#BadMoonRising: The Contract by John W. Howell and Gwen M. Plano #thriller #supernatural

October 7, 2018 / Marcia Meara / 2 Comments

Check out Teri Polen’s absolutely brilliant interview of John W. Howell, with some very helpful tips on how to survive being in a horror movie! I’m still laughing! Teri is doing a series of interviews this month, featuring authors of books that go bump in the night. You really should check them all out, and follow along. But start with this one, and be sure to share. (Did I mention I’m still laughing? 😀 Well, I am, but I also enjoyed John’s tips on writing, as well) Head on over!

Books and Such

Today’s featured author is a familiar face in the blogosphere. Many of us drop by his blog several times a week to read his top ten lists, see pictures of his community, read his Wednesday story updates, and visit with Lucy, Bailey, and Twiggy, his adorable fur babies. Below, he’s listed the top ten things not to do in a horror movie. Take note, friends – you never know when Jason, Freddie, or Michael Myers might come calling. Welcome John W. Howell!

You’re in a horror movie. Are you the final person, the first to die, the comic relief, the skeptic, the smart one, or the killer?

In a horror movie, I am the comic relief. I’m the one who seems to know what the audience is thinking about what is going on. I say out loud the top ten things not to do in a horror movie. When the…

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#BookLaunch – Tales from the Irish Garden by Sally Cronin…..

October 5, 2018 / Marcia Meara / 7 Comments

Great news from Sally Cronin! Her latest book, Tales From the Irish Garden, has now been released and is ready for your (magical) reading pleasure. You won’t find a more generous blogger anywhere, and now we have a chance to return the favor by helping Sally get the word out. Please check out the post and Tales From the Irish Garden, then help Sally spread the word. THANKS! 🙂

More Happy Fall, Y’all – Campfire Ghosts from #SummerMagic

October 2, 2018October 2, 2018 / Marcia Meara / 19 Comments

Still trying to convince myself it’s actually October. Let’s see, shorts? Check. Air conditioning on? Check. Sun shining down on sidewalk too hot to walk barefooted on? Check. Hmmm. *Looks at calendar again.* October? Not so sure, but that’s what it says. So, here’s a poem from Summer Magic: Poems of Life and Love. This is from the section entitled “Mac at Ten,” and describes one of many camping trips to the North Carolina mountains with his dad. No wonder Mac grew into a man who never wanted to live anywhere else. Enjoy. (And feel free to pass it it along.)

Campfire Ghosts
by Marcia Meara

Dark clouds
Hide the silver light
From his wide-eyed gaze.
Night reigns
In blackest glory,
Held at bay only
By the orange firelight.
The trees are gone,
Lost in gloom.
Everywhere,
A wall of black,
Except within
The fire’s warm
Circle.

Sparks rise up,
Twisting high
Until they disappear,
Lost in the darkness,
Only to be followed
By legions more.

Whippoorwills call,
And foxes bark,
And the night settles like
A blanket over all.

Grilled food
Is gobbled down,
Leaving behind only
The sweet scorched
Scent of burnt
Marshmallow.
He wears a smile
Dressed in melted chocolate,
And licks his sticky fingers
Clean.

The air turns cooler,
As day is forgotten,
And jewel-bright embers
Glow in heaps of ash.
He’s waited as long
As a young boy can.
Shivering, he asks,
Is it time?

A warm arm
Pulls him close,
Holding him safe,
And he asks again.
Is it time now, dad?

Yes, says his father,
His voice a deep
Familiar comfort
In the ink-dark night.
Yes, I believe it is.
Let me see,
Shall I tell you
A new one?

Will it have
Clacking bones
And eyes that glow?
Will there be cold wind
Whistling through trees,
And bats swooping,
And owls calling?

Of course, says his dad.
All of that, I’m sure,
For isn’t that what
You love the most?

Oh, yes, he sighs,
Safe and warm,
Eyes growing heavy
And sleep close by.
Tell me, dad,
Like you always do.
Tell me a story.

Buy Summer Magic HERE

#ShareAReviewDay – Secrets by Anita Dawes

October 2, 2018October 2, 2018 / Marcia Meara / 45 Comments

This morning, I’m happy to be sharing this recent review of Secrets by Anita Dawes. I know you’ll enjoy this one, and will share it on your favorite social media sites! Thanks!

REVIEW:

Janet Gogerty
4.0 out of 5 stars A deep dark look into childhood.

20 August 2018
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I finished reading this in the middle of last night; though it is not unsusual for me to turn my Kindle on in the early hours, this is not the sort of novel you should be reading in the dark watches of the night! It is a good paranormal thriller, but more than that it will make you reconsider all our childhoods. How responsible are children for what they do and what is really going on in their minds? In some ways I felt most sorry for Jack’s parents, a poignant back story gradually revealed, an event that ruined any chance of his father continuing the life he loved or his mother coming to accept their rural life. There is a lot going on in everyone’s lives, but Jackie is a reminder that those of us who have led ordinary lives cannot know what others have had to overcome. There were only a few things that jarred – I thought it was likely the social services would have got involved, Maggie did not guess an obvious pointer as Jack’s story was revealed and some dialogue and characters’ thoughts could be confusing in the pace of the story. But overall I really enjoyed this unusual novel.

BLURB:

Secrets, a haunting family drama, is about deeply buried guilt and all the secrets and suspicions that invade and control our lives.

SOME SECRETS WILL KILL YOU…

And some are about someone who is already dead.

A mother must find the truth before these secrets destroy her family…

Buy Secrets HERE

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…

Reach Anita on Social Media Below:
Anita’s email:       jenanita01@btinternet.com
Website/blog         https://jenanita01.com
Facebook               https://anita.dawes.37
Twitter                   https://twitter.com/jaydawes2
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6586480.Anita_Dawes
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
Amazon Buy Link for Let it Go: http://mybook.to/NewSecrets

#MondayMeme – It’s Fall, Y’all!

October 1, 2018 / Marcia Meara / 32 Comments

Despite the fact that the high today in central Florida was right at 90 degrees, and there’s nary an orange or yellow leaf to be seen anywhere, It’s October 1. As for as I’m concerned, that means it’s FALL, Y’all! So instead of my usual writing related Monday memes, I’m going with a few pictures more seasonal and plenty smile-worthy! Enjoy!

The Emissary 2: To Love Somebody – #CoverReveal

September 27, 2018September 25, 2018 / Marcia Meara / 32 Comments

COMING SOON!
They’re back!
Jake and Dodger are at it again,
accompanied by their boss, the archangel Azrael.

I am so excited, I can hardly stand it. Once again, Nicki Forde Graphic Designs has come up with a cover that does exactly what I wanted it to do. It provides a great-looking image that clearly links the second novella in my Emissary series with the first one. And it does this by putting Jake’s big, red-and-white semi front and center, angel wings and all, but with a completely different background.

In The Emissary 2: To Love Somebody, Jake and Dodger travel both coasts of Florida, day and night, working their emissarial magic wherever they find souls in trouble. For me, the palm fronds over the truck, the ocean in the background, and the moon shining down are perfect.

I can’t give you an exact release date for The Emissary 2: To Love Somebody yet, as I still have a few more tiny odds and ends to finish up, including the blurb. But I’m 99.9% sure it will be available within a week or two, and I’ll have more to share with you then. In the meantime, what do you think?

My heartfelt thanks to all the wonderful bloggers who have helped me share my new cover with the Immediate World, including Mae Clair, Joan Hall, Staci Troilo, Harmony Kent, Hugh Roberts, Cathy Ryan, Tony Riches, Chris Graham, Jacquie Biggar, Mary Smith, Hywela Lyn, Deborah Jay, Carol Westover, Julie Holmes, Stevie Turner, Colleen Chesebro, Debbie Geis, and Robbie Cheadle. (If I missed anyone, please forgive me!) It’s truly lovely to be part of such a supportive online community, and every single one of you is special to me. Thank you!

NOTE: This is not a stand-alone novella, so now’s a good time to grab the first one. You can read it in an evening and be all set for The Emissary 2. You’ll find The Emissary 1 on Amazon HERE.

Author Marcia Meara

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/

#ShareAReviewDay – Harbinger: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 3 by Marcia Meara

September 25, 2018September 25, 2018 / Marcia Meara / 30 Comments

No one was scheduled for #ShareAReviewDay today, so I thought I’d share one of my latest for Harbinger: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 3. Enjoy, and by all means, do feel free to pass it along anywhere you like. Thanks!

REVIEW:

5 stars Compelling and Heart-Wrenching
By writesteron September 12, 2018

This series just gets better and better. The first novel introduces us to a damaged man and a lonely woman who finally begin to heal when they find each other. Their family expands in the second book when they take in a young boy who can’t help but melt the iciest of hearts. I couldn’t wait to read the third book, and it did not disappoint. Marcia Meara crafted a blend of love story/murder mystery/coming-of-age tale that had me riveted from page one.

Rabbit had me from word one of the second book, and his charisma carries on in Harbinger. He’s so determined to help people, even at his own peril. His bravery, determination, and heart carry this story to its dramatic conclusion.

Watching the villain’s mental state deteriorate from his two-faced status quo to utter madness was compelling. Meara did an excellent job of immersing the reader in his mental and emotional decline.

The characters definitely carry this tale, but once again, the descriptions add a poignant and welcome flavor to the story. They are the cherry on top of an already delicious sundae.

I don’t know if there will be a book four or not, but if there is, I’ll definitely read it

BLURB:

Continuing in the tradition of Wake-Robin Ridge and A Boy Named Rabbit, Marcia Meara’s North Carolina mountain series takes a shivery turn with the Appalachian Legend of Ol’ Shuck, the Harbinger of Death.

“. . . he felt the wet slide of the dog’s burning hot tongue on his face, and the scrape of its razor sharp teeth against the top of his head. A white-hot agony of crushing pain followed, as the jaws began to close.”

The wine-red trillium that carpets the forests of the North Carolina Mountains is considered a welcome harbinger of spring—but not all such omens are happy ones. An Appalachian legend claims the Black Dog, or Ol’ Shuck, as he’s often called, is a harbinger of death. If you see him, you or someone you know is going to die.

But what happens when Ol’ Shuck starts coming for you in your dreams? Nightmares of epic proportions haunt the deacon of the Light of Grace Baptist Church, and bring terror into the lives of everyone around him. Even MacKenzie Cole and his adopted son, Rabbit, find themselves pulled into danger.

When Sheriff Raleigh Wardell asks Mac and Rabbit to help him solve a twenty-year-old cold case, Rabbit’s visions of a little girl lost set them on a path that soon collides with that of a desperate man being slowly driven mad by guilt.

As Rabbit’s gift of the Sight grows ever more powerful, his commitment to those who seek justice grows as well, even when their pleas come from beyond the grave.

Buy Harbinger HERE

Marcia Meara, Author

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/

Before, During, and After Publishing: A Marketing Checklist

September 24, 2018 / Marcia Meara / 4 Comments

If any of your are as bad at social media marketing, cover reveals, and book launching as I am, you’ll really like this helpful list Staci Troilo has put together. And even if you are much better at it all than I, you’ll probably find some things you haven’t thought of. Check it out! And pass it along. 🙂

Story Empire

Ciao, amici! If you’re like most writers, the actual writing process is fun(ish) for you. The launch, on the other hand, is probably a soul-sucking, frenetic nightmare. There’s nothing worse than feeling like the people in the graphic, standing on your soapbox announcing to everyone in earshot that you have a new book for sale.

Yeah, that’s a horrible feeling, especially when no one cares.

I’ve been releasing a lot of titles lately, one under the Staci Troilo brand and a few as Keira Beck. So when I tell you I’ve been in launch-mode for months, that’s no lie. While it’s foremost on my mind, I figured I’d share my checklist for before, during, and after the nerve-wracking publication process. Much of what I’m going to share won’t cost you anything but time. But remember, time and money (when you’re talking promo) tend to have an inverse relationship. The more…

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Guest author: Sarah Brentyn ~ Be the Grain You Were Meant to Be

September 23, 2018 / Marcia Meara / 5 Comments

Here’s a guest post from Sarah Brentyn on Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo that I think might strike a chord with a lot of you. Check it out! 🙂

Sue Vincent's Daily Echo

Image: Pixabay

In one day, I saw three negative opinions about indie “authors”. (I use quotes here as these opinions implied indies are not actually authors.) One was a blog post and the other two were strings of tweets on Twitter.

They were of the mind that all writers who self publish completely, utterly, and in all other ways suck. They gave “proof”. (I use quotes here as my opinion implies that what they offered was not actually proof.)

Their “proof” (there are those pesky, sarcastic quotes again) is as follows…in a nutty, nutty nutshell:

If indie authors could write a decent book, they would be picked up by a traditional publisher. Period. Full stop. End of story.
“Real” authors (who are traditionally published) think indie authors suck, too. So there!
Indie authors are mucking up the world! Pigs are flying! Hell is freezing over!
Indie authors are so bad…

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