#HurricaneIrma – So Much for Relaxing!

/ Marcia Meara / 36 Comments

Hurricane Irma has now been classified as a Category 5 storm, with winds higher than 185mph. The National Hurricane Center says it is the strongest storm in the Atlantic basin outside of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico in its records. Current projected path can vary, but so far, looks like the image above. I live right about where the “L” in  FL is. 😦 So even this path will impact us.

At least one projected path shows the storm turning more north and coming right up the center of the state, straight through the middle of central Florida. That will SEVERELY impact us.

Just wanted to alert you guys that I may disappear for a few days, if we take a very hard hit. We do have a generator, so if we aren’t blown away, we won’t be totally without power, but I probably won’t try running the computer until it’s all over.

Another projected path has the storm turning more northeast, and not coming directly over Florida at all. That would be lovely. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers, as this has the potential to be a record breaker. Where Harvey ended up being an historic amount of rain, Irma looks like she’s planning to blow the state right off the map.

My beloved North Carolina mountains are looking better every day.

I’ll keep you posted as long as I have power.

 

Happy Labor/Labour Day!

/ Marcia Meara / 6 Comments

Kick Back and  Relax!
Watch the clouds go by. Think profound thoughts,
like shall we have bratwurst, hot dogs, or steaks later?
And sing a few bars of a nice, relaxing tune like
“What a day for a daydreeeeeam,
What a day for a daydreamin’ boy . . .”
😀

#ThatDarkestPlace Labor Day Sale – #SundayBlogShare

/ Marcia Meara / 7 Comments

Labor Day Sale!

Starting tomorrow, Book 3 of my Riverbend series, That Darkest Place, will be on sale for $1.99. For one week only, save $3.00! Physical trauma, grief, survivor’s guilt, love, and the unbreakable bond between brothers. This one has it all!

BLURB

The new year is a chance for new beginnings—usually hopeful, positive ones. But when Jackson Painter plows his car into a tree shortly after midnight on January 1, his new beginnings are tragic. His brothers, Forrest and Hunter, take up a grim bedside vigil at the hospital, waiting for Jackson to regain consciousness and anxious over how he’ll take the news that he’s lost a leg and his fiancée is dead. After all, the accident was all his fault.

REVIEWS FOR THAT DARKEST PLACE

“. . . This novel is a frank and realistic portrayal of a family who has had more than their share of tragedies and has come out on the other side better, stronger, and closer for it all. The best part is there’s no candy-coating or false happily-ever-after. These types of problems don’t go away in a few weeks, and Meara shows that reality in a compassionate and unidealized manner.”

“. . . Hunter, Forrest and Jackson Painter, like all of us, struggle with getting it right in dealing with life, friends, and loved ones. Throw in a vindictive mystery letter writer and you have another great Riverbend story. “

” . . . refreshing to see strong female leads in the story rather than damsels-in-distress. That doesn’t mean these ladies don’t feel pain or need support. It just means they can give as good as–actually, much more than–they get.”

“. . . excellent series which includes romance, heartbreak, suspense and family dynamics, in a wonderful setting…and not forgetting those Painter brothers.”

~~~


That Darkest Place $1.99 Sale 1 Week Only!

What’s the difference between a Rule and a Preference? Advice for New Writers…

/ Marcia Meara / 5 Comments

Super advice here, in a post shared by Chris. DO check out the original article. I’m keeping it on file for future reference, and the occasional reminder that this is just one more area where we’ve lost touch with common sense. 🙂

Chris The Story Reading Ape's avatarChris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

by Louise Harnby

​Unfortunately, there are a lot of myths about ‘rules’ in writing. Sorting out what’s right or wrong versus what’s preferred or asked for can be tricky for the inexperienced author.

In this article, I offer some guidance.

Don’t forget to claim your FREE copy of my Guidelines for New Authors booklet at the bottom of this post!

Writing well means understanding the difference between a rule and a preference.

In the world of the written word, these two things often become confused.

How to sort out Rules from Preferences

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Hurricane Harvey – How You Can Help

/ Marcia Meara / 2 Comments

Nicholas Rossis has shared some great links for those who’d like to help victims of Hurricane Harvey, but aren’t sure where to send their contributions. We all want to be certain our donations get to the people in need, so check these out. THANKS, Nicholas! Very helpful info here.

Nicholas C. Rossis's avatarNicholas C. Rossis

Hurricane | From the blog of Nicholas C. Rossis, author of science fiction, the Pearseus epic fantasy series and children's books Image: http://www.alexstemmer.com via GraphicStock

Deborah Carney of BookGoodies often shares on their newsletters some of the best news and tidbits you’ve read on this blog. Back in 2012, she lost everything in Hurricane Sandy. This taught her a lot about how organizations and the government don’t help the way you think they will. So, Hurricane Harvey now prompted her to compile and share a list of organizations that are dedicated to helping people directly affected. They are “boots on the ground” and not tying your donations up in administrative costs and funding things that don’t really help.

For her, a group of people created a campaign similar to what GoFundMe is now and people all over the world sent money directly through PayPal. She used that money to rent a car and go out once the roads were open, to get supplies and even simply to get a fast food…

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#NotesFromTheRiver – The Fairest of them All

/ Marcia Meara / 15 Comments

Ran a wee bit late this week, what with all the editing and stuff, but my #NotesFromTheRiver post went up last night. Hope you enjoy reading this one. Such a beautiful creature!

#NotesFromTheRiver – The Fairest of Them All

I’m Baaa-aaack.

/ Marcia Meara / 29 Comments

Did you miss me? Rats. I was afraid of that. But for anyone who may have noticed that I’ve been quieter than usual, I am happy to announce, I should be much more visible now. I’ve been in full-on Edit Mode for the last couple of weeks, but guess what? It’s DONE! The Emissary has been tweaked, nudged, tickled, polished, and otherwise edited to a fare-thee-well, and will definitely be released for public consumption in the next couple of weeks.

I’m pretty excited about this one, as it is a bit of a departure for me in several ways. For one, it’s my first novella, and if rapidity of writing and editing is anything to go by, it won’t be my last. Not quite instant gratification, but darn close. I’m definitely planning on doing more novellas in the future, and the next two will be the second and third books in the Emissary series.

It’s also my first attempt at something in the fantasy/urban fantasy vein–Urban Fantasy Lite, shall we say. Yes, there are paranormal aspects to the Wake-Robin Ridge series, with a few ghosts, an Appalachian legend or two, and some ESP, but this one is definitely new subject matter for me.

The Emissary is a spin-off of my Riverbend series, featuring a character introduced in Finding Hunter, but Riverbend is set firmly in reality, and The Emissary is most assuredly not. Since the story doesn’t take place in Riverbend, I think the genre change works. After all, Willow Greene did pose a question as to whether a certain trucker named Gabe Angelino might, in fact, be a real angel, so she opened the door. Blame her, if you don’t like what walked through. 😀

Telling this tale might have been the most fun I’ve had since I started writing. Look for more info (and possibly an excerpt or two) very soon.

 

Smorgasbord Book Promotion – Air Your Reviews – Sarah Brentyn, Brigid P. Gallagher, Marcia Meara

/ Marcia Meara / Leave a comment

Lovely to see Summer Magic pop up on Sally’s blog today. Also, in such good company, alongside Sarah Brentyn and Brigid P. Gallagher. I needed a smile this morning, and now I’ve gotten one! Hope you’ll check out Sally’s post.