Tween the Weekends Presents

I love talking about TWEENs and MIDDLE GRADE FICTION, and I am honored to be able to share my books as well as a great author by the name of C.Lee.

Presented by EMBLAZONS find more great MIDDLE GRADE books here

MY BOOKS are EXPLORER X series which are a scifi adventure most TWEENS won't forget.

Blurb:
For most kids, a trip to space camp is the trip of a lifetime for Aadi it was life altering. After receiving a camp immunization needed for travel to Mars, Aadi finds that the immunization is the catalyst of an insidious experiment. He realizes what is happening too late for a change of fate. The full experiment is set in motion when he and his co-pilot, Eirena, crash in a distant galaxy called Shrenas, where they change and realize the full extent of their power. This turn of events forces him to grow up quickly, accept his change, and to decide to save a world, or to do what he was trained to do dominate it. His power is coveted by the warring leaders of Shrenas, and he is forced to choose sides a decision that may prove just how much humanity he has left.

Amazon:

B&N

 

Blurb:
Barely escaping their captors, Aadi and Eirena are determined to save their dying friend. After their final confrontation with the species that tortured them, they've changed-unfortunately, not for the better. The changes caused by a terrible experiment force Aadi to accept the possibility that he may never be fit to go home, and that holding onto his sanity, or leading his friends to safety will end in failure and may rip his friendship with Eirena apart, forever. Time is slipping away and the possibility of losing his friend is not an option, but the foe that awaits them may be worse than the one they left.

Amazon
B&N



Here's the book trailer:





NOW FOR another adventure!

Get your running shoes ready! Crocodile hunter's got nothing on C. Lee's new Middle Grade adventure Alligators Overhead!

Blurb:
Alligators, witches and a spooky mansion aren't your average neighbors unless you live at the edge of the Ornofree swamp in the backwater town of Hadleyville. The town’s bad boy, Pete Riley, may only be twelve, but he’s up to his eyeballs in big trouble, and this time he isn’t the cause. This time the trouble arrives when a legendary hundred-year-old mansion, materializes next door and the Ornofree alligators declare war to save their swamp from bulldozers. Things only get worse when Pete’s guardian aunt and several of her close friends vanish while trying to restore order using outdated witchcraft. Now Pete must find his aunt and stop the war. He might stand a chance if his one friend, Weasel, sticks with him, but even then, they may not have what it takes.

Follow C.Lee and tell her that LM (who's afraid of Alligator's) sent you~

AMAZON KINDLE http://tinyurl.com/7hv8j5a
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE http://tinyurl.com/7fcvk48
B & N http://tinyurl.com/8ywogjt
WEBSITE http://cleemckenziebooks.com
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/cleemckenziebooks
TWITTER @cleemckenzie

Middle School Reading Blast

Attention teachers and librarians! The Emblazoner's New Catalog - filled with great middle grade and tween titles your students and patrons will love - is coming soon! To celebrate, we're holding a giveaway of stuff you can use: gift cards to add books to your collection and swag to hand out to your students and patrons. Grand Prizes (2): $15 Amazon Gift cards (to add a book to your library) + SWAG Bags Less Grand But Still Auspicious Prizes (8): SWAG Bags (bookmarks, collector's cards, etc. to give away to your students/patrons) Note: Signing up for the catalog is required for entry. Winners must reside in the United States or Canada. You must be a teacher or librarian to win. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Benefits of Author Collaborations

Collaboration rocks! Is challenging! Is like dating! Is....

There are different ways that writers can collaborate to build their audience. I've tried a few have you?

CO-WRITING:

My first installment of Purgatory Reign was a loose collaboration of sorts with my husband. I'd found a short story he wrote about 20 years ago and wanted to write a book about the ancestors of the characters in his original story.

He gave the okay and I mapped out the outline for him to review. Although we are married, he and I had very different opinions about the core of the book. But we worked through them to come up with one of my favorite creations, Purgatory Reign.

CO-MARKETING:

This is an area that has been some of the best and trying experiences of my publishing career. I've co-marketed with individual authors at book signings, online events, advertisements and more.

One of my favorite marketing based collarobations has been with the Indelibles. I've learned so much from the ladies there and benefited greatly.

Also, doing Samplers with other authors has been a great hit.

A list of ways to co-market:
- Genre Samplers and Anthologies
- Form a group that promotes each others stuff and have a shared 'Street Team'
- Share Book Signing Events and Setups
- Share advertising endeavors as a group

PROMOTING EACH OTHER

There are ways to promote other books and authors that do the same for you. Like placing a link to their book in yours, even some of their first pages. Also, recommending them for an event or to a reader.

HAVE YOU DONE IT? COLLABORATE? HOW?

Broken anthology, Wagonbridge Press’s upcoming ghost story anthology

Please welcome, Author, Jordan Mierek's story 'Danse Macabre' is featured in

Broken anthology, Wagonbridge Press’s upcoming ghost story anthology

 

 

A story can’t evolve into entertainment without an idea, that spark of imagination that lights up your mind, that gives you the ah-ha moment. Then, away you go, with pen to paper. I’m often asked, “How did you come up with an idea for that story?”

13 Haunting Tales, a ghost story anthology edited by Terri Karsten, will be coming out in October from Wagonbridge Publishing. Three of my short stories will be included –time to insert a huge happy face and a sexy happy dance. So, where did the inspirations for the stories come from?

YANKEE INN, the tale of a restaurant staffed by ghosts, derived from a restaurant down the street from my boyfriend’s old home. It is supposedly haunted. I’ve eaten there once, and while I loved the old-fashioned décor, I didn’t see any ghosts.

CANDLESTICK GUILT, the tale of a haunted new home, came about while watching ghost shows on television. So many people move into a house only to discover mysterious happenings and an eerie past. So far, our new homes have been okay…we think. Hopefully you’ll find the ending of this story to be a happy one.

AMITY, in which a girl must help solve a mystery for a ghost in a graveyard, was the first one I wrote. I live near a graveyard, and one day while I was looking down at a grave from the late 1700s, I wondered what it would be like to have the woman appear beside me. I could ask her what her life had been like. I could learn what fate had befallen her, and I hoped it had been wonderful. Then, I wondered what it would be like to have her ask me to do her a favor…

If you’re interested in seeing more of my work, you can check out my stories on WattPad. I don’t wish you nightmares, but I do hope the short stories give you a delicious chill.

 

Blog/website

http://kissedbyliterature.blogspot.com/

Twitter

http://twitter.com/#!/JayliaDarkness

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/#!/JordanSerenity

Introduce yourself!

My short stories and poetry are published in Dark and Dreary Magazine, Storyhouse, the Magical Library, RiverSedge, and AboutTeens. My work has won awards in The XPress and Utica Writers Club. I am the vice president of the Utica Writers Club and have my Bachelor’s degree in elementary education.

Book To Movie Disaster Or For New Audience

Oh, C'mon you know you hate them...want to love them, but can't get enough of them.

BOOK cut into 120 pages or less for a MOVIE

Yep, you heard it here. Take your favorite all time 300+ page book, and imagine having to cut it down to 120 pages or less of mostely dialogue.

Well I had to do it for two of my books and I wanted to cry. (No, I didn't get a movie deal - 'I wish' but my publishing guru co-owner was pitching the scripts to my books and I needed to do the script for them.)

WHAT TO KEEP, WHAT TO CHANGE, WHAT WORKS FOR A MOVIE

Everyone that reads a book has a different story going on in their head. Sure the main points and plots of the story is the same but the characters change within our minds, the scenery heck even the 'sound' of the characters.

Producers and Screen Writers have to figure out what will work for a movie (not considering making the 'readers' happy - but making the 'moviegoers happy). People that watch movies aren't always the same pool of audience that reads a book.

So, things like minute details, inner thoughts, and over expensive themes hit the floor.

WHAT IS LEFT

The core point of the story, maybe even - a different story than the readers expect. And most times - A SHORTER story.

That's why many movie reviews of book turrned movie adaptions are mixed. Those that haven't read the book, may love the movie.

YOUR THOUGHTS? WHAT ARE SOME GOOD book to movie ADAPTIONS.

New releases by Indelible Authors!

August releases by Indelible Authors!   Life, Love, & Lemons by Magan Vernon -It's SQUEE-Dorable - Ashley Poston, Author of Radio Hearts   When life hands you lemons, sometimes you have to say screw the lemons and bail. Seventeen-year-old Bentley Evans had it all. Then her Dad got laid off. Now she has to move across town to a small apartment and leave her life of luxury for public school and a job at the local burger place. Just when her world seems like it's crumbling she finds solace in the unlikely punk boy next door, Kai Stone. But as their relationship blossoms, a jealous ex-girlfriend and a secret to tell that threatens to bring disaster back into Bentley’s life. Amazon Barnes & Noble HEIST by Laura Pauling   A time travel mystery.   Sixteen-year-old Jack Brodie time travels back to the world-famous Gardner Heist. When he returns his life has changed for the worst. He keep returning to the crime to fix his mistakes until he has to make the ultimate choice: his family and his own happiness, or the girl he loves.   Amazon Barnes & Noble   A Passion of Solitude by Addison Moore Worlds collide in THE SOLITUDE OF PASSION When Lee Townsend’s past explodes back into her life, it does the only thing it can, it demands to reshape her future.  When Lee’s husband leaves the country on a community outreach, the last thing she expects is for him to never come back—for him to have tragically met his demise. Lee goes on to marry his adversary and settles into life and business with him, merging her vineyard with his and creating a worldwide conglomerate. Five years later a twist of fate brings the past back to her and forces Lee to make a decision that will change the landscape of her life forever.  Secrets emerge, forcing relationships to be examined—magnifying the surprising true underpinnings of her marriage.  Lee’s heart is unwilling to surrender her love for either Mitch or Max. She must choose to carry forward with the past or present.  Lee has a choice to make. Mitch can’t figure out how to win. Max never loses. Amazon     Fable  by Chanda Hahn Book 3 in the UnEnchanted Series. All that glitters is not gold. When something precious is stolen from sixteen-year-old Mina Grime, she will do anything in her power to get it back, even if it means traveling to the dangerous Fae plane and battling one of the strongest fairy-tale villains yet. However, nothing can prepare Mina for the dangerous obstacles she will face in the Fae world, or the choices she must make when love and life are on the line. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo Indiestructable by various authors   Need motivation and inspiration to self-publish, or sign that contract with an interested small press? Have you done all the research you can, but still feel ambivalent about the idea? Indiestructible: Inspiring Stories from the Publishing Jungle brings you the experiences of 29 indie authors—their passions, their insights, their successes—to help you make the leap into indie publishing. This is not a how-to guide. This is the best of the indie tradition of experienced authors paying forward what they’ve learned, giving you information to help you on your journey. The personal essays in this book will leave you itching to get your work into the hands of readers and experience, first-hand, all the rewards indie publishing has to offer.   Not only is this anthology packed full of interesting, unique, and genuinely helpful information, and totally worth the 99c (only 99c!!!), 100% of proceeds will be donated to BUILDON.org, a movement which breaks the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education. Amazon

My new Blog Schedule

Now with the holidays and me slipping way behind on my writing due to the twist and turns of life, I'm going to only be posting to my blog 1 time a week.

Mondays are the days.

If I have an author I'm supporting in the blog hopping or tours that will be done later in the week.

Indiestructible by Jessica Bell Fundraiser

 

PLEASE Welcome my Guest Poster, author Jessica Bell!!!

ONLY 99c TO HELP SUPPORT THE INDIE AUTHOR & AN AMAZING CHARITY!

by Jessica Bell

The day I realized I’d been obsessing over my sales figures way too much was the day I closed my eyes and tried to think about the real reason I am an indie author.

Is my primary goal to make money? No. So why do I keep obsessing over my sales stats? I realized it’s because more sales means more people reading my work. What I really really want is to be read. I want to share the one thing in this world I would cut my fingers off for. I know. If I didn’t have any fingers, I wouldn’t be able to physically write, but you know what I mean.

My passion for writing comes with a perpetual replacement button, attached to my side seam, just in case it becomes unraveled, and falls off, after a day gallivanting through the publishing jungle. It can be tough in there, but in the end, being an indie author is OH SO WORTH IT.

This made me wonder …  what’s everybody else’s story?

Then Indiestructible was born.

Need motivation and inspiration to self-publish, or sign that contract with an interested small press? Have you done all the research you can, but still feel ambivalent about the idea? Indiestructible: Inspiring Stories from the Publishing Jungle brings you the experiences of 29 indie authors—their passions, their insights, their successes—to help you make the leap into indie publishing.

 This is not a how-to guide. This is the best of the indie tradition of experienced authors paying forward what they’ve learned, giving you information to help you on your journey. The personal essays in this book will leave you itching to get your work into the hands of readers and experience, first-hand, all the rewards indie publishing has to offer.

Not only is this anthology packed full of interesting, unique, and genuinely helpful information, and totally worth the 99c (only 99c!!!), 100% of proceeds will be donated to BUILDON.org, a movement which breaks the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education.

Pretty amazing, huh?

What are you waiting for?

Buy Indiestructible—support the indie author and an amazing charity—TODAY!

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE INDIESTRUCTIBLE

eBook: $0.99 USD

 Publisher: Vine Leaves Press

 ISBN 10: 0987593102

 ISBN 13: 9780987593108

 Language: English

 

About Jessica Bell:

The Australian-native contemporary fiction author, poet, and singer/songwriter/guitarist, Jessica Bell, also makes a living as an editor and writer for global ELT publishers (English Language Teaching), such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, Macmillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.