July IWSG Post...

 Wow, July already? That's just incredible. Time seems to move faster the older you get. It'd be nice if it would slow down just an eensy, teensy little bit. Right?

Oh, well.

Let's get to this month's Insecure Writer's Support Group question!

If you could live in any book world, which one would you choose?

This is a difficult question for me. There are many, many book worlds I would love to live in, but I think I wouldn't survive most of them! 

If I had to choose, it'd be a tough call between the Harry Potter world or Middle Earth.

In Harry's world, I would hopefully have magic, and not be a Muggle. Because, let's face it, that would suck. Living in a magical world and you're still mundane. That would be more like a torture. But, we're assuming that whatever world we choose, we'd get the gifts of the characters. And magic would be so fun! My house would be spotless as I learn from Mrs. Weasley, all the magical ways of cleaning. I'd have a penseive for those most important, special memories. I hope my Patronus would be a wolf, or even a cat. Ooh! A llama!

If I chose Tolkien's world, it would probably be a pretty dangerous place for a while. But I would love to be either an Elf or Hobbit. Hobbits seem to have a pretty quiet life, full of laughter and friendship. The Elves are respected and quite snobbish at times, but they're elegant and graceful. I'd be the only clumsy Elf alive! So, I think I would choose a nice quiet life of a Hobbit.

It would be a very difficult decision. I have so many other book worlds I would love to live in, such as The Little House on the Prairie book world. Or even the world of David Eddings, the Mallorean world. There's also the world of The Dragon Prince, by Melanie Rawn. It's a magical world with dragons and so many places to go.

Okay, final decision, I choose Middle Earth. I need some furry feet.

Thanks for dropping by and reading my post! Don't forget to hop on over to everyone else's post and at least leave a quick comment! Happy Hopping!

A Writer's Life...

As writers, it seems we're put through the ringer more than the rest of the world. Sometimes. Perhaps it is because the higher powers that be want us to experience more, feel more, so we know how to share it with the world when we write our story.

I say sometimes, because sometimes it seems like that one author you admire so much seems to have it easy. They can crank out best sellers like a factory worker. But you never know what that person had to go through to get there.

I've seen all sorts of questions from new authors, wanting to know how to manage their time, how to just sit down and write, what to write and why, for the love of all that is holy, do we write?

It's different for everyone. Managing time is difficult for me. I end up writing in spurts. I go long periods without writing and then start to feel guilty or ashamed for not writing and try to force it. Then it comes out like crap, but it is down on paper for me to revise.

Not knowing what to write really hasn't been that much of an issue for me. Getting from point A to point B in my story has been. And I write because I have cool ideas and stories to tell. It is something I would like to read, but have yet to find out there. And I am dipping my toe into so many different genres, it's been fun!

But my life, it's anything but glamorous. I live paycheck to paycheck. If something were to happen to my car, or me, or my family (knock on wood), it would set me back and I'd be stressed and frantic. My sister in law had commissioned a book cover and an editor, had plans to make payments and her husband got laid off. The money she had went to bills. So she started a GoFundMe campaign. I've been tweeting about that. I've seen others who have needed help start campaigns as well. It's important to help out, even if it is just sharing links. Every writer out there has a dream and they all deserve to live it.

I know other authors who struggle with bills, with their health and other things, but they keep on writing. It isn't self flagellation, it's just the love of the craft.

Okay, maybe a little flagellation...

But if you love to write and your life is chaotic at best, you will find a way. You might need to rely on your community once in awhile, but you will get by. I hope all of you find success, no matter what your definition may be. But this community of writers has been good and supportive when it matters. No matter what sort of support you are seeking. Keep your chin up and don't give up!

Please note there are TWO links to two different campaigns. Help out however you can, even if it is just sharing the links on your social media or blogs.



What's your writer life like?

Insecure Writer's Support Group...

Wow. Time just. Flies. It is the first Wednesday of the month, and if you don't know it's significance, by all means, meet the mastermind behind this awesome bloghop, Alex J. Cavanaugh.

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is where we all share our insecurities or support those with them. Some days you're the supporter, others, the supportee.

I am, thankfully, lacking in insecurities this time around.

I know, right? I know you're all thankful for that! Ha!

Words of wisdom are escaping me. But I know I have some. Where are you, you little buggers? ::Stuffs a hand into her wisdom bag and shuffles things around:: Nope. Nope, not that either. Hmm...

Well, for whatever reason you chose to become a writer, I hope that it mostly is due to the fact that you have a story to tell, and no one else but you can tell it properly.

Lots of people have stated that they write the kinds of stories they would like to read. I can say the same, for sure. I actually like what I write, and can only hope others enjoy it as well. If not, well, it's more their loss than mine.

If you ever feel like your story isn't good enough, or there is some certain element missing that you just can't place your finger on, that just might be self doubt speaking into the dark recesses of your mind. So don't listen. Instead, send off your writing to someone who will give you honest feedback. There's got to be at least one person you know you can send your work to, right? Even if it is just someone who's blog you follow. Don't be shy! Send a message, ask if they'll look it over. People tend to be busy, but you know, sometimes, they just might have a moment to look your work over.

Not everyone, but some. And if they take the time to read your work, and give you feedback, thank them. (If I've never thanked you, THANK YOU!) Seriously. Sometimes you just have to have a little faith in yourself, and trust that you have written a good story, something others will enjoy and want to read. But do try to choose a topic/genre that isn't too overly saturated. Finding your needle in that haystack might make you feel dubious about putting out another book. Might make you feel insecure. There are people looking for stories out there that aren't following the trends. So go with that!

And because tomorrow is the 4th of July, let me take this moment to tell you all to have a happy and SAFE weekend! Please, be careful. I'll see you all on Friday for the Faves and Funnies, if you're here.

Exciting Things To Come...

Hey everyone! I'm sure some of you have heard by now, since I plastered it all over the webiverse. My book, 'Adversarius, Shadow of the Rose: Book One' will be available December 7, 2012!

Super excited over here. Doing the happy dance and everything!

I'll be hosting a virtual book tour starting in January. In the meantime, I'd like to offer up the chance for three lucky people to win a copy of my book. Right now, it is only going to be available as an e-book, print will come later.

However, since I don't have a lot of extra cash, especially around the holidays, I'll just be giving away books this time around. I'll do a bigger giveaway when I am able to. Right now, I'd like to spread the word about Adversarius!

So on that note, you'll see a new little page tab at the top of this blog. It says, 'Giveaway Donations'. Like I state on that page, I'm not asking for money, especially this time of year! I am asking for books, swag, bookmarks, etc. I'll use these as giveaway prizes if you see fit to send me something OR hold onto the item and ship it off to the winner if you prefer that instead.

December 10th will be my first Book Giveaway, so make sure to stop on by and read the rules! Yes, there are rules, there are ALWAYS rules. So help me spread the word about Adversarius!

And thank you, ALL of you, for the wonderful help and support you have given me to get this far. Some of you more than others, and you all know who you are. I appreciate absolutely everything you have all done for me on this journey.

The Tyrant King Blog Tour...

Hey all! So my sister in law, Cheri Chesley, has her newest book in her young adult fantasy series out. It is called 'The Tyrant King'. She's been a hoppin' about the blogosphere these days and I bet she's getting kinda tired. That's a lot of hoppin'!

Her latest stop today has her on not one, but THREE blogs. Can you imagine? Well, technically four... Mindy and Sheila are blogging separately and together on their combined blog. You'll find the links below.

Here they are:

Angela Brown
Mindy Holt
Sheila Staley
LDS Women's Book Review 

So stop on by and share the links to all of these wonderful blogs. Help Cheri get the exposure she deserves. We are all authors supporting authors, right? And readers. We're ALL readers!  Thanks everyone!

Insecure Writer's Support Group...

It's the first Wednesday of the month! You know what that means, don't you? That's right. Insecure Writer's Support Group brought to you by our very own Ninja Captain himself, Alex J. Cavanaugh. That is the link you click if you want to be a part of this wonderful, helpful blog hop.

On to the insecurities! And I have a plethora of them.

Mainly, these days, I'm worried about my book. I have to use this time to vent a little bit, guys. I can't help it. But that's what this blog hop is about, right?

I submitted last year. On my birthday to be exact and was accepted right away. Best birthday present ever! I was cautious about things when they mentioned a May release, but I was hopeful. However, it didn't happen and that was cool with me. I know how things can get screwed up.

My release date has been pushed back a few times, through no fault of mine or my publisher. Things happen. Accidents, sickness and deaths in the family all overshadowed book releases. Completely understandable and don't get me wrong, I am NOT complaining about my publisher.

So what is my insecurity? My own personal jumping-the-gun, impatience and oh-my-god-people-must-think-I'm-insane-ness. Meaning, I wanted to be as organized as possible for when my book did release. I wanted to have a schedule for everyone involved in the blog tour/book launch. Then, to my dismay, I had to inform those people that the book just wasn't going to be ready. Not once, but twice.

*sigh*

So my apologies to all of those involved. I've been silent the past few weeks simply because I don't want to say, "Hey the book should be out on such and such date!" and then have it not happen. And in all of this, I don't want it to reflect poorly on me for wanting to be prepared. I'm not THAT much of a flake, I don't think. I'm just overly excited and anxious to have my book available to the world.

So that's my insecurity for the month. How do you handle it when you have to push back a release date? Does it hurt your reputation as a writer or do people just not focus on it like I do? Thoughts and encouragement is always welcome! Have a great day and I'll be hopping around to read your posts.

Insecure Writers Support Group...

It's the first Wednesday of the month and that means it is time for IWSG! Insecure Writers Support Group.

Who isn't insecure about their writing?

Having a support group like this is really, really helpful. It saves my sanity, more often than not, just knowing I can vent to other writers once a month. People who know what I am going through when I feel insecure or hit a snag or get irritated with some lousy idiot who doesn't....

Ahem.

You get the idea.

It's also nice to be able to offer up support and advice for those who might need it. There are soooo many of us involved in this, I don't get to everyone. I think the Ninja Captain himself is the only one who does... So if I don't make it by, I'm sorry. I will try to get to you next time around.

Which leads me to my insecurity of sorts. Commenting. I love reading everyone's posts and I do drop by, trust me. Time is limited as you are well aware. But sometimes, I don't leave a comment to let you know I was there because I just don't know what to say.

Things like, "Great post!" is good, but I fear may come across as, "Oh. Hey. Just skimmed. Good job. Keep it up. See ya."

You know?

Meh.

I do make an effort to get involved in discussions. But I'm also having issues with Blogger these days with people not able to leave a comment. (Some anyway, working on it.) And I've reached my limit on how many people I can follow. So I don't see all the posts in the feed. I have tried deleting some blogs that are inactive and have been for over a year or something silly I don't want to follow anymore and I can't get them to load so I can remove them. Very frustrating!

And I refuse to upgrade Blogger. That's like saying, "Hey, don't worry about your buggy issues, let me just throw some money at you to make it all go away..."

Not.

I'll try to be better. Maybe when I comment, I'll say, "I was here!!!" if I can't think of anything else to say. That way you know I stopped by and showed you some bloggy love. <3 br="br">

A Week Of Me...

Yes, you read that right. All week long, I'm going to be spotlighted on the Word Weavers page on Facebook.

I know you have some questions, so I will answer best I can.

Q: What is Word Weavers?

A: Word Weavers (for those of you who remember me talking about it a few times) is a group dedicated to writers. We support, promote and well, support some more. This is the group I was a part of a long time ago that designed those Author Trading Cards. Well, the cards are back and so is the group!

Q: So what's the spotlight thing?

A: Once a week, we're spotlighting an author. Either an established one or a newbie.

Q: So what's going to happen all week long?

A: Well, Monday will just be a day of links on where to find the author, their website, their blog, Twitter, Facebook, etc. At least, this is what is happening for me. On Tuesday, we'll have a Q&A day. Wednesday will be a link to my blog, the one I do on World Building. Thursday will be a sneak peek from my book, Adversarius, that I won't be posting on my blog.

On that note, here is the link to the Facebook page, Word Weavers. So I leave you with that. Drop by and check out where you can find me today, even though most of you are already pretty good stalkers. Share the page, share the love, support an author!

And before I go, I do have a question for anyone who is proficient with Photoshop or the like: Can someone please help me fix my drawing of Laria? I'd like to be able to use it for bookmarks, but the coloring is so washed out and I can't afford the materials I need to make it work. If you are able to help, you know how to contact me! Thanks!

Why Is Bad Writing So Good?...

I've talked about stuff like this before. The reasons behind the popularity of books such as 'Twilight' and '50 Shades of Grey'.

Writers have dubbed these books as horrible, poorly written and slop.

Readers gobble these books up , though, so why is that? If we're going to be Book Snobs, we better be prepared for the inevitable backlash.

One of my best friends loved the 'Twilight' series. We go round and round about it, but she does have a sense of humor when it comes to all the jokes bashing it on Facebook.

Her argument is this: She's not a writer, she's a reader and she enjoyed the story. She didn't sit there and analyze every sentence/paragraph/chapter. She enjoyed the book at face value. The poor writing didn't bother her in the least.

While I have to agree with her on some points, and I do, there is still more to the story I don't like. Even if I think the writing isn't that great.

Because of this, though, I'm not even going to go near '50 Shades'. Lots of reasons behind it aside from the whole debate online about it being poorly written. Plain and simple, it isn't the sort of genre I would choose to read. I can tolerate a good, well written romance, but I won't be delving into this book anytime soon just because of the touchy topic.

No pun intended.

But this is what it boils down to when we are faced with a poorly written book that becomes wildly popular and sells millions of copies:

We hate it.

Why? Because we work so hard at honing our craft and selling the measly 50+ copies a month. We push our books like crack. We pimp them out like hookers. We struggle, we work hard and we sacrifice so much of our selves and our lives. Then comes along some weak, viral sensation and we all stand, mouths agape at the hordes of people clamoring to get said book. Movie deals are made and we still work that second job hoping that someday our skills will pay the bills.

Would we be so jealous of a well written book? I don't think so. I see all the support for authors such as J. R. R. Martin and his 'Game of Thrones'. Same can be said for the 'Hunger Games' series as well as for Ms. Rowling's super success.

Those are the people we strive to be like. One day, maybe we will.

While I don't want to speak for any of you, what are your thoughts on the subject?

Guest Post: Dawn Binkley, Hellfire Publishing...

Thank you so much Mel for letting me have the day on your blog to talk to other writers and
reader’s.

A quick little bio about me :)

Executive Editor, Dawn Binkley

Dawn Binkley, a writer since her late teens is driven by the written word. She believes, without
writers, the world as we know it would cease to exist. Books, scripts, advertisements, history, the
daily news reports, none of it would be possible without smart, articulate people to write it.

Mrs. Binkley is also a writer and is better known under her pen name Keira Kroft.

Dawn, co-owner of Hellfire Publishing and Hellfire Comics, also carries a vet assistance degree.
Her love for animals is as great as her love of people. She gives a percentage of her personal
book sale profits to the animal welfare league.

She was born and raised in Chicago and now resides in a quiet suburbs in the outskirts of the
city with her husband and her daughter. Dawn spends her spare time working with her cats
Scamper and Sawyer, to achieve total world domination, one shared Twinkie at a time. Her
passions include reading, writing, football and shopping.

Dawn will read anything you put in front of her. Whether she will like it, is another story. Her
preferences are vampires. If an author were to submit something with what she calls “real”
vampires, she will rip the hair out the head of any one that will try to take it from her. Also
amongst her preferences are ghost stories, werewolves and other paranormal beings. She looks
for creativity and wild imagination.

Direct quote from Dawn “Without great imagination, writing would simply be nothing more than
meaningless paper.”

She strives to bring the best fiction possible to the plate and has carefully staffed HP with like-
minded, smart, driven people in the editor positions. The entire foundation of Hellfire Publishing
is built upon community, love and trust.

I would like to talk about the fact that writing is not a one person career.

Who do you have to thank? As a writer, now that your or when your career takes off, who do
you have to thank? I mean sincerely, not just people you promised, whose egos you would puff
up by placing their name and kind words inside your novel. I mean the real people that actually
sacrifice themselves for your career.

My husband is number one. He always supports me and lets me take the time I need to write. He
is also not afraid to tell me if I come up with an idea, that he deems, stoopid? LOL He also gives

me the freedom to take his advice or not and most of the time he is right. But, don’t tell him that,
shhhhh.

My daughter. Yes our kids sacrifice themselves in their own way as well. In my daughters case
it’s giving up time IM’ing her boyfriend and believe me that’s a sacrifice for her!

My proofreader Jeanette, She had to read the first piece of crap I had ever written, God love her.
She was wonderful, very objective and not afraid to tell me like it was.

Books and internet, made it easy for me to look up info and get answers.

Decadent publishing, for taking a chance on a newbie. Because everybody has to start
somewhere, and without people that are willing to do that, we don’t stand a chance. They have
been so wonderful to me, I don’t consider them a starting point, I consider them a home where I
would love to reside as long as they will keep me.

Last, but not least my friends that simply just believed I could do it! Their trust and faith in me,
made a believer out of my toughest critic— myself.

Both of my businesses are both supportive environments to my writing career. Especially the
writers at Hellfire Publishing, they understand that on top of everything I do, that I have a career
as well and they make allowance for that. I am truly blessed.

So tell me, who do you have to thank, really?

Most of all I would like thank the reader’s. Out of the millions of books available nowadays you
chose mine, and that means everything to me. Thank you.

Writing is a career choice and a very tough business. Don’t be afraid to accept help. Writing is
hard work, however it’s the friendliest business :-D

So enjoy!

I would like to offer a free ecopy of Glow in the Dark to anyone who comments.

Dawn Binkley
Executive Editor
Hellfire Publishing
www.hellfirepublishing.com

Also known as:
Keira Kroft
www.keirakroft.blogspot.com

So You Want Your Book Reviewed...

In light of recent events, I am going to put something out here that I have on my WDC (Writing.com) portfolio.

And now I am going to add to it. This is for me to use when I choose to do a review. Feel free to use this if you do reviews.

1. Reviews are given FOR FREE.

2. I, personally, do not get paid to review a book or short story. If you choose to give me a copy of your work in order to garner a review, do not think of it as payment. I would gladly purchase the book if you would prefer, but I honestly don't think I should. You want the review and are contacting me, not the other way around.

3. If I do not like your work, I will tell you in private and not put a bad review out there. If you are self published, I hope my critique of your work prompts you to fix it and put it back up for sale. You upload the content yourself, this has to be an option.

If I do like your work, I will post reviews for you where you ask me to, as well as post the review on my blog.

4. Please realize real time constraints. You know nothing of my personal life and how I spend my time. (If you truly know, you better be related...) You can only assume from what I tell people here on my blog and other social media. We all know what assuming does, don't we? However, should I fall behind, I will do my best to maintain contact and make sure you know this in advance. If you cannot wait, I'm sorry.

5. Please act in a professional and courteous manner. Rude will get you nowhere. Worse than rude, well, we won't discuss that, will we?

I am trying to make light of a situation here as well as give some real advice for reviewers and writers alike. There isn't much humor in the way people treat other people at times. There is no need for threats, stalking, name calling or any other rude, unprofessional behavior in regards to opinions.

We all know what opinions are like, right?

I am going to say this, whether I regret it later or not remains to be seen. This is a free country, I am allowed to express myself however I deem fit.

Don't. Push. It.

And one final thing to say about all of this. GROW UP and ACT YOUR AGE.

Thanks everyone!

Recap & Clarification On Mr. Bryant...

If the name Carroll Bryant is not familiar, it soon will be. And not in a flattering way at all. This man seems to have single-handedly made indie publishing that much harder for indie authors with his lack of ethics and professional protocol.

Now mind you, I'm going by other blog posts, some details I found through other blog posts and have yet to go look around on AbsoluteWrite.com and check out the forums. But, bloggers tend to be pretty good in gathering their facts, so I will leave you with two more blog links to see more of what has come to light in this whole situation.

This one.

And this one. This one, is the most important.

Okay, and I did just go through some of the forum stuff on AbsoluteWrite.com here.

Once you are a little more informed, like me, you'll still see this as a bad thing. This guy did not act in a professional manner at all.

Indie authors already have a bad rap! This is not going to help. Reviewers are throwing down the gauntlet and quite a few are not going to review indie authors ever again. Unless of course, they have built a rapport with them and like them.

So like one person said on the AW Water Cooler, Authors Behaving Badly is becoming a trend. Their numbers rise while those of us with professionalism and integrity struggle. (Okay, I didn't quote them verbatim, you get the idea.)

There are going to be some severe consequences to all of this, guys.

1) IF people continue to buy Mr. Bryant's books and his numbers continue to grow rapidly due to his now A.B.B. image, more authors are going to follow suit.

2) Reviewers will stop reviewing.

What does this mean for writers? Readers?

If Bryant's perverse way of gaining readers works and others follow suit, we're in for a world of hurt. People hide behind the computer every day spouting off things they would never say to someone face to face. Seriously, I would like to meet with people face to face who bad mouth me. In my experience, most of those people back down and try to explain away their actions to smooth things over so I don't end up using their head for a doorstop.

Not really.

Maybe.

Point is, he needs to be the one taught a lesson in all of this, not the reviewers who really had every right to do what they did. Again, a commenter on AW Water Cooler said he's the adult here, shouldn't he be acting his age?

Reviewers are vital to the publishing industry. Why? Because they tell people whether or not a book is worth it. Will one reviewer make or break you?

NO.

Because everyone's tastes in books varies. I can tell you what I like to read. It doesn't mean that you won't like it. If I love it, you may hate it. If I hate it, you'll adore it. Possibilities are endless here. The reviewers are just trying to help filter through the crap. Sorry, but there is lots of it out there, self published AND traditional published.

Pointing the finger at self pubbed authors is not going to help. Some review blogs I have read did state that most indie authors are more pushy. Maybe they are, but you can't tell me a traditionally published author can't be just as pushy. Or creepy. Or dysfunctional.

This is not something that is going to go away overnight. People love the drama. MY concern is this, however: If something isn't done about this as a writing community whether you are self published, traditional published, a reader, a reviewer or even a blogger - it is only going to get worse.

That is my opinion, take it or leave it, as always.

What do you think?

I'm Sorry?...

I'm a little stunned.

You guys know me, I don't always comment on your blogs, but when I see something you've posted and it hits me like a ton of bricks, I have to add my two cents.

So here it is.

First of all, let me just link you to this post here about an indie author who went on a review rant. This post will link to another where you can see the details of it all.

Second, let me state right here and now that if I offered up to review your book and haven't AND you have not heard from me about it. I'm sorry.

Last thing I need is someone listing me as their source of angst. I mean... I can be, but not in this instance!

Now for the rest of my two cents. It doesn't matter if you are an indie author or traditionally published author. If you ask me to review your book (because hey, I've reviewed books here) please keep in mind that I have stuff to do with my own book, my work, my family. Even with *gasp!* other books. If I can't finish your book, for whatever reason, I will try again. If I still can't, I will email you. Personally, I don't like to give a bad review. I'll give you my review in private if it comes to that point, not for all the world to see simply because I know how hard it is to shake off negativity.

I also am seeing a trend in some of the indie authors out there (not that any of them have contacted me personally) that have the frame of mind that they're somehow better than traditionally published authors. Writers as a whole are pretty humble creatures. We don't expect anything or think we're entitled to special treatment because we write. So why have that attitude? Are you so jaded by the publishing industry that you would turn on your readers and fellow authors? If that's the case, stop writing and find something else to do. Otherwise, stop whining and work on your book. Hire an editor, join a critique group, make your self published book the best it can be to avoid getting bad reviews.

I try to review books I read, whether asked to do the review or not. If I like the book, I am going to review it. There were a couple of reviews I did that were not glowing, rave reviews when I was helping another reviewer on their blog, but I didn't enjoy posting them. I did contact the person I was helping and said, "I can't do this anymore, some of these books are soooo bad!"

If indie authors want to maintain respect, let me suggest that you act in a professional manner. Act like a published author! Don't call people thieves or liars if they did not review your book. Not everyone will contact you if they don't like your work, they'll just drop it, ignore you and hope you'll go away. If you really want that bad review, it can be done. But why would you?

Tips on professionalism:

* Politely email the people and ask if they've had a chance to read your work, if not, when can they do so? If they have, but didn't like your material, either thank them for their time or ask for constructive criticism.

* Don't bad mouth people, their blogs, their books, etc. Karma will come back to you. People will see you acting petty and think, "Wow, I am NOT going to read their book if they're going to be like this..."

* What you post on the internet will find a way to remain on here FOREVER. So, with that in mind... THINK about what you post before you post it. I'm sure I have stuff out there I would LOVE to take down...

* Treat people how you want to be treated. The Golden Rule. If someone offers up a review of your book, offer one in return if they are a writer. If they're not a writer, link to their blog or website. Support the people that support YOU. However, if they don't follow through on their review promise, don't get pissy. Again, politely email them and say, "Hey, you promised a review for a review. If you are unable to review my book, I will not be able to uphold the deal we had." Of course... maybe try not to sound so rude... But people will read things online in their own voice and you may end up coming across snarky anyway. So begin with "I'm not trying to be rude."

Overall, no one is entitled to anything more than anyone else in this business. Yes, indie authors seem to have a harder time of it because of the route they choose. But I know several indie authors and respect the hell out of them because of taking this route. I also respect them because they ACT PROFESSIONALLY. No matter what route you take, this is a difficult enough of an industry as it is, why add to it? Writers have been pretty good about supporting their fellow writers. I really don't see a need for such competitiveness in this field because readers will choose what they like, no matter what. Not everyone is going to like your book to begin with and it isn't your job to force them to like it. Take it in stride.

And I hope everyone reminds me of this when I get my bad reviews. Hehe!

Do you have anything to add to this? Did I not review a book for you and contact you? By all means, leave comments. Not the best way to start off the week, but hope you all have a good week regardless.

Author Support Post...

Well, it has been awhile since I have done a post like this. I'm trying to keep up with these and promoting as I discover people. I've just begun reading a new author by the name of Joseph Lallo. Click on his name to get over to his website.

While I am only at the beginning of this book, The Book of Deacon, I'm finding that I like his writing style and his idea for this book. I'll more than likely be getting the rest of his books as soon as I have some spare cash. (Ha! What is this thing I speak of??)

You can find a list of his books over at Smashwords.

Once I am done with the book, I will put up a full review. But he's a new favorite and seems to be self published. I love finding these little gems when looking for books.

I'm also looking for some suggestions as far as books go. No romance unless it has a really good plot, please.

Another author I've stumbled across and not exactly sure how long she's been at it, is Cricket McRae. I read her book, "Lye In Wait" and adored it. The MC is a home crafter and she even supplies some recipes for things at the end of the book like lotion bars. I used to love doing stuff like that and the recipe sounds amazing. I can't wait to try it!

So there are two authors I'm supporting. Who's on your list?

Late To The Party...

Yesterday was Wednesday! (Yes, Mel, that was very good but we all know that. The calendar told us.) It was also the first posting from Alex's Insecure Writing Group.

First, let me just say, Alex. Pure Genius.

I'm finding that I want to leave a comment on everyone's post! But I was a bit late to the party.

I had plans for Wednesday, plans to get up, visit everyone's blog for the big event. But I was met with, "Need to get up early, I have plane reservations to make." That was from my mom. I don't want to see her visit end, but I dragged my butt out of bed after a bout of insomnia and went to the travel agency. I was so flipping tired, I took a nap. But it didn't end there. I've been promising her we'd go play Bingo before she left. So we went.

I won $7.50 because I had to split a $15 pot. But better than nothing at all!

By the time I got home, settled things for the night and fired up the laptop... I made it to 8 other blogs. Out of 125 people!

But that is okay, my plan got pushed back a day. So I will be visiting, commenting and following.

Now I just want to say: Awww! You guys are so cool. Thanks for the comments left by all of you wonderful, insecure writers! I haven't gotten around to leaving my own personal comment, but thanks everyone for dropping by!

I'll be seeing you soon unless of course I've already left you a comment.

Have an awesome rest of the week!

Insecure Writer's Support Group...

Hi there, I'm an insecure writer and my name is Mel.

I know, I've already done a similar post like this, with that beginning.

So what am I insecure about in my writing? The better question would be what am I NOT insecure about in my writing. I worry and stress over the smallest things. I worry about how I am ending my sentences. Am I using a preposition? Am I changing tense again in the middle of a sentence? Because I am prone to do that very thing.

Most of all, I worry that my plot is too weak, that people will just look at it and say, "Oh for the love of God how did this manage to get published???" and throw it away.

I worry about even getting published. I'm constantly worrying and changing things to make the story stronger. I have about a half dozen or so characters I have to juggle and discovered my focus is on two of them more than the others in the first book.

So how do I fix all of this? I revise and rework those sentence structures I am so worried about. My plot may seem weak, but in all actuality, it is the basest of urges. War has been started for lesser reasons.

I know I will eventually be published. I just have to work at it and listen to the suggestions (if I get any) when rejected.

As for my characters, this first part of the story is supposed to focus on the two right now. The focus shifts later on and everyone gets their chance in the spotlight. So it works out.

The thing is, the more I worry and stress, the more I push myself to write better, cleaner stories. I have a tendency to change POV right in the middle of something and have now cleared up that little habit by sticking to the POV I am in.

Write your story, get it all out before you go back to polish it up. If you don't get it all out, sometimes you won't know where it is going to lead. Don't be afraid to make a mistake.

I've made one of the biggest mistakes I could have ever made in my writing career. Early on I didn't do my research on the publisher and I got scammed. But it has made me a better writer. I have done everything in my power to fix that mistake. I've changed the whole story, which I would never have done had I kept going the way I was going. Talk about major plot holes.... But because I changed the story, I have an even stronger one. One that I find more captivating and hope others feel the same.

The thing that making that mistake has helped me with the most? My confidence. I never would have thought I could be a blogger, get on Twitter or FaceBook and do what I do. I would never have created a website. And I certainly never thought I would have the amount of followers I have. I am so very grateful for each and every one of you, even if you don't always read my posts or leave a comment. I try very hard to read all of your posts and comment, but there are only so many hours in a day.

Be sure to check back next week. I have lots of insecurities. :D