Check out where we found our book today! its going on sale along with a lot of other fantastic books at MasterKoda Select Publishing!
Charlie and I have successfully published our book! We are indie authors still on a journey in this amazing and twisting world of publishing. Join us on our Journey!
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Flurries of Words: BARGAIN BOOK: Kai's Journey by Wendy and Charles S...
Flurries of Words: BARGAIN BOOK: Kai's Journey by Wendy and Charles S...: We are happy to announce as a BARGAIN BOOK: Kai's Journey: The New World Chronicles (The Kai and Clover Series) by Wendy and Cha...
Friday, November 15, 2013
TW Brown on zombies, Border Collies, and the Indie writing scene...: If you don't help...who will?
TW Brown on zombies, Border Collies, and the Indie writing scene...: If you don't help...who will?: Some of us may not really know much about the Philippines. But the reality is that a lot of people are in a bad way right now. Those of you...
Monday, October 14, 2013
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Living up to "The Dash"
http://www.amazon.com/
sorry, but for some reason I can't copy the picture onto here so you will have to click on the link and let it take you to the book.
Not long ago a friend of mine at work had me read her book. It was a short little book called "The Dash". Basically it was describing about the day we are born and the day we die on our tombstone, but what the most important part is the dash in between signifying our life. The life that we choose as to how it goes. Do we play it safe and work our whole lives just trying to keep up with the Jones'? Do we follow our dreams? Do we help others along the way? Did we bring joy into other people's lives. Its a very good book and I highly recommend reading it. But if you are a dreamer like me it can tend to push you towards doing your dream and forgetting about going to a job that pays the bills and helps keep food on the table.
You see, I'm a dreamer. I love thinking of stories, dreaming of the day when I can do this or that. Yes I play the lottery in hopes that someday. I will probably do so until they put the date at the end of my dash.
I have also been reading a piece by a friend basically about judgement day. Its a bit of tongue in cheek but it can be a serious look too at how we live our lives. It all just really makes me realize how much I love doing the writing and the marketing and everything else. Even though at times it can start to feel like a job, then something or someone will come along and make me glad all over again to be doing what I'm doing. I will keep doing the job now though because I know I have to. Unless we get one heck of a winter that strands me at the house and makes me unable to get into work, thus cause me to lose my job. I have to keep doing what I am doing. Working on the marketing and writing when I can while going to work. Even though I am a dreamer and have had my dreams dashed a few times by meeting reality. I still keep dreaming and still keep hoping. Some day, I will get to do what I love and never have to work another day in my life!
sorry, but for some reason I can't copy the picture onto here so you will have to click on the link and let it take you to the book.
Not long ago a friend of mine at work had me read her book. It was a short little book called "The Dash". Basically it was describing about the day we are born and the day we die on our tombstone, but what the most important part is the dash in between signifying our life. The life that we choose as to how it goes. Do we play it safe and work our whole lives just trying to keep up with the Jones'? Do we follow our dreams? Do we help others along the way? Did we bring joy into other people's lives. Its a very good book and I highly recommend reading it. But if you are a dreamer like me it can tend to push you towards doing your dream and forgetting about going to a job that pays the bills and helps keep food on the table.
You see, I'm a dreamer. I love thinking of stories, dreaming of the day when I can do this or that. Yes I play the lottery in hopes that someday. I will probably do so until they put the date at the end of my dash.
I have also been reading a piece by a friend basically about judgement day. Its a bit of tongue in cheek but it can be a serious look too at how we live our lives. It all just really makes me realize how much I love doing the writing and the marketing and everything else. Even though at times it can start to feel like a job, then something or someone will come along and make me glad all over again to be doing what I'm doing. I will keep doing the job now though because I know I have to. Unless we get one heck of a winter that strands me at the house and makes me unable to get into work, thus cause me to lose my job. I have to keep doing what I am doing. Working on the marketing and writing when I can while going to work. Even though I am a dreamer and have had my dreams dashed a few times by meeting reality. I still keep dreaming and still keep hoping. Some day, I will get to do what I love and never have to work another day in my life!
Out of my Head: Just a bit of fun
Out of my Head: Just a bit of fun: Happy Labor Day everyone. I decided to just have a little fun today and do another art post. I have worked a lot recently with drawing and w...
Sunday, July 28, 2013
G Mitchell Baker's Most Emberrassing moment, or is it?
What
is the most embarrassing moment of your life?
I often wonder about this … I sit here, asking the
question repeatedly and ponder the fact the experience of embarrassment is
something I really do not recall much, if any. I ask myself, ‘Is there the type
of person who does not experience embarrassment? Am I that kind of person?’
‘Embarrassment’ can be defined as ‘to cause confusion and
shame to; make uncomfortable self-conscious; disconcerted…’
Generally, I do not think I readily accept
‘embarrassment’ and have some kind of way of thinking that changes over to
direct the circumstances that renders the situation other than confused or
shameful … I try to keep things comfortable without being overly
self-conscious… I somewhat think of
‘embarrassment’ as a backward scenario, while I like to be forward looking … I
consider ‘Okay what is the better was to view this?’ I like to turn potential negatives into a
pluses by not dwelling on ‘embarrassment’ and getting after what is productive,
good about the situation…
Having said as much, I have noticed, when I approach
things this way, how many people try to embarrass others. I think it’s a control tactic for many and
when they cannot achieve as much with me, they back off, or back away …
Sometimes I think my martial arts training and certain eastern philosophy
taught within that context has something to do with my approach… There is a lot to think about, but I’m going
to leave things as they are for now.
G. Mitchell Baker enjoys living
out west, from the southwest United States to western Canada. Having practiced
law for more than twenty years, Baker enjoys researching and writing projects that
draw him into the many genres, to include contemporary fiction, science
fiction, and paranormal works of fiction. Also a writer of feature length
screenplays, G. Mitchell Baker enjoys adapting his novels to
screenplay and, adapting his screenplays to novels.
Baker has been fortunate to compete at the highest levels in sports to include baseball and karate. This spirit leads to his also striving to compete at the highest levels to entertain his readership. Moreover, it is in this spirit Baker invites you to visit and re-visit his ‘Anything But a Tired Barn', and, to become familiar with his current and ongoing projects. Please take the time to learn more about G. Mitchell Baker, his projects, and any reasonable offer for original and interesting conversation … as much will not be refused.
WEBSITE
G. MITCHELL BAKER, AUTHOR
http://gmitchellbakerauthor.com
LINKEDIN
http://ca.linkedin.com/pub/g-mitchell-baker/44/357/bb1
TWITTER
https://twitter.com/G_MitchellBaker
FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/pages/G-Mitchell-Baker-Author/244572638951700
MASTER KODA SELECT PUBLISHING
Amazon link here
"THE INVOLVEMENT OF EMERSON"
(Contemporary Fiction) (Brent House Books 2013)
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/The-Involvement-of-Emerson-ebook/dp/B00C0CQDKM/ref=pd_sim_b_5Thursday, July 18, 2013
How far we have come.
I found a very good example of how far we have come as
writers. I dug up one of Charlie's stories from the beginning of our adventure
and the difference in the writing between then and now! All I have to say is,
wow! I read through the story line and could hear Kim Mutch Emerson in my head
asking me questions such as, "who in their right mind would get out of
their car to help a werewolf?" "When did they talk about that?"
and my favorite one, "Show the action, don't tell it." Believe me, no disrespect to Kim what so ever
meant by these statements. She has helped us tremendously. I have all these
voices in my head; Kim’s voice is helping us to write better, Charlie and his
voice of telling the story. But I looked back and saw really just how far we
have come.
I encourage all who
have been at this for a while to go back to a story they started a while ago
and look at it. See how far you have come. I could say also the same about a
friend of mine’s artwork. Dan Peyton. His artwork has and is continuing to get
better each and every day. He practices it and works at it and it shows. From
his first Bark cover to his second the difference is there. The first cover is good, but the second one
is better.
I see friends who have worked very hard and are now enjoying
that reward. Melody Anne is at a writers conference in GA. And having the time
of her life! She is a writer full time now and is a wonderful writer. I love
seeing how far everyone has come and seeing how everyone has grown as writers. Seeing
our writings prompted this blog because it finally showed just how far we had
come. It’s hard to see your own progress but very easy to see other people and
how far they have come. We can often feel like we are stuck in the same spot
when actually we have been moving and growing all along.
Dan is having a book launch for his second Bark book and he
has so much help this time around. He has friends who are willing to help him
and want to see him succeed. I have seen some of the prizes he is going to be
offering for it and man are they awesome! I hope that everyone stops by and congratulate
him on a job well done. It would mean a lot to him.
Of all the jobs I have done, I can honestly say I love this
one the most. I love the learning, the challenges, the growth we have seen in
ourselves and others. This is the one that I stick with and keep working at in
hopes of someday doing exactly what Melody Anne and Martin Crosbie and others
who have made it. That is being a full time writer and enjoying the benefits of
it! So look out world because Charlie and Wendy have set a goal and are going
after it!
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Bud Hassard
There is someone on facebook who is my inspiration to write this blog today. His name is Bud Hazzard-Hassard. I don't know much about him except from what I have read on his writings and his facebook posts. He wrote a post today that really got me to thinking. He is a minister so yes he is good at what he does. He gets you to thinking.
Bud has lived a life most of us could never dream of. He has served in the armed forces been over seas and been a leader of men. He is married and now with him being a minister he is still a leader. He tends to his flock and now his flock is growing on facebook too. Does he preach at us? no. He talks to us and connects with us. today he mentioned about feelings and how we as artists can't possibly share an emotion we haven't ourselves felt. here is his post.
Bud Hazzard-Hassard As a minister, I would ask someone who was down in the dumps to assist me in helping others. In the process of refocusing their attention to helping others they find themselves rising above their doldrums. I'm not talking about clinical depression; but rather those times when the weight of our challenges overwhelm us. I would suggest that for the day, they should leave those burdens at the cross of Christ and help me help someone else.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
New Exciting Adventure!
We now have three published works! The first in a series of books, and two short stories that were entered into a contest.
We are so thrilled with the way it has turned out! Now we just need to give it a beautiful background that Rebbekah White did on the first one and we will be off and running again! I am still doing what I can to get us out there. looking for places to be interviewed. We still do a few interviews, just not as many as we did before. I look forward to finishing the second book and seeing what the final cover looks like.
We are also currently working on a few other titles as well. My story that are basically about the kids when they were young called "Lost" and another called, "The Cimera Effect" and a new one called "Minitour". The latest one is really taking a life of its own and it is tentatively titled, "The Fallen Angel". If anyone is interested in interviews, we are more then happy to be interviewed! Stay tuned for more updates!
To date we have three stories done and are working on book two of Kai's Journey. We have finished the story line and are now editing the book! Dan Peyton has drawn up a picture of Freya the dragon and Kai for the cover. We don't have a background yet but will soon. The beta readers are busily reading the second book so we can finish the editing portion before we send it off to the publishers! Here is a picture of what Dan has done so far on Kai's Journey Two, A new Beginning.
We are also currently working on a few other titles as well. My story that are basically about the kids when they were young called "Lost" and another called, "The Cimera Effect" and a new one called "Minitour". The latest one is really taking a life of its own and it is tentatively titled, "The Fallen Angel". If anyone is interested in interviews, we are more then happy to be interviewed! Stay tuned for more updates!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Prioitizing life
Well, today I think I have been doing a lot of soul
searching and thinking. I have been pushing so hard trying to get our book out
there and noticed that my family is getting neglected. Our writing stories are
getting neglected. I just wanted too much to have Charlie's book be the success
I know it can be.
My daughter is going to see her uncle for the last time. He
is dying. And I can't be there with her. My husband on his last visit to the
Dr. for his diabetes checkup had the EKG put on him due to an "irregular
heart beat." Still don't have the results on that. My middle son is going
through a pretty rough patch right now and there is only one me. I am working
to help pay bills and keep caught up. I am trying to get caught up on things at
home that have been neglected. Hence why I take flex when offered. I'm trying
to do too much I think. It’s up to me to promote, to get reviews and blah blah
blah. I think I am going to have to take a step back and just figure out what
is important. My family is the most important to me. Bar none.
I found out this weekend that a friend on Facebook is
possibly going to be homeless in a couple of months. Another young lady said
pretty much the same. I want to help them but don't have the means or the
knowledge of how to do that. It’s frustrating to feel so helpless. So many people
with the same dreams of becoming "writers" and what ever that entails
to each person. Many will think we are chasing a pipe dream by trying to become
authors. We are frittering our lives away. The thought has crossed my mind.
I just want to help but there is only so much time in the
day and only one me. I'm supposed to sit back and enjoy the fact that the book
is finally "out there" again. I also get told not to sit back on our
laurels thinking that things will take care of themselves. That readers will
magically find our books.
I think I will just have to pull back, regroup, and figure
out what is important and what isn't. Trim back what I am wasting time on and
just do what we need to do. I think we just need to focus on the books we are
writing and editing and let the promoting thing handle itself. Put effort where
it will be most productive. I just don't have the time to schmooze online any
more. I don't have the time to socialize and help everyone else sell their
books. I will still promote where I can, but just not in the large quantities I
have before. Am I dumping Facebook? No, not completely, just having to pull
back and regroup. Family comes first, So if you don't see me on as much or hear
from me or see me much anymore that will be why. Not giving up, just prioritizing.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Our Interview with Lynne Cantwell!
1.
What was the driving force that started you on the journey
to write this book?
For Annealed, the driving force was finishing the
series! I wanted very much to do a credible
job in bringing Naomi’s story to a close.
That included being extra careful with the Big Mediation. I realized sometime during the drafting of
the third book, Tapped, that I was actually going to have to write the
mediation scene. The thought of actually having to craft a discussion between
Jehovah and White Buffalo Calf Pipe Woman was more than a little intimidating.
2.
Are you organized or do you write as you go?
A little of both. For
this series, I’ve been writing a rough outline for each book, mainly so that I
can keep everything within the series arc.
But the characters sometimes go off on their own tangents, as characters
are wont to do, and if it fits my overall plan, I leave it in.
3.
How much time and research was spent in the writing of this
book?
Probably four months, from starting the research until
making the final edits and publishing it.
But because it’s the final book of five, I relied a fair amount on
research that I’d already done for the earlier books.
4.
Who is your favorite author and how did they inspire you to
write?
My favorite author is Stephen R. Donaldson, who wrote The
Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever.
I was writing long before I ever read any of his books. But what I took away from his work was a
sense that fantasy can be very much an adult genre, with a deep psychological
basis. I do try to incorporate that kind
of thing into my own work, although I still strive to be entertaining -- it’s
not all deep Freudian or Jungian stuff.
5.
It’s easy to see that you have a passion for writing but is
there any part of it you don’t like?
In terms of writing/editing/publishing, no. I mean, I complain a lot when it comes to
wrestling with the various Meatgrinders, but I can’t think of any part of the
process that I dread. The only part I
don’t really like -- or at least, I’m not sure I’m all that good at it -- is
marketing my work.
6.
Do you make time to read and if you do what are you reading
right now?
Yes! I’m always reading something, and over the past year or
so, I’ve been reading a lot of work by my fellow indie authors. Right now, I’m reading the first “Allie’s
War” book by J.C. Andrijeski.
7.
How did you come up with the idea to write this book? Is there personal life experience in the
writing?
Not directly. I’ve
been sort of studying my “heritage” mythologies, if you will, over the past few
years, and all of my novels so far have had some connection to a myth or legend
in one of my own hearth cultures. But
none of the characters or events in the Pipe Woman Chronicles is based on
something that actually happened to me.
8.
Many books are going the indie publishing route; Do you see
the publishing industry headed this way? Or do you think the tried and true
will win out?
Publishing is certainly undergoing a profound change right
now, as a result of the indie revolution.
What fascinates me is how the big publishers can’t seem to grok what’s
going on. They appear to believe that
vanity publishing and the indie revolution are the same thing -- and they’re
not. Author Solutions and the other
vanity publishers have as much to do with indie publishing as does a guy
pushing a pyramid scheme with his mark: both the grifter and the vanity
publisher might fool you and take your money -- once.
9.
Do you have any online sites where others can read more of
your writings?
Absolutely. I blog
every Sunday at hearth-myth.blogspot.com.
I also write a weekly post for Indies Unlimited, and a monthly post for
The Indie Exchange.
10.
Do you have any more stories in the works? What kinds of
stories do you plan to write next?
I’m still working this out, but I have a feeling that it
will be another fantasy series, and it will probably be set a few years after
the end of the Pipe Woman Chronicles.
11.
Who would be your first choice to play narrator of your book
if it were ever to become a documentary?
My first choice would be Linda Ellerbee, just because I
think she’s awesome. But if she’s not
available, I’d be happy to do it myself.
12.
If you could meet anyone from any time, who would it be and
what would be your first question?
These kinds of questions always stump me. I’m not really the sort of person who looks
backward in history, other than to draw lessons from it. I think it would be more fun to meet, say,
Naomi, and ask her what she thought of the way I told her story. (With any luck, she wouldn’t whack me over
the head with a two-by-four....)
Pipe Woman Chronicles – series synopsis
Pipe Woman Chronicles – series synopsis
The winter solstice 2012 won't be the end of the world. It
will be the beginning of the end....
Naomi has a pretty sweet life. Respected as a skilled mediator, she has an almost uncanny knack for getting people on both sides of a dispute to agree. And her handsome boyfriend Brock has just proposed to her. But a white buffalo calf is bowing to her in her dreams. And who is the Native American man who has been following her around?
Naomi doesn’t know it, but things are about to change.
Naomi has a pretty sweet life. Respected as a skilled mediator, she has an almost uncanny knack for getting people on both sides of a dispute to agree. And her handsome boyfriend Brock has just proposed to her. But a white buffalo calf is bowing to her in her dreams. And who is the Native American man who has been following her around?
Naomi doesn’t know it, but things are about to change.
Naomi’s
having a bad week. She’s already overwhelmed by setting up her solo mediation
practice and second-guessing her relationship with Joseph. An old acquaintance
seems to be setting up shop down the road from their friend Charlie’s ranch.
And Charlie has a new pal: a filmmaker who might be the Investigator – except
that he doesn’t exactly believe in teamwork.
Then a jaguar attacks her in downtown Denver
Then a jaguar attacks her in downtown Denver
Ah, winter in South Dakota…
Naomi’s caught some kind of bug, and she hasn’t seen Joseph in weeks. But she lets Shannon drag her on vacation: a road trip to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to find Naomi’s father. There, they find more than they bargained for: a dream wolf, a mysterious walled compound that might or might not belong to Loki, and a lot of snow.
Shannon certainly knows how to show a friend a good time.
Naomi’s caught some kind of bug, and she hasn’t seen Joseph in weeks. But she lets Shannon drag her on vacation: a road trip to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation to find Naomi’s father. There, they find more than they bargained for: a dream wolf, a mysterious walled compound that might or might not belong to Loki, and a lot of snow.
Shannon certainly knows how to show a friend a good time.
Denial is not just a river in Egypt…
Naomi Witherspoon, back home in Denver after her “vacation” in South Dakota, has amassed a catalog of things she doesn’t want to think about. Her due date is just around the corner, but she has yet to buy a single diaper – let alone look for a bigger place for her, her boyfriend Joseph, and the baby. Speaking of housing problems, Joseph’s grandfather is in failing health and needs to move out of his wickiup, but the old man won’t budge. Naomi and Joseph may have found a replacement for their woo-woo teammate/nemesis Jack in TV reporter Antonia Greco – but Antonia comes with her own set of problems, not least of which is that she’s dating Naomi’s ex-fiance, Brock. Meanwhile, Jack has escaped from the Mexican drug lord who owns him, and the thugs sent to find him aren’t above roughing people up.
Best of all, Naomi hasn’t shared any of this with her mother, who wants to sell her house in Indiana and move to Colorado.
Naomi Witherspoon, back home in Denver after her “vacation” in South Dakota, has amassed a catalog of things she doesn’t want to think about. Her due date is just around the corner, but she has yet to buy a single diaper – let alone look for a bigger place for her, her boyfriend Joseph, and the baby. Speaking of housing problems, Joseph’s grandfather is in failing health and needs to move out of his wickiup, but the old man won’t budge. Naomi and Joseph may have found a replacement for their woo-woo teammate/nemesis Jack in TV reporter Antonia Greco – but Antonia comes with her own set of problems, not least of which is that she’s dating Naomi’s ex-fiance, Brock. Meanwhile, Jack has escaped from the Mexican drug lord who owns him, and the thugs sent to find him aren’t above roughing people up.
Best of all, Naomi hasn’t shared any of this with her mother, who wants to sell her house in Indiana and move to Colorado.
It’s
zero hour…
Naomi has just two weeks to find a new home for Joseph's grandfather. The old Ute shaman is fighting for his life against a mysterious injection of toxin he received at the hands of the Norse Trickster god Loki. If Naomi is to defeat Loki once and for all, she must learn what it is he seeks under the old man's wickiup.
She has just one week before she must mediate between the Earth's pagan gods and goddesses and the Christian God. If her efforts fail, all of humankind will suffer the consequences.
And her baby is due any day.
In this, the fifth and final book of the Pipe Woman Chronicles, Naomi is in a race against the clock to balance the demands of her body, her family, and her friends – and she must do it while the whole world is watching.
Naomi has just two weeks to find a new home for Joseph's grandfather. The old Ute shaman is fighting for his life against a mysterious injection of toxin he received at the hands of the Norse Trickster god Loki. If Naomi is to defeat Loki once and for all, she must learn what it is he seeks under the old man's wickiup.
She has just one week before she must mediate between the Earth's pagan gods and goddesses and the Christian God. If her efforts fail, all of humankind will suffer the consequences.
And her baby is due any day.
In this, the fifth and final book of the Pipe Woman Chronicles, Naomi is in a race against the clock to balance the demands of her body, her family, and her friends – and she must do it while the whole world is watching.
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