My GRL Blog Tour Volunteer Recognition – Charles Yallowitz

January 22, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 10 Comments

Charles Yallowitz is a volunteer today who I should thank for supporting the My GRL Blog Tour. It is interesting that Charles is the author’s author. By that I mean, he not only writes some really good Fantasy Genre books, but he also comes to the aid of any author who seems to be needing help. He posts and reblogs and comments endlessly on behalf of others. He also has a place on his site where authors can go for information on book promotion. Charles also stands by to answer questions when the subject of writing comes up.

If you visit his blog Legends of Windemere you will find really intelligent discussions of topics relating to character and plot development. Charles takes an active interest in all things cerebral as it relates to the construction of a story. If you don’t believe me just ask him about a character’s family sometime. I believe even the most minor characters have an extensive back story which could be a stand-alone novel if Charles had the time.

Speaking of time, the following three books in the Legends of Windemere series, The Bestiary Series and the novella Catalysts are now available and Charles has plans for three more books in 2014.

Legends of Windemere

LEGENDS OF WINDEMERE: BEGINNING OF A HERO

Cover art by Jason Pedersen

Take a step into the magical world of Windemere where history is forged by brave adventurers.

Luke Callindor was born into Windemere’s most decorated family of adventurers. Since his birth, he has been treated with the greatest amount of respect and awe. Now, with a lifetime of training and the reckless cockiness of youth, Luke has set out to prove that he deserves the admiration that comes from being a Callindor.

Luke gets his chance when he convinces a royal messenger to hire him to protect the heir of Duke Solomon. This future leader is secretly attending Hamilton Military Academy, an esteemed school run by the former mercenary, Selenia Hamilton. It is a dangerous secret mission requiring that Luke pretend to be an average student while keeping an eye out for any sign of danger. Unfortunately, Luke has no idea which student the heir is and a demonic assassin is already several steps ahead of him. Finding himself in over his head and constantly in trouble, the young warrior realizes that the only things he has on his side are some new friends and his unwavering courage.

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON KINDLE!

LEGENDS OF WINDEMERE: PRODIGY OF RAINBOW TOWER

Cover art by Jason Pedersen

The action-packed, humor-filled, dramatic sequel to ‘Legends of Windemere: Beginning of a Hero’.

Battling through a demonic assassin and an army of monsters, Luke Callindor has survived his time at Hamilton Military Academy. Now, Luke and his friends must leave the safety of the academy to escort Duke Solomon’s heir down the L’dandrin River and into the safety of the city of Gods’ Voice. Joining them for this journey is Nyx, a powerful caster apprentice of Rainbow Tower. With her talent for combat magic and her short temper, Nyx will prove to be a challenge for Luke and all of their enemies.

Who will survive the harrowing trip down the L’dandrin River? And, who will be the one to break Luke’s trust?

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON KINDLE

LEGENDS OF WINDEMERE: ALLURE OF THE GYPSIES

Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

The adventures of Luke Callindor and Nyx continue after their journey down the L’Dandrin River in Legends of Windemere: Prodigy of Rainbow Tower.

Reeling from his failures in their previous adventure, Luke leads his surviving friends to his hometown. With his mind frayed and his confidence fractured, Luke must face the family and fiancée he left behind. It is a brief homecoming when the vampire Kalam attacks the village, forcing Luke and Nyx to break into his lair for the key to resurrecting a fallen warrior. It is a quest that will force both young heroes to reach new heights of strength and power that they never knew they had.

Can Luke and Nyx escape the lair of Kalam? And, what role will the orphaned gypsy Sari play in their looming destiny?

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON KINDLE

Bestiary Collections

Amazon Kindle

Novellas

Cover Art by Dean Kealy

When trapped in an elevator together, Jeffrey and Darla learn that misery doesn’t always love company. With the screams of death and chaos echoing from outside, they find themselves slowly slipping into a world of fear and darkness they may never recover from. All the while, something is terrorizing the convention outside and turning the guests and celebrities into psychotic monsters.

Available on Amazon Kindle

My GRL Blog Tour Volunteer Recognition – Hanna Stern

January 21, 2014January 21, 2014 ~ John W. Howell

Thanks to Hanna Stern for helping launch My GRL. Hanna is an outrageous humorist who has been transplanted from Washington DC to Ireland. Her stories are out of the real life of a Jewish mom and wife trying to make some sense out of the Irish society. She also has some interesting observations in general about life, liberty and happiness. I really look forward to her posts (which are not often enough).
Her Blog is titled Sunny Days in DC and she lets us know that she is a Jack of All Trades and Master of 3ish. Having spent the last year reading her blog, I can tell you the jack of all trades part seems right, but the master of only three ish seems understated.
Hanna can write a good story about some of life’s highs and lows. She does it with the sense of humor you would expect to pay good money to see. Her latest desire other than being a writer is to perform in a strip show. She wants to be part of a legitimate strip show according to her. I think we all need to check back often and see how this thing goes. Please pay her a visit and tell her hello from me. Thanks Hanna so much

My GRL Blog Tour Volunteer Recognition – Sarah Cradit

January 21, 2014January 21, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 3 Comments

A big thank you for helping with the My GRL launch. Sarah Cradit on her Blog And Then There is Sarah is a self-proclaimed writer, traveler, Tolkienite, author of the House of Crimson and Clover series, queen of hyperbole. A visit to her site will immediately convince you that she does not brag. She is accomplished in all of the areas outlined. Her site gives the visitor a number of reasons to stay a while. She has reviews, tips for authors, guest authors, and travel guides. A truly nice place to visit. Also effective January 20 all things Sarah can be found at http://sarahmcradit.com

Sarah is also the author of the four Crimson and Clover series which have received the highest critical accolades. There are two more on the way in 2014.

The Illusions of Eventide is Now Available

The long-awaited third novel in The House of Crimson and Clover series is now available on Amazon, BN, Kobo, and Smashwords! Links for Itunes, Sony, and Diesel coming soon.

Story Overview

Nicolas Deschanel was betrayed by the only two people who matter to him. Their disloyalty stung and an overwhelming sense of loss lingers. Nicolas has lived the high life professing to not have a care in the world, and now this illusion is calling his bluff.

Determined to take control of an existence now devoid of purpose, he sojourns to his family’s holiday home on the Gulf of Mexico. Resolved more than depressed, he plans to privately say goodbye to a world which no longer needs him. Of questionable fortune, he finds a woman, Mercy, sitting alone on the shore at eventide. Nicolas is conflicted between an obligation to help, and annoyance at her intrusion.

Mercy has many layers of secrets. Deepest of all, she cannot tell this Child of Man she is thousands of years old and very powerful. In her presence, Nicolas’ own dormant powers begin to surface, triggering a sequence of events that cause both of their lives to spiral further out of control. When old friends from both sides come to help, together they all learn a painful truth: new life can only begin once you’ve set free what means the most.

What Reviewers Are Saying

“In a word… beautiful. With every new installment I get to read in this fantastic series I fall more and more in love. This is by far the best novel by Sarah I have read, and one of the best books I’ve gotten my hands on of the year.”

“Many books can leave you breathless until the book abruptly ends and you have so many unanswered questions and feel cheated. That is not the case with this book. The author takes you to the very edge, then brings you back on multiple occasions.”

“LOVE LOVE LOVE this book!! Could not put it down!!”

“This is a story about forgiveness and redemption, thickly seasoned with fantasy and paranormal. Cradit has mastered connecting the dots.”

“Cradit’s ability to weave a story filled with mythology, paranormal, and the reality of life so fluidly kept me turning page after page, thoroughly engrossed. The Illusions of Eventide is by far my Top favorite of 2013!”

”Page after page of twists and unexpected turns, running the full gamut of emotions. At times it is heartbreaking, exciting, witty, charming.”

“I said it before, and I’ll say it again, this author develops characters better than anyone else I’ve had the pleasure of reading. I simply cannot recommend this book enough.”

“Sarah did a fabulous job of painting the pictures of places, characters, events, and visions! I felt the pain, passion, love, hate, and anguish of each character!”

“I cannot wait for the next installment!”

“This series is one you won’t want to miss out on. Sarah is an amazing writing and knows how to suck her readers into the story.”

St. Charles at Dusk

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B005RT0ZKE

BN: http://bit.ly/18Kzhsp

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/304600

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1hHmscx

Itunes: http://bit.ly/18u5810

Sony: http://bit.ly/18LkGUj

Diesel: http://bit.ly/1bP8SR0

CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/3685393

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1dXqBHS

The Storm and the Darkness

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00DS86XU2

BN: http://bit.ly/IeFNSW

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/333021

Kobo: http://bit.ly/17Tb1KG

Itunes: http://bit.ly/14VDe0Z

Sony: Coming Soon

Diesel: http://bit.ly/1knwY4B

CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/4345896

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1bopnAM

Beyond Dusk: Anne

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00EUI53IC

BN: http://bit.ly/1aOUw14

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/381449

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1chBJIH

Itunes: Coming Soon

Sony: Coming Soon

Diesel: Coming Soon

CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/4489254

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1daqVhF

Also Coming Soon

My GRL Blog Tour Volunteer Recognition – Ionia Martin

January 20, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 12 Comments

Have you ever run across someone who must be an angel because of all the good things they do for others? If you know Ionia Marin then you can answer yes to this question. She is dedicated to filling her days with more activities than is reasonable to expect from one person. Her energy appears to be endless as she takes on project after project which have as an objective to make whatever world Ionia has chosen to support, better off as a result of her presence. Want details?

How about the blogging world? Ionia not only has a very successful blog Readfulthings, but she has also established the critically acclaimed and Freshly Pressed Community Storyboard. Not content to start a literary juggernaut she turned to a fun project called The Year Long Story – line by line. This is a place where loads like me can take a swing at contributing to a story which is developing one line at a time. Talk about laugh out loud. The comments section is like grabbing the Sunday funnies and forgetting troubles for a while.

How about the caring for other author’s world? Ionia is one of the most well read and learned reviewers on the planet. She is very serious about this aspect of her life , but not to the point of wanting to hurt an author or cause them to become discouraged. Her reviews point out the good and bad without false optimism or degrading scorn. She is the consummate (I have always wanted to use the word) professional and demonstrates with every review her care for the author community.

How about the step up and take care of those who need help world? Ionia is a safe haven for an orphan, lost puppy, or emotional human needing support. She continues to open her heart and in many cases, her home to those who simply need a friend and one who cares. She has an immense store house of love available to all who can benefit from a kind word, gesture, hug or even a roof. Her offer of taking care of others has no strings and is freely offered.

How about the love for her family and friends world? Her children, her pets, her fiancé all benefit from the overwhelming love that Ionia showers on each of them. There seems to be no limitation to where she will go or what she will do to make certain they feel and are comforted by her love. Her friends have the same benefit and all of them know if there was one person to call in times of trouble it would be Ionia.

Thank you Ionia so much for helping Launch My GRL and I will always be grateful for the support you have given not only on this one, but all the others writings as well.

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

Hump Day Story is as Hump Day Story Does

January 15, 2014January 13, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 15 Comments

Wednesday again and time to celebrate the fact the hump will be crossed come close of work and the weekend is in sight. I thought I would tell a story as I normally do on hump day. This one is about an author who is not satisfied with his sales rank on Amazon so he tries to do something about it. I hope you enjoy.

Hacker by John W. Howell

“So you are saying you fixed my sales numbers?”

“Yup went into the system and jigged them a little.”

“Are you sure it won’t be suspicious?”

“Nope I took plenty of precautions and for added measure I boosted some of your author friends as well.”

“Boosted? What do you mean?”

‘You know. Add some sales. Go into the royalty file and make it synch with the sales file. The biggest deal was getting the rank file to come out right.”

“What do you mean come out right?”

“Well you now rank number one on Amazon and that took a lot of cross programming.”

“Number one. Are you crazy?”

“Had to knock that Robert Gates fella down to twenty-five to accommodate.”

“Number one. I said low profile. A little help. Not number one.”

“Shoot, If I was an author I would want to be number one.”

“Oh my god.”

TGIF is as TGIF Does – A HAIKU

January 10, 2014June 26, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 19 Comments

As you know last week brought my book launch and a call for volunteers. I am very happy to report the volunteer docket is filled. I have thirty really nice people who are kind enough to help me out. (I know. . . which way did you come in? *drum bump-de-bump and symbol crash*) I am going to officially close the request, but if you really want to sign-up you can still do it at johnhowell.wave@gmail.com. I want to thank all of you who signed up to help with the launch of My GRL. I think we are going to have some fun. As a reminder the tour starts on Sunday January 19^th and runs until February 1. For all the volunteers, look for the material on the 16^th or it really could be a little before. The e-book go live confirmation will govern the material.

Since it is Friday, I think a Haiku is in order to more or less move us into the weekend. This is a Haiku I composed while waiting for my e-book to go live which seems to be my sole focus these days. The print version has been available since January 2 and the e-version is in some kind of holding pattern. Like a new father waiting in the hall for the birth of a child I pace the floor like a wounded animal checking and re checking the Amazon site for signs of my e-book’s birth. So here it goes:

Launch by John W. Howell

Launch child of paper,

Come on out digital kid…

I need to meet you.

Volunteer is as Volunteer Does- My GRL Book Launch-Correct e-mail address.

January 6, 2014January 6, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 21 Comments

Due to some problem that I have yet to understand; It seems the auto fill feature on WordPress changed my e-mail to my blog name. I think I have it corrected, but my post last Friday http://wp.me/p2Qoij-Wa had an incorrect e-mail included which I did not pick up before being published. The post has been corrected. If you wanted to volunteer and got your message kicked back, here is the correct e-mail: johnhowell.wave@gmail.com.

For all of you resourceful people who figured it out, I remain truly grateful for your help.

Please accept my apology for any extra work you had to do.

I will be mailing out the schedule and material on the 16th. If there is anything you would like to feature on my post in addition to your blog please let me know.

Volunteer is as Volunteer Does – My GRL by John W. Howell – Book Launch

January 3, 2014January 6, 2014 ~ John W. Howell ~ 36 Comments

Volunteers Needed. . . Volunteers Needed. . . Volunteers Needed. . . Volunteers Needed Please e-mail me at johnhowell.wave@gmail.com

I need your help to spread the word that my thriller My GRL is available on Amazon. (Today the print version and e-version will be available Monday January 6). I would like to take the time to make the announcement in an organized fashion. I think an official My GRL Launch Announcement Blog Tour scheduled between January 19 and February 1 will do the trick and I am asking for volunteers. If you participate; the only thing you will need to do is paste the material I send. If you do join; I will publish a link to your blog and your book or what ever you designate on the day of the tour and be so grateful for your help. As I stated, I will send you all the material, and you will only need to simply copy and paste into your site. If you would like to participate please send an e-mail to: johnhowell.wave@gmail.com. If you could also indicate a day when you won’t be able to participate it will help scheduling. Please send your e-mail to me by Monday January 13. I will then publish the schedule and material back to you on January 16. Thank you for your help.

Blurb: John J. Cannon successful San Francisco lawyer takes a well-earned leave of absence from the firm and buys a boat he names My GRL. He is unaware that his newly purchased boat had already been targeted by a terrorist group. John’s first inkling of a problem is when he wakes up in the hospital where he learns he was found unconscious next to the dead body of the attractive young woman who sold him the boat in the first place. John now stands between the terrorists and the success of their mission.

Author Bio: John W. Howell’s main interests are reading and writing. He turned to writing as a full-time occupation after an extensive career in business. John writes thriller fiction novels and short stories. He also has a three times weekly blog Fiction Favorites at http://johnwhowell.com where he writes about . John lives on Mustang Island in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of south Texas with his wife Molly and their spoiled pets. He can be reached by e-mail: johnhowell.wave@gmail.com, Twitter: @HowellWave and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.howell.98229241

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/My-GRL-John-W-Howell/dp/1625530595/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1388558903&sr=1-1&keywords=My+GRL

Link to my author site on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/author/johnwhowell

Publishing Next Step is as Publishing Next Step Does

November 20, 2013November 19, 2013 ~ John W. Howell ~ 42 Comments

Wednesday is a good day. I am working to mail off the Galley pages for my novel My GRL to the publisher. I got them last Thursday with a request to get them back by today. As for most requests made of me by the publisher, I need to make the deadline. I still don’t have a release date as yet. The next step should be cover design and I think then we will be ready to go.

I don’t know about you, but when I opened the galley file and came upon the title page I almost lost it. I can hardly believe that after first thinking of the story many moons ago it is almost time to see that story in print. I know you vets are really used to this kind of thing, but as a newbie I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to be near the point of publication. Once published the real work will begin, but I am ready for that next step.

Here is a screen shot of the title page. It is no coincidence that a star burst appears near the Martin Sisters Publishing name. They are divine.

I started the book in April of 2012 and finished the first draft in August of that year. After a bunch of edits, I finally got the courage to start the query process. I began with agent queries and picked up a suitcase full of rejections. While I was trying to attract an agent, it came to me to try a different tactic. I subscribe to Writer’s Market so I punched in a search with the parameters set at publishers who accept un-agented work and are not vanity presses. http://www.martinsisterspublishing.com contacted me after I sent them a query and wanted to execute a contract. You can imagine how long I pondered the prospect. I signed the day it came in and have never looked back.

So now I wait for whatever is next and am still editing my second novel. It is sequel to the first and a story of the character John J. Cannon attempting to survive threats against his life and the security of the US. The second has more bullets and mayhem and prepares us all for the third book in the series.

Well enough of me and my book I hope y’all have an easy hump day.