Thursday, July 5, 2018

Shore Leave!

Hey readers!  Letting you know I will be attending Shore Leave this upcoming weekend (July 6-8) in Maryland.  As a guest author (how cool is that?) I have a bio listed in the site here.  Below are the panels I'm a part of.  I hope I see you there!

Solo: A Star Wars Story (Fri. 7-8 pm, Salon F)
This prequel depicting Han Solo as a younger man hasn’t met expectations
at the box office. Why not?
Laura Ware (M), David Harten Watson, Susan Olesen

Meet the Pros (Fri. 10 pm - midnight, Hunt/Valley Hallway)

Avengers vs. The Justice League (Sat. 12-1 pm, Salon F)
It’s the end of the world. Whom do you trust to save it? The panel will cover comic books, cartoons and movies.
John Coffren (M), Peter David, Laura Ware, Derek Attico, Michael Jan Friedman, TA Chafin

Outside In by ATB Publishing (Sat. 2-3 pm Salon E)
Meet the contributors to these essay collections on the likes of Doctor Who, Star Trek, Buffy, and more.
Laura Ware (M), Bob Greenberger, Amy Imhoff, Derek Attico, Lorraine Anderson, Kelli Fitzpatrick, Joseph F. Berenato 

Heinlein's Five Rules of Publishing (Sat. 4-5 pm Salon E)
Robert Heinlein wrote five basic rules of writing that are easy to remember but hard to actually carry out. A discussion of said rules and their application.
Laura Ware (M), Phil Giunta, Jim Johnson, Lorraine Anderson, Dayton Ward

Indie Publishing 101 (Sun. 10-11 am Salon F)
The basics of indie publishing and why you should give it a go.
Jim Johnson (M), Laura Ware, TJ Perkins, Andrew Hiller, Valerie Mikles, Kim Headlee 

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Excited to talk about the new YA Variety Story Bundle!

I can't tell you how excited I am to be a part of this bundle!  Please read Nick Harlow's post below for information on getting my book Two Weeks in Guyana plus 10 more books by great writers!



THE YOUNG ADULT VARIETY BUNDLE 

 The Young Adult Variety Bundle - Curated by Nick Harlow

 Most of us don't want to read the same plot over and over. Sure, we have favorite books we'll read again, but sometimes novels of a particular genre can feel too similar.

So while I love young adult books, I like books that aren't formulaic.

While this is a mixed bag of plots and styles, all the books feature young people who have to grow up fast in order to face adversity, some of which is of the life-and-death variety. Survival comes in many forms, whether staying alive in a dystopian future or simply getting through high school. While the main characters are very different, they're all people to root for. From non-stop action to pure sentimentality, the books will take you through a range of emotions.

Our bundle kicks off with an old fashioned adventure from the bestselling author Dean Wesley Smith. If you love Indiana Jones, The Adventures of Hawk will take you along for a wild ride through Egypt as our young hero tries to save his kidnapped father by solving a centuries old puzzle. Dean, of course, is a prolific author who has mentored dozens of writers (including me.)

One of the more timely books comes from the very creative Bob Jeschonek in the form of Unbullied, which follows a group of teenage victims who turn the tables in a very clever way. Revenge is also a dish served at the high school cafeteria.

A young adult bundle would not be complete without some science fiction and a touch of dystopia, so we have a few entries in that department. Heidi Tankersley's The Mod Code explores the future of genetic engineering and does so with a strong heroine and a love triangle. Darcy Pattison's Sleepers takes you into the mind of aliens from another planet who desperately need a new place to live. And Earth has location, location, location. And N.W. Harris' series The Last Orphans gives us a chilling look at an apocalypse that wipes out all the adults and leaves children to fend for themselves.

Back in present day, Chrissy Wissler's Swing Away takes you to the sports page… inside the mind of a female softball player who learns that life is not a hanging curveball over the middle of the plate, especially when you have a famous dad. For pure sentiment and emotion, you'll love Space in the Heart from Rodney Walther, the story of a physically challenged girl and her widowed father, both seeking something similar. And the spiritual tale Two Weeks in Guyana from Laura Ware follows a teen who learns valuable life lessons on what he thinks is the vacation from hell.

Finally, some politics from yours truly. The Girl in the White House is basically Red Dawn meets Die Hard, with the President's teenage daughter playing the part of Bruce Willis as she leads a group of kids against terrorists in an effort to save her father. (And one of the few books with "girl" in the title that features an actual girl.) The Ascendant takes us far into the future as a spunky teen takes on an elite government obsessed with control when she discovers a past which has been hidden from society.

As you can see, it's a bundle with a lot of variety, so enjoy! – Nick Harlow

The initial titles in the Young Adult Variety Bundle (minimum $5 to purchase) are:

Unbullied by Robert Jeschonek
The Girl in the White House by Nick Harlow
The Adventures of Hawk by Dean Wesley Smith
Sleepers by Darcy Pattison

If you pay at least the bonus price of just $15, you get all four of the regular titles, plus SIX more!

Space in the Heart by Rodney Walther
The Ascendant by Nick Harlow
The Harvest - The Last Orphans Series Book 2 by N.W. Harris
Two Weeks in Guyana by Laura Ware
The Mod Code by Heidi Tankersley
 • Swing Away by Chrissy Wissler

Plus, as a bonus for StoryBundle newsletter subscribers, you get The Last Orphans - The Last Orphans Series Book 1 for free! Grab that before you start on the sequel, The Harvest - The Last Orphans Series Book 2 by N.W. Harris, part of the bundle itself.

This bundle is available only for a limited time via http://www.storybundle.com. It allows easy reading on computers, smartphones, and tablets as well as Kindle and other ereaders via file transfer, email, and other methods. You get multiple DRM-free formats (.epub and .mobi) for all books!

It's also super easy to give the gift of reading with StoryBundle, thanks to our gift cards – which allow you to send someone a code that they can redeem for any future StoryBundle bundle – and timed delivery, which allows you to control exactly when your recipient will get the gift of StoryBundle.

Why StoryBundle? Here are just a few benefits StoryBundle provides.
• Get quality reads: We've chosen works from excellent authors to bundle together in one convenient package.
• Pay what you want (minimum $5): You decide how much these fantastic books are worth. If you can only spare a little, that's fine! You'll still get access to a batch of exceptional titles.
 • Support authors who support DRM-free books: StoryBundle is a platform for authors to get exposure for their works, both for the titles featured in the bundle and for the rest of their catalog. Supporting authors who let you read their books on any device you want—restriction free—will show everyone there's nothing wrong with ditching DRM.
• Give to worthy causes: Bundle buyers have a chance to donate a portion of their proceeds to Mighty Writers and Girls Write Now!
• Receive extra books: If you beat the bonus price, you'll get the bonus books!

StoryBundle was created to give a platform for independent authors to showcase their work, and a source of quality titles for thirsty readers. StoryBundle works with authors to create bundles of ebooks that can be purchased by readers at their desired price. Before starting StoryBundle, Founder Jason Chen covered technology and software as an editor for Gizmodo.com and Lifehacker.com.

For more information, visit our website at storybundle.com, tweet us at @storybundle and like us on Facebook.

Saturday, January 6, 2018

Looking ahead to 2018

Wow, happy new year! I am so glad that 2017 is over and done with - it was not the best of years for me. Not totally awful (I did learn I was going to be a grandma for the first time) but overall, disappointing and troubling. But I am taking a page from Philippians 3:13-14: "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (NIV) So I am going to concentrate on looking ahead. See what I can accomplish in this new year. There's a lot to look forward to. Here are just a few of my goals for 2018: • Write 182,500 words • Submit at least 1 short story/month to markets • Publish 12 short stories/novels • Get “Laura’s Look: 2001” published • Blog at least 1x a week • Reach goal weight • Keep better track of administrative stuff. I hope you will join me on my journey to become a better Christian, writer, person. Looking forward to it!

Blast from the past

  The above picture is of my granddaughter Lavinia and her sweet mama from six (!) years ago.  Lavinia is dressed as a squirrel, her daddy&#...