William Schlichter is an award-winning screenwriter and author specializing in science fiction and the phantasmagorical world of the undead. His popular No Room in Hell and Silver Dragon Chronicles series are fan favorites, and he enjoys spending time on the convention circuit.
His full-length feature script, Incinta, is a 2014 New Orleans Horror Film Festival finalist, a 2015 Beverly Hills Film Festival finalist, and an Official Selected finalist in the 2016 Irvine Film Festival. William also placed third in the 2013 Broadcast Education Association National Festival of Media Arts for his TV Spec Script episode of The Walking Dead.
Highlighted Book Title: Sirgrus Blackmane Demihuman Gumshoe & The Dark-Elf
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Bacardi and Coke. Neat.
Not the usual drink of choice for a mountain dwarf. Then again, Detective Sirgrus Blackmane is no ordinary dwarf-at least not since the Great War. Being a gumshoe during Prohibition might appear glamorous, with secret speakeasies, all-night cocktail parties, and scantily clad women displaying their knees, but crime and conspiracy lurk beneath the city’s shining illusion.
When the human half of the Mason and Blackmane Detective Agency is found dead at the scene of a rum-running bust, Sirgrus vows to find the killer. But this quest for justice leads him straight into a tangled web of underhanded deals with demihuman mobsters who are fighting for control of the rum supply.
And when two more corpses turn up, Sirgrus must work double-time if he wants to find the killer-and avoid turning up dead at the next crime scene.
Bio: SM Stryker is an Amazon international bestselling author who loves to delve into steamy romantic fantasies and explore deep themes through heart-wrenching tales. An introverted mortgage broker by day and a talented wordsmith by night, SM Stryker aims to thrill and inspire her readers with thought-provoking stories that touch on dark topics and leave you begging for more. She loves to craft happily-ever-afters based on real events, with characters who are strong, intense, and larger-than-life.
Born and raised in Oregon, she currently resides there with her supportive husband, her four adult daughters, and plenty of grandchildren! Although quiet by nature, SM Stryker loves to hear from her readers.
Highlighted Book Title: Whispers In The Wind: Callie and Kai’s Story (Then There Was You Book 1) Kindle Edition
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Description: An emotionally riveting, standalone, romantic suspense, of lost love and soul mates, comes from Amazon bestselling author SM Stryker.
༺❃༻Can a bleeding and broken heart love again?༺❃༻
Callie has just gotten engaged to her high school sweetheart when tragedy strikes, and she loses him in a horrific car accident. Callie is broken, hurt, and distracted for years, and she just exists, watching the days flee by, until she meets Maison. Maison sparks up her will to live once again, and she can feel the rush of life flowing back in her heart, but it seems that the cards are stacked against her, and something painful, heck even sinister, happens.
Callie finds herself alone and heartbroken once again, sitting on the cold wet ground of a parking lot, bawling her eyes out under the rolling rain. All along, someone is watching her, and this man in the shadows feels pulled to Callie for some reason. His name is Kai Sterling, and in an interesting twist of events, he eventually becomes her boss.
Will the third time be the charm?
Can Kai save Callie from her haunting past, or will it all be too much for him to bear?
Profoundly moving, steamy, deliciously suspenseful, and with a little bit of action, this story guarantees to keep you at the edge of your seat wondering, what will happen next?
Whispers In The Wind is a new adult romance novel that contains physical & sexual abuse, explicit language, and sexual scenes, and it is intended for persons 18 years of age and older.
Please check out my affiliate links in this article. Any purchase you make using my links will help support Synova Ink Publishing. With your support, I will continue producing high-quality free content for more people like you. Thank you in advance!
Bio: Ronda Del Boccio is an award-winning author, photographer, artist, and speaker. She is the Queen of BLISS. She lives in rural Missouri with her gorgeous golden retriever guide dog and cat. Her short stories, poems, and articles appear in over two dozen anthologies across five continents. She has authored and co-authored a dozen books of fiction and nonfiction.
She has also won awards for her singing, teaching, cooking, art, photography, writing, and translation of a medieval cookbook. As you can tell, her interests are diverse. Anything she wants to do or experience, she makes happen.
Although she is “legally blind,” which she says means she’s “illegally sighted,” Ronda lives a full and active life. She travels, cooks, and tries new ventures. Nothing stops her!
Ronda is the Amazon #1 bestselling author of several books, including The Story of Impact, Trust Your Heart: Building Relationships that Build Your Business, Mindset Masters: Achieve Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, The Peace Seed: Personal and Global Transformation through Storytelling, and the paranormal/urban fantasy novel They All Died Smiling, amongst others.
Get free stories and event updates from her at MagicalStoriesByRonda.wordpress.com
Highlighted Book Title: The Peace Seed: Personal and Global Transformation through Storytelling
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Description: Have you ever felt a burning desire to be a peacebringer? Yet you may wonder what one small person can do? You are not alone. Every human being with a desire to make a big difference feels that way sometimes.
Within YOU is an innate seed of greatness. Just as the mightiest tree grows from the smallest seed, big changes begin with one tiny seed – YOU!
There is more to this journey than the book. I invite you to experience the activities in the special online journal environment and on the Peace Seed website, which call you to BE peace through human connection.
In this book, the online activities YOU:
Bridge the human divide forever
Instantly connect with anyone in the world
Keep your cultural and family heritage alive
Bring peace into any situation by listening and sharing stories
Please check out my affiliate links in this article. Any purchase you make using my links will help support Synova Ink Publishing. With your support, I will continue producing high-quality free content for more people like you. Thank you in advance!
It’s #WritersWednesday at Synova Ink Publishing and Synova is interviewing the children’s book author Mr. Dee Dee. He’s the creator of the Jack the Sack children’s detective series. This week he reads book one, “The Case of the Missing Shoes.”
Jack the Sack and the Case of the Missing Shoes
This is the story of Detective Jack, who started out being a brown paper sack. One day he decided there was more to life than carrying bread, milk, and eggs. So, he flipped himself over and grew some arms and legs. He jumped off the counter and strolled over to the TV where a detective show called Klumdumbo he did see. Jack the Sack said, “Hey, that’s the life for me.” And, that is how Detective Jack the Sack came to be.
I hate it when I put my heart and soul into clients, and they don’t follow through. As a new coach, this really hurt me, and I always thought there was something wrong. Maybe something was missing in my coaching program. So I would add more information. I would add more worksheets. I would add more tips and tricks. But over time, I realized the lack was not within me or my program. The lack was in the client. Something had stifled their ambition.
I have put so much into the Author Biz 101 course that I’ve had some people tell me there’s so much information it’s almost overwhelming. I know it’s not a lack in the course itself. So what could cause this?
That’s when I realized that ambition was a tricky character. While you’re all fired up with a new project, ambition comes easily. When life hits and other things come up, ambition starts to wane. That’s when I encourage my clients to look back at their purpose. Why did they want to write a book in the first place? Who did they want to touch with their writing?
I also found in some cases that the client was subconsciously sabotaging their own efforts. If it were a lack of self-esteem or a feeling of unworthiness, they would find things to self-sabotage their efforts. Then I started encouraging my clients to change their mindsets about what they deserve. If you feel called or led to write a book, I believe there’s a reason and a purpose for it. You are good enough. You are capable. And there are so many tools available. Writing a book has never been easier than it is right now.
I hate dealing with grammar Nazis and those with a limited mindset who discourage new writers from even starting. I had a new writer who was desperate for a critique. I gave him a good critique, but he wanted someone that was a little harsher, so I sent him to a grammar Nazi. I wish I hadn’t. This grammar Nazi put down his work, but he also told the new writer not to get published because there was no money in writing anymore. Unfortunately, this new writer was so insecure that he took this advice even against my own, and I have never heard from him since. It’s a terrible shame because it has been a long time since someone could move me with words as this man did. I only hope he will get the courage to step up and share his work with the world in the near future.
Dealing with people who do not know how to make money with their writing is one of the things I despise about author coaching. Thousands of indie authors make six figures a year or more with their writing. If I had to go back to traditional publishing, I would probably refuse because I make a hundred times more money publishing independently.
They’re still money to be made publishing traditionally, but quite frankly, it’s much easier and quicker to do it on your own. Unfortunately, this grammar Nazi didn’t know how to make money with his writing, and his limited mindset caused another writer to give up. I will never again send someone looking for a critique to a grammar Nazi. When I researched this man, he’s never published anything in his lifetime to make things even worse. He knew so much about grammar but nothing about making money.
What I love about Authur coaching:
I love it when I can inspire a writer to start a new book. I love the excitement. You can feel it in the air as they begin to talk about their new book. I love helping them form the thoughts of their imaginations and helping them bring them out to the world. I love to inspire and motivate and encourage.
I love the feeling I get when I watch a new writer publish their first book. It’s like watching your child receive an award at school. I’m thrilled to be a part of their journey. I enjoy signing their certificate when they complete my course. I love packaging up my golden ink pins to give away to my authors who complete this journey. Unfortunately, I don’t get to do that very often. So many people want to quit halfway through their book and never finish. That’s the part I hate.
So what’s the point? The point is I want to encourage you to finish the projects you start. When you finish a project, there’s a feeling of joy and satisfaction that comes across in a way that you can’t explain unless you complete your task. Writing a book can be hard, but it doesn’t have to be. I’m here to help, but you still have to finish.
What would you like to accomplish in your lifetime? Have you started on the journey only to be distracted by life? I encourage you to start again. Don’t quit. Follow through. You’ll never know how it feels until you finish it.
If you would like help with your book, check out my author coaching courses. I also have some one-on-one coaching options available through Patreon.
I’m sorry I missed motivational Monday. Yesterday. I was taking my own advice and enjoying the outdoors. This is one of My peony flowers.
I was out there landscaping and working in my flowers for 9 hours yesterday.
My mother-in-law brought me my first plant when I was 25 years old and in the depths of depression. She told me something I have never forgotten.
She said, “I don’t understand it, but somehow getting your hands in the earth will heal your mind.”
I don’t know how it works either, but I know everything is energy. Somehow working with the dirt, the flowers, and the water, calms the mind and eases the spirit.
Maybe one of these days a metaphysics teacher can show us how it works, but just from experience I can tell you it helps. I know it sounds strange.
They say stop and smell the roses. Sometimes you can’t smell them because of allergy problems. I say get it out there anyways if you can. Take 15 minutes to get your hands dirty. Feel the flowers. They feel like silk. Notice the intricate details of the design.
I hope this helps some of you. I know it has helped me many times over the years. Plant something! Watch it grow and realize you had a hand and bringing new life to the world. It makes a huge difference.
Love you all. I will share more pictures of my flowers soon
8 tips to turn your ideas into a story, readers will love
So you have a brilliant idea for a book, but you don’t know what to do with it. How do you turn your ideas into a story? Will readers love it or hate it? How do you turn your idea into a book that sells like crazy? I have eight tips for you, whether your idea is fiction or nonfiction.
#1. Clarify your main idea: Vague concepts don’t translate into great stories. Ask yourself a few questions before you start writing. What do you want the readers to get out of this book? Are you teaching them something? Are you entertaining them? Is there a moral to the story? Check out this post for more information on how to clarify your vision.
#2. Focus on character development: Whether writing a fiction book or telling your life story, you must focus on character development. New fiction writers tend to make their characters perfect, and then there’s nothing to write. To build believable characters, you must show their flaws. Conflict and chaos make a good story. This concept also applies when you are writing your own life story. Maybe you want the world to think you were perfect and handled the chaos correctly. I’m sorry, but no one will read that book except your mother. Everyone goes through turmoil. Trials and tribulations develop our character as human beings. So focus on character development whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction.
#3. Research what you don’t know: For years, there’s been a saying that says write what you know. But, if you’ve lived a very sheltered life, you will have nothing to write. I say write what you know and research what you don’t. My first traditionally published book was set in Hawaii. I still haven’t been there, but I spent two years researching everything I could find about the place. When the book came out, I had some native Hawaiians ask me how long I had lived on the islands. It was funny. I’ve never stepped foot there, but that’s the kind of research you need. You don’t have to write what you know. You just have to research it.
#4. Tie story into current events: If the moral of your story can be tied to a current event in the news, you will find the book will sell like wildfire. Major marketing gurus know that if they can link their products into local news stories, they will sell 100 times better. Maybe your story could tie into an event, a charity, or scientific research in the news. It doesn’t always have to tie into a negative event.
#5. Mind map like mad: Recently I’ve written an article about mind mapping for authors. I use mind mapping techniques to study my characters and build a well-rounded individual. (I also use mind mapping for marketing my books.) You need to know your characters well enough to pick them out of a lineup if necessary. This tip reminds me of a crazy story. My first book was set in Hawaii, and the main character was a native Hawaiian man who happened to be a bodybuilder. Years after that book was published, I walked through a theme park with my family, and I nearly flipped out. The very man I wrote and created in my head was walking towards us! I swear it flipped me out. That’s how well you want to know your characters before writing about them.
#6. Write right now! Stop procrastinating and write the book already! I had one person sign up for my author’s coaching course, and she found all of the assignments in the year-long course kept her from writing. She was surprised when I told her to stop the course and just write. You see, anything can become a distraction if you let it. This author writes profusely but never has been published. Why? After procrastinating over the homework assignments, now she can’t stop editing her work. She’s traded one distraction for another. So while she is an excellent writer, she’s never been published. While you need to research, mind map, and focus on character development. You must stop at some point and actually scribble things on paper
#7. Start with chaos: I took a marketing seminar recently, and they said we have three seconds to stop the scroll on Facebook’s news feed. Wow! How do you attract the person’s attention in 3 seconds? You might think that is just Facebook, but you have 15 seconds to hook the reader before they close the book if they were holding it in their hands and standing in the local bookstore. Start your book with conflict that will hook the reader emotionally. If you can tug at their heart enough, they will stick with you.
#8. Research the a-listers: Research the top authors in your genre and see what topics they cover. This research will give you hot topic ideas. It will also show you what people want. Most of the a-listers have bigwig marketers on their teams. They know what trends are popular and what people want to read. Instead of hiring your own marketing guru, just research the a-listers. They’ll give you a clue.
I hope these tips have helped you take your idea out of your head and put it on paper. Don’t let the idea of writing a book overwhelm you. Writing a book isn’t as hard as you think with all of our modern tools. In fact, it has never been easier to write a book and get it published. If you would like help with your book, check out my author coaching courses. I also have some one-on-one coaching options available through Patreon.
Today I will be talking to you about some of my pet peeves as an author business coach. I teach people how to build a business and market their books effectively so they can earn an income from their writing. But, everywhere I look, I see more desperate authors spamming people.
Americans are so inundated with advertising that we have become blind to them. So, where does that leave an author trying to sell a book? I’ve seen authors trying to sell books at craft festivals, street fairs, and book sales at the local library. I also see a lot of writers making these marketing mistakes. Please understand this article comes from a good heart, but you must have some class when selling online.
Below are my top pet peeves. Make sure you don’t do these things, and you will have a better experience when it comes to marketing your work online.
#1. Spam comments on posts: I have a writer we will call Bob who likes to create an entire advertisement for their book in every comment they make on Facebook. It doesn’t matter if the original post was about this writer or his book at all. Bob will still write out an entire book ad in the comments section two paragraphs long. Do not do this! It makes you look unprofessional. It will not sell books for you.
#2. Shifting Fonts & Caps: I have seen other writers type in different font sizes. It looks unprofessional, and to make it worse; they also type half of their words in all caps. After that, they add in a half dozen exclamation marks and emojis. (Yeah! That really looks professional.)
#3. Spamming live videos: I’ve seen other writers regularly watch people’s live videos and then spam the video’s comments with another book ad. Not only is this spammy, but it’s also rude. Don’t bother a person on a live video with your book ad. It breaks their focus while they’re trying to talk, and it makes you look bad. Have some class people! Come on.
#4. Book ads in groups: The next thing I see is writers creating a paragraph-long book ad for their latest release. Then they will go to 187 groups and post the same book ad in every single group. This practice will not help you in the least. In fact, it will get you blocked on Facebook. Do not do this.
So what can you do to advertise your book? It’s real simple. Hire a coach like me, or take online classes to learn about marketing. Basically, you need to do whatever it takes to build an audience of people who want to read about your work. If they are not your target audience, then forget them.
Do not spam random people with information about your book. Even if they were interested after receiving your spam posts, they will block you and lose a sale.
Message me or comment below if you would like some help marketing your book.
