Category: Uncategorized

Goodreads giveaway ends soon!

~ John W. Howell

I bought it and liked it. A five star story set in the San Francisco Bay area. (my old hometown)

Kevin Brennan's avatarWHAT THE HELL

Occasional Soulmates and Godzilla

Just a reminder that I’m running a Goodreads giveaway for Occasional Soulmates, but it ends on November 5, so now’s your chance to join the fun. If you haven’t purchased the book yet (and come on, you know you haven’t!), step up and put your name in the hat. You have a 1 in 30 shot at winning a copy.

But if you don’t win… you have to promise to buy the book when the giveaway is over.

And by the bye, if you have read the book, I’d dearly appreciate a brief review on Amazon. I’m holding at seven right now and hoping for ten before too long so it looks like more than just my family has read this puppy!

The giveaway ends in a week.

(Photo by Eric Baker. Run for your lives!)

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IndieGo-GO? Here I go!

~ John W. Howell

Now a way to help and get an early copy.

Katie Sullivan's avatarThe D/A Dialogues

indiegogoheader - BLOGSo, I did something I never thought I would be bold enough to do: launch a crowdfunding campaign.

But I did – and it’s live! 

There’s even a contribution on it (Thank you, Christopher – and no, this is not the official thank-you).

Through the campaign, you can PRE-ORDER your very own copy of Changelings, and even have it signed or personally inscribed by yours truely (and if you ask nice, I’ll even have D sign it!). There are also a lot of great perks to be had. I think I had the most fun looking for those!

All of this is an effort to expand the distribution for Changelings. I’ve pushed myself to become more active in my local community, and I want to be able to share this with them – with the libraries I love so dearly, with the bookstores and coffee shops – and distribution…

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…a dedication to all the fallen, and particularly to Cpl Nathan Cirillo in the face of the recent madness…

~ John W. Howell

A moving tribute to all who have fallen in service and in wanton acts of violence.

Seumas Gallacher's avatarSeumas Gallacher

…I don’’t often cut and paste my Facebook posts as blog pieces, but so many people have asked me to do so with the post I made on there yesterday, in the hope that the message may go viral… if yeez wish to share it, please do so… LUV YEEZ!… here’s the post:

…the older I become, the less rational the world appears… I care not for the arguments and posturing that dress themselves as nationalistic, religious, political or downright greed… when a young man standing HONOUR GUARD in memory of those fallen in horrendous global conflicts around the planet is gunned down under some pretence of a deluded fanatic’s ‘righteousness’, my soul screams out, ‘Enough’! ….how present are the words of the song that ask ‘when will they ever learn?’ ..the ‘they’ being all of the creeds, nutters, even well-meaning hawks of all nationalities… last year, I unashamedly…

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S.K. Nicholls

~ John W. Howell ~ 5 Comments

I’ve read it and it is very interesting and a great read.

islandeditions's avatarReading Recommendations

s-k-nichollsS.K. Nicholls

What is your latest release and what genre is it?Red Clay and Roses is a roman a clef in the vein of historical fiction

Quick description:Red Clay and Roses is a fictionalized true story of life in the Deep South during the time of Jim Crow Law, and before Roe vs. Wade. Women were supposed to keep quiet and serve, abortion was illegal, adoption difficult, and racism rampant. The discovery of an old ledger opens a window into the dynamics of the 1950s-60s, when the world was beginning to change. Steeped in history, this novel deeply penetrates the surface of a complex era as the cast of characters grapples with inequality in the Jim Crow South.

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000031_00016]

Brief biography:
Susan Koone Nicholls is a retired R.N. living in Orlando, Florida, with her husband, Greg, a rocket scientist. She was born, raised and educated in Georgia, where she…

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My Second Book Release

~ John W. Howell

A release worthy of attention, since it is tomorrow.

Jack Flacco's avatarLooking to God

Tomorrow, my second book in the Ranger Martin series releases. That sentence makes it sound as if something’s about to escape the San Diego Zoo. From what I know, literature doesn’t eat people. At least I don’t think it does. So I wouldn’t worry about wild books named Ranger Martin and the Alien Invasion running rampant in the streets. It’s just not going to happen—although you may encounter a slightly crazed author attempting to sell you his novel. And I use the word “attempting” in the loosest of terms because half the time, I have no clue what I’m doing.

Jack Flacco takes action to a new level. Jack Flacco takes action to a new level.

I mean, I’d rather drive around aimlessly than spare myself the embarrassment of asking for directions. That’s how one year my family and I made it through Maine to Nova Scotia. How else do you think I’ve survived this long? I’m…

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Meet and Chat with Charles E. Yallowitz on October 22nd!

~ John W. Howell

Should be an interesting interview. I’m going, hope to see you there

Charles Yallowitz's avatarLegends of Windemere

CHANGES Theme Image_3Get over Hump Day with me as I have my first LIVE interview courtesy of Sally Ember!

The event goes from 10-11 EST and you can click on the banner to go to the site!

For fun, here are some tips I’ve received:

  1. Don’t pick your nose.
  2. Don’t pass out.
  3. Remember to wear a shirt.
  4. Remember your name.
  5. Check what will be behind you on the video.
  6. Disconnect the phones and mute cellphone.
  7. Pray that the son does not get sick.
  8. Put up ‘Doorbell Broken’ sign.
  9. Go to bathroom before interview.
  10. Get a haircut, ya hippie!
  11. Shave and wash your face.
  12. Lose some weight . . . not sure how I’m supposed to accomplish this.
  13. Get a tan . . . I know I’m kind of pale, but I’m not going Oompa Loompa here.
  14. Try not to stutter or make the audience think your webcam froze.
  15. Pay your Internet bill.

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Return of Monster Maker Fun!

~ John W. Howell ~ 1 Comment

Another fun exercise by the master Charles Yallowitz. Make up a word and challenge his brain.

Charles Yallowitz's avatarLegends of Windemere

Back in April, I did something that I called the ‘Monster Maker Fun’.  I asked people to give a list of nonsense words and I turned them into monsters, items, and fictional rituals for a week. Here’s an example that was given to me by John W. Howell last time:

Meagain

“A majestic horse that roams the prairie of Southliver.  Most of them are white and brown, but there have been sightings of black, red, and purple colors.  Unlike other horses, the Meagain gives off an odd glow that is stronger depending on the purity of the spirit.  They are also much more intelligent.  People have been able to communicate clearly with these animals even without a common language.  Meagains are also good problem solvers and those in captivity have been known to pick locks with their narrow tongues.  Avoid getting kicked because they have barbs on their hooves that…

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How to Promote and Market Your Book by Madi Preda – Review

~ John W. Howell

 

 

Madi Preda is the genius behind Author’s Promotion a firm which has helped countless authors with not only book promotion, but also in planning and the execution of complete book marketing plans. This book was written for those of us who do not have unlimited resources to spend on getting our name and our book’s name in front of readers. Madi has put together a comprehensive guide-book to follow to success. She has done so with easy to understand instructions on what steps are necessary to maximize the author’s exposure.

Madi begins by setting the tone for what will be a recurring theme for an author. The theme is if all you want to do is write and not try to sell your work, you’ll get what you deserve, nothing. She tells a story about what would happen to a baker who only wanted to bake and not sell. This parable really hit me between the eyes. I could not imagine anyone who doesn’t want to push their product, yet authors appear to be unique in this regard.

Madi lays out her book for maximum utility. She has chapters written on how to do subjects like book proposals, public relations, marketing, PR, Network and social media, selling more books, video trailers, book tours, blogging, newsletters, book distributors, websites, media press kits and many more.

In addition, Madi provides practical information in the form of case studies, examples and toward the end of the book a section on resources which puts valuable places to go for an author to announce a book and to continue to raise awareness. These resources are many that are not generally well-known.

This book was very informative and a fun read in addition. I would recommend it to any author who is not content with how their book is selling presently in addition to the unpublished and soon to be published authors. If an author utilized just part of the information in this book, I believe the author would be benefitted immensely by increased sales. It is a must read for anyone who thinks being an author is merely writing a book.