Tag: ebook

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IWSG

#IWSG Mar. 2024- A.I. is here & #ebookweek24 #Smashwords

IWSG

Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click here to learn more or sign up.

Optional Monthly Question: Have you “played” with AI to write those nasty synopses, or do you refuse to go that route? How do you feel about AI’s impact on creative writing?

I’m glad that A.I. is there to help some people achieve their creative goals, but what I’ve mostly seen of it is people using to be lazy writers. I’m all for assisted writing where the A.I. helps you with research and organization, but when it’s drafting paragraphs for you in the style of some other writers, that’s just lazy and wrong. I’ve tested out one creative brainstorming application and it freaked me out. To quote myself from a Patreon post on June 27, 2023 (https://www.patreon.com/posts/06-23-original-85201435), “I tested out an A.I. writing feature just to see what it’s all about. Needless to say, it worked, but it worked too well. It was creepy. I wrote a small poem on a piece of paper to compare the poem A.I. generated in my style. I will not be doing that again. The similarity and closeness still have me twitching. With that said, I combined what I wrote with what the A.I. generated to produce the poem at the start of this piece.” For that poem, I generated a 153-word combo of my words and A.I.-generated words. The rest of the story is 1,232 words of my original content and creativity. I feel no need to revisit this experience.

I’ve also posted an abbreviated response to my social media accounts. I’d love to see you over at Instagram, YouTube, or TikTok.

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I posted a goals update last week to explain my absence from social media, if you’d like to check it out. Instagram | TikTok.

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Happy Read an Ebook Week! Don’t miss the massive celebratory sale going on right now at Smashwords! There are deep discounts on thousands of books, but only until March 9. Check it out my Ebook sales here: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/toithomas

I have a novel, short stories, nonfiction, and picture books on sale right now.

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I finally worked out the kinks with my digital ARC of Margie “The Scaredy Dog” Finds a Home. Now I just need to finalize the print proof. In the meantime, I think I’m ready to start promoting it. I’ve decided to do a giveaway with Margie merch, dog treats, and more, (I will have an alternative prize for winners outside of the U.S. and Canada) where entry is all about people sharing their pet stories online. They can share on their blogs, vlogs, podcast, or social media. As long as they share the link with me, they will be entered to win. I am going to keep it very simple and use Rafflecopter to track progress. I’m also seeking individuals who’d like to read a digital ARC. I’m hoping the recipients will review the book, but they don’t have to. I hope to launch everything next month.

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No additional updates at this time.

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What are your thoughts on A.I. and creative writing?

My response time has gotten slower but I’m still making my rounds.

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After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts:
Kristina Kelly,
Miffie Seideman,
Jean Davis, and
Liza @ Middle Passages!

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Click here to visit other IWSG blogs and sites to receive and share more inspiration and support. (This month, I’m #27).

Did you know you can join my community for FREE over at Patreon to receive a monthly update on the creative projects I’m working on? I tell you the truth, it’s better than a newsletter!

Thank you for making it this far down the virtual page. Kudos to you! I’d love to know what you thought of this post in the comments below. Stay safe and be blessed.

Categories
Promotion

Will you survive the zombie apocalypse? by Patricia Josephine @pjlauthor

Hey guys, sorry for the late post, but I wanted to give you plenty of time to check out this cool book. The ebook is discounted until Wednesday and there’s some really cool stuff in this post, including a giveaway. Check it out and enjoy!

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Will you survive the zombie apocalypse?

You wake up and find the zombie apocalypse has started. What do you do?

A: Take stock of anything you can use as a weapon, secure your home, and take stock of what food you have and how long it will last.

B: Get closer to look at a so-called zombie. This can’t be real.

C: Barricade yourself in your home and freak out.

Which of the following weapons would you use to kill zombies? 

A: Gun.

B: Knife.

C: Baseball bat.

You’re making your way downtown in hopes of finding supplies. Along the way, you see a group of 4 zombies. They appear to be eating some unlucky sap. How do you get around them?

A: Backtrack and take a different route.

B: Run in with guns blazing and take them out.

C: Throw something that makes noise and causes the zombies to follow it.

Someone you love is now a zombie. How do you react?

A: Shoot them and put them out of their misery. It’s what you’d want if the roles were reversed.

B: Sob.

C: Capture them and put them somewhere secure in hopes of someone finding a cure.

You’ve found a group of survivors, but they don’t trust you’re not infected. How do you gain their trust?

A: Put your hands up and back away to show you are no threat. Leave. It’s not worth trying to reason with them.

B: Strip down to show that you are not infected, setting all your weapons aside.

C: Insist that you are not infected, motioning to visible skin and lack of blood on your clothing.

Results

If you answered mostly A then you’ll survive. You take survival seriously and don’t take unnecessary risks. You’ll either do it alone or find people you trust. You may even end up the leader of the group.

If you answered mostly B then you are screwed. You don’t take stock of your surroundings, don’t exercises caution, and think you are invincible. And now you’re a zombie.

If you answered mostly C then you have a chance. Sure, the concept of the zombie apocalypse freaked you out, but you’ve calmed down and you’re hoping with enough gumption you’ll make it. If not, you at least plan on taking out as many as you can first.

Toi: I answered mostly A, so I guess I’ll be okay.

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Every human in the world becomes a zombie when they die. But Erin refuses to accept the world as it is now. She’s heard about a cure locked away in a lab in Upper Michigan, and she plans on retrieving it. To do so, she needs a zombie. Not just any zombie, though.

Zee is Erin’s link to the lab. His connection to the living world is her bargaining chip. But only if she can teach him to control his mindless impulses.

Can a zombie be trained? Or will Erin be Zee’s next meal and become a zombie herself? The fate of humanity rests in her hands.

Amazon.com

See my review on Goodreads | Add to your Goodreads Bookshelf

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Patricia never set out to become a writer, and in fact, she never considered it an option during high school and college. She was more of an art and band geek. Some stories are meant to be told, though, and now she can’t stop writing.

Patricia lives with her husband in Michigan, hopes one day to have what will resemble a small petting zoo, and has a fondness for dying her hair the colors of the rainbow.

Social Media Links:

Website  |  Newsletter  |  Goodreads 

Amazon Author Page  |   Facebook Page 

This post contains affiliate links. If you click through to make a purchase, I may make a small commission at no additional cost to you. Any amount I make goes towards my dream to host a book fair in Hampton Roads, VA. Please see my About page for more details. Thank you for your support.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords #blacklivesmatter

Categories
IWSG Virtual Book Tours

#IWSG June 2018 & Write with Fey #newrelease #giveaway

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Created and hosted by the Ninja himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh, the Insecure Writers Support Group posts the 1st Wednesday of every month. Click the image to learn more or sign up.

Optional Monthly Question: What’s harder for you to come up with, book titles or character names?

For me, it’s definitely book titles. I have this whole obsession with names and their meanings and keep a list of possible names I could use at any time. Book titles, on the other hand, elude me. Even after I’ve settled on one, I never really feel it fits. At some point, I have to call the book something so people will know what they are getting. It’s not easy making that final decision.

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So, first off, this is going to be a long one, but for good reason. I’ll be back to my shorter posts next time, I promise.

Now, I’d like to congratulate Juneta Key on her member spotlight in the May newsletter. Not only is she a great blogger and writer, she’s constantly giving back to the community. A very well-deserved recognition.

Now, on to the personal updates. Please stick around for a special new release message at the end.

So, in case you missed it, I unpublished the first two books in the Eternal Curse Series (they are still available to anyone who asks for them). You can learn more about that at the link above. Needless to say, I have a lot of writing to do with that rewrite as well as finishing the first draft of my Sayings sequel, which I still don’t have a title for. I seriously thought I’d be on my 3rd or 4th draft by now, but as usual, my day job, which is convenient for writing, is also so stressful as of late, that it’s blocked all my creativity… Oh well, that’s life.

On a slightly fun note, I’m in position 56 on the IWSG blog hop list. When I started out, I was 181. All that means is that many people have come and gone, and likely come back again in the time I’ve participated in this blog and I’ve been sticking with it and moving up the ladder. Being part of this group is one of my greatest accomplishments. I’m sadly thinking of reducing my blog to once a month post, still being open to interviews and spotlights whenever someone needs to fill a spot or wants some free promo… We’ll see what happens.

In typical Toi Thomas fashion, I’ve taken on a project that’s probably too ambitious for the likes of me to pull off, but since I can’t stop the dreams from keeping me up at night, I’m going for it. I’m attempting to host a fan-fueled book fair in my local area sometime next year (or the year after 😉 ). I’ve created a cute little mascot named Carnie the Bookworm. Would you like to meet him?

Over at A Small Gang of Authors, we are hosting our first ever book cover contest. We’d love for you to head over, check it out, and vote in the comments. Thanks bunches!

NEW RELEASE & GIVEAWAY!
Catch the sparks you need to write, edit, publish, and market your book!
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Write with Fey: 10 Sparks to Guide You from Idea to Publication offers an
abundance of data in one handy book. From writing your novel to prepping for publication and beyond, you’ll find sparks on every page, including 100 bonus marketing tips. You’ll also discover how to write specific scenes and characters, adding depth to your work.
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•        Spark One: Being a Writer
•        Spark Two: Story Essentials
•        Spark Three: A Book’s Stepping Stones
•        Spark Four: How To
•        Spark Five: Character ER
•        Spark Six: Editing
•        Spark Seven: Publishing
•        Spark Eight: Marketing
•        Spark Nine: Writing About
•        Spark Ten: Final Inspiration
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With so much information, you’ll take notes, highlight, and flag pages to come back to again and again on your writing journey.
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AUTHOR BIO:
Chrys Fey is the author of the Disaster Crimes Series, a unique concept blending romance, crimes, and disasters. She’s partnered with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group and runs their Goodreads book club. She’s also an editor for Dancing Lemur Press.
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Fey realized she wanted to write by watching her mother pursue publication. At the age of twelve, she started her first novel, which flourished into a series she later rewrote at seventeen. Fey lives in Florida and is always on the lookout for hurricanes.
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Chrys Fey’s Links:
Website / Blog / Amazon / Goodreads
Facebook / Twitter
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GIVEAWAY!
Open to all from June 4th 2018 – July 6th 2018
Click here to enter or use the form below.

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So, are you a whiz at book titles but struggle with character names or vice versa?
Would you ever unpublish a book? Does the idea of it terrify you?
What did you think of Carnie?
You gonna enter Chrys Fey’s giveaway?

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After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts:
Beverly Stowe McClure,
Tyrean Martinson,
Tonja Drecker, and
Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor!

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Click here to visit other IWSG blogs and sites to receive and share more inspiration and support. (This month, I’m #56).

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords