Author Archives: Marcha's Two-Cents Worth

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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.

Today’s Writing Tip

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The fact you can’t please all the people all the time is intuitively obvious to authors. Some people may love your book while others hate it. Nothing is more demoralizing than a bad review. To renew your confidence, check the reviews on some of the classics. Somehow it does your heart good to see Ernest Hemingway get 2 stars.

Writing styles change over the years. What was considered a good story 50 or 100 years ago may not be well-received in today’s market. Sometimes originality works and others it doesn’t. Being in-tune with current trends can help assure your book’s success. Who would have guessed twenty years ago how popular vampires and zombies would become?

 

Choose “The Alternative” Day 5 Blog Tour!

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BOOK COVER

Choose “THE ALTERNATIVE” Blog Tour DAY 5.

Welcome today! Thanks to my marvelous host …

Thank you for joining me here on my New Release Blog Tour.

Book Blurb

There are those that cling unreservedly to the lifeboat that believing in Karma hands them so willingly.

They work, they live, and they function in a world that allows them the option of unreservedly trusting that Karma has no deadline.

Until they are handed the spark that ignites them into becoming the instrument of Karma itself.

There are others who have had all they once held to be truths, everything they once stood for and took pride in, torn apart and ripped from them by the hand of a cruel fate.

Then, of course, there are those who believed in nothing and no one, to begin with …

These are their stories.

The stories of people both good and bad, who made the choice to exact “The Alternative.”

Today I want to give you a brief look at “Isolation Can be Deadly”

An Excerpt.

Chapter 5. Isolation can be deadly.

The woman’s body language screamed stress. One long-fingered hand toyed with the ends of her honey-colored hair; she clenched and unclenched her fingers, totally unaware of the tangled mess she was weaving.

Her right hand showed white knuckles as it gripped the telephone.

Her voice, however, was controlled and ice cold.

“Yes, yes I can hear you just fine. Yes, I am going to place another advertisement. Not that it’s any business of yours, daddy dear. Do you think me a complete idiot?” She paused to listen to his reply.

“Why didn’t they stay? You, of all people, have a damn nerve asking me that. Why would they stay?” Sam hissed out the words. “You didn’t!”

Sam shifted the phone to her other ear, taking a deep breath before she continued, “I don’t want to hear it. I am thirty years old, not thirteen! You have no right to play the concerned father. You forfeited that right when you walked out on mother and me to be with that, that, slut! Even that stupid bitch could only stand you for six months. You are a pathetic, useless, excuse for a man!” Sam slammed the phone down.

She braced herself against the edge of the kitchen sink, feeling the bile rise in her throat. “Shit! Why do I let him get to me like that?”

“Shit!”

Two large Rottweilers came charging into the room, responding to Sam’s raised and angry voice. Their hackles were up and they searched the room with their eyes ablaze, seeking any perceived threat to their mistress.

“Easy, my boys, easy.” Sam hunkered down, soothing the agitated animals.

“Good boys. Momma’s fine … sit.” The two dogs dropped to their haunches immediately, and Sam rewarded them for their loyalty with a loving hug.

She made herself a fresh coffee and took out the writing pad to reword yet another advertisement for the city papers.

WANTED: Male Ranch-Hand, Jack-of-all-trades. Must be good with horses. Property located in Far North Queensland. Must be able to tolerate isolation. Applicants must be fit and healthy. Doctor’s certificate required. Generous wage, plus all meals. Large bonus after three months continuous employment. Written applications only. Single males only. No family ties. Successful applicants will need to travel to North Queensland for the interview process. The employer will recompense reasonable expenses incurred. Apply, Sam Mannix c/o Post Office, Shady Creek: North Queensland. Australia.

******************

There are things that can kill you in the Jungles of far flung North East Australia.

BUT … Which of them is the most deadly?

Is it the beautiful Samantha Mannix … The Owner of Euphoria Homestead?girlwithhorse

Or perhaps it’s her newly hired Ranch-Hand Ben Edwards!

guyonbike

Or was it something else entirely?

crocodile

Buckle in, stay alert and hang on … it’s one HELL of a ride.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Again my sincere thanks to my host, and to the great crew at 4 Wills Publishing for organizing my blog tour!

“The Alternative” NOW Available Amazon.com

Author Bio:

Suzanne Burke resides with her daughter and grandson in a small country town located hundreds- of miles to the west of her previous home in Sydney Australia.

Suzanne had long wanted to write, life interrupted and she didn’t begin her journey into the world of writing until she was in her early fifties.

Suzanne has written her memoirs under the author name of Stacey Danson, both her non-fiction books have ranked in the top 100 paid in Kindle on Amazon. “Empty Chairs” and “Faint Echoes of Laughter” continue to earn wonderful reviews.

Suzanne writes her powerful Thrillers “Acts Beyond Redemption” and “Acts of Betrayal” and her Paranormal anthology “Mind-Shaft” as S. Burke.

Connect with Suzanne

Amazon Author Page

On TWITTER.

On Facebook.

My Blog

This tour sponsored by 4WillsPublishing.wordpress.com

Today’s Writing Tip

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Not all books are easy to categorize, especially when they’re a cross-over that blends two or more genres. This will make it even more difficult to find your target audience. This is where you have look closely at your prominent theme. Is it romance? A mystery? Thriller? Horror? Next look at your setting. Is it contemporary? Historical? Futuristic? Dystopian? Use appropriate keywords such as these to help drive the right people to your story.

Today’s Writing Tip

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Apparently some people don’t read the description before buying a book. This became apparent to me when I got some bad reviews based on complaints related to matters that were clearly explained in the book blurb. That shows the importance of your book cover, which also needs to be an accurate representation of what’s inside.

This is the downside of being a writer, the opposite of the euphoria you feel with a good review. Be prepared for both.

Today’s Writing Tip

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Do you know which genre your book fits best? This is not always as simple as it sounds. There are sub-genres as well, which help identify your book’s content. Yours may be a combination of two or more. Some evolve over time, like sci-fa (science fiction-fantasy) or sci-fi romance, while in some cases your book may be so unique it doesn’t fit anywhere. Some of the most original and clever stories I’ve read fit that category and I don’t envy the author trying to figure it out. This also makes it very difficult when you have to categorize it on sales sites or during the marketing phase.

Most readers have a favorite genre, so if you want to target your marketing efforts to those most likely to enjoy your book, then you need to figure it out. If it doesn’t fit one of the existing ones, then figure out the closest combination.

#RWISA “RISING” WRITER – @BeemWeeks #RRBC

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via #RWISA “RISING” WRITER – @BeemWeeks #RRBC

Check out this outstanding writer and fellow author, Beem Weeks.

Today’s Writing Tip

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Do you have a “elevator pitch” for your books, i.e. a catchy description you can give someone in the matter of seconds, such as someone you meet briefly waiting in line at the grocery store or in the doctor’s office? As a fellow author, I know these are often harder to devise than your book. Condensing a story’s content into a few sentences is never simple, but essential. If you’re an introvert, having something memorized makes it a lot easier to share your work than being caught unprepared and stammering out a few vague sentences. Be sure to include the genre and if it’s for children, teens, young adults, or adults.

 

Today’s Writing Tip

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Make sure your book’s description fits its content. If a reader is disappointed it’s likely to result in a poor review, not necessarily because your book is bad, but because it didn’t meet expectations.

I’ve had this happen to me with both fiction and nonfiction. In one case, the blurb was probably misleading while in the other, the reader obviously didn’t even read the book description, which was particularly annoying.

Today’s Writing Tip

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Your “book blurb” is what goes on the back cover and describes your story on sales sites. It needs to capture the essence of your story in such a way that it grabs potential readers’ attention hard enough that they can’t wait to buy your book. These are not easy to write. Most authors have less trouble writing the entire book. Similar to an “elevator pitch”, but a little longer, you can embrace more detail. Don’t say too much, however, and by all means leave them wondering how it turns out! If you’re really stuck writing one, read a few online or in a bookstore to get ideas and also sense what works and what doesn’t.

Today’s Writing Tip

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When going to conferences or book signings, don’t overdo it with swag. You want to draw attention to your books, not distract from them! If it’s clever and useful, it will make a stronger impression that lasts longer than something that’s simply “cute.”

There are exceptions, of course. I was recently at the Space Coast Book Lovers Conference in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Toward the end of the signing period when everyone was getting a little bit loopy, my tablemate’s tiny, LED laser pistols that also generated the expected sound effects were a huge hit. Dozens of people came to her asking for one so they could join the fun, and she had her name and website affixed to them, of course.