Author: Marcia Meara

Looking for Some Advice on How to Approach a Project

/ Marcia Meara / 24 Comments

Good Morning, Folks! Hope your Freya’s Day is off to a great start, and you have a wonderful weekend ahead!

I’ve been contacted by my friends at the Enterprise Museum on behalf of someone who wants to tackle an ambitious project. She isn’t sure where to start, and wondered if self-publishing via Amazon was the way to go, or if she needs to seek out a smaller, inexpensive traditional publisher. I have no experience that is really helpful for her, but thought some of you might. 

In a very condensed version of her own words, this is what she’d like to do:

“I want to develop a history of Enterprise through illustrations, maps, drawings, portraits, etc. beginning with the indigenous inhabitants of the area  …  and up to today. “

“This would be just the highlights of Enterprise history that would interest the general public and secondary students, not an academic record of all the history of the area  ….  It would include a series of side-by-side “then and now” illustrations … Text would be limited to captions, side bars, callouts, brief snippets, … “

Yes, it’s an ambitious project, but a worthy one, I think. Her idea  is to make this a small, probably paperback book (not a coffee table tome) that could be sold in gift shops and the like, and she’s hoping to find a way to pull it together with some volunteers for funding, etc, but that’s another topic.

What I would like to find out for her is if Amazon is a good fit for this type of book? (I’ve heard some conflicting opinions on how well they do with books that have  a lot of photos and  illustrations.) Or do any of you know of better publishers to handle this type of project?

Any advice you have, or experiences (good or bad) you can share would be very helpful to her. While she is chock full of historical knowledge about the little town of Enterprise, she’s never attempted anything like this before. The director of the museum put her in touch with me, because of my experience with self-publishing, but I write fiction novels and poetry. I know nothing about what would be involved (besides a lot of work) in a project like this, or if Amazon is even a place to start. But I figured it wouldn’t hurt to put the question out there to see if any of you had suggestions.

I’d love to see this idea become a reality! Thanks for any help you can offer.  😊

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NOTE TO ALL: My new friend, Lani, is having a hard time accessing the blog in order to respond to your comments. She asked me to tell you this:

“Hi to everyone who commented! I am immensely grateful for your wonderful outpouring of suggestions and truly helpful advice for my proposed project! I will try to print them out. Maybe Marcia can tell me how to do this because each one has valuable information that I need to review. Marcia, esteemed hostess, how do I do this or can I get this page sent to my email?
 
I am bowing in humble appreciation for all of your kindness and encouragement! Such nice people!! You have all made my day/week/month. Sorry for the delay posting this message. I had tried to post several times over the past two days, but I had huge problems with WordPress which dear Marcia has since resolved.
 
The most important thing I got from your posts is encouragement, that so many writers(!) no less think it’s a good idea. Wow. That in itself is priceless. I will start (as many of you suggested) by checking out similar local history publications and see where and how they were published. I am also going to check out the links to the online publishing websites/aids you so kindly provided. This is SO helpful! I have been totally in the dark. You each turned on a light for me. Endless thanks to everyone, Lani

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#BadMoonRising – Post 21 Featuring Deven Greene

/ Marcia Meara / 5 Comments

Head on over to Bad Moon Rising to check out today’s author, Deven Greene. Deven has a scary story or two to tell you in her interview, and a brand new book to share. Don’t miss out!

Check out Deven’s Post HERE
Enjoy!

#ThorsDaySmile – #amlaughing – #humor

/ Marcia Meara / 38 Comments

Every other ThorsDay is #ThorsDaySmile time, so here are a few Signs
of the Times to make you laugh. Hope some of them are new to you!
Enjoy!
😄


And here’s a cat, because, hello?  CAT!

And last, another one of THESE, because … well, no real reason,
except that I’ve loved every caption I’ve seen added to these pics!
Now on that note, I am outta here!
Keep smiling, folks!

 

#BadMoonRising – Post 20 Featuring J. D. Estrada

/ Marcia Meara / Leave a comment

 

And yet another wonderful post from Teri Polen’s Bad Moon Rising series. Horror Poetry? Wicked Nursery? Oh, by all means, hurry on over and meet J. D. Estrada! You’ll be glad you did!

Check out J. D.’s Post HERE
Enjoy!

#GuestDayTuesday – #CoverReveal & More! – Deborah Jay

/ Marcia Meara / 48 Comments

Back to our regularly scheduled #GuestDayTuesday again, so please help me welcome my friend, Deborah Jay, to The Write Stuff this morning. Debby has a whole bunch of exciting things to share with us today, and I know you’re going to enjoy it all! Take it away, Debby–you’re on!

~~~

Hi folks, and many thanks to Marcia for inviting me to be her guest today.

I’m really excited to bring you not one, but two cover reveals.

I adore my original cover for THE PRINCE’S MAN (Book #1, The Five Kingdoms), but books #2 & #3, and now #4 (more below!) have been created by awesome cover artist Ravven, ( Portfolio: Art – Ravven ) and I’ve felt the need for some time now to get her to produce a matching cover for book #1–and here it is!

Buy The Prince’s Man HERE

Isn’t that just gorgeous? And now it matches the others, which is going to be even more important soon, because, ta-da! I’ve finished writing #4, THE PRINCE’S HEIR, which completes this story.

I set out to write a trilogy, but the story kept on coming, and expanded to 4 sizeable books (well, they are epic fantasy, after all, so epic size is sort of expected). And so, it’s with a mix of satisfaction and sadness that I bring the tale of this set of characters to a close.

If you’re a fan, though, never fear, there will be more Five Kingdom books and novellas to complement the main story, and I already have an outline for a new trilogy, featuring the next generation.

If this is your first introduction to the series, here’s a short blurb for The Prince’s Man.

Think James Bond meets Lord of the Rings…

Rustam Chalice, gigolo and spy, loves his lifestyle just the way it is, so when the kingdom he serves is threatened from within, he leaps into action. Only trouble is, his spy master teams him up with an untouchable, beautiful aristocratic assassin who despises him.

Plunged into a desperate journey over the mountains, the mismatched pair struggle to survive deadly wildlife, the machinations of a spiteful god – and each other.

Magic, intrigue, and a pinch of romance collide in this captivating fantasy adventure!

~~~

And so, to the main event!
Seen first here, on The Write Stuff, the new cover of book #4,
THE PRINCE’S HEIR! 

Here is the (working) blurb for THE PRINCE’S HEIR
(Soon to be Released)

Marten’s reign balances on a blade’s edge. Chel’s Casket, symbol of his right to rule, is missing. Can master spies, Rustam and Risada, recover it before someone notices its absence and questions Marten’s sovereignty?

But when Queen Betha is kidnapped, it becomes apparent something far more sinister is behind the theft. The contents of the casket contain instructions to raise the demon god, Charin. Would anyone dare use them, when the likely outcome is war between the two halves of the deity?

And if they succeed, will any mortal survive?

Here’s is a brief, light-hearted, excerpt from before the main action kicks off.

With her head full of plans and schedules, Risada returned to her office to find Rustam marching impatiently back and forth before her desk.

“You’ll wear tracks in the rug if you keep that up,” she said. He returned a lopsided grin.

“It’s my daily exercise, don’t you know? Since becoming the spy master’s assistant I’ve grown lazy, and my belt is too tight.”

“Then we should do something about that,” Risada agreed with a straight face. To her eye, Rustam had never looked better. “We can’t have our favourite dance master getting fat.”

“Goddess!” Coming to a standstill, he mimed a swoon. “I’d better get back to my practice routine; I can hardly remember the last time I danced, and if you expect me to woo all these women into pillow talk, I need to be on top form.”

~~~

Thanks so much, Debby, for letting us be the first to get the word out. It was great having you share your good news here, and folks, trust me. This is a series you really want to check out. I know I’m very much looking forward to seeing how it all wraps up, myself!  Congratulations, Debby! And here’s to many, many sales ahead! ❤

Author Deborah Jay

Deborah Jay writes epic fantasy and urban fantasy featuring complex, quirky characters and multi-layered plots – just what she likes to read.

Fortunate enough to live near Loch Ness in the majestic, mystery-filled Scottish Highlands with her partner and a pack of rescue dogs, she can often be found lurking in secluded glens and forests, researching locations for her books.

She has a dream day job riding, training and judging competition dressage horses and riders, and also writes books and magazine features on the subject under her professional name of Debby Lush.

A lifelong fan of science fiction and fantasy, she started writing her first novel aged eight, and has never stopped. Her first published novel is epic fantasy, THE PRINCE’S MAN, first in the Five Kingdoms series, and winner of a UK Arts Council award. #2, THE PRINCE’S SON and #3, THE PRINCE’S PROTEGE are both available with the concluding book in the quartet, THE PRINCE’S HEIR, due out in 2021.

Her first urban fantasy, DESPRITE MEASURES, about a Scottish water sprite, is the opening novel of the CALEDONIAN SPRITE SERIES. The companion short story, SPRITE NIGHT is available FREE on most ebook retailers.

Newsletter sign up and FREE short story: HERE 

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#BadMoonRising – Post 18 Featuring Roberta Eaton Cheadle

/ Marcia Meara / 4 Comments

 

Robbie Cheadle is the featured guest today on Bad Moon Rising, and though I’m late in sharing, I hope you’ll still take a few minutes to visit her at Teri’s blog. It’s a great post, and you might be amazed at how much one person can do at a time. I know I was!

Check out Robbies’s Post HERE
Enjoy!

#ReblogAlert – Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord Weekly RoundUp Post

/ Marcia Meara / 2 Comments

Another week, another fabulous round up of equally fabulous posts on Sally’s Smorgasbord blog! Be sure to stop by to see what you might have missed!

Check out Sally’s Weekly RoundUp Post HERE
Enjoy!

 

#ReblogAlert – This Week on #StoryEmpire

/ Marcia Meara / 19 Comments

Been a crazy busy week, complicated by everything from doctor’s appointments to major computer problems, and the difficulty of putting together a PowerPoint program for my Saturday talk amid it all. BUT. Here I am! Still at it, with things looking more hopeful for the week ahead. And I’m very happy to say, I’m able to do both of my weekly roundup posts today. First, here are the links to all three of the terrific posts over on Story Empire. If you missed any of these, do stop by to check them out. Always good stuff going on over there!

MONDAY: Throwing SHADE at Your Sentences is a wonderfully helpful post by Staci Troilo. So much to learn from this one and you can check it out HERE

WEDNESDAY: Five Ways to Know You are Doing Good Work on Each Writing Session by John W. Howell is exactly what it sounds like. A list of ways you can evaluate if your writing session is working as it should. Check it out HERE.

FRIDAY:  Character Types: The Extrovert byJoan Hall. It’s always a good idea to understand the personality type of your characters. Joan has shared some very interesting tips HERE.

Yet another week of wonderful posts on Story Empire. If you’ve missed any of these posts, do yourself a favor and head on over to  see for yourself how much you can learn there! 

#BadMoonRising – Post 17 Featuring Jane Risdon

/ Marcia Meara / 15 Comments

 

Bad Moon Rising features a very interesting post today from author Jane Risdon. I was fascinated by her meticulous research into her subject matter, and really enjoyed her quiz answers. Head on over, and you’ll see what I mean.

Check outJane’s Post HERE
Enjoy!