. But back when I grow up, there weren’t as many books for guys my age as there are today. I had Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary and once I’d read all their books, well, what else could I do?


I started writing my own books, for kids like me!

What was the hardest part of writing your book? What is the easiest?

The easiest part? That would have to be coming up with ideas! I know a few authors who really struggle with this, but for me I'm forever waking up at 4 a.m. with some new idea that I have to write down before I forget. I have these ideas all over -- on the backs of envelopes, in old spiral bound notebooks, titles written on movie tickets -- and when I get some free time I'll look them over and something usually strikes my fancy. If they're old enough, it can almost seem like someone else wrote them and I'll think, "Wow, that could be fun!"


For me, the hardest part of writing any book is always the planning stage. Usually I’ll start planning a book with a new spiral bound notebook, and I’ll go somewhere other than my office, like to a coffee shop or park or the beach or something. And I’ll just sit there with a pen, starting ideas and crossing them out, starting new ideas and crossing THEM out!


There’s a lot of stops and starts and it takes me a few days, but when I finally hit on something it feels really, really good! And, once I’ve locked the story down, there’s this kind of “click” that goes off inside my head and I know it’s time to write!


The hardest part for me is always the editing stage, before it finally gets published. It’s usually been a few long months since I’ve sent it to the publisher, and so I have to read it all over again and see it with a new, critical pair of eyes. That can be a challenge for me, because I always think it’s “done” when I turn it in!



What music do you listen to while you write?

I’m not even gonna lie: Christmas music. Not just now, because I’m answering these in November, but all year; every year. But I don’t listen to any old Christmas music, like Bing Crosby and Nat “King” Cole. Although I like those songs, during Christmas, the kind of music I listen to when I write is jazz or mostly smooth jazz Christmas. Soft, cool, low instrumental music that you can hardly tell is Christmas. (Yeah, I’ve got some on right now!)



What inspires you?

I love seeing kids read, period. I was a reader as a kid, and if I wasn’t I think I would have grown up very, very differently. And then I was a teacher, and it always made me so happy to talk to kids about writing, about reading, about books. And when I started writing full-time, I felt a kind of sadness that I wasn’t involved in helping kids enjoy reading like I was as a teacher. So now I write stories that I think any kid, be they an avid reader or reluctant reader, would like.


I know not everybody thinks very highly of YA genre fiction, or vampires and zombies, but to me writing about vampires and zombies is a way to talk about things that are really important to today’s kids: life, death, cool versus uncool, immortality, freaks of nature, violence and doing the right thing even when it’s difficult. That’s what really inspires me.



Do you have any hidden talents?

Absolutely none! I am really clumsy, no good at sports, can’t sing or dance, juggle or even stick a spoon on my nose. Sorry!



What are your current projects?

Right now I am working on the sequel to Zombies Don’t Cry, my first YA supernatural romance, and also a sequel to Ushers, Inc. I’ve never written a sequel before, so I’m finding lots of hidden challenges along the way, like how much to tell new readers and still not bore old readers, etc. It’s fun, but daunting as well!



What book are you reading now?

Right now I’m reading Life Blood, by HK Savage. It’s really good! I met the author on Facebook and we exchanged books. I love discovering new authors that way. I’ve read so many good YA books in the last year, and almost all of them were because I met the author on Facebook or Twitter, or at a conference or something.



Quick: Vampires or Shapeshifter? Why?

What, no zombies?!?! Okay, okay, I will always pick vampires over shapeshifters IF zombies aren’t an option. I just think vampires are so political. It’s fun to play with them, goose the old traditions a little and try something new. It’s almost amazing that after all that’s been written about vampires by now, so many still come out every year!

I have a new book coming out next year called Vamplayers, about a team of undercover vampires who go into high schools trying to find the “Vamplayer,” which is a special breed of vampires who have been teenagers for a really, really long time and specialize in turning high schools into full-on vampire infestations. I wanted to try something new and while there is a lot of old school vampire lore in it – garlic, stakes, holy water, etc. – I wanted to try some new things, too.

I think you have to really get excited to write about vampires because so much has been written about them. It’s fun to see how other authors, and even moviemakers, add a new twist to such an old genre.



Do you have any advice for other writers?

Stick with it. Seriously, that’s the one thing I tell any writer who asks me for advice. Just hang in there. We all want success, or publication, or fan adoration, to happen overnight but there are SO many authors and SO many books, imagine how hard it is for readers to discover you!

Just keep writing, just keep submitting, just keep publishing, just keep soliciting reviews and readers will find you. In the end, despite all the Twitter and Facebook and Amazon coverage, I really feel that being successful as an author – whatever that means to you – comes down to talking to one reader at a time. One blogger, one reviewer, one editor, one agent, one publisher, one customer, on kid, at a time. And that does take time. It will happen, but it takes awhile.



Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Oh, wow, hmmm. Well, I would hope that my readers have fun with what I write, because I certainly do! I know what I’m doing isn’t going to change the world or cure cancer, but I like to think that reading a good book IS healthy because it relieves stress and pressure. When I read a really good book, it takes me somewhere; somewhere new, or fun, or scary, or grim, or original or spooky. Wherever it takes me, I’m on a temporary leave of absence from the pressures and grind and worry of my day. I look up after 10 or 20 pages and I have a smile on my face. That’s all I want from readers; a smile. Even if it’s a kind of scary smile!

Giveaways

That's right ladies and gentlemen: Rusty Fischer is offering up to two books for free! Yippee!

*dancing in a celebratory manner*

Here's the first one:

Blurb

Toby’s best friend, and unrequited love, Molly Harper has gone missing. Molly’s boyfriend, “Spud,” thinks he knows where she’s been taken: the mysterious Zombie High, where Spud’s father just happens to be in charge of the top-secret medical facility famous for its work rehabilitating teenage zombies.

Blurb

When the streets are full of bloodsuckers, werewolves, zombies and ghouls, where will you turn? The cops don’t know how to stop them, the Army’s pretty much given up and even the Marines are stumped when their bullets and grenades fail to stop the onslaught. Have no fear, Ushers, Inc. is here!

Giveaway Details:

1.One winner will win Ushers Inc, and one other winner will win Panty Raid @ Zombie High

2. To be eligible for this giveaway, you must be a follower of my blog.

3. To double your chances of winning, you must like my facebook page (which is on the sidebar on your right)

4. Leave a comment with your name and email address.

5. This giveaway ends Dec. 4 at 11:59pm.

Please make sure to thank this awesome author, Rusty Fischer!

*cheers from the peanut gallery*

Paranormal Turkey Tour

Ah yes, Thanksgiving. Nothing says the holidays like sitting around a fully decked out dining room table with mouthwatering temptations waiting to be gobbled up. Everyone waits anxiously for the big reveal… the turkey!

Lovingly prepared since early that morning, the turkey is brought out in a covered, silver serving platter. Aunt Edith smacks little Tommy’s hand as he attempts to steal a candied yam dripping with marshmallow. The collective breath is held as the silver cover is removed… revealing… a zombie turkey!

What—what? That’s right folks, this year, we are celebrating this American holiday paranormal style. And what says paranormal holiday better than a walking, talking zombie turkey?

This zombie turkey brings you important tidings of great prizes that shall be for all people… who participate and win of course.

November 25-27 you could win up to $200 in prizes!


Three Days. Four YA Paranormal Books. Five Chances to Win!

And who are these crazy paranormal authors? Check them out. It’s like the Nightmare Before Christmas, Thanksgiving style!

Tips and Tricks: How to Write A Book Review Policy

It's the most wonderful time of the week: Tips and Tricks Time!!

Now, I know I kinda slammed authors back in October about how they should format their book review request (if you didn't catch that, then look at it here) so I thought it would only be fair if I flipped the switch.

So here we go!

Let's Talk about Money: Sales Report for Everblossom

Now I don't have any reviews, so you can put your dancing shoes away. Seriously, put them away. I know they are sparkly and fun, but it's time to get down to business.

Let's talk about the cost and the sales of my book so far.

Long time ago in a galaxy for far away, I promised all of you that I would report my sales. Well, I actually have some sales to report.

I know how exciting is that!

Now, I'll present the cost of producing my book the first time and hopefully from now on, I won't have to. Hopefully by this time next year, I'll make all of my money back. :)

Here's the breakdown. 

The Established Route: Traditional Publishing

I've hoped you noticed lately, my lovely followers and readers, that I've been getting a lot of reviews on my anthology, Everblossom.

I know, I'm excited! Even though you're wondering: What is the connection between self-publishing and your rant?

Well, to get all of those reviews, I have to submit requests for book reviews. Practically everyday I wake up, look at my notebook (where I have the reviewers contact info) and submit my book to book bloggers who will hopefully understand and maybe even love my book.

But while I was searching for potential reviewers I found this: I will accept self-published works, but they will have to prove themselves as great as writers who took the established route.

You see my eyes rolling can't you?

Yep, that's pretty much my facial expression: You have GOT to be kidding me.

Cue rant.

Winner of Dreams and Nightmares by Ann Werner!

Drumroll please!



And the winner of the wonderful book, Dreams and Nightmares is . . .

Chrissy!!!

Congrats chica, you have won! You will be receiving the email shortly from the author with the deets.

Book Giveaway and Author Interview: Stone Relics by Katy Walters

Please welcome to A Three Way Tie author: Katy Walters!

                                                                Bio

Katy lives on the coast with her husband and golden retriever Lily. She often finds inspiration writing in the beach hut or strolling along the water’s edge.

She has a B.A. Hons in Psychology, another degree in Eng. Lit and Creative Writing. Her M.A. was in The Religious Experience and Mysticism as she has always had a vivid interest in the subjects along with a fascination of science fiction. She was awarded a Hon.Dr.Sc. concentrating on Pain control in Complementary Medicine. Throughout her professional career Katy maintained a love of writing and painting.

The idea for Stone Relics came from her work. She hit on the idea of a policeman from the near future having a phobia – a fear of snakes - the flawed hero. How would he cope if he had to work with the snakes in a murder investigation? It developed from there. Dam Good Publishing discovered the book on the writer’s site Authonomy.

Find out more about Katy on her website http://sciencefiction-paranormal-katywalters.com

Interview

When and why did you begin writing?

As a child I would write stories to cheer up my sister who was often in hospital with bronchial trouble. I always enjoyed English at school and loved writing.

What was the hardest part of writing your book? What is the easiest?

Finding the time. I was working whilst writing the book until I decided to brave it and write full-time. I loved writing the book, and would take on the thoughts and feelings of each character. They were like sub-personalities of my own, mixed with bits of other personalities of people close to me or someone whom I found intriguing. Whilst writing, I would often smile, laugh or cry depending on what was happening. My husband got used to that and would help out. . Sometimes I would go into him in tears and say that I was so upset, as the characters, Ben or Lucy or Misty were going through a bad time, that it was so sad etc. So we’d leave everything and go for a walk with our dog Lily. Other times I would be laughing out loud all alone in my study. I seemed to enter a different reality.

I would find chapters getting out of order, especially when I would have an epiphany and decided to slot a new chapter into the mix already written and formatted. That’s where my husband came in, he would patiently put the chapter numbers in order and file as I plunged off on the next chapter.
What music do you listen to while you write?

Sometimes I write to music especially when I need a kick start. But my tastes vary. It could be Tchaikovsky one day, or a Beethoven symphony and then another day it could be Karl Jenkins, or for contrast, the Black Eyed Peas, or Blues.

What inspires you?

I do have a penchant for psychology having a career in that sphere anyway. I do love to let people know through fiction that help is out there for any kind of anxiety syndrome, phobia or trauma.


I also like to centre the plot on psychology and psycho-neurology. Like exploring why a serial killer would carry out such heinous crimes. Also I create plots for a psychologist and policeman getting together, as they try to work out the mind of the psychopath or the schizophrenic. I also love to explore the supernatural.

Do you have any hidden talents?

I do paint and have done so professionally whilst carrying on my career as a psychologist. In my twenties I was a singer touring England and Europe. But I gave that up to have a family that meant more to me. Even so whilst touring I would still write in between rehearsals and cabaret.

What are your current projects?

I am in the middle of a trilogy – which might turn out to be a book and sequel. It is a Historical Paranormal Romance set in the 1840’s. The first book is being proof read now and is almost ready to go. I am having a go at self-publishing this, as my publisher specializes in science fiction and I so like to explore other genres. I am also keen to do a contemporary crime novel. I have the title already, and parts of the plot. Besides this, I have set up one blog and am building another to help boost indie authors. It is called Katy Walters Book Reviews and News. My website is http://www.sciencefiction-paranormal-katywalters.com

What book are you reading now?

I am enjoying ‘Absolute Instinct’ Robert W. Walker and just going onto the latest Dean Koontz ‘What the Night knows.’

Quick: Vampires or Shapeshifter?

I like both, but I prefer Vampires, they are earthier, more potent and have the immortality factor, so for a writer there is more content and plot there, as for being a reader , yes vampires are chilling. whereas shape shifters are ethereal.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Try and write every day. Maybe it won’t be possible on the odd day but do get back to it. Keep the flow going. Have a Notebook handy to write down ideas, or carry a little recorder. I once sat in a busy airport writing down everything that I could see, hear going on. It later worked beautifully into a novel. Also read, as much as possible. I also do a lot of research for any book I might write. Searching areas or information can enrich the story or the plot. One tip to help with succinct dialogue is to watch some dramas on T.V. see how the characters talk. It can help keep a writer’s dialogue, concise and to the point.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I want my readers to believe in what they are reading, to appreciate the feelings and emotions of the characters. So, I do spend time living the characters as I said earlier, I can’t say that I live the mind of the perpetrator in my criminal novels, or the machinations of a demon but I do research on the criminal mind and also explore the ancient and contemporary beliefs, rituals and exorcisms etc., in the supernatural. It makes for an authentic and sincere novel. So I hope the reader enjoys my novels and recommends them to their relatives and friends. I also need some good reviews. Indie authors struggle enough, so please ……

Giveaway

Blurb:

Hiding his true identity, Detective Chief Superintendent Ben Tobin leads an investigation into a spate of horrific killings in the south of England. Similar atrocities are occurring in New York, Paris and Dusseldorf. Forensic evidence reveals young women raped, bitten to death by vipers. The only clue is a Stone Relic of a Snake-Bird Goddess left with the body.

The investigation is threatened as Ben develops a crippling phobia of snakes. Desperate, he turns to American psychologist, Dr Lucy Roberts. Can she help him fight the phobia? If she discovers who and what he is, will she report him?

Deeply attracted but also repelled by him Lucy agrees to profile the killers. Can Lucy get into the mind of these venomous murderers? Archaeologists suspect a sinister cult. Is this conjecture or the terrifying truth?

Time is running out. More victims are dying. Can Ben save the victims from these cold-blooded killers – can he save Lucy?

Giveaway Details:

1.In order to enter this giveaway you must be a follower of my blog and like my facebook page. 

2. Leave a comment with your name and email address to enter the giveaway.
3. There will be 3 available copies to win.

3. This giveaway ends November 23, 2011 at 11:59pm. 

Good luck! Please give the author who sponsored this giveaway a round of applause! 

*cheers from the peanut gallery*

A New Review of Everblossom: A Short Story and Poetry Anthology

Guess what lovely followers? I got another lovely review of my anthology here and here.

And it's a near perfect! This is like my fourth and fifth great review! :) Yippee skippee!

Who loves great reviews!? Larissa loves great reviews! Is it true?

I do! I do, I do, I do, I DOOOOO!

:D

Let's Get Digital: How to Self-Publish, And Why You Should by David Gaughran

Blurb

You won't make any money from self-publishing.

MYTH!

The internet has revolutionized every business it has come into contact with, and publishing is no different.

For the first time, these changes are handing power back to the writer. It's up to YOU if you want to profit from them.

"Let's Get Digital: How To Self-Publish, And Why You Should."

This guide contains over 60,000 words of essays, articles, and how-to guides, as well as contributions from 33 bestselling indie authors including J Carson Black, Bob Mayer, Victorine Lieske, Mark Edwards, and many more.

It covers everything from how the disruptive power of the internet has changed the publishing business forever to the opportunities this has created for writers. It gives you practical advice on editing, cover design, formatting, and pricing. And it reveals marketing tips from blogging and social networking right through to competitions, discounts, reviews, and giveaways.

If you are considering self-publishing, if you need to breathe life into your flagging sales, or if you want to understand why it's a great time to be a writer, "Let's Get Digital: How To Self-Publish, And Why You Should" will explain it all.

My Thoughts

I have to say, I loved it from cover to cover. He tackles on the myths about self publishing and proves why these allegations are false. Then he also provides self-pubbed authors that have found success in this industry.

Now since I obviously can't break this down into setting and theme, and all that great English teacher stuff, I'll break it down simply: Positives and Negatives.

Simple, right?

Positives:

1. We learn about the real deal of traditional publishing and self publishing.

I have to say I was blown away about the information on how traditional publishing works. I just didn't realize how much history and how much money is being blown away to produce the lovely books that we see on the bookshelves. And now I know why Books A Million can afford to give us such great prices on books!

I think that writers should read about whether they are on the fence about traditional publishing or self-publishing. It was really enlightening and it really opened my eyes.

2. Myth busting!

I have to say, he didn't bust enough myths for me but he did bust the big myths out there. Like the fact that he busted the "no one will find your work amongst the slush of crap" myth. Which of course is totally false because we still seem to find great books among the crap in the bookstore.

Or about the fact that only friends and family will only buy your books. That's the biggest misconception about self-publishing and it ticks me off. Do you really think your friends and family will PAY for your books when they are truly your friends and family? Um no. They want you to give it to them for FREE. Yes, free. Therefore, that myth is SO busted.

Anyway, he busted some more, but I won't go into them. I'll just have to make one up on my own some day. You never know!

3. The Necessary Steps to be a Self-publisher.

He went over some key points on how to go from obscurity to full time self pubbed author. It's almost like he would be there for every step of the way once you have committed to self publishing. I really enjoyed reading about the process and his own growth from traditional to self publishing. It's really interesting.

4. Success Stories

This has to be the best part of the whole book. To see how people journeyed from unknown to selling 10,000 books is just inspiring. It just shows that it can be done. Not that it's impossible or whatever some traditional published writers/agents/and your friend down the street say, but that it is possible. And there's 33 stories in all. And I think most of them are from people who didn't even land a traditional publishing contract.

So no excuses or using the JA Konrath example of the only way to make it worthwhile in self publishing.


5. Resources

The links are perfect and extremely helpful.

6. Hyperlinks

Very useful to jump to sections you needed to read instead of reading the entire thing (like if you just needed help with the self-publishing part and not deciding to self publish, you could jump directly to that section).


Negatives

1. The missing links in the book

At first I didn't know about the Resources section, but as I kept reading along it kinda irked me that the links weren't next to the passage when he mentioned them.

I appreciate the quality of links, I just wish that he would have stayed consistent. Like some of the time, he would include links (I think when he used specific examples) other times he didn't put them up there at all.

Now granted, the links are in the Resources section, but it still irked me. Not a lot, but still enough to get under my skin.


2. The Numbering

I have to say, this irked me too. The fact that every section had a number next to the title, just drove me crazy. It just seemed unprofessional.

I know, how picky am I? But that's just my opinion and my taste.

I have to say though, the format was spotless and there were absolutely no typos. And yes, I searched. And at one point, I was like, "Oh? A typo?" Then I read it again and was like, "Oh, good! Never mind!" So yeah, this book is spotless other then that.


So the final question: Would I recommend this book?

Absolutely. Maybe not to people who have already decided to self-publish (like moi). But def for people who are thinking of transitioning from traditional publishing to self publishing. And maybe for people who want to know their options. Maybe they just don't know what to do after they are done writing a novel. They should pick up this book and know their options.

I have to say, this book has to be the cleanest, thorough book about self-publishing I've read. Bar none.

And recently, the author was so gracious to tell me that his book is free (pdf version) here. Make sure to thank him! :)

And now you guys who are thinking about self-publishing have no excuse: Get this book! Trust me, you'll thank us both later (me and the author). Enjoy!

A New Review of Everblossom: A Short Story and Poetry Anthology

I know y'all must be tired of dancing in a celebratory manner, so instead I'll post the link here.

I'll throw some confetti since I got a perfect review!

*throws confetti*

And I'll give y'all a high five kick!!

*woo hoo high give kick!*

Okay, well there is one more thing I want to discuss: LibraryThing Giveaway.

Recently, I put my lovely book, Everblossom, on the giveaway list and it is now over! So there will probably be more posts like this in the near future.

So save up your energy for more dancing! I think there will be more good news around the corner, and probably the inevitable one star review will eventually pop up too. But for today, I'll give you a break, lol.

In other news, I guess y'all have noticed the flurry of action on this blog with interviews, giveaways, and guest posts galore.

That's right galore.

You can tell I'm a soon-to-be English teacher, huh? :D

Anyway, I'm hoping to post more as the holidays creep up so I can actually give y'all some much needed opinions and some rant-a-thons. So don't distress, worry or fear, this author will be back. :)

Oh, and have y'all noticed my guest post over at Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf!?

Well, hop on over there right now!

Now that you're done hopping, back to me. Focus! All right, now I'll probably post less reviews (since I got some hefty books ahead after the review tomorrow), but if you want to read more reviews, I would suggest you check out my Goodreads page and twitter page. I always post my reviews on Goodreads which then gets posted on my twitter.

Just a thought.

Anyway, enjoy the review tomorrow of Let's Get Digital and would you look at that, he guest posted on JA Konrath's blog. Check it out here.

Enjoy!

Author Interview: E.S. Lark

Please welcome to A Three Way Tie, E.S. Lark! The wonderful fantasy self-published author of The Waking Grove and Trueblood's Plight.


When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing religiously during High School. At that time, I’d written the same story four times, slowly adding details as I went. By 12th grade, the book I had been working on since 7th grade was well over 160,000 words long.


What was the hardest part of writing your book? What is the easiest?

The hardest part when it comes to writing is getting everything to read smoothly. The plot itself usually comes as I’m writing a story. The easiest part is probably doing the formatting for ebooks and print. It’s just time consuming.


What music do you listen to while you write?

I prefer soundtracks over anything else. These include things such as Avatar, Titanic, Narnia and The Rock.



What inspires you?

Everything to be honest. I cannot really pinpoint just one author or one thing that inspires me. If I had to take a guess, I’d have to say my dreams inspire me. I’m an avid dreamer and many of my story ideas have come from those dreams.


Do you have any hidden talents?

Not that I know of. I can curl my tongue, but I wouldn’t say that’s a hidden talent.


What are your current projects?

I’m currently working on the sequel to Trueblood’s Plight. I’m about 26,000 words in and have about another 30,000 words to go.


What book are you reading now?

Shiver (sort of). Very few books catch me enough for me to read them in a single sitting. I read Shiver when I’m doing laundry.


Quick: Vampires or Shapeshifter?

Shapeshifter. Why? Because they can be whatever you want them to be.


Do you have any advice for other writers?

There are times when you’ll feel what you’re writing sounds like crap. Trust me, I still go through this. But ignore those feelings. The most important thing to do on your first draft is to finish it. Even if you never publish, you need to finish your book, otherwise you’ll end up wondering ‘what if.’ Save the editing for later. I know it’s hard to turn off the internal editor, so do what I do. Wrap them with chains and throw them in a trunk at the bottom of the ocean.


Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I’m not perfect. I try to catch as many typos as I can along with my beta readers and editors, but sometimes the typos leak through. I welcome criticism and appreciate the errors my readers might catch. I haven’t gotten any feedback like this yet, but I’m open to my readers. I write because it’s my passion and feel I’ll die if I cannot share my worlds.







What to know more about her books and about her? Then check out her website here.

A New Review on Everblossom!

Guess what lovely followers? I got another lovely review of my anthology here. 

And it's a near perfect! You know what time it is?!!

Random Dancing Time!!

Book Giveaway and Author Interview: Dreams and Nightmares by Ann Werner

Please welcome to A Three Way Tie author: Ann Werner!

                                                                Bio

Ann Werner was born and raised in Baltimore Maryland, moved to Southern California in 1977, lived a few years near Sedona Arizona and now resides in Northern California. Along the way she has held a variety of jobs including bartender, cemetery plot salesperson, auto salesperson, actor and wine consultant, to name a very few. For seven and a half years she portrayed Eliana, maid to the evil Dimera family on Days of Our Lives. She is the author of the novel The People Next Door. She considers life to be a smorgasbord and intends to dine at the table for as long as she can.

Facebook: Author Ann Werner / Twitter MsWerner

http://arkstories.com/home.html

Interview

When and why did you begin writing?

I have been writing for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I loved any English project that required writing. When I was a freshman in high school we were given an assignment to write our autobiographies. Just a simple paper wasn’t good enough for me. I found another student with artistic abilities and had her illustrate my pamphlet— no loose-leaf paper for me! I wrote articles for my school paper, I wrote for fun. I think the reason I love to write is because I love to read. My heroes have always been people who could take me out of my world and transport me to another using the power of the written word.

What was the hardest part of writing your book? What is the easiest?

That’s a tough question to answer. There are so many elements that go into writing a book and one never knows when the words will flow and when they’ll hit a wall. Sometimes things just won’t gel. In Dreams and Nightmares the character of Albert Crawford was a carryover from a novel I had begun and just couldn’t make it work. I kept on changing things to make it work and it wouldn’t come together but I loved that character. Then I had an epiphany, scrapped the idea altogether and started a new novel and Albert was perfect for it. In the book, I have my character Decker Jones, who is a writer, do the same thing.  I think it’s fun to put little nuggets in a novel that are real personal events, just fictionalized.

For me, by far the most difficult part is once I finish writing it, to go back and go through it again—and again—and again! By the time any of my books are deemed ready to go, I’ve had to go through them at least five times. It’s mind boggling.

What music do you listen to while you write?

I don’t listen to music when I write. I find it distracting.

What inspires you?

All sorts of things. Sometimes I’ll see something on the news. Sometimes it’s just the sight of a stranger walking down the street. One of my as yet unpublished novels was inspired by a wedding. Sometimes it’s just a random thought. I read Stephen’s King’s book On Writing several years ago and he summed it up perfectly. I think “what if…?” and go from there.

Do you have any hidden talents?

I’m a pretty good actor. I spent a little over a decade seriously pursuing an acting career. I was a recurring character on Days of Our Lives for about seven and a half years. I can sing too – but I’m best in the shower when there’s no one around.

What are your current projects?

I’m doing a rewrite on a novel I wrote about ten years ago and hope to have it ready for publication by Christmas but that hope is fading fast – too much to do! But I think I can get it done by January and reach out to all those people who got Kindles for Christmas.

I also collaborate on and edit three blogs. My daughter, Kimberley Johnson, and I are partners in ARK Stories and we’ve published two non-fiction books. The blogs we’ve got up now will eventually be made into books. We just started one on moms: Mom! The Blog! We also have the Body and Self Image Blog, which has all sorts of great stories from people talking about how they feel about the skin they’re in. And we have the Here She Comes Blog, which is a collection of stories about the female sexual response.

What book are you reading now?

I’m poised to finish Andy McDermott’s Empire of Gold, will follow that with Cross Fire by James Patterson and have the new Stephen King as well as the last Repairman Jack book from F. Paul Wilson on the way.

Quick: Vampires or Shapeshifter?

Shapeshifter. They’re scarier to me and, quite frankly, I was never into vampires in the first place.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Keep writing. Keep improving. And above all else, READ! If you’re not a reader, you‘ll never be a good writer.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I hope you enjoy my books. I do my best to keep you in suspense and spin a good yarn. If you like my stories, please tell your friends and give me a good review on Amazon. If you don’t – shhhh!

Giveaway

Blurb:

On what feels like the worst day of her life, instead of getting an expected marriage proposal, Decker Jones is dumped by her boyfriend of three years. Her heartbreak is tempered with joy when she receives the news that after ten long years of trying to get noticed, top literary agent Lillian Cardone has agreed to represent her, moving her a giant leap forward towards the dream of becoming a bestselling author.

Albert Crawford is a career bank robber who is planning to retire to live the good life in Mexico after pulling one last job. Things go horribly wrong when a bank guard is killed. Three time loser Albert is arrested and sent to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Two different people. Two different futures. Neither can image what the future holds.

Giveaway Details:

1.In order to enter this giveaway you must be a follower of my blog. 

2. Leave a comment with your name and email address to enter the giveaway.

3. This giveaway ends November 17, 2011 at 11:59pm. 

Good luck! Please give the author who sponsored this giveaway a round of applause! 

*cheers from the peanut gallery*

A New Review of Everblossom: A Short Story and Poetry Anthology

That's right, you read right: I got another review of my lovely book, Everblossom: A Short Story and Poetry Anthology!

Yes, people it's time to dance in a celebratory manner!

*dances happily*

And it's a WONDERFUL review. In fact, it's my first five star review.

Now are you willing to dance with me in celebration!? Yeah buddy! 

Oh, and here's the link:

Tumbling Books Review

Before the Blog (1): Watchmen by Alan Moore

This is a weekly meme hosted by YALitwit, and I thought I would join in since she is so right: There are SO many great books that I've read before I started this blog. Therefore, this is how it works: 

Basically, you choose a book each week, then answer the following three questions,and post your review. Then you can add the name of your BtB book and author to the little Mr. Linky widget below, and voila!

Why did you choose this book? 

                                When did you read this book?

                                                 Who would you recommend this book to?

So let's this party started with the book I chose: Watchmen by Alan Moore!

Blurb

It all begins with the paranoid delusions of a half-insane hero called Rorschach. But is Rorschach really insane or has he in fact uncovered a plot to murder super-heroes and, even worse, millions of innocent civilians? On the run from the law, Rorschach reunites with his former teammates in a desperate attempt to save the world and their lives, but what they uncover will shock them to their very core and change the face of the planet! Following two generations of masked superheroes from the close of World War II to the icy shadow of the Cold War comes this groundbreaking comic story -- the story of The Watchmen.

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Blurb

By age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years left to live. A botched effort to create a perfect race has left all males born with a lifespan of 25 years, and females a lifespan of 20 years--leaving the world in a state of panic. Geneticists seek a miracle antidote to restore the human race, desperate orphans crowd the population, crime and poverty have skyrocketed, and young girls are being kidnapped and sold as polygamous brides to bear more children.

When Rhine is sold as a bride, she vows to do all she can to escape. Yet her husband, Linden, is hopelessly in love with her, and Rhine can’t bring herself to hate him as much as she’d like to. He opens her to a magical world of wealth and illusion she never thought existed, and it almost makes it possible to ignore the clock ticking away her short life. But Rhine quickly learns that not everything in her new husband’s strange world is what it seems. Her father-in-law, an eccentric doctor bent on finding the antidote, is hoarding corpses in the basement; her fellow sister wives are to be trusted one day and feared the next; and Rhine has no way to communicate to her twin brother that she is safe and alive.

Together with one of Linden's servants, Gabriel, Rhine attempts to escape just before her seventeenth birthday. But in a world that continues to spiral into anarchy, is there any hope for freedom?

My Thoughts:

I have to say, I didn't fall head over heels with this book. 

I know! So surprising, right? 

The cover is gorgeous, the blurb is interested and yet . . . I couldn't get into it.

Why?

Well, let's break this down.

Plot: To me, this was predicable. I mean, I won't ruin it for y'all but I could see what would happen. It reminds me of an old romance book actually. In fact, I know which one it reminds me of.

Luxe is basically a YA romance novel which takes place in the 1800s. I read this book thinking the same thing, beautiful cover, historical YA fiction. It should be a match made in heaven.

Apparently not.

I didn't even finish the book because I knew what was going to happen.

Maybe because the whole, distressed wife and distressed servant escape together plot is just plain ol' worn out. And everybody KNOWS how it's going to end.

I mean, I know it's a classic and that it's very realistic, but I just can't stand reading an old plot. Even if you put it in a new spin on it (i.e. new setting) I still know what's going to happen. I already know that it has been done. There are only so many ways you can beat a dead horse. Especially when it has been done SO many times.

Anyway, that's what I thought about the plot.

Characters: I did LOVE the characters. Especially the sister wives, Cecily, and the other two. Yeah, sorry, I can't remember their names. I know Gabriel's name, since his name is so ironic. But I'm not even going to touch that. Anyway, I loved the characters. I could identify with all of them.

Rhine! That's her name! Yeah, I liked her. Such a fighter. I love strong female lead character and she certainly had the spunk. Not enough to make me want to cheer and say she kicks ass, because she doesn't. But she did have some spunk and I like that. She was stubborn and determined. Not to mention smart.

But yeah, love the characters! There seemed to be a bigger lesson

Dialogue: It was realistic. The emotions were real from the characters in the dialogue. I bought it.

Setting: I loved the setting but the world she created wasn't very realistic.

Um, America is the only continent left after World War 3? That would never happen! We would be the first one blown to bits. I may love America and all (we are on a love/hate relationship right now) but we have a lot of enemies.

But I think DeStefano is actually pulling our leg on that one and that Americans THINK they are the only ones left but in actuality, the world is still alive and kicking.

One can only hope since if that's not the case, then someone is very ethnocentric.

Ending: Realistic and boring. Sorry, but like I said earlier, I knew what was going to happen, how it was going to happen and blah blah blah. I just wasn't into it.

I almost didn't finish it. I contemplated leaving the book.

But I didn't.

Luckily for the author, I wanted to escape reality for a few hours, so yeah.

Anyway, let's get to the final question: Would I recommend this book?

I wouldn't recommend this book to younger readers. There are A LOT of adult situations that the author mentions that 14 year olds shouldn't know about. I think the youngest the reader should go is like 15-16 year old.

But in general? I would. But with slight hesistation hoping that they will like it more then I did.

I just didn't fall in love with it.

But you know which book I'm falling for head over heels right now?!



Ahh, yes, I HEART this book right now. So dark. So haunting. So lovely. I love it! I miss this author so much that I almost cried. She writes just for me. I just know it!

:)

Anyway, I'm going to head back to Dia Reeves and hopefully, I'll have this book reviewed along with one other book.

Oh, I almost forgot!!

Are y'all on LibraryThing?!

Do you want Everblossom: A Short Story and Poetry Anthology for free?!

*head nods*

Good! Check out my book here for free!!!

http://www.librarything.com/er/giveaway/list

Don't you just love me?

:D I can tell!! And with that, I bid you good reading! 

How To Write A Crime Fiction Anthology: A Guest Post

Since, my lovely followers, I am stressed out by future career stuff, I will take a step back and allow some fresh perspective on my blog. A guest post.

*oohs and ahhs*

This particular guest post is by the oh-so-clever John Hansen, the editor of The Agency: An Anthology and mystery author of several self-published works including: Lobotomy and The Murder. They both have received five star reviews stating of his brilliance and mastery of the criminal arts. He also has a blog here.

So without further ado, here's the crime master himself: John Hansen!

Please give a round of applause!

*peanut gallery cheers him on!*

Wanted: Guest Bloggers, Authors and Cover Artists!

Yeah, that's right! I want YOU to guest post on my blog! 

Why? Because as my life is getting incredibly busy and as my blog kinda gets tired of my input only, I think it's time to refresh, renew, and rebirth some new life into my blog. 

Refresh my blog because I need some new opinions about books and from book lovers alike! That's why I need guests posters! If you have an opinion about books or if you want to review some of the books in my TBR pile, then please leave a comment or email me at: pocahantas89@yahoo.com

Authors this is an awesome opportunity for you to promote your books on my blog and I would hop (I feel a corny joke coming along . . .) on this marvelous opportunity. 

You don't necessarily have to be an author or a blogger. Just someone with an opinion and wanting to express it. Think of it this way: This could be your shot in the dark to try your hand at blogging without a huge risk! 

A Three Way Tie News Report

In recent news at A Three Way Tie, the author, Larissa, is thinking about changing the website address! 

*shocked into silence*

Yes! It's true! I've been thinking about my blog web address since I have trouble typing it in myself. It's so confusing. So next week, don't be surprised if I change it or if my blog has moved. 

Don't worry, I won't let you guys go without some kind of warning or I might just keep both, if that is possible. And no, I'm not creating a website or anything crazy like that.

Nothing will change on the blog or the contents. For the most part, (I'll get to that Friday) but this blog will look and sound the same. The website address will just change. 

So breathe. It'll be okay. I'll let you guys know the moment it will change. I'm thinking like mid-next week-ish. The only thing is, a lot of important things are happening next week, so yeah. Time management issues. I might make it on a Friday, but I guess we'll see. 

Anyway, this is just a heads up. I think you'll find that typing the blog name will be ALOT easier! :)

Considering Self-Publishing?

Then check out these links:

1. http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/topic,29394.2125.html

•        This is a link to the Kindle Boards which is a wealth of information about self-publishing success and misses. This particular link is to the forum where they discuss the successes of the average everyday self-publisher. You might be surprised about what you see in there. I usually visit this website for encouragement to continue to self -publish and to do some research.

2. http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/

• This blog is full of insight as to why you should self publish. The only reason why I didn't narrow it down to one specific blog post is because, they are ALL useful. He shows real life people making a go at this business and how to do it yourself. He also busts some myths about self-publishing which had a tremendous effect on me and my consideration of self-publishing. 

3. http://freebookreviews.blogspot.com/2011/07/promote-your-book-indie-author.html

• As part of your self-publishing consideration, you should also consider how much effort you want to put into doing this thing correctly, yes? Then you should consider: Promotion. If you do not have time for promoting your book yourself, then you should hire someone. But some people underestimate all of the effort it takes to get your book off the ground and into people's hands. Therefore, before you consider self-publishing part time, then you might want to check out how much time you will have to invest AFTER and BEFORE you publish your book. 

4. http://www.rtbookreviews.com/rt-daily-blog/are-cheap-e-book-prices-devaluing-authors-work

• Another thing you might want to think about is price. I would definitely consider this one carefully. It's a tricky thing to play with. On the one hand, you might think it would be wise to give your books for free to get some attention of the readers. On the other hand, you might want to put a price on your book to give your book the value it deserves. So to think this through, you might want to conduct some research on prices. This is a good way to start.

5. http://www.katiesalidas.com/

• This is an excellent blog to look up the business side of publishing, especially if you are looking forward to maybe creating a publishing company. So this would be the place to check it out. Additionally, this blog is great for writing advice so I would def check this blog out.

Oh, and just to let you guys know what's going on: I've been jammed with homework for like two weeks (which is why I haven't been posting on Mondays). I'm really sorry about all of this but a lot of important future events are occurring in the next few weeks, so bear with me. I have to make sure I get everything straight for next semester and for my future career. 

Yes, it's that serious.

Therefore, I hope you will understand that if I don't post on Mondays that there's a very good reason for it, a.k.a. Larissa has a CRAP load of work to do. 

The good news is: I will probably put up reviews like crazy now that I don't have my amusement park job anymore (such great times!).

The bad news is: I still have a lot of catching up to do since my job has kinda forced me to use my time management skills to the ultimate test. So yeah.

Just stick with me and I know it'll be all right. I just have to get everything organized and use my time wisely. Thanks for understanding.