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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So, in case you missed it, I unpublished the first two books in the Eternal Curse Series (they are still available to anyone who asks for them).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.

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
With so much information, you’ll take notes, highlight, and flag pages to come back to again and again on your writing journey.
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.
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.
Chrys Fey’s Links:
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

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About Toi AdventuresNBlogging

#Giveaway Winner Announced & the #BloggerAmbush Blitz

This is an unexpected Monday post for me. Usually, I leave this day open to reblogs and promoting others but since I wasn’t booked and realized I had way too much content to stuff into my IWSG post on Wednesday, I thought, ‘Why not do a Monday blog?’ It’s not that unusual for me… In any case, here’s what I got.

I had a rough birthday this year, but there were some highs that made it all worth it. Oh, and I have a winner for my birthday, Top 5 Angel books, giveaway.

Sherry Fundin
 I hope you enjoy this prize!

Now let’s talk about one of my current pet projects that means so much to me, the Blogger Ambush Blitz, hosted over at #ReadingIndie.
The idea of this blitz isn’t something I came up with, by far, but it’s an idea that I thought was great the first time I saw it and think it’s worth giving a go time and again.

The original idea was for bloggers to unite to visit and support one blogger among the group all at once to give them a boost, engagement, and simply make their day. It was such a good idea that the blogger list grew to outrageous proportions. While I loved getting the notification that it was time once again to spotlight someone, I think many became defeated with the notion that their turn would never come. Plus, the spotlights were sporadic, not giving members a sense of routine or stability. I’m not sure if this original blitz is still going on.

My idea for the Blogger Ambush Blitz is simple. We ambush one random blogger from the list of members each week until everyone gets a turn. Our aim is to grow the list to 25 members, offering each member a chance to be ambushed (or spotlighted) twice a year. For me, I personally hope the idea catches on and grows to the point where I can set up multiple blogger lists. I can imagine having Blogger Ambush Blitz’s for major fiction genres, just for writers, just for inspirational quotes, and so much more. With the blitz only requiring members to visit ONE blog a WEEK, I don’t see why this can’t be the next step in blogger support and networking.

At least, that’s my dream 😀 .

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
About Toi Promotion

Happy Birthday to Me Blitz! #Kindle sale + #paperback #giveaway

In celebration of my birthday on October 21st, all my ebooks are on sale $0 – $1.99 from October 20th – October 24th. All these books are also available in print and come with reasonable shipping through Createspace.com, if you don’t have Amazon Prime. Check them out below and then stick around for my Top 5 Angel Books and giveaway.

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Legend of the Boy, In the Window, and Other short stories – sale $0.99 | Createspace $9.99

Collection of multi-genre stories including science fiction, romance, and paranormal. The first title story is that of a boy who must destroy the world so he can save humanity.

It’s Like the Full Moon – sale $1.99| Createspace $14.99

A romantic comedy and the first in a series. The mild-mannered Rebecca gets caught up in a most unlikely love-triangle and her BFF Lisa isn’t much help.

Eternal Curse: Giovanni’s Angel – sale $1.99| Createspace $14.99

Giovanni’s a creature out of time. Mira’s a doctor trying to classify him. Beauty and the Beast meet Jekyll and Hyde in this paranormal romance with biblical influences.

40 DAYS AND NIGHTs OF ETERNAL CURSE- a nonfiction companion guide to the novel- sale FREE| Createspace $5.99

Eternal Curse: Battleground – sale $1.99| Createspace $14.99

A family saga that touches the past and future. Giovanni’s story will bring you to tears as loss and duty blur the lines of hope for what is to come.

BATTLEGROUND SURVIVAL 101- a nonfiction companion guide to the novel- sale FREE| Createspace $5.99

Chip and Skip Need Each Other – sale $0.99 | Createspace $9.99

What Does Joe Need – sale $0.99 | Createspace $9.99

These two simple, yet vibrant stories teach young children, and those with special needs, the difference and importance of needs and wants, at home, school, and overall. Sold separately.

Plants and Animals Change Over Time – sale $0.99 | Createspace $9.99

Land Changes Over Time – sale $0.99 | Createspace $9.99

These two simple, yet vibrant stories teach young children, and those with special needs, the importance and inevitability of change in living things and the world. Sold separately.

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If you aren’t familiar with me yet, don’t worry; this is your chance to learn that I love Batman, Betty Boop, Star Wars, and Angels. I like all kinds of angels. Good ones, bad ones, and creatures with wings that look like angels but may not actually be. I don’t think it’s just a matter of wings either. There are other winged creatures I like, such as dragons, but there are also some I don’t like such as flying monkeys or seagulls. LOL! But seriously, I’ve grown a fondness for angel lore and stories about and or containing angel-like creatures. Heck, I even write about them in my Eternal Curse Series. While my books are influenced by Bible tales, a great many angel stories are not. Either way, if it’s about angels, I’m probably going to like it. So, here’s a list of the Top 5 angel books (or books with an angel or angel-like character) I’ve read in at least the last ten years, and in no particular order.

Angelfall (left) Book Depository  | Amazon

The Conduit (right- an older edition cover, same awesome story) Book Depository | Amazon

The Devil’s Daughter (left)  Book Depository | Amazon

Mercury Falls (right) Book Depository | Amazon

Secret in the Wings (above) Amazon

If you like angels or supernatutal and urban fantasy stories, you should enter my paperback giveaway (open to US only) of the books mentioned above. I’ve enjoyed them and hope you will too. If you are looking for discounted print books with free international shipping, give Book Depository a try. Thanks for celebrating my birthday with me… And remember, book reviews are every author’s life force. 🙂

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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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