Come visit "Mr. Bradley's Garden" by Queen of Spades

The Scent that Launched a Story

When I was growing up, one of my favorite peas to eat was crowder peas. The texture and the taste hit the tummy in a way no other peas could--even black-eye peas. Yet, crowder peas are only grown in certain parts of the States and where I'm currently living isn't one of those place.

One night while asleep, a strange scent hit my nose. I hadn't been around it in years but it was unmistakable. It was the smell of crowder peas being cooked. My stove wasn't on yet my senses were filled to the brim with the aroma.

I couldn't get back to sleep so I sat in front of the computer. A few minutes later, I started to write. Once I finished the story, the mysterious scent became less and less until it finally vanished.

The end result of this writing session became Mr. Bradley's Garden. It is loosely based on my late grandfather, who took lots of pride in his yard and his garden--a blend of the power of giving and the things one can take for granted.

Blurb:

Mr. Bradley takes pride in maintaining his garden and sharing the bounty with the neighbors. Over the years, an illness strikes that hampers his ability to do this deed, which has sprouted more feelings of entitlement than gratitude from the existing generations. When good things come to an end, does the attitude of the community remain the same or is there a deeper impact brought about by Mr. Bradley’s garden?

#FREE and Available at Smashwords

Note:

Mr. Bradley's Garden made its first appearance in Summer Shorts II: Best Kept Secrets. It is so near and dear to my heart that I've opted to release it independently.

LET'S BAN TOGETHER TO STOP THE THIEVERY!

My Dearest Readers, Writers and Precious Patrons,

I'm OUTRAGED!

Yes, that's right! Completed P.O.'d. Because of this I am writing this blog post. I believe that YOU ALL NEED TO BE AWARE!

I'm sure you're all aware of the danger of Book Pirating. It's out there! Everyone knows it.

But now there is a new type of shark in the water...

Brace yourselves my beloveds, for THIS is a DOOZY!

In recent days I've come across two new types of author/book and reviewer con. I truly believe that this one is even worse then plain old pirating. I might have to explain this one to you from the beginning. I'll try to be short.

For several moths now, I had been receiving Book Review Requests--randomly and without warning. Just out of the blue, I'd get these odd and out of place Review Requests. The most peculiar part about it was that I was getting them sent to my personal email address.

Now, here is the part that kept bugging me. I work as part of The Review Board and am constantly doing book reviews. However any books that I review are assigned to me by the moderator of TRB. So whenever I'd get these incidental requests, I'd (1) redirect them to The Review Board or (2) ignore them altogether. Here are the biggest issues:

• With the amount of things that I do (and I do A LOT) there was absolutely no way that I could keep track of all of these random requests.
• I kept wondering, HOW in SAM HELL are these people getting my personal email address.

I'd chit chatted about it back and forth with my Bestie, and she said, "Keep an eye out. You never know where people can get your email address from." I concluded that she was right and did as she suggested.

So, I sat and I waited.

Weeks passed...

Sure enough someone sent out a bulk email to several people, one of which was me. I initially ignored the email and moseyed along with my day. As luck would have it, during the remainder of the day that very same person sent out another bulk email address apologizing for some things and said that she'd never done that before and was a member of a website which listed every one of our email address. Here is a portion of the email just as I'd received it.

"I thought I was emailing people who read and review books in their spare time, people who liked to except unsolicited emails asking for book reviews.

You are all listed on this site:

www.jaydpromo.com"

Now let's be clear... BY NO MEANS am I blaming the person who sent out the emails!

However, after I read that instantly my curiosity was peeked so I clicked the link. And guess what I found out people? Go ahead, guess. I'll wait....

When I clicked on the link and read through the website, I discovered that these people, IF you can call them that, were charging authors for "membership" in exchange for a "list of reviewers". Furthermore, the claimed that they were paying these reviewers commissions for reading and reviewing.

In a word....

WHAAAAAT?!?!?!?

My beloveds, what they are REALLY doing is STEALING YOUR MONEY! The are getting these email addresses from websites, Facebook and whatever other means, and then BLATANTLY LYING to their members! We are not getting any such commissions and they are stealing your money!

Once again, the website is www.jaydpromo.com.

Please spread the word! Tell a friend! Tell a friend of a friend! Contact the actual site moderators and demand an explanation. DO WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO DO TO TAKE THEM DOWN!!

Here is the second situation...

A friend of mine who is new to the publishing game got a hold of me yesterday. She told me that her FREE book was being listed on ePub PDF Books, FOR SALE!! That's right, you read correctly! They took a FREEBIE and listed it on their site FOR SALE!!

Here is where this differs from the typical type of pirating:

• They take a FREE book. Be it a book that was once on promotion, or one that is always free, and list it for sale on their site.
• They attempt to SELL a book that cost them nothing.
• They DO NOT pay the authors royalties or commissions on these sales.
• An Author WILL NOT know that their book has been listed here unless they search for it.
• Unlike OTHER pirating sites (and I'm not saying that the other ones are okay either), they do not give your book away for free, but attempt to make money off of your hard work without your knowledge or consent.

APPALLED?

UMM, YES!

Friends, please, please please spread the word. Tell everyone. Join me in the fight to STOP THIS! Search their site, look for your book, contact them and demand for them to remove your book.

THIS IS AN ALL OUT OUTRAGE!

Once again their site is http://www.epubpdfbooks.com/. We work too damn hard to have to deal with this! It's just flat out ridiculous!

SHARE, SHARE, SHARE!

Author Spotlight, Neil McGarry

Dear RWPPs,

Today All Authors Blog is proud to Spotlight Mr. Neil McGarry author of The Duchess of Shadows.

Following is an Excerpt:

The time had come to leap before she looked.

Duchess crouched on the edge of the channel, her hands gripping cold, rough stone. She took a deep breath to steady herself, tasting metal. She shivered. Even though spring ruled above, down here winter held dominion. The water that flowed through the channel two feet below her would be cold, passing from darkness into darkness, and she swallowed hard. She was terrified now that she had come to it, and part of her wondered if there were some other way. She could very easily drown in the long, wet dark, or become trapped just past the arch only to be fished out by the baron's men…or by the Brutes, which would be even worse. But the estate walls were smooth and tall and she was no acrobat. No one would open a gate for her even if she had the coin for a bribe. There was no other way.

There were shouts from the courtyard above, and she could imagine the baron's men fanning out, double-guarding the exits, beating the bushes and searching every shadow. They would be hindered by crowds of ghosts and gods, but in the end they would find her. She was out of time. It was either a blind jump or the baron’s justice.

She jumped.

Following is the Blurb:

A game is played in the fog-shrouded city of Rodaas, and every citizen, from the nameless of the Shallows to the noblest of the Garden, is a player or a pawn. And no one is as he appears.

Not Minette, brothel-keeper and obsessive collector of secrets. Not Uncle Cornelius, fearsome chief of the gang of brutes and murderers known as the Red. Not the cults of Death, Wisdom, and Illumination, eternally scheming and plotting along the Godswalk.

And certainly not the orphaned bread girl known as Duchess.

Yet armed with nothing more than her wits, her good friend Lysander and a brass mark of dubious origin Duchess will dare to play that game for the most coveted of prizes: initiation into a secret society of thieves, spies and rumormongers who stand supreme in a city where corruption and lies are common coin.

The Grey.

Purchase info:

For sample chapters and more information, visit Peccable Productions.

To purchase the book for Kindle or in paperback, visit Amazon.

For Nook, visit Barnes and Noble.

Or at Smashwords.

Author Spotlight, Lisa Survillas

Hello RWPPs,

Today All Authors is proud to Spotlight Ms. Lisa Survillas and her novel Project Lexi.

Blurb:

Lexi Crandall’s world is turned upside down her junior year of high school. Her confession tears her family apart and leaves them broken. Looking for an escape after graduation, she heads out of town for college. Wracked with guilt and shame, she keeps to herself, befriending only her roommate, Paige. 

Derek Fressen experiences one tragedy after another. After learning to cope with being raised by a single mom, he and his sister, Tiffany, become closer than ever. When Tiffany escapes for college, Derek takes the opportunity to leave his past behind as well. 

San Francisco State University is where Lexi and Derek find themselves junior year, thrown into the most uncomfortable situation possible, a group project that requires each to open up about their past. Their grade depends upon the ability to prove to the professor through a class presentation that they truly learned about one another. 

Painful memories and terrifying tests of courage propel Lexi to learn how to take baby steps in the healing process, and give hope of one day feeling normal. 

Although he feels he’s pretty well healed from the horrible events of his past, Derek is lonely and longing for a life of more. 

Will Lexi and Derek be able to share enough of their lives with each other to pass the class? How much will Lexi let Derek help her in the process? Are their tragic pasts too much to overcome, or will love be in their future?

Pick up your copy today at:

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.ca

Kobo.com

Barnes & Noble

iBooks

Author Spotlight, S.J. Brown

S. J. Brown Author & Wildlife photographer
Present:

Close Ups and Close Encounters: A View From Behind The Lens

Blurb:

60 FULL-COLOR WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHS! On a whim, S. J. Brown decides to embark on a career in wildlife photography. Armed with an inexpensive 35mm camera and a love for the natural world, her adventure begins. Accompanied by her spotter and husband, she ventures to a variety of locations. The couple soon learns there is more to this than just camera settings, lighting, and getting the right angle. Not all wildlife is agreeable to having their picture taken, and many are not easily accessible. Camera in hand, S. J. Brown encounters delicate butterflies, bears, birds, deer, wild horses, and more. Along the way, there are successes and failures, cooperative critters, curious subjects, and some close calls. Experience wildlife photography from her perspective—through the lens of a camera.

About the Author:

Over the years, S. J. Brown has played with a number of artistic venues. Her love of the written word began in high school English class and continues on today, but it is not her only artistic endeavor. Prior to becoming an author, Brown has experimented with sketching, stained glass, and even ran a ceramic business for several years.

Her love of wildlife photography began on a whim with an inexpensive 35mm camera, a few rolls of film, and a passion for nature. Quickly, her everyday life and wildlife photography became entwined. Somehow, even with a husband, a job, and household responsibilities, photographing found a place in the mix.

S. J. Brown’s book Close Ups & Close Encounters features over fifty of her wildlife photographs as well as the stories behind getting those images. S. J. Brown's photographs and written words are her way of sharing her experiences. Introducing others, such as her granddaughter, to the field is one of her primary goals and loves. She hopes her work will give others an appreciation for the natural world.

Excerpt:

I knew I had come too close to him. I could actually hear his breathing. My trembling finger stayed on the shutter and the camera clicked continuously as my mind raced. What were the warning signs alligators gave? Their striking distance was how far? This is how wildlife photographers get themselves into trouble. I had been so engrossed in my subject I forgot about the danger.

The alligator could easily grab me with his powerful jaws in an instant. His claws were huge and could shred my limbs with very little effort. He seemed quite calm, not the least bit upset by my presence, but able to strike in an instant. I backed off slowly and carefully. It was very important not to startle him. This was a dangerous position to be in and I wanted to get out of it in one piece.

“I'm going to back away and let you go back to sleep”. I informed him.

“See, I'm leaving you alone.”

I never took my eyes off of that alligator; if he came at me, I wanted a chance to evade him. Crawling ever so slowly backward; thankful for each growing inch of distance between us, his menacing eyes watched my every move.

Then something grabbed the back of my sweatshirt! I had been so focused on putting space between that alligator and me, I had no idea what was behind me. With a quick jolt I was propelled backwards.

Available NOW at Amazon.com