Butterman (Time) Travel Inc cover reveal

Today I'm taking part in a cover reveal with a twist for PK Hrezo's debut release. She'd like us to write about where (and when) we'd like to go if we could walk into a time travel agency and book a trip. Well, before we get to that, let's have a looksie at that fabulous cover.

Very nice, eh?

The possibilities are pretty much endless when it comes to time travel. I would definitely go and see what dinosaurs really looked like, at least the peaceful, vegetarian ones. And check in on the construction of the pyramids to see how they did it. Just a shame that so many slaves had to die. Probably most of all, though, I'd like to go back to the middle ages and see a real jousting match. Quite a spectacle, this was probably like the WWF Wrestling of its day. The atmosphere would have been immense.

So, what about you?

Let's find out a bit more about PK's book:

Welcome to Butterman Travel, Incorporated

We are a full service agency designed to meet all your exclusive time travel needs. Family-owned and operated, we offer clients one hundred years of time travel experience. A place where you can rest assured, safety and reliability always come first.

Anxious to attend a special event from the past? Or for a glimpse of what the future holds?

You’ve come to the right place. We’re a fully accredited operation, offering an array of services; including, but not limited to: customized travel plans, professionally piloted operations, and personal trip guides. *Terms and conditions do apply

Conference us directly from our Website. Our frontline reservation specialist, Bianca Butterman, will handle all your inquiries in a professional and efficient manner, offering a tentative itinerary and free fare quote, so you can make the most of your time trip.

We look forward to serving you at Butterman Travel, Inc., where time is always in your hands.   

You can get hold of Butterman (Time) Travel, Inc from the 12th of November.

PK Hrezo is a native Floridian whose life could easily be a Jimmy Buffet song. She shares her home with her firefighter husband and their two children. When not creating characters and their worlds, PK can be found at her other job of rearranging passenger’s itineraries for a major international airline. The only hobbies she loves more than traveling, are reading, writing, and music, and when the four are combined she exists in total bliss.  

She blogs regularly at PK HREZO: Fearless Fiction http://pk-hrezo.blogspot.com/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/PKHrezo  @pkhrezo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorpkhrezo

Website: http://down-the-rabbithole.com/

Congrats, PK!

A quick note - I'm currently away camping and will reply to any comments after my return on Friday. You can still enter my Two-Year Blogiversary Giveaway with prizes including a full book edit up for grapes.

Two Year Blogiversary Giveaway!

Yes, that's right... two years ago today I sat down and started a blog. I never could have predicted the friends and opportunities that would come my way - in fact, I didn't think it would amount to anything. Over the last two years I've written three books, self-published an anthology, participated in countless bloghops, challenges and contests. All of it has been with the support and encouragement of you lovely bunch. Some say blogging is a dying art, but I hope not. I don't know of another medium where relationships can be built on this level, allowing for serious debate, laughter and learning. I wholeheartedly recommend any writer thinking about starting a blog to go for it without hesitation. We can always do with more friends!

So, my anniversary falls on a Friday this year. Good excuse for a party, eh? In celebration of my recently launched editing service, I'd like to offer some editing prizes to three lucky winners, as follows.

1st prize: Novel of up to 100,000 words proofread and copyedited.
2nd prize: Novella or short stories up to 30,000 words proofread.
3rd prize: Short story/ies up to 10,000 words proofread.

I'm doing it this way because I don't want to edit parts of novels and then have people feel obligated to pay for the rest. It would be great if you could indicate in the comments which prize you would prefer, so I can allocate prizes accordingly.

Hope everyone has a great weekend! I apologise in advance if I'm not around too much - we're packing to go away on a big camping holiday next week, but thereafter I will be catching up. The kids are off school and we're taking the whole clan with dog in tow too!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Indie Life bloghop - Selfy Publishers

Hello there. As part of my drive to get back into blogging, I thought I'd reinvigorate my posting for this group, which I've missed for several months. I'm still working towards self-publication of my novel and my WIP is undergoing revisions with this aim in mind. Today I'm talking about what it means to have validation as a writer.

I saw an item on This Morning recently (a daytime TV show in the UK, and no, I don't sit around watching TV all day; I'd done my work for the day and had just switched it on while making lunch. This particular segment was actually post-12pm!) They were talking about selfies, a phenomenon of which you are doubtless aware, whereby people take a picture of themselves usually to post on Facebook or Twitter. What I hadn't considered was that people are posting the pics specifically to get a reaction (along the lines of "Wow, you look cool/hot/smokin'/another temperature variant). Apparently they can be quite upset if no one responds. My initial reaction was that their lives must be pretty shallow if they need that type of reassurance, but then I told myself to shut up and stop being so judgemental. As writers, isn't part of our reason for publishing to receive validation, some signal that what we are doing is worthwhile?

Note I said reason for publication. I think many of us would agree that a big part of writing is to get a story out of our heads, exercise those characters knocking around in there and demanding we listen to their trouble. If that was all there was to it, that novel would be filed away in a desk drawer or hard drive and on we would go with our merry lives. But for most of us, at some point and after revising so hard we can't even see the words on the screen any more, we want to see if anyone else will like it too. (Let's face it, money is a very minor factor, if even a consideration at all in this game.)

A lot of people stress over reviews and take bad ones quite personally, although it's important to remember that it is based on the book, not you as a person. At least it should be... there is a notorious dark side to this whole thing, but in the main, reviewers are interested in the story, not the author. But it's human nature to see this as a reflection on ourselves and the tone of a review has the power to make or break our day.

What do you think? Do you need validation as a writer? What are your reasons for wanting to publish? Do you read your reviews, and what sort of reactions do you have to them?

Don't forget to head over to The Indelibles to check out loads more Indie Life blogs!

Nick Wilford, Freelance Editor - Official Launch

The day has come - time for the official launch of my editing service! Thanks to everyone who's helping me out with it this week. Here's the lowdown on why I decided to kickstart my business and what sort of things I have to offer.

With the unstoppable rise of self-publishing, it’s easier than ever to put your words and stories out there in the world. This is a great thing, and I’m all for it. However, it’s not just about the story - although of course, that is the most important part - but the way it’s presented. After spending months or years on a novel, building an incredible world and honing your characters and storylines to perfection, the last thing you want is to be let down by a lack of editing. It’s just as important as an arresting cover image.

Nick Wilford, Freelance Editor is a one-stop shop for affordable editing, proofreading and formatting services. With professional training and ten years of experience as a journalist and editor, the time has come to transfer these skills in order to help out the fellow authors I have come to love.

But it doesn’t stop there. I’m ready to edit anything; from a crucial term paper, to memoirs and other non-fiction books, short stories, articles or job application letters. Let me put that finishing touch on your masterpiece.

Feel free to take a look at my website for further details of my services and prices.

Also, look out for something exciting coming a week on Friday - it's my two year blogiversary, and I'm planning to give away some juicy prizes relating to my business!

The Ghosts of Aquinnah

Happy Monday! Time to reveal another luscious cover, and another intriguing upcoming book. Today it's Julie Flanders with her new novel "The Ghosts of Aquinnah".

Blurb:

A brilliant flash of light transcends through time.

Another freezes a cloaked figure within a frame of salty mist as waves crash against a rocky shore. Her harrowing expression shadows the beacon to a pinprick.

By the next blaze, she is gone. Only the lighthouse remains.

Hannah’s eyes blink in step with each heartbeat. Images of her deceased parents and Martha’s Vineyard explode like firecrackers inside her mind.

She shakes her head.

For weeks this eerie woman dressed in nineteenth century garb has been haunting my webcam, but tonight she stared into my soul.

Why? ...

Who is she? ...

Casting aside months of research on historic lighthouses, Hannah drives to the coast and boards a ferry.

What is the strange connection she has to this mysterious woman suspended in time?

Hannah finds out.

But, it’s not at all what she expects ...

Hannah unravels a century old murder.

Author Bio:

Julie Flanders is a novelist and freelance writer in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has a life-long love affair with the ocean and has spent more summer vacations than she can count on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. When not writing, Julie can be found reading, cheering on her favorite sports teams, and watching too much television. She is an animal lover and shares her home with her dog and cat.

Find Julie at:

Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads

The Ghosts of Aquinnah will be released by Ink Smith Publishing on December 5, 2013

Getting Back in the Writing Saddle, and Exciting News

Hey all! Hope everyone had a great summer. It might be a bit late for saying that, now we are in the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, but I've missed chatting to you over the last few months. I've loved hosting various blog tour posts and cover reveals, but it's now time for an update on where I've been at.

Things haven't been all plain sailing round here, meaning my writing has been pushed back somewhat. My wife was off work for a protracted period of time with anxiety, due to various issues which are too lengthy to go into here. We've been spending a lot of time together which has been good for us and the kids, including three mini holidays in two weeks! She's now starting to get back on a part-time basis, taking one day at a time, and I've been getting back into writing and blogging - though feeling rather rusty.

I completed the first draft of my novella, still untitled, last week. It came to about 29,000 words, although most of the four months' drafting seemed to be spent on the last couple of thousand. So I'm glad that's out of my system, and I'm pushing ahead with edits on Black & White, which I hope to have ready for release around January or February.

I also have another small piece of news to share. For a long time I've been considering leveraging my editing and proofreading experience in order to benefit the writing community, and a short while ago I mentioned my plan to start a freelance editing business. That day has come and I'd love if you could pop over and check out what I've got to offer here. I'll literally edit anything that has words in it, but I'm particularly keen on helping out fellow indies in a world where it's paramount to offer a professional product, but editing services seem prohibitively expensive.

Although it's short notice, I would MASSIVELY appreciate it if you could help out with the official launch which I'm planning for next Tuesday, 1st October. You don't have to do a lot - if you sign up, I'll send out all the information for a post in the next few days. If you can't do next Tuesday, any brief mention during the week would be great - Tweets, FB, etc etc. Thank you!!

I'll leave you with one of the pictures from our adventures over the summer - me and Eve at Mount Rushmore. No, we're not giants, and yes, that is the Lego Mount Rushmore!

The 13th Floor Collection cover reveal

It's here! The talented Christine Rains is set to release a complete collection of her superb 13th Floor tales, featuring the supernatural residents of a mysterious floor in an apartment building. I've read three of the stories, and can't wait to catch up on the rest in one place. Congrats, Christine!

Title: The 13^th Floor Complete Collection

Author: Christine Rains

Genre: paranormal romance

Release date: October 13^th, 2013

Blurb:

Six supernatural tenants

Living in a haunted apartment building

On a floor that doesn't exist.

Six novellas telling their tales.

A retired demon acquires a price on his head.

A werewolf is hunted by her pack.

A modern day dragonslayer misses his target.

A harpy challenges Zeus for the soul of the man she loves.

A vampire is obsessed with a young woman he can't find.

A banshee falls in love with someone who's death she has seen in a vision.

And a sweet ghost must battle a primal monster to save them all.

All the stories take place at the same time intertwining their lives together on the 13th Floor.

Author Bio:

Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and geek mom. She has four degrees which help nothing with motherhood, but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she's not writing or reading, she having adventures with her son or watching cheesy movies on Syfy Channel. She's a member of Untethered Realms and S.C.I.F.I. The 13th Floor series is her first self-published series. She has eight novellas and twenty-one short stories published.

Website 

Blog

Facebook

Twitter 

Goodreads