#Sharing

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnow – About #TeriPolen

/ Marcia Meara / 107 Comments

Today,  one of my favorite bloggers and writers is our special guest, and I know you’ll all make her feel at home here on The Write Stuff. (I will, too, in spite of the #1 item on her list! 😋) So please join me in saying welcome to Teri Polen! Teri, the floor is yours!

 

Ten Things You May Not Know About Me
by Teri Polen

Thanks so much for hosting me on Ten Things, Marcia! 

  1. I hate snakes (I know Marcia has a different opinion, but I still consider her a friend). I’ll take rats, mice, spiders, insects, etc. any day and have been known to usher some of them out of the house/garage. When my sister and I were children and playing with our dog, we hid from him in a tall lilac bush.  I glanced down and saw the glistening of snakeskin in the sun, shoved her to the side, and took off.  I did a similar thing to a friend when we had the crazy idea to build a tree house.  It’s every man for himself if you’re with me and a snake shows up.  I will not rescue you.
  2. My earliest memory is being in a walker as a baby and getting stuck underneath a television. It was the kind with long legs (from the 60s), and I somehow managed to wedge myself underneath it and couldn’t move my head.  My parents confirmed the story, but swore I was too young to remember that experience until I described it in detail.  To this day I’m claustrophobic. 
  3. I’ve bungee jumped (it was awesome), ziplined (my activity choice for Mother’s Day a few years ago), and tried to scuba dive, but the aforementioned claustrophobia nixed that plan. Skydiving is on the bucket list.
  4. You don’t want to vacation with us. Hubby and I took a cruise that was extended by a few days when Hurricane Andrew hit in the early 90s.  The ship sat off the coast of Cuba to wait it out.  We’ve spent a week in Hawaii when temps never rose above 50 degrees.  Same during a SC beach vacation in the middle of June.  We had a lovely time in Napa one year and thought the curse was over – then had an emergency plane landing during our trip home when the landing gear sensor malfunctioned.  There was no guarantee it would descend.  Seeing a line of firetrucks and ambulances lined up along the runway when you land is pretty unnerving.
  5. Several years ago (when video stores were still a thing) I accurately predicted the winners in every major Oscar category and won a free year of movie rentals. Sadly, I’ve played the lottery and bet on horses and failed epically.
  6. I’ve been to more KISS concerts than I can remember and saw Gene Simmons at a record store a few hours before a concert.
  7. I played flute and piccolo for high school marching band. These days I’m not a half bad drummer at the easy/medium level on Rock Band.
  8. I was questioned by the FBI during college. Something about the boyfriend of one of my roommates, the disappearance of some guy, and an abandoned car at the Pittsburgh airport.  To this day, I still don’t know the whole story.
  9. I’m not a superstitious person. After learning black cats are the last to be adopted at shelters, I’ve always chosen them, and they’re the most loving and appreciative furry friends.  My youngest son was a planned C-section, and I was allowed to select the date.  He was born on Friday the 13th  and is quite proud of it.
  10. Friends who have known me for years are shocked when they learn I was a cheerleader and majorette in school. I’m not a perky type of person.  Snarky is a more apt description.

BLURB:

If a megalomaniac threatened your family, would you give up your freedom for them? Would you give up your soul?

Asher Solomon is faced with that choice. And makes the ultimate sacrifice.

Exactly as Director Silas Reeves expected him to.

Unable to live as the Colony’s premier assassin, Ash retreats to a corner of his mind, ceding control of his body to the alter-ego he was engineered to be—Subject A36. As he’s unleashed to battle the Insurgents, the only family he ever knew, the tide of war shifts in Silas’s favor.

Combined with his expansion into new territories, the director is poised to take over the world.

But the Insurgents don’t give up easily. Not on their cause, and not on their people. With the help of a few double agents deep in the Colony, they stand a fighting chance at ending Silas’s reign.

In order to shut down the program, they face almost insurmountable odds. And their most dangerous foe—their former champion turned killing machine, A36.

Pre-order  The Insurgent HERE

Teri Polen reads and watches horror, sci-fi, and fantasy.  The Walking Dead, Harry Potter, and anything Marvel-related are likely to cause fangirl delirium.  She lives in Bowling Green, KY with her husband, sons, and black cat.  Her first novel, Sarah, was a horror finalist in the 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.  Subject A36 was voted one of the 50 Best Indie Books of 2020 at ReadFree.ly.  Visit her online at www.teripolen.com

You can reach Teri on Social Media HERE:

Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Teri-Polen/e/B01MYOUA6V
Website:  https://teripolen.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TeriPolenAuthor/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/TPolen6
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16114393.Teri_Polen
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/tpolen6/

 

 

 

#ReblogAlert- #TwoFer #ThisWeekOnStoryEmpire & #SmorgasbordWeeklyRoundUp

/ Marcia Meara / 24 Comments

In case some of you didn’t get the memo, it’s Sunday again, and that means it’s time for me to share this week’s posts from two of my favorite blogs! Between laying new floors here at home and my Meet the Author Tea at DeBary Hall yesterday, I haven’t even had a chance to read all of these posts yet (though I’ll get to it soon), but I have no problem at all passing them along for you to check out anyway. You know as well as I do that they are always entertaining, enlightening, and informative, so please do take a look. You’ll be glad you did! 

MONDAY: John W. Howell starts the week off with what appears to be a very instructional post entitled Gestures and Dialogue–A Perfect Show Don’t Tell Team. I can’t wait to read the entire post and feel sure I’ll find it helpful! Check out John’s post HERE.

WEDNESDAY: Joan Hall’s mid-week post entitled Plan Ahead to Maximize Time is one I’m eager to read fully. This is something I’m sure all of us struggle with at least now and then, and I know I can use all the tips I can get. Check out Joan’s post HERE.

FRIDAY: Staci Troilo wraps up the week with what I know will be a terrific post, entitled Story Development and Execution Part 4: Dialogue.  Can’t wait to read it, and I’m sure you’ll want to as well. Check out Staci’s post HERE.

And once again, Sally Cronin and crew have outdone themselves with a weekly roundup that is chock full of great things. Animal videos, music, cooking, reviews, new releases, you name it. It’ll be there!

Check out Sally’s Smorgasbord Magazine Weekly RoundUp HERE

And there you have it!
Happy Reading Everyone!

#ReblogAlert – #TwoFer #ThisWeekOnStoryEmpire & #SmorgasbordWeeklyRoundUp

/ Marcia Meara / 22 Comments

Happy  Sun’s Day, Folks! It’s time for a look at what’s been going on over at Story Empire (in addition to their fabulous posts for International Awesomeness Day) and over at Sally Cronin’s fabulous Smorgasbord blog. Read on, and you’ll see what I mean.

MONDAY:  John W. Howell gets the week off to a super start with a post entitled What I Enjoy About Editing. He makes some great points, and be sure to read the comments, too, for even more perspectives on editing. Check out John’s post HERE.

WEDNESDAY: D. Wallace Peach brings us a mid-week post entitled Crafting Rich Characters (Part 3) and it’s another excellent addition to this series on character development. Check out Diana’s post HERE.

FRIDAY: And Jan Sikes wraps up the week with another wonderful post in her series on marketing entitled MKTG #12 – LinkedIn.  This series has been a great way to learn more about the best places for each of us to focus our marketing. Check out Jan’s post HERE.

You’ll definitely want to be sure you haven’t missed a single one of the informative and entertaining posts this week over on Sally’s Smorgasbord blog.  Always GREAT stuff going on over there, so head on over and take a look.

Check out Sally’s Smorgasbord Magazine Weekly RoundUp HERE

And there you have it for this week, Folks !
Happy Reading!

#ReblogAlert – #TwoFer #ThisWeekOnStoryEmpire & #SmorgasbordWeeklyRoundUp

/ Marcia Meara / 32 Comments

 

It’s Sun’sDay again, everybody, and you know what that means? I get another chance to share some of my favorite posts from several of my favorite folks! If you’ve missed any of these during the week, here’s your second chance to take a look! Lots of good stuff here, so enjoy!

MONDAY: Staci Troilo starts the week off an a great note with her post entitled Story Development and Execution Part 3: Character. This was an extremely helpful post for me, as it brought back some things I’d forgotten, and introduced some things I’d never learned. I highly recommend checking it out HERE.

WEDNESDAY: Gwen Plano’s mid-week post entitled Writers and Health is another one you don’t want to miss. We writers tend to forget to take care of ourselves, and it has never been more important than it is in today’s world. Check out Gwen’s post HERE

FRIDAY: Beem Weeks wraps up this week with a very important reminder entitled Unplugging From Technology–If Only for a Day. If you haven’t read this, you really should stop by. It’s something so important, yet so easy to forget. Check out Beem’s post HERE

As always, Sally’s blog was full to overflowing with wonderfully interesting, entertaining, and amusing posts and videos this week.  😊 You should double check to be sure you haven’t missed anything . Good Stuff!!! 

Check Sally’s Smorgasbord Blog Magazine RoundUp Post HERE

And there you have it for this week, Folks !
Happy Reading!

#Sharing – Judith Barrow Reviews #MeansToDeceive by #AlexCraigie

/ Marcia Meara / 10 Comments

Judith Barrow has just posted an absolutely wonderful review of Alex Craigie’s latest release, Means to Deceive. I hope you’ll stop by and check it out. If you’re in the mood for something riveting and sure to make you shiver a wee bit, I suspect this is it.  It’s next up on my Kindle, and I’m dying to find a few minutes to settle down with it, myself. 

But don’t take my word for it.
Head on over and see what Judith has to say HERE.

You’ll be glad you did!

 

#News – #Sharing – #FunInterview with Marie Sinadjan

/ Marcia Meara / 32 Comments

My week has gone so completely crazy, I forgot to pass this along to you guys. Marie Sinadjan invited me to do a really fun interview on her blog, and it went live a couple of days ago, with me in a complete fog. I’m hoping if a few of you stop by to take a look, Marie will forgive me for not announcing this sooner, so … if you have a moment, please visit her blog and see what brilliant insights I shared. (It’s possible that “brilliant” is an exaggeration, but I’d love to have some of you check out the interview, anyway. Crossing fingers, here.)

 To judge for yourself, click HERE and thanks so much!!

#ReblogAlert – #TwoFer #ThisWeekOnStoryEmpire & #SmorgasbordWeeklyRoundUp

/ Marcia Meara / 19 Comments

Today is Sun’s Day, and another chance to share some wonderful posts from this past week from two of my favorite blogs. If you missed any of these, now’s your second chance at them.  Enjoy!

MONDAY: D. L. Finn starts the week off with a very  helpful post entitled Writing Book Blurbs, something most of us do not look forward to. Check out her tips on what to do, and what to avoid HERE.

WEDNESDAY:  Mae Clair’s mid-week post entitled Writing Inquiry Letters is one you won’t want to miss if you’re considering giving trad publishing a try. I would have NO idea where to start, and I suspect I’m not alone in that, but Mae’s post will put you on the path to doing so in a way that won’t scare potential agents off. Check it out HERE.

FRIDAY:  To wrap up the week Joan Hall shares some great reminders (and some things you may never even have thought of) in her post entitled Blogging Etiquette. I really love this post, as it is so important if you want to be part of the blogging community. (And she also reminded me of something I do quite unintentionally that I need to watch out for.) You can check out Joan’s post HERE.

PLEASE NOTE: I had some kind of brain malfunction earlier and credited Harmony Kent with this lovely post from Joan Hall. Blame it on creeping senility, long-COVID, or general stupidity, but I swear to you, I read the post and knew it was Joan’s, and I apologize to both of these lovely ladies for such a dumb mistake!!  *goes off hanging head in shame*

Once again, Sally’s fabulous blog has presented us with posts on all kinds of subjects, some wonderful videos, and plenty of great stuff supporting her fellow writers and bloggers. In case you didn’t know this, Sally ROCKS! 😊

Check Sally’s Smorgasbord Blog Magazine RoundUp Post HERE

And there you have it for this week, Folks !
Happy Reading!

#ReblogAlert – #Twofer – #ThisWeekOnStoryEmpire and #SmorgasbordWeeklyRoundUp

/ Marcia Meara / 36 Comments

Another week, another chance to share two of my favorite blogs! Both #StoryEmpire and Sally Cronin’s Smorgasbord Blog Magazine had super posts this week. Just take a look and see what I mean!

MONDAY: Jan Sikes gets the week off to a great start with a post entitled MKTG #11 – Amazon A+ Content. This is something I’ve been looking at doing, so I was very happy to learn more about it. Check out Jan’s post HERE.

WEDNESDAY: Craig Boyack gives us a thought-provoking mid-week post entitled Lather, Rinse, Repeat. This one really got me thinking, and you can check it out HERE.

FRIDAY: And Harmony Kent wraps up the week with a great post entitled How to Write POV Part 10, Choosing Tense and POV. This one is very helpful for those of us who want to be sure we understand the correct way to use both of these. Check it out HERE.

As always, Sally’s Smorgasbord Weekly Round Up post is jam-packed with everything under the sun. Be it recipes, music, health, funny videos, or author promos, it’s there waiting for your entertainment and education. Don’t miss out!

Check Sally’s Smorgasbord Blog Magazine RoundUp Post HERE

And there you have it for this week, Folks !
Happy Reading!

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnow about D. Wallace Peach

/ Marcia Meara / 361 Comments

 

It’s time for another Ten Things post, folks, and today, I’m very happy to have D. Wallace Peach with us. Diana is one of my favorite fantasy writers, and a friend & supporter of authors everywhere, and just wait until you check out this list! 

Ten Things You May Not Know About Me
by D. Wallace Peach

  1. When I was a kid, my parents used to drop my younger brothers and me off in the Vermont woods with a topographical trail map. They’d pick us up four days later, twenty miles away. One time, raccoons got into our food, and all we had to eat for a day was one jar of jelly. We had no idea that this was, um, …unusual.
  2. I grew up with lots of animals, and I didn’t live on a farm. We had an average house in a normal neighborhood. At one time, we owned 8 dogs, 9 cats, 3 geese, 60 chickens, a parakeet, rabbit, 2 gerbils, and a slew of mice.
  3. When I was a teen, I watched the movie “Jaws” and was so freaked-out that I didn’t enter the ocean for 15 years. Woods and mountains, yes. Ocean, no way! Eventually, I decided to face my fears and become a scuba diver. I did two dives with sharks, getting close enough to touch them. Later, I became a master diver, deep diver, and rescue diver. I still love the sea and feel completely comfortable with its creatures.
  4. I was a theater major in college. When I graduated, I began auditioning for the stage. At age 23, I decided to marry and have a family, and I gave up my budding theater career.
  5. I was pregnant with my daughter for 10 months. Those were the days before doctors set limits on how long they’d let a pregnancy go. Finally, enough was enough, and they induced labor. She was completely over-cooked, and her dried-out skin peeled for a month!
  6. All through high school, I worked weekends at a diner, cooking breakfast. Then I’d go rock-climbing in the afternoons. The tallest cliff I scaled (twice) was High Exposure, 250 feet (76m) in the Shawangunk Mountains in New York.
  7. I completed high school in 3 years and college in 3 years.
  8. When I was in college in northern Vermont, I decided to snowshoe up to a cabin in the mountains. During a snowstorm. Alone. The snow was so deep that I lost the trail, and when it started getting dark, I considered making camp beneath a rock overhang. Fortunately, sanity kicked in with the cold, and I started down. I didn’t have a flashlight and hiked out by following my tracks with a candle cupped in my hands.
  9. A few of my books take place on tall ships. In order to make up for my lack of experience and bring some reality to the story, I booked a trip on a tall ship. I learned how to shoot a canon, and while the other passengers drank gallons of rum, I was a pure nerd, trailing after the crewmen with my notebook and asking endless questions.
  10. I’m not afraid of failure. I tend to jump into things without sufficient (or any) planning. For this reason, I do just about everything wrong the first time. But I learn a lot this way and usually am more successful the second (or third) time around. That failed snow-shoeing trip up the mountain? I made it to the cabin the next day.

Photo of another climber on “High Exposure.” See #6 Above)

Author D. Wallace Peach

A long-time reader, best-selling author D. Wallace Peach started writing later in life after the kids were grown and a move left her with hours to fill. Years of working in business surrendered to a full-time indulgence in the imaginative world of books, and when she started writing, she was instantly hooked.

In addition to fantasy books, Peach’s publishing career includes participation in various anthologies featuring short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. She’s an avid supporter of the arts in her local community, organizing and publishing annual anthologies of Oregon prose, poetry, and photography.

Peach lives in a log cabin amongst the tall evergreens and emerald moss of Oregon’s rainforest with her husband, two owls, a horde of bats, and the occasional family of coyotes.

BOOKS BY D. WALLACE PEACH

D. Wallace Peach’s Amazon Author Page 

Reach Diana on Social Media Here:
Website/Blog
Website/Books
Twitter

#ReblogAlert – #Twofer – #ThisWeekOnStoryEmpire and #SmorgasbordWeeklyRoundUp

/ Marcia Meara / 25 Comments

And here it is Sunday once again. Odd how that seems to happen every week about this time, isn’t it? Oh, well … odd or not, it’s time for taking a look at what’s been going on at #StoryEmpire and on Sally Cronin’s #Smorgasbord blog. As usual, it’s great stuff! See for yourselves!

MONDAY: Beem Weeks gets things rolling with his very helpful post entitled Show Don’t Tell. He’s got some great tips and reminders for you, so be sure to check it out HERE.

WEDNESDAY: Mae Clair’s mid-week post is entitled Ebooks and Libraries #Libby #KindleReading, and shares information on what sounds to me like a wonderful app everyone should consider downloading. Check out Mae’s post HERE.

FRIDAY: D. Wallace Peach wraps up the week with Part 2 of her wonderful series on Crafting Rich Characters.  She focuses on three different aspects that need to be considered and how to mix them up so the folks who people your books are realistic and believable. Check it out HERE.

As always, Sally’s Smorgasbord Weekly RoundUp post is filled to the brim with great stuff. Cooking, music, books, videos, you name it! Head on over to be sure you haven’t missed anything this week.

You can check out the Smorgasbord Weekly RoundUp Post HERE

And there you have it for this week!
Happy Reading!