Categories
About Toi

#IWSG & Blog Update

I want to say thank you to any and all who have stopped by my blog this month. I also want to apologize for not replying to comments or visiting other blogs yet. I do plan to start replying and commenting tomorrow, but I have been struggling with health issues and trying to balance my day job and all my creative interests and goals. It saddens me that I’m not able to do everything I want to do and often end up falling short in one way or another, sometimes in several ways.

I was supposed to attend a live event today, but it was canceled due to the virus. In all honesty, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to attend the event anyway, given my current condition. In some ways, this cancelation was a blessing. Since I had planned to offer a t-shirt sale at the event, I decided to simply share the sale online (https://litcarnivale.sellmytees.com).

So, in closing, I just want to say, thanks for stopping by and sorry if I’ve dropped the ball so much.

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

Categories
IWSG

#IWSG October 2017: personal life slipped in fiction, THE FLU, unfollowing #blogs, & my birthday

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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.

Monthly Question: Have you ever slipped any of your personal information into your characters, either by accident or on purpose?

Yes and yes. I’ve intentionally written about places I’ve lived or visited. I’ve named characters after family members and friends, and I’ve added aspects of my personality to characters. Unintentionally, I’ve included instances similar to actual events I’ve experienced in my stories, only realizing the connection later on. I tend to have reoccurring themes in my writing that are a direct reflection of issues that are important to me, therefore they become important to my characters.

Oh, and since today is “Show Us Your Writer Insecurity” Day! Here are a few images and videos of me showing off my #IWSG swag and logo.
Facebook fan page cover | Tumblr video |  YouTube: What’s In My Bag Tag

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Now on to the personal updates.

I am flabbergasted that my school division is waiting until November 1st to start offering flu shots. I guess there is some merit to not getting it too early, but man, with people already passing around colds, it seems risky. Still, I also recognize that some people are against the shots altogether, but for someone with a weak immune system, I have to do whatever I can to increase my chances of not ending up in the hospital again. If it’s within your means and personal lifestyle plan, please get one. If not, do whatever you do to protect yourself.

Stay healthy people! 😀

I’m writing a lot right now, but I’m not making a lot of progress on any one thing. I keep starting new projects every time I get stuck on something else. At this point, I’ve decided to simply alternate the WIPs I have, do a little here and there, whenever the muse strikes. I’ll write more on this in my monthly WIP update, so if you’re interested, come back Friday to see what I have.

Last Wednesday, I posted about how I unfollowed over 100 blogs . It was one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time. Instead of trying and failing to engage with 20 or more blogs a day, I’m now fully engaged and sharing 4 – 8 blogs a day. I have so much time to do stuff now. I’m almost hysterical with relief over how relaxed I feel about following and commenting on blogs right now.

One reason I culled my blogs, other than making more time to write, was so I could dedicate a bit of networking and promoting time to a group of authors who blog together and support one another. I’m so happy to be a member of A Small Gang of Authors . If you’re up for it, please consider stopping by today, to see my very first post.

Lastly, it’s October and I’m so happy. Fall is here and I can finally start wearing scarves (I kinda have a scarf problem). And, to top it all off, my birthday is October 21st. To celebrate, this year I’m going to have a big Kindle sale and offer a paperback giveaway. If you’re up for it, I’d really appreciate some support for my Thunderclap campaign. It would mean the world to me.

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Any personal information slip into your fiction?

Have you considered unfollowing blogs?

What about October/Fall are you looking forward to?

Do you have a birthday this month?
If not, “A Very Merry Unbirthday to You!”

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After hanging out with Alex, be sure to stop by and visit this month’s co-hosts:
Olga Godim,
Chemist Ken,
Jennifer Hawes, and
Tamara Narayan!

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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 #60).

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