News

#ExcerptWeek Update

/ Marcia Meara / 6 Comments

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Just wanted to say that I’ve decided to extend #ExcerptWeek another two or three days, to accommodate everyone who has asked to be included. Submissions, however, are closed at this time, since I have several waiting to be shared, already.  Don’t worry if you didn’t get one sent in in time. I like to have #ExcerptWeek “events” every couple of months, so you’ll have more opportunities in the future, I promise.

Mark said if I extend things for another whole week, I can call it #ExcerptFortnight, but I think maybe I won’t go quite that far. 🙂 Stay tuned for the next excerpt tomorrow, as I’m taking a bit of a break today. (Yeah, still fighting that little cold/bug/thingie. Nothing big, I’ve been assured, but it is leaving me with about 1/3 of my usual energy, so I think a rest day is in order.) But not to worry. More excerpts are coming!

Thanks for all the sharing and kind words you guys have been offering to our participants. I know they appreciate it! Now. As you were, folks. And have a great Sun’s Day.

 

#WakeRobinRidge Book 3: #Harbinger

/ Marcia Meara / 16 Comments

Final Harbinger Cover at 25percent

 

Nope, I haven’t actually launched this book yet, as I haven’t finished deciding how to go about it, but it is available in Kindle and print format, and already selling, in spite of my lack of a cohesive plan.  (Boy, do I hate that “P” word.) So I figured I’d better let you guys know, at least! This is the third book in my mountain series, and for those of you who enjoyed #WakeRobinRidge and #ABoyNamedRabbit, I hope you’ll be eager to follow Rabbit’s latest shivery adventure.  (Meanwhile, I’m trying to remember how to put the image/link in the right sidebar with my other books. Doh! Brain is on vacation!)

Blurb

“. . . 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. 

Wake-Robin Ridge Book 3: Harbinger

Sacha Black’s 2nd Annual #BloggersBashAwards

/ Marcia Meara / 27 Comments

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Thanks to one of our lovely writers, I’ve been nominated for a Bloggers Bash Award! Wow! And yes, you read right. See?

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First in Funniest blogger. The nominees are as follows:

Barb Taub, Lucy Mitchell (Blonde Write More), Tara Sparling, Linda (nutsrok), Ned Hickson, Meghan Sara, Seumas Gallacher, Bun Karyado, Ross Murray, Beth Haslam, Al the Author, Ronnie, Marcia Meara, Donna, Christian Touchet, Tim- things as they are, Tamzen Temple, Tabby, Fiction Fan, Paul Lander, Melinda,

I’m amazed to be included in this list of extremely funny bloggers. If I hadn’t been sick for a week, followed by a week of non-stop editing on my latest book, I wouldn’t be so far behind on my posts here, and you’d already have learned of this.

I apologize for being tardy, but it’s not too late for you folks to vote for your favorite bloggers in a whole host of categories. Voting is open until 12pm on June 9th. Stop by Sacha Black’s fabulous blog, and vote for your favorites! Share the love! (And this post.) 🙂

And my heartfelt thanks for the nomination, and to anyone who thinks my blog deserves their vote.  I appreciate being included in this list of laugh-out-loud funny folks more than you can imagine! (Ned Hickson, alone, has cost me a fortune in replacement keyboards, and taught me to stop drinking my Earl Grey tea while reading his blog.)

I Did It!! #amwriting #Rainbows

/ Marcia Meara / 26 Comments

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“Standing In The Rainbow”
Dancing with Wieners Star, Maksim Hotdogski
Alias Maks

Woohoo! I took one look at my dog this morning, and knew this would be the day! Even luckier than a rainbow on the floor is one on a chocolate and tan dachsie. (Look it up. It’s true, I tell you!) So, who am I to scoff in the face of a lucky dachshund, standing in a rainbow? Instead, I sat right down and plowed through the epilogue of my WIP, typing The End at about 3:00 this afternoon. Yep. It’s official! Harbinger is done!! (Okay, except for the editing part, but I still think I can get this out by the end of May. That’s my story, an’ I’m stickin’ to it!)

Happy sigh. After a brief bit of R&R, I’ll start #3 of the Riverbend series, but for now, I’m going to bask in the sense of accomplishment that writing my 5th novel in less than three years has given me. And believe me, it feels FANTASTIC! Will they ever be studying my books in Literature Classes across the country? Nope. Do I care? Not a whit. Because there ARE folks out there who are enjoying them, and that’s what I set out to accomplish. I’m living a dream come true, and couldn’t be happier. (Richer, maybe, but not happier.) 😀

Dreams happen, folks. Never give up!

Update on Self-Publishing Workshop

/ Marcia Meara / 3 Comments

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*Insert beeping noises, here*

We interrupt your regularly scheduled broadcasting with breaking news! Due to several factors, we have decided to reschedule the April 23 Self-Publishing Workshop at DeBary Hall. The new date will be October 8, from 1:00 until 4:00. The fall is a better time of year for this particular type of event, with fewer folks away on vacations and holiday travels.  If you live in this area and want to learn a bit more about how to self-publish your books, be sure to mark your calendars for October 8, and join us for the discussion. Reminders  will be forthcoming, as the new date approaches. 

And now, we return you to the program in progress.

Oh, and Happy Tewe’s Day! 🙂

#ExcerptWeek Newsflash & Reminder

/ Marcia Meara / 6 Comments

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Today is the “Official” beginning of Excerpt Week, one of my favorite features on The Write Stuff. Please share excerpts from any of your own writing, be it already published, a work in progress, or an idea you are toying with. Post directly, if you are already an author on TWS, or send your excerpt to me, along with your bio, book covers, and Buy Links, and I’ll post it for you. (Do not post under the comments section of any thread, please.)

Throughout the day today, I’ll be uploading goodies for you to read–AND to SHARE, please. Sharing is the whole purpose of Excerpt Week, and the main focus of this blog, after all. 🙂 Let’s make this Excerpt Week the best one, ever!

We’ve already gotten a wonderful start with an  excerpt from Barb Taub. Might be the most original excerpt I’ve seen to date, but don’t let that stop you. We want to hear from as many more as possible, and I have several that will be coming through today, including my own, to get the week going with a bang. Let’s spread the word–or should I say, let’s spread OUR WORDS?

Looking forward to hearing from many more of you. Have fun, and enjoy the talent we have in this great group of folks.

 

#ExcerptWeek Starts Monday!

/ Marcia Meara / 15 Comments

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Woohoo! Excerpt week, comin’ up!

Yes, I jumped the gun earlier, and if any of you want to do that over the weekend, feel free, but “officially,” #ExcerptWeek starts Monday and runs until Sunday, April 3. You are invited to share excerpts of anything you’ve written, be it published, a work in progress, or something you’re experimenting with. We’ll pass it along for you. If you have a book out that has slowed down in sales a bit, this might be one good way to put it in front of folks again. There are only a couple of rules and suggestions, to wit:

Any genre is permissible, as long as your excerpt doesn’t include politics, religion, or erotica. Don’t know the difference between sexy and erotica? That’s okay. I do. If in doubt, send me a sample. 🙂

If you are already an author on TWS, please feel free to post your excerpt directly. If not, please email me, and I will post it for you. PLEASE do NOT post your excerpt as a comment under another thread. I will be forced to delete those, and you’ll miss out on sharing with us.

And that’s pretty much it. If you have any questions at all,  contact me at mmeara@cfl.rr.com and I’ll help any way I can.  THANKS.

Happy New Year to Each of You!

/ Marcia Meara / 8 Comments

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This year has been a great one for me, for the most part.  (Ignoring the long recovery from my foot surgery and a few other things, of course, because who needs to dwell on that stuff?) When I think back on 2015, I’ll remember the things that made me happy, including writing and publishing two more novels and enjoying them getting good reviews. I’ve also loved meeting lots and lots of new readers, and chatting books with each of them.

One of the biggest highlights of this past year was watching this blog grow, with new members, and more participation from fellow writers, and loads of sharing all around. I’m so happy to see this becoming exactly the kind of site I envisioned, where writers can meet other writers, promote their own work, as well as that of their new friends, and learn from each other every day.

I’m very excited about what’s coming up in 2016, and hope you’ll all enjoy the new features I’m planning to implement, along with getting back to our old ones, like #ExcerptWeek and #FabulousFridayGuestBloggers. #WodinsDaySmile will continue, as well, and several new weekly goodies will be unveiled. Hope you’ll enjoy all of them. 

First up will be our first 2016 #ExcerptWeek, starting on Monday, January 4 and running through Sunday, January 10. (There will be a heads up Monday morning, with reminders of how to share your work with us.)

For now,  I wish you a very happy and safe celebration tonight, as the countdown begins, and a Happy New Year’s Day tomorrow. And of course, the best of everything in 2016!

Happy New Year!

Another Road Trip!

/ Marcia Meara / 8 Comments

Good Morning, All!

Hope you each had a wonderful day yesterday, either celebrating Thanksgiving with your friends and families, or simply celebrating a beautiful Thursday in November! There is ALWAYS something to celebrate!

Today, I’ll be running around like a crazy person, getting ready for my trip to Charleston tomorrow. My daughter & family have just bought a new home, and moved in a week ago today, and I’m planning to do my Granny thing, keeping two-year old Kaelen busy while his parents continue the huge job of  unpacking and setting up house. It’s 5+ hour drive from here, but my payoff is this:

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Definitely worth the drive, wouldn’t you say? 🙂

I’ll be back Wednesday afternoon, so play amongst yourselves until then. I will have my tablet and, of course, my iPhone, with me, and I’ll do my best to check in with you guys each night. But I can’t promise. 

And before I forget, Carmen’s #FabulousFridayGuestBlogger post will be the last for the year, unless someone contacts me, desperate to post between now and January, or unless I decided to become my OWN guest poster between now and then, ha! The posts WILL start up again in the new year, so be thinking about what YOU’D like to write about. 😀

Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you soon!