Monday, September 30, 2013

SAM WHITEHOUSE & THE PROPHECY OF THREE

The war between Light and Dark magic is about to spill over into our world...

JUST ONE WORD
I happened upon a young man on Goodreads a few months ago. He had an excerpt of one of his stories posted and I read it. And I was amazed. With seemingly effortless ease, he drew me into a cold, dark chamber where I felt the chill, damp air, smelled the musty forgotteness,  and heard the crackle of brittle, aged skin. I had only one word for Sam Whitehouse. AMAZING! I told everyone I met about Sam and sent him kudos for such beautiful, haunting imagery. 

MY HAT'S IN THE RING
Since that time, Sam and I have become friends of sorts. We've even entered upon a pact: Whichever of us becomes famous first, takes the other to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I am all on that! And I kind of hope he wins, because what would be cooler than visiting Harry Potter in the UK!? He has honored me with helping him with the edits of his first book, The Prophecy of Three. And I am truly honored, because I truly believe that the name Sam Whitehouse will become a name that is spoken in many, many homes worldwide. Sam's story is imaginative and compelling; a world that is easily believable and artistically painted with words. 

Shadows grew and shrank in obscuring patches across the valley, cast by the moon that grinned from between gaps in the night’s roof of clouds. Mist coiled in finger-like tendrils from the forest of skeletal trees fringing the mountains, shifting in waves across the grass that looked black beneath the clouded night sky.

When Sam messaged me about a five-day, free promotion of Prophecy of Three, I jumped on the chance to get the word out for him. So, starting on September 30, 2013, The Prophecy of Three: the Keys of Time will be free to download from Amazon. If you like YA urban fantasy that blends modern day with myth and legends, please feel free to pick up a copy. An author and his book relies on its readers for inspiration.

HERE'S A TASTY MORSEL
Everything changed for Simon Falke the first time he fell through the fire. 
Just beneath the surface of our world, a war between Light and Dark magic has been waging for centuries. Wielded by Morgana, the Dark is growing in power. But a long foretold prophecy, The Prophecy of Three, could change everything. 

Not many teenagers can say they are the subject of an ancient prophecy. Fewer still can say they have inherited the powers of a wizard and a responsibility for the fate of the world. Simon, Evelyn and James are three who can. From the moment they learn of the Prophecy of Three, they are thrown into the war against Morgana, whom prophecy states they will destroy. 
Immersed in a dangerous new world of ancient magic, power hungry witches, insidious creatures and limitless power, Simon, Evelyn and James must hunt down the Keys of Time. For with the Keys Morgana would be unstoppable…Not exactly the life of your average teenager. 

From the killer first line that hooks you instantly, to the powerful imagery that draws you in and casts its spell on you, Prophecy of Three is the magical book with that power. And like his characters, Sam Whitehouse is not 'your average teenager.'

REACHING OUT
Please help me support this great UK author that has a gift to share with the world! It's a free download on Amazon.com. Here's the link:
PROPHECY OF THREE FREE ON AMAZON

And please, please spread the word!

Thank you all once again for your time. I so appreciate your visits to me!!!
And as always...
Dare to Dream!
Su

Saturday, September 14, 2013

USE GRAMMARLY Because you can't eat Serial, or chase your own Tale!

I use Grammarly's grammar corrector because the difference between knowing your shit and knowing you're shit, is HUGE! And Grammarly would totally pick up that little plagiarism there too. OH! I got another one: I use Grammarly's grammar correct because it's important to know 'how you're doing, my friend' rather than 'how you're doing my friend.' Tee hee! Just couldn't resist.

An Author's New Bestie!
I am so excited about the feature website this week! While editing Dream Weaver, I just used the grammar checker that came with the word processor. And it was great. I learned a lot. But GRAMMARLY does so much more. But, here, let me have them explain it their own words.

Grammarly is an automated proofreader and your personal grammar coach. Correct up to 10 times more mistakes than popular word processors. [We] provide another set of eyes to help perfect your writing. Grammarly’s patent-pending grammar checking technology reviews and improves your text, correcting grammar, spelling, word choice and style mistakes with unmatched accuracy. Give Grammarly 60 seconds and see what pesky grammar errors you missed in your text!

What's the diff?
So, tell me, is this like the grammar checker on my word processor?
Grammarly is waaay better. We check over 250 points of grammar to improve any text. You can insert academic, professional and creative writings that all require unique styles of editing.We give you Context Optimized Synonyms that keep your story, article...in mind.

Is that all Grammarly does?
Oh, no. We're more complex than simply grammar. We use an Adaptive Spell Checker to make sure you're using the right correctly-spelled word in the right context.

Yeah, not so professional looking when you use 'two' when you should've used 'too'. What else?
Well, we have a checker for Plagiarism Detection & Citations. We Find Errors That Microsoft® Word Can’t like Contextual Spelling, Modifiers, Prepositions, correct Punctuation, and Quantifiers.

You can Use Grammarly Anywhere (and Everywhere!) to Improve Your Writing Skills. You get Instant Results and best of all you receive Fanatical Support. Our support representatives are available 24/7 to answer any questions you have about Grammarly.

WOW! That sounds fantastic. I'm using my 7-day Trail right now. And if I don't love it, I can cancel my subscription within the trial period with absolutely no problems. Thanks Grammarly for sharing your site with us. I've no doubt that many authors could make use of your awesome services. It's like an instant proof-reader. 

Thanks for stopping by everyone!
And as always...
Dare to Dream!
Su

Monday, September 2, 2013

SOMETHING NEW! CHILDREN'S AUTHOR JENNY LOVELESS



Here's That First
In my last post, I mentioned that I would be having a FIRST on this blog and here it is. My interview with children's author Jenny Loveless. Jenny has received a 5 Star Review from professional review site Reader's Favorite...so I'm keeping good company! I've reviewed her most recent book, Holly Horse and the Great Quest. I also gave it a 5 Star Review with a great message well-written for kids. Jenny and I share a similar background working with kids...must be why we clicked.



About Jenny
Jenny, tell us a little about yourself…where you’re from, family, background…
Hi Su, thank you so much for having me. I’ll start off by saying I was adopted when I was three years old, to a family in California with 7 other children. The woman who adopted me started off as my day care provider and I went on to stay with her and her family. 
Today I am a stay at home mom of three beautiful daughters. We still live in California with my husband, our cat, our dog, and our fish named Rocky. After taking a break from child care for the past 4 years, I have recently taken on a couple kids again in my home. We have a very full house.

Picking a Genre
What made you decide to write children’s books?
It actually all just fell into my lap. I have always been good at writing, but I never thought about ever seriously writing a book. One day I was with my husband at an ATM machine and he was talking about all the money going out and not enough coming in. I thought to myself, everyone thinks the grass is greener on the other side. All of a sudden, a storyline just fell from the sky. It just so happened to be a storyline fit for kids. I told my husband I was going to write a book and never looked back. Since then, I have written several children’s stories and have found that I am actually pretty good at it. 


A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words 
Is it a particular challenge to find an artist?
It was in the beginning because I had no idea what I was doing or where I could find good resources. My first two books were pretty expensive to have illustrated.  For Holly Horse, I went with an art major in college, Nia Onit. I am very happy with how each of my books has come out, but luckily I have found a really great place to find affordable illustrators. My next books will be much more inexpensive and surprisingly easier to have illustrated.

Jenny's Book 
Tell us a little about Holly and her friends.
Holly Horse is the story I mentioned earlier. Holly is a young horse who hears a rumor. She hears that the grass is greener on the other side and she is determined to find it. On her quest for this delectable treat, Holly meets the very helpful Gary Goat, Ollie, the very witty rhyming owl, and the 72 year old, Mr. Tim Tortoise. Each new friend Holly meets has a special way in helping Holly realize just how much she loves her own home.

Kudos! Not Just a Granola Bar
I noticed you’ve received a 5-Star review from Reader’s Favorite! Congratulations! Has that helped you any way you’ve noticed?
I had my books reviewed shortly after they were published on Amazon so I’m really not sure if it has helped. I imagine it has. I think having the 5 star reviews help as long as someone reads the description. The hard part is getting people to read that description.  It’s a catch 22. I need customer reviews to get more people to read the description and check out my book, but I need people to buy my book before I can get the customer reviews. It’s a slow process, but time helps immensely. 

(Doing a giveaway on Goodreads is a great way to garner reviews, and you can use Rafflecopter on your blog or website for giveaways. There are also some book review sites, some featured right here on Dream Weaver blog, that sponsor giveaways.)

What the Future Holds
Any new kid’s books in the offing?
I have a few more books written and edited. Within the next week or two I will be starting on the illustrations to my third book, Tommy and the Magic Trick. This title is subject to change. I am very excited about it. I am also planning on beginning a series with my book Ducky Duck Doesn’t want to be a Duck.

Flash to the Past
What kind of books did you like as a child?

When I was a kid, my favorite book of all time was The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein. (OMG! This is one of my all-time favorite books!! Check out this vid!) Which reminds me, did you know that Shel Silverstein wrote A Boy Named Sue, by Johnny Cash? Very interesting.  As for my favorite kinds of books, I am 36, so I don’t remember a whole lot of them. But when I was a preteen I loved The Babysitters Club series. Go figure.

But Always Live for Today
Any you can suggest now?
Pete the Cat books are super cute children’s books. These books have a lot of educational value which is taught in a fun and groovy way. If you are looking for a good rhyming book for children 2-4, I would recommend Frisby, by Anne Cowell. These books are about a dog named Frisby. The rhymes flow nicely and the illustrations are beautiful. 

Suggestions
Any specific tidbits of advice you would share with other writer’s in general?
It’s not easy becoming a new author, and at times it will make you feel that the competition is too hard to compete with. Get very involved in social media. That competition needs to become your best allies. There is an entire community of new and indie authors out there and most of them are more than willing to help. Ask for the help. Ask them to write a review. Ask them to tweet about your book. Ask them to post it on their Facebook sites and ask for advice. The worst they could say is no, but many will say yes. The best way to do this is to help them in some way first. Retweet for other authors and connect with them via twitter, Facebook groups, Goodreads and anywhere else you can think of. Books get the best publicity by word of mouth. The most people who are talking about books are the people writing them.

Any websites you would share with other writers?
I have found a book on Kindle called Author Publicity Pack. Buy it. This book has tons of paid and free advertising websites and Facebook sites. Use as many of these sites you can WITHOUT overwhelming yourself. If you don’t have a Kindle, I highly suggest you download the free Kindle app on your PC or ipad and buy it that way. This is a must have book for new authors. I think it’s a must have for any author.

Where can readers find you and your book?
Contact Links

Buy Links
Holly Horse and the Great Quest
Amazon: http://amzn.to/14GrS1X USA 

Ducky Duck Doesn’t Want to be a Duck  
                 http://amzn.to/1exYyt4 UK

Other: Jenny’s books will be available on other sites in the next couple months. Keep a look out for Ducky Duck Doesn’t Want to be a Duck and Holly Horse and the Great Quest. Ducky Duck Doesn’t Want to be a Duck will also be available in print on Amazon in early September.

Jenny, thank you so much for sharing a little about yourself and your books. It has been my pleasure getting to know you and I truly do love getting to support other indie authors. 

If you're an author please feel free to contact me for your own interview. This blog currently receives 800 to 1000 views per month and has a world-wide reach!

Thank you everyone for stopping by.
And as always...
Dare to Dream!
Su

That's my Daddy in his garden
Lots of visitors like this honey bee

And mondo cabbages