NEED A GREAT COVER ARTIST?

NEED A GREAT COVER ARTIST?
NEED A GREAT COVER ARTIST?
Showing posts with label Seminar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seminar. Show all posts

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Feeling Dizzy

Does writing an action scene make anyone else out there dizzy? Right now the room is spinning from a car chase scene I’ve been working on since Friday. Can’t tell you how many You Tube scenes I’ve watched. Nor can I tell you how many maps I’ve scribbled trying to relate the positions of each car and semi. OMG. Woozy and nauseous. Really. I think I’m going to be sick. Whoa!

I’ll share a little bit of what I mean.

The semi behind slowed more and flashed his headlights three times. I slowed down, too, watching the length of B.J.’s semi pass me. I hoped Cynthia to be close by. She was. In the right lane.

A horn blowing “Whistle Dixie” came from out of nowhere between us. The creep and three stooges. Crap.

From the passenger side mirror reflection, Max drove. Fantabulous.

Cynthia revved the bug’s engine getting my attention, and sped ahead. The idiot pulled along side me in the middle one. I slapped my foot on the gas pedal. The back tires peeled across the pavement leaving black smoke behind.

Some how I maneuvered the car behind Cynthia’s. The creeps raced behind playing that stupid redneck horn. Oh. My. God. Really?

A horn sounded from the blue semi. It caught up driving along side the monster truck flashing its headlights again. I didn’t know what the que meant but I did see a sign warning me that an exit existed one mile ahead.

The length of the semi passed me and pulled in front of me. Okay. Now what? This made my brains itch, and I had to go pee. A possible poo, too.

“Pull into the left lane,” Gram said. “Then brake hard.” Gram braced herself for any impact. Didn’t know it might affect her spirit if I smashed up Max’s beloved car.

I did. The car spun around two times and stopped, I felt like my mom. Mom drives like this. Can’t count how many times I peed myself in her car growing up.

I looked over my shoulder. A good thing no cars were coming from behind. Well, not for miles. If mom could see me now, she’d be proud but maybe not.

I looked back ahead. The monster truck still kept pace at the end of the blue semi. One of the skanks waved their arms from the passenger side flipping me the bird. What an intelligent thing to do. Before I knew it, they did a hard brake but didn’t spin. Instead, they backed up in high speed.

“Hit the gas, child!” Gram yelled. “Move it all the way over into the right lane. That exit will be here before you know it.”

I did, barley making it to the right lane. The monster truck’s back end got about a foot from the Impala’s bumper. It looked like it could back over top of me.

“Oh. My. God.” I said. “That was close.”

“Well, it’s not over yet.”

Cynthia made it to the exit ramp. A cloud of smoke puffed out of her exhaust pipe.

Let me know if it makes sense. Did I keep it simple?

I think I need to go lay down now.

Happy blogging, reading, and writing!!!

Shelly

Sunday, January 16, 2011

E-Publishing Workshop

Yesterday, I attended a workshop on e-publishing, presented by Jim Swain.

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He recently e-published four of his books.

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The seminar left me filled with excitement. I could hardly wait to go home and tell my hubby all about it. It’s one of those prove-you-wrong-moments. Yup. My hubby wants to sleep with a famous author, preferably me. Men are depraved souls.

Over a dinner at Chili’s he actually paid attention when I told him that many NYC best selling authors, not just Jim Swain, have left the old world of publishing for many reasons. But I made sure I highlighted the areas where I knew his pockets would listen. Thank God for the experts. Needed this seminar to prove my point. It worked.

Mr. Swain explained that publishers are now paying three to five thousand dollars in advances. Not to mention, after the book is published and put up for sale, you the author will be making only fifteen percent off royalties. That sucks.

With digital publishing, you get to keep your rights as long as you don’t sign a contract with a publisher. Amazon and Barnes –n-Nobles pay sixty-five to seventy-five percent. What a deal!

There’s more to this seminar but I won’t divulge the rest, the ins and outs, and the how to’s of e-publishing. What you’ll learn is invaluable and worth the small cost. It’s the best money I’ve spent all year. So, get yourselves to this seminar. It’ll save you from a lot of headaches and scams. Yup. Scams. He covers those, too.

Jim Swain will be giving seminars at the following:

West Broward Regional Library, in Broward County, Saturday, January 29th, from 1:00 –4:00. To make reservations, call Tara Zimmerman @ 954-357-7386. The cost: $125.00 per person.

Murder on the Beach, in Delray, Florida, Saturday, February 19th, from 1:00 – 4:00. To make reservations call the store @ 561-279-7790. The cost: $125.00 per person.

Before I finish, I wanted to make note of two writers’ blog sites I follow, Norma Bishir and William Kendall. These two know what they’re doing when it comes to marketing their novels. My favorite pages are their character blogs. Great idea!

You can follow Norma @ http://characterblog-theunicornsdaughter2011.blogspot.com/2011/01/character-blog-…

And you can follow William @ http://www.williamkendallbooks.blogspot.com

These two are my heroes on how to market yourself.

That’s all for now folks.

Happy blogging, reading, and writing!!!

Shelly