On January 1, 2014, SJ
Publicity learned
that both Between
Boyfriends by Sarka-Jonae Miller
and Arielle Immortal
Awakening by Lilian Roberts
were named semifinalists
in the MARSocial's
Author of the Year competition.
Nearly 170
authors entered the
contest to win the Ephraim
prize. The winner will be
named in February.
The book that wins gets the
chance to be made
into a movie
by Keeran Vaani Creations.
The Author of the Year
competition is being
called the "Author's
X-Factor." Contestants
put up an excerpt from
their book and share
it on social media. Many
of the authors are
supporting each other by
tweeting other excerpts
to help promote everyone.
One book excerpt
tweet got retweeted more
than 11,000 times.
Overall, more than 100,000
tweets have gone
out of excerpts from the
competition.
The
judges are considering the excerpts
from
the semifinalists. The semifinalists
will
be whittled down to 40 finalists in
mid-January.
The quality of the entries,
the
number of times excerpts are tweeted,
and
how much authors participate in sharing
other
contestants' entries will factor into who
wins
the Ephraim prize. The winner will
be
chosen along with 20 runners up on Feb. 1.
We
hope everyone helps Lilian and SJ
by
tweeting their excerpts. Find the
excerpt
of
SJ's debut novel, Between Boyfriends,
here.
Lilian's chosen excerpt from her debut
novel,
Arielle Immortal Awakening,
is here.
If you want to read more of each
novel,
they are being published
in
their entirety on Wattpad. Read
Between Boyfriends here and
Arielle
Immortal Awakening here.
And
be sure to check back on Feb.
1
to see if one of our clients wins!
|
Sunday, January 5, 2014
Lilian Roberts and Sarka-Jonae Miller named Semifinalists
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Interview with the M.J. Schiller, the author of the "ROCKING ROMANCE COLLECTION"
Today I am delighted to welcome M. J. Schiller on my Blog for a very enchanting interview. M. J. Schiller is the author of the popular "Rocking Romance Collection"
MJ is a lunch lady in the heart of Central Illinois. My gosh, can you get more folksy than that? She met her husband at the University of Missouri-Columbia and now she has an eighteen-year-old (how did that happen?) and sixteen year old triplets! She loves to read, karaoke (where she can pretend she is a rock star) and spends WAY too much time on Facebook. She grew up in St. Louis and still has family there.
Welcome M. J. ! I am so happy to have you on my blog today.
Hi Lilian, I am very happy to be here.
Please tell us a little about your current release "Between Rock and a Hard Place"
Glad to! ;) BETWEEN ROCK AND A HARD PLACE begins when Detective Heath “Hawk” McGowan is called to the penthouse of rock star Jasmine Barrett. Jasmine, or Jazz, as her fans call her, has discovered her best friend’s body slain in her own bed. As the killer continues to bring her dead bodies like a cat bringing its owner mice, Jazz’s terror sends her into the arms of Heath. But there are so many reasons why they shouldn’t be together. Heath actually lists them at one point—shortly before he gives in and kisses her.
Can you give us an Excerpt of your new book?
Heath walked down the hall with a long, drawn-out sigh. He entered the bedroom, closing the door and leaning on it for a second. He threw his things on the bed and sat down on the end and ran a hand over his face. Then with a huge, exasperated exhale he threw himself backward so he was lying on the bed staring up at the ceiling. He crossed his hands behind his head to form a pillow.
There were so many reasons why he should not become involved with Jasmine Barrett. A. I am the lead detective investigating the murder of her best friend. Very unprofessional, unprincipled, not to mention, unethical. B. She’s very vulnerable right now. She said so herself, her feelings are all over the place. I can’t take advantage of that. C. We lead very different lives. She’s a rock star. I’m a cop. It would never work out. D. There’s Jack to consider. He couldn’t bring someone new into his life without a lot of forethought. E. I’m in the middle of an investigation. He couldn’t let those bottomless sea-green eyes, which seemed to cry out every time he gazed into them, distract him. Or her body, molded by the gods…or her legs, which were…geez…a living sin…or any other part of her…her siren’s voice…curvy hips…her… All these things were bad and wrong and he was a professional. All, very bad. Very, very bad. He squeezed his eyes shut. This was never going to work.
Has someone helped or mentored you in your writing career?
I’ve been fortunate enough to have gobs of people help me, and many mentors along the way! Where to start? A friend who found out I was writing told me about an essay contest on author Laurie Larsen’s website. I entered and was fortunate enough to be one of the winners. Laurie then told me about Romance Writers of America and invited me to a meeting. With the help of the very talented authors there I became published with Crimson Romance. Through Crimson I met a slew of authors who give me advice and encouragement, and not just about writing. They also help me by promoting my books and even purchasing them. Then a friend invited me to join a group called Tweets For Romance Authors. That’s where I met you, Lilian and you graciously helped me by letting me be here today on your blog.
Who is your favorite author?
Wow, that’s a big question! There are so many great ones! If you’re talking classics, I love Charles Dickens and F.Scott Fitzgerald. More recently, Nora Roberts (of course), Kristin Hannah, and the romantic suspense author, R.T. Wolfe. She’s awesome!
Where do you research for your books?
All I can say is thank heavens we don’t need the card catalog anymore! I do most of my research online, but I also feel like living life is research itself. I store information as I go along. If we go on vacation, I may use that location later, so I pick up brochures and take notes.
How do you describe your writing style?
Gosh, that’s a hard one! I think there are certain things you will always see in my work—humor, drama, action. I like including family relationships and kids, too. I try to add the odd detail that makes things seem more real, like the hero of my latest romance, BETWEEN ROCK AND A HARD PLACE, is susceptible to cold headaches (or you may call them brain freezes). This is based on my husband. He rarely can eat something cold without going into some exaggerated fit, claiming steel rods are being jammed into his cranium!
What do you think makes a good story?
The happily ever after, and the going through heck to get there. I love characters that are broken but are healed through one another.
Do you use a pen name? If so, how did you come up with it?
Yes, I have a real fancy one. My name is Mary Jean Schiller but I go by M.J. Schiller. I’ve just always thought M.J. sounded cooler!
What are you passionate about these days?
Well I’m always very passionate about my writing, trying to learn more about it and become stronger at it. Besides that I’m an advocate for our men and women in military uniform, teachers, children, and animals. I’m also passionate about music, thus my ROCKING ROMANCE COLLECTION.
I don’t watch much TV, but when I do I like to watch with my kids and we love Supernatural, The Walking Dead, Once Upon a Time, Dr. Who, and Vampire Diaries.
Are the names of the characters in your novels important? How and why?
I think names evoke a feeling. I just have to hope that the feeling my reader has is mutual. I work as a lunch lady and a while back my coworkers and I brainstormed about sexy guy names, and then drew up a list of girl names as well. I still use that list!
Thank you so much for having me today, Lilian, and allowing me to tell your readers a little bit about me and BETWEEN ROCK AND A HARD PLACE.
Has someone helped or mentored you in your writing career?
I’ve been fortunate enough to have gobs of people help me, and many mentors along the way! Where to start? A friend who found out I was writing told me about an essay contest on author Laurie Larsen’s website. I entered and was fortunate enough to be one of the winners. Laurie then told me about Romance Writers of America and invited me to a meeting. With the help of the very talented authors there I became published with Crimson Romance. Through Crimson I met a slew of authors who give me advice and encouragement, and not just about writing. They also help me by promoting my books and even purchasing them. Then a friend invited me to join a group called Tweets For Romance Authors. That’s where I met you, Lilian and you graciously helped me by letting me be here today on your blog.
Who is your favorite author?
Wow, that’s a big question! There are so many great ones! If you’re talking classics, I love Charles Dickens and F.Scott Fitzgerald. More recently, Nora Roberts (of course), Kristin Hannah, and the romantic suspense author, R.T. Wolfe. She’s awesome!
Where do you research for your books?
All I can say is thank heavens we don’t need the card catalog anymore! I do most of my research online, but I also feel like living life is research itself. I store information as I go along. If we go on vacation, I may use that location later, so I pick up brochures and take notes.
How do you describe your writing style?
Gosh, that’s a hard one! I think there are certain things you will always see in my work—humor, drama, action. I like including family relationships and kids, too. I try to add the odd detail that makes things seem more real, like the hero of my latest romance, BETWEEN ROCK AND A HARD PLACE, is susceptible to cold headaches (or you may call them brain freezes). This is based on my husband. He rarely can eat something cold without going into some exaggerated fit, claiming steel rods are being jammed into his cranium!
What do you think makes a good story?
The happily ever after, and the going through heck to get there. I love characters that are broken but are healed through one another.
Do you use a pen name? If so, how did you come up with it?
Yes, I have a real fancy one. My name is Mary Jean Schiller but I go by M.J. Schiller. I’ve just always thought M.J. sounded cooler!
What are you passionate about these days?
Well I’m always very passionate about my writing, trying to learn more about it and become stronger at it. Besides that I’m an advocate for our men and women in military uniform, teachers, children, and animals. I’m also passionate about music, thus my ROCKING ROMANCE COLLECTION.
I don’t watch much TV, but when I do I like to watch with my kids and we love Supernatural, The Walking Dead, Once Upon a Time, Dr. Who, and Vampire Diaries.
Are the names of the characters in your novels important? How and why?
I think names evoke a feeling. I just have to hope that the feeling my reader has is mutual. I work as a lunch lady and a while back my coworkers and I brainstormed about sexy guy names, and then drew up a list of girl names as well. I still use that list!
Thank you so much for having me today, Lilian, and allowing me to tell your readers a little bit about me and BETWEEN ROCK AND A HARD PLACE.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR OF "THE TARNISHED SHOOTER" CHARLES JAMES
Today
I am delighted to welcome Charles James to my blog for an interview. Charles is
the author of a captivating book “The Tarnished Shooter” The book was published
November 2013
How did you start your writing career?
I started my
writing career while traveling, working and living in my 40 foot motor home. I
needed something creative to do and I always wanted to write a book about the
many adventures I’d had.
Has someone helped or mentored you in your writing career?
I got a bit of
help with some of the grammatical issues. But otherwise nobody helped,
influenced or mentored me in any way.
Who is your favorite author?
I’d have to say,
Ann Rule, she tells a story the way I like to read them. She moves along and
doesn’t bog the reader down with useless descriptions or details.
What was the hardest part about writing your book?
Reliving the
experiences. The book was very emotionally intense for me because writing the
story brought out and revealed many of the old memories that were hard to face
about myself.
Tell us a little about your book
It is about a
character named Frank Henry Barker. I wanted to develop a story about a complex
person and the many troubles associated with being the oldest son in a
dysfunctional family. Frank wants to fit in with others, but he has such a keen
sense of intuition and deep thinking he finds he’d rather keep his own company.
He grows angry because of the abuse he suffers at his father’s hand. Frank wants to grow up and be someone special
only to be kept in his place by relatives and peers. His life is anything but
ordinary as he navigates a world he feels wants to persecute him for even the
smallest infraction of the rules.
In the end Frank
pulled himself up by the bootstraps and made something out of his troubled
life.
What is one of the most inspiring things that you learned
while writing your book?
I actually
thought about writing a book when I was eleven or twelve, but dismissed it
because I did so terribly in school. I re-evaluated my thinking when I got
older and decided to accomplish something that most would never attempt.
Writing my 300 page novel took three years of hard work with no pay. I figured
early on that a life wasn’t worth living if one couldn’t write a book about it.
What do you think makes a good story?
A good story
takes the reader places he or she wouldn’t ordinarily go— it also gives
something in return for the efforts of staying with the story. That something
may be in the beginning the middle or the end, but the reader will keep turning
pages until the answer is found. A good writer can keep the reader looking for
those answers and interested until the end. And that to me is what makes a good
story. I think many look for themselves in some of the books they read. I have
always been interested in psychology, so a good story to me would be a well
written psychological thriller.
What was the scariest moment in your life?
I have had many
scary, life threatening incidents. I was in numerous car accidents and had many
violent threats made on my life. But the scariest one was when a man came into
my room in the middle of the night with a club and tried to kill me for
revenge.
What book are you reading now?
The Art of
Seduction, by: Robert Greene.
As a child what did want to be when you grew up?
Like many kids, I
wanted to be a whole lot of things. I wanted to be a movie star and I wanted to
be an architect or a structural engineer. Most of all, I wanted to be rich. We
were very poor and I had to start working at the age of twelve. I always had my
mind’s eye on acquiring wealth that went along with the good life. I hoped luck
would find a path to my door so all my dreams would come true.
What are you passionate about these days?
Writing and art.
I did a few acrylic and watercolor paintings and found the freedom of a brush
and paint to be enjoyable. I could also say I have a passion to build things. I
am an award winning woodworker and love to craft fine furniture incorporating
stained and leaded glass into the piece.
If you could apologize to someone in your past, who would
it be? And why?
I would have to
say my siblings. I should have been a better example and a stronger leader.
What makes you happy?
Dinner, drinks
and conversation with good friends.
Do your friends think you are an introvert or an
extravert? Why?
Most think I am a
bit of both because I can be quiet; or I can be the life of the party.
Do you have an author Facebook? Are you on twitter? If so
provide the links for the readers to be able to find your book.
I am on Facebook
and Twitter https://twitter.com/TarnishShooter
This harrowing true-to-life story will have you reeling with the punches as we follow Frank as he battles the demons that haunt him. His anger and rage only compound the problems he has with relationships and society. This book will reveal the thoughts and actions of a person who has been brought up with violence and trained to solve disputes with his fists.
“The Tarnished Shooter” is a compelling five star story of adversity, adventure and the consequences of choices one makes, is based on actual events. This is a story you won’t forget for a long, long time…
CHARLES JAMES
Monday, November 11, 2013
Booktrope is releasing a chick lit/new adult novel, BETWEEN BOYFRIENDS, on November 11, 2013.
Booktrope is releasing a chick lit/new adult novel, BETWEEN BOYFRIENDS, on November 11, 2013. Coincidentally, the book that was 11 years in the making is being published on 11/11. Bestselling author and movie/TV star Alex Cord says, "Great work and I hope the book does well." So do we, Mr. Cord.
About Between Boyfriends
At first glance, twenty-one-year-old Jan Weston has it all: a gorgeous boyfriend, fun friends, and wealthy parents who take care of all those pesky credit card bills.
Then her boyfriend dumps her, her friendships fall apart, and her parents cut her off. Suddenly without money, without a man, and without a plan, it's time for Jan to grow up.
Praise for Between Boyfriends
"This book is the ultimate chick-lit read--a light-hearted romp focused on the travails of Jan, a college student dumped by her boyfriend, an SDSU student. The moment proves an epiphany, as Jan resolves to stop dating and find fulfillment as a single woman." - East County Magazine
Between Boyfriends "presents a unique twist on the chick lit genre." - Hollywood & Vine magazine
"Over the course of the book, Jan, who is in her early 20s, begins to grow as a person and even strikes up a true friendship with a man, a first for her." - Rancho Santa Fe Review
"The book teaches both subtle and obvious lessons about friendship, relationships, responsibility and decision making." - The Masquerade Crew
"Between Boyfriends is a delicious slice of chick-lit! Snappy dialogue sets this story apart from the pack as it follows a young woman who, financially cut off by her parents when she fails to attend school, learns that life is more than her Amex card, and reunites with a mother who has endured her own brand of pain." - Jan Moran, bestselling author
"BETWEEN BOYFRIENDS is a great read. It's got everything you'd expect in a chick-lit book: good friends, fun, and a little romance, but the thing Sarka-Jonae adds to this story is a journey." - Caroline Fardig, bestselling author
Buy Links:
Between Boyfriends will also be available in print and as ebooks for Kobo, Sony, and Apple iBooks.
About Sárka-Jonae
Sárka-Jonae is a novelist, publicist, and journalist, among other “ists” there aren’t room for. Her novel writing career began with Between Boyfriends, an edgy chick-lit book for women who’ve been ”between boyfriends”, which is much cooler than being single.
SJ is a graduate of Syracuse University. Before writing full-time, she was a personal trainer and massage therapist, helping people tone up, slim down, and chill out. In her free time, Sárka-Jonae loves to dance in flash mobs, in music videos, on speakers, or at home in her underwear. She practices kung fu and yoga, was briefly a Buddhist nun, and travels extensively for ”research”. She’s a huge animal lover and has been vegan since 1999. She’s committed to respectfully unveiling the truth about the horrific way factory farms abuse animals. SJ lives in San Diego with two cats and two dogs.
Social Media Links:
Twitter https://twitter.com/
Website http://www.sarkajonae.
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