Review: Ryder On The Storm by Violet Patterson

Review: Ryder On The Storm by Violet Patterson

Title: Ryder On The Storm

Author: Violet Patterson

Series: Emerald Seer 1

Review:

This book first caught my attention with this cover, I mean when you look at it her eyes caught my attention right away and I wanted to read the book, plus the summary helped out as well. I think the main reason I enjoyed this book other than the cover is it's humor.  I love a great romance book that I can laugh during reading it.

Throw in some fantastic characters and a spectacular world and you have this book.  I couldn't' get enough of it and can't wait for more of this series. I must mention the great twists and turns that I didn't see coming as well, this author is fantastic with not letting the reader see what is coming.

I really think you should head over and get your hands on this book as well.  Read it and come back and let me know what you all think. 


Rating:

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Love & the Goddess Blog Tour: Guest Post

Hey everyone, it's a great day for a blog tour post.  Today we have a great author post  from author Mary Elizabeth Coen.  She is talking about 5 Writing Tips today here on The Twigasm.  Her book Love & The Goddess can be bought on Amazon.  Make sure you get your copy today. It's only 99 cents on Amazon for Kindle Version!

5 Writing Tips

(1) Posture is important -choose a comfortable chair and make sure if you iuse a laptop, have it at  eye level – I build mine up on  top of several books and use a separate keyboard.

(2)Get rid of the inner critic and just write – the writing improves
with later drafts.

(3) I plan my characters and use a mood board with images from magazines to represent the main characters. I then write a biography on each detailing eye & hair color, height, occupation etc. I add finer details like hobbies and habits and keep all of this in a sectioned folder.

(4) It is equally important to keep notes on what happens in each successive chapter. I plan chapters in advance but certain things change as I write, If I don’t keep notes I find I’ll constantly keep glancing back and wasting time.

( 5) Discipline is important – set aside a block of time each day solely for writing and try to stick to that. Lastly have lots of fun with the process. I wouldn’t do it if it wasn’t such fun.

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Review: Chronicals of Ave by Stephen Zimmer

Title: Chronicles of Ave
Author: Stephen Zimmer
Publisher: Seventh Star Press
Format: Ebook
Release Date: September 3rd 2013
Source: Publisher
Reading Level: Adult
Challenge(s):  Anthology Challenge

Escape into the wonders of Ave in this first collection of short stories featuring the fantastical world from the Fires in Eden Series by Stephen Zimmer. "Into Glory Ride" tells the story of a young Trogen Warrior who is called to go up against insurmountable odds when an Elven raid strikes his homeland. The Trogens have only begun training winged steeds for combat, but time is of the essence and a momentous choice has to be made by the young warrior. In "A Touch of Serenity" a conscript laborer working on a massive wall constructed under the orders of the Divine Emperor begins to hear ghostly voices asking for help. His response leads him on a journey that will test his courage, wisdom, and compassion. In "Moonlight's Grace" a young man goes to help his people when a Midragardan raid strikes Gael. He seeks to prove his worth to the chieftain whose daughter he loves with all his heart. The novella-length "Winter's Embrace" follows a warrior-monk into the depths of dangerous woodlands in the heart of winter. There he will find his faith tested in ways he never anticipated, when he must help a forest witch against an enigmatic, immortal being known as the Undying. "Lion Heart" introduces the heroic Sigananda of the Amazu people, who must confront things that transcend the laws of the physical world when powerful Wizards threaten his homeland. In "Land of Shadow" a knight who is part of a band of Avanoran mercenaries discovers how perilous the mysterious Shadowlands are when they undertake a journey to locate a site to build a fortress. A world of wonder beckons to be explored and fantasy enthusiasts are invited along for the journey in these half-dozen stories from the world of Ave! Also be sure to take further adventures in Ave in the Fires in Eden Series, beginning with Crown of Vengeance, Book One!

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Waiting on Wednesday #1

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This is our first Waiting on Wednesday post and we are very excited about it.  So let's get started... 

 So we are very excited for the book below mainly because of the cover, I'm not going to lie, this cover is spectacular.  But the summary is just as spectacular as the cover.  

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Author Guest Post: 10 Tips to becoming a better writer by Jennifer Malone Wright

So today we have a great guest post for you from author Jennifer Malone Wright.  We will be reviewing her books shortly so we wanted to showcase her as an author as well.

10 Tips to becoming a better writer by Jennifer Malone Wright

Hi everyone. *Waves* All right, this topic is one that I always try to avoid because, well … I suppose that I don’t think I’m a good enough writer to be giving advice on being one. So, I will give it a try anyway.

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Review: Love & the Goddess

Review: Love & the Goddess

Title: Love & the Goddess

Author: Mary Elizabeth Coen

Publisher: GoddessMECA 

Date Published: February 6, 2013

Format: Ebook

Pages:  390 pages

ISBN #:  1909483036

One woman, one myth, three goddesses When Cookery teacher Kate Canavan’s perfect life falls apart she moves to nearby Galway City. Her friend James urges her to love and nurture herself, but mischievous Ella persuades her to dust off her unused dating skills. So Kate explores the world of on- line dating using the name of a Greek Goddess. In the midst of a mad dating frenzy, Kate has a traumatic health scare which convinces her to drop everything and go in search of a guru. First stop a famous healer's ashram in Brazil followed by a shamanic journey through Peru, where a shaman tells her how to harness the energy of the Goddess and the Divine Feminine. Kate’s journey of self discovery continues apace after she returns home and events unfold in a surprising manner, as she learns to think for herself.

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A Year Anniversary for Author Sydney Logan

Today, September 6 marks the one year anniversary of the release of Sydney Logan's debut novel, Lessons Learned. To celebrate, Sydney is offering a fantastic giveaway!


The Blurb: A young girl needs to spread her wings, but a young woman needs roots. English teacher Sarah Bray never thought she’d return to Sycamore Falls, but a traumatic event at her inner - city school leaves her desperate for the sanctuary of home. By returning to her roots, an older and wiser Sarah hopes to deal with the demons of her present and confront the ghosts of her past. She discovers a kindred spirit in Lucas Miller, a teacher from New York with demons of his own. As the newest faculty members at Sycamore High School, they quickly become friends – bonding th rough Lucas’s culture shock and their mutual desire to build new lives. When they open their wounded hearts to each other, their friendship effortlessly evolves into romance. Their love is put to the test when Matt, the quarterback of the football team, shares his deepest secret with Sarah. When the conservative community finds out, Sarah and Lucas – along with the town of Sycamore Falls – are schooled in the lessons of acceptance, tolerance, and love. 

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Free Book: Love & The Goddess is Free on Kindle Today!!!

So today is the day to get your copy of Love & The Goddess by

Mary Elizabeth Coen. That's right it's free day for Kindle, so what are you waiting for get your copy today. Below you will find some information about the book, an excerpt from the book, author information and of course the link to get your free copy!    

Touted in the press as ‘An Irish Eat, Pray, Love’ meets ‘Sex and the City’.

Love & the Goddess

One woman, One myth, Three Goddesses

A woman’s voyage of self discovery begins on the internet leading all the way to Brazil and onto the Andean highlands of Peru.

Devastated from her relationship break- up, Kate Canavan is at a loss until she re-discovers a hidden painting of the triple Goddess from Greek mythology. Her interest in mythology and spirituality is re-ignited. A voyage of self discovery begins with internet dating using the names of each of the Goddesses in the triple myth. When a health scare intervenes Kate and her friends go together to visit a famous healer in Brazil and a spiritual guru in Peru, where all three friends begin spiritual journeys of forgiveness, gratitude and learning to live in the now.

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Cover Reveal: Under the Bed Across the World

Cover Reveal Time!!!

Under The Bed Across the World

by Rose Candis 

Expected Pub: September 2013

Under the Bed Across the World, Rose’s poignant account of her journey from incest and addiction into recovery, is both tragic and humorous. Her account of how her sexually abusive Jewish father divided her loyalty between him, her mother, and herself provides a microcosm for how sexual abuse and addiction destroy the human family. By confronting her past, Rose sheds her loyalty to her abusive relatives and creates her own unique family unit through international adoption. The memoir raises the question: Can contentment be found after departure from the quagmire of toxicity?

 

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Force of Nature Blog Tour: Author Top 10 List

Alright, so today I have a great blog tour for you.  Author Sydney Logan has graced us with her preseance and shared with you all a top 10 songs she would have on her soundtrack for Force of Nature her newest release.

Force of Nature by Sydney Logan - Top 10 Songs                            

“Blown Away” – Carrie Underwood

“Tornado” – Little Big Town

“I and Love and You” – The Avett Brothers

“Storm Warning” – Bonnie Raitt

“Oklahoma Sky” – Miranda Lambert

“Rain” – Patty Griffin

“After the Storm” – Mumford and Sons

“Just a Kiss” – Lady Antebellum

“Brave” – Sara Bareilles

“Counting Stars” – OneRepublic

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Mountain Charm Release Day Blitz

 

Today is release day for Sydney Logan’s novel, Mountain Charm! To celebrate, we have two awesome giveaways, including a signed copy of Mountain Charm and a $100 Amazon Gift Card!

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Let's Get to Know author Leeland Artra

So today I have author Leeland Artra, he's going to share with us a little bit more about him and his book.  Everyone welcome author Leeland Artra.  

       Can you tell us something interesting about your writing process?

My writing process is a painful series of ripping words from my dreams and getting them into the computer. I agonize for hours to produce a few thousand words. I think this is mostly because I am a perfectionist with horrible grammar and spelling habits. Being a computer programmer I am detail oriented and will often ask myself “is that even possible?” Which if you think about it is a pretty silly question for a fantasy writer. Still I manage to get the book out which is always fun.

        

What part of the writing process is the easiest/hardest for you?

The easiest part is just telling the tale. I have always been a hard core story teller. I love games that involve role playing or storytelling.

The hardest part is getting everything down into as few words as possible. Being such a story teller I run off into unbelievable amounts of detail. My editors often ask “do we really need all this detail here?” which is followed by me sadly deleting whole pages. In the end it seems to come out pretty good.

  

    Who is your favorite character (that you’ve written)?

Duke is a hoot, Lebuin is a lot of fun as he bounces around, but my heart right now belongs to Ticca. I want things to go well for her, yet I have nearly killed her a few times already. I hope she survives the story lines.

  

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Desolation Blog Tour: Guest Post with author Travis Simmons

So today I have a great guest post to share with all of you from author Travis Simmons.  He is here to talk about what makes a hero.  There is also an amazing giveaway at the bottom of this post.  Enjoy!!! 

DESOLATION is so much more than a zombie story, or a love story. It is a story of survival, and all that entails. It is amazing to see zombie stories where people are tough as nails and just slaughter everything with seemingly no emotional investment but I wanted something different. I wanted a person who was struggling to survive and struggling to remain human through this entire experience.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure there are people out there who would take great pleasure in mowing down zombies, and maybe I would be one of them, though I think I would probably end up one of those people who killed myself out of fear of being attacked.

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What Makes a Hero by author Travis Simmons

Today on the blog we have author Travis Simmons with a guest post and information about his fantastic book!

So today I have a great guest post to share with all from author Travis Simmons, he is chatting with us today about what makes a hero. 

DESOLATION is so much more than a zombie story, or a love story. It is a story of survival, and all that entails. It is amazing to see zombie stories where people are tough as nails and just slaughter everything with seemingly no emotional investment but I wanted something different. I wanted a person who was struggling to survive and struggling to remain human through this entire experience.

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Guest Post: The Magic of the Serialized Novel by author Drew Leiter

So today I have a great guest post to share with you from author Drew Leiter, he is the author of a serialized novel that is released out bits a time.  I'm very excited to share this with you because later today I will be posting my review of the first two issues.   Enjoy!!!

Have you ever wished you had magical powers?  When I was a boy I dreamed of having magical powers all the time.  I would turn invisible to sneak out of class.  I would have super strength on the playground to stop the school bully from picking on the kids.  I would fly through the sky so I could quickly get to my destination.  I would run with super speed so I could beat the other kids in races.  I would use my powers of telepathy to find out if the blond girl who sat next to me in class liked me.

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Day in the Life of author James Robinson Jr.

 

Today I have a great guest post for you for this great tour.  I hope you all enjoy.  Also there is a great giveaway as well!

Day in the Life of Author James Robinson Jr. 

I’ve wanted to be a writer most of my life. Of course, as a twenty-year-old college student, I studied fiction but I had no idea where I was headed with it and hadn’t had enough life experience to know what I was doing. But as a sixty-year-old man who now has the opportunity to dedicate most of his life to his writing pursuit, a day in the life of a writer is nothing like I thought it would be. I imagined myself sitting at my desk and performing my magic while a publisher managed the bulk of the mundane stuff and just called me for book signings. Little did I know that, by the time I could declare myself a writer, the publishing business would be topsy-turvy and there would be laptop computers, e-books, e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, and something called Amazon.com.

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Writers Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour

I am so excited to share this amazing book with all of you.  Writers Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy is a perfect fit for me as a reader/writers and I hope it is for all of you as well.  Below you will find a bunch of information about this amazing book and a huge giveaway! :) Enjoy

Writers Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy is a collection of essays and interviews by and with many of the movers-and-shakers in the industry.  Each contributor covers the specific element of craft he or she excels in.  Expect to find varying perspectives and viewpoints, which is why you many find differing opinions on any particular subject.

This is, after all, a collection of advice from professional storytellers.  And no two writers have made it to the stage via the same journey-each has made his or her own path to success.  And that’s one of the strengths of this book.  The reader is afforded the luxury of discovering various approaches and then is allowed to choose what works best for him or her.

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Reader Reviews: The Good, The Bad, and How to Handle It All with author Sydney Logan

Today we have an awesome author with us.  Sydney Logan talks about Reader Reviews.  Sometimes they are good, sometimes bad and how she handles them.  I am very excited about this post.  I hope you all enjoy!!! I also want to thank Sydney for being on the blog today.  I love featuring authors and any from the Writers Coffee Shop are my favs.  

Reader Reviews:

The Good, The Bad, and How to Handle It All

Guest post by Sydney Logan

author of Lessons Learned

When I signed my publishing contract for my debut novel, Lessons Learned, one of the first questions I was asked on my marketing form was about unfavorable reviews and how I would react to them. Of course, I had heard horror stories about one-star reviews that could rip an author’s dreams to shreds. I’d also heard about “bad author behavior” where the author would engage with a reviewer in a negative way. But I had never really considered how I would react to it. 

Lessons Learned was definitely my baby. My blood, sweat, and many, many tears went into the book. It is a sweet love story with undertones of religious and social issues. The subject is timely and somewhat controversial, so I expected some reactions. For the most part, I’ve received nothing but wonderfully supportive reviews. Sure, there have been reviews I’ve disagreed with, or wished I could talk to the reviewer and explain something that perhaps wasn’t clear to them, but I never have.

The honest truth is that the very best reaction to a negative review is no reaction at all.

At least not publicly.

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Blog Tour: Scent of Triumph Guest Post and Giveaway!!!

So today, we have another great blog tour to share with all of you.  There is also a great giveaway at the bottom of this post for you all to join.  Enjoy! 

Guest Post

Casting Call for Characters

by Jan Moran

www.janmoran.com

Hello, it’s great to be here on Twigasm today! I’m a fan fiction aficionado, too, so it’s wonderful to be among friends at Team Twigasm.

One question writers often hear is “how do you create your characters?” I’ve been a writer since childhood, creating stories to entertain friends and family members. One of my favorite parts of this process is drafting the characters. So, how do I begin?

1.       Casting Call - Like a casting agent, I hold auditions for my characters. For example, when I was considering leading ladies for my novel, Scent of Triumph, I imagined a young woman who was smart and sophisticated, warm and loving. She had to have a natural gift of extraordinary talent. As a young mother, she would face hardships in this historical thriller far beyond the comprehension of most of us. She had to be relentlessly determined, driven to protect her family at any cost, unwavering in her beliefs about her children, and obsessed to provide for her family through her unique talents.

2.       What’s in a Name? - I like to hear poetry in a name, so for this novel I imagined a young mother in 1920s France. What name might such a stylish, creative mother choose? How about a classic French name combined with an artistic emblem of her family and her creative passion? Thus, Danielle Rose was christened after one of the most revered of flowers—appropriate for a child born into a family of French perfumers. The poet, Sappho, in her 600 B.C. poem, “Ode to the Rose,” referred to this blossom as the “queen of flowers.” Indeed, this little girl would grow to become the leader of her family.

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Cover Reveal and Giveaway: Mountain Charm by Sydney Logan

Cover Reveal: Mountain Charm by Sydney Logan

I'm so excited about this cover reveal, its for Mountain Charm by Sydney Logan! 

“True love and sweet whispers, till death do us part;

Send someone to love my Appalachian heart.”

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Blog Tour: The Guest Book by Andrea Hurst Author Interview

So today I have a great post for you, yep another amazing blog tour and book to share.  Today its for The Guestbook by Andrea Hurst and she has answered some great questions for me.  So let's get this up so you can read.  Enjoy!

1. Can you tell us something interesting about your writing process?

My process has been different for each book, but there is always one main event that inspires the story and everything moves from there.

My latest book came from a dream. It inspired the characters, and with this novel, the main protagonist, Cathy, just started talking to me in first-person present tense and told me her story in 42,000 words. After that, I filled in the story through research, world-building, and some personal memories.

2. What part of the writing process is the easiest/hardest for you?

Writing the first draft, when everything is flowing and I don’t have to engage my left brain as much, is easier. The hardest part for me is anything that requires precise detail work, such as line editing. 

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Blog Tour: Guest Post from author Jennings Wright

Hey everyone, today I have the amazing author Jennings Wright to share about her book and her writing.  Below you will find the great post from her and information about her book and her as an author.  Also we have a great giveaway for you all to enter as well! Enjoy. 

Guest Post

Conventional Wisdom

The definition of conventional wisdom is “something that is generally believed; prudence; the ideas, opinions, or understanding that are considered to be generally accepted by the public; a widely held belief on which most people act.”

Notice that nowhere in this definition does it mention “facts” or “truth.” Most people act on conventional wisdom as if it were truth, though, like when doctors didn’t think smoking was bad for you, or when people thought the earth was flat. In general, conventional wisdom is behind the times when it comes to new information or facts, or even new behaviors.

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Blog Tour The Mirror of the Moon: Author Guest Post and Giveaway

Hey everyone, today I have another great author guest post and guess what I great giveaway for all of you to enter.  So let's get the party started shall we?? LOL 

Today I have author Travis Simmons with us chatting about what he is reading right now.  At the bottom you will find the author information, book information and a great giveaway!!! Enjoy.

Guest Post: Currently Reading by Travis Simmons

            I am somewhat of a collector of books. Pretty hard to imagine right? Getting a new book is like Christmas for me. The issue is, I go out and buy books like Carrie Bradshaw buys shoes! I won’t even be finished with the other five I am currently reading, but I drop all of them to read the new book I have bought. The hardest thing for me is to finish a book before buying a new “must read.”

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Author Guest Post: Sherri Hayes

Today, I have a great author Guest Post for you.  I hope your ready for some guest post reading!!! 

Guest Post by Sherri Hayes

One of the most common questions I get asked is where do I come up with my story ideas. There’s not really a straightforward answer unfortunately. I get my stories ideas everywhere. 

To give you an example, my second novel, Slave, came from a random idea to mix my new interest in BDSM fiction and a national news story about a young girl who’d been held against her will as a slave. I have no idea why my brain thought to put the two ideas together, but it did, and my Finding Anna Series was born. 

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Blog Tour: Loki's Game Guest Post and Giveaway

Blog Tour: Loki's Game Guest Post

So today, we are officially back with some great posts for you.  Not only are we going to be talking about Fan Fictions here sometimes on The Twigasm but we are going to be showcasing some amazing and talented Published Authors.  Today we have author Siobhan Kinkade with us to share a great guest post about

The Art of Storytelling.  So we hope you enjoy this post today.  Also at the bottom of this post is a great giveaway as well for you to enter!!! 

Enjoy!!! 

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Hello again!

Hey everyone,

I know its been forever since we have posted anything on here.  But I want to start posting some new posts on here in the next several months.  But they are going to be different.  I am going to not only post some fan fic recs but some actual book posts.

I have a few authors lined up to post guest posts on here and I hope you will all enjoy these as well.

Thanks,

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