Showing posts with label Women on Writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Women on Writing. Show all posts

Friday, November 29, 2013

On Tour, Voices, and a Giveaway! Home World by Bonnie Milani


Home World by Bonnie Milani
Paperback: 400 Pages
Publisher: Promontory Press
Twitter hashtag: #HWorld
Home World is available as a print and e- book at Amazon

Home World is a fast paced well written story about the power and the price of love. This story takes place amid the ruins of a post-apocalyptic Waikiki. Jezekiah Van Buren thinks he has found a way to restore Earth – Home World, to the other worlds of the human commonwealth. His goal is to restore his home to her lost glory.

Ingenious even by the standards of the genetically enhanced Great Family Van Buren, Jezekiah has achieved the impossible:  he has arranged a treaty that will convert Earth's ancient enemies, the Lupans, to her most powerful allies.  Not only will the treaty terms make  Earth rich again, it will let him escape the Ring that condemns him to be Earth's next ruler.  Best of all, the treaty leaves him free to marry Keiko Yakamoto, the Samurai-trained woman he loves.  Everything’s set.  All Jezekiah has to do is convince his xenophobic sister to accept the Lupan's alpha warlord in marriage.

Before, that is, the assassin she's put on his tail succeeds in killing him.  Or the interstellar crime ring called Ho Tong succeed in raising  another rebellion.  Or before his ruling relatives on competing worlds manage to execute him for treason.  But Jezekiah was bred for politics and trained to rule.  He’s got it all under control. Until his Lupan warlord-partner reaches Earth.  And suddenly these two most powerful men find themselves in love with the same woman.   A woman who just may be the most deadly assassin of them all.


Voices

Hi Bonnie ~ Welcome to The Book Bag! I have heard other authors say that they 'hear voices in their head' and that is how they write their books: the characters are telling their stories. Not being a writer myself, that concept has always intrigued me. 

When some people hear voices, we get them medical attention, others end up becoming writers. Does this happen to you? How do you come up with your stories?

Oh, darlin' - I most definitely hear my characters' voices, and not just when I'm physically writing, either. Especially when I'm in the early stages of a story, and still getting to know my people. I don't try to shape the characters, or put words in their mouths. At that stage, I need to let them find their own voices. I have a good idea at that point as to what a given character's plot function will be (though they have a bad habit of refusing to accept it) but I can't tell who that person is until they talk to me. Only when I hear the voice can I tell where they're from, what kind of socioeconomic stratum they're from, etc. Once they start talking, I can throw incidents and ideas at them and see how they respond. Eventually, between the odd-hours brainstorming and the actual plot line, the characters gel and start making the story their own. 
So during that early period I leave my mind on open. I want to see whether anything in the real world triggers a reaction from anybody in the fictional world I'm creating. It's amazing how many times it does. Only it can be down right embarrassing, too, because I've got some seriously snarky characters, and they're not at all above a running commentary on real life folk. So many's the time I've sat through a business meeting on something like up-coming insurance rate increases with a grin to rival Jack Nicholson in The Shining. Just try explaining that one!   
I have a perfect example, though, of how the voices in my head work. In developing a story as complex as Home World I just could not for the life of me come up with a name for my heroine. I'd learned quite a bit about her: she's short (yea! us short girls gotta stick together!), a Samurai-trained native Hawaiian, fiery tempered, and with a heart as big as the sea. She just didn't have a name. Worse, she didn't much care for any of my suggestions. I can always tell, because when I'm off base with an element of a character, they just shut up and refuse to cooperate at all. She needed a good strong name, only NOTHING worked. I'd worked through Hawaiian names, made-up names, and was finally working through Japanese names. I tried Reiko - no go. In desperation I even tried Seiko - totally forgot it's a watch brand. And then I tried Keiko. All of a sudden villainous old Grandfather Ho (a key character who's also native Hawaiian) started punning on Keiko & keiki, the Hawaiian word for child or children. That did it. She's Keiko Yakamoto.  
About the author


Bonnie vividly recalls the book that helped her decide she could out-write another writer: it was a junior reader's biography of Sir William Harvey, the 17th century English physician credited (in the West) with discovering how blood circulates. After about 30 pages of telling herself "I can write better than that!" she grabbed a crayon that just happened to be blue and started editing. She was all of seven years old at the time. Unfortunately for her juvenile bottom it was a library book. She followed the dream through college and after grad school, freelancing feature articles for newspapers along the East Coast. Milani even wrote a cover story for Science Digest!

Alas life and grown up responsibilities caught up with her and by her late twenties she put writing away with so many other dreams while she followed a ‘career track’. After losing her entire family, she realized story telling just a want but a need and a gift God gave her. So here she is, a self-declared “middle-aged pudge” working on getting back into a writer’s kind of real life!

Connect with Bonnie

Website

Check out the other stops on the tour! Then scroll down for a chance to win a copy of Home World

WOW! blog tour for Bonnie Milani and her Sci Fi Love Story, Home World.

Monday, November 18 @ The Muffin
Stop by for an interview and book giveaway!
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/

Tuesday, November 19 @ The New Book Review
Bonnie Milani gets the spotlight today at The New Book Review - find out more about this science fiction/Fantasy novel Home World.
http://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com

Wednesday, November 20 @ Steph the Bookworm
Home World giveaway and chance to chat with author Bonnie Milani as she speaks candidly on the topic of "The Importance of Networking for Authors"
http://www.stephthebookworm.com/

Thursday, November 21 @ CMash Reads
Bonnie Milani, author of Home World (Sci-Fi Fantasy novel) answers the question "Where Do You Get Your Ideas" and offers readers an opportunity to win their own copy of her new book!
http://cmashlovestoread.com/

Friday, November 22 @ Blue House Review
Join Bonnie Milani as she answers "So, Who are You Anyway" in a guest post and visit with fellow author Lauren Scharhag at Blue House Review. Bonnie has just released her debut work Home World and offers readers a giveaway of this sci-fi/fantasy love story!
http://www.bluehousereview.blogspot.com/

Monday, November 25 @ Trisha Slay
"Writing Your Way to Health" guest post by Bonnie Milani as she shares her thoughts as well as her debut sci-fi/fantasy novel Home World. Don't miss this post and fabulous opportunity at a book giveaway - good luck winning your very own copy of Home World!
http://trishaslay.com/

Tuesday, November 26 @ Selling Books
Don't miss today's author interview with Bonnie Milani and find out more about her debut sci-fi/fantasy tale Home World!
http://www.sellingbooks.com/

Wednesday, November 27 @ Book Worm
Join Anjanette Potter as she reviews the Sci-Fi/Fantasy book Home World by Bonnie Milani and enter to be part of the giveaway so you can read this great book for yourself!
http://bookworm66.wordpress.com/

Friday, November 29 @ The Book Bag
Bonnie Milani introduces her sci-fi love story. Home World to the readers at the Book Bag and also offers a guest post "Voices" and a giveaway of this fabulously received debut book!
http://susan-thebookbag.blogspot.com/

Saturday, November 30 @ Choices
Bonnie Milani shares insights into "What Makes a Good Critique" and offers Choices readers the opportunity at the giveaway of Home World.
http://madeline40.blogspot.com/

Monday, December 2 @E.M Havens
Bonnie Milani and Emily Havens spend time together chatting it up and Emily reviews Bonnie’s debut sci-fi romance Home World. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, the ladies also offer a giveaway for Home World; this is a stop you won’t want to miss.
http://www.emhavenswrites.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, December 4 @ All Things Audry
Join Bonnie Milani as she chats with Audry about "Finding Writing Time" and offers a giveaway of her exciting sci-fi fantasy book Home World.
http://allthingsaudry.blogspot.com/

Thursday, December 5 @ Mom~E~Centric
Bonnie Milani talks to Jerri about “Dealing with Rejection” and shares more about her debut sci-fi love story Home World while generously offering a giveaway as well. This is a blog tour stop you won’t want to let slip by!
http://momecentric.com/

Monday, December 9 @ Mason Canyon
Bonnie Milani answers "How Do You Deal With Rejection" and offers a giveaway of her newly released sci-fi fantasy book Home World!
http://masoncanyon.blogspot.com/

To view all our touring authors, check out our Events Calendar. Keep up with blog stops and giveaways in real time by following us on Twitter @WOWBlogTour.

Giveaway Time!!



Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Friday, September 20, 2013

Book Spotlight, On Tour, and a Giveaway! Loving the Missing Link by Julia Asel Thomas #LMLThomas


Loving the Missing Link


Paperback: 190 Pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: July 8, 2013
ISBN-10: 1480106240
ISBN-13: 978-1480106246

Loving the Missing Link is a fabulous tale about love, success, hope and music. During the 1970's. Young Cheryl Simpson feels trapped in her small Missouri town. As her mother tries to help her find a way up and out, Cheryl begins to feel that it is all an impossible dream. She sees herself living a boring and dismal life for the rest of her days. Just at the moment when she is about to give up on happiness, she gets the opportunity to join her high school band. The band promises a connection with the world outside her town, but Cheryl does not see any future for herself in music. It is just a tool to get where she wants to go. However, Cheryl’s mother arranges for Cheryl to take private lessons with an accomplished musician, who helps her realize the beauty and awesome power of music.

Still, Cheryl feels that small-town inferiority and finds it too hard to believe that she could ever be anyone special out in the “real” world. On the eve of a music contest that could help her earn a music scholarship, Cheryl begins to panic. Scared and feeling alone, Cheryl runs off with her high school sweetheart and gets married, leaving the band behind.

During the next years, Cheryl and her husband make a life for themselves. Cheryl meets friends along the way who help guide her to becoming the woman she wants to be. She becomes interested in the arts again. All the while, Cheryl and husband Jerry face the challenges of homelessness, miscarriage and an extra-marital affair before an unexpected disaster brings Cheryl’s life crashing to the ground. Cheryl survives, with the help of her extraordinary friends and her life-long love for music.

About the author


Julia Asel Thomas writes stories with vivid descriptions, authentic dialogue and revealing narration. Her debut book, Loving the Missing Link, presents the engrossing and moving story of a young, small town girl who grows up, lives and loves while trying to find a balance between despair and hope.

Like the protagonist in her debut book, Loving the Missing Link, Julia Asel Thomas knows small town life. However, Julia’s experiences were quite different than Cheryl’s. Julia is the middle child of seven children and the daughter of a church organist and a business manager. Growing up in the small town of Hamilton, Missouri, Julia’s family enjoyed a reputation as a bright and interesting family. Julia thrived on the quiet and carefree life she lived in that gentle place.

When Julia was in high school, she earned a scholarship for a trip to Cali, Colombia as a foreign exchange student. The experience, although it only lasted a few brief months, had a profound influence on the rest of her life. After her time abroad, Julia realized in a very real way that, although customs may differ from culture to culture, the substance of human emotions is constant. We all need love. We all need to feel secure. We all have happy moments and sad moments. Back from Colombia, Julia become ever more interested in capturing these human emotions through music and writing.

After high school, Julia took a break before going on to college. During this time, she married her husband, Will. Will joined the Air Force, and Julia accompanied him to bases around the country, taking college classes in each town where they resided. Their two children were born in Las Vegas, Nevada, while Will was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base. Married in 1976, Julia and Will are thrilled to celebrate each new anniversary and look forward to staying together for life.

Julia began writing fiction at the age of ten, when her 5th grade teacher gave her the assignment to write about “My Worst Day.” Julia took the opportunity to concoct every possible disaster a young child could face during the course of a normal day. The teacher loved her work and asked her to read it to the class. From then on, Julia wanted nothing more than to be a writer.

In 2007, Julia began earning her living by writing articles, press releases and website content for a number of clients. As she settled into a routine of working every day on her writing, the old urge to write fiction resurfaced. In 2012, Julia started with a story she had written in 1985 and continued it to create the story in Loving the Missing Link.

After Julia’s husband, Will retired from the Air Force, they moved back to Missouri and now live in Kansas City, Missouri. Find out more about this author by visiting her online.

Connect with Julia

Purchase Loving the Missing Link
Giveaway Time!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Tour Stops
Monday, September 9 @ The Muffin
Stop by for an interview and book giveaway!
http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/

Wednesday September 11 @ CMash Reads
Get in on the giveaway for Loving the Missing Link and hear from Julia Asel Thomas with her guest post "Life Long Learning and Self-Education"
http://cmashlovestoread.com/

Thursday, September 12 @ My Fiction Nook
Giveaway and guest post by Julia Asel Thomas today! She shares her debut work with Loving The Missing Link and speaks candidly offering insight in her guest post “Establishing a Writing Routine”.
http://www.myfictionnook.com/

Friday, September 13 @ Steph the Bookworm
Don't miss your chance to win a copy of Loving the Missing Link and hear what Stephanie has to say after reading this first published work by Julia Asel Thomas.
http://www.stephthebookworm.com/

Monday, September 16 @ All Things Audry
Get in on the giveaway of Loving the Missing Link and enjoy a guest post by author, Julia Asel Thomas with the fun topic of “Life Experiences in Fiction”
http://allthingsaudry.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, September 18 @ Selling Books
Don't miss today's author interview with Julia Asel Thomas and find out more about her debut book Loving the Missing Link!
http://www.sellingbooks.com/

Thursday, September 19 @ Thoughts in Progress
Today is your day to hear what Julia Asel Thomas has to say in her guest post about "Journal Writing to Enhance Your Fiction" and an added bonus - get in on the giveaway of Julia's new book Loving the Missing Link (#LMLThomas)!
http://masoncanyon.blogspot.com/

Friday, September 20 @ The Book Bag
The Spotlight at The Book Bag is none other than Julia Asel Thomas and her New Adult Novel, Loving the Missing Link (#LMLThomas); check out this great blog stop and get in on the giveaway!
http://susan-thebookbag.blogspot.com/

Monday, September 23@ Bring on Lemons
Giveaway and guest blog stop for Julia Asel Thomas, author of Loving the Missing Link - Julia visits the lemons to lemonade blog and shares her wish for music education titled: "Channeling the Spirit of Professor Harold Hill". Don't miss this stop and giveaway opportunity!
http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, September 24 @ Words from the Heart
Join author, Julia Asel Thomas as she discusses "The Pros and Cons of Teen Marriage" and offers a giveaway and some insight into Loving the Missing Link. Find out more about Julia and her first published book!
http://contemplativeed.blogspot.com

Wednesday, September 25 @ Words by Webb
Hear from Jodi Webb as she reviews Loving the Missing Link by Julia Asel Thomas - don't miss this great giveaway and insight!
http://jodiwebb.com/

Thursday, September 26 @ I’d So Rather Be Reading
Join Julia Asel Thomas, Author of Loving the Missing Link as she blogs about "Choosing Your Words Carefully: a guide to finding the best verbs for your purpose" and don't miss this giveaway of her newly published work!
http://www.idsoratherbereading.com/

Tuesday, October 1 @ Mom-E-Centric
Julia Asel Thomas, Author of Loving the Missing Link offers a giveaway opportunity and shares her insight on “Finding Realistic Hope” this is something we can all benefit from; don’t miss this tour stop!
http://momecentric.com/


Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Thursday, September 5, 2013

On Tour: Book Spotlight and a Giveaway! A Southern Place by Elaine Drennon Little


A Southern Place


Mary Jane Hatcher - everyone calls her Mojo - is beat up bad. She’s in the ICU of Phoebe Putney, the largest hospital in South Georgia, barely able to talk. How Mojo goes from being that skinny little girl in Nolan, a small forgotten town along the Flint River, to the young woman now fighting for her life, is where this story begins and ends.

Mojo, her mama Delores and her Uncle Calvin Mullinax, like most folks in Nolan, have just tried to make the best of it. Of course, people aren’t always what they seem, and Phil Foster--the handsome, spoiled son of the richest man in the county--is no exception.

As the story of the Mullinax family unfolds, Mojo discovers a family’s legacy can be many things—a piece of earth, a familiar dwelling, a shared bond. And although she doesn’t know why she feels such a bond with Phil Foster, it is there all the same, family or not. And she likes to think we all have us a fresh start. Like her mama always said, the past is all just water under the bridge. Mojo, after going to hell and back, finally comes to understand what that means.
  
About the author



Adopted at birth, I lived my first twenty years on my parents’ agricultural farm in rural southern Georgia. A public school music teacher for twenty-seven years, I continued to dabble with sideline interests in spite of my paid profession. Playing in my first band at age fourteen, I seem to almost always be involved in at least one. 

My writing began in high school, publishing in local newspapers, then educational journals, then later in online fiction journals. In 2008 I enrolled in the MFA program at Spalding University in Louisville, where upon graduation I finished my second novel manuscript. Recently retiring after eleven years as a high school chorus and drama director, I currently live in north Georgia with my husband, an ever-growing library of used books, and many adopted animals.  
Connect with Elaine

 Website | Facebook | Goodreads |

 
Elaine and A Southern Place are on tour right now. 

Check out the stops on the tour here



Giveaway!


Be sure to check the sidebar for my current giveaways!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...