Tag: giveaway

Categories
IWSG

#IWSG August 2018: Writing Pitfalls to Avoid & a #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 pitfalls would you warn other writers to avoid on their publication journey?

The main pitfall I think many authors succumb to, myself included, is asking the wrong people for help or not asking for help at all. I learned the hard way that just because someone looks shiny and new doesn’t mean they are.

Some authors are great at building up an audience and having that look of success, but that doesn’t mean they have the skills to guide or mentor you. It sounds odd to write it out this way, but the best authors to help you are the ones who have either a giving spirit or a teaching spirit. The only way to find out if they can teach you is to spend time getting to know them. I took advice from authors who were further along in their career than I was, but their advice wasn’t meant for someone at my level. A new author and a long-established author aren’t working at the same level and may need to use different strategies.

Plus, there have been so many times where I’ve not asked for help simply because of all the bad experiences I’ve had working with others. Like it or not, though, sometimes you must take that risk and reach out; especially if it’s something that’s going to make you better at your craft.

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Congratulations to Jemima Pett on her newsletter spotlight.

Today is also WEP Challenge posting day. You can check out my entry my clicking the image below.

Over at A Small Gang of Authors, we’ve reached 156,166 views and heading toward 200,000 soon. If you guess when we’ll reach that goal, you could win $50. Pet Loki to make your guess.

The IWSG Book Club discussion on description featuring the title, The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe is still going strong if you want to check it out.

Our book selection for August/September is: The Art of Memoir by Mary Karr

This one is for our memoir writers and anyone who has ever thought of writing a memoir. The discussion will start September 19th and will go to the end of the month, but it will be up indefinitely, so you can hop in whenever you’re able to join.

Oh, and there’s a GIVEAWAY!

Book club members have the chance to win a paperback copy of Plot and Structure by James Scott Bell. This is a used copy, but it’s in great condition. To enter, go to this Rafflecopter Form. It’s free to enter, but you have to be a book club member. We will verify this, so join us on Goodreads!

One winner will be randomly selected on August 8th, and Chrys Fey will email the winner to get mailing details. All info will be kept private.

I’ve put together a reader’s scavenger hunt, from September 7-9, and would love some help getting the word out. Here’s the thing. This is a real scavenger hunt. I’m using Rafflecopter to record the results, but this is not an online “like and follow” campaign. Its 50+ fun and bookish task for book lovers to complete and share online, such as taking selfies in front of their favorite bookstore or reading an excerpt from their current read, etc… It’s open to anyone in the U.S. and Canada. The prize is a $50 gift card of choice plus $50 worth of bookish swag.

The whole point of this scavenger hunt is to make readers aware of my Lit Carnivale dream and have fun. That’s it.

If you’d like to help me promote this or have any suggestions for me, please either let me know in the comments below or visit my contact page to leave me a message. It would mean the world to me.

Now, on to the personal updates.

Well now, that was quite a bit, so I’ll keep this short.

I’m enjoying my new job.

I’m writing more often, which has been a major struggle for me.

I’m illustrating more often too.

I’m working to get back on to YouTube; I really miss it.

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Any pitfalls you’d warn writers against?

Interested in the IWSG Book Club discussion or giveaway?

Have you done any writing lately?

Any tips on how to promote my scavenger hunt?

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After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts:

Erika Beebe,
Sandra Hoover,
Susan Gourley, and
Lee Lowery!

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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 #55).

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

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!
–
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.
–
•        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
–
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

Categories
Fiction Author Virtual Book Tours

Boy of Blood by @MeganORussell Interview & #Kindle #Giveaway.

Greetings readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors and welcome to The ToiBox of Words. I’m your host Toi Thomas, author of Eternal Curse, and today I have a treat to share. A while back, I had the pleasure to interview a wonderful author named, Megan O’Russell. A good time was truly had by all, and here’s how it went down (be sure to stick around for the Kindle Fire & eBook giveaway at the end).

sourced from Twitter.com

Toi: Hi there Megan! It’s so awesome to have you here at the ToiBox Blog. I’m excited to learn more about you and your work.

Megan: It’s good to be here Toi. I can’t wait to get started.

Toi: So tell me, who is Megan O’Russell?

Megan: I am Megan O’Russell, and I have three young adult series, including the Girl of Glass series. Book two in that series, Boy of Blood, was released on April 10th and I am thrilled to send this new story out into the world!

Toi: Wow, three YA series. I see you’ve been busy.

Toi: Well before we dive into your special message today, let’s get to know you, the person inside the author.

Toi Thomas: Who is so you and why?

sourced from awesomestories.com – “Betsy Ross”, Age 21, Adept, Fair Use

Megan: I had to take a poll. The answers I got were Betsy Ross and Susan B Anthony… they may have been kidding.

Toi: Those are quite interesting. Guess that makes you a cross between a patriotic seamstress and an activist.

Toi: So, what makes you geek out?

Megan: Hamilton, Harry Potter, and Disney are the three biggest geek loves I have at the moment. If I had to choose only one, it would be Harry Potter, though I would feel like I was betraying the other two.

Toi: Ah, the struggle is real when you have to choose between the things that make you geek out the most. For me, it’s books, movies, and comic books.

Current book cover art (2007) by Taeeun Yoo, showing the Mrs. Ws (at the left) and the children at the CENTRAL Central Intelligence building (at the right)

Toi: What was your favorite book or story, pre-teen years?

Megan: Anything Madeline L’Engle. I love all of her books. There’s something in the way she wrote that was just so welcoming.

Toi: It’s hard to believe I haven’t read her books, but I’m very familiar with them. I bet you were excited to get A Wrinkle In Time movie.

Toi: Now, in terms of interviews, whose brain are you just itching to scratch?

Megan: Leigh Bardugo, author of Six of Crows and the Grisha Trilogy. It would be wonderful to sit down with such a brilliant contemporary.

Toi Thomas: Ooo, that’s a good answer. Those are both really popular series. For me, at this moment, I’d probably like to interview Marissa Meyer for her Lunar Chronicles.

Toi: Now that we know a little more about you, the person, let’s learn about you, the author, and dive into your special message.

sourced from Goodreads.com

Toi: Whacha got for me today?

Megan: Boy of Blood is the second book in my Girl of Glass series. Taking place in a mid-apocalyptic world with chemically induced vampires, the series takes a look at the fall of society from the point of view of the upper one percent.

Toi: This sounds like a unique twist to both the vampire and apocalyptic story tropes. Kudos to you.  

Toi: Who’s starring in this 2-dimensional script read of Boy of Blood?

Megan: Nola Kent is my protagonist. She’s spent her life living in the safety of the domes, secure in the knowledge that she is protected. When watching those on the outside of the glass suffer becomes too much, she is drawn into a world of darkness she never imagined.

The thing I love most about Nola is her heart. She doesn’t do everything right–she sometimes hurts people–but even when she screws up, she always began her actions through a place of compassion.

Toi: Sounds like you have a pretty solid, strong female character to lead your series.

Toi: Now, what’s so special about this story that’s going to reel in the readers?

Megan: We’ve all seen dystopian worlds from the point of view of those starving on the street. The Girl of Glass story twists that trope. The question then becomes how much suffering can you watch before it is your obligation to help?

Toi: That’s a great selling point, and you’re right; that’s not a perspective we often receive in stories such as this. I’m intrigued.

Toi: Past, present, future, is there a rhyme or reason to your writing?

Megan: At the moment, I’m purely working on the Boy of Blood book release fueled by massive amounts of coffee and queso. After life calms down, I’ll be back to editing book three in the series, currently titled Night of Never.

Toi: Oh, I can totally relate. Sometimes the book release can be more grueling than the whole writing process, but it all pays off in the end.

Toi: What author(s) has most influenced your writing? Why or how?

Megan: Madeline L’Engle for her sense of engaging wonder.

Toi: I can see that. It’s got to be hard being a fan without also being influenced as a writer.

Toi: Now this is where the questions get a little kooky; are you ready?

Megan: Yeah, do that.

sourced from Wikipedia.com – Theatrical release poster

Toi: If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Megan: Big Hero Six because Baymax brings me joy.

Toi: I know what you mean. Wish I had a Baymax in my life.

Toi: When the soundtrack of your life is playing in your head, what songs express your glee and what songs bring out your rage?

Megan: Basically, Mumford and Sons Pandora station for Joy, Flogging Molly Pandora for Rage.

Toi: Wow. I guess it’s good Pandora offers so much variety; everything you need for joy and rage is right there.

Toi: Let’s play zombie urban survivor. What 3 things do you need to survive a black-out in Central Park the day zombies attack?

Megan: I’d want a hunting knife, rope, and matches.

Toi: I like it. Forget about flashlights; let’s light some stuff on fire. LOL!

Toi: What’s the most fun experience you’ve ever had, to date?

Megan: My husband and I took a two-week road trip through Ireland. That was the most relaxed and joyful I have ever been. Live music, wonderful scenery, amazing people. I would go back in an instant.

Toi: That does sound nice and relaxing. I haven’t been anywhere as special as Ireland yet, but I too love those quiet, intimate road trips with the hubby.

Toi: Last question of the day; here we go.

Toi: Not that you can see into the future, but in your opinion, what does the future hold?

Megan: I’m going to err on the hopeful side. In five years, we’ll all have realized that all humans are humans, nothing more nothing less. I personally will have a thriving publishing career and own a house near the water… and a cat.

Toi: Now, that’s a future I can get behind. I wish you all the best.

Toi: Thank you so much, Megan, for spending time with me today.

Megan: Thanks for having me, Toi. It was tons of fun.

Okay readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors, that’s all for today. Be sure to follow this blog to see who will be visiting next time. And don’t forget to check out this cool Kindle Fire & eBooks GIVEAWAY. For more from Megan O’Russell, check out these great links:

Website: MeganORussell.com

Blog: Life Beyond Exaggeration

Facebook: ORussellauthor

Twitter: @MeganORussell

Purchase links for Boy of Blood: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Kobo | iTunes

This has been a

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