#GuestDayTuesday #JanSikes #ANobleBargain

October 21, 2024October 21, 2024 / Marcia Meara / 33 Comments

(Ooops. Sorry … hit the wrong key, but that just means you get to enjoy Jan’s post a day earlier than expected! Happy reading!

A NOBLE BARGAIN

Today’s very special guest is fellow author Jan Sikes, who is celebrating Release Day for her newest book, A Noble Bargain. I know you’ll enjoy reading all about this one, and will gladly help Jan get the word out by sharing where you can.

Welcome to The Write Stuff, Jan, and take it away, my friend!!

*******

BLOG TOUR STOP #7
Marcia Meara

Thank you, Marcia, for allowing me to take over your blog today to talk about my new release, A Noble Bargain. I’m deeply grateful for your generosity and support!

WHOO HOO! TODAY IS RELEASE DAY!

I’ve already talked some at other blog stops about Rose and Jack being brother and sister. But they have another brother, Harlan, who is the oldest. Harlan is hardened by life, much like their father. Because he is older, he is subjected to a more intense level of violence. As the story progressed, I began to feel sympathy for Harlan and I didn’t want him to be a bad guy. In his heart, he wasn’t. He was a true victim of circumstance. I’ll share a scene that shows how Harlan is left to deal with their father in a drunken state.

EXCERPT:

Rose hurried to get out of her new clothes and into her faded nightgown. A single curtain separated her tiny corner of the house from the kitchen. Jack and Harlan’s cots were a part of the living room, and her father occupied the only bedroom. At least they had indoor plumbing. The house they’d left behind in Hamburg didn’t. She hoped she’d never have to use another outhouse as long as she lived.

What a night.

She fell asleep thinking of Oliver’s easy way of conversing and his mother’s delicious cooking, only to be jarred awake a couple of hours later by a thunderous crash.

Harlan’s voice followed. “Come on, Pa, let me help you to bed.”

“Get your hands off me.” The words came out slurred.

She lay deathly still, barely breathing, waiting for what would come next.

Another thud vibrated the floor. “I said don’t touch me.”

“Just tryin’ to help, Pa. Suit yourself.”

She could picture Jack huddling in his bed, eyes squeezed shut, pretending not to hear. Tears leaked out of the corner of her eyes.

Harlan’s boots hit the floor one at a time, and bedsprings creaked.

She waited. Maybe Pa would spend the night on the floor. Or maybe he’d eventually make it to his bedroom. She hoped for the latter and that he’d sleep late in the morning.

Some things are difficult to write. I could picture the scenario so strongly in my mind when I wrote it. Do scenes like this evoke emotion in you the way they do me? Let’s talk.

UNIVERSAL PURCHASE LINK: https://books2read.com/u/booMQR

JAN’S SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

http://www.jansikes.com

https://www.jansikes.com/blog

https://www.twitter.com/jansikes3

http://www.facebook.com/AuthorJanSikesBooks

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jan-sikes

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00CS9K8DK (Author Page)

#GuestDayTuesday – #YvonneBlackwood – #CollegeLifeOfARetiredSenior

May 21, 2024May 6, 2024 / Marcia Meara / 18 Comments

It’s #GuestDayTuesday once again, and I’m sure you all know what that means: another wonderful guest here on TWS! Today’s visitor is Yvonne Blackwood, and I know you’ll enjoy learning more about her. With that in mind, let’s get this show on the road! Welcome to The Write Stuff, Yvonne!

Thanks, Marcia!

GETTING VALUABLE BOOK REVIEWS.

I have read many articles on promoting books. The list goes on and on about what authors need to do to make readers aware of their books. I have tried many of the suggestions, and I’m sure authors, you have too.

One of the most popular suggestions states that authors should get reviews, that readers tend to buy books with ten or more customer reviews, and that our books stand little chance of getting sales without reviews.

But I also learned that it is not only customer reviews that sell books; editorial reviews are the most influential. Editorial reviews are written by media companies like the New York Times or paid influential Book reviewers like Kirkus, Foreword Review and Publishers Weekly.

Most reputable influential book reviewers offer free book reviews but do not guarantee that books submitted will receive a review. Publishers Weekly advises that only a small percentage of books submitted will be reviewed. There is no charge for their reviews, and “All books are considered solely on merit, and all reviews reflect the reviewer’s honest critical opinion.”

I paid for a Foreword review for my latest published book, College Life of a Retired Senior. I submitted the manuscript to BookLife, the sister company of Publishers Weekly, which handles Indie authors, for a free review.

After several months, I received an email from BookLife advising that no one had reviewed the manuscript and I should indicate if they should still consider it. What did I have to lose? It was supposed to be a free review, so I agreed they should continue.

On February 24, 2024, I received this email from BookLife:

Dear Yvonne,

Our editors have looked at the BookLife project you submitted (College Life of a Retired Senior), and are considering it for review. While this is no guarantee that your book will receive a Publishers Weekly review, you have cleared an important hurdle. Remember, the review consideration process can take between six and twelve weeks…

On March 4, 2024, BookLife advised that they published the review in the March issue of their magazine: https://booklife.com/reviews . They also published it in Publishers Weekly: https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781489746375

I share this story to encourage you to submit your books to influential book reviewers who offer free reviews. You never know if they will select your book. Regarding cost, while Publishers Weekly reviews are free, Booklife charges $399 for a complete review written by an expert Publishers Weekly reviewer, with a six-week turnaround time. There is a surcharge of $100 for books over 100,000 words.

I am thrilled with the review. It exposes my book to many new eyeballs.

Blurb:

A true story of a former bank manager’s experience as she returns to college in the third act of life to earn a degree in English.

Seven years after retiring from a thirty-seven-year banking career, Yvonne Blackwood surprised her friends and family by returning to school to pursue an English degree. Her purpose was fueled by four powerful reasons: to add texture to her writing, to ward off dementia, to enhance structure in her life, and to inspire her two young grandsons to aim for higher education. But as she stepped onto Canada’s third-largest university campus, Blackwood had no idea of the hurdles she would face.

Blackwood details her struggle to maintain her established lifestyle, attend class with hard-to-connect-with millennials, and face several challenges, including two strikes, a campus lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, and a shocking health diagnosis.

Author Yvonne Blackwood

Yvonne Blackwood is the author of four adult non-fiction books: Into Africa, A Personal Journey, Will That Be Cash or Cuffs? Into Africa: The Return, and College Life of a Retired Senior. She published three children’s picture books: Nosey Charlie Comes to Town, Nosey Charlie Goes to Court, and Nosey Charlie Chokes on a Wiener. She is an award-winning short-story writer and has contributed stories to several anthologies, including Human Kindness, Canadian Voices, and Wordscape. Blackwood published articles in More of Our Canada, Adelaide, InTouch and Green Prints. She has written columns for newspapers, including the Toronto Star. She is a graduate of the University of Technology and graduated from York University with a BA majoring in English. She was a banker for many years and is a Fellow of The Institute of Canadian Bankers and an alumnus of the Humber College School of Writers.

You can reach Yvonne HERE:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZ3XR3Z3

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Yvonne.blackwood.92

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonne-blackwood-6a6b6918

#GuestDayTuesday – #ChristineSkarbek – #ConfrontingPower&Chaos

May 7, 2024April 14, 2024 / Marcia Meara / 25 Comments

Today’s guest is author Christine Skarbek, and I think you are going to really enjoy her post, so let’s get going! Christine, take it away!

Thanks, Marcia!
~~~

10 fun (we hope!) facts ~~

1) Though I’m not particularly intelligent, I outsmarted both professionals regarding my daughter’s OCD which threatened her life for years and “spooks” who had invaded my home and harassed me and my 16-year-old son for about six months.

2) My adventure memoir, Confronting Power and Chaos: the Uncharted Kaleidoscope of My Life, has gotten rave reviews from reviewers in the UK, France, South Africa, Canada and USA.

3) Hardly knowing a word of Polish, I moved to Poland and lived there by the skin of my teeth for over 12 years.

4) My youngest daughter is an acclaimed artist in Macon GA.

5) The screenplay I wrote back in 1990 after investigating my distant cousin’s life (the only person male or female to have distinguished herself on both the Eastern and Western fronts of WWII) and interviewing her wartime associates. That script, in its present version, is now being pitched in Hollywood.

6) I have translated all of Polish author Dominik Rettinger’s novels and adapted three of them to American or UK settings.

7) I listen to Beethoven, Dvorak, Schubert and Grieg music religiously.

8) I totally love travelling by train. I have had the world’s best conversations on trains. The folks I’ve met have been exceptional!

9) Best way to entertain your kids at mealtimes is to have them recite lines from their favorite movies, and sprinkle questions about the actors, directors, etc. for them to answer.

10) Best way to educate your kids during summertime is to take them to Europe.

~~~ “That one event, that one ten-minute car ride, radically bowled over my life’s kaleidoscope.”

What’s in a name?

Her trailblazer of a distant cousin forged a solitary, singular path during and after WWII. Unassuming and somewhat clueless, Christine eventually finds she has to do pretty much the same. A teen fully expecting her Midwestern life would be drab and ho-hum, she meets in Germany an elderly man who offered her a ride – and insight into a legacy she was going to rely on throughout her entire life.

Marrying the wrong guy, divorced, isolated, and responsible for four chronically ill children, she charged forward, brooking no fools to get her children the healthcare and education they richly deserved, even if that meant blackmailing the governor of Iowa. She took on the powers that be (including spooks invading her home for six months), while always striving for the career she pined for.

Throughout all the decades of financial and personal setbacks and the chaos that swirled around her, Christine’s legacy constantly beckoned her: to be worthy of that distant cousin, WWII’s most decorated courier, and of a timeless love story she witnessed.

Christine’s life journey, including her 12 years in Poland (her other homeland), is a stirring testament to determination, imagination, and the power of perseverance and of thinking out of the box.

Author Christine Skarbek

With an MA in journalism from the University of Iowa, Christine Skarbek has worked as a foreign student exchange coordinator, written op-eds for several newspapers—including the Atlanta Journal-Constitution—and co-authored three screenplays. Besides continuing her public relations promotion of D.W. Rettinger’s novels, she has had articles published in online journals. She’s currently enjoying her semi-retirement in Silver Spring MD as her LA producer pitches her and Rettinger’s biopic on Countess Krystyna Skarbek, WWI’s most decorated agent who distinguished herself on both the Eastern and Western fronts.

You can reach Christine on Facebook HERE
Email Christine here: cskarbek@gmail.com

Check Out Christine’s book HERE

My adventure memoir, Confronting Power and Chaos: the Uncharted Kaleidoscope of My Life, has gotten rave reviews from: the UK, France, South Africa, Canada and USA.

#GuestDayTuesday – #DarleneFoster – #AmandaInScotland – #TheStandingStones

April 23, 2024April 15, 2024 / Marcia Meara / 68 Comments

It’s #GuestDayTuesday, folks, and today our special guest is Darlene Foster. I know you’ll enjoy Darlene’s post, so please welcome her to TWS. Darlene … take it away!

Thanks, Marcia!

Interview with Amanda Jane Ross by Darlene Foster
~~~

I would like to welcome intrepid traveller, Amanda Jane Ross, to Marcia Meara’s radio show.

DF: Hello Amanda. Welcome to the show. I understand you have just returned from a visit to Scotland.How did you enjoy It?

AR: It was awesome! I spent a week on the Isle of Arran which has everything the whole of the country has. It’s called Scotland in miniature as it has highlands and lowlands.You are never far from a beach and there are all kinds of wildlife like cute red squirrels.

DF: What took you there?

AR: My bestie, Leah Anderson, has an aunt who lives on the island, and she invited us to spend some time with her. She lives in a really cool old house. I already knew Aunt Jenny because I met her in Malta and she took us to France too. She is a cool aunt.

DF: You sure like to travel. What is one of your favourite places?

AR: Oh, I don’t have a favourite place. I love every place I visit. I like trying new food and learning about the history and meeting the local people. My teacher tells me that I get a better education travelling than she could ever teach me. I always share my experiences with the class when I return.

DF: You always seem to get involved in a mystery wherever you go. Why is that?

AR: Well, I don’t do that on purpose. It just seems to happen. There wasn’t going to be any mystery to solve this time, but a woman from the past kept showing up. At least she seemed like she was from the past. I did touch the standing stones, hoping I would be transported back in time. That didn’t happen, but someone could have come though to our time. I mean, you never know, do you?

DF: No, you never do. Do you have any other plans to travel.

AR: My cousin, Taylor, is marrying an Irish girl and they asked me to be a junior bridesmaid. The wedding is going to be in a castle, in Ireland! I’ve never been there before so I can’t say no.

DF: Sounds like fun. Thanks for taking the time to be on the show, Amanda. Happy travels.

Amanda in Scotland: The Standing Stones

Blurb:

What could possibly go wrong on the magical Scottish Isle of Arran? It’s such a peaceful, charming place with castles, mountains, old graves and ancient standing stones.

Amanda Ross and Leah Anderson are visiting Aunt Jenny who owns an old house on the island. But something is not right. A mysterious woman, who seems to have stepped out of the past, keeps appearing, Leah’s father hasn’t contacted the family for some time, and Aunt Jenny’s house may have an uninvited guest.

Amanda is intrigued by this picturesque island, often called Little Scotland. She watches exciting sheepdog trials, attends a lively ceilidh, makes friends with the locals, and visits the mystical Holy Island. Join Amanda as she tries to solve the mystery of the strange woman and the disappearance of Leah’s father. Will the past catch up with the present?

Short Excerpt:

Amanda grunted lifting the heavy metal bar to open the gate. She tugged at it but it wouldn’t budge. The muddy ground caused her to lose her footing. She slipped and fell—face down in the sticky mud. As she looked up, she saw someone running through the trees. A woman in a white cap and a plaid shawl. The woman from the past.

Author Darlene Foster

Brought up on a ranch in southern Alberta, Darlene Foster dreamt of writing, travelling the world and meeting interesting people. She also believes everyone is capable of making their dreams come true. It’s no surprise that she’s now an award-winning author of the children’s Amanda Travels Adventure series, and divides her time between the west coast of Canada and Orihuela Costa, in Spain.

Social Media:

Website: www.darlenefoster.ca
Blog: https://darlenefoster.wordpress.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3156908.Darlene_Foster
Twitter: https://twitter.com/supermegawoman
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarleneFosterWriter

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Darlene-Foster/author/B003XGQPHA

https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Darlene-Foster/author/B003XGQPHA

#GuestDayTuesday – #GuestPosts – #ShareYourNews

April 12, 2024 / Marcia Meara / 14 Comments

Happy Freya’s Day, Everybody! Hope you are all eagerly awaiting a wonderful weekend ahead. I’ll be planting a couple more roses and doing a wee bit of gardening each morning, before the day gets too hot.

Just wanted to put out a call for guest posters. If you have a new book to share, or an old one to remind folks about, we can do that. If you have something writing-related you’d like to discuss, (Do’s and Don’ts, or a book you’ve read recently and would like to chat about) we can do that, too. Actually, I’m open to lots of topics for guest posters, so please contact me if you have something you’d like more folks to know about. Here are just a few of the headers for the types of posts I’ve shared on TWS in the past, though we aren’t limited to just these topics.

I’m open to various topics, and would love to have you visit. Just email me or respond below, and we’ll make it happen. The Write Stuff wants YOU!!

Hoping to Hear From You Soon!

#GuestDayTuesday – #GwenPlano – #SoulWhisperer’sDecision

April 2, 2024March 7, 2024 / Marcia Meara / 65 Comments

Today, we’re welcoming my good friend Gwen Plano as our Guest. I know you’re going to enjoy this, as Gwen will be sharing a bit about her newest book, Soul Whisperer’s Decision, so let’s get right to it. Happy Reading, Everyone, and …

Welcome to The Write Stuff, Gwen!

Thanks so much for having me here today, Marcia.

BACKSTORY:

I have a special interest in the Near-Death Experience phenomenon. Since the 1980s, I’ve read original research of accounts, and I’ve also read numerous books by survivors. Though I’ve not experienced an NDE, I’ve had several inexplicable experiences of a loving presence at times of great duress.

For ten years, 2002 – 2012, I was an administrator at a college near Camp Pendleton in California. I worked directly with the Marine veterans and, to a lesser degree, veterans from the other branches of the military. I quickly discovered that almost all the Marines suffered PTSD and/or physical injuries from their service in Iraq or Afghanistan. I became their advocate and tried to provide a ‘safe’ place for the veterans to meet, hang out, and process. To this day, my experience with the veterans remains the highlight of my thirty years in Higher Education.

When I wrote The Soul Whisperer’s Decision, I sought to illuminate the struggles of those who have experienced extreme violence. And, as well, I tried to show the healing power of love. None of us can erase our past or another’s, but by our choices, we can carve a hopeful future for ourselves and others.

BLURB:

Sarah Jameson, a nurse at County Central Hospital, survives an accident that kills her two young children. While comatose, she travels into the heavenly realm where she visits with her precious little ones. She is given a choice – return to her husband, Jack, or remain with her children in their celestial home.

Jack was not in the fated automobile. Though he heard the crash and ran to help, there was nothing he could do. He suffers the loss of his children, fears the potential demise of his wife, and wonders about his own sanity. His struggle with PTSD from his military years has returned and at times, he cannot distinguish between the present and the past.

An accident tragically changed the lives of this young family, but out of sorrow emerges unexpected blessings.

QUOTE FROM THE BOOK:

Time blurs when dreams fade. The present, without its past, drifts obscurely before us. We see it but only vaguely. Like a stranger in a foreign land, we wander alone. What was, no longer is. But what remains feels like a hologram—unreal and elusive.

PURCHASE LINKS
Amazon: https://bit.ly/488Ziay

Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/48aWmdu

BLOG: www.gwenplano.com ( https://bit.ly/48AKRvE )

Author Gwen Plano

Gwen grew up on a farm in the great Southern California desert bordering Arizona and Mexico. She claims to have climbed more sand dunes than Lawrence of Arabia. This desert habitat helped shape her core beliefs in hard work and gracious acceptance of others.

Gwen is retired from a lengthy career in higher education, which spanned both the East and West coasts and included five years in Japan. She now calls the high desert of Chino Valley, AZ her home. And most any day, you’ll find her hiking or writing, if she and her husband are not on the road exploring.

#GuestDayTuesday – Featuring #MaeClair – #NewRelease – #TheKeepingPlace

March 12, 2024February 19, 2024 / Marcia Meara / 32 Comments

I’m SO happy to have Mae Clair, one of my best online friends, visiting us today, and I know you’re going to enjoy learning all about her latest book, so without further ado, here she is: Take it away, Mae!

Hi, Marcia! Thank you so much for hosting me on your blog today. I’m delighted to be here, sharing my upcoming release The Keeping Place, a dual timeline mystery which is now available for pre-order! Most readers know me as someone who loves weaving urban legends and threads of the supernatural into my stories. The Keeping Place took an entirely different turn.

Well… there is a small thread that does involve an old town legend and a ghost, but nothing that takes center stage as in my other books. This one is about relationships, and what happens to an estranged mother/daughter when the remains of the youngest daughter are discovered ten years after she disappeared. It’s more of a “quiet” mystery than I usually write.

In its heyday, Hornwood was the launching point for the Boone Rail Line which served passengers in the early 1900s.The line has long since been abandoned, but the original rail shack still stands. It’s here where the daughter of the town founder died after being cast out by her father.

During my “past” timeline of 2013, the shack has become a local teen hangout and a dumping ground. A huge tree known as “the Hornwood Oak” dominates the location. In this excerpt, twelve-year-old Janie Seabrooke discusses the rail shack with a woman who works at the restaurant her mother owns.

As you’ll discover in the excerpt, Janie’s mom has her own unique backstory.

EXCERPT:

Phyllis’s smile was her best feature—wide and toothpaste white. “So, what are you doing today? It’s gorgeous outside.”

“Going for a bike ride.” Janie closed her notebook. The restaurant wasn’t busy, the lunch crowd over, dinner still hours away. Sometimes when it was like this, mostly empty, she’d sit and study the old photos on the wall, wondering what life would have been like if her mom had become an A-list Hollywood star. Would they live in a mansion and have a long black limo with tinted windows? Would she go to a private school, bodyguards trailing her every move?

Life would be different, with no time for lists or her secret keeping place where she squirrelled away castoff trinkets like coveted pirate booty. Other girls giggled over boys and wanted to experiment with makeup, but she was more interested in the way a rock glinted when the sun washed over it, or the dance of a bat when it swept the night sky for bugs.

Mom said it was because she’d been in the hospital for a long time when she was a baby, and that made her look at things differently. Sometimes kids in school called her strange or backward, but Janie knew her brain just fired on odd cylinders.

Phyllis slid into the seat across from her. “I remember the days when I could bike from the Hornwood Oak to Kocher’s Market without getting winded.” Heavy creases at the corners of her eyes, combined with excess weight she laughingly called jelly rolls, told Janie those days were far behind.

“I always heard you shouldn’t go to the Hornwood Oak.”

“You shouldn’t.”

Janie fiddled with her pen. “But you did.”

“That was a long time ago, when I was a kid.”

“Weren’t you afraid of Lettie Boone’s ghost?”

“That’s just an old legend. I was more afraid of snakes slithering from weeds in the rail beds.” Phyllis laughed. “My friends and I would tell ghost stories under that big oak tree. Every now and then, we’d invite someone new and hold a snipe hunt.”

“What’s that?”

“A bit of old foolishness. Nothing anyone your age would be interested in today.”

“Did Mom go?” Janie tucked her notebook along with the envelope into her backpack. “To the Hornwood Oak?”

“Sometimes. I think she’d meet your father there, but that was before Rod Barrett convinced her she could make it in Hollywood.” A trace of vinegar soured Phyllis’s voice.

“Mom said he wasn’t a bad agent.”

“He wasn’t the best, either, or your mom would still be making movies.” Phyllis shook her head. “Listen to me jabber. You just forget everything I said.” With a grunt of effort, she shoved to her feet. “I need to get back to work, and you should go enjoy your bike ride. It’s refreshing to see you’re not glued to your phone or some other device like most kids your age.”

Janie smiled. “Mom calls me an old soul.”

“She’s right about that.” Phyllis turned away then shifted back with a raised eyebrow. “One more thing—be sure to stay away from the Hornwood Oak. That old shack out there is held together with spit.”

As in most dual timeline mysteries, The Keeping Place delivers a mystery in the present as well as the past. I hope the blurb will tempt you further:

Even if it means killing again.

Thanks again for hosting me today, Marcia. I appreciate the opportunity to share The Keeping Place with your readers. I’ve held onto this novel for two years, uncertain how I wanted to publish it. As an author, I naturally like every book I’ve written, but The Keeping Place is my personal favorite—perhaps because it’s so different in tone from my other mysteries.

I still utilize dual timelines, but rather than having centuries between them, my timelines are separated by a mere ten years. It’s my sincere hope readers will enjoy the story!

PURCHASE LINK

Connect with Mae Clair at BOOKBUB and the following haunts:

#GuestDayTuesday Featuring Author #ValerieOrmond

October 24, 2023October 24, 2023 / Marcia Meara / 31 Comments

It’s been a while, but it’s finally #GuestDayTuesday again on The Write Stuff, and today, our special guest is Valerie Ormond. I know you are going to thoroughly enjoy her post, so without any further delay, I’m going to turn the floor over to her. Take it away, Valerie! 😀

Thank you, Marcia, for inviting me back to your blog with your fun and engaging group! One of the questions I’m most frequently asked is why I chose to write young adult (YA) fiction horse books given my military background. So I thought I would answer that question here in my Guest Post.

Why YA?

When I retired from the Navy, I spent a lot of time at the barn with our horses. I noticed many girls at the “young adult” age losing their sense of self and succumbing to peer pressure. I was one of them not long ago, it seemed. I thought maybe, if I could reach one or two of them, I could make a small difference.
Although my initial intent upon retirement was to retire and enjoy life, I realized I had learned so many valuable lessons that I could share with others. I decided to do it through a young adult book. This book later turned into two, and then three, and now, I’m working on the final book in the series.
Some of my favorite books and young reading memories had been YA fiction books – the entire Nancy Drew series, Catcher in the Rye, The Outsiders, and YA horse books including Marguerite Henry’s iconic Misty of Chincoteague.
A bonus benefit was that my brother was a career teacher for this age group. He not only helped me write to this age reader, but he also created a teacher’s guide to accompany my first book, Teacher’s Tack for Believing In Horses.
Educators recognized the educational value of the Believing In Horses book by selecting an excerpt from it for the national Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) annual assessment. McGraw Hill’s Actively Learn platform and CommonLit’s nonprofit literacy organization also included reading passages and curriculum materials from Believing In Horses for their learning assignments. So this little colt got legs from the education community!
FUN FACT: Although my books are categorized as YA, I believe many more adults have read them then young adults. I think many of us like to time travel back to those days, and of course I included a cool grandmother in my books based on my own.

Why Horses?

I had a passion for horses from as long as I could remember with no true understanding of where that came from. I still can’t explain it, but it’s not unusual for horse people to have this affliction.
I wrote what I knew, and at the time, I was immersed in the barn life and had plenty of characters, settings, and plot ideas to bring a story to life.
I had a wonderful inspiration that I had to act upon. While buying the first horse I had purchased who was a young and untrained so I could start him on my own, a conversation ensued where the owner suggested what I had said would make a cute children’s book. The first book was born with that horse as the star.
People say that horses are the eyes to the soul…for a reason.
FUN FACT: The cover of Believing In Horses includes and almost imperceptible image of a young girl reflected in the horse’s eye. That is an old black-and-white photo of my mother-in-law when she was a young girl.

What about the Military?

When I started outlining my story, I did my research on what other YA books were out there about military families. In 2009, there were surprisingly few. I wanted to change that.
Having been a military granddaughter (both sides), daughter, niece, cousin, wife, and member of the military, I felt I had the credibility to write a story about a military family.
Some of my happiest moments have been at school visits where a child will tell me that he or she understood more about what military families endure due to reading one of my books. That made it all worth it!
Because of my military connection, I ended up becoming a member of the Military Writers Society of America (MWSA), which has awarded each of my books Gold Medals. I’ve also made lifelong friends through this organization and am now the Vice President. I encourage anyone who is in the military, a veteran, a family member, or interested in writing about the military to check out this welcoming organization.
FUN FACT: I’ve met many military members, veterans, and family members through my writing and have had the opportunity to encourage them to tell their stories – whether through fiction, non-fiction, short stories, essays, or poetry. I’ve been thrilled to see people write words in workshops they have held inside for years and even have their work published for the first time. I’ve been fortunate to provide resources to those who had something to say but weren’t sure where to turn. This entire unexpected book writing journey has been a gift.

Thank you, Marcia, and as a thank you for letting me tell my story here, I have a free book promotion for the Kindle version of Believing In Horses from Tuesday, October 24 at 12:00 AM through Thursday, October 26 at 11:59 PM. Please stop by for your free copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Believing-Horses-Valerie-Ormond-ebook/dp/B086BTVPC7/

Book Trailer

Believing In Horses book trailer: https://youtu.be/QvA-HcQz7ak

Book Blurb

First the move to Maryland. Then Dad’s deployment to Afghanistan. Sadie is in trouble. Then she gets Lucky, a new, young horse who proves to be a handful. But that’s just the beginning. Together they encounter horse thieves, Maryland storms, and unwanted horses destined for auction and uncertain futures.Sadie makes it her personal mission to save the horses. Along the way, she meets other people who are dedicated to rescuing horses. She also learns some people in the horse industry are driven by greed. And she’s only twelve.

Author Valerie Ormond

Valerie Ormond retired after a 25-year career as a naval intelligence officer and launched her second career as a writer. She is the author of three award-winning young adult fiction books in the Believing In Horses series – Believing In Horses, Believing In Horses, Too, and Believing In Horses Out West. Her books have been called inspirational and motivational and share stories of today’s youth making a difference when focused on their passions. Valerie’s fiction and non-fiction stories, articles, and poetry appear in books, magazines, newspapers, and blogs worldwide. She owns and manages Veteran Writing Services, LLC, working primarily for defense contractors. She lives happily in Maryland with her husband and their three horses and one spoiled dog. For more information, please see her website: www.BelievingInHorses.com.

Buy Links

Believing In Horses: https://www.amazon.com/Believing-Horses-Valerie-Ormond/dp/0973633026/

Teacher’s Tack for Believing In Horses: Ormond, Edward, Ormond, Flo, Willis, Doug, Ormond, Valerie: 9780985187408: Amazon.com: Books

Believing In Horses, Too: https://www.amazon.com/Believing-Horses-Too-Valerie-Ormond/dp/0973633042/

Believing In Horses Out West Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Believing-Horses-West-Valerie-Ormond/dp/0985187417

Buy Books – Believing In Horses(Author website for personally inscribed copies)

Amazon Author Page – https://www.amazon.com/author/valerieormond

Social Media links

Blog: https://valerieormond.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BelievingInHorses/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/believeinhorses

Goodreads: goodreads.com/ValerieOrmondAuthor

Contact Info

Email: valerie@believinginhorses.com

Website: www.BelievingInHorses.com

#GuestDayTuesday Featuring Author #LiesbetCollaert

August 15, 2023August 15, 2023 / Marcia Meara / 71 Comments

Once again, it’s #GuestDayTuesday on The Write Stuff, and today, I have the pleasure of introducing Liesbet Collaert as our special guest. I feel sure you are going to enjoy getting to know Liesbet better, so without any further delay, I’m going to turn the floor over to her. Take it away, Liesbet! 😀

Hello everyone – and thank you, Marcia, for featuring me today on your excellent website and for giving us, indie authors, a chance to shine!

I am Liesbet Collaert from Belgium, although it’s been a long time since I lived there. Twenty years to be precise. That’s how long I have been roaming the world fulltime, with my husband Mark and – over time – three rescue dogs. We are currently overlanding in Ecuador with our 60-pound pooch Maya, as part of a multiple-year South American journey. Our home on wheels, a truck camper disguised as a cow, is called Thirsty Bella.

My two main passions have always been traveling and writing, so a book had to emerge at some point. After five years of writing and editing (life of an unretired explorer is busy!), that moment finally came in November 2020, on my 45^th birthday, with Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary. A unique birthday present to myself! 😊

BLURB:

Tropical waters turn tumultuous in this travel memoir as a free-spirited woman jumps headfirst into a sailing adventure with a new man and his two dogs.

Join Liesbet as she faces a decision that sends her into a whirlwind of love, loss, and living in the moment. When she swaps life as she knows it for an uncertain future on a sailboat, she succumbs to seasickness and a growing desire to be alone.

Guided by impulsiveness and the joys of an alternative lifestyle, she must navigate personal storms, trouble with US immigration, adverse weather conditions, and doubts about her newfound love.

Does Liesbet find happiness? Will the dogs outlast the man? Or is this just another reality check on a dream to live at sea?

Have you ever wondered how life could be if you had made different choices? If you didn’t marry early, commit to a large loan for the house, focus on your career, start a family?

Maybe you’re just curious about how a person thinking outside the box manages? A person without boundaries, striving to be flexible, happy, and free.

What you are about to read is how one such person follows her dreams, no, her intuition, and how she survives her naivety, life altering twists, and a relationship in close quarters.

Plunge is a story of what happens when you go with the flow, when you have a bright idea – or thought you had one – and ride the waves of the unknown.

I’d like to share some of my recent book news with all of you and hope you’ll check out my “refreshingly honest,” “compelling,” and “beautifully written” travel memoir. Feel free to follow our adventures on my ad-free blog Roaming About as well.

A recent 5-star review for my travel memoir
Plunge – One Woman’s Pursuit of a Life Less Ordinary

I could not put this book down. Beautifully written in the present tense, which confers a sense of urgency, I felt I was aboard with the author throughout her seaborne adventures.

Although living her dreams, Liesbet is very honest about the difficulties brought about by choosing an alternative lifestyle, and the strain it puts on her relationship with her new husband, Mark:

“Sailing the world was once my dream, until a first practice session in a Mirror dinghy with my then partner ended with, “I’m never sailing with you again!” to which he responded, “Good, because I’m never going to ask you to!” We realised the only way we would ever sail around the world together was if we set off in opposite directions. I have so much admiration for Liesbet and Mark, who weathered storms, both real and personal, while miles from anywhere and confined in a tiny space.”

Yet, this realistic depiction hasn’t put me off. The descriptions of familiar island destinations in the Caribbean, the enchanting wildlife in the Galapagos, and the remote and less well-known island paradises in French Polynesia are wonderful. I completely understand why Liesbet, an unlikely sailor who suffers from seasickness, felt a transit of the Panama Canal and hair-raising Pacific adventures in a vessel not quite suitable for ocean crossings, was so worthwhile!”
Source: TripFiction.com/review
Amazon reviews for Plunge

And, I’m excited to share that Plunge made the list of Ten Great Stories of Female Adventurers on TripFiction!
Read the article HERE

NOTE FROM MARCIA:

I highly recommend you also check out the wonderful story about how Liesbet met Mark, and the adventures that followed that stroke of luck:
Chance Encounters
Trust me. This is a story well worth reading!

Author Liesbet Collaert

Liesbet Collaert’s articles and photos have been published internationally. Born in Belgium, she has been a nomad since 2003 with no plans to settle anytime soon. Her love of travel, diversity, and animals is reflected in her lifestyle choices of sailing, RVing, and house and pet sitting. Liesbet calls herself a world citizen and currently lives “on the road” in South America with her husband and rescue dog. Follow her adventures at
Roaming About

BUY LINKS

Amazon Author Page
For general info on my blog, including free chapters, reviews, and purchase links HERE
Buy on Amazon universal link HERE
For eBook versions worldwide, go HERE
For paperback distributors worldwide, go HERE

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Facebook Liesbet Collaert
Facebook Roaming About
Twitter
Goodreads
Email: lbcollaert@gmail.com

Blog URLs
Roaming About
It’s Irie

#GuestDayTuesday – Featuring Author #YvonneBlackwood

August 1, 2023June 21, 2023 / Marcia Meara / 47 Comments

It’s #GuestDayTuesday once again, folks, and today, we have a wonderful post from our special guest, Yvonne Blackwood. I found Yvonne’s story to be both interesting and inspirational, and I think you will as well, so let’s get right to it. Yvonne, you’re on! 😀

Thanks, Marcia!

There is a maxim that says people come into our lives for a reason and a season. Influencers sometimes appear like genies without warning or explanation. We must recognize them and decide if we want to travel the road they try to lead us. I believe Olga was my genie.

Going Back to School is Good Medicine by Yvonne Blackwood

I had retired seven years, ending a thirty-seven-year banking career, and my life was advancing swimmingly, when I attended the inaugural meeting of a new writer’s group in my city. Olga and I were the first to arrive. We introduced ourselves and exchanged copies of one of our books. I became an author while working full-time.

At the second group meeting, Olga pulled me aside when it ended.

“I finished reading your book. I enjoyed the story very much,” she said sweetly. “You know what I would do if I were you?”

“What?” I asked abruptly. I detested people who offered unsolicited advice, especially when I didn’t know them well.

“I suggest you do an English degree at the university. Nothing is wrong about your English, but I have that degree, and it helps me greatly to add texture to my writing. It will do the same for yours.”

I took a deep breath and slowly calmed down. Okay, advice about texture is not a bad thing.

I’ve always felt that my writing was not textured enough, and I tried to improve it, but the writing courses I’d taken and the numerous books I’d read on writing had not helped to master texture.

Why Go Back to School Now?

I pondered Olga’s suggestion for months, and thoughts of other potential benefits entered my mind. Dementia was ravishing more and more seniors every day. Dr. Sanjay Gupta quoted from the Alzheimer’s Association in his book Chasing Life: “When you’re sixty-five, there’s a one in ten chance you are affected, by the time you’re over eighty-five, there’s almost a one in two chance you have the disease.” Researchers concluded that exercising the mind could defend against dementia. I decided that my weapon would be pursuing an English degree.

I learned that humans are social beings. Attending university would motivate me to get dressed and leave the house a few days each week to be with other humans. It would provide a consistent structure for the years of my studies.

The fourth reason was to inspire my two young grandsons. I wanted to show them that you are never too old to learn and to encourage them to aim to attend university after graduating from high school.

When you make a commitment, you keep it

I set a goal to earn the degree in six years, culminating with a memorable seventieth birthday party. Why six years? I was on a government board and three committees, was the head teller at my church, and was the emergency babysitter for my grandsons. I didn’t want to abandon those duties, but I wished to avoid stress and maintain a balanced life.

Unforeseen hurdles appeared

My studies became like climbing a steep mountain. As I tried to reach its summit, I stumbled upon obstacles, including two strikes; the COVID-19 pandemic that caused the lockdown of the campus; hard-to-connect-with millennials; and the hardest one—a diagnosis of sarcoma cancer. I was hellbent on earning the degree and persisted because of my faith in God and strong support from family members, church family, and remarkable friends.

More Than I hoped for

During my study years, the university awarded me the continuing education scholarship in 2017, 2018, and 2019. The Golden Key International Honour Society invited me to become a member. Devoted to helping its members achieve excellence through the advancement of academics, leadership, and service, the organization, with more than two million members worldwide, offers membership only to high-achieving university students in the top 15 percent of their programs. I was flattered to the tenth degree.

I had nine credits remaining to earn my degree when I received a call from a radiologist to report to the hospital for five weeks of radiation treatment, five days per week.

“I’m doing a course at the university, and I don’t want to withdraw from it. Will I be okay to continue my studies while receiving radiation treatments?” I asked.

“Radiation will not affect your brain,” he said. We both laughed. “You can continue your studies.”

Hospital room classroom.

Six weeks after radiation treatments ended, I underwent a thirteen-hour surgery to remove the sarcoma tumours from my right thigh. I could not walk unassisted and spent two months in a rehab hospital. I continued my studies, and every day nurses pushed me in a wheelchair to the tall, broad windows at the front of my hospital room. They brought me my over-the-bed table, laptop, notebook, and pens. I sat there and Zoomed into the lectures and completed all my assignments. The nurses nick-named me “The student patient”.

I am ecstatic that I took on the challenge and climbed the mountain. College Life of a Retired Senior: A Memoir of Perseverance, Faith, and Finding the Way will inspire and motivate you to pursue your dreams. It was recently released and is available at Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and other major booksellers.

BLURB:

Seven years after she retired from a lengthy career in banking, Yvonne Blackwood surprised her friends and family by returning to school at age sixty-four to pursue an English degree. Her purpose was fueled by four powerful reasons—to add texture to her writing; to ward off dementia; to enhance structure in her life; and to inspire her two young grandsons to continue their education after high school. But as she stepped onto the campus of Canada’s third-largest university, Blackwood had no idea of the hurdles she was about to face.

Author Yvonne Blackwood

Yvonne Blackwood is the author of four adult non-fiction books, Into Africa: A Personal Journey, Will That Be Cash or Cuffs? Into Africa: the Return, and College Life of a Retired Senior: A Memoir of Perseverance, Faith, and Finding the Way. She has also published three children’s picture books: Nosey Charlie Comes to Town, Nosey Charlie Goes to Court, and Nosey Charlie Chokes on a Wiener. An award-winning short-story writer, Blackwood has contributed stories to several anthologies, including Human Kindness, Canadian Voices, and Wordscape. She has published articles in magazines including More of Our Canada, Adelaide, InTouch, and Green Prints and has written columns for the Toronto Star, Pride Newspaper, and The African Connection.