A Review for "The Bridesmaids"

Interesting Review---The Bridesmaids is that kind of book that you're not sure of what you're getting when you open the pages, however from the start it grabs you with some really great dialogue and interesting characters.

You feel like you've got a great backstage seat to this wedding that is just trying to keep it together. However as each secret is revealed, the facade that these girls have set up for themselves is just ripped to shreds....and not delicately. These girls messed up lives and philosophy just makes things worse. This novel is like watching a plane crash into a train wreck. Twice.

The Bridesmaids! Coming Soon March 13, 2016--Pre-order today!

Synopsis

This is the day they've all been waiting for. Four best friends are coming together to meet in Chicago for the wedding of their good friends Tara and Brandon. However, each girl is carrying with her a secret and it'll explode in the Windy City.

Brittany, a successful Southern Belle hedge fund manager, is facing the SEC on Monday, but she feels confident that she will beat the rap and keep moving forward. Her friend Kendra is trying to come from behind her shadows and shine on her own terms. Maid of Honor Penelope is getting over the death of her husband and a sex addiction, while Phoenix is chasing a bus as well as her own demons as she heads towards the Second City. Meanwhile, the Bride Tara is just trying to keep the girls from falling apart long enough so that they can stand next to her as the Bridesmaids they'd always promise to be.

Will they be able to pull this wedding off with relative ease or will it blow up in their faces as each secret is revealed?

Writing With A Chronic Illness

Sometimes the hardest thing in the world is to think. To have a coherent thought. To be able to form a sentence regardless of the pain that you're feeling. To feel motivated to finish a paragraph. To care enough to check for grammar. To feel desperate to create by smiting that nagging, blinking cursor on the screen.

It's easier to hide under a mountain of pillows, chuck some pills, and stare in a daze. It's easier to stuck in a good novel on my Kindle while my manuscripts suffers silently. My characters are left in suspended animation waiting on resolution to a conflict. Waiting for that inciting incident that's going to take their lives from order to chaos; a simple scientific lesson on entropy.

There are many days that I've sat and watched the cursor blink away at my face....taunting me that I'm not getting anything done. Then there are days that I've looked up and twenty pages have passed...and I'm still writing.

Those days I try to take advantage of because who knows when I'll be able to write again. I try not to think about other writers out there, churning out books, blogs, and articles like nothing. I try not to think of those writers who get up at seven am in the morning and write until lunch time. Or those writers that take their show on the road and have several pages completed daily. What are they doing that I'm not? Do I make excuses for myself because of my illness or do I realize that I have more time on my hands than I've ever had before?

I guess both are true. On days that I don't feel well, then I don't push it. Besides, whatever I do write comes out like crap anyway. I try to keep a pen nearby with my trusty legal pad and jot ideas down. Sometimes I like to "free write". That's when I just type whatever comes to my head. On days that I do feel okay, I try to write something...anything. This is why an outline is the best way to go when writing a book. I've been stuck on my current book so long I don't know what to do anymore. I get as lost as a toddler in a mall. Stuck and not loving it.

So excuses don't help anyone. I'm sure the writers who aren't slackers will tell you that. How else can you get anything done?

GRAMMAR POLICE AND BOOK REVIEWS

Every author goes through the same thing. You have a pile of fingernails that you've bitten off in a nice neat pile on your desk. You try to get inside the head of your reader, hoping that they pay attention to the parts in your story that you believe you placed so much emphasis on.

You hope that they cheer when you want them to and feel what you wanted them to feel at the appropriate time. But it is nearly impossible.

As a writer, once you realize that everyone is reading your book for different reasons, you will see that not everyone will get the same thing out of your book.

I wrote a light comedic novella named Serial Me, where my character is the opposite of what most heroines look like in a book. She is overweight with low self esteem. She is trying to find Mr. Right while holding onto a job that she doesn't feel worthy of.

I hope that women with weight and self esteem issues will see that they too are beautiful. I hope that they stop worrying about self image and learn that once they accept themselves, others shall too. I should know. I'm in a wheelchair and suffer from many chronic illnesses. You think carrying a few extra pounds around is a possible deterrent. Try having 24 inch rims stuck on the side of your ass.

What will others get from the book? A great light and funny read on a Sunday afternoon. Perhaps someone interested in a high concept novel. Maybe someone looking for a few laughs. Or someone that just wants to size you up as a writer. Competition perhaps? Maybe.

I've noticed where a lot of reviewers will immediately make comment about grammar usage and misspellings. While there are so many horrible books out there that don't even grasp the basic concepts of the English language, there are some great books out there with just a few mistakes.

But there are those comments where the reviewer will berate the author over these errors. But what do you do when your book doesn't have errors?

I read one review where this woman was taking the author to task over grammar. But other reviewers chimed in and said that they could find no mistakes. Surely not as many as the first reviewer mentioned. Then it hit me....

What IF the reviewer didn't know what she was talking about? Novel idea, right? Of course! It makes sense. Most people that claim they know perfect grammar DON'T. What are their qualifications? Do they have a degree in English? Are they professional editors? What made this woman so sure that the book wasn't grammatically correct?

I saw two commercials and ten websites that  displayed the word WALLAH! When it's actually written Voila! But you couldn't tell the original authors of these websites that they were wrong. How many people do you think they go on "correcting"?

Don't take it too personal when someone takes you to task over a few mistakes here and there. I've found an error in World War Z but the story was so good, I didn't care. I still don't. The ones that lament the most about how the English language is going straight to hell are the ones that's sending it there with gasoline drawers on.

Unless you're one of those writers that really need to take an English class or two. IF so then stop reading and get there....FAST!

Diary of A Sick Chick Available on iBookstore

My books are available for you iPad users! Please go to the iBookstore and purchase your copy today! My book is on sale for a limited time! Purchase this book if you or someone that you know lives with a chronic illness. It could change your life.

Thank you!

Serial Me- New and Upcoming Book from Best-Selling Author Sonya Dickerson

New book from best-selling author, Sonya Dickerson

What would you do if there was a woman going around killing all the eligible and gorgeous men in your town? What would you do if you and that woman happened to look like twins?
Vanessa Johnson has it all as a Health and Fitness editor for a popular magazine; except a boyfriend and a body to die for.
Meanwhile a serial killer is on the loose in the city of Chicago causing mayhem and destruction everywhere she turns.
It isn't long before all fingers begin pointing at her. Vanessa must make a decision; watch her life go down the drain or help the police nab the killer before it's too late and she finds herself behind bars.

What made you decide to write this story?

it was just a silly idea i had. something that i had been pondering for quite some time. when i came up with the concept the story began to write itself.

Did you run into any issues that you'd like to share with your readers?

well it was a very difficult book to do. mixing comedy in with death isn't always easy. death and murder are sensitive subjects with people and i wanted to do it tasteful. my first screenplay was a dark comedy about suicide so i was treading on familiar ground. 

i wanted to make it funny because i enjoy writing comedies. 'stick with what you know' can be helpful advice for some writers but terrible advice for others. a really great writer should be able to write many different different genres without losing authenticity. once you get ahold to a character's voice, you can make them hilariously funny or tragically sad. shakespeare is a great example of his. he wrote many genres and did them in such an authentic voice that people still enjoy him to this day and will continue to do so.

What is your favorite Shakespeare play?

anyone that knows me knows that it's Macbeth.

Are you worried that you didn't portray your character Vanessa correctly? Meaning that because she is overweight, are you worried that people will think her character was too stereotypical? Or not authentic enough? I realize you like that word.

it really depends. and yes i like authenticity. i hope some people can relate to her and empathize. without that, then you really don't care WHAT happens to the character. if that happens then you haven't done your job. time to start over at that point. 

What would you like your readers to know about this book?

i had a lot of fun writing it and i hope you have just as much fun reading it. 

Is It Worth Publishing a Kindle Single?

If you have a manuscript from 5,000 to 30,000 words, Kindle has a platform where you can send in a new or already published manuscript. Kindle Singles are submitted to Amazon where they are considered for publication.

If you are considered for publication for a Kindle Single, congratulations! It is quite an honor, especially if you have been rejected time and time again for publication with other agents and publishing companies. Only the best ( in some opinions) are selected for publication which means it is a really big deal.

Should you consider publishing your manuscript as a Kindle Single? Why not? Many indie writers are getting discovered in a big way here. It also looks wonderful on a resume as you seek other options in your writing career.

I've had one manuscript for consideration, but alas, I was turned down. I won't stop trying though. I would recommend that you submit your very best, making sure that it has been edited for errors and clarity.

Good Luck!

Diary of A Sick Chick: Year Two of Living With Chronic Illness

Coming soon!!!!!!!!!

February 2013!!!!!!!!!

So many books focus on the first year of illness. But what happens when the "excitement" of your diagnosis wears off? You're left with Year Two. 

2012 was an interesting year for me as I battled flare after flare along with a near miss with death. There were some good times as well and I'd like to share yet another year with you. 

Thank you for all the support! 

Love, 

Sonya

The Sad and Sorry State of Urban Fiction Novels

I may catch a lot of flack for this one but it needs to be said.

I love my Kindle and not a day goes by where I'm not on the Amazon website trying to find new and awesome books to read.

As a Black woman, there is a certain genre that I stay away from, but only because I don't find it very interesting. I grew up very sheltered in a middle class family so I can't relate to many of the stories. It just wasn't my life experience.

I don't consider myself to be some great scholar of the English language and have made quite a few grammatical gaffes myself. It's all in the process of learning and trying to do better as a person and perfecting my craft which is the goal of all writers.

With that being said, I have downloaded a few of these Urban fiction novels out of curiosity and I have not been pleased with what I've found.

I don't mind the violence as much or the liberal use of the dreaded "N" word. But what I do find challenging is to even figure out what the book is about because the sentence structure is terrible with many of the books that I come across. I can overlook typos but when they take up most of the book, it becomes a huge distraction.

Please keep in mind that I'm not speaking of EVERY black author out there that writes in the genre. I'm sure there are many books out there that are well written and edited for clarity. It's just I haven't had much luck finding any.

I reviewed a book yesterday that seemed to have a lot of promise, but I couldn't get past the writing style of the author. Quotes were not used properly so I had a hard time trying to figure out who was speaking.

His book is not alone. It is very easy to identify an Urban book. There is usually some scantily clad dressed woman on the front along with some tough looking men with guns or other weapons in their hands.

I had another "discussion" with an author over her book (which shall remain nameless). She marketed as a true story about a mother who loses control over her children to the streets. But from the very beginning, you could easily see why the mother lost control. She was violent, often had physical confrontations with people in the neighborhood, and yelled and screamed at her own children. Then she was "flabbergasted" that her children turned out to be killers. When I pointed this out to her, her answer was simply that black women have to raise their children differently, a myth that I've heard from many other black people.

Really?  Children should never watch their mother go "upside someone's head" with a baseball bat, constantly use profane language, and scream at them on a daily basis. Children will act out the things that they see at home.

If an alien from outer space touched down and wanted to know what Black people were like, downloaded a few of these books on his kindle, he would have a very low opinion of us. It is just downright disheartening. Yes, I find it wonderful that black people, young and old, are finding ways to creatively express themselves. Not only are they using their talents, they are also creating material for other Black people to read and enjoy. Many young people are actually READING more!

But if they have THIS to look up to, then we have a long way to go. One can read Zora Neale Hurston and see the type of slang that Blacks use to communicate with each other, but there is a clear message in her writing that can be enjoyed by everyone.

A lot of the Urban fiction have gangbanging, prostitution, drug dealing, and just over the top violence. Is that all there is to Black people? I understand that it is apart of the genre "urban fiction" but some of the stories aren't even put together that well and the point of the story is just lost.

Most women in these stories are gold digging hussies that strip for a living. The men are pimps, gangbangers, and drug dealers. It's like a thousand black writers wrote the same story over and over again just under a different name and cover. 

So I stay away from this genre. Hopefully I'll find a gem out there that I can write about and give a glowing review to. Hopefully we can do better and put out material that people from other cultures can enjoy as they learn about us as a people.

And it is not gangs, drugs, sex, violence, and money. We have a rich history and that needs to be center stage.

The Urban Fiction Plague Part One

Lately, I've been in an Urban fiction mood. I used to read Urban Fiction back in the day but stopped since my tastes changed and I began a career in writing for myself. It's also safe to say that because I lived a sheltered life, I really didn't find myself relating to many of the plots that are characteristic of such fiction...especially in my adult years. I have moved away from the inner city and I live in a small town. 

I recently decided to give Urban Fiction a chance because...well why not? Some of the plot lines are interesting and I discovered new and exciting authors that are really talented and I enjoy their work. 

But as I began my search for good urban fiction, I began to see the same patterns all over again. Here are some of my complaints that are going WRONG in that particular genre.

1. Books With "Bitch" In The Title

You'd be amazed (maybe not) about the amount of books out there with the B word in the title. Gangster Bitch, Gangsta Bitch, Baddest Bitch, Welfare Bitch, EBT Bitch, Light Skinned Bitch, Wannabe Bitch, Stupid Bitch, Dime Piece Bitch.....so on and so forth. Some of the titles are a bit facetious but you get the drift. Every book has this Baddest Bitch character where she is the best looking girl on the block and all the men want her. She has a banging body and her skills in the bedroom can't compare.

2. There Is A Drug Dealer Named Nino....ALWAYS

Yes. No UF book is complete without a drug dealer named Nino. In fact, if he isn't Nino, then you need at least a few drug dealers scattered throughout the book. If the book is heroine based, then there is a good drug dealer (if there is such a thing) that really cares for the heroine and her children. They just want her to see the error of her ways or choose him over the big black ugly drug dealer that once made her eat Jell-O  off the floor and beat her senseless.........yeah...some of these plot lines.

3. Light Skin, Long Hair, Don't Care

The heroine of these books almost will never be a short dark skinned girl with "nappy" and "unruly" hair. Nope! Her hair, thanks to her so called Indian heritage, will sport long hair draping down her back. She will have pecan colored skin so she will definitely pass the paper bag test. (If you don't know what that means, then put down one of those books and read some real African American literature) She is flawless and always the baddest bitch in the game (see example #1)

I'll be posting a part two to this series. It really is disturbing sometimes when almost all of the UB books are literally the same! Same plot lines and same characters. One would think that this is all UB has to offer when there is so much more to Black culture than bad bitches and drug dealers. 

I'm looking forward to the day where an author can let some of these stereotypical characters go and craft an ingenious story with characters that I can believe in. That will be an author worth reading. Until then, the situation looks hopeless. 

Urban Fiction writers out there. Let's get some new material. Think outside the box. And for the love of God, if you write one more drug dealer named Nino into your storyline, I'm bashing my Kindle against the wall.

J.K. Rowling and Writing

It's happened. The most popular writer on the planet famous for the Harry Potter series has come out with a novel very different from her usual work.

The Casual Vacancy is causing a media storm that is not going to let up soon. A million copies have been sold at the time of this blog post and it hasn't hit the stores thanks to pre-orders.

Because of Mrs. Rowling's celebrity, many people are waiting to see if she, who's famous for witches and wizards, can write a novel geared towards adults.

The haters (and I hate that word) have their fangs showing and they're ready to tear her novel to pieces if she can't stand up to the critics. Surely any work should stand on its own merit but there will be those that are already naysayers and the book isn't even available in the stores yet.

I've already heard from several other writers that they don't believe that a  writer has the ability to switch genres like Mrs. Rowling has braved to do.

To them I say it is pure utter nonsense. Most agents and publishers admonish writers, telling them to write what you know and then stick to it!

It is utter nonsense that it's impossible to switch genres for good storytellers. I use the word storyteller because I believe the two are very separate. It's one thing to use proper English and grammar, delivering four hundred pages to an editor ready to publish.

Storytelling goes back to ancient times. It's the oldest form of entertainment. Thousands of years ago, our ancestors sat around a fairly new invention to keep themselves warm as the storytellers would make up stories to explain their way of life. You can teach someone to write. You can show them the rules of grammar. You can show them how to create the perfect sentence.

But you can't teach someone how to tell the perfect story.

I've always envied songwriters as well for they tell stories in a shorter version. I've always dreamed of becoming a writer when I was a young girl and that's where I am today.

Real storytellers can tell a story in any genre and keep an audience mesmerized. If Mrs. Rowling was able to do that with Harry Potter and keep a couple of billion children entertained, I'm sure she won't let the adult fans of her work down. 

The Prediction--September 2012

The Prediction

--coming soon to amazon.com! 

Suspense/Thriller

Jamie and Tyler Peterson have shared ten wonderful years of marriage together and plan to be married for many more.

One day she is practically dragged to meet a psychic by her free spirited best friend practically against her will.

During a reading she learns that in just thirty days, the life that she has will soon be over as the psychic predicts that either she or Tyler will be murdered by the other spouse's hands.

At first, Jamie thinks this is nonsense. How can the perfect marriage turn in a mere thirty days?

When Keeping It Real Goes Terribly Wrong: Writers Edition

Revealing Eden: Save The Pearls Part One

The blatant black face on the author's website is what startled me in the beginning. I heard about this particular book on Tumblr where a few African American bloggers had made several posts about it, making claims that the author was a racist.

I jumped on the issue, did some research, and found out that she has made some serious gaffes in the media. I had to see for myself what all the hoopla was about.

Sure enough, many of the negative reviews were posted within days of each other. It is safe to say that many of them didn't read the book. As I said in an earlier post, if you aren't familiar with the book, then reviewing it really isn't fair: even if the content is disgusting and abhorrent.

In this post-apocalyptic world, Pearls are White, Coals are Black, Asians are Ambers, and Latinos are Tiger-eyes. Okay.....I was leery about the descriptive terms used for different races. I couldn't understand under any circumstances why those particular terms were used and how the author failed to foresee that many would take offense?

As a writer, I tried to push my personal feelings aside and just read past those descriptions. I admit that I did NOT purchase the book, but took the liberty of borrowing a copy.

The content was fair but downright confusing at times. This mysterious world, where reverse racism is king, didn't have a lot of description. There were many things in the novel that were not properly explained. I really wanted to know if the Coals were one hundred percent immune to The Heat, as it is aptly described in the book.

We all know that Black people do have more melanin in our skin, but it doesn't necessarily mean that we're immune from skin cancer or other disorders relating to sun exposure and a warming climate. What happened to Black people with lighter complexions? We do run the gamut from passing for white to deep ebony. Did they suffer like Whites?

The main character Eden, seemed downright selfish and silly at some points.When she wasn't acting whiny, she was downright childish. Then again, this is a young adult novel and it isn't unheard of for teenagers to act in such a manner.

Since the book hit Tumblr, Twitter, and a few other social media websites, the book has tumbled in the ratings on Amazon. When I checked Friday, there were about 103 negative votes. As of today, the official count of one star votes sits at 151. More one star reviews are pouring in as we speak.

The biggest problem that I have with the book is that this world is supposed to show the readers what would happen if everything were reversed. What if Blacks held the power and our features suddenly became more desirable than features attributed to Whites?

You'd have to assume that since the world is reversed, then Black features are NOT desirable while white features ARE. You would also have to assume that if the world was reversed, that Blacks and other minority groups would be more than willing to oppress Whites if given that opportunity.

Conceivably, if the book had not reached the African-American community of readers, if such a category still exists, perhaps there might be some backlash. The first young African American reader who responded to me loved the book. But then, she’s the kind of free spirit who would eschew limiting herself to a single category. Ms.Foyt--the huffington post

This quote was taken from an article that she wrote in the Huffington Post. When I read it, it was hard for me to keep my composure. Is she saying that black people don't read enough to be labeled in a category? Is she trying to state that only a certain group of Black people are the ones that will "get" her book? Does that free spirited Black woman speak for all Black people?

Not too many years ago, I can imagine that this story might have generated heated comments about the sexualized fantasies about black men. And yeah, there was one. And having checked out that blogger, I strongly suspect that he belongs to a much older generation than young adults. Otherwise, I’m happily surprised to say there has been not a blip of protest.--Ms.Foyt--the huffington post

Crystal ball...crystal ball....

And there is reason to support my belief when you consider that the novel has won five literary awards, including the Eric Hoffer Best Young Adult Novel 2012 (Eric Hoffer was a great humanitarian), or that Marianne Williamson called it on her Facebook page, “A fascinating story…for lovers of all ages!” or that dozens of reviewers from the San Francisco Book Review to Fresh Fiction to many book bloggers have embraced it with glowing reviews.
And if you ask if all these reviewers are white then consider that you have a racist point of view.--Ms. Foyt-savethepeasrls.com--the website for the book....

 Ms. Foyt continues to defend her book, understandably so against the racist accusations. She cites the glowing reviews of her book as a reason why she feels that she is not racist, because if she were, then those reviews wouldn't exist. This is where her logic fails.

I don't think Ms. Foyt is racist, but she is terribly misguided. She really didn't think this book through, instead of just relying on that one African American that told her the book was all kinds of awesomeness. Race is still a very touchy subject and we should continue this dialogue for many years to come. We owe that much to our future generations. If I give Ms. Foyt credit for anything, she has brought the idea of white privilege to the forefront.

What Ms. Foyt doesn't understand is that turning the tables and reversing the roles does not help end racism. It encourages it. It simply shows that regardless of whichever group holds the reins to society, they will abuse their positions and eagerly become the oppressors. It contributes to this never ending cycle of racism that will be hard pressed to die out.

Should Amazon do the responsible thing and stop selling this book? Absolutely not. The Turner Diaries is blatantly racist and yet, it still sells. We can learn a lot from books like The Turner Diaries and even from Revealing Eden.

The lesson is that we've still got a long way to go.

Amazon, Reviews, and Twelve Year Olds

 Bad reviews can be hard to take at times, but unfair reviews shouldn't be tolerated at all.

I've done some research and learned how one bad review on Yelp could totally destroy someone's business, even if the review isn't fair. IN the link that I provided above, the author illustrated a perfectly good example of the unreasonable accommodations that most people are looking for.

Take for example Amazon.com. ePublishing has been a wonderful thing! It has taken the publishing decisions out the hands of the big publishing companies and given the power back to the writers. Writers, that could wallpaper their walls with rejection slips from the powerful literary agents and publishing houses, can now bypass that and take their books straight in the hands of the voracious readers. With the Kindle, many people are turning off their television sets and getting comfortable with a good book again. The E-Publishing business has opened many opportunities to writers that didn't exist in the past.

Now the bad. There are many publishing companies that refuse to market their books on Amazon for a variety of reasons. One of them being that people can write a review on your book without having purchased it! Now it's fine to review a book that you may have at home, purchased through other avenues, but is it really in your author's best interest to have people randomly writing reviews on books that they've never read?

Most people would argue and say that one bad review may not hurt you. That may or may not be true. But it could be devastating for an author that is starting out in the novel writing world. Many reviewers have stated that they look at negative reviews first before they read the positive. Again, I'm not advocating that there is anything wrong with this, but if the review is based on nonsense, then the review shouldn't stand.

I read a negative review once because the author dedicated her book to God. What did Amazon do? They let the negative review stand, even when it had NOTHING to do with the actual book.

Amazon is full of hit-or-miss reviewers complaining about books for a plethora of reasons; many being grammatical, syntax, or punctuation errors (the funny thing is, lots of those reviews are filled with grammatical, syntax, and punctuation errors themselves). Some even for book covers, formatting, or just down right mean and personal reviews that have no merit.

Oh yes, ePublishing can get pretty nasty! There was one romance author that went so far to track down a three star reviewer, that she had the reviewers address and place of employment. (Hey, people act really strange when you mess with someone's income)

Does Amazon have an obligation to authors or its buyers? Or both?

Personal attacks, reviews that are obscene, harassing, spiteful, or books that were NOT purchased by the reader should not be allowed on Amazon. Again, many publishers thought Amazon was insane for allowing some of these ridiculous negative reviews on their products stand.

ePublishing is a wonderful thing. Without it, some of my books wouldn't have seen the light of day. Amazon should probably revise their guidelines to get rid of some of these awful reviews. It's not fair to the author and ultimately, not fair to the reviewer. They just may pass on a fabulous find just to save a few ridiculous reviews.

EEEEEKKKK! NOWHERE WILL BE HITTING THE STANDS IN HOURS!

My third book and I'm so excited, I could burst. At this moment, I submitted Nowhere for publishing on Amazon. I am excited to hear what people think about it. I've been working on Nowhere longer than I worked on Sex Therapy. It was just a draft that lingered on my hard drive for months.

It is very rewarding to see it come to life and become a whole story. I am excited! So excited, I can barely sleep right now.  Hopefully the Amazon interface isn't having too many issues and it can be published soon.

Until then....I wait....patiently.

Tea of the Day: Blueberry Acai

Almost Finished With Second Drafts

I am almost done with my third book, "Nowhere"and hopefully it will be available in September in this year.

One thing I would stress to new authors is this is the time to go over your book with a fine toothed comb. This is the time that you need to catch errors and grammatical issues. Don't be so in love with your words and the story that your mind will overlook the imperfections.

Your readers will take you to task over such issues. While you may not think that its a big thing, it is to your readers. There are lots of voracious readers out there and they feel cheated if you don't give it every thing you've got. They are out there spending their hard earned money on your books.

I ran across an Amazon forum one day where the authors were complaining about Amazon and how it was taking too long to update and publish their titles. It was taking 48 hours or more when normally it is 75 percent less of that time.

Many authors, including myself, would upload a manuscript, notice a mistake in it later, then try to upload a new one. Because of this glitch, people were buying the wrong book instead of the one with the errors fixed.

This led to horrible reviews of readers complaining that the book had many spelling errors and typos. My thing? GET IT FREAKING RIGHT THE FIRST TIME.

Read your book over and over again like a person looking at the book with fresh eyes. Put it down for a week and then read every single word again before you hit that PUBLISH button.

Get it right the first time and correct those errors before your readers string you up by the neck.






Tea of the day: Acai Berry and Blueberry Tea

Writing While In Pain

I love writing. I'm so stressed out with everything, especially my health, that I feel like I have nowhere else to turn. Writing is it.

But I've lost focus over these past few weeks. Dealing with my disability, home life, and worried about my future has started to take its toll.

I can't help but watch television, even  commercials, and see beautiful, laughing carefree adults just living their lives. Sometimes, I want so bad to be apart of that.

Just a week ago, laughing was something that I couldn't do. Singing was out of the question. Holding a conversation with someone was difficult because of  severe lung obstruction disease.

If you're reading this, don't ever take your health for granted. If you smoke, stop. If you eat unhealthy, stop. If you use drugs, stop. It's not worth it in the end. Don't be one of those idiots that say, "You gotta die from something, right?" You don't have to die on a ventilator. You don't have to die from overdose. You don't have to die from a heart attack.

I had the most scary experience in my life May 14, 2012. I was NO longer in control of my body. I no longer had the say so of whether I lived or died. If you continue to do some of the things you do, taking your health for granted then you need to start writing a will now. Start telling your loved ones how you really feel. Because you won't be around much longer if you abuse your health and take it for granted.

Writing is one of the few things that I can do without getting short of breath nowadays and I never smoked a cigarette or did an illegal drug in my life. I don't eat fried foods and eat plenty of vegetables, fish, chicken, etc. I don't have the healthiest diet, but it's not the worst.

Tread carefully.

Pulling Your Hair Out Is Part of The Writing Process

For some reason the picture won't show up larger than this. But if you zoom the screen out, you will see the numbers pouring in for my new debut, Sex Therapy. Just to show you how all this works with Amazon, it shows you to the right how many actual books you sold that you're going to get paid for. Or not get paid for if someone refunded your book. (Yikes)

The numbers to the left deal with your Free Promotions. Or other words, not going to get paid for. Amazon gives you the opportunity to give your book for free to garner reviews and get your name out there. Cool huh?

The numbers towards the middle (Borrows) tells you that you're going to get paid for books that others lend or read for free with the Prime program. That money is coming from Amazon itself. That's ONLY if you enroll in the KDP program. That just means you promise to exclusively publish with them. If you don't, well tough cookies...LOL!

Since this is my first fiction short story out there, I'm incredibly nervous. I have been trying to perfect the novel the best way I know how. Yeah...I guess you could say that I'm terrified of the horrible reviews. But it's the only way I'm going to know I'm good. Yes, it is true that not everyone is going to like you. You could give this book out with million dollar checks, and I would bet all the money in my bank account (you're welcome to $39.17 right now) that you will still get negative reviews. Probably because you wrote paper checks and you didn't overnight the cash you little, silly, naive author, you!!!!

Or it's just your book really sucks but they wanted to thank you for the million bucks anyway.

I just placed my book for a free promotion last night and the reviews will be coming in shortly. I'm very ill right now and can barely move without chest pain. In fact, I should be writing this in a hospital bed instead of my own bed but what are you going to do, huh? I would just ask reviewers to be fair, not name call such as garbage, or filth, rubbish for my British readers. If you didn't like the novel, just state the reasons why and move on, especially if you're just looking for the free million dollar check that comes along with the book.

Look out for that in the eight edition. ; )

My new book Sex Therapy is now on sale on Amazon.com!!! Be sure to check it out!!!!

Life in the Windy City is pretty monotonous for Ronald Carrington. As a successful fund manager for a mutual fund company, he is clearly a man that lives life to the fullest.

After receiving a life changing phone call one day, he decides to live life on the edge and on his terms. After falling for a stripper named Smokey, he finds himself caught up in a world of drugs, addiction, and sex.

Things continue to spiral out of control when three female college students go missing, including the sister of Ronald's co-worker. Ronald finds himself searching for the truth but he's he has no time to spare.

Can Ronald's search for answers cost him his life?

1. How does it feel to complete another book?

I am very excited to have completed my first novella and have it published! It started off as an idea about a successful man falling in love with a stripper and it kind of went along from there.

2. What genre does the book fit best?

Suspense/Mystery/Drama.

3. Would you consider yourself as a mystery writer now?

Not really. I consider myself to be a story teller. I like to tell stories. One day I'm writing a comedic piece and the next day my characters can be in tears. I personally think that a writer should write for a specific genre first, especially if first starting off. Define your voice up front and your fans will recognize and appreciate your work.

The next project that I'm working on is a dramedy. You really don't see that term much when it comes to novels. That's a TV thing, but when I began to write seriously, I wrote screenplays. I completed three screenplays so far and two television series.

Even though I'm not taking my own advice, I can't help it at times. I get an idea for a story and just go with it. I don't know what else I can say. 

4. Was it hard to make that transition?

In the beginning, yes. Screenplays and teleplays are written in a very specific format. It's totally different from writing prose. It took months before I felt comfortable writing with my "fiction" voice. But writing as a screenwriter for so long, helped me tell a story better. Hollywood can be harsh at times, but you have to take the criticism with a grain of salt.

5. What advice would you give up and coming writers?

You have to write everyday to perfect your craft. I punish my family members and friends and have them read my stuff. The more I write, the better my writing got. I'm serious people, if you want to be a writer, you've got to practice your craft. Lots of people dream of that writer lifestyle. Getting up in the morning with a cup of tea and sitting down in front of your computer, pounding out manuscript after manuscript. Some writers never really leave their houses.

I wouldn't call writing a glamorous job or anything, but it takes dedication and practice!!!

6. What's the worse thing you hate about writing?

The criticism....the unfair criticism. Writers become very attached to their work. To criticize it could be akin to slapping someone's child across the face in the grocery store. You have these unknown people making personal attacks against you.

It is MORE than fair to criticize someone's work but passing judgment on people is unacceptable. I totally get that I can read a story and get something good out of while the person next to me totally hates the book. My fiance and I go back and forth over things like that all the time. Not everyone is going to like you. But please keep your criticism to the work at hand. Not the author personally.

Seriously Flawed

Ho hum Ho hum.

Reviewers that don't read your book?

Here they come.

Leaving mass destruction behind,

With a star or two.

You're a babbling idiot behind a keyboard, she said.

If they only knew.

You've worked hard on your book,

You've believed in it from the start.

Secured by their anonymity,

Like a dagger through your heart.

Other reviews come in,

Lavishing praises here and there.

But you'll never forget those harsh words,

There will be more, so beware.


Recently I read another forum post where all of these people, most who have never written or published anything, were taking many writers to task over simple mistakes. We all make them. Even books published by major publishing houses have major grammatical and spelling errors.

If there are one or two errors, MOST people move on, possibly even forgetting that they existed.

But TOO MANY errors become distracting. If your reader is so busy correcting your grammar, then they aren't getting lost into your story. You want your readers lost in your story. You want your reader to look up at the clock, amazed at the amount of time that has gone by while reading your words.

It is the ultimate compliment.

I read a book once about a young woman that was dealing with Lupus. Since I have lupus, I was very interested in hearing her story.

The problem? The first sentence lasted for an entire page without one punctuation mark. I desperately tried to get into the book, but I liken it to listening to someone's thoughts. Here is an example: (NOTE: These are not the actual words of the book)

Lupus is an autoimmune disease okay like your cells going haywire and instead of attacking diseases and bacteria that's not supposed to be there it attacks your organs like your kidneys, liver, brain, and other things and it does not discriminate because my friend has lupus and it attacked her heart when it attacked my lungs.....

I hope you get the picture. That was probably the worst I've seen so far. I try to give each writer the benefit of the doubt and ignore spelling and bad punctuation. Hell, I even cringe at a misplaced comma in my own work. Thankfully, you can edit the changes, and upload a corrected copy to Amazon. I took full advantage of that. So no one is perfect.

But if the reader can barely make out what you're trying to say, it's time to take it back to the drawing board and rewrite my friends.


But after reading the forum posts, I have concluded that SOME people LOOK for errors your book. I just made an error. Did you catch it? I didn't...not while I was typing it. I caught it on the third read and I'm going to leave it there as a great example. They are not interested at all in your story but will sit there and count the mistakes you make. Bored people? Maybe. Unemployed editors shaking their fists at society by taking it out on a few amatuer writers? That would be kind of funny but not really. Or are they consumers who feel like they are spending their money and time, wanting nothing more than a quality product? I could see that too.

But God help you if you misuse a comma or a homonym.

Okay...I have to agree with the homonym thing. Your and You're or there and their. Mixed up homonyms are my pet peeve. They seriously are. Many writers aren't the best grammaticians. Hell if we were, then we'd be editors...not writers. But using the wrong homonym? Not acceptable.

My advice? Read your book over and over again until you damn near have the words memorized. Join a writer's group and have them read it. It is very helpful to get feedback from different people. It will help you in the long run. Then read your damn copy again and again. There are things that I missed when I read my current book, Sex Therapy, when I began editing it the first time.

We will talk about formatting in another post.

Tea Of The Day: Ginger Peach, Tangy Tangerine