Become an Editor and Discover Your Pet Peeves #IWSG | Bookworm News #SpecFic

The Insecure Writer's Support Group was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh. August's co-hosts are Christine Rains, Dolorah @ Book Lover, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Yvonne Ventresca, and LG Keltner. Find the other IWSG participants here.

August's question: What are your pet peeves when reading/writing/editing? As a reader, I didn't have many pet peeves beyond "too much description." I didn't really have any when I started writing, except head hopping and trying to figure out "show vs. tell." But when I became an editor, I'll admit certain grammar things quickly became my pet peeves. The one that irks me the most is one I am guilty of not using properly in the past until I read a manuscript where, I kid you not, the author had used that particular phrasing—and mostly improperly—nearly every single dang sentence.

That pet peeve is the overuse and improper use of participial phrases (verb+ing/ed + rest of phrase). The correct way to use them is for the participial phrase to be happening simultaneously as the independent clause (subject + verb) as well as for the participial phrase referring to the nearest noun. I used to be rather loose with my participial phrases, but man, editing that manuscript cured me. Now I cringe when I see one referencing the wrong noun or just being overused.

Of course, if the story is good, I can even overlook that particular pet peeve.

What is your pet peeve? Do you have any insecurities this month?

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As for my goals, July turned out to be a very good month. I helped my friend with formatting and proofreading two of her novellas and critiqued a third one. I also made a lot of progress in Forged and hope to finish my edits by the end of this weekend or early next week. I have realized I need to add a chapter, which will create ripples I'll need to fix in some chapters afterwards, but I still think I can get my edit finished and sent to my critique partners next week. *crosses fingers* I also updated my websites and social media with new banners and updated information. And I caught up on reviewing the books I've read.

I have quite a few goals I'd like to accomplish in August. These goals include:
- Finish editing Forged (The Fate Challenges #2) and send it to my critique partners.
- Add in proofreading changes to my short story "The Folding Point" forthcoming in Spirits in the Water (Elements of Untethered Realms #4) and design the headers for the eleven stories.
- Edit the outline for Destined (The Fate Challenges #3), format the manuscript, and start editing it.
- Edit the outlines for the Soul Reaper series (A Soul to Save, A Soul to Kill, A Soul to Reap, A Soul to Keep, and A Soul to Take). I need to finish this particular task by the end of September, so I can start writing A Soul to Take (Soul Reaper #3) in October.
- Format and proofread the last novella in my friend's fantastic nine-part novella series.

What are your goals for August?

On July 26, WildMind Creative published an interview of me. You can read the interview here.

I also discovered on August 1 that Marked (The Fate Challenges #1.5) was selected for AllAuthor's Cover of the Month competition. You can vote for Marked here.

2017 Stats: 89,339 words written and 677,315 words edited

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BOOKS READ AND REVIEWED

Shadows Fall (Totem #7) by Christine Rains

Descending Moon (Totem #8) by Christine Rains

SPECULATIVE FICTION BOOKS

RELEASING IN AUGUST

Project Pandora by Aden Polydoros

Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore

Halls of Law by V. M. Escalada

Ekata: Fall of Darkness by Dominique Law

Blood and Thunder by Angela Roquet

Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

Descending Moon by Christine Rains

True Shifter by Christine Rains

The Hearts We Sold by Emily Lloyd-Jones

The Third Kiss by Kat Colmer

Thanks for stopping by! I'll be mostly offline August 25-September 4, so I've decided to turn off the comments feature on this post as of August 25. I'll be back with a new post on September 6 for IWSG!

#SpecFic Bookworm News

BOOKS READ

Soul Breaker by Clara Coulson
The Duality Bridge by Susan Kaye Quinn
Harmony Black by Craig Schaefer

BOOK REVIEWS

Soul Breaker by Clara Coulson

DSI detective Cal Kinsey's first supernatural case might be his last in Clara Coulson's Soul Breaker. What attracted me to this novel was the voice of the main character Cal Kinsey. He's sarcastic, sometimes a bit of a jerk, and rash, but he's also caring, kind, and a hero. The action and tension are non-stop, and all I wanted to do was keep reading to find out what would happen next to Cal and the other Department of Supernatural Investigations' members. Coulson crafts a fascinating and unique world and explanation of the supernatural through the invention of the Eververse. There are mysteries within the world and about Cal that I'm particularly looking forward to reading about in the next books. Soul Breaker by Clara Coulson is book one of the City of Crows series, so I'm excited we have more to come. I'm so looking forward to the next book!

The Duality Bridge by Susan Kaye Quinn

Elijah "Eli" Brighton must understand the fugue state he goes into fast before it's used against him in Susan Kaye Quinn's The Duality Bridge. This book picks up not long after The Legacy Human left off. Eli has a difficult task at hand, and he's very uncertain where he fits in his world from the things he learned in the previous book. His situation grows more dire by the minute. I enjoyed Eli's growth as well as Kamali, who really shined in this book. She's a fierce young woman. I feel like we've still only grasped a tiny bit of the magnificent future world Quinn has created. Quinn has crafted a tense plot that makes a reader want to speed through the pages to find out what will happen next. If you're looking for a book that will simultaneously make you think as well as care about the characters and world, then look no further than Susan Kaye Quinn's The Duality Bridge.

Harmony Black by Craig Schaefer

Special Agent and practicing witch, Harmony Black must return to her childhood home to stop the Bogeyman in Craig Schaefer's Harmony Black. Harmony is a no-nonsense, abide by the rules except in extreme situations type of person. She's also kind and compassionate and will do whatever she can to protect people. Because Harmony chooses not to be overly emotional while on the case, I felt distanced from her and what she was going through in the story. I understand why she acted that way around other law enforcement, witnesses, etc., but it seemed like there was an emotional barrier in place for the readers too. Her partner Jesse is quite the spitfire, and she's definitely into breaking rules, necessary or not, so the two do make quite a team. The story moved at a nice pace and had a police procedural feel with magic tossed in. My favorite character by far was the demon/chainman named Fontaine. He made the story come to life for me, and by the end I was very pulled into the world Schaefer has created. If you enjoy urban fantasy and mysteries, then Harmony Black by Craig Schaefer is a very good read.

NOW AVAILABLE AT OTHER RETAILERS

A legend awakens... My paranormal horror collection Once upon a Nightmare is out of KDP Select and now available at other retailers. Purchase the ebook at Amazon.com, Other Amazon Sites, Google Play, Kobo, Nook, OmniLit, and Smashwords. Sometime next week I plan to borrow my co-worker's Mac and upload the ebook to iTunes.

SPECULATIVE FICTION RELEASING IN JANUARY

The Undead Road: My Zombie Summer, Part One by David Powers King

High School Horror: Teen Frankenstein by Chandler Baker

The Year of Lightning by Ryan Dalton

Thief of Lies by Brenda Drake

Breakthrough series boxed set by Stephen Tremp

Cloaked by T.F. Walsh

Waking Up Alive by Emma Shortt

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

The Love that Split the World by Emily Henry

Stray by Elissa Sussman

Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMillan

What a Werewolf Wants by Kristin Miller

Ironheart by Nico Rosso

The Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson
The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry
Mass Transit by Graeme Ing

A SPECIAL MENTION FOR A DECEMBER RELEASE

The Scissors and the Sword by Ethan Fox

Two murders, two pairs of scissors, a Scene-Of-Crime Officer and a Samurai in London.

Thrilling Urban Fantasy!

Purchase on Amazon.

Bookworm News: Teaser from M. Gerrick's The Vanished Knight | An Awesome Giveaway

PROMO AND TEASER EXCERPT

The entity living inside Callan’s soul orphaned her at age eleven. By the time she’s sixteen, it’s ensured her being shunted from one foster family to another.

Her thirteenth foster assignment should be routine. Except... it's not. A psycho in medieval armor kidnaps her and she ends up in a magical world. There, she accidentally discovers a secret her parents had kept until the day they died.

Both actually came from this magical world, but left before Callan was born. To cover their tracks, they’d lied about everything. Even who they really were.

Driven to find out where she comes from, Callan’s trapped in a race for life and death. Walking away isn’t an option, but if she stays too long, the entity will find its next victim.

In this world where secrets are sacrosanct and grudges are remembered, finding the truth will be near impossible. Especially when Callan has her own homicidal little secret to deal with.

One with a taste for destroying her life.

Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon Universal Link | Apple | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

After discovering her parents had kept a whole world secret, Callan races to discover her past. Not easy to do with an increasingly agitated entity living in her soul.

Going to her long-lost elvish roots should answer all her questions. Instead, she ends up in the middle of a nightmare.

The elves are on the verge of an apocalyptic war. Their enemy, King Aurek of Icaimerith, will only be appeased if Callan marries his heir. It’s either her life getting messed up, or an entire country’s lives lost. Simple enough, right?

Wrong.

Because when the entity wants the elves blotted out of existence, saving them gets taken to a whole new level of complicated.

Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon Universal Link | Apple | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Misha Gerrick has been creating stories long before she could write and is currently going after her dream of making a living as a writer.

If you’d like to see how that’s going, you can visit her on her blog, where she also discusses all things related to writing and publishing.

Or, if you’d just like to know what she’s reading and get updates on what she’ll be publishing next (Sorry, no newsletter just yet.):

You can follow her Tumblr

You can follow her on Twitter: @MGerrick1
And you can circle her on Google Plus: +MGerrick

BOOKS READ

Black Magic and Mojitos by A.A. Chamberlynn
The Shadow Cartel by Layton Green

BOOK REVIEWS

Black Magic and Mojitos by A.A. Chamberlynn

Zyan Star may find Rio too hot to handle in A.A. Chamberlynn's Black Magic and Mojitos. From the very first page, I loved Zyan's voice and was yanked into the story. Zyan is definitely her own woman and is such a strong and spirited female lead with two great best friends/business partners that balance her out well. I enjoyed the verbal sparring between Zyan and the hunky bounty hunter Donovan McGregor. Chamberlynn writes a thrilling and adventure-packed supernatural story. The beautiful and colorful descriptions paint the setting so well I felt like I was in Rio. Black Magic and Mojitos by A.A. Chamberlynn is a refreshing magical sip of what I hope is just a start of a great new series featuring this supernatural bounty hunter.

The Shadow Cartel by Layton Green

Dominic Grey delves into the darkness and power of cults and drugs in Layton Green's The Shadow Cartel. As the fourth book in the Dominic Grey series, this novel brings back some familiar characters including Professor Viktor Radek and love interest Nya, although they are more peripheral characters this time. I enjoyed exploring deeper into Grey's psyche and history. The story is well paced and thoroughly researched and brings to life the exotic settings of Miami, Mexico, and South America. Green does not hold back any punches in this one, just like his main character. The reader will see what I mean at those certain gut-wrenching scenes, especially toward the end. I am a fan of this series and am looking forward to the next Dominic Grey novel. For fans of exotic locales, well-written stories and characters, and a glimpse of the dark side of religions and humanity, then I highly recommend not only Layton Green's The Shadow Cartel, but all his Dominic Grey books.

BOOK RELEASES IN AUGUST

Daughter of Dusk by Livia Blackburne

Everybody Rise by Stephanie Clifford

Irona 700 by Dave Duncan

Off and Running by Philip Reed

Blind Spot by Tom Kakonis

Die for Me by Jack Lynch

Close Quarters by Adrian Magson

A Window Opens by Elisabeth Egan

Gidion’s Blood by Bill Blume

Rising Strong by Brené Brown

13 Stolen Girls by Gil Reavill

Between a Rock and a Hard Place by Marty Wingate

Hot Pink in the City by Medeia Sharif

Trust No One by Paul Cleave

We Never Asked for Wings by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray

Andersonville by Edward M. Erdelac

Dark Screams Volume Four by Various Authors

Nightwalker by Jacquelyn Frank

Hostage Taker by Stefanie Pintoff

Awake by Natasha Preston

Fortune Smiles by Adam Johnson

Days of Awe by Lauren Fox

The Murderer’s Daughter by Jonathan Kellerman

Trial Run by Thomas Locke

The Congregation by Desirée Bombenon

#Poser by Cambria Hebert

Birthright by Alan Gold and Mike Jones

Shooting for the Stars by R.G. Belsky

Point of Balance by J.G. Jurado

Blackmailed by the Hero by Julie Particka

Playing for Her Heart by Megan Erickson

Recipe for Temptation by Gina Gordon

Beauty and the Bachelor by Naima Simone

The Colonel’s Daughter by Amy Andrews

Begun by Time by Morgan O’Neill

Beauty and the Werewolf by Kristin Miller

The Wicked Desire by Dawn Chartier

Pretty Lawless by Jodi Linton

A Wife in Every Sense by Joanne Walsh

Dodging Temptation by Avery Flynn

Blackmail Boyfriend by Chris Cannon

Black Magic and Mojitos by A.A. Chamberlynn

Fearless by Shae Ross
Own Me by Lexi Scott
Gamma Rift by Kalli Lanford
Driving Her Crazy by Kira Archer
Five Things I Love About You by Sarah Ballance
Unexpectedly His by Maggie Kelley
How to Save a Surgeon by C.M. Stone
Tamed by the Outlaw by Michelle Sharp
 Just One Reason by Brooklyn Skye
Deadly Trouble by J.L. Hammer
Undercover with the Enemy by Sharron McClellan
Blood and Metal by Nina Croft
Set Up by Maxine O'Callaghan
Blanche Passes Go by Barbara Neely
Rouse the Demon by Carolyn Weston
Storme Front by W.L. Ripley
A Cold Quarry by Andy Straka
A Night Falconer by Andy Straka
Beyond Space Opera by Milo James Fowler and other authors
Trouble is a Friend of Mine by Stephanie Tromly
Something Beautiful by Jamie McGuire
Bitter of Tongue by Cassandra Clare
Earth's Guardian by RaShelle Workman
Herculeanby Jeremy Robinson and Sean Ellis
The Banished of Muirwood by Jeff Wheeler
The Reaper's Kiss by Abigail Baker

COVER REVEAL

Forthcoming Fall 2015
Edited by Cherie Reich and Catherine Stine
Cover Design by Erin Dameron-Hill
Authors include Cathrina Constantine, River Fairchild, Julie Flanders, Gwen Gardner, Misha Gerrick, Graeme Ing, M. Pax, Christine Rains, Cherie Reich, and Catherine Stine.
For more information, visit Untethered Realms.

 

Each month, T.B. Markinson plans to give away awesome books by wonderful authors and a $5 Amazon Gift Card. It’s her way of saying thank you to all her followers and fans. Some may wonder why she is giving books away that aren’t hers. The answer is simple: She loves to read and she loves to help fellow authors promote their books. The giveaway is easy to enter via Rafflecopter. At the end of the month, one winner will be selected randomly and will receive an e-book copy of all the books below plus a $5 Amazon Gift Card. Good luck! Here are the incredible books for August’s Giveaway. My novel Reborn is one of the awesome books in this month's giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway