Miscellaneous News

#ShareAReviewDay – Let It Go: Look to the Living by Anita Dawes

/ Marcia Meara / 43 Comments

This morning,  I have the pleasure of welcoming author Anita Dawes to The Write Stuff. Anita is sharing a review of her novel, Let it Go: Look to the Living. I know you’ll enjoy reading this one, and will want to share it far and wide. Enjoy!

REVIEW:

Mae Clair
5.0 out of 5 starsA fantastic look at family relationships
10 December 2017

A fantastic look at family dynamics through the eyes of Mary, a fifteen-year-old who is older and wiser than her years. When her father wins a guest house in a card game, Mary’s has to adjust to a new life in Cornwall. In addition to her parents and sister, Mary also has her beloved grandmother, Nan, to aid in that adjustment.

This book is filled with wonderful characters and effortless writing. I adored the relationship between Mary and Nan. As narrator, Mary does an excellent job in allowing us to see the world through her eyes. From the vivid place descriptions, to the strengths and weakness in the people around her, including her own family, the reader sees scars, faults and triumphs.

The plot thread with Mary’s sister Sally, and how the family rallies around her when she runs afoul of three local women is especially strong. I also liked the thread with Spike, an unexpected “lodger” and how his story line turned out. The author has a great style, and hooked me immediately. I plan to seek out more of her books. Consider me a fan!

BLURB:

You read about families where everyone is happy and life is wonderful.

That wasn’t my family.

My mother coped patiently with a drunken, obsessive gambler of a husband and a daughter with an insatiable sexual appetite. I loved my father, but he kept us one step away from the poor house. Loving my sister was harder, basically because she hated me and constantly brought trouble to our door.

Me ? I couldn’t wait to grow up and live my own life.

Then everything changed. Dad won a guest house in a card game, and suddenly we were off to a new life in Cornwall. A beautiful place, steeped in legend and mystery.
Would trouble leave us alone now, or was it merely biding its time?

When I found an old diary, telling ofm urder and betrayal right where we were living, I began to realise that even somewhere as lovely as Cornwall, dark and disturbing things happened to other people too.

Somehow everything seemed linked, and as one more disaster struck our family, it seemed we were doomed, unless I could find a way to make it stop.

Author Anita Dawes

Hi, my name is Anita and although I am over 70, I am by no means a ‘silver surfer’. I have been writing fiction for a while now but never been picked up by the mainstream publishers. They all loved what I wrote, but said it was hard to slot them into a category! It came tantalisingly close with Bad Moon, but no cigar, as they say.

After going several rounds with various mainstream publishers, I realised I would have to try something else. I saved the rejection letters because most of them had very encouraging comments. I even wrote to James Herbert once and he was so very kind and supportive.

When I retired, and with the help of my sister-in-law Jaye, I decided to dust off some of my manuscripts and try to achieve the impossible.

I am a paper and pencil girl. You could chain me to a computer for years and nothing would happen! Jaye is managing to cope with it, but then she has much more patience than I do. (She is as stubborn as a mule, which helps!)

They say you are never too old to learn, but in my case never is another word for infinity!

I thank God for my family, for I have a second chance to find out if anyone out there likes the kind of books I write…

Buy Let it Go: Look to the Living HERE

Find Anita and Jaye on Social Media here:

Anita’s email:       jenanita01@btinternet.com
Jaye’s email         jayemarie01@btinternet.com
Website/blog         https://jenanita01.com
Facebook               https://anita.dawes.37
Twitter                   https://twitter.com/jaydawes2
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8638857.Jaye_Marie
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6586480.Anita_Dawes
Author Page   https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jaye-Marie/e/B00O2ZUFOK/
Author Page   https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anita-Dawes/e/B0034NUE10/
Pinterest         https://www.pinterest.com/anitajaydawes
Bloglovin       https://www.bloglovin.com/v2/own_profile

 

 

 

 

 

Author Inspiration and This Week’s Writing Links

/ Marcia Meara / 2 Comments

A wealth of great links and information in Staci Troilo’s latest Author Inspiration & This Week’s Writing links post. Check it out. You’re bound to find something helpful! 🙂

Staci Troilo's avatarStaci Troilo

I’ve been in edit-mode recently. So much so, getting back into writing has been difficult. Compounding problems? I was working on song lyrics for my WIP. And I am not a songwriter. Sure, I can come up with clever parodies (look out, Weird Al!), but starting from scratch, especially when I don’t have a melody? It wasn’t pretty.

Truth be told, it was crippling. Nothing like attempting something you suck at to totally derail you.

So, I did projects that didn’t need doing. I wrote blog posts that could have waited. My anxiety grew because I have deadlines looming and I was putting off writing.

And that’s where this week’s quote, by Jodi Picoult, came into play.

You can’t edit a blank page.

Wise words. My procrastination wasn’t getting me anywhere. It was only making things worse.

I happen to be pretty lucky, as far as writers go.

  • Medical questions?…

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Interview with Author Marcia Meara!

/ Marcia Meara / 24 Comments

I’m very happy to announce that I’ve been interviewed by Janice Spina, and the post appears on her blog today. Everything you ever wanted to know about me, and then some! Ha. Check it out, and please feel free to share. THANKS!!

jjspina's avatarJEMSBOOKS

Marcia Meara

MARCIA MEARA

Please welcome author Marcia Meara to Jemsbooks Blog Author Interview Segment.

Thank you, Marcia, for coming today.

Lovely to be here today, Janice! Thanks so much for having me.

I’ll step aside so you can begin, Marcia. I look forward to learning more about you.

Please tell us something about yourself.

I’m Marcia (pronounced Marsha) and I live in central Florida. I’m an ardent lover of wildlife and have spent decades birding and canoeing in the many creeks and streams of my home state, far preferring Florida’s quiet, shady swamps to its hot, sunny beaches.

I’m particularly fond of reptiles, especially snakes, and I enjoy sharing the things I’ve learned over the years. I do two or three Meet the Author slide presentations per month at various local venues, speaking as often about our fabulous wildlife and wetlands as I do about books and writing.

Gardening has…

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Instructions for #ShareAReviewDay

/ Marcia Meara / 8 Comments

Thanks for all the interest in #ShareAReviewDay Tuesdays. The response has been great so far, and I just want to be sure newcomers to the blog understand what they need to do so I can best help them put their reviews in front of new readers. (The instructions below are also to be found in the black Menu bar under the header photo, listed as: General Blog Rules and Share A Review Day Instructions.)

#ShareAReviewDay INSTRUCTIONS:

Tuesdays are now  #ShareAReviewDay on The Write Stuff. I am very happy to help you put your favorite reviews up on my blog to help others find your work. My only requirements are the following three things:

  1. Send me the items listed below so that I can get your posts scheduled promptly. Email them to: marciameara16@gmail.com
  2. Please find time to engage with those who comment on your post, even if it’s just a quick thank you. It’s only polite, and readers will remember your friendliness.
  3. And let’s all remember the PAY IT FORWARD rule. Try to stop by on Tuesdays when you can, and share the reviews of others. That’s how it all works. 🙂

If you are willing to do those three things, when possible, I’ll be very pleased to do my part to help promote your books via the words of your own readers and fans.

**Here Are the Things I Need From You**

  1. The actual review you wish to share. If it isn’t a review on Amazon, please include the link to the blog or site where it occurs.
  2. Your book blurb.
  3. Your author bio.
  4. Your cover jpg.
  5. Your author photo.
  6. Your BUY links.
  7. Your social media links and contact info.

If you have any further questions, please email me directly at: marciameara16@gmail.com

Offline For A Week or So

/ Marcia Meara / 9 Comments

Just a reminder that I’ll be offline for a week to ten days, and won’t be able to respond to your posts or questions. Thanks for your understanding, and I’ll be back before you know it! 🙂 BTW, you regular contributors may feel free to post at any time, except for Tuesday, when I’ve already scheduled our #ShareAReviewDay posts for this week.

See you soon! 🙂

BONUS #ShareAReviewDay Post – The Emissary by Marcia Meara

/ Marcia Meara / 42 Comments


I’m going to be offline for a week or so, and since I had planned to share a few of my own reviews here and there, I figured today would be a perfect chance to do so without cluttering up our Tuesday posts. Hope you’ll enjoy this one, and perhaps check out this spinoff novella. It can be read as a stand-alone, but it does have a slight spoiler going back to the book it originated from. (Finding Hunter). I don’t think it’s enough to bother most readers, but thought I should let you know. In the meantime, hope you’ll enjoy what one (familiar) reader though of it.  🙂

REVIEW:

Mae Clair
5.0 out of 5 stars Everything you want a book to be . . .

June 14, 2018 Verified Purchase

This book is so ridiculously entertaining, I couldn’t put it down. It plays on ALL the emotions—humor (in spades), sadness, heartfelt joy, anger, frustration, and a wonderful ending. WOW! The author knows how to tell a phenomenal tale and craft a good story. This is a relatively short read, but it’s a rich read with fully developed characters and plot lines. I especially loved the relationship (and witty dialogue) between Jake and angel Azrael.

After experiencing death, Jake is sent to Earth as an “emissary.” His job is to help others who are in trouble, or who might be on the verge of tossing in the towel. He’s not an angel, has some limited powers, but can still experience pain and emotions. He can also be snarky when he wants to be, especially when dealing with his “boss” Azrael. The scenes between these two are pure gold, and had me laughing out loud. The author has an amazing gift for sly humor. Yet, at other parts in the novella, she had me sniffling with numerous emotional scenes that expertly tug heartstrings. I’ve read other work by Marcia Meara and never come away disappointed. I’m hoping there will be more “Emissary” novels and novellas to follow this one. I HIGHLY recommend it!

BLURB:

Was Gabe Angelino, the mysterious truck driver in Finding Hunter: Riverbend Book 2, really an angel, as Willow Green believes? Or was he simply a good man, determined to help a stranger in need? Find out, as author Marcia Meara reveals the truth in the first Riverbend spinoff novella, The Emissary.

An angel’s work is never done—that’s part of the gig. But angels hadn’t been created to deal with such a vastly over-populated planet, rife with misery, suffering, and general chaos. Helping souls in peril has become a nearly impossible job, and even angelic tempers are frayed.

The archangel Azrael has had enough. He believes he’s found a way to ease their burden while saving jeopardized humans, too—hired help.

When Jake Daughtry lost his life rescuing a total stranger from certain death, he was on the fast track to Heaven. But that was before Azrael pulled him right out of line at the Pearly Gates. Now, as an Emissary to the Angels, Jake is taking to the highway in a quest to help souls in trouble. But the innate stubbornness of human beings bent on self-destruction is a challenge unlike any he’s ever faced.

It’s up to Jake and Azrael to bridge the gap between humans and angels. Will they ever convince the Council of Angels this endeavor is worthwhile? Can Jake figure out how to play by Azrael’s complicated rules? Will Azrael ever master the use of contractions in general conversation?

To find out the answers, hop on board Jake’s big red-and-white semi and travel the roads from the Florida Keys to north Georgia on an adventure that will make you laugh hard and cry even harder.


Author Marcia Meara & “Happy”

 

Marcia Meara lives in central Florida, just north of Orlando, with her husband of over thirty years, four big cats, and two small dachshunds. When not writing or blogging, she spends her time gardening, and enjoying the surprising amount of wildlife that manages to make a home in her suburban yard. At the age of five, Marcia declared she wanted to be an author, and is ecstatic that at age 69, she finally began pursuing that dream. Her belief in the redemptive power of love is a unifying factor in both of her popular series and her poetry. Today, she’s still going strong, and plans to keep on writing until she falls face down on the keyboard, which she figures would be a pretty good way to go!

Marcia has published six novels, one novella, and one book of poetry to date, all of which are available on Amazon: 

Wake-Robin Ridge
A Boy Named Rabbit: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 2
Harbinger: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 3

Swamp Ghosts: A Riverbend Novel
Finding Hunter: Riverbend Book 2
That Darkest Place: Riverbend Book 3 

The Emissary: A Riverbend Spinoff Novella 

Summer Magic: Poems of Life & Love 

Marcia’s Amazon Author Page

You can reach Marcia via email at marciameara16@gmail.com or on the following social media sites:

The Write Stuff: https://marciamearawrites.com/
Twitter: @marciameara
Facebook: www.facebook.com/marcia.meara.writer
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marciameara/

 

Cover Reveal For My Latest Release

/ Marcia Meara / 2 Comments

Coming Soon from Don Massenzio: Check out this gorgeous cover and the potential blurb. Way to go, Don! 🙂

Don Massenzio's avatarDon Massenzio's Author Site

I’m very excited about my upcoming release, Extra Innings. It is a bit of a departure for me as I’ve written mostly detective and mystery novels.

This book started as a memory from childhood of the old minor league baseball stadium in my home town. I spent many summer days there. I remember exciting games that often competed with the volatile Upstate New York weather. I even remember the field having to be plowed so there wouldn’t be snow to interrupt opening day.

The book then twists in the direction of the supernatural. The underlying theme comes from the age old conundrum, if you could go back and change anything in your life, would you?

Here is the blurb I’ve been trying out:

Joe McLean hated his life. He was middle-aged, divorce and living in a small apartment. The only bright spot in his life was cheering on his…

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The 2018 Author Interview Series Featuring Marcia Meara

/ Marcia Meara / 13 Comments

I have the great pleasure of being a guest on Don Massenzio’s blog today, and hope you guys will stop by and check out the interview. It was so much fun! Please feel free to share far and wide. Both Don and I will thank you for it! 🙂

Don Massenzio's avatarDon Massenzio's Author Site

It’s time for the next subject for my 2018 author interview series. Author interviews are posted every Friday throughout the year.

I am honored to continue this series with fellow Florida author and blogger Marcia Meara

You can catch up with all of my past author interviews (nearly 200) on my Author Directory page.

If you’re an author interested in being interviewed in this series, I still have limited spots available for 2018. You can email me at don@donmassenzio.com

Now, please enjoy this interview with Marcia Meara:

626smallsDo you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

Honestly, I’ve never thought about it in either of those terms. I just want to tell the stories bouncing around in my head, and do so in a way that will appeal to readers. I spend very little time thinking about current trends or originality, I’m afraid. I…

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DSM Publications – With Don Massenzio

/ Marcia Meara / 4 Comments

A very helpful interview with Don Massenzio on Writer’s Treasure Chest today. For details on Don’s editing and formatting services, check it out. I’m impressed with the way he approaches the editing process, and suspect many of you will want to consider working with him.

aurorajeanalexander's avatarWriter's Treasure Chest

Welcome back, Don Massenzio! It’s good to have you here again. Let’s talk about your new business and how it is part of the writing world.

1. With your blog you are helping so many aspiring authors. What made you decide to do more than that?

There were a few factors. I wanted to be sure that I enjoyed editing and formatting the work of author authors. I’ve worked with a few authors and find that I still enjoy helping them bring their work to life. Another factor was the stigma (perceived or actual) that independently published authors face. Traditional publishing purists will tell you that our work is substandard due to the lack of professionalism and quality. I wanted to help the independent author community, as a whole, improve the quality of their work with professional editing and formatting at a price that won’t break the bank. If we…

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