Thank You is as Thank You Does

February 2, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 33 Comments

Well, the My GRL Blog Tour has been completed. We are down to the worm in the bottle; the chips and salsa are gone. It is time to strike the set, pack up the gear, and call it a day. The tour was supported by thirty world-class bloggers and from what I can tell was a success. Each hit their mark and in the end made a lot of beautiful music. If the promoter don’t mind, and the roadies don’t mind won’t you stay for a little bit longer. Please, please, please say that you will. I have one last note to play which is a final thank you to each of these wonderful people. So in order of appearance I give you:

Kristy Feltenberger Gillespie Devorah Fox

Kevin Brennen Ionia Martin

Sarah Cradit Hanna Stern

Charles Yallowitz Linda Hill

Robynn Gabel Julian Froment

Marie Ann Bailey Melissa Janda

Rhonda Blackhurst Dean Kealy

Helen Valentina Helena Hann-Basquiat

Bradley Corbett Herman Kok

Audrey Dawn Papi Z

Madi Preda Katie Sullivan

Cayman Thorn Andra Watkins

Alison Jack Rosie Amber

Susan Nicholls Jo Robinson

Pamela Beckford Teri Polen

Thank you all just one more time.

TGIF is as TGIF Does

January 31, 2014January 30, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 22 Comments

Yes kids it is Friday and as well all know, it is a day of celebration for surviving the long arduous week at the sweat shop. So you don’t need to work hard reading this post, I am going to keep it simple. A quick Haiku which talks to the week and how we all have earned a rest. It is titled:

Friday is the best,

Wonder why it took so long . . .

To reach from Monday.

Happy Friday. Hope your weekend is the best.

Hump Day Story is as Hump Day Story Does

January 29, 2014January 28, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 13 Comments

This week’s story is about quality and how things can slip through the cracks.

“Okay now start again. What were you supposed to do?”

“Uh well ah . . . I am supposed to make certain the products I inspect are perfect when they leave the factory.”

“Tell me about that.”

“Well, I’m supposed to look the product over very carefully and check to make sure all the conventional quality checks are made.”

“Like what checks.”

“Um . . . you know. We have the standard conventions by which we gauge a high quality product or a low quality product and I was to check to be certain this was a good product.”

“And what did you find?”

“Oh I reported it was a good product.”

“You reported what you believed to be true. Right?”

“I just said I reported it was a good product.”

“Well is it?”

“It is a fabulous product. It has everything anyone would want.”

“Again, I’ll ask the question a different way. Is the product defect free?”

“Depends on what you mean by defect.”

“I mean when you view the product do you see any defects?”

“If I view any product I usually see defects.”

“What do you do with them? The defects I mean.”

“I eliminate them.”

“Did you see any defects in this product?”

“No I did not.”

“So why are their defects being reported?”

“I’m sure I don’t know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know? You said you did not see any defects.”

“That’s correct.”

“Can you possibly explain why there are defects reported after you inspected the product?”

“I didn’t say I inspected the product. I just said I didn’t see any defects.”

“You did not inspect the product?”

“That is correct that’s why I didn’t see any defects. I only commented that the product was fabulous. I think it was someone else’s job to inspect this one.”

“You think?”

My GRL Blog Tour Volunteer Recognition – Madi Preda

January 28, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 2 Comments

Madi Preda is a Public relations specialist. She works to make her author clients as well-known as possible. This is how Madi makes her living. Yet, here she is supporting the launch of My GRL and doing it out of the goodness of her heart. I actually asked her if I was dreaming when she offered to volunteer. Madi was very gracious and made it clear she was volunteering as a member of the WordPress community. I can’t tell you how pleased I was to hear her words for she is one of the best. She is new in the business but a visit to her blog Author’s Promotion – Books marketing and writer’s PR – I may be able to help will convince you she knows what she is doing. For me anyone who would take a chance on my stuff without pay deserves all the commission work available. You might want to get in touch with her.

Her blog showcases writers in a number of ways. There is a tab for Books Tour, Featured Authors, Featured Books and Interviews. Under each you will find interesting information about the writers in each. A review of her About page also says a lot about what Madi can do to help any campaign. Here is what she says:

“I am just a beginner but passionate about what I am doing. It is a great opportunity to be in touch with so many writers and have the possibility to read so many books.

Many thanks and all my gratitude to the writers who offered me the chance to do publicity for them and their books and welcome for the ones who will.

Advertising is saying you are good. PR is getting someone else to say you are good

Authors PR promotes literary works, brings more publicity for writers and exposes their books around the world. Collaborating close with the authors, Author PR will obtain more exposure and media coverage for the book and the author.
-direct marketing campaign through creative and innovative marketing strategies
-digital advertising
-public relation
-presentation-planning and design, evaluation and monitoring
-marketing and promotional materials
-website and blog development and design
-authors interviews
-pre launch campaign
-analysis

How you can get in touch?”

http://authorspr.tripod.com/

http://gr.linkedin.com/pub/authors-promotion/78/9b9/2b5/

http://www.promocave.com/AuthorsPR/

@AUTHORSPR on Twitter

Thank You Madi for the help on My GRL

Retail Memories… Version 2.0 Is Live!

January 25, 2014 ~ John W. Howell

My GRL Blog Tour Volunteer Recognition – Papi Z

January 24, 2014January 27, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 4 Comments

Papi Z could be the godfather of the writing community. He embraces the good in each and every one of the Indie authors and has set a tableau which gives exposure to one and all. I think of Papi as the matriarch holding court at the biggest literary dinner of all. He calls it the Literary Syndicate and the rest of us call it god send.

If you have not taken advantage of being listed as an artisan on Papi’s site you ought to go out in the yard and kick your own ass. He has taken the time to place in one spot not only the writers, poets and other assorted crazies who put words together, but also book reviewers, cover designers, editors, and helpful literary sites. It is all there under the Friends of the Syndicate tab. In short almost everything a struggling author might need to actually be successful.

On top of the information on the site Papi calls for submissions for collections that are to be published under the Literary Syndicate banner. The first Literary Syndicate collection has been decided upon. Monsters Under The Bed: A Horror Compendium (that is a working and not final title) has an official due date to have your stories in by March 15th, 2014. These should be stories in the 5,000 to 15,000 word range. Where to send them: theliterarysyndicate@gmail.com with Monsters Under The Bed in the subject line. For full details go HERE.

The Literary Syndicate is also accepting smaller word count stories for those authors who are challenged by the bigger count requirements. You can go HERE for the details.

His book Retail Memories: When Customers Attack updated version is now available on Amazon

Papi thank you so much for helping with the My GRL launch. You pitching in is like Payton Manning tossing the ball around with a little league receiver. This receiver really appreciates it.

My GRL Blog Tour Volunteer Recognition – Melissa Janda

January 24, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 2 Comments

Thank you Melissa for helping launch My GRL. In following Melissa’s blog titled: Melissa Janda A Time to Write for the past year I have learned so much.

The first thing I learned is she is one of the nicest, most considerate bloggers in the sphere. She seems to be everywhere when it comes to supporting her fellow bloggers. The support of my book launch is a small example of the many times you will see her using her space to promote someone else.

The second thing I learned is when Melissa makes up her mind to accomplish a goal you can put your money on the fact that she will do it. In 2013 she wanted to compete in NaNoWriMo. She became a winner with 50,004 words. This on top of all the other things she has to do. For 2014 she plans to read 50 books and to make ten of them from the Modern Library’s Top 100 list. Anyone want to bet against her? I’ll take that bet.

The third thing I learned was Melissa’s dedication to the writing craft. She is actively involved with prompts and teasers and does challenge each of us to join in the fun. She also has a word of the day feature which I find very helpful. Over time I am finding that the exposure to her word of the day causes me to upgrade my use of words which have been dormant since the old memorize vocabulary days. It is really nice to pull something from the brain while writing and not have to go look up a word. I would say just checking in for the word of the day would be very beneficial, but do yourself a favor and stay for a while and read. Another thing you should do is; check out her Resources for Writers tab. Melissa has eliminated the need to hunt for a place to get information on writing, publishing and marketing. She has a bunch of links which can prove to be useful if you investigate them.

Finally I learned Melissa wants to become a published author. She has the ability, the skill and I believe the determination to make that happen. I believe one of these days this will be a goal met by her. Thank you again Melissa.

TGIF is as TGIF Does

January 24, 2014January 23, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 16 Comments

Friday is here again and it is time to celebrate the week. If you read my stuff you know I am knee-deep in a blog tour helped by wonderful bloggers around the world. Since My GRL has been published a retrospective of thought brought me to a truism of writing which I have often read about, but never experienced. The truism goes something like this: THE EASY PART OF WRITING A NOVEL IS WRITING A NOVEL. I could not imagine this to be true working alone in my garret with no one to test ideas on but a cat. I have to say at this point it seems to be true. To recap:

You write . . . (check)

You edit . . . (check)

You submit and query . . . (check, check, check, check how many queries?)

You edit some more . . . (check)

You pick out art . . . (check)

You wait with bated breath . . . (check)

You watch your book go live . . . (check)

You die as something is delayed on the e-version . . . (check)

You die as the image on the e-version refuses to download properly . . . (check)

You pray for good reviews . . . (check)

Now the real work begins, selling the damn thing wonderful story to the reading public.

I wrote a little Haiku with the spirit of the situation in mind. I hope you like it

Write a book alone,

Finally see it published…

Selling is hard work.

Have a good weekend.

My GRL Blog Tour Volunteer Recognition – Kevin Brennan

January 20, 2014January 20, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 4 Comments

The name Kevin Brennan certainly must ring a bell. It really should since he has one of the hottest books on the market today. His Yesterday Road is a story of an older man who has witnessed tragedy in his life. In fact, his own mind is trying to help him cope by forgetting almost everything as the day moves on. This is a piece of literary fiction which any author would give a piece of the left brain to have written. It is a story calculated to be kind, warm and restore your faith in mankind. It will make you cry in the end, but what the hell we all could use a little crying now and then to take the edge off.

Speaking of What the Hell; this is the name of Kevin’s blog. It is a place where you need to make a visit each time he posts since what he puts on there is really worth the time to read. Kevin explores, researches, and then lays the damnest spin on a subject causing one to ask, “where the hell did that come from?”

Kevin’s other books have to be, by association, a must read.

Our Children are Not Our Children – Poet Kahlil Gibran has said, Your children are not your children. In this collection of short-shorts, Kevin Brennan (Parts Unknown) turns that simple idea on its head with five case studies in bad parenting. From a father who won’t pull over to let his boy pee on the roadside to a couple who unwisely lock their twin toddlers in a closet all day while they’re at work, these parents embody the adage that it takes a village — to save innocent kids from idiots like them!

Parts Unknown – This novel is about a photographer, Bill Argus, a kind of desert Ansel Adams. He has a late mid-life crisis and decides to return to the small town and family that he had abruptly left forty years before. He left behind a young wife and four or five-year-old son. Just up and left them with no warning. And then, with almost the same lack of warning, he decides to go back. And he brings his current wife along, Nora, who’s roughly the same age as his son.

Kevin also has a newsletter which might be an interesting thing to sign up for. You can do that by clicking HERE

As you can see Kevin brings a lot to the party. You would do well to pay him a visit. Thanks for your help on the tour Kevin

My GRL Blog Tour Volunteer Recognition – Kristy Feltenberger Gillespie

January 19, 2014January 19, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 2 Comments

Keep Calm and Write ON is not only the name of Kristy Feltenberger Gillespie’s blog, it also is the philosophy that permeates throughout the entire site. When you arrive you immediately get a feeling that this person knows exactly what is going on in this hellish world and stands ready and able to help the reader understand as well. The places to visit on her blog are like the listings of a tourist attraction. There is: HOME, ABOUT ME, MY WRITING, WHAT CAUGHT MY SENSES THIS WEEK, GUEST AUTHORS/EVENTS, BOOK REVIEWS, MOVIE REVIEWS, MUSIC, ENCOURAGEMENT, CONTESTS, TIPS, EXTRAS. Kristy seems to have something for everyone.

Interesting as well, she is also a YA writer and has made her novel Jaded available for a free read and comments on Swoonreads. Her story is a YA fiction thriller and is generating a lot of interest

What Readers are Saying About her YA Novel, Jaded:

“Couldn’t put it down. It was that good! Hope the sequel comes out soon.” – Camille Ferolino

“I found JADED to be well-written, with creative prose, realistic dialogue, thorough characterization, and a good dose of suspense, particularly at the end. The dystopia, Nirvana, is similar in some ways to Suzanne Collins’s in THE HUNGER GAMES, and the love story was reminiscent of the one in Ally Condie’s MATCHED. The ending hinted at a sequel, which I’d look forward to reading…” -Jenny

“Kristy girl, I loved “Jaded” and can’t wait to read the sequel! You are a fantastic writer with so much talent. I love everything you have written and can’t wait for more!!! This novel is a “10″….but then so are you!!!” -Terry Mauller

To sum up the delight that is Kristy I think her own words describe her best:

I’m happiest when: I’m in my home office writing, drinking coffee, and burning pumpkin scented candles. And taking cross-country road trips with my mom.

Favorite Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald- “Winter Dreams” is my favorite short story. A substitute teacher read this to our 11th grade English class and I was smitten.

Favorite Food: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice cream which I don’t eat often because I gain a pound from a teaspoon, I swear.

If I could live anywhere: It would be near a beach. I feel most at home in the ocean.

If I could go back in time: I’d choose the Roaring Twenties, hands down.

Thank you Kristy for helping launch My GRL