The Bookshelf Muse

Today, I want to thank Angela Ackernam and Becca Puglisi for the wonderful critiques they gave me on the first chapter of my sequel to Velvet Ball. (My new Title is a seret as I've just changed it. LOL.)

I won the critique in a contest over at The Bookshelf Muse blog, a great place for writiers to find information, mainly for Thesaurus. Lets face it, us writers need a little help sometimes when we're stuck or too tired to think, so check it out and join in the fun competitions. Who knows, you may be lucky enough to win a great critique too.

I loved how Angela and Becca gave completely different, but great suggestions. And both helped me tighten my rather long chapter, so thanks so much, girls. You rock the writer's worlds and we love you both to bits.

Come on everbody, check it out: http://thebookshelfmuse.blogspot.com/

Emotion Thesaurus

Setting Thesaurus

Book Trailer for Velvet Ball and The Broken Fairy.

I can't believe I actually made this book trailer all by myself, but I did. I worked on it for two days and night's but it wit.as worth it. Even I love it. If you want a peek, here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfkI8IcGK80

My First Bookst Trailer for Star-Crossed Rascals

I've just made a Book Trailer for my first published book:
Star-crossed Rascals. Phew! That took me all day. My first attempt was yesterday, but I had more editing to do, but when I tried to upload my new version, it wouldn't take. I finally figured I could upload it straight from Windows Live Movie Maker toYouTube, though it took nearly an hour that way.

While I was looking for Free Royalty-free music, I came across a wonderful website. Now, I thought that I could just download music for free if it said it was free, but apparently not. I did some research with Google and found information on some websites that said if you use the free music for a product that earns you big money, the owner of the music can later claim some of your profits. Yipes! That's scarey. Let's face it, all us writers are all going to be millionairs, right?

Rick Vanman produces music for people to download for free providing they mention his name on their book trailer, adds or movies. He has quite a selection of free tunes, and many you can purchase. What a great idea. That takes away the worry about getting sued for downloading illegally, 'cause even if you think it's free, it's probaly not. Anyway, you can listen to his video explaining all that, so I'll give you the link, but firstly, I'll give you the link to my Book Trailer. Don't forget, this is my first, so it's not the best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWqwiW02J1Y

 Now, here is Rick Vanman's Website:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m916YeTTVNA

Competition for February is still going!

The February Competition is still going and the prize is a paperback copy of:

 Star-Crossed Rascals.

Anyone can enter by posting a name for a really mean school teacher in the comment box. The name picked will be used in the second book in the Rascals series.


Good luck éveryone. Oh, and kids, don't suggest your own teachers.


Here is an excerpt from the book:


  With an evil smile, Auntie curled a finger. “Come with me, Polly.”
    I shivered. I didn’t want to go with her. She was not a nice woman.
    “Come on,” she said, grabbing my hand and leading me upstairs to the bathroom. “I have a job for you.”
    “What sort of job?” I asked. I didn’t want to do chores.
    Auntie gave me a bucket of soapy water and passed me a toilet brush.
    Frowning, I looked up. “What’s that for?”
    She folded her arms and grinned. “You’re going to clean the toilet.”
    I stared at that bristly white brush. “I don’t know how to clean a toilet,” I said. “I’m just a little kid.”
    “Well,” she said, “You’re never too young to learn.”
    Poo! That toilet stunk. I squinted at her and said, “I don’t want to clean a yucky toilet bowl. Mum never makes me.”
    “Really?” she said. “But you didn’t mind eating other people’s filthy chewing gum and mouldy dog poo. Did you?”
    I put my hands on my hips. “I didn’t eat them,” I said. “I just tasted them a bit.”
    “Well, from now on,” she said. “You can clean the loo every time you’re naughty. Now get on with it. And wipe the floor while you’re at it.” She passed me the mop on her way out. But as soon as she closed the door, I shook it at her. Then I leaned it against the wall.
    My friends didn’t have to clean toilets. Pinching my nose, I peered into the bog hole. Gross! I didn’t want loo slime on my fingers. But that toilet brush was way too short. I grabbed the mop instead. I dunked it in the bucket and shoved it down the poo hole. After jiggling it about, I pressed it down real hard. Auntie wouldn’t be happy if I didn’t clean it good.
    Oops. It jammed in the bend. I pulled and pulled, but it wouldn’t come out. Yipes! Now what would I do?
    I climbed onto the toilet seat and pulled even harder, but that stupid mop was stuck. I gulped. Then I heaved and heaved. My face got real hot and my tummy made a loud rumbling noise. Darn it! Now I needed to use the loo.
    That mop was a pest. I pressed the flush button, but it jammed even more. Yucky water poured out of the toilet bowl and covered my shoes. Shoot! Now I was gonna poop my pants. As I held my belly, Auntie’s big thumping feet came thundering up the stairs.
    My legs trembled.
    The door swung open and Auntie barged in.
    “Oh, my goodness,” she cried, pulling at her hair. “Now, what’ve you done?”
    I froze with my mouth open.


Here's a few of my own illustrations from the book: 

    

George Straatman's Converging Horror Triology

For lovers of fantasy stories:


Here is the synopsis for the final segment of George Straatman's Converging horror trilogy:


The Converging: Closures in Blood is the concluding volume of George Straatman’s epic Converging horror trilogy. Though rooted firmly in the horror/supernatural thriller genre, Closures in Blood is a skilful weaving of intense action and compelling drama that will stand as a fitting finale to this dark and richly imagined tale.

After apparently vanquishing the demon, Cynara Saravic…the now-immortal Elizabeth Simpson returns to America to begin a desperate search for the only man she has ever loved and the one person who can grant her absolution for the sins she has committed while under the demon’s dark thrall. Abhorred as an abomination by both Heaven and Hell, Elizabeth must run a deadly and insidious gauntlet to find David Stillman, unaware that she has become the catalyst for an apocalyptic war between good and evil. Pursued across a dying America by legions of religious fanatics and satanic assassins, Elizabeth is forced to turn to her avowed enemy…a dark mistress who represents her only hope of eluding her relentless pursuers and finding some sense of closure to the dark nightmare of her life…and a hope of personal redemption. Populated by a cast of dark and richly detailed characters, Closures in Blood is a frenetic rollercoaster ride into darkest depths of the Converging universe…a place where the vile and the righteous will find a grim measure or resolution in the explosive conclusion to this master work of dark horror.

Here are the links to the author’s website:

http://www.georgestraatman.com/

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3046802.George_Straatman


Finally, here is a direct connection to my sales page on Sony

http://ebookstore.sony.com/search?keyword=george+straatman

The trilogy is also available on Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Apple and Smashwords.

Winner of January Competition is..........

Okay, the winner of the January Book Competition to win the above paperback is:

*Drumroll*

Kat. ( for her mean goblin name: Crusher. She also suggested Tuffy, and that gave me the idea to use Taffy for another goblin. Thanks, Kat, I hope you enjoy your paperback, Velvet Ball and The Broken Fairy. It's in the post.


Thanks for entering everybody. This month there will be another competition to win a paperback copy of Star-Crossed Rascals, and to win you have to suggest a name for a really mean school teacher. Anyone can enter and the prize will be drawn at the end of February.

Good luck everyone, and thanks for reading my blog.