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Thursday, March 28, 2019

Out Today! New Release: Bound Magic

Bound Magic, the second book in the Faerene Apocalypse series by Jenny Schwartz, is out today! It's available on Amazon exclusively as it is in Kindle Unlimited.

Buy link:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N5WY96H/ 



Six billion people are dead. More are dying. The Faerene Apocalypse isn’t over, but the seeds for a new beginning have to be planted, now.
The future of Earth is that of a planet of many sentients: of the invading, magical Faerene and mundane, traumatized humanity.
But a few, exceedingly rare humans do have magic. Amy Carlton is one of them. Forced to bond with the black griffin, Magistrate Istvan, and act as his familiar, she doesn’t understand the magic she possesses. Nor does she understand the Faerene society she is thrown into.
She’ll have to learn fast because the cost of Amy’s ignorance couldn’t be higher. Death stalks an apocalypse, and the lives lost could be those of people she loves.

***

Book 1 in the Faerene Apocalypse is Stray Magic,   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N5ZVNLY 

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

The Zen of Renewal


So I’ve been re-doing my website, something that’s very overdue. And, yeah, don’t look now, the new site’s not up yet. It’s a huge undertaking, since I’m actually consolidating two websites, and the process keeps leading me down rabbit holes. You know the kind of thing I mean: a sudden need for new covers and blurbs for my books; new graphics for the site; new swag and promo tied to the new graphics,  covers and blurbs; new design choices, etc.  But it’s oddly relaxing at the same time. There’s a certain exhilaration that comes from freeing myself from of the past. But, uh...just don't tell my husband I said that. 
Seriously. I wish I could convince myself that same principle applies to my mother’s dishes and furniture, but nope. I fear I’m doomed to cart them around with me for the rest of my life, because REASONS.
Anyway…
           I figure this is the perfect time of year for starting over, what with the Spring Equinox happening just last week, the drought in California finally being over, my grandson turning one this week,  and so on and so forth. And as I put my house in order—metaphorically speaking, you understand; my actual house would need an earthquake (or possibly a bulldozer) to achieve order—I've enjoyed unearthing the occasional forgotten treasures. Like the video linked below. I can’t actually take credit for putting the video together, but I did collect the pictures and write the copy. It still makes me laugh.
And, given the state the world is in right now, laughter is GOOD!




Tuesday, March 26, 2019

The Magic of Pooh

I recently watched Disney's live action Winnie the Pooh sequel, Christopher Robin, expecting to be disappointed. Pooh was one of my first real fandoms, although I didn't know the word at the time. Nor does my fandom have a thingto do with the Disney franchise, although I've been generally pleased with the way they've been done. My love affair with A. A. Milne goes back to a small, hardcover copy of House at Pooh Corners.

Pooh and friends don't exist in a traditional fantasy, comic, or science fiction universe, so even now, it's not what some would call a fandom. But when I was a girl, long before DVD or Blu-Ray, or even VCRs, I had books. I was also alone a lot, or at least without other children. My brothers were grown, and I was an "almost only." My parents had a weekend cottage on a lake in southern Michigan and we went nearly every weekend for three seasons of the year. I spent a lot of time outdoors, and a lot of time with books.

One summer, my father's uncle from Ohio came up to visit. He brought with him a handdful of yard-sale books. I honestly don't remember most of them. But House at Pooh Corners, I read over and over and over again, well into my teens. There was just something so...comforting about it. I know now that what I really adored was the way all of the talking stuffies and small forest creatures liked each other even though they all had obvious flaws. Pooh is, indeed, a bear of very little brain. Rabbit is clearly OCD, and Owl is a know-it-all. Piglet is too timid to survive on his own, Tigger has ADHD, and Eeyore, is of course, depressed. It doesn't matter. Theyknow each others'issues, but are friends anyway. As a child who was lonely and very socially awkward, that kind of acceptance was, indeed, a very appealing fantasy.

Years later, in grad school, I took a course on community leadership. Our text was The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff. It uses the Pooh characters as a way to categorize people. I'm sort of an Eeyore/Owl/Piglet hybrid--issues with depression, insecurity and being a know-it-all. My husband is Tigger/Owl/Rabbit. He's far more concerned with details than I am, and not usually as gloomy. It's an imperfect psychological tool, but one that sticks in your brain forever once you've learned it. For those, like me, who have struggled, it's a nice way to remember that other people have different issues and need to be treated as important in their own right. Myvery favorite moment in the recent film is when the grown-up Christopher Robin calls his boss a woozle. And he's right.

Thinking of Pooh and friends leaves me with warm memory-feels from my childhood, and those of sharing the characters with my sons, whether reading to them or watching the Disney movies. I gave my Elder Grandspawn a stuffed Eeyore for her first birthday and the Smallest Spawn has Winnie the Pooh crib bedding. When the spouse and I are babysitting, we go on Expotitions. And right now I'm humming, "I'm just a little black rain cloud.." as I type. You know, as one does. And I'm looking forward to my next Expotition.

***

One of my earlier works has been recently updated and re-released from Supernova Indie Publishing. One Good Man, co-written by me and the lovely Lacey Thorn, is a ghost story and romantic suspense based on the urban fantasy of the vanishing hitchhiker. It's got a sexy new cover, and is availablein both e-book and print from all the usual retailers. Amazon link.

Monday, March 25, 2019

HERE BE NEWS for March 25, 2019


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In Case You Missed It:

Monday, March 18 

"HERE BE NEWS" - All the latest from the gang at Here Be Magic, including a new release and a contest.

Wednesday, March 20 -
"SELF-CARE FOR CREATIVES, the Hows and Whys" - Did you know that writers and other creative people are statistically more susceptible to anxiety and depression? Author Shawna Reppert talks about how to nurture and encourage yourself. 

Thursday, March 21 -

"SUPPORT YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR, and Buy Direct From Their Website" - Author Linda Mooney discusses the benefits for both the reader and the self-pubbed writer. Plus #GumroadDay is coming up soon – find out what that is!

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Sales, Contests and Events:

The Here Be Magic authors often take part in contests or host special events of their own. Here are some of the latest!
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QITIRIN 
Sensuous Paranormal Romance
by Linda Mooney
Word Count:  33.2K 
$9.99 paperback, $14.95 audiobook

SALE get the ebook for 99¢ during the month of March
(Available at this price only on Amazon and Linda's website)

Warning! Contains ill-fitting clothes, inhumane traps, actionable threats, banishment, pissed-off bears, and a way of life that demands both undying love and the ultimate sacrifice.

EXCERPT and BUY LINKS



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Ending soon!
LOVE IS 
IN THE AIR 
GIVEAWAY
from Night Owl Romance!
Runs up to and including Thursday, March 28th, 2019. Easy-peasy to enter, and you could discover some great new books along the way.

1 Grand Prize: Kindle Fire HD 8 & Book Bundle (USA only)
25 – $10 Amazon Cards (open to the world)
75 – $5 Amazon Cards (open to the world)
Check it out at: https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Blog/Articles/Love-Is-In-The-Air-2019-by-Night-Owl-Romance

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Thursday, March 21, 2019

Support Your Favorite Author, and Buy Direct From Their Website


You may notice, when you visit an author's website, that they may list their books for sale directly from that site. There is a major reason for that -- they get the majority of the book's list price from that sale.

When you buy an ebook from a retailer such as Amazon, B&N, Apple, or Google, the author receives anywhere from 35%, 60%, or 70% (depending on the price of the book). I personally use Gumroad to sell direct from my website, and I earn 91.5% of each sale.

Yes, you read that right. I get 91.5% of each sale.

Another reason why I urge my readers to use my website first is because my new releases always show up there before they do on the other platforms. Once I upload to my website, it's instantaneous. But it can take 24 hrs, and sometimes as long as 36 hrs. or more to appear on the other sites. Readers can get their hands on my new releases faster by going through my website!

On April 4th, Gumroad will be giving 100% of every sale to the creators. Which means for every book you buy from me on that day, I will get 100% of the profit.

So, please, mark your calendar. And on Thursday, April 4th, please shop my website in support of my writing. (And because my birthday is April 2nd, it would make a really nice belated birthday present!)

Also, the next time you peruse an author's website, and you see they sell direct from it, choose to buy the book that way. It's one of the best ways you can support them!

Thank you!
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New!
HIS BATTLE LORD'S CURSE
The Battle Lord Saga, Book 8
Sci-Fi/Futuristic/Post-Apocalyptic Romance
by Linda Mooney
Word Count: 65.9K
$3.99 e / $9.99 p

   Things seem to have settled down among the people of Alta Novis. Normals and Mutah are working together, and families are thriving. The compound is filled to capacity and brimming with new life, but their good fortune can only last for so long.
   Winter is setting in, and the surrounding countryside is being plagued by unexpected swarms of wild animals. In addition, a horde of rats is contaminating the food supplies and destroying goods, but why? Where are all these creatures coming from? And why is it happening now? It all seems to point to one man – a sorcer who shows up at the compound and demands obedience, or else he'll bring down a devastating curse upon them all. A curse that threatens to take away all Yulen D’Jacques holds dear.
   The Battle Lord finds himself at odds between fact and fiction, but he’ll stop at nothing to save his family, as well as his dynasty. But sometimes the real enemy can’t be seen, making it an almost impossible battle to fight, much less win.
   Warning! Contains contamination, infestation, rats and possums and bears (oh, my!), revenge stew, a proposal, the start of a beautiful relationship, and a series of catastrophic losses that could include Yulen and Atty's children if the battle lord isn't able to stop a madman from fulfilling his promise.

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Self-care for Creatives, the Hows and Whys


My friends would find it ironic that I am writing a blog about self-care; I’m not terribly good at it. Mostly because I don’t practice it enough. I’ve recently come through a rough patch that ended up extending a couple of years, mostly because I tried to bully myself through it instead of doing what I needed to do to take care of myself and get better. During that time, I saw my productivity in writing and promoting my work diminish further and further while my life became more and more chaotic. Finally, I figured out that self-care was essential to getting myself to a place where I could be functional, not a luxury to indulge in after I did everything right to my own standards.

I hesitate to talk about self-care. For too many people it brings to mind ladies who lunch and hot-house one-percenters in overpriced spas. But really, it’s about finding those few moments of contentment that allow you to remember who you really are. For those of us with dead-end day jobs in the corporate world, this can be a struggle. The more your employer can convince you of your own worthlessness, the less likely you are to ask for a raise, demand your legally-mandated rights, refuse to accept verbal and emotional abuse, or, gods forbid, start looking for a job some place that will treat you like a genuine human being. (Good luck with that, by the way.) Self-care is a highly individual matter. It doesn’t need to cost much, or, indeed, anything. A long, hot soak in a scented bath, a walk in the forest, fifteen minutes sitting on a park bench watching the wind ripple the water across a pond. To paraphrase Big Brother and the Holding Company, You know you got it when it makes you feel good.

The writing community and fandom both are filled with creative people. Creative people are statistically more susceptible to anxiety and depression. Creative people also tend to be very, very hard on themselves. This is not a great combination. If you are nodding as you read this, then you are probably one of us. Let me tell you right now—getting out of bed is hard some days. You’re not weak because you struggle. You’re strong because you carry on anyway. If it helps you to watch kitten videos on YouTube or listen to your favorite actor read Shakespeare for fifteen minutes to fortify yourself before you can make it as far as the kitchen, it’s nobody’s business but your own.

Behavior modification experts will tell you that it’s far more effective to reward the wanted behavior than to punish the unwanted behavior. This is true whether you are trying to train your dog not to jump up on guests as they come through the door or training yourself to keep your butt in the chair and your hands on the keyboard. If you punish yourself with harsh self-talk for not staying focused for the whole two hours (or however long your writing session is), your subconscious is going to believe what you tell it. (Gods, you’re lazy. You’ll never finish the novel at this rate. If you were a real writer, you’d want to write all day. Sound familiar?) Worse, the part of your mind charged with self-protection will decide that writing is bad for you (because you feel horrible when you’re done, because of all that brow-beating) and start to create avoidance techniques to keep you off that chair and away from the keyboard.

On the other hand, if you reward yourself with a bite of chocolate, a shot of good whiskey, or simply an internal pat on the back, your subconscious will start wanting to write because it feels good to write. Training your inner writer can take as much patience as training a puppy. So what if you didn’t make your two-hour goal. You did a solid hour of focused writing, fifteen minutes more than you did yesterday and twice what you did per day a week ago. Good dog—er, writer. And if you backslide? It happens. Take a deep breath, have a long, hot bath or a walk, and forgive yourself. Start fresh tomorrow.

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