Author Archives: Marcha's Two-Cents Worth

Unknown's avatar

About Marcha's Two-Cents Worth

I'm a science fiction author of the Star Trails Tetralogy, retired after two decades working at NASA, defected from my physics training to become a professional astrologer, and various other acts of rebellion. More recently, I've teamed with Pete Risingsun in writing "The Curse of Dead Horse Canyon: Cheyenne Spirits" which was released in July 2020 with more to come.

Meet Author Rhani D’Chae (2nd RRBC “Treat” Reads Blog Hop, Day 6) #RRBC #RRBCTreatReads

Posted on by

“Greetings!  Welcome to the 2nd RRBC “TREAT” Reads Blog Hop!  These members of RRBC have penned and published some really great reads and we’d like to honor and showcase their talent.  Oddly, all of the listed Winners are RWISA members!  Way to go RWISA!

We ask that you pick up a copy of the title listed, and after reading it, leave a review.  There will be other books on tour for the next few days, so please visit the “HOP’S” main page to follow along.

Also, for every comment that you leave along this tour, including on the “HOP’S” main page, your name will be entered into a drawing for a gift card to be awarded at the end of the tour!”

RHANI D'CHAE PIC

Rhani is a talented writer who doesn’t shy away from controversial subjects. I really enjoyed her short story “A Perilous Thirst”, which is gripping, clever, and insightful. You can find my review of that story here. I’m sure this story will likewise bring new insights to life and relationships.

Follow Rhani on Twitter @rhanidchae

ONE DYKE COZY

RHANI D'CHAE BOOK People come into our lives for a day, a season, or a reason…

 “Shy taught me to fight like a champion, love like a poet, & live like it was my last day on earth.”

 One Dyke Cozy touches on the lives of two girls, Gabby and Shy, from their first meeting as children to Shy’s untimely death.

 NOTE: This novel contains profanity and adult situations.

 

 

Today’s Writing Tip

Posted on by

design-space-copy

Social media can be a virtual blackhole for your time and creativity, especially if you maintain a presence on several. Using the same post for as many as possible, which will undoubtedly reach slightly different audiences, can help save time as well as your sanity. Maintaining a list of posts that you can cut and paste versus creating each time is another time-saver.

In some cases, it’s worth it to take a class or spend some time on the various apps to discover some of the tricks that increase efficiency. For example, Pinterest is more than a place to post cute pictures. You can include a link to your website or a buy link after grabbing a potential customer’s attention with an original graphic or meme.

Meet #RWISA Author/Editor Robert Fear!! (2nd RRBC “TREAT” Reads Blog Hop, Day #5) #RRBC #RRBCTreatReads

Posted on by

“Greetings!  Welcome to the 2nd RRBC “TREAT” Reads Blog Hop!  These members of RRBC have penned and published some really great reads and we’d like to honor and showcase their talent.  Oddly, all of the listed Winners are RWISA members!  Way to go RWISA!

We ask that you pick up a copy of the title listed, and after reading it, leave a review.  There will be other books on tour for the next few days, so please visit the “HOP’S” main page to follow along.

Also, for every comment that you leave along this tour, including on the “HOP’S” main page, your name will be entered into a drawing for a gift card to be awarded at the end of the tour!”

Today’s featurROBERT FEAR PICed author, Robert Fear, wrote “Fred’s Diary”, but his talents also include editing. The book being highlighted here is one that he edited.  You can follow Robert on Twitter @fredsdiary1981

Book Blurb: John Fear was born into a religious sect known as the Exclusive Brethren. This sheltered him from the outside world as he grew up, but could not hide him from its influences. A struggle began in his mind that led him to leave the Brethren, along with his young family. Rather than reacting as many do and totally abandoning any belief system, John remained true to his convictions and continued a ROBERT FEAR BOOKstrongly religious way of life. Still serving God he worked in many places throughout the world, rubbing shoulders with famous people such as Billy Graham, Mother Teresa and Cliff Richard.

The writing style of this book is dynamic and engaging. John’s personality shines through and he paints an insightful account of his personal life and surrounding historical events. This account is not a sensationalised expose of the Exclusive Brethren. Instead, it follows one man’s life journey and is brought to life through his diary entries and family letters. This beautifully edited book is more than a memoir. It is a delightful mix of history, social customs, travel and belief. An honest, personal and emotive account of how religion can touch and shape a person’s life – forever.

You can pick up your copy of “Exclusive Pedigree” on Amazon here.

#RRBC #RRBCTreatReads

Today’s Writing Tip

Posted on by

computer- copy

Shocking your readers with something for which you’ve left them entirely unprepared often backfires. This is where little hints and teasers that plant suspicions in their minds should be used.  Rather than distract from suspense, they actually add to it via anticipation, which is better than something out of the blue. If something too surprising occurs, it commits the primary author faux pas of throwing the reader out of the story.

Any jaw-dropping occurrences should thus have a foundation in credibility by being set up beforehand. Then fire away!

Meet #RWISA Author, Peggy Hattendorf!! (2nd RRBC “TREAT” Reads Blog Hop, Day #4) #RRBC #RRBCTreatReads

Posted on by

“Greetings!  Welcome to the 2nd RRBC “TREAT” Reads Blog Hop!  These members of RRBC have penned and published some really great reads and we’d like to honor and showcase their talent.  Oddly, all of the listed Winners are RWISA members!  Way to go RWISA!

We ask that you pick up a copy of the title listed, and after reading it, leave a review.  There will be other books on tour for the next few days, so please visit the “HOP’S” main page to follow along. 

Also, for every comment that you leave along this tour, including on the “HOP’S” main page, your name will be entered into a drawing for a gift card to be awarded at the end of the tour!”

Today’s featured author is Peggy Hattendorf and her intrigue-filled novel, “Son of My Father.” You can follow Peggy on Twitter @PeggyHattendorf

PEGGY HATTENDORF PIC

PEGGY HATTENDORF BOOK

SON OF MY FATHER

It was always “Father” never “Dad.” The love and respect was manifest so was the distance – the distance not as evident. Christiana Lynn Barrington’s life was a carefully constructed world built, presented and controlled by her billionaire father, Jonathan Robert Barrington. She never knew anything else.

Frequently, she wondered if her father had wished to have had a son instead of a daughter but never posed the question. Maybe she was afraid of the answer.

As the only child of Jonathan and Elizabeth Matthews Barrington, she was the heir apparent to the behemoth Barrington Holdings International. But a threat to her hard-earned succession waits in the shadows ready to take everything she’s worked for away from her.

You can pick up your copy on Amazon here.

#RRBC #RRBCTreatReads

Today’s Writing Tip

Posted on by

computer- copy

Give your supporting characters unique talents that fit your plot so each contributes something to the story. This enhances their individuality and helps avoid redundancy in your characters by justifying their existence in the story.

If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, think about your favorite sit-com and the differences between the characters. These traits are also useful for creating conflict. Weird habits or talents can also be useful in describing their appearance and contribute to imagery. For example, if someone is a mountain climber they’ll have a different appearance than someone in a garage band.

Meet Talented Author, Gwen Plano!! (2nd RRBC “TREAT” Reads Blog Hop, Day #3) #RRBC #RRBCTreatReads

Posted on by

“Greetings!  Welcome to the 2nd RRBC “TREAT” Reads Blog Hop!  These members of RRBC have penned and published some really great reads and we’d like to honor and showcase their talent.  Oddly, all of the listed Winners are RWISA members!  Way to go RWISA!

We ask that you pick up a copy of the title listed, and after reading it, leave a review.  There will be other books on tour for the next few days, so please visit the “HOP’S” main page to follow along. 

Also, for every comment that you leave along this tour, including on the “HOP’S” main page, your name will be entered into a drawing for a gift card to be awarded at the end of the tour!”

GWENDOLYN PLANO PICToday’s featured author is Gwen Plano, another one of my favorite authors. Don’t you just love her wall full of sticky notes? I can sure relate! You can follow Gwen on Twitter @gmplano

She’s the author of “Letting Go into Perfect Love”, a true story of escaping and overcoming the horror of abuse. She has also recently co-authored with John Howell the Amazon Best Seller, “The Contract Between Heaven and Earth”.

GWENDOLYN PLANO BOOKInspiring and unforgettable, Letting Go into Perfect Love is a riveting account of a journey through the terror of domestic violence to a faith that transforms all. As a college administrator, Gwendolyn M. Plano lived her professional life in a highly visible and accountable space–but as a wife and mother, behind closed doors, she and her family experienced unpredictable threat. The statistics are staggering–every 9 seconds in the United States, a woman is assaulted or beaten–but to Gwen, this was her secret; it was her shame. When her husband eventually turned his brutality on her son, she knew she could no longer remain silent.

Alternately heart-wrenching and joyful, this is a story of triumph over adversity–one woman’s uplifting account of learning how to forgive the unforgiveable, recover her sense of self, bring healing into her family, and honor the journey home. Accompanied by glimpses of celestial beings, Gwen charts a path through sorrow to joy–and ultimately, writes of the one perfect love we all seek.

You can pick up your copy on Amazon here.

#RRBC #RRBCTreatReads

Today’s Writing Tip

Posted on by

coffee- copy

Giving your protagonist a unique or unusual name can make him or her more memorable. However, if it’s so weird or impossible to pronounce that your readers stumble every time they see it, then it can be a distraction, which is something you never want to do. It works best if you keep it short and easily recognizable. If you have several such names, make sure they’re of different length, and don’t have the same first letter, which makes them easier to tell apart.

This seems to happen a lot in science fiction and fantasy and something I’ve struggled with from time to time.  Now that my series is being made into audio books, I have to admit I’m wondering how my narrator will say some of those names! I’m reminded of the movie, “Men in Black”, where some of the space aliens have some pretty strange names that I’d have no clue whatsoever how to spell!

Meet Another One of My Favorite Authors, Mary Adler!! (2nd RRBC “TREAT”Reads Blog Hop, Day #2) #RRBC #RRBCTreatReads

Posted on by

“Greetings!  Welcome to the 2nd RRBC “TREAT” Reads Blog Hop!  These members of RRBC have penned and published some really great reads and we’d like to honor and showcase their talent.  Oddly, all of the listed Winners are RWISA members!  Way to go RWISA!

 We ask that you pick up a copy of the title listed, and after reading it, leave a review.  There will be other books on tour for the next few days, so please visit the “HOP’S” main page to follow along.

Also, for every comment that you leave along this tour, including on the “HOP’S” main page, your name will be entered into a drawing for a gift card to be awarded at the end of the tour!”

MARY ADLER PICToday’s featured author is Mary Adler, another one of my favorites. You can tell by that mischievous smile that she’s going to mess with your head in her book, “In the Shadow of Lies”. This well-written and beautifully crafted story is an intriguing murder mystery set in an historical setting, the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area in the 1940s. Learn more about it in the book blurb below. You can read my review of this great story here. Follow Mary on Twitter @MAAdlerWrites

In The Shadow of Lies by Mary Adler

IN THE SHADOW OF LIES

Richmond, California. World War II.  Marine Lieutenant Oliver Wright comes home from the war in the Pacific injured and afraid his career as a homicide detective is over.  But when an Italian Prisoner of War is murdered the night the Port Chicago Mutiny verdicts are announced, and black soldiers are suspected of the crime, the Army asks Oliver to find out the truth.

 He and his canine partner, Harley, join forces with an Italian POW captain and with a black MP embittered by a segregated military. During their investigation, these unlikely allies expose layers of deceit and violence that stretch back to World War I and uncover a common thread that connects the murder to earlier crimes.

In the Shadow of Lies reveals the darkness and turmoil of the Bay Area during World War II, while celebrating the spirit of the everyday people who made up the home front. Its intriguing characters will resonate with the reader long after its deftly intertwined mysteries are solved.

You can pick up your copy on Amazon here.

#RRBC #RRBCTreatReads

Today’s Writing Tip

Posted on by

blogging-copy

Giving your characters names that fit their personality is one way to enhance imagery. Think about it–when you visualize someone named John or Michael you probably get an entirely different image than someone named Homer. Does your image automatically drift toward someone you know with that name?

Need ideas? Search on any given name on IMDb. Think about what the individuals who come up have in common and whether it fits your character.