Sunday, November 27, 2016

Pillar Post— #OpenBook Blog Hop



"Action with a Touch of Romance"

When I first started writing fiction, I didn't put any thought into a 'brand' or"defining" myself as a writer. I was writing for the joy of getting words on paper and challenging myself to do something new and creative.

It wasn't until I wrote my fourth book that I decided to dive into self-publishing, As I've told a few people, I'm just too damn old to wait around for traditional publishers and agents. Besides, I want my books to be my own, not stories dictated by what a publisher thinks will sell. I'm sure my Free Wolves' series would include sex scenes if I wrote them to industry standards, and I didn't feel the stories needed them.

But around my fifth book, I discovered something about myself. I was better at writing action than romance. Sure. my characters fall in love and look for that 'happily ever after' ending to their stories, but the romance is a subplot. My heroes (both male and female) are busy fighting other battles. Sometimes those battles include fighting for their lives. Who has time for romance when the enemy around the corner wants you out of the way and you aren't even sure who the enemy is?


There are a couple of other common themes in my books. I write stories about strong women. Women who take life's challenges in stride and carry on. That's not to say they won't accept help when they need it. That's part of being strong—knowing when they can't do everything by themselves and there's no shame in accepting help from a friend.

I also have a rule about no cliffhanger endings. When I wrote Wolves' Pawn, I thought it would be a stand-alone novel and I tied up all the loose ends. Or so I thought. Somewhere along the way, Tasha came along, and Wolves' Knight came into being. Again, no cliffhanger ending, everything tied up in a nice neat package. Now I'm working on a third book for the series, tentatively titled "Wolves' Gambit," and it features yet another minor character from Wolves' Pawn. Stay tuned for that one!



The same sort of themes run through my Oak Grove Mysteries, although they are written in a different style. They are much more of a continuing story, although the mystery in each is wrapped up in the end.  (I hate cliffhangers!)  I'd already figured out I wanted them to be a series when I finished the first one, The Marquesa's Necklace, because Harmony, my main character, is such a blast to write. I'm working on the third book in that series as well. (First draft is done, now I'm editing, so it won't be long now!) It'll be called "The Baron's Cufflinks." If you lost track, the second book in the series is Her Ladyship's Ring.

The best part is, ten books later, I'm still writing for fun. Don't strain your brain trying to do the math and figure out that "ten" number. A couple of books that I completed will never see the light of day. Not in their current form, anyway.


To find out what other authors have to say, check out the links below. And I always enjoy reading your comments


November 28 - Pillar Post – In-depth posts that define your blog and brand
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants' blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person's blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Wordpress:



Custom Blog:



Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code

Sunday, November 20, 2016

Thanksgiving Traditions—#OpenBook Blog Hop


Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop, where a merry group of authors get together to expound on a similar topic in what ends up being  dissimiliar ways. This week we're talking about Thanksgiving traditions.

Growing up in a large family, Thanksgiving was a major event. My mother started cooking several days in advance. On the day itself, the older kids would be part of the preparations. Either helping in the kitchen, or setting up tables and finding enough chairs for the guests we were having. My mother would break out the 'good' china and the 'real' silverware (which needed polished each year.)
 Because there were so many of us, the adults would be at the big table and there would be a separate kids table. There'd be the traditional turkey and ham, potatoes-both mashed and sweet- and a variety of vegatables, along with assorted pies for dessert. Yes, it was pretty Norman Rockwell-ish.

Now that I'm grown up and living far from my birthplace, Thanksgiving has changed. Several times, actually. Depending upon jobs and days off, the traditional feast might be ayt noon or it might be in the evening. The menu has shrunk with fewer people to share the bounty, but it still goes far above a normal meal.

The best part is that we actually all sit down at the table and eat together. I put away whatever book I'm reading and the TV is turned off. I'll break out the poinsettia tablecloth we got from my husband's grandmother and add a few subtle Christmas decorations. It marks the beginning of the Christmas season and its joys.

I'm lucky enough that this year I'll have four days off in a row, So once the leftovers are put away, I'll launch into a mini-version of spring cleaning and even put up a few more Christmas decorations to help me get in the mood.

To find out about the traditions of other folks on the hop, click on the links below, And tell us about your traditions in the comments.

November 21 - Thanksgiving traditions - What are your traditions or what traditions would you like to begin. For those not in the US, how about writing about family traditions?
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants' blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person's blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Wordpress:



Custom Blog:



Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Dùsgadh: Essence of Life & a Giveaway!

Dùsgadh: Essence of Life
Book One of The Awakening Series
By Margaret A. Daly

Blurb:
"Ember Malloch has no idea her life is about to get turned upside down. Besides the fact that she sees the dead on occasion, she lives an ordinary mundane life.

Her sister warned her not to provoke the spirits, but Ember has a mind of her
own and she defies Becky at every turn. Now, her life as she knows it will be
changed forever, as an unbridled strength is unleashed upon her.

She will have an awakening like no other as she learns her past, and discovers
who she is..."
Universal Book link: books2read.com/Dusgadh (please use this link)


Editiorial Review:
"Dusgadh: Essence of Life by Margaret Daly is a powerful assemble of teenage angst and the paranormal, concerning the life and times of a young girl called Ember who always felt like the odd one out.

Daly, who has experienced tragedy in her own life, sets the scene for Ember, a girl in middle school who experiences the disturbance of having her family taken from her.

She is left with her sister and just seems to amble along in life until she attends a party as a teenager. It is a party that will change her life forever. After a séanceis held in a park, catapulting Ember into a world of paranormal shocks, she realises that she has a natural gift that brings connections to a previous life.

The book is action packed and will keep the reader engrossed to the end, definitely wanting more from the next series of books. As you read through this book you realise that it will be the first of many to come.Many characters are mentioned in it briefly that will be fleshed out in sequel books in relation to Ember's life.

The book is suitable for older children and teenagers, and dare I say I can see something of the Harry Potter series about this book and its focus on one individual who although from a dysfunctional background has a natural gift for magic and the paranormal.

So I would without a doubt recommend this book if you're a fan of the mysterious and spooky mixed with adventure." -Review by Nick Bishop



~Beginning of Chapter One~
My family was everything to me; it still is, I guess. Unfortunately, my family consists of only two people now. The substance of my life was taken from me. Ripped right from under me, like a Band-Aid from a bleeding wound. The burning flesh is still tender, just like the memory. It’s a day I try not to remember, but the shattered remnant of the girl I once was…she won’t let me forget it. The image plays like a scene from a film, forcing me to relive the worst day of my life.

Extract
I wouldn’t have struggled. I’d never wanted to surrender to anyone before, but still, there was a memory tickling at the back of my mind.
Slowly, he began telling me everything he knew about me, right down to being able to communicate with the dead. How did he know that about me? I knew nothing about him, yet we somehow shared a past.
“Who spoke to me in the park?” My words brought us both back to reality. “Was it you? Where are we?” Questions started pouring from my mouth, “How do you know me so well?”
“No, that wasn’t me, Ember.” Zeb paused, then smiled at my puzzled look and continued on to answer another question. “I have known you since 1896.”
My eyes widened in disbelief. “That’s…impossible.” I pushed it aside, believing he had simply misspoken.

Zeb had a look of hesitancy. “Now wait, I know that sounds weird, but let me finish, please. We are in…what’s the correct term?” He lightly tapped his chin, pondering his own question, as if it mattered. “Ah yes, the afterlife.”


Excerpt (Chapter One complete) on website: http://margaretadaly.weebly.com/ember.html
Excerpt (first climatic scene): http://margaretadaly.weebly.com/homeblog/-i-had-no-control-over-my-fluttering-heart-rpbp-supernatural-scifi-thriller-dusgadh
Author Info:
Bio:
Having written her first paranormal fantasy book at the age of forty-three, Margaret Daly has started a wonderful trilogy. Margaret took her life's encounters and crossed a bridge to a world filled with untamed power and endless possibilities.
Being raised in the hills of West Sparta, New York, Margaret lost her home and everything in it to fire at a young age. She dove into the dark world as a teenager and from there on spent most of her life wrapped up in unfortunate situations from bad choices. Margaret learned some things aren't what you expect; some things end up being more.
Now, with her loving husband and four children, a family full of support and love, she has managed to overcome all the oddities thrown at her. Becoming the published author she once dreamed of being as a child but lost track of during this journey we call life.
Margaret is also currently working as an online book publicist and marketing coordinator with Rukia Publishing Book Promotions (Sarah Jane Butfield). She loves her job and the interaction she is able to have with her fellow Indie Authors!
Social Links:
Websites
Personal: http://margaretadaly.weebly.com/
Business: http://www.rukiapublishing.com/
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/Dusgadh/
Business:
https://www.facebook.com/promotingauthors/


Twitter Personal & Business
https://twitter.com/mdaly_margaret
https://twitter.com/RPBPMDaly1
https://twitter.com/RukiaPublishing


Tumblr
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/zealousdreamartisan
http://sarahjanebutfield.tumblr.com/

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/bold1971/
Google Plus
https://plus.google.com/u/0/+MargaretDalyDusgadh
CoPromote (Join & Follow)
https://goo.gl/RZH1p3
The BingBing (Join & Follow)
http://www.thebingbing.com/mdaly1371
IAuthor
http://www.iauthor.uk.com/profile/margaret-daly:12500
Book Bub
https://www.bookbub.com/books/dusgadh-essence-of-life-by-margaret-a-daly

Book Trailer
https://youtu.be/RsJVIAJI4wo
#RPBP #Giveaway
From now until December 19th Rukia Publishing is running a Christmas Giveaway!!! You don't want to miss this one!
Click the link to enter to win 1 of 3 Prizes!
http://eepurl.com/beMgVv




Monday, November 14, 2016

Change- #OpenBook Blog Hop



We're talking about change in this weels hop and I was going to talk seriously about how I've dealt with change in my life. I've seen a lot of it.

But in the US, we've had a tough week. Emotions surrounding the recent election are running high. People are ecstatic or scared. So I decided to do something different.

I want to give all of you the gift of something beautiful. So here is my favorite kind of change in the form of photos. I hope you enjoy them.

Morning Lake Michigan CO

Setting Sum Lake Michigan CO

Moose- Spring

Moose- Winter


High Plains- Spring
High Plains-Fall
Whaleshead ORon a Sunny Day
Whaleshead OR on a stormy day
Balloon launch- getting ready

In the Air!

And just because we can all use a smile- here's a cat who forgot how to do it!


To find out what the other authors have to say, check out the links below.

November 14 - Change - how do you feel about it, what are some big changes you've undergone, what are some changes you'd like to make or that you see coming?
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants' blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person's blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Wordpress:



Custom Blog:



Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code

Sunday, November 6, 2016

Exploring Idioms- #OpenBook Blog Hop


As writers, we have to search to find unique ways to describe everyday life. Sometimes, especially when we write dialogue, we find ourselves resorting to idioms, figures of speech and (gasp) clichés. But where did those idioms originate? That's what we're exploring in this week's blog hop.

I've heard the expression "blind as a bat" since I was young. Several of my siblings fit that
description. One brother needed glasses in first grade.

Of course, we now know that bats aren't blind. Most people know they use a radar-like detection system for hunting, called echolocation. But they can see in daylight, although their vision isn't as sharp as many other night hunters. They aren't really blind

So where did the saying originate? Some scholars point to Aristotle. Supposedly he experimented with bats while he was trying to come up with a system to classify living beings. We also attribute the saying "For as the eyes of bats are to the blaze of day, so is the reason in our soul to the things which are by nature most evident of all" to him as it appeared in his work "Metaphysics."

There is also research that suggests the saying originated in the seventeenth century. In John's Clarke's Paromiologia there is a line that reads “Blind as a bat at noone."



The expression now is used to describe more that just a person's vision. It can also be used to describe a person's unwillingness to recognize the truth. In the current political battle in the Unites States, the followers of both major parties frequesntly accuse their rivals as being blind as bats. However, the words they use may not be so polite.

There are lots of idioms out there enriching our language. I'm looking forward to seeing what our other authors bring to the table. :) To find out, follow the links below!

November 7 - Idioms - figures of speech - For example, what does "in a New York minute" mean, where did it come from, what does it mean to you? (I think this might be a fun way to highlight our different cultures).
Rules:
1. Link your blog to this hop.
2. Notify your following that you are participating in this blog hop.
3. Promise to visit/leave a comment on all participants' blogs.
4. Tweet/or share each person's blog post. Use #OpenBook when tweeting.
5. Put a banner on your blog that you are participating.
Wordpress:



Custom Blog:



Code for Link:

get the InLinkz code