STAR TOUCHED: The Countdown Has Begun

Great news: STAR TOUCHED will be released October 1, 2017 and is now available for pre-order through several book sellers.

Eighteen year old Tatiana is running from her past and her Star-touched powers eight years after a meteor devastates earth’s population.

Her power to heal is sometimes overshadowed by the ability to create ravaging fires. Fleeing the fear induced persecution of those like her, Tatiana seeks refuge in a small town she once visited. This civil haven, in a world where society has broken down, is beginning to crumble. Tatiana is once again left with the choice to flee or to stay and fight for the new life she has built. Only by harnessing the very forces that haunt her can Tatiana save her friends… and herself.

“A unique and finely crafted debut novel, the characters touched my heart as I was drawn into their plight and compelled to finish!”

 — New York Times bestselling Author Maria V. Snyder

Pre-order your copy today from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Books-A-Million.

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Know Your Tools

Michael A. Ventrella

Imagine you’ve hired a carpenter who holds up a screwdriver and says it’s a wrench. How much confidence would you have in his abilities?

Recently, a self-published friend posted an ad he had made for his book which misspelled “you’re” as “your.” I pointed this out and to his credit, he fixed it and thanked me, but really — how much confidence would you have in this writer’s abilities after seeing that?

Words are your tools.  As a writer, you need to know how to use them. 

I’ve also seen writers post things on Facebook that were terribly written, contained spelling mistakes, and did not impress me with eloquence or insight. Come on folks, why should I check out your book if your posts don’t impress me?

If you’re going to use social media to promote yourself, the best way to do it is not to constantly say “Buy my…

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Star Touched Cover Reveal

Ah. The sweet smell of a new book. Just got my galley proof for Star Touched. I think the cover is awesome. What do you think?

Fall 2017

The world will never be the same.

FOR JULIE

Dog Care the A-Z List

This gallery contains 87 photos.

Originally posted on Lynn Thaler:
A – Agility is a great sport for high energy dogs.  It also creates a deeper bond between dog and owner. B – Boarding options should be researched in advance to ensure your dog will…

The View from the Trailer Park – Those Lips, Those Eyes. ‘Wonder Woman’

Great review. I just saw the movie yesterday. It is a great and long overdue movie.

Best Comic Books

Written by: Daniel McDonald

In 1980, a little known, little seen film about a Summer Stock Theater Company in 1951, starring Frank Langella, (DRACULA) Thomas Hulce ,(ANIMAL HOUSE, AMADEUS) and Glynis O’Conner (ODE TO BILLY JOE- what the hell happened to her?) with an interesting title that has stuck with me as clear as a bell for 37 years THOSE LIPS, THOSE EYES opened to better than average press. I saw the little romantic comedy, enjoyed it for what it was, and pretty much forgot about the film, but for some odd reason, not that damn title.

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Come To The Broad Side: Rapid Fire Reading This Saturday At Balticon 51

Saturday, May 27, 6 PM — Renaissance, Kent (6^th Floor)

Award-winning author and editor Danielle Ackley-McPhail has worked both sides of the publishing industry for longer than she cares to admit. She’s published six novels, a book on writing, and three collections. In 2014 she co-founded eSpec Books (http://www.ESpecBooks.com/). (http://www.Sidhenadaire.com)

Roxanne Bland grew up in Washington, D.C., where she discovered strange and wonderful new worlds through her local public library and bookstores. These and other life experiences have convinced her that reality is highly overrated. (http://www.RoxanneBland.rocks/)

Lauren Harris is a fantasy author, audiobook narrator, and assistant editor of Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show Magazine. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with three naughty cats and a pet librarian. (http://www.LaurenBHarris.com)

A. L. Kaplan’s work has been included in several anthologies and magazines. Her first novel, Star Touched, comes out this fall. She holds an MFA in sculpture from the Maryland Institute College of Art and loves wolves. (ALKaplan.wordpress.com)

Gail Z. Martin writes epic fantasy, urban fantasy and steampunk for Solaris Books and Orbit Books. Scourge: A Darkhurst Novel, is the first in a new epic fantasy series for Solaris (coming July 2017). (http://www.AscendantKingdoms.com/)

Cara McKinnon is the author of the Fay of Skye fantasy romance series. She has an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and lives in Western Maryland with her husband and kids. Find her online at CaraMcKinnon.com.

Award-winning author Christie Meierz writes space opera and science fiction romance set in a dystopic Earth empire. Her most recent work, Farryn’s War, explores how empaths would live together and what can happen when empaths and normal humans collide. (ChristieMeierz.com)

Jennifer R. Povey writes everything from heroic fantasy to stories for Analog. Her current project is the Lost Guardians, an urban fantasy series. Fallen Dusk, the first book in the series, was released last spring. She also rides horses. (http://www.JenniferRPovey.com/)

Roberta Rogow writes historical mysteries, in which she tends to twist the history, and filk songs that refer to anything she feels like singing about. Roberta is a retired children’s librarian living in New Jersey. Learn more at (https://www.facebook.com/ManatasSkyline/?fref=nf)

D. H. Timpko is the author of The Firma Twins and the Purple Staff of Death, a middle grade science fiction novel. She is finishing the second Firma twins novel, The Firma Twins and the Flute of Enchantment. (DHTimpko.com).

Jean Marie Ward writes fiction, nonfiction and everything in between. Her credits include a multi-award nominated novel, numerous short stories and two popular art books. Her video interviews and short subjects are regular features of BuzzyMag.com.  Learn more at (JeanMarieWard.com).