Clarissa Reads Three Books

Before I start, I just had to tell you I've decided not to use CommentLUV. I had a lot of hope for this tool but it has thrown pie in my face. So, I ate it. I'm back to the old crappy but trustworthy blogger commenting system. Enough said.

I've been doing a lot of reading lately. I have five books to review but I can only do three today - I read all three on Kindle.

(1) Don't get Mad, Get Even by JL Campbell
What is it about? What choices do you have when you are abused, cheated on and left with a trail of broken promises? Don’t Get Mad…Get Even. Take an inside look at Jamaican culture and lifestyle through a collection of award-winning stories. You will laugh, cry and commiserate with a compelling cast of characters, who conquer their challenges in unique ways.

What did I think? This is a collection of five short stories. I've become a fan of these little guys because they're short and they often pack a punch. And these do pack a punch--often literally. I felt for all the characters in the stories and I learned a lot about the male/female relationship in Jamaican culture. Pick it up, you can't beat the price. 

Buy it here for $0.99

(2) Progressive Dinner Deadly by Elizabeth Spann Craig
What is it about? To the residents of the sleepy town of Bradley, North Carolina, hardworking Jill Caulfield seemed beyond reproach. She volunteered at the women’s shelter, worked at the church preschool, cleaned houses for extra money, and actually enjoyed yard work. And she was nothing less than a saint to cheerfully put up with her unemployed, skirt-chasing, boozer of a husband. When intrepid octogenarian sleuth Myrtle Clover caught Jill, her new housekeeper, peering into her medicine cabinet, she should have been upset. But discovering that Jill wasn’t such a squeaky-clean goody-goody made her vastly more interesting in Myrtle’s eyes. Myrtle would have happily continued figuring out what made Jill Caulfield tick. If Jill hadn’t foolishly gone and gotten herself murdered, that is.

What did I think?   I love Myrtle! I loved the first cozy and loved the second. Sure, you've got an 80 year old solving mysteries but that's what makes it so fun. Well, that and the cat. In this book, Myrtle has a cat and that cat just cracked me up. The mystery was all right--I didn't really care much for the victim, so it was hard to feel for her when she died. I didn't really try to solve the mystery before Myrtle, I wanted to see how she went about questioning her neighbours. There was one scene where she staged a garage sale to question a witness--that was funny.


Buy it here for $2.99

(3) Roxanne in La La Land by LA DeVaul
What is it about? "But forget love, I am pursuing my dream to become a famous movie star. I moved to L.A. to be successful, and be successful I will. I’m just not getting any parts yet. Which totally sucks. Success is the only thing I really want in life. Besides love. Success and love. Sigh…"

What did I think? It's a fast, light-hearted book about a young girl hoping to find love and fame. I know one person had issues with the fact she harped on modesty and church but that didn't bother me. Although, if modesty is important, I'm not sure acting/modeling is the profession to get into. Only one thing did bother me, the character drank alcohol--a lot of it. Just because I don't drink--not because of religion but because I used to drink a lot--doesn't mean I hate everyone drinking, but I felt the character didn't give enough reason to drink the amounts she did and that bothered me. Also, a newby drinker who drank as much as she did, would probably be dead. But, perhaps I'm just sensitive about it, what do I know...LA DeVaul is a debut writer (in fact, most of you probably know each of these writers) and I know it would mean a lot to them if you picked up their book. Even if you don't like the book or the genre, you'll know you're helping out fellow writers.

Buy it here for $3.99

WOOT for Kindle!

My husband's favourite site in the whole world is Woot. What's Woot? Everyday one item is sold at a super price. I swear he buys from there almost everyday.

Well, Kindle has a kinda Woot thing going on. It's called The Kindle Daily Deal. Have you heard of it? One book ridiculously reduced for one day. How cool is that!? Here's an example from today:

Kindle Daily Deal: Farewell
In Farewell, Sergei Kostin and Eric Raynaud document the strange and historically significant story of Vladimir Ippolitovitch Vetrov, a promising technical student turned KGB spy whose life helped hasten the fall of the Soviet Union.
Yesterday's Price: $7.99
Today's Discount: $7.00
Kindle Daily Deal Price: $0.99(88% off)

Today's selection might not be your cup of tea but there's always tomorrow... Also, check out the free copies of The Poems of Walt Whitman and Even More Poems by Walt Whitman.
They're free...who doesn't like free?

Don't forget: WAVE auditions are coming into my mail box and I would love to add your file to my collection. Get talking! It's only a few minutes of your life for a great cause.

A Productive Weekend

I love it when I'm productive! The last few days have been relatively calmish and I've gotten a lot of work done.

(1) I've written over 1000 words each day on my new Evans/Blackwell mystery series. I'm in love with this book... of course, I haven't edited it a billion times yet, it's still like watching the movie for the first time.

(2) I've finished reading three books from fellow bloggers (and should have the fourth finished today). I will be posting reviews later this week. Please note, although it looks like I have a lot of time now to read your books, I have non-blogging-reads to get done so I'm not adding to my list for a couple of weeks.

(3) And, I've completed a lot of my critiquing/reviewing work.

That's not to say I'm done but it's always nice to know you've knocked off a lot of your to-do list.

Also, I've gotten a couple of awards...

(a) Lady Gwen from Run Gwen, Run! Write Gwen, Write! has given me the Roaring Lion and World's Sweetest Blogger Awards. Gwen is holding a Judge and Jury blogfest and it has amazing prizes! If you haven't joined yet, go sign up. Who wouldn't want amazon give cards!?

(b) L.A Speedwing from A Blog about Writing, Arts and other Randomness... has given me The Versatile Blogger Award. Thank you! She's a new blogger with only a few followers, so go check her out!

Lastly, if you haven't signed up for the audio auditions, what are you waiting for? Go here!

What did you do this weekend?

Cover Joy!

I love working on covers before I write my books, it helps me get in the mood. Yesterday, I was fiddling around with different covers. Do you like any? Any suggestions?

I like how this one looks like it's from the 80s.

This is my favorite one.

Do you like to make covers for the books you're working on?

I'm Holding Auditions!

The W.A.V.E. is on its way! I've been working on the site and all its little details are coming together (I even have fabulous blogger buddies that have agreed to help!), but we won't be unveiling the site for about another month or so. In the meantime, I think it would be a good idea to have auditions and I hope you will take part. I really believe this site will be good for writers, especially self or independently published writers.

"What am I auditioning for?"

We are looking for voices of all kinds--different accents, male, female, readers for every type of book: sci-fi, YA, children's books... In order for writers to hear the voice of the reader, I'm putting samples out.

"I want to help but I'm so embarrassed about my voice!"

Well, you can sign up anonymously for the auditions (when it asks you to put your blog address in, put a blank page). When you send me your audition I will know who you are, but I'm not going to tell!

"If I sign up, will I have to commit to hours of reading on W.A.V.E?"

No. WAVE is volunteer. You can volunteer an hour a month or forty, it's up to you.

"What do you want from me?"

(1) Sign up below. You have until the end of October to sign up and submit (the sooner the better though). Once the website is up and running you can join as well but I want to have various examples to showcase.
(2) Using a microphone (either on your computer or external) record 20-30 seconds of reading from your favorite novel. It doesn't have to be perfect quality. As long as we can hear your voice.
(3) Email me the sound file (clarissadraper @ gmail.com). When you email me your voice file, just state the name of the book and the author. If you have wrote your name as anonymous, I will make sure it stays that way.

That's it.

When I receive your sound file, I will clean it up a bit and prepare it for my youtube account so that people can listen to it there.
Thank you for all your help with this. I hope it's a success and will help get books out there for a larger audience.

Worst Movies EVER!

Alex J. Cavanaugh is hosting another blogfest! I don't go to many movies because I'm not a fan of crowds, so when I'm forced to go, I choose wisely. Coming up with ten bad ones was difficult. They are in no particular order...

(1) Scary Movie - personally, if you have to add the word "Movie" to any movie title, it's probably not that good--Epic Movie, Disaster Movie. Really, you couldn't have been more creative?

(2) Swept Away - in one word: HER

(3) Pink Panther II
(4) Superman IV
(5) Transformers II - starting to notice a pattern? Unless your production company has the letters PIXAR in the name, avoid sequels.

(6) Land Before Time #4 to #1035 - I'm pretty sure they've made over a thousand of these movies by now. My son grew up with this series and it was all right watching them over and over and over and over but really, I think they ran out of ideas after the third one...perhaps, first.

(7) It's Pat - It's horrible.
(8) Green Hornet - I was stung! I started watching it and had to stop. I think his super power is to kill brain cells with every minute you watch.
(9) The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - I think they meant Extra Ordinary but it was a typo. I love Connery but this event was sad to witness.
(10) Pride and Prejudice--the non-Firth version.

What!?
Now don't get me wrong, I love this guy:

Especially like this...
And even this guy:

But, I have high standards for my Jane Austen movies and I felt this movie was like watching her novel on fast forward.

And, I know I'm going to get eaten alive by my last choice...

What's the worst movie you've ever seen?

I'm slow... don't sue me!

About a month ago I asked a question, a simple enough question, or so I thought: What would you prefer to see on my blog: (a) contests for amazon gift certificates or other prizes or (b) would you prefer I spend my money buying books written by fellow bloggers and giving reviews on them?

It got lots of comments and even some follow up posts:

Talli's Post
Wendy's Post

...And it got me a lot of requests for reviews.

Some I've had to turn down because I've had no time between writing, editing, critiquing and setting up another site. However, some, especially requests from my blogging buddies, I've had to say yes to.

But I'm slow. I can only read about a novel a week...if I'm lucky. So, to help you, the asker, and to help me, I've added a gadget to my blog were I list novels I'm reading for review. If you calculate about a book a week, you will know how long it will take for me to get to your book. If you can wait that long, you can make a request and I will add your book to my list... ==> Oh, and if I've forgotten your book on my list (because I'm muddled) please let me know.

I'd be...Cassandra Elizabeth Austen

To promote her new book, Talli Roland is having a Who Would You Be blogfest? Well, I'd be Cassandra Elizabeth Austen. Have you heard of her? Maybe you've heard of Jane Austen? Cassandra is her sister. Now why would I be Cassandra and not Jane?

As far as I know, Cassandra was the closest person to Jane Austen. In fact, the girl's mother once said,

"if Cassandra's head had been going to be cut off, Jane would have hers cut off too"

They wrote hundreds of letters to each other; they grew up together. No one would understand the genius of Jane Austen like her sister. I don't want to be Jane Austen (and mess up the life that gave us the brilliant works of Pride & Prejudice and Persuasion), I want to see genius at work. Also, I might insist Jane take care of illness that eventually took her life.

About Watching Willow Watts

For Willow Watts, life has settled into a predictably dull routine: days behind the counter at her father's antique shop and nights watching TV, as the pension-aged residents of Britain's Ugliest Village bed down for yet another early night. But everything changes when a YouTube video of Willow's epically embarrassing Marilyn Monroe impersonation gets millions of hits after a viewer spots Marilyn's ghostly image in a frame.

Instantly, Willow's town is overrun with fans flocking to see the 'new Marilyn'. Egged on by the villagers -- whose shops and businesses are cashing in -- Willow embraces her new identity, dying her hair platinum and ramming herself full of cakes to achieve Marilyn's legendary curves.

But when a former flame returns seeking the old Willow, Willow must decide: can she risk her stardom and her village's newfound fortune on love, or is being Marilyn her ticket to happiness?

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/nIygHP

Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/riMpmH

Talli Roland

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A Plotter's One Ten Guide

Seriously, some days I hate my brain. New great ideas pop into my head before I can fully digest and implement the last. I need an on/off switch... or at least an idle.

Here's my newest idea. It's the WRITE TEN, WALK/TALK ONE. My way of writing and getting exercise. Because I really need exercise!
I will use an example from my current WIP. Here's how it works:

My daily goal: 1000 words.

Step one: Write the numbers one to ten on my chapter summary page. Each number represents about 100 words (one or two paragraphs). If you're writing on paper, leave spaces between the numbers.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Step two: Before you begin writing for the day, briefly decide what your goal is for the chapter.

In this chapter I want to introduce the main character and her boyfriend. I want the reader to see the interaction between the two but I also want some of the MC's super powers to show themselves, but in a subtle way. I will also introduce the boyfriend's sister and the MC's mother--a single mother who wants another child.

Step three: Here's is where the WALK/TALK comes in. You get up from your computer and walk for a minute around your writing space. (Note: This works best if you're not sitting at Starbucks or in front of people who might think you're crazy.) Now, decide what your opening scene will look like--the first 100 words. Talk to yourself while you walk, it really helps.

Okay, I want to start the scene in the MC's boyfriend's bedroom. They're working on their homework. Well, Chi, my MC, is working on her homework...what homework? Maybe something on the civil war... Anyway, she's working on that while her boyfriend is... oh, I know, playing Angry Birds. But, I don't want to say Angry Birds so I'm going to have to be creative with how I explain the game. I want Chi to be angry with her computer because it's not working so perhaps I'll start my first 100 words showing her frustration.

Step four: Once you've brainstormed for a minute, sit down again at your computer and beside the number 1. write a sentence about what you decided to do. Then, write for ten minutes. Set a timer if you need to and just write. It doesn't matter if what you write is crap, that's what editing is for.

1. Chi gets frustrated with civil war homework and turns to her boyfriend Roman--who is playing Angry Birds--for help.

Xochitl Lawson slammed her fingers down on the keyboard. “I hate computers! They're useless, little things.” She dropped her laptop down beside her on the bed.
She looked up and rubbed her eyes. When had it become dark? The room was now lit only by two laptops. After she uncrossed her legs, she scooted to the edge of the bed. Her boyfriend, Roman Winters, lay on his stomach on the floor. He was busy playing a game—shooting screaming birds at snorting pigs.
“What’s the problem now, Chi?” he asked, not taking his eyes off the screen. “I’ll help you in a minute. I’m almost done this level.”

Step five: Repeat steps three and four another nine times. Not only have you written 100 words, you've gotten ten minutes of exercise. That's a start, right!?

Clarissa's Odds & Ends

(1) I'm almost finished the last few rounds of edits on the first mystery novel in my series. Then hopefully we can finalise titles and cover. I'm itching to start book two and three but I have to make sure the characters are not going to change before I start. I have the outlines and plots already carefully written out so it should be easy to get down on paper. Famous last words. Book two is entitled: Why Run Backwards, You'll Vomit.

(2) I'm also writing a YA Sci-fi in the mean time. I had a few bugs to work out in the plotting but I'm really excited again about this projects. You need to be excited about any project you're writing because you'll have the read the story through (in edits) about a billion times.

(3) An Agatha Christie book, Murder at the Vicarage, is FREE! Pick this one up while it's at such a good price. Normally $6.99. Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can download it for free to read on you computer and when you buy one, it's automatically transferred.

(4) Yesterday was Alex's first Insecure Writer's Group posts. They are great articles to keep you writing. Check out the entries. I didn't write a post this month but I plan to do so in the future.

(5) I've been busy at WAVE (my other site) writing step-by-step posts on how to work the free program Audacity. The site won't be ready for about a month because I want to make sure everything works fine before I let everyone sign up. But, if I'm not writing posts here, you know why... Some of you have said you're not able to reach the site, please click the link and let me know if you're still having issues.

(6) If you haven't already done so, sign up for the Judge and Jury Blogfest. You only have a couple of days. It's really easy, and there are some amazing prizes in the form of AMAZON GIFT CARDS!

Judge and Jury Blogfest Entry

I'm taking part in the Judge and Jury Blogfest. I must write a short defense scene in 300 words or less. It can be about anything legal or illegal, minor or major. It doesn't have to be set in a court room.

WHAT ARE THE PRIZES?

• Each of the 12 Jurors will receive a $5 Amazon Gift Card since serving on the Jury is compulsory (According to the Judge, this should in no way be construed as a bribe!)
• A $10 Amazon Gift Card booby prize will be awarded randomly to a new follower – I’ve already picked out the Follower’s number. You may already be a winner!
• Third place prize is a $5 Amazon Gift Card
• Second place prize is a $10 Amazon Gift Card
• FIRST PRIZE is a $15 Amazon Gift Card

Here is my (very rough) entry:

I placed some of my clothes in the washing machine and started it.

“What ya doin’?” my sister's boyfriend Dale asked. He leaned in and I backed against the washing machine.

“I’m doing my laundry," I whispered. I tried to move past him but he grabbed my arms.

“I think you’re really pretty, you know that? I've had my eye on you since you arrived. Pretty, pretty girl.” He pulled me in and kissed my lips. Hard.

I couldn’t move. Or breathe. He smelled like beer and sweat. He smelled like Angus did after he came home from work.

"Please don't," I tried to say but I don't think the sounds came out.

Dale rough hand gripped my right breast.

“What the hell is going on here?” I heard my sister yell.

Immediately, Dale backed away.

I stood paralyzed against the washing machine. I couldn’t see her, but I could hear her voice. It sounded like she was speaking underwater.

“That’s why you came here, isn’t it. You came here to steal my boyfriend.” She grabbed my hair and brought my face close to hers. “I hate you. I hate you. I hate you.” She slapped my face.

Then she turned to Dale but before she could say anything to him, he said, “Maggie, I...she completely came on to me. I tried to get her off but she kept grabbing at me. It wasn't my fault. Your sister is so desperate. What's wrong with her?”

 "It's not what you think," I said.

“Maggie, stop it,” said my grandmother. She came into the room and stood in the middle of us. “Dale, go upstairs right now, pack your bags and get out.”

“You can’t tell my boyfriend to leave the house. It’s not your house. I want that whore gone." She turned to me. "You lose your husband and you think you can take my boyfriend? Well, you're sadly mistaken. Why don’t you go home, Megan, go to your own house. I don’t want to see you 'round here anymore.”

Go sign up now!

I don't normally post twice a day but I forgot that this post had to be up today. (I'm skipping a post tomorrow.)

Ride The W.A.V.E...but not yet.

Some of you may have noticed another site on my profile. And while I hope all of you eventually join up (even if you can't volunteer), the site is not quite ready.

This is something I hope will benefit all writers (especially independent and self-published--a trend I see growing in the near future) and I hope you have a part.

Along with volunteers, I was wondering if anyone felt up to moderating or helping me co-manage the site when it's done. If you're interested, please say so in comments below. I hope once the site is up and running, it will be easy to handle. I have a few things to work out but I will post more detailed blog posts later.

Clarissa asks and reminds...

A few things today.

(a) Today we're going to be discussing an awesome book at book club. It's Presumed Dead by Shirley Wells. She's a fellow blogger so I hope you had a chance to read her book. If not, you should pick it up, it's a good price on amazon.com.

(b) Also, a question: As a writer, would you be willing to do a audio exchange? That means, if someone read your book would you be willing to give it a go for others who could not afford the cost of professionally turning their book into audio form? For example, I read well but my voice is best suited for YA literature with a female protagonist. What about you? We could even take books written by our friends and bloggers and assign writer's voices to make it like those old-time radio dramas, that way, no one has to listen to their voice for too long.

(c)  Don't forget, my Critique Partners/ Beta Readers lists are still open and if you want to, put your name on the list. Even if you don't have anything ready for critiquing, perhaps you can build your skills as critique-giver.