Category Archives: Information

Quantum Crystal by Rob Shackleford

Quantum Crystal

Is humanity evolving?

Today, millions suffer from Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress due to warfare, car accidents and violence.

In response to this global epidemic, pioneering medical researchers develop a new treatment that is seen to produce outstanding results. Dubbed the ‘Quantum Crystal’, the treatment is soon rolled out for many of the maladies that affect modern humanity.

But is this treatment all it is purported to be, or are deeper changes under way?

‘Quantum Crystal’ examines the efforts of victim support group, The Staff, to rollout the Quantum Crystal to a deeply divided humanity and the inevitable violent opposition to change.

Amazon

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Author Bio Two

An English-born Australian, Rob Shackleford has lived in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, with a varied career that has included Customs Officer, Scuba Instructor, College Teacher and management roles in too many places.

With degrees in the Arts and Business, he is mad keen on travel, Scuba diving, Family History, martial arts, astronomy, and playing Djembe and Congas. Despite that, he is actually not that boring. Rob is father of two and has made his green escape with his lovely lady into Australia’s Gold Coast hinterland.   

Other Books by Rob Shackleford

Traveller Trilogy

Traveller Inceptio

If you were sent a thousand years into the past, would you survive?

After the accidental development of the Transporter, university researchers determine that the device sends any subject one thousand years into the past.

Or is it into a possible past?

The enigmatic Transporter soon becomes known as a Time Machine, but with limitations.

An audacious research project is devised to use the Transporter to investigate Medieval Saxon England, when a crack international team of Special Services soldiers undergo intensive training for their role as historical researchers.

The special researchers, called Travellers, are to be sent into what is a very dangerous period in England’s turbulent past.

From the beaches of Australia to the forests of Saxon England, Traveller – Inceptio reveals how Travellers soon learn that they need more than refined combat skills and modern technology to survive the trails of early 11th Century life. First Two Chapters here …

Writing “Traveller – Inceptio”

“Traveller – Inceptio” is my first novel and, like any first novel, is the result of years of writing, rewriting, editing, and then leaving it to sit and mature, or rather for me to mature, so I could go back and write new chapters and make adjustments. Originally titles “Traveller”, Traveller – Inceptio was rebranded to make the book name stand out more.

To keep the historical components accurate I had to engage in considerable research. In so doing I have tried not to become too engrossed in the historical minutiae of Saxon or Gabi Gabi Aboriginal life but have attempted to look at what it was like to be a person living there and then. If I have made errors, these are a lapse in my research or understanding and are not meant to be malicious or lazy. I welcome scholarly and cultural input and corrections so I can better understand the rich tapestry of human history where I dip my toes on occasion.

While writing Traveller I have the deepest gratitude for friends and family for their encouragement, input, and correcting my many spelling and grammatical errors. The inspiration for Traveller came when I was sitting on a beach one day and observing the many resorts that proliferate around Australian beaches. Thinking how the world has changed over twenty years then led to speculation of changes over the past two hundred years since the European settlement of Australia. So – why not 1000 years? The world was such a different place.

The cover is an image of a Saxon saex or knife as created by Artist Blacksmith and Bladesmith Owen Bush of Kent in England. I am grateful for his generosity in permitting the use of his image. View his impressive work at http://owenbush.co.uk/  

To describe the attempt to professionalise the writing process, this book has been physically published, professionally edited, rewritten and shortened, republished in electronic format, and recently proofread. Phew!

I hope you find Traveller Inceptio to be an enjoyable read. 

Traveller Inceptio eBook Links:

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Traveller Probo 

Traveller – Probo is the inevitable sequel to Traveller Inceptio and the second of the Traveller series.

Traveller Probo

Would you survive if sent one-thousand years into the past?

Development of the Transporter saw highly trained researchers, called Travellers, successfully sent one-thousand years back in time to early medieval Saxon England.

Traveller Missions now mean enormous national prestige and the recovery of valuable lost artefacts and knowledge, so nations vie for the use of the Transporter and more daring Traveller missions are planned.

As the study of History becomes hotly contested, politics and power soon come into play.

To study lost peoples and civilizations, Special Forces researchers have to be even better trained, better equipped, and prepared to put their lives on the line.

While Michael Hunter continues to build a life in Saxon England, the tragically injured Tony Osborne finds his resurgence in a mission to ancient Turkey, and Professor Adrian Taylor seeks to better outmanoeuvre his contentious colleagues.

From the misty shores of New Zealand to the shining splendour of the ancient Byzantine Empire, it is soon learned that sending modern researchers into the past is not without its rewards, and pitfalls.

Traveller Probo eBook Links:

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Barnes & Noble

Kobo

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Traveller Manifesto 

Traveller – Manifesto is the final novel for the Traveller Series.

Traveller Manifesto

Traveller Manifesto is Book 3 of the Traveller Trilogy, the explosive final sequel to Traveller Inceptio and Traveller Probo.

To use the enigmatic Transporter and send Special Forces trained Researchers back a thousand years is now the biggest game in world politics.

But not only politics, as academics scramble to outdo each other and harness prestige in the increasingly influential field of History.

As Professor Taylor is rescued from Byzantine Rome, a heavily-armed US Traveller team explores Mississippian Cahokia to experience a situation beyond even their control. Michael Hunter and Tatae flee Giolgrave in the hope of finding safety from modern interference. But at a terrible cost.

And something seems to be happening in Israel, resulting in the creation of a high-profile investigation team to uncover if there is a clandestine Traveller mission operated by the US and Israel.

From the windswept mountains of Wales, to the hills of Cahokia and the dusty wadis of the Negev, researchers find that to visit the past may not necessarily provide the answers they seek.

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More about writing the Traveller Series

When we examine the history of humanity one thousand years in the past we find many human populations were experiencing massive change and population migration. Migration meant populations coming into contact and the inevitability of violent conflict. This resulted in the extinction of cultures and races.

The people of the time were often not people we of the 21st Century would like to visit. Over a surprisingly wide segment of the globe, any strangers risked becoming victims of cannibalism or ritual sacrifice. The Pacific, the Americas, Africa, and indeed many locations would be just too dangerous for a 21st Century researcher to visit.

 

Rob Shackleford Social Media Links

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Goodreads

 

 

Introducing Sandra Brewster, Women’s Fiction Author

Interview With an Author

 

What is your name?

Sandra Brewster

Do you have any pen names?

No

Tell us about where are you from?

Currently, I live in Chilliwack, BC. It’s where corn comes from and is about an hour east of Vancouver. I grew up in Squamish, BC which is the stop light between Vancouver and Whistler. I married my husband while there and we moved regularly. We spent 5 years in Northern BC with 24 hour daylight in the summer and 4 hour daylight in the winter. We then spent years all over Ontario.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

I work in a Walmart pharmacy. For fun and recreation, we plan trips, go for walks, hikes, garden, read and have almost finished renovating our house.

When did you start writing stories?

The first story I remember putting on paper was in Grade 8 or so. It was about a bank robber who escaped on a plane. I’ve had stories running through my mind for as long as I can remember. I wrote my first manuscript in 1990. We had moved to Ontario, and I was so homesick. The story in my head started to keep me up at night and I wrote it down so I could purge those thoughts and I could sleep. Work, babies and life got in the way and I stopped for a few years. Then my mom had a stroke. All she could do was read and she very quickly read through the library in their small town. I then opened the part of my mind again and allowed the stories to flow to entertain her.

What or who inspired you to write stories?

I don’t know. I’ve said often that I’m just the keeper of the hands that type. Where the ideas come from? How the puzzle fits together? I don’t know, I just type and let the story form. I learned early on not to delete anything until the entire story is finished, you never know what fact is going to be important.

What is your favourite genre to write and why?

I would say it’s Romance, but to be honest, I don’t like that label. It brings up a vision of Harlequin Romances and bad Christmas movies. People trying to hide from their feelings and avoiding the one they care about ‘in case they find out.’ Most of what I write is a couple fighting to stay together and dealing with the problems the world deals them.

What is your favourite genre to read?

I like to read Women’s Fiction and Suspense.

Who is your favorite Author and why?

From years ago, LaVyrle Spencer, I love her writing. Nora Roberts has a varied style and I like a lot of her books. Blood Brothers and my current favorite is Under Currents. Danielle Steel and a lot of Daniel Kalla’s work.

What was the first story you ever wrote?

I don’t think it even had a title. It was about a bank robber who escaped on a plane. My first full-length novel finished is IN HONOR OF HIM. My first full-length novel started is Nobody Needs to Know.

What happened to it? Did you save it or trash it, and why?

The bank robber was trashed. I gave it to a teacher to read and was told it was too predictable. The two novels are on tap to be self-published.

Are there any sub-genres that you would considering pairing together?

I would love to be able to write suspense and crime stories. A personal touch of a couple fighting together is what I love.

Do you have more fun writing the scenes, or creating the characters?

I like dialogue the best. I get to say all the things that I wish I’d said when I was having the conversation.

You’re an Indie Author, so tell us, why go Indie? Why choose to self publish?

I’m not interested in fighting to become a best-selling author. I don’t want to be pushed to sell, sell, sell. My whole point in getting my books published was to hold them in my hands with a beautiful cover. That they’ve been well received and people love them is icing on the cake.

Tell us how you work. From pen and paper, to your fingers dancing across the keys, do you find yourself cozy and warm with a cup of tea and a blazing fire? Or do you hide in your dungeon, slaving away on your latest masterpiece; the words of wisdom flowing from your fingers as the story is born? Tell us how you write?

Music! There must be music. When I wrote full time, my kids were in school. I would write while they were in school. Spend the evening with them and then write till the early hours of the morning. I mostly typed all day. First thing the next morning, I would print out what I had written the day before and would make hand-written notes on it. Many a time, I would write a paragraph or thought which was further along in the story and then spent the rest of the day trying to catch up to what I’d written. In my novel, No Matter What, I wrote the ending first.

Social Media Links

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Reviews:

Shattered Badge Shattered Trust

 


So finally sat down to read the book tonight and yeah it’s now 3:33am!! I absolutely loved it! The story made me laugh, feel anger and cry! The author definitely has the gift of a story teller ? Her writing has a good amount of wit and sarcasm to it as well which I love in a story! I love the attention to detail and can tell she did her research for the backgrounds and jobs for Jill and Logan. This is great at helping develop depth to the characters and helping me feel like I really know them and be able to sympathize with them. I thoroughly enjoyed those 4 hours lost in her imagination and I give it 5 stars!! ??????????

****

This book captured me as I read through the chapters. There was always something going on and then the least expected occurred. So many emotions were encountered including bringing tears to my eyes. Well done Sandra Brewster this is a wonderful read.

****

Absolutely loved this book. I immediately fell in love with the characters and couldn’t put the book down til it was done. The writing is fantastic. I felt like I was there with Logan and Jillian through it all. An absolute must read. 5 out of 5 stars from me ? ? ? ? ?

****

Sometimes I don’t finish mystery novels because I get bored with them. This author however, blended mystery and romance in a way that kept my attention throughout. It was difficult to put it down at night. You may lose some sleep when you read this book.

****

Well written with a great ending. Showed lots of insite into the sometime failed law enforcement procedures. Sandra should be compared with Sandra Brown.

It’s Only a Name

I honestly cannot put this book down, I’m halfway through and so far, there has been so much that hits so close to home. I understand Devon, I understand why she feels and thinks the way she does. She has become a friend of mine and I find myself rooting for her!

****

I encourage everyone I know to read this book, I promise, you won’t regret it. You’ll be finding yourself thinking about it, thinking about Devon, about Jarrett, anxious to find the time to read more.

****

It is amazing! So accurate. I loved it! Not living it but revisiting the how and why. An absolute must read, either cautionary or for recovery.

****

I absolutely love it! I know I’ll be so sad when I’m finished. You’ve truly outdone yourself with this one, I can’t wait to start the next!

****

 Author Bio 

Most children have imaginary friends. I was no different. I spent hours in my room telling myself stories and creating lives for my “friends”. Where most people grow out of this stage, as I grew older, the lives I’d created became more intense as I understood more of the world.

As an adult, letting my mind wander as I tried to fall asleep began to keep me awake as I tried to keep all my stories straight, and the only way to sleep was to purge my mind of the characters by writing it down.

My mother had a stroke and once home from the hospital, the only way she could entertain herself was by reading. She very quickly read through the library in the little town she lived in, so I told her to give me some time. Typing as fast as I could, I turned my scraps of paper and stories into six novels to send to her so she had something to read.

I have since written a seventh and have three more in various stages of completion.

On the personal side, I work OTC at a Walmart pharmacy and am the wife of a retired RCMP Constable. We live in Chilliwack, BC and have two grown children.

 

 

 

 

 

Are you a New Author?

 

 

DID YOU KNOW?


Writers Beware is one of t
he first websites all new authors need to read before they look for a publisher or at self-publishing. Along with this you should read ‘The Ultimate Author Checklist.’ an great PDF full of information from an excellent Marketing website.

Both websites are excellent resources for authors. Writers Beware informs and keeps us updated of things we need to be aware of. It lists Vanity Press and all the ongoing scams which are ripping us off due to writers not doing their research correctly. It is also continually updated. What a lot of writers do is Google publishing or ask in writing groups we belong to. The problem is Vanity Press know how to use SEO’s to their advantage and Writing Groups get a lot of Scammers in them or people who say they know what they’re doing when they don’t.

The Checklist is more about setting yourself up as an Author, getting social media working for you, making or paying for a website and so much more. We give this PDF out to our clients no matter how far along they are in their journey.

SEO’s (just in case you don’t know what they are.)

Search Engine Optimization. Part of this is keywords businesses use to get their sites and adverts in the top spots on Google and other types of search engines. Because it is at the top, you are more than likely to go and click on them, and they have you… unless you know the ropes of what they are offering, which is why research is important part of life.

Many of you will use your own keywords during your publishing and marketing days to help readers find and buy your books. Publisher Rocket is great for finding good Keywords for your genre. (It was formerly known as KDP Rocket.)

Costs

The first thing you need to be aware of is the cost of publishing. Many say it is FREE!  It isn’t. Uploading a manuscript and book cover to KDP and other distribution websites is generally FREE, though some do charge fees. (Ingram Spark and Lulu). All Vanity Press businesses will charge you large amounts of money. Not only that, they also charge BEFORE they do any work on your manuscript. You will also be asked to sign a contract which you need to read and understand. A lot of these contracts give them copyright of your manuscript in all types of publishing, be it eBook, paperback or hardback. Each one will cost you more money to produce. If you wish to get out of the contract, they can take ninety days or more to hand back copyright. You will need the associated paperwork to prove to distributors like KDP that the copyright has reverted back to you.

Vanity Press

The main worry about Vanity Press is they don’t do the work they promise. They don’t pay out the royalty; they charge you for storage of books they print, some expect you to buy copies in their hundreds and of course you pay for freight, which they charge more for than they should. I know of one person who did their own freight, and it came out $400 cheaper… This is why WRITERS BEWARE is a must read.

Another thing you all need to remember… When you have work done in your home, building a deck, car maintenance etc… You don’t pay them until they have finished the work. You pay AFTER the work is finished. NEVER pay a contractor in the writing world until you have approved the work they’ve done for you, unless it is a deposit, which many businesses use these days, so they don’t get scammed by clients. Sadly, this does happen and has happened to my business.

Research

Research every contractor you work with. Seek out the details you need by asking the right questions. Get to know what those questions are by reading blogs. Ask for sample edits from various editors and find which one you feel more comfortable working with. Do the same with graphic designers and illustrators for book covers and images you may wish to use. There are certain things contractors need to know to do their job correctly.

This is a post I wrote a while back about Fiverr and Graphic Designers...after all you get what you pay for!

Editing

Do they edit in the English Language you use—British, American, Canadian, Australian, etc?

Do they edit in your genre?

What type of editing do they offer?

Line Editing, Copy Editing, Beta Reading, Proofreading?

How much experience do they have?

Do they have qualifications, or have they learnt on the job?

Do they have good reviews (ten or more good ones)

Graphic Design

Do they buy stock photos?

What DPI do they work with?

What type of file do they save too?

Are the fonts they use for commercial usage?

Proof of purchase of any fonts and stock photos?

You can use photos you have taken as long as you can prove they are yours.

Reverse check any sample images they give you. (some lie or steal other peoples work)

Ask other Authors and check out their covers.

Check reviews (ten or more good ones)

The last thing you want is to be sued by a photographer or font designer for copyright infringement.

Formatting or Interior Book Designer

As well as being an Author Consultant, bringing contractors together to build books, I also work as a formatter, and turn manuscripts into a professional files to upload on KDP and other distribution websites. There are many formatting apps around now, though many are not as professional as people seem to think. Pick up a paperback printed by a traditional publisher, and you will see what I mean. Look at how it is set out, how tidy it is. If you are contracting out for formatting, you will be paying more than $10 to get a professional finish. Note the differences between eBooks and print books. There are quite a few, including page numbers- which don’t start on the first page of the manuscript, header and footers, endnotes/footnotes, images and in eBooks Alt Text for images so people who are sight impaired can read the image.

Technology Growth

Technology is advancing in leaps and bounds, changes and updates happening all the time. If you’re not a techy person, then you do need to research every detail about producing a book. It is hard work if you want a professional outcome.

Always remember paperbacks and hardbacks need to be justified with a line spacing of 1.15 cm at the most. Indents shouldn’t be more than 0.5 cm. Learn how to use STYLES in WORD if you write in WORD. If you use an app, you still need to make sure these things are correct. This means you need to learn to use the app correctly, watch the videos, or talk to someone who knows what they’re doing. Keep yourself updated with the changes.

Websites and Social Media

Most authors have websites, though these only work if you use them, share the posts, and have a marketing plan. You need to know about SEO’s and keep your website relevant. Post at least once a week. Talk about your books and yourself, about your writing, how your muse helps or hinders you. There are plenty of ideas out there which you can write about.

Social media also seems to be slipping to the wayside, especially Facebook with all their rules and regulations, people getting banned for weeks or months. I’ve noted a lot now use Instagram and TikTok, if you’re not camera shy like I am. You can get Book Trailers made for YouTube or you could read one of your books on video and share the links.

Marketing

An excellent resource for Marketing is ‘The Ultimate Author Check List.’ It is brilliant, and even I still need to finish reading the document and put things into place. Marketing will cost more money and this should be the only one going cost with your books. If you are a techy person, you maybe able to make Teasers and Adverts to use, remembering each social media website has criteria your advert needs to fit.

Once again, be careful of scammers, especially from those who approach you! Most are dubious. I like to work with people who have reached out to me or have read a review. Word of mouth is a wonderful thing. Don’t forget to leave your contractor a review, especially if they fulfilled all the criteria of the contract.

We welcome questions in the comments area. We are happy to help new authors find the right way to go for their needs. Meanwhile, be careful out there.

New Hosting for my Business Website

 

Well that was messy and long winded to get sorted. Remind me not to do this again in a hurry. At least I am safe and nearly sorted for the next three years.

I had been meaning to get new hosting for my website so I could use PLUGINS, SEO and GOOGLE ANALYTICS… and YAY I have finally done it, though it was a journey and a half of hair pulling frustration on various days. Actually most of the week, In fact it is a brand new learning curve for me to get things done.

A big thank you to Courtney Cannon for her help and advice and a special thanks to all the staff who help at InMotion Hosting. They are fabulous on chat and email. Quick to respond and happy to help. If it wasn’t for them, I doubt I would’ve sorted this transferring of my website out. It was a lot messier than it should’ve been. Why? you may ask.

TRANSFERING A FREE WORDPRESS WEBSITE

All I can say is DON’T EVEN TRY UNLESS YOU ARE A TECH PERSON. Obviously I’m not, though I am good with a fair amount of technology, the behind the scenes and the HTML is way beyond my knowledge. To this day I wish I had been allowed to do computer studies at high school. It wasn’t a FAD after all, like my mother thought.

The back up you can download on the FREE WORDPRESS is an XML File and you can also download an MEDIA File. This is where it can get cranky depending on who you use as for hosting your website. I have no idea if it is the same, though I’m sure it must be similar. I have seen behind the scenes before on a CPANEL, just not for about five years, so things have changed. The advances in technology continue to grow and leave many of us behind.

Once you have the files you can upload them to your FILE MANAGER… I’m not sure what happens from there. However you can INSTALL your website yourself if you know how. My problem came when they asked for a FTP Path. I had no idea what it was, let alone where to find it. A lovely person on InMotion chat helped me through this. Meanwhile I had emailed WORDPRESS (you can’t get CHAT on a FREE SITE) and they good over 48 hours to reply. Which is when the frustration hit. When I did get a reply… The information was something I’d already thought of two days prior, however the tech said don’t do it not worth…etc. I couldn’t anyway because I’d already transferred my DOMAIN NAME and I couldn’t get into my WORDPRESS ACCOUNT. More frustration.

At one stage, I had uploaded the XML Files over my WORDPRESS SITE instead of the new one, which doubled up all the pages. It took me 24 hours to work out how to get rid of it.

I did ask InMotion Hosting to do the Transfer, apparently, you need a SQL File to do so and FREE WORDPRESS BACKUP doesn’t have one. Meanwhile, my new website looked a mess, wrong colours, only had two pages, the FRONT PAGE was not my HOME PAGE and once again InMotion Chat came to the rescue and he redirected to my HOME PAGE and we got rid of the FRONT PAGE for something in Sweden. It was weird. He also assisted me by deleting my website which was horrible and I finally set in motion my Transfer with the Transfer People. I was to scared to do it by this stage.

WHAT I HAD TO DO

Once WordPress has sorted my website out and gave it a FREE Domain name, I sign in and did what I should’ve done a few days previous, which was buy a MONTLY BUSINESS PLAN with WORDPRESS… 

Yeah I hear you… BUT YOU’RE MOVING YOUR WEBSITE

First of all I didn’t know they did MONTHLY PAYMENTS… It was always for a year and all the searches I did a few days prior all said NO MONTLY… etc. After talking to wordpress via email (waiting another two days) it seems they do and  you can get a REFUND if you need. I paid the $33 odd dollars and refreshed my website looking for the back up details I needed. HURRAY, they were there and NO WAY was I touching it.  The guy on chat at InMotion had sorted out my website there and deleted the stuffed up pages and I went to the guys who do the TRANSFERS filling in the request form and hoping for the best.

WHOOP. IT WORKED … I HAVE A WEBSITE 

All I have to do now is learn how to use the darn thing… With a CPanel and the WordPress Admin, it’s all different. I can do an AMP Edit or and WordPress Edit. Watch this space for an update… Hopefully this part won’t be to frustrating. I love computers… Now to learn how to use the Plugins.

Publishing Confusion – Part Four – Social Media

Social Media.

Most of you know how to use the basics…or do you? I thought I was good with Facebook, when one day a course in our local region we found a tutorial on how to use Facebook for business. It blew what we thought we knew right open. OUCH. Luckily there was no re-learning, there was extra learning.

In the last twelve months, many of our Social Media websites have updated. Things have moved, changed or disappeared. Even we’ve had issues finding various items. Sometimes the frustration creeps in and takes over. The better you can use Social Media, the better you can MARKET your business and grow your AUTHOR BRAND. With saying that, we need to give you a few ways to make more out of a post and images.

We’ve always been taught that images get more people looking at your posts. However, what sort of image do you need to use? Have you ever looked on Facebook to see which type of images get the most likes and shares? Why do they get so much attention. Why do people stop scrolling and read? 

Next time you find something you like and read, think about what you notice first. Is it the writing? Which part? A title? A font? Large fonts? The mission into marketing is endless trying to find out what will work for us and our books. RESEARCH…yep that word again. Weird how it keeps cropping up.

Advert for Shattered Badge, Shattered Trust by Sandra Brewster.

We’re going to make a Facebook Post. It was a new release for one of our clients. The novel is called ‘SHATTERED BADGE SHATTERED TRUST’ by Sandra Brewster. It is available on AMAZON. To the left  of the screen is the book cover. For those who are sight impaired the image shows a police badge which has been broke into pieces the the book title across the middle. At the top of the cover is the Authors name. The background is a greenish blur of a crime scene.

First things first is to make a 3D cover so it looks like a book rather than a flat image. This will make it stand out better and hopefully grab a readers interest. It is obviously a story which involves a character who is a cop. Though what is the relevance about the Shattered Trust? Who’s Trust was destroyed and why? Maybe a bit of the synopsis will tell us what’s going on. Can we add it to the Facebook Post? 

This depends on what type of Marketing you are looking at doing. Who are you aiming your ADVERT at? Are you doing a PAID ADVERT or a post in a group? Will you make a TEASER for the story or a POSTER. On that note…if you can’t use photoshop, GIMP, Krita or similar graphic apps then please use CANVA. It’s FREE and easy to use, even for those who think they aren’t good with technology.

CANVA – AUTHOR INTRODUCTION IDEA

In the first PNG image you have all the different areas, all giving you different information. Obviously this is a small image of what the poster would be if it were printed out. Looking at it digitally and asking a few friends, I see what they like and don’t like. The BOOK BLURB is to pale and needs to be BOLD FONT. The eBook app in the image above the authors profile image needs to be put in (can’t do this on CANVA FREE). I don’t like is the BOOK LINK.. it looks to big and untidy. We may make it smaller or use a QR Code.

We have made some adjustments on this second image. The book cover has been placed into the eBook app on the image. In the next image we have put the BOOK BLURB in bold to show what it looks like.

The main issue with the poster is having to use two different apps to make the poster. We started in CANVA and played around, asking for opinions… Now we need to put all of this together. This same poster only needs the book cover adding to the eBook reader along with the QR Code and then it is finished. For now we’ve left the book link in though made it smaller and bold.

My next question is: What do you think? Is it good? Are there any changes? What do you get from reading the poster? Would it make you look up the author and read her books?

Please let me know in comments.

NOTE: The image is to complex to put in ALT TEXT. 

 

 

Psychology in Business – Shapes

A while back I posted about the psychology behind FONTS and COLOURS, then I discovered SHAPES had various meanings as well. Pulling all three together to make a LOGO or ADVERTISING MEDIA when you’re starting your business would be a bit of a nightmare. The more I think about what I missed over the years while education myself as I went is horrifying. This is something I don’t remember covering in any business course I did in 2015/2016 and I did three, the last being a Diploma in Business Enterprise. It goes to show these courses don’t cover everything.

PSYCHOLOGY OF SHAPES

What do you know about SHAPES? Which one’s appeal to you? What draws you in?
Great questions and it makes me wonder what you notice when you watch adverts on TV or see adverts on billboards, in newspapers or social media. What shape do you see most often? Does it appeal to you? If you’re on social media, what makes you stop scrolling? The SHAPE, COLOUR or FONT! Perhaps all three, because someone got the right combination for their business.

How do you choose a SHAPE for a Logo? Good question. My logo is based on Family History of my partners line going back to the 1820s in London two hundred years ago. The Lamp still stands on Woolwich High Street, outside the building which was a pub. The last I heard, the building is now a hairdressing salon. This shows how much thought I put into my business when I first started in 2014. Not much at all. I was learning as I progressed. However, I will keep my logo. I like it as does my husband.

What do you need to do? Research the psychology of SHAPES. Watch Adverts and understand what you’re seeing, what they mean to the business who created it. Make a list of the ones you like along with the colours and hunt down fonts you can use. Bring them together by starting with a black and white design, edit the graphic until you’re happy with what you’ve drawn or had your graphic artist draw. Choose a font which matches your business and then you have millions of colours and shades to play with.

Last week, we travelled to Sanson and visited Viv’s Kitchen for a lovely morning tea of cream horns and iced chocolate drinks. It was sublime. What catches the eye though are the colours. They used various shades of a  gorgeous mint/pale green along with a retro style. It draws customers in and we had time there. Below are a set of photos from their website. The link you can find above.

This is just one example on how to get things right. The café has been busy everything we’ve visited. This lovely café has also been on TV and is famous for their cream horns. A lush pastry horn coated with sugar. In the centre is jam and cream. Most delicious.

Starting a business, then get your thinking caps on and research what you need to make you stand out from everyone else. 

Good Luck.

 

Welcome to 2022

Picton, New Zealand looking out over Waikawa Bay

Hurray, 2022 is here, well in New Zealand and a few other countries… Looking forward to you all joining us and celebrating a brand new year where positivity will move us all forward in leaps and bounds. At least I hope so.

Lots to do and a business plan for this year to sort out before work commences on the 6th Jan 2022. We have five books to work on over the next couple of months with another touching down in April. It is going to be great fun working with these clients, they are awesome writers and people.

Business

Part of the plant this year is to take Monday’s off and do a course on Marketing. Though I have some marketing skills, I need to up my skills to move this business forward to the next stage. As many of you not, our business says Publishing House in the title. At this stage we don’t actually publish any client’s work, we only prepare work for distribution. I work as an Author Consultant and Formatter. This is due to the fact, USA business tax is complicated (to say the least) With saying this, we will eventually look into publishing in New Zealand, though the costs are much higher than KDP, Smashwords etc. This is because printers in New Zealand don’t understand the POD (Print on Demand) system or don’t use the system the same way as overseas. They have a single price for one book, it is set out… the more you buy the cheaper the books are. This means it can cost thousands to print books and is sadly out of many writers pockets, which is why we use places like KDP.

Sadly KDP can be tricky and terminate accounts and not pay-out royalties whenever they so choose. Considering those of us living outside an Amazon area/country, we only get paid after we’ve earned $100 USD, POUNDS, EURO etc. With this warning, please be careful out there and read all the policies of the places your distribute your work through.

As well as up-skilling my marketing, I am also updating my graphic art skills, mainly on GIMP, learning to do layers etc. I had a blast about ten days ago with a new client and their book cover. Slightly frustrating, though enhancing my skill.

New Clients

I have several new clients coming up this year, though will blog about them at a later date, when they are ready for publishing. An interview is a great way to introduce you all to new writers. Along with this I am hoping to have an Instagram day, where I will post about books once a week… first though, I need to learn how to use Instagram a bit better than I do. I’m not good with a phone and wish we could post via computer. I’ve heard some can, so will see what happens this year. We also need to finish updating this website and adding the links we are missing. If you see a broken link, please let me know.

Lots of learning. Weekends will be for family. We will have set hours, though we will also always answer Fb messages when we see them due to the time differences around the world.

Reviews

If you have books on Kindle Unlimited and they are in a genre we read, then please let us know and we will read and review. Reviews will be fair and only done if we can give 4 or 5 stars. Anything less and we will message you… the author, instead and let you know what issues we’ve found, be it formatting, or editing, etc.

Introducing Rob Shackleford, Historical and Sci-Fi Author

Interview With An Author

 

What is your name?

Rob Shackleford

Do you have any pen names?

No

Tell us about where are you from?

I live in Australia, at a mountain area called Mount Tamborine with my partner Deb and our cat Mr Moo. This is our escape after living on the coast, so can be considered our Green escape.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

I have foolishly started a new business in the importation of a water filtration bottle called a Paany! It essentially removes germs from your drinking water. I was approached by people I used to work with and decided – what the heck – I can always do with more money! I suppose I like the thought of humanitarian aid applications, though that is a tough gig.

Oh, why do we do these things?

I am also engaged in the steady renovation of our house and gardens, which is good for my soul. There is something about green things growing that heals. I also go to the local Men’s Shed to learn how to make things out of timber and iron and, now travel has been largely stopped, do a little hiking and getting into wild places.

When did you start writing stories?

I started about 13 years ago. My first book, Traveller – now Traveller Inceptio, was completed 3 years later.

What or who inspired you to write stories?

Traveller Inceptio is a mix of science fiction and historical fiction that examines how members of 21st Century Western society could survive the world of the 11th Century.

I was inspired one day after I had been ripped off by a crooked business partner. I was pretty depressed and sat on a beach, imagining how the location would have looked 100, then 200, then 1000 years in the past. Fortunately, I lived close to the beautiful beaches of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia and the exercise of imagining the location before resorts, powerlines and phone towers brought to mind a very different world.

The next step in the tale was to imagine how modern humans would survive ‘back then’. Then – how could such a journey be possible?

The story was born

Besides a lot of my own research, being banned from my library for being so late with returning books, and making every effort to be truthful and conscious of Australian Aboriginal historical sensitivities, the rest was a lot of fun.

What is your favourite genre to write and why?

I love to read good science fiction and love to write the same. I accidentally immersed myself into historical fiction because that is where the story led me. I also love history, and my father is a very dedicated genealogist, so to merge the two genres was fun.

What is your favourite genre to read?

Science fiction and historical fiction – they have to be good though!! Careful, well researched work only!

Who is your favorite Author and why?

I don’t think I love one author only.

I dearly love the works of George Orwell, Colleen McCullough (The Rome Series), JK Rowling, Bernard Cornwell, Arthur C Clarke, Andy Weir, and so on. These are authors of tales of imagination, of new worlds described with not too much waffle. I especially love a clever tale. Stephen King can provide such tales as well.

Occasionally there are authors like Yann Martel (Life of PI) and Gregory David Roberts (Shantaram) where the painting of the mental picture with words can be magical. I always aspire to such a skill.

What was the first story you ever wrote?

I wrote Traveller. That was the short story that became a book that became a series.

I also wrote a few children’s books that were loved by those who read them. I am awaiting my daughter to illustrate them before I take that area any further. That has only been 10 years.

What happened to it? Did you save it or trash it, and why?

Traveller Inceptio was called Traveller and was liked by those who read but, I realize now, rambled on and on. It was finally edited by an English ex-publisher who essentially tore off my arm and beat me over the head with it.

After being shortened, chapters removed, waffle disposed of, tears shed and resubmitted to another editor, I was told I actually had a great story.

Traveller (crappy name – since then how many TV shows and books have that name?) was renamed Traveller Inceptio – meaning beginning. I was advised it was a unique tale, yet since then there has been Game of Thrones, Vikings, and Outlander – all terrifying similar in some respects, but not close enough.

After I was approached, Traveller Inceptio was submitted to vanity publisher Austin Macauley and wasted 3 years sitting around doing nothing.

I have written 5 other novels, including 2 others as sequels to Traveller Inceptio – written because readers and reviewers insisted. Reader encouragement and love of the story has given me encouragement to keep on going.

Thankfully stories continue to make themselves manifest.

Are there any sub-genres, that you would considering pairing together?

I have written a few novels as experiments – a disaster novel with a gentle sci-fi touch, and also a gentle sci-fi in a format similar to Dean Koontz. I find inspiration in looking at odd occurrences changing people as they try to survive in life

I think action and a little adventure and romance is always useful, because that is what happens to real people and makes a story worth telling. I never appreciate gratuitous sex or violence in a story.

 Do you have more fun writing the scenes, or creating the characters?

I really enjoy creating the characters. My first book, the research team for the Transporter were my first real characters. One character, Phil, was essentially based on my son. His friend, Yeti, was also one of my son’s friends by the same name. Believe me when I say the language, stunts and stupidity in which these guys engaged were based on real-life.

I really like to get into the character and hopefully make them a real, three- dimensional believable people. That’s my goal anyway.

Once the character is realistic, I like to place them into the story. The scenes, remarkable as they might be, are part of the character’s experiences. I like to see how a certain person would behave when exposed to the realistically extraordinary.

You’re an Indie Author, so tell us, why go Indie? Why choose to self publish?

Writing is like ‘The Voice’. It doesn’t matter how good you are, or even if you are any good at all. It’s all about being recognized as commercially viable.

I have heard tell that JK Rowling of Harry Potter fame would never be published if she had tried today, because she was poor and nobody would care. Agents don’t want to take a risk. They aren’t really that well paid in most cases. They want a sure thing. So do publishers. That is why there are so many questionable books by best-selling, established authors, celebrities, cricketers and footballers.

So how does an unknown, non-celebrity author break through that?

The desire of so many to be recognized as a credible author makes for a fertile field for rip-off artists ad conmen. Vanity publishers charge fortunes and do nothing for their authors, while we all agonize over if we are truly good enough. What makes it worse is how some of the “Best” new authors touted by some publishers are rubbish.

There is a long and winding road for any author today, and part of that is to find someone like Claire here who is willing to take the risk and help.

Self-Publishing is only the start and, while this may get nowhere in terms of private-jets or Lamborghinis, is the domain of those who don’t want to quit

Tell us how you work. From pen and paper, to your fingers dancing across the keys, do you find yourself cozy and warm with a cup of tea and a blazing fire? Or do you hide in your dungeon, slaving away on your latest masterpiece; the words of wisdom flowing from your fingers as the story is born? Tell us how you write?

I have a study with nice light and a grevillea tree outside where the lorikeets love to squawk and feed.

My best time is in the morning. I am definitely a morning person when it comes to clarity of mind and the ability to place fingers to keyboard. Sometimes, as I go through my day, I get a thought or garner a point that needs to be included in any of the novels I have under way or completed (not published – when they’re published that’s it – it’s too late), so I jot that thought down on paper and make a point of researching further before I add or change the text.

Yes, sometimes I have a lot of scattered pieces of scrap paper sitting on my desk.

Inspiration comes when working in the garden, driving, hiking, chatting or watching You-Tube, which is my preference to normal TV. To be honest, some of what I watch would be scientific and historical, so potentially boring to many, but the research goes on.

 Social Media Links

https://robshackleford.com/
https://www.facebook.com/RobShacklefordAuthor631222523675665/ https://www.instagram.com/rob_shackleford_/
https://twitter.com/robshackleford
https://www.linkedin.com/in/robshackleford9999/

Book Reviews


Traveller Inceptio

Bookroom Reviews

http://www.bookroomreviews.com/traveller-inceptio-by-rob-shackleford-a-time-travel-adventure/#.YaQdRWBByUl

Traveller Inceptio is a fantastic book.431 pages of great writing,fun and interesting characters. Excellent history lessons. If you liked the History Channel’s Vikings you will no doubt love this book I think I understood this book a little better because I watched that show. —->Time Travel is COOL

Artisan Book reviews

Traveller Inceptio by Rob Shackleford – Book Review

Traveller Inceptio is an entertaining, enjoyable and gratifying read, filled with action, adventure and a touch of romance. Rob Shackleford’s exemplary writing style is smart, clever and creative, drawing readers in from start to finish. I am eagerly looking forward to the next book in the Traveler Inceptio series by Rob Shackleford. Highly recommended by Artisan Book Reviews for both men and women, and all insightful, passionate and curious readers!

Traveller Probo

NN Light

Title: Traveller Probo: Traveller Book 2 (Traveller Series)
Author: Rob Shackleford
Genre: Time Travel, Science Fiction Adventure
https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/post/traveller-probo-bookreview

My Review:

A tour de force in time travel fiction. Incredibly detailed, the author has a keen eye for creating imagery. If an avid fan of time travel, then this book is for you as it will transport you to the past.

If you are a new reader, you will be captivated by New Zealand. The complications that happen in New Zealand take this story into a fresh new turn. The scenes are gripping, realistic and simply draw the reader in.

The portrayal of Special Forces members shows the author has a good appreciation of this special group. The training illustrated for the would-be travellers rings true with accuracy. The continued use of the media’s view helps keep the book grounded. You get a real-world feel for this series with tv and radio personalities involved.

A brilliantly written book that easily draws in a reader. It wasn’t long before I was dreaming about scenes from this book as I read it. The powerful writing simply imbues a reader’s soul.

The book brings to the forefront an important ethical question that is valid today. When is it okay for people of ‘superior’ ways to help those who have ‘less’? In this book, it is the context of the present and past. In our world, it has been the question generally of western civilization and local populations. How does one objectively rate the impact of ‘oh we can help them’ in terms of today? Each reader can grapple with these ethics in their own way. This book does a lovely job of highlighting this contentious theme.

One can’t help but admire the moral and ethical nature of Hunter. The international intrigue and suspense in the 21st century keep this book also with a foot in the present. Recommended to fans of the original book. Recommended to all lovers of the time travel genre. This book will have wide appeal and should be a bestseller.

My Rating: 5 stars

Anthony Avina – Author

https://authoranthonyavinablog.com/2021/11/04/traveller-probo-traveller-book-2-by-rob-shackleford-review/

The Review

This was such an adventurous and thought-provoking follow-up to the author’s equally exciting first book in the sci-fi series, Traveller Inceptio. The world-building and character development the author employs here is masterful, as the time-travel element allows readers to experience both the present-day individuals going back to study these ancient civilizations and the historical figures who encounter these strange individuals. The action kicks off from the get-go, with a mission to New Zealand’s past taking a bloody turn, and the balance the author finds with the political and social intrigue of the present with the action and history of the past was so amazing to read.

The attention to detail and imagery the author uses throughout this narrative was so vibrant and engaging that it felt almost cinematic in quality. I could easily picture this as either an ensemble cast film or streaming series, exploring these vast sets and time periods while employing a unique sci-fi twist that will keep readers engaged throughout the narrative. The themes of morality and western civilization’s mindset that superior technology, intellect, and resources give them the right to change or dictate how others operate and live their lives was felt in every chapter of this narrative and kept readers’ minds active as well entertained.

The Verdict

A brilliant, gripping, and heart-pounding historical fiction and sci-fi read, author Rob Shackleford’s “Traveller Probo” is a must-read novel. The intrigue and mystery of the growing missions and the back-room dealings surrounding the Traveller tech will keep readers on the edge of their seat, and the shocking cliff-hanger endings for both established and new characters alike and their missions will have readers eager to devour the next chapter in this epic series. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

 

Author Bio

An English-born Australian, Rob Shackleford has also lived and worked in New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, with a varied career that has included Customs Officer, Scuba Instructor, College Teacher and management roles in too many places.

With degrees in the Arts and Business, he is mad keen on travel, Scuba diving, Family History, martial arts, astronomy, and playing Djembe and Congas. Despite that, he is actually not that boring.

Rob is father of two and has made his green escape with his lovely lady into Australia’s Gold Coast hinterland.

 

Introducing Jenzy Montague and learn about her children’s books.


Interview With An Author – Jenzy Montague

 

 

Tell us about where are you from?

Everywhere, LOL I was born in Missouri. I call Colorado my spiritual home. I loved it there and would move back in an instant. I’ve lived in California, Montclair, New Jersey, and now Virginia. I love mountains and college towns. Virginia gives me both. Even though I live an hour from Charlottesville, Virginia, I consider that home too. I’m a history nut so much history to glean from this area!

What do you do when you’re not writing?

Tag team with my daughter and hubby in homeschooling my three precious grandbabies! If not a nose in a textbook, I’m sewing and working with my crafts. I love to get outside and dig in the soil with my gardening. My youngest grandchild loves mother earthing with me.

When did you start writing stories?

I wrote stories when I was a child. I got serious as an adult but put it on hold so I could enjoy my biggest achievement, mothering my daughter. I would always jot down notes about stories that were in my head for years. I was a single mom. I had to be the breadwinner. I worked in a corporate world until I met my hubby.

Since the pandemic, I found myself having time to re-visit my thoughts of getting serious in my writing. It was my daughter Nikki that kept me on track making it happen.

It also was the pandemic that made me realize I needed to write a children’s story about Covid-19 from a child’s point of view. Watching the concerned looks on my grandbabies’ faces, I just had to do something. Noah just popped in my head. Even his name conveys our surviving the pandemic. It is the new norm. Perhaps even a new beginning. With all the stories that were already in my head, it took a pandemic to shake me loose.

What or who inspired you to write stories?

Children. Even when I was one myself, I was compassionate about little people’s feelings, their thought patterns. I wanted to be heard and it would come out on paper.

What is your favourite genre to write and why?

Children’s literature at present. However, I have some notes that I plan to dabble in someday.

What is your favourite genre to read?

If I do not have my nose in a children’s book reading to my littles, I am reading the school curriculum for lesson planning. However, during my downtime, I love historical, paranormal, and fantasy stories.

Who is your favorite Author and why?

Nicole Strycharz. She is a multi-genre writer and I just get lost in her books!

There are other amazing authors I love too. There is Daisy St. James and Lisa K Miller. They both write paranormal romance. Reading these talented women’s works is like a vacation away from the real world for me!

What was the first story you ever wrote?

LOL As a child there was Humpless, the Humpless Camel. I dare say I was very little. In reality, it was Cynthia’s Thankful Halloween.

What happened to it? Did you save it or trash it, and why?

My amazing illustrator, Mara Reitsma, has joined forces with me to publish Cynthia’s Thankful Halloween. Mara turns my world of characters into the exact picture I have in my head. It is like we are of one mind.

My little character Cynthia has been a part of me for years. All I did was tell Mara, and she got me. Then there is you, Claire. You have the talent to frame it to perfection. I am happy to say Cynthia will be a reality hopefully in time for 2021 Halloween. As for Humpless, well, he is still in the file. LOL.

Are there any sub-genres that you would consider pairing together?

Not sure just yet. Possibilities way back in my mind at this time.

Do you have more fun writing the scenes, or creating the characters?

Creating the characters because for me they create the scenes.

You’re an Indie Author, so tell us, why go Indie? Why choose to self publish?

Why not? There is a world of amazingly talented authors out there but cannot reach the goal or luxury of being published. Hats off to the authors who have been traditionally published. After all, they are and have been our inspiration. I choose to support my pen and paper with the Indie world because the drive is for our work to get out there and be read. Without both traditional published and self-published, we would not have such a world of choices to choose from. Makes the reading world so rich!

Tell us how you work. From pen and paper, to your fingers dancing across the keys, do you find yourself cozy and warm with a cup of tea and a blazing fire? Or do you hide in your dungeon, slaving away on your latest masterpiece; the words of wisdom flowing from your fingers as the story is born? Tell us how you write?

LOL, I am usually working side by side with my daughter, Nicole. Our desks are next to each other, with a bookshelf in the middle. Both computers are ticking away with yes, a cup of tea or, most likely, coffee in the early morning. If it is further on in the day, most likely there are children running back and forth screaming at each other or calling Mom, Grandma…Not sure to this day how we do it, but we do. Chaos keeps you on your toes or, for us, our minds working our fingers on the keyboard.

Social Media Links

Noah’s Book Link: http://mybook.to/iamasuperherobyjenzym

Website: https://gaiasgirl101.wixsite.com/jenzy-myworldbooks

FB Page: https://m.facebook.com/MyWorldBooksbyJenzy/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/JenzyMontague/e/B095J8CZ53/

 

Author Bio 

Jenzy, a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature, has lived in many parts of the United States throughout her life but settled in Virginia with her family.

She homeschooled her daughter and aided many moms with their journey in homeschooling. She assisted with and tutored children of special needs in phonics, reading, and math.

Now, grandma to three precocious grandbabies. She joins her daughter in homeschooling them.

Jenzy’s been telling stories from childhood to grandmotherhood.

She prefers being in a cubby with pen and paper, capturing the thoughts of children. She shares that hearth of imagination with her daughter, who is also a writer. The only other place to be, she says, is enjoying her brood of three in their little classroom where she teaches!

EXCERPT FROM NOAH

I Am a Superhero A Kid’s Thoughts on Covid-19:
Available Now

Now, Mommy is my schoolteacher and school is at home. We have to stay home ‘cause there’s a sickness that hurts people. I keep forgetting the name of the sickness, so Mommy has to remind me it’s called Covid-19. I don’t like that name, so I just forget it! We have so many rules now.

We have to social distance from people. We have to stay six feet apart. That’s like as long as my dad lying down on the floor. The sickness can jump that far! Everyone wears masks. I don’t like not seeing faces, only eyes. Are they smiling or are they sad? I sing happy birthday every time I wash my hands, and it takes forever!

NEW RELEASE

Cynthia’s Thankful Halloween:
Releasing Soon

A windy start for October, just perfect for Halloween, thought Cynthia. She was the new member of the haunted house on the hill, at the edge of town. Even in the ghost world, a little ghost needs a family, and this house came with one. It wasn’t easy being a ten-year-old little ghost who just moved in and getting a new family too.

Just a few weeks ‘till Halloween. She must practice being scary. The moon would be full this year on Halloween, and her name meant moon. She had to be the best fright ever!