Author Tag: Childhood Writing Tag [CC]

Time for a tag! The childhood writing tag! #Authortube

CHILDHOOD WRITING TAG

1. When and why did you start writing?
2. What is the first story you remember writing?
3. What was the first full project you finished and when(if you have finished one)?
4. What genre did you most enjoy writing as a child? Has it changed over time?
5. Do you remember the first negative feedback you got on a story?
6. Who was your favorite character you wrote as a kid?
7. Share some old writing of yours
8. What parts of your writing have improved since then?
9. Are there any parts of your writing that haven’t changed much?
10. If you could tell your childhood self one thing, what would it be?

CREATED BY CRISTEENWRITER: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYnHxwV7N6InJaAsXLwFmRg
TAGGED BT NALEY GONZALES: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCawSppswttLyZ0WNRKs8Tnw

TAGGING:

DAL CECIL RUNO: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFR5phjFlbMiTpoRiNBMJ2Q
CAT BOWSER: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxTMg_dotzA3u4Ml_JI2tcg
AND ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO DO IT!

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Review of Skin Trials by SY Humphrey

Seren is one of the most powerful young women on Earth.

Little does she know her parents’ new government, Perfect Society, harbors a terrible genetic secret. By the year 2042, the nation has managed to survive the floods and flesh-eating outbreak of the 2020's. Perfect Society has corrected the devastating losses and restored peace to all citizens. Or has it?

The terrorist group Anthistemi shatters the world with the genetically-modified truth. The government, led by Seren's father, carried out gruesome torture and decimation in the Skin Trials. Antistemi reveals the truth Seren never knew about herself.

Citizens rage, demanding answers about their missing loved ones. Once again, Old America clashes with New America. Old wounds lead to new bloodshed. The fallout reaches apocalyptic fighting. There is one scientist who can end the rebellion and destruction.

Now that Seren knows, she must choose - the genetic lie that empowers her, or the deadly terrorists who stand ready to destroy it all.

Amazon 

My Review: 5 STARS

I picked this up thinking it would be a good read, and I wasn't disappointed. Set not too far into the future, Seren is the most powerful young women on Earth and yet there's something about her that threatens that status. In a world of skin trials and genetic changes being possible, Seren is thrown into a world that she really doesn't know much about. The story gripped me from the first chapter, it was beautifully written and engaging throughout. I ended up finishing it in one sitting because I was so desperate to know more about the story. I can't wait for the sequel! A highly recommended read!

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here.

Top Ten Tropes I Love In Fiction [CC]

Giving you my top ten tropes I love in fiction! #Authortube

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#TeaserTuesday

  Lana believes she's doing the right thing, for the good of the country, the good of the world, and yet, she wishes Lock could see that...

 Coming May 12th 2020

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[ID: A graphic with a smoky grey background and the header of: Lights On, with a small header underneath that reads: Coming May 2020. The excerpt reads:

Of course, given what Maggie had just said, there would be no avoiding it. Lana would have to live with herself, but really, hadn't she just been following orders? How had she been in the wrong? She'd tried to save Lock, Lock had shunned her. No, Lana did everything she could. Lock would have to face the consequences for her actions.
If only, Lana thought as she walked along the empty corridor. If only I could feel less like I was signing her death warrant myself.
 

At the bottom is Joey Paul, her website of www.joeypaulonline.com and the logo of a green and purple bug in the far right corner.

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The Trials Of A Crime Writer: So What If It's Been Done Before?

THE TRIALS OF A CRIME WRITER: SO WHAT IF IT'S BEEN DONE BEFORE?

This is something that I've heard so much around the writing community, and while I'm sure it's talked about applying to all genres, I wanted to do a piece about the crime and mystery genre in particular. There's a method to my madness, but it's simply that a lot of the time, crime is crime. You can think up motives and twists and turns, but people aren't going to be too convoluted and after a few goes, you'll realise that crime, motives and the twists have all be done before as well, and that seems to stump new authors, or even make them think that they shouldn't be writing their story, and I'm here to tell you why that's just not true!

It is true that pretty much everything, when it comes to the bare bones of the plot, have been done before. The unique part of the story is the spin that you put on it. It's the way you tell it personally. That on its own is enough to make your story stand out. Think about it, when people tell stories to each other about their day, they all have their own spin to put on it. You can't talk to two people and get the exact same wording, emphasis and all the rest, well you can, but usually that's because they're rehearsed their stories and made it sound almost script like, and that's a huge red flag, but this isn't the time or place for that!

So I thought that I would give you a few points on why it doesn't matter if your bare bones plot has been done before, and how to switch things around if you're worried that it's too similar to something.

#1. THE BARE BONES ISN'T THE STORY
At the end of the day, we all write stories differently. Personally I've looked at the bare bones of some of my mysteries and realised that they match a lot of big name author books. The reason I've not just given up and thrown the idea away is because I know I have a completely different writing voice to these authors. Once the book was out and written, it was only really then that you could see the stories only matched at the bare bones, the rest of it was entirely unique and if I was traditionally publishing and querying that story, I wouldn't be using the other titles as comps, because they were too different.

#2. TROPES AREN'T ALWAYS BAD
A lot of the time, people think that because the bare bones, and certain tropes match up to other stories, that they should be avoided altogether, and that's simply not true. Yes, certain readers will dislike certain tropes. The same can be said for any genre, not just crime. The thing you want to avoid are overused clichés, or tropes that people are getting sick of. Like for me, I'm sick of the serial killer trope. I feel like it's overused and there are way better ways to add suspense and tell your story than making everything about a serial killer. But that's just me, it doesn't mean that applies to all readers.

So when writing, when planning and outlining if you do that, remember that not all tropes are bad, and sometimes having them in your story will attract readers who live for those tropes. Clichés are something that you should really avoid, but only because it feels dated and lazy to use them. Too many times the two get lumped together as bad and it's just not true.

#3. TWISTS ARE FUN TO PLAY WITH
This plays into the second point a little in that twists can be seen as tropes. The whole idea of the red herring and the twist people see coming, can be discouraging to writers, but at the same time, just because your book has a twist that another book has, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't write it. If you're really worried about it, try and find a way to turn the twist on its head and give a new perspective to it all. It's something that you can work out while writing, or outlining. There's a lot of fun to be had playing with twists in your story.

And finally, #4. PEOPLE LOVE THE SAME STORIES TOLD DIFFERENTLY
Basically I wanted to end on a good note. A lot of the time, the reason that similar books sell is because people like them. They want to read a different take on a similar plot. It's how the industry works. So even if you can't find a way to change the twist, or to use different tropes, that's not a bad thing. You're writing a compelling story and it's okay if it's similar plot wise to another story. It's your voice, the way you tell it, that will bring the readers in.

So there we have it, things to think about both in the crime genre, but also in others as well. A lot of the angst and worry about writing similar plots is down to the idea that to be a good writer, you need to write something completely unique, and you will, even if your plot is similar to another book out there. It's in the way you tell it, and the way you present the facts, the characters and all the rest. So just keep that in mind, and keep writing!

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No More Ableist Books Collab [CC]

Doing a collab with other #disabled Authortubers about no more ableist books! #Authortube

GIVEAWAY ALERT!

FROM MARCH 12TH TO MARCH 29TH 2020 SUBSCRIBE AND COMMENT ON THIS VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOjw0T8Y7Rg&feature=youtu.be

WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON APRIL 9TH 2020!

COLLAB PLAYLIST: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjvRhrcFjMWgZhgoscqb7u4XFL6vBi7qI

BLACKOUT: http://www.books2read.com/BOUT
LYNNE & HOPE: http://www.books2read.com/LANH
WALK A MILE: http://www.books2read.com/WAM
JACQUELINE WILSON: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jacqueline-Wilson/e/B001H6SKOY
SICK KIDS IN LOVE: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sick-Kids-Love-Hannah-Moskowitz-ebook/dp/B07SMXWXBL

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Cover Reveal: Moonbroch by C.J Rodgers

Title: Moonbroch

Series: Book Two, The Bestower's Ruin Series

Author: C.J. Rodgers

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Release Date: TBA  
Cover Credits: Amala Benny at Mayflower Studio
 

On the run, Rose escaped the clutches of The League saving Marshal and her mother; now she seeks refuge with a bloodline connection lost through time. The Sirens have committed themselves to protect the Bestower’s gifts and as Rose steps up as the protector of the amethyst, she has to face the consequences of her betrayal, grasp the strength of her magic, and warn the Sirens of the danger that is coming. An old King’s mission to bring creatures and beings of the supernatural kind into the light, now lives on in the heart of the angriest souls living in the shadows. The League will not stop until the frenzy is revived, and the gifts have been retrieved; a war is stirring. Rose and The Sirens must fight back. 

C. J. Rodgers is an emerging self-published author who has always had a passion for books even as a little girl. Since she has put that first novel out, she has found many outlets to spread her wings and dive more rooted in the writing community. Eagerly immersing herself with available knowledge around her, Rodgers has since created her blog -Books and a Mug- covering a wide array of topics for reading and writing, become an active member in the authortube community, and hopes to attend her first literary conference.

HOSTED BY:

Review of Death City by Stephanie Mylchreest

An idyllic summer vacation…

       ...an unknown, merciless killer.

A desperate fight for survival.

Harper—a college student looking for adventure in Europe—is exploring the picturesque landscape of Slovakia with her friends when things take a deadly turn. Within a blink of an eye, a carefree vacation turns to death and destruction.

People around them are dying without explanation. Death is fast, and painful, and apparently highly contagious. Ninety-five percent of people in the death zone fall prey to the killer within minutes.

To survive, Harper and her friends must get out of the death zone to the quarantine center at the Czech border.

But it’s not just the pandemic they need to outrun.

As they race for their lives, flashbacks to Harper’s traumatic childhood threaten to cripple her without warning. The route is treacherous: a devastating fire pursues them, and not all survivors are looking to get out of the city.

Armed with nothing but their will to survive, will they make it to the border before they succumb?

Amazon

My Review: 4 STARS
I picked this one up looking forward to the twists and turns and I wasn't completely disappointed. It was a fast-paced story with people dying suddenly, and a race to get out of the city alive, and with any other survivors. It was an enjoyable read, I just felt it was a little too short for the story it was telling, but saying that it's the first in a series so that's to be expected. Otherwise, I loved it, and would recommend it, will be looking for the second as soon as it comes out.

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here.

Questions From Writers - March 2020 [CC]

Answering questions from the writers in my audience today! #Authortube

GIVEAWAY ALERT!

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#TeaserTuesday

Lock can't stop thinking about the woman at the event...

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[ID: A graphic with a fading lightbulb, the header reads: LIGHTS OUT, with a small header underneath reading: out now in paperback & ebook. To the right of those is a New Apple award seal. The excerpt reads:

“But if…,” I started to say.
“Yeah, if, if she wasn’t lying, if she really was thirty-five, if her chip was faulty, if her ID wasn’t a fake, all these ifs and we’re talking about your life here, Lock. She’s gone, nothing is going to bring her back and as far as we know, no error was made. If it turns out that there was, then just chalk it up to experience. Don’t make the same mistake again, but also, don’t throw your life away just in case.”

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