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Friday Fun! (Six Books/Six Months Meme and Blog Tour Updates)

July 20, 2012 5 comments

Hello my lovely readers!

This week I saw a new meme over on Jessica’s blog, The Bookworm Chronicles, and I immediately knew I’d want to participate.  And what better place than in Friday Fun, eh?  The Book Jotter created it after realizing we’re actually halfway through the year already (already!), so the theme is answers to the questions/categories in sixes.

Six New Authors to Me:

  1. S. A. Archer
  2. Kat Falls
  3. Steve Vernon
  4. David Anthony Durham
  5. Brandon Shire
  6. Susan Mallery

Six Authors I Have Read Before

  1. Brian K. Vaughan
  2. Robert Kirkman
  3. Joseph Robert Lewis
  4. Anne Rice
  5. Margaret Atwood
  6. Ann Brashares

Six Authors I Am Looking Forward To Reading More Of:

  1. Tera W. Hunter
  2. Joann Sfar
  3. Richelle Mead
  4. M. J. Rose
  5. Isaac Marion
  6. Roger Thurow

Six Books I Have Enjoyed the Most:

  1. To ‘Joy My Freedom: Southern Black Women’s Lives and Labors after the Civil War by Tera W. Hunter (review)
  2. Dark Life by Kat Falls (review)
  3. Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion (review)
  4. Acacia by David Anthony Durham (review)
  5. Vegan Vittles by Jo Stepaniak (review)
  6. The Last Hunger Season: A Year in an African Farm Community on the Brink of Change by Roger Thurow (review)

Six Books I Was Disappointed With:

  1. The Wolf Gift by Anne Rice (review)
  2. Living Cuisine: The Art and Spirit of Raw Foods by Renee Loux Underkoffler (review)
  3. Nano House: Innovations for Small Dwellings by Phyllis Richardson (review)
  4. The Child Who by Simon Lelic (review)
  5. To a Mountain in Tibet by Colin Thubron (review)
  6. Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson (review)

Six Series of Books Read or Started:

  1. Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan
  2. Touched by S. A. Archer
  3. Dark Life by Kat Falls
  4. The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman
  5. Georgina Kincaid by Richelle Mead
  6. The Reincarnationist by M. J. Rose

Phew! That was actually pretty tough to assemble. Super fun though! It’s always interesting to see your reading over a period of time summed up in different types of lists.

Now, it’s time for the Waiting For Daybreak blog tour updates (blog tour page)!  This was the first full week of the tour, and it’s really been quite fun so far.

Earth’s Book Nook hosted a guest post in which I talk about why I made “What is normal?” the theme of the novel and tour.  She is also hosting a giveaway!

The Chronicles of an Enamored Soul posted her review, and she said, “The reason it gets FIVE STARS, is because I simply loved how well-realized, and well-developed author McNeil’s characters were, ESPECIALLY Frieda. Amanda writes about mental illness with sensitivity, and yet never fails to make it interesting.”

Tabula Rasa‘s review said, “The book is, on the one hand packed with thrill and action, and on the other, has a very emotional and thought-provoking side. What I really appreciated was how none of it is overdone; I specially liked the subtlety of the relationship between Mike and Frieda.”

Tabula Rasa also hosted an interview!  Be sure to check that out to find out everything from whether plot or characters come first in my writing to what my next project is.

Nicki J Markus also interviewed me.  Check that out to find out what my favorite zombie book and zombie movie are.

Last but not least, Nicki J Markus is also hosting a giveaway.  Two chances to win this week!

Thanks once again to all the participating blogs!

Finally, happy weekends to all my lovely readers!  What did you think of the meme?  Any surprises or thoughts?

Friday Fun! (Teaching, Fitness, Blog Tour)

July 13, 2012 2 comments

Hello my lovely readers!

I hope you all had great weeks. Mine has been incredibly busy but in a fun way.  The teaching sessions at work have been increasing since medical schools and medicine in general run on a calendar that starts in June (except for the first year students who start in August).  I was warned things would get busier, but I must admit it still has been a bit of a shock for me!  But I’m a person who enjoys being busy, so I’m loving it.

In fitness news, I had plateaued for a few months. I took a few tips from other fitness folks to increase intensity across the board.  Well, this week I decided to check my measurements (I don’t weigh myself), and in the last 1.5 months I’ve lost half an inch (1.27 centimeters) on my waist! Also an inch (2.54 centimeters) on my chest and hips, but the waist is the important factor!  You’re supposed 33 inches or under around the waist (for women) for cardiovascular health, and with the heart disease that is strongly prevalent in my family, that is one of the things I keep tabs on for my fitness. (source)  I’m so happy to be half an inch closer!  I now only have two inches to go.  :-) Also this means that the changes I made in my fitness routines are working, so yay!

In other exciting news, today is the first day of the official Waiting For Daybreak blog tour!  I’ll be adding links to features as they come in, but I also will be mentioning the features in every Friday Fun post for the duration of the tour, since not everyone will be clicking through to the blog tour page.  Since today is the first day of the tour, there isn’t too much to talk about this week, but I do want to call attention to the reviews and interviews that have gone up that were not a part of the official tour.

The Chronicles of an Enamored Soul is running an international giveaway that ends July 17th, so you have plenty of time to enter!

Kelsey’s Cluttered Bookshelf says, “This book is recommended for Zombie fans, there are some sexual scenes and violence, but it’s not over the top which is good. This was a great first debut book for the author.” Be sure to click through to see her whole review.

Waiting For Daybreak was also reviewed on Beauty in Ruins, who said, “The writing is solid, the dialogue creatively engaging (even with Freida’s silent cat), and the novelty of the personality issue alone definitely makes this worth a read.”

Nicki J Markus says, “The pacing of this piece is well managed and the tension was maintained perfectly from start to finish.”

And Reflections appreciated Frieda, “Even though Frieda has a personality disorder and periods of extreme depression, the character was still somehow easy to relate to.”

Finally, in addition to a review best summed-up with the great phrase, “Wonderful book!” Love, Literature, Art, and Reason also interviewed me!  Be sure to check out the interview to find out everything from how I deal with writer’s block to why I decided to give Frieda Borderline Personality Disorder.

Phew! No wonder I’ve been feeling so busy…..Evidence-Based Medicine, fitness, and book tours. Oh my!

Happy weekends all!

Announcement: Waiting For Daybreak Now Available in Print!

That’s right, you can now choose between an ebook or a print book when reading Waiting For Daybreak! The print book is printed up by CreateSpace and shipped by Amazon. It costs $7.99. Check it out here.

Interesting fact: the print version is 172 pages, and the kindle version is about 104 pages.

Waiting For Daybreak Blog Tour and Reviews

Waiting For Daybreak Blog Tour Official Banner

Blog Tour

The schedule for Waiting For Daybreak‘s official blog tour featuring reviews, guest posts, interviews, and giveaways!!!!  A huge thank you to every single participating blog for their support of not just myself, but indie authors in general.

July 2012
13—
Earth’s Book Nook    guest post and giveaway
14–The Chronicles of an Enamored Soul    review and giveaway
15–Tabula Rasa    review and interview
18–Nicki J. Markus    review, interview, and giveaway
22–From Me To You…    review and interview
23–The Paperback Pursuer    review
25–Kelsey’s Cluttered Bookshelf    review, interview, and giveaway
26–Bookishly Me    interview
27–Fangs for the Fantasy    review
30–Gizmo’s Book Reviews    interview

August 2012
2–Cynthia Shepp    guest post and giveaway
6–Ellie Hall    guest post
Eva’s Sanctuary    review and interview
10–Lily Element    review
11–Wickedly Bookish    interview and giveaway
13–Ellie Hall    review
1889 Labs    review
15–The Book Hoard    review and giveaway
16–Persephone’s Winged Reviews    review
17–Offbeat Vagabond    review, interview, and giveaway
18–Mervi’s Book Reviews    review
Blood, Sweat, and Books    review and interview
20–Paperless Reading    review
21–An Eclectic Bookshelf    review and interview
29–Just a Lil’ Lost…    review
Obsessions of a LibraryGurl    review
Reflections of a Book Addict    interview and giveaway
30–Obsessions of a LibraryGurl    interview
Reflections of a Book Addict    review
31–Opinions of a Wolf    author’s wrap-up!

Thank you again to all the tour participants!!

Reviews

Blogs that have accepted review copies of Waiting For Daybreak are listed below with a direct link to their review of Waiting For Daybreak and interviews/guest posts/giveaways, if applicable, in parentheses.  Accepting a review copy is just as supportive of indie authors as participating in a blog tour, so thank you very much, bloggers!

Beauty in Ruins (review)
Eastern Sunset Reads (review and guest post)
Fishmuffins of Doom (review)
Love, Literature, Art, and Reason (review and interview)
Minding Spot (review)
Nylon Admiral (review)
Pinuccia’s World of Books (review)
Reflections (review)
Zephyr Book Reviews (review)

Announcement: New Cover For Ecstatic Evil (And Coupon For Free Copies To Celebrate!)

June 25, 2012 2 comments

Hello my lovely readers!

One thing I believe as an indie author: it’s important to pay attention to constructive criticism.  If you hear something over and over about a book from various sources, then it’s probably a valid critique.  Now, most things I won’t go back and change on an old book; I’ll just apply them to future books.  Two exceptions to that rule are: formatting and cover.

Well, Ecstatic Evil got fairly good reviews, but almost everyone commented on how much they didn’t like the cover.  Also, since I discovered Smashwords and their clearer formatting guidelines, I redid the interior formatting. (It is so much prettier now on the kindle!  One thing you can say for Smashwords: they are a bit more helpful to authors when it comes to formatting than kdp. But I digress).

In any case, I decided that A) I want to call attention to the fixed formatting issues (none of the story itself was changed) and B) I wanted to show readers and reviewers that I listen and C) I want my books to all have a certain vibe to them for branding purposes, even if they aren’t a part of the same series.  So. I made an entire new cover!

This is the old cover:

And THIS is the new one:

:-D

I think this reflects the series better.  The scale shows the choice between demon and fairy that Tova is faced with, the moon reflects how much of the story takes place at night (and involves shifters), and the silhouette style goes nicely with Waiting For Daybreak.

To celebrate I am offering up unlimited FREE copies of Ecstatic Evil from now until the end of June!!!!!  The ebook versions available are: Kindle, epub, pdf, Sony Reader, RTF, plain text, palm doc, html, and javascript.  Simply go to Ecstatic Evil’s Smashwords page, put it in your cart, and enter the 100% off coupon code at check-out:

HB93D –100% off coupon code

I really do help you will join me in celebrating how much I’ve learned in the year since Ecstatic Evil first came out and that you like the new cover as much as I do!!

Publication Announcement: Waiting For Daybreak

Hello my lovely readers!

I am pleased to be able to say my first full-length novel, Waiting For Daybreak, is now available on Amazon!  After the first 90 days, it will also be available at Barnes and Noble and Smashwords.

What is normal?

Frieda has never felt normal. She feels every emotion too strongly and lashes out at herself in punishment. But one day when she stays home from work too depressed to get out of bed, a virus breaks out turning her neighbors into flesh-eating, brain-hungry zombies. As her survival instinct kicks in keeping her safe from the zombies, Frieda can’t help but wonder if she now counts as healthy and normal, or is she still abnormal compared to every other human being who is craving brains?

I do hope you will give it a shot.

If you have a book blog and would like to participate in the upcoming blog tour, just let me know!

*confetti*

Cover Announcement

Hello my lovely readers!

I am beyond excited to inform you that the edits are FINISHED for my second novel entitled Waiting For Daybreak.  It is 41,685 words.  Yay!

The publication date is tentatively set for sometime in July.  The exact date will be determined after I sit down and figure out the blog tour.  (Please let me know if you’d be interested in participating in that!)

In the meantime, you can get a sneak peak via the cover, which was finished today.  I hope you enjoy!

 

Publication Announcement: Short Story in Down in the Dirt magazine February 2012 volume 103

February 1, 2012 Leave a comment

Hello my lovely readers!

I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that my literary short story “The Most Lovely Morning” is now available in the February 2012 volume 103 issue of Down in the Dirt magazine!!

Tag along on an elderly woman’s morning in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Also, there’s a surprise ending. ;-)

You can read it for free electronically or get a print copy of the magazine for $7.67.  Permanent links have been added to my publications page.  Happy reading!

Publication Announcement: Short Story in 69 Flavors of Paranoia

Hello lovelies!

My short story “The Tale of Leroy of the Backwoods of Vermont” officially published in the online free magazine 69 Flavors of Paranoia late last night. 69 Flavors of Paranoia serves up “menus” of horror and dark/urban fantasy.

I’m super excited for the opportunity to be a part of 69 Flavors of Paranoia. I’m hoping to find my way to a whole new crop of horror fans.

Be sure to check out my dish “The Tale of Leroy of the Backwoods of Vermont” as well as the rest of the dishes being offered up on Menu #13.

<3

Announcement: I Am Published!!

Hello my lovely readers!  So, the super-secret project that I’ve been working on is to finally get my own writing out where people can read it!  I’ve been writing since…..well, since I could put pencil to paper.  I am completely passionate about story-telling, and this is where I truly feel my talent lies.  Since I finished grad school in January, I’ve been cracking down and getting serious about my writing.

Well, I can finally announce that I have published the first entry in a new series to the Amazon Kindle store!  I started with my idea to reclaim the old format of serial books.  Every entry in the series is 99 cents and short enough to read in one sitting, such as on your commute, a plane ride, a bath, etc….  The storyline is complete in and of itself, but it will be continued in another entry in a few months.  Join Tova Gallagher in her paranormal world with the few moments you have to spare in your busy day!  It is ideal for the busy, modern, paranormal romance lover.

The first entry is entitled Ecstatic Evil.

Tova Gallagher isn’t just your average tough as nails, intelligent Bostonian. She also just so happens to be half-demon, and halvesies have an important role to play in the supe world. Whether they choose to go with the instincts of their demon or human half is supposed to predict the outcome of the endtimes, and now Tova has a deadline to choose sides. But all of that is hard to care about when she’s just met a sexy stranger on the edge of the Charles River.

Please do check it out!  I write because I have stories to tell and want to entertain.  At only 99 cents, it’s worth the shot, right?

Also, I started with the novella series so I could practice with the ebook publishing software before my first serious novel, which I plan to release in October for Halloween.  I am very excited about it and can’t wait to let you guys know more details!  In the meantime, be sure to keep an eye on my new Publications page on this blog.  <3

Check Out Ecstatic Evil