Day Ten #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

Today's featured book and author:

Sapo Saga

Author Name: Tony Laplume
Age category: Adult
Genre: Science Fiction

Brief description:
Twenty-six perspectives collide to present a portrait of an epic showdown between good and evil as the world of Zala proves to be the last stand of the Sapo Order. The human who would become known as Ulysses appears and deposes the tyrant Reeve, but things only get worse from there... Soon, everything is lost, and blame is pinned on Sapo warrior Zuri. The truth is lost to history, Ulysses becomes legend, returns home to Earth, and finds that his family is a new kind of battleground. His son doesn't believe his stories, his daughter does, and his wife may have reached her emotional limit waiting all those years for his return. Time passes, and in space a scavenger named Drexel discovers the android Kindly, who may hold the key to unlocking the truth about what happened on Zala. Twenty-six perspectives, and one big mystery: Who is Kindly? The truth will astonish you!

Twenty-six perspectives on an epic sci-fi saga!#atozchallenge #book

— AtoZChallenge (@AprilA2Z) February 10, 2019

Why did you take part in the A to Z Challenge the year that your book was "given life"?

I'd been participating for the four years previous and thought this would be an interesting way to do so again, as a serialized story.

Why did you start blogging?

Back in yon olden days before social media exploded, blogging was a natural extension of internet message boards that helped you establish an identity for yourself if, say, you happened to be an introvert and found it difficult to do so in the real world.

What other books do you have available?

Monorama, Terror of Knowing (poetry), The Whole Bloody Affair, Pale Moonlight, Metatron, Miss Simon's Moxie, Miss Simon's Brute, Miss Simon's Dime Novel, Terrestrial Affairs, Monkey Flip, Reading Biblically (nonfiction)

#WriteTip

Read the best available, watch the best available, discover what books speak to you, movies speak to you, TV. And write what makes sense to you.

Where did the idea for this book come from, other than the alphabet and the challenge?

Some comic book scripts I'd written and subsequently repurposed.

What writing goal do you hope to accomplish this year?

I have a lot of projects I'm either working on already or would like to start.

EXCLUSIVE TOUR CONTENT: An exclusive prelude.

I’m rolling my eyes because Dad’s telling one of his…tall tales again. Ophelia’s loving every minute of it, as usual. Maybe it’s because Dad’s actually kind of a good storyteller. He really throws himself into it. Maybe it’s because Ophelia’s too young to know better. Maybe it’s because I’m too old. Maybe it’s because I just wish…I remember when he wasn’t around. Ophelia doesn’t. She was a baby. She doesn’t remember how horrible it was for him to be absent. She didn’t spend every minute of it wishing he was there. She didn’t build up resentment. I wish I could just let them be stories. The biggest problem is that even if they’re just stories for Ophelia, I know that Dad’s convinced they really happened. I mean, he really believes he went into space and became a hero on some distant alien world. When Mom’s not careful, when she doesn’t care enough, she says things like, “Well, your dad used to be a drinker,” things I can understand, but Ophelia can’t, because she hero worships him. He’s everything a little girl would adore, because she only sees the surface, and all I see are the lies. Maybe out in space, there really are aliens who, I don’t know, pick up the vibes of his obnoxious fantasies or something, and he really is a hero. Maybe things work like that. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe those aliens exist, who know Dad the way I never did. Maybe the resentment means I won’t let myself believe. Maybe there’s some, I don’t know, black alphabet out there that sets the record straight. And maybe someone will one day discover it.

As a reader, what most motivates you to buy a new book to read?

If the title is interesting, and if the book description is equally interesting, and if sampling the interior proves either the title or the description proves either of those first two as being accurate. And obviously, if I've read the author before, and if that was a good thing.

What is one question or discussion topic which you would like the readers of this post to answer or remark on in the blog comments?

How often to you consider that everyone has a unique perspective on something, and that they are going to be right, even if those perspectives disagree?

Link to buy the book: Amazon


Find this author at:

@TonyLaplume
http://tonylaplume.blogspot.com
facebook.com/anthony.laplume
https://www.amazon.com/Tony-Laplume/e/B008UG1QJK
https://www.goodreads.com/tonylaplume

Time to HOP over to today's stop:

http://jemimapett.com/blog/

There are FIVE prizes up for grabs on the Rafflecopter.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4fa90ac733
You have all month to complete as many options as you choose.


Keep coming back to the A to Z blog every weekday this month so you don't miss any of the First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

Spend Valentine's Day with the #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

💘Today's featured book has some romance of the erotic variety for your Valentine fun. Get cozy with:

Y is for Yes

💋Curl up with A to Z team member, Author: JR Vincente
Age category: Erotic Adult
Genre: Erotic Romance 💕

Brief description:
A chance encounter after hours at her new office job ropes Yvonne into a world of BDSM and exploration she never imagined. Join Yvonne on her adventure to ditch the business suits for lingerie in Y is for Yes by J. R. Vincente.

What's even better than conversation hearts? Retweeting and 💗 hearting this tweet!

A chance encounter after hours at her new office job ropes Yvonne into a world of BDSM and exploration she never imagined. Join Yvonne on her adventure to ditch the business suits for lingerie.#adultcontent #erotica #book #atozchallenge

— AtoZChallenge (@AprilA2Z) February 10, 2019

Why did you take part in the A to Z Challenge the year that your book was "given life"?

I love writing challenges, and the A to Z challenge is no exception! It was fun to have my readers pick their favorite short stories, and the favorite of all was turned into a novel.

Why did you start blogging?

Because of the A to Z Blog Challenge. Someone recommended it to me and I needed a blog to participate!

Do you have any other books coming out soon?

Soon! I have written another book stemming from that A to Z Challenge I'm in the process of editing.

What other books do you have available?

I have a Choose Your Own Erotic Adventure and another novel like this one. See my website for synopses and details! https://jrvincente.wordpress.com/

#WriteTip

Write All The Words. Even if you don't think they're good words. Write them anyway and edit later.

Where did the idea for this book come from, other than the alphabet and the challenge?

I have always had these incomplete swirling in my head and I wanted to give them life, even if I couldn't (or wouldn't) dedicate a whole novel to them.

What writing goal do you hope to accomplish this year?

I hope to publish B is for Blackmail and write its sequel.

As a reader, what most motivates you to buy a new book to read?

A catchy title or synopsis.

What is one question or discussion topic which you would like the readers of this post to answer or remark on in the blog comments?

Favorite erotic groupings? (male male, male female, female female, something totally different?) Tell me!

Find this author at:

@jrvincente
https://jrvincente.wordpress.com/
Facebook
https://www.instagram.com/jaydenvincente/
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/63297099-jayden-vincente
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jrvincente
https://nanowrimo.org/participants/jrvincente


Link to buy the book: Amazon
Link to buy the book: B&N
Link to buy the book: Smashwords

Time to HOP over to today's stops:

https://amreadingbookreviews.wordpress.com/
https://www.literaryau.com

There are FIVE prizes up for grabs on the Rafflecopter. 😍
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4fa90ac733
You have all month to complete as many options as you choose.


Keep coming back to the A to Z blog every weekday this month so you don't miss any of the First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop! 💟

Day Eight #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

Today we're featuring one of the blogs in this event.

Blog of Jemima Pett, Author

Visit @jemima_pett for writing and reviews with an environmental, science fiction, and fantasy touch https://t.co/9ZaPXOzPw3 pic.twitter.com/NwWd07Ffq9

— AtoZChallenge (@AprilA2Z) February 10, 2019

Does your blog support diverse books?
The diverse book movement recognizes all diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA, Native, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities. https://diversebooks.org
Yes!

Are you willing to include debut authors?

Yes!

Why do you take part in the A to Z Challenge?

To meet other bloggers and promote my website!

Why did you start blogging?

Because I started writing

What goal do you or your blog hope to accomplish this year?

Write the last two Princelings of the East books

As a reader, what most motivates you to buy a new book to read?

The author or a great blurb in an area that interests me

Find this blogger at:

http://jemimapett.com/blog/
@jemima_pett  Twitter
Amazon review profile
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/7476396
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jemimapett

Time to HOP over to today's stops:

http://thegirdleofmelian.blogspot.com/2019/02/nick-wilford-book-release-day-fated.html
https://operationawesome6.blogspot.com/2019/02/nidhi-gss-debut-author-spotlight.html

There are FIVE prizes up for grabs on the Rafflecopter.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4fa90ac733
You have all month to complete as many options as you choose.


Keep coming back to the A to Z blog every weekday this month so you don't miss any of the First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop! Pett Wed 13.txt Displaying Pett Wed 13.txt.

Day Seven #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

Today we're featuring one of the blogs in this event.

Blog: The Girdle of Melian

Find romance, travel, books, and more at https://t.co/3SPKNrkLwK, hosted by author @DenizBevan

— AtoZChallenge (@AprilA2Z) February 10, 2019

Does your blog support diverse books?

The diverse book movement recognizes all diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA, Native, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities. https://diversebooks.org

Yes!

Are you willing to include debut authors?

Yes!

Why do you take part in the A to Z Challenge?

Love the challenge of it, love having themes, love discovering bloggers, helps me organise my posts

Why did you start blogging?

A place to corral my thoughts and ideas and favourite things about writing, reading, research, travelling, etc.

What goal do you or your blog hope to accomplish this year?

Keep up with regular blogging despite work and school and new baby!

As a reader, what most motivates you to buy a new book to read?

Inttriguing premise, well written first page

Find this blogger at:

http://thegirdleofmelian.blogspot.ca
@DenizBevan
https://www.facebook.com/deniz.bevan
https://www.instagram.com/denizb33/
https://www.pinterest.com/denizb33/
https://www.youtube.com/user/denizbevan33
Amazon Reviewer Profile

Time to HOP over to today's stops:

https://www.literaryau.com
http://uniquelymaladjustedbutfun.blogspot.com

There are FIVE prizes up for grabs on the Rafflecopter.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4fa90ac733
You have all month to complete as many options as you choose.


Keep coming back to the A to Z blog every weekday this month so you don't miss any of the First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

Week Two #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

Today's featured book and author:

The A-Zs of Worldbuilding: Building a Fictional World From Scratch

Author Name: Rebekah Loper
Age category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Reference - Craft of Writing, Science Fiction

Brief description:
Worldbuilding is the ultimate act of creation for speculative fiction writers, but how exactly do you worldbuild? You ask ‘what if’ and use each answer as a springboard to more questions and answers about your fictional world.

In THE A-ZS OF WORLDBUILDING, that ‘what if’ process is broken down into 26 themed chapters, covering topics ranging from architecture to zoology. Each chapter includes a corresponding set of guided exercises to help you find the ‘what if’ questions relevant to your story’s world.

Fair warning, though: worldbuilding is addictive. Once you get started, you might never put your pen down again.

The A-Zs of Worldbuilding breaks down the 'what if' of worldbuidling into 26 themed chapters with guided exercises to help you find the questions and answers relevant to your story's world. #atozchallenge #book

— AtoZChallenge (@AprilA2Z) February 10, 2019

Link to buy the book: Amazon
Link to buy the book: barnesandnoble.com
Link to buy the book: books2read
Link to buy the book: rebekahloper.com

Why did you take part in the A to Z Challenge the year that your book was "given life"?

2014

Why did you start blogging?

To create a platform for my writing and connect with an audience.

Do you have any other books coming out soon?

I will have a fantasy short story in an anthology this spring, but release date has not been settled yet.

#WriteTip

Never stop looking for inspiration - it's always there. Even if you don't have time to write it, always keep looking for that magic 'what if'.

Where did the idea for this book come from, other than the alphabet and the challenge?

I love worldbuilding. When I was looking for ways to learn how to worldbuild as a young writer, I was always disappointed by the lack of true worldbuilding workbooks, so this was born out of that desire.

What writing goal do you hope to accomplish this year?

Draft a second volume of The A-Zs of Worldbuilding on creating magic systems. Establish a true writing habit for my fiction, which I've let be overrun by 'real life' the past several years. Finish revising at least one of my set-aside novels.

EXCLUSIVE TOUR CONTENT: Scene / excerpt from the book.

X is for Xenial
Concerning the Hospitality of Guests

The word ‘xenial’ has to do with hospitality. Specifically, it can pertain to the type of hospitality shown to strangers and guests. Since travel is an integral part of many speculative fiction plots, hospitality is an important thing to consider in your worldbuilding. We will look at both day-to-day hospitality and hospitality shown to guests and travelers.

Common Courtesy
There are many different ways people say hello or goodbye, as well as potential cultural reasons why they don’t say either of those things. It can be complicated or simple, and perhaps it ties in with other cultural occurrences. There may also be additional greetings included, such as during a holiday season (Merry Christmas!)
Depending on how your society is set up, there may be common mandatory courtesies for those of different rank. Think of whether royalty must be addressed in a certain manner, and if people are required to bow or curtsy. If someone is seen as having descended directly from a divine being, perhaps culture demands that people fully prostrate themselves in their presence.
There may be those who are not acknowledged publicly at all – like servants, peasants, or beggars. There are multitudes of reasons a society might see certain people as inferior, sadly.
Attitudes and language in general can be more or less formal, and may depend on how well people know each other, the capacity they are interacting in at that moment, societal rank, or gender.
When devising protocol and courtesies between ranking individuals and their equals or subjects, keep in mind that many things will be shaped to lessen the fear of the risk of assassination. Words and phrases that are perfectly acceptable in common company may be perceived as threatening when in the presence of ranking individuals.

Treatment of Guests
A guest can be a familiar friend, in which case they will not require much formality, but there still may be certain things that are offered because of custom. Casual greetings can be a simple ‘hi’ or even greeting someone by name. But universal hospitality may be inviting someone to sit down and asking if they’d like a drink, regardless of whether they are a close friend or a new acquaintance.
Travelers, especially strangers, will receive a different kind of hospitality, and that can vary. If a town has been repeatedly pillaged or taken advantage of, they won’t be very friendly to strangers anymore. But some places might pride themselves on their hospitality, and will go all out to impress a guest. In an agrarian society, or any place that uses livestock as their main form of transportation, it would be more than reasonable for a stranger to be offered feed, water, and a place in the stable for their animal. A drink, meal, and perhaps even a bath (or foot washing) are things that would be offered to nearly everyone, no matter what their rank.
However, if a monarch were to suddenly show up at the front door, it may even be an occasion to slaughter an animal for dinner, even if it was being saved for some other occasion. Not every guest is going to receive that kind of hospitality.
A family member who just showed up out of the blue, though, may not warrant very much special hospitality. It just depends. Hospitality and common courtesies are elements that can enhance a plot and the interactions between characters, as many different nuances and intentions can be made clear between what is offered, and what is not.
Another matter to consider is if and when guests can be turned away. It might be that certain guests may never be turned away – such as a monarch, though it would courteous of a gracious monarch to find lodging or sustenance elsewhere if there has been a death in the home recently. Sickness will almost always be a reason to turn away guests. An illness potentially being contagious is nothing to ever mess around with, especially if medical care is not incredibly advanced.
The main thing to consider is whether one can turn away a guest for any reason, without giving a reason, or if they must have a concrete reason to do so.

Other Inspiration
Look up etiquette of different historical eras and different cultures – there’s some unique customs out there that can be great story inspiration. Etiquette will also vary by social and economic status. There are certain customs some might find difficult to part with, even if they have experienced a change in social status. There is also the fact that the rich can afford more niceties.



As a reader, what most motivates you to buy a new book to read?

A fascinating summary, followed closely by a stunning book cover!

What is one question or discussion topic which you would like the readers of this post to answer or remark on in the blog comments?

What about worldbuilding most inspires or hinders you, either as a reader or writer?

Find this author at:

https://rebekahloper.com
@rebekah_loper
https://www.facebook.com/RebekahLoper/
https://www.instagram.com/rebekah.loper/
https://www.pinterest.com/rebekah_loper/
https://www.amazon.com/Rebekah-Loper/e/B075F8VT6D
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17145989.Rebekah_Loper
https://nanowrimo.org/participants/rebekah-loper

Time to HOP over to today's stop:

https://amreadingbookreviews.wordpress.com/

There are FIVE prizes up for grabs on the Rafflecopter.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4fa90ac733
You have all month to complete as many options as you choose.


Keep coming back to the A to Z blog every weekday this month so you don't miss any of the First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

A to Z Tips for creating a non-fiction book from your blog posts Guest Post from C.E. Flores

Hello everyone!

I was honored to be chosen as a guest blogger by the A to Z challenge committee. I’d like to talk a little about my experience with the A to Z challenge.

Two years ago, I signed up for the 26 day blogging challenge for the first time. It sounded like fun! I decided that I wanted to write about how to survive disasters in Mexico to go along with my overall blog topic of Surviving Mexico--Adventures and Disasters.

It was extremely labor intensive as you all probably know. I started about 6 months before the challenge, researching and writing posts ranging from the apocalypse to zombies. (A to Z challenge remember?) I took the precaution of pre-writing my blog posts and just editing and checking links when the letter of the day came up. Although it was overwhelming at times, I really felt like I had a segment of good quality blog posts.

After the contest, I compiled the posts into a book. In honor of my honor as a guest blogger, you can download A to Z Reasons Why La Yacata is the Place to be in Any Disaster FREE for the next few days from Amazon.


The second year I participated in the A to Z challenge, my blogging group and I decided to write about our favorite places in Mexico. We split up the task so that it wasn’t as overwhelming. I know, it’s a little bit different having the entire group work on the challenge. It required even more organization than completing the challenge as a solo blogger. But we did it! And now we’ve compiled a book entitled Playing Tourist in Mexico highlighting 45 interesting attractions throughout Mexico which will hopefully be ready for release in March.

The book bug bit me as a direct result of the A to Z challenge and I published 5 books last year, all non-fiction, most based on blog posts. One is a blogging planner so that this year I can publish even more posts and later more books.

So how can you convert your blog posts into books even if you don’t write fiction? Glad you asked. Here’s my A to Z list tip list:

A- Appendix. All your sources and funny video links will go here.
B-Book--you are aiming for a printed book not just an ebook. Yes, you are. Trust me on this. Consider how everything will look in print.
C- Citations. Make sure to properly cite all your sources. Best to use APA or MLA format and include this information in the appendix.
D-Don’t forget an About the Author page with links to your other books.
E-Edit your work. Then ask someone else to edit your work. Then edit your work again.
F- Format your posts as if they were chapters of a book.
G-Glossary. If there are words that the average person won’t understand, include a glossary.
H-Hyperlinks now will be found in the appendix not throughout the text. Have you ever accidentally hit a link while reading on your kindle then had backtrack? Annoying isn’t it?
I-Interesting title. Something better than My Book of Blog Posts.
J-Judge your book by its cover. Does it hold your interest? Would you buy it based on just the cover?
K-Kindle books are great and easy to create!
L-Learning curve. There is a learning curve. Each book you publish will be better than the last.
M-Make sure to take the time to preview your book and Make the appropriate changes so that it looks fabulous when it is published!
N-Page numbers. Ebooks don’t have them but print books do.
O-Organize your chapters into some sort of logical order.
P- Pictures are still worth a 1000 words, however you need to rethink how many you really need.
Q-Questions. All those call to action questions in your blog posts probably aren’t relevant to a book.
R-Readability. Those pictures you want to include? Either put them at the beginning or end of the chapter. Otherwise you’ll end up with white space, hanging sentences, and formatting nightmares.
S-Select a publishing site. There are oodles to choose from.
T- Table of Contents. Use a book template. It will save you SO much work.
U-Upload your stuff to a book publishing site.
V-Videos. Nope, not gonna happen in a book. If you must, you can still include a link in the appendix.
W-Watch your royalties accumulate!
X- Get eXcited and start planning your next book!
Y- You did it! You are a published author!
Z-AmaZe your friends and family with a signed copy of your book.

There you go! My suggestions for creating a non-fiction book based on your own experiences or blog posts.

This year my blogging group will concentrate on our favorite blogs about, you guessed it, MEXICO! Can you see a pattern here? We’ve begun making our list and so far have 32 blogs between us that we are planning on featuring come April. And then of course, we are going to make a BOOK out of those posts so stay tuned!

Here’s hoping the 2019 A to Z challenge will be as fun as previous years!

Day Five #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

Today we're featuring one of the blogs in this event.

It's extra special because it's the blog of one of the co-hosts. The lovely JR Vincente!
Please note the featured blog has ADULT CONTENT.

Blog of: JR Vincente

Visit https://t.co/yPwyu4W9uj to read erotic fiction excerpts, short stories, reviews, and get a glimpse into the life of an erotic fiction author. @JRVincente #AdultContent #NSFW

— AtoZChallenge (@AprilA2Z) February 5, 2019

Does your blog support diverse books?

The diverse book movement recognizes all diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA, Native, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities. https://diversebooks.org

Yes!

Are you willing to include debut authors?

Yes!

Why do you take part in the A to Z Challenge?

I love a challenge and I love to blog, so it's a great combination!

Why did you start blogging?

I wanted to do the A to Z Blog Challenge and I needed a blog.

What goal do you or your blog hope to accomplish this year?

I would like to publish the novel I am currently editing, B is for Blackmail, and finish writing its sequel.

As a reader, what most motivates you to buy a new book to read?

An interesting synopsis or cover.

What is one question or discussion topic which you would like the author(s) to answer or remark on?

What compels you to keep reading a character's story?

Find this blogger at:

https://jrvincente.wordpress.com
https://twitter.com/JRVincente
http://facebook.com/jrvincente/
https://www.instagram.com/jaydenvincente/
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/63297099

Time to HOP over to today's stops:

http://jemimapett.com/blog/
http://jlennidornerblog.what-are-they.com

There are FIVE prizes up for grabs on the Rafflecopter.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4fa90ac733
You have all month to complete as many options as you choose.


Keep coming back to the A to Z blog every weekday this month so you don't miss any of the First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

Day Four #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

Today's featured book and author:

Golden Rainbow

Author Name: Balaka Basu
Age category: Adult
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs

Brief description:
Golden Rainbow is an interesting collection of 26 memoirs written as short stories. These are not heroic tales but ordinary stories of ordinary people; nevertheless, they are thought-provoking. Some of them will make you laugh out loud while others may make you cry. The stories are rich in emotion, empathy and compassion.They are deeply profound. Reading the short stories is like a visit to Kolkata and typical Bengali life. You will connect with so many characters from your own real life but with different names. The anecdotes are not just stories but also a smart commentary on the various aspects of society. Easy to read, they will directly appeal to anyone fond of short stories. This book is not just a one-time read. It gets better with each reading.

Golden Rainbow is an interesting collection of 26 memoirs written as short stories. These are not heroic tales but ordinary stories of ordinary people; nevertheless, they are thought-provoking. #mustread #Biographies

— AtoZChallenge (@AprilA2Z) February 5, 2019

Link to buy the book: amazon.in
Link to buy the book: Amazon

Why did you take part in the A to Z Challenge the year that your book was "given life"?

I just wanted to blog regularly and write.

Why did you start blogging?

To give words to my emotions

EXCLUSIVE TOUR CONTENT:
Quote from the book.

‘I was a golden bird inside a golden cage, now I have wings to fly’

As a reader, what most motivates you to buy a new book to read?

The blurb

What is one question or discussion topic which you would like the readers of this post to answer or remark on in the blog comments?

How they liked my style of writing



Find this author at:

https://trinalooksback.com/

Time to HOP over to today's stops:

https://www.literaryau.com

There are FIVE prizes up for grabs on the Rafflecopter.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4fa90ac733
You have all month to complete as many options as you choose.


Keep coming back to the A to Z blog every weekday this month to follow the First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

Day Three #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

Today we're featuring one of the blogs in this event.

Blog: Operation Awesome operationawesome6.blogspot.com

Part of the #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!https://t.co/KVs46yvqCH @OpAwesome6
Helping with all stages of the publishing journey. Query contests, Ask OAAbby, Debut Authors, writing tips and tricks. We love writers and readers! #amWriting #amEditing

— AtoZChallenge (@AprilA2Z) February 2, 2019

Does your blog support diverse books?

The diverse book movement recognizes all diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA, Native, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities. https://diversebooks.org

Yes we do!

Are you willing to include debut authors?

Yes! In fact, we put one in the spotlight almost every Wednesday.

Why do you take part in the A to Z Challenge?

To gain exposure and because J is a team member here.

Why did you start blogging?

To help fellow writers.

What goal do you or your blog hope to accomplish this year?

We hope to help more writers get published and support authors at every stage of the publishing journey.

As a reader, what most motivates you to buy a new book to read?

A recommendation from someone with similar reading tastes, or a book that sounds interesting.

Find this blog at:

operationawesome6.blogspot.com
Twitter @OpAwesome6
facebook.com/operationawesomeblog

Time to HOP over to today's stops:

http://thegirdleofmelian.blogspot.ca
http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com

There are FIVE prizes up for grabs on the Rafflecopter.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4fa90ac733
You have all month to complete as many options as you choose.


Keep coming back to the A to Z blog every weekday this month to follow the First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

Day Two #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

There are FIVE prizes up for grabs on the Rafflecopter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4fa90ac733/?

It will take all month to complete all the available options.

Time to HOP over to today's stops:

https://jrvincente.wordpress.com/
http://uniquelymaladjustedbutfun.blogspot.com
https://www.literaryau.com

Keep coming back to the A to Z blog every weekday this month to follow the First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

Kicking-off the #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

There are FIVE prizes up for grabs on the Rafflecopter.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/4fa90ac733/?

It will take all month to complete all the available options.
When you're commenting here today, why not include a mention of what prize you're hoping to win?

The list of blogs in this event:

http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com
http://thegirdleofmelian.blogspot.ca
http://jemimapett.com/blog/
https://amreadingbookreviews.wordpress.com/
https://www.literaryau.com
https://jrvincente.wordpress.com
http://uniquelymaladjustedbutfun.blogspot.com
http://jlennidornerblog.what-are-they.com
http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com

Thanks to those bloggers for signing up!

The tour kicks off here with:

Writing Book Reviews As An Author

Author Name: J Lenni Dorner
Book publish date: MARCH 26 2019 (Available for pre-sale)
Age category: Adult
Book's genre: Reference - Craft of Writing

Book's title: Writing Book Reviews As An Author: Inspiration To Make It Easier

A brief description of the book:

This book aims to provide inspiration to encourage people to write more book reviews. It is written for authors, though any reader can benefit.

"Writing Book Reviews As An Author: Inspiration To Make It Easier" is a #BookReview literary criticism and critique reference book for #writers by #author @JLenniDorner https://t.co/r8USef9uYV
Please RT! Part of the First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop! pic.twitter.com/0evBZHNBzC

— AtoZChallenge (@AprilA2Z) February 1, 2019

Link to buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MYDYDZX
Link to buy the book: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/918883

Why did you take part in the A to Z Challenge the year that your book was "given life"?
It's the ten year anniversary. I'm very excited to be a co-host of the A to Z Challenge. This is an incredible community.

Why did you start blogging?
This is answered in my very first blog post. "You may wonder why I started a blog. I may wonder that too! Actually, this blog was started because I heard about the A to Z challenge from some NaNoWriMo friends."

Do you have any other books coming out soon?
This is my current new publication.
"WRITING BOOK REVIEWS AS AN AUTHOR:
INSPIRATION TO MAKE IT EASIER"

I have several stories in the works though.

What other books do you have available?
"Fractions of Existence"
Amazon An urban fantasy. Free on Kindle Unlimited.

Preparing to Write Settings that Feel Like Characters - Amazon and Smashwords

Brief tip on writing:
Here's a motivational quote of mine about when you feel like giving up on writing.


Where did the idea for this book come from, other than the alphabet and the challenge?
The idea came from interviewing so many debut authors at Operation Awesome. I noticed that some authors reviewed a lot of books, and others had never written one. I set out to inspire those who didn't write reviews. It turned out to be long enough for a month of blog posts (this coming April). Then I noticed I had enough to make a reference book.

What writing goal do you hope to accomplish this year?
My biggest writing goal this year is to publish two books in 2019.

EXCLUSIVE TOUR CONTENT:

As a reader, what most motivates you to buy a new book to read?
A recommendation from a trusted source, reading something interesting about the book, or the book being by an author I like.

What is one question or discussion topic which you would like the readers of this post to answer or remark on in the blog comments?
What motivates you to write book reviews? Or, if you don't write them, what deters you?



Blog link: http://jlennidornerblog.what-are-they.com
Website link: http://www.what-are-they.com/
Twitter handle: @JLenniDorner
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhatAreThey
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-lenni-dorner/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jlennidorner/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jlennidorner/
YouTube: youtube
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/J-Lenni-Dorner/e/B00RM7E0EQ
Goodreads author profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13725994.J_Lenni_Dorner
Bookbub author page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/j-lenni-dorner
Smashwords author page: https://www.smashwords.com/interview/JLDorner
NaNoWriMo participant page: https://nanowrimo.org/participants/j-lenni-dorner
Tumblr: https://jlennidorner.tumblr.com/
All Author page: http://jlennidorner.allauthor.com/
Other link: https://operationawesome6.blogspot.com/p/j-lenni-dorner.html
Another link: http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/2018/04/j-is-for-j-atozchallenge.html

Time to HOP over to today's other stops:

https://amreadingbookreviews.wordpress.com/
http://jlennidornerblog.what-are-they.com
That's right, it's me, JR Vincente, over at J's blog with my book, Runaway.

Be sure to tell us which prize you're hoping to win and why you do or don't write book reviews. Keep coming back to the A to Z blog every weekday this month to follow the First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

Classic Books #MustRead or Not To Read Guest Post from Shalini of Shalzmojo

Classics - To read or not to read!!!!!

Hola Folks! I am Shalini from Shalzmojo blog and I love to talk about Travel and Books on my blog. I am delighted to be here and hope you will bear with me as I mull over this reading choice of mine.

I began reading books at quite an early age, much to my mother’s delight who nurtured my interest painstakingly over the years. One day she handed me a set of 12 hardbound books declaring that I was now ready for the Classics. I was quite taken by them as never before had I gotten so many books in one go. I was 12 years old at that time.

I wondered at what are Classics?

What is so special about them?

The reverence in my Mom’s voice as she pronounced the word was such that I was quite sure these were hallowed books that I was now the proud owner of.

I began my reading with Black Beauty by Anna Sewell as the blurb called out to me. And I was hooked through Little Women, Heidi, Alice in Wonderland, around the world in 80 days, Gulliver’s travels, Grimm’s fairy tales, Huckleberry Finn, and Treasure Island. Then I struggled through Ivanhoe, Three Musketeers and Kidnapped, till I ended up abandoning them. And they lay abandoned for quite a while as I shied away from more classics for quite a few years.

It was when I watched the movie Jane Austen Book Club that a lust for one such club near to me was born. The comparison of their lives vis-à-vis the Classics the protagonists were reading; was just brilliant. This was 2007 and suddenly all I wanted to read was Classics. I perused through some 50 of them in next few years, including some Shakespearean plays too. So it took me 20 years of reading other stuff before latching onto the classics.

To my joy, I discovered timelessness in the Classics. Don’t get me wrong – they are all books written a good 100 years ago and were quite ancient in traditions, language, thoughts and philosophies as expressed in them.

I found I was not bored by the dated language. On the contrary I thoroughly enjoyed the gentlemanly handling of the English language as it flowered and blossomed on each page. I found them to be quaint literary art and could relate to the themes of love, death, honour, life and faith – these are the more commonly recurring ones.

Shakespearean plays are the perfect literary examples of this era and are treasured to date for their language and themes. They are subscribed not just in school texts but so many of them have been turned into brilliant movie adaptations, world over.

Moby Dick and Black Beauty delved into the animal psyche and made them the hero in a human world. Love and honour reigned supreme in these two tales for me.

Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn were my childhood idols as I sympathised in part and cheered in part at their bravado. Destiny and luck can play such an important role in one’s life so as to turn the world literally on its head. I was very fascinated by these boys and have loved their writers for creating them with such love.

The fantasy that men yearned for is evident in many of the fantastic travel tales that were spun out by Jules Verne. My favourite is around the world in 80 days though 20,000 leagues beneath the sea is an eye opener too. The imagination of the writer is to be applauded at; for without stepping into any of those experiences, he has crafted tales of ingenuity and marvels. And here I must mention Alice in Wonderland for it’s a superbly woven tale of fantastical wonders and thrills.

Oh I did find some of them to be stiflingly archaic and fumed on the behalf of the heroine who had to endure it all. Even while some (seemingly) broke the mould; only to go back to it by choice – this baffled and tortured the feminist in me to the core. So many of the heroines chaffed at their feminine bond, yearning to be born as men to do as they pleased; yet it wasn’t to be.

The concept of hearth and home is shoved down the literary gullet of the readers where it’s the woman’s duty to ensure the family is taken care of. Oh yes! This bit was the dreariest for me to digest and I rooted for the ones who tried to be different like Jo in Little Women or Lizzy in Pride and Prejudice.

Don’t get me wrong! I am not saying it was a bigoted misogynistic world out there. It was a world still discovering many other worlds within it. Human consciousness fought such oppressions even though many were burnt at the stake for it.

Some were thought to be heretics and lunatics for the kind of texts they presented which seemed to challenge the Church. I think I would put Dracula in that category though the writer handled the topic with great reverence. Or maybe Time Machine which was far far ahead of its times too, yet today it’s read with gusto.

There is great literary magic in the Classics and for everyone who loves to read. The vantage point of telling the tale may not be in sync with the world today; either in substance or pace. But the charm of that age – whether in the architecture, language, fashion, courtship – is timeless.

I may not be able to imagine myself living in those times or even relate to the heroines and their meek, weak and chauvinistic heroes. But it does make me realise that my freedom of speech, to choose my lifestyle and to be financially independent didn’t materialise in one day. These heroines were the front runners to champion this cause and to read about it; is my biggest take away from the Classics.

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Do you have a favourite Classic book that you treasure to date? What do you think you love most about them?

About Shalzmojo

An interior designer by profession, writing is a passion which coupled with travel love blossomed into this blog where I love to just “do my thing”! Be it recipes, food events, travel jaunts, fiction dreaming or even meditative musings; all of it’s taken up quite passionately on my blog. I am a serious wine guzzler and love to chase butterflies in my free time.

| Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest |

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Note from J:
There's a Classic Books reading challenge.

Links provided by J Lenni Dorner, “As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”:

First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop SIGN UP

From now until January 18, you can sign up for the First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop!

This is ONLY for books written as a result of the Blogging from A to Z Challenge.

Bloggers who took their April A to Z posts and created books from them.

• Just because a writer took place in the challenge does not mean they have authored a book BECAUSE of the challenge.
• You will be asked to provide a link to the challenge blog posts so we can verify your participation.
• This is FREE. None of the websites hosting will ask you for payment.
• If you want your book reviewed, you may be asked to provide review copies.
• If you have more than one book out because of the challenge, you will need to fill out the form more than once.

The form for authors is below and also at: https://goo.gl/forms/mrGYtrmioKdE6Jjk1

BOOK BLOGGERS who have previously taken part in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge:

If you are a book blogger, or wish to offer a book review and/ or book tour stop, please read this:

• Only books written because of the challenge will be offered. Expect many to be self-published or small press.
• You will be asked to provide a link to your prior challenge blog posts so we can verify your participation.
• This is FREE. None of the websites hosting will get paid for these tours or reviews. (You will likely get an increase in traffic though.)
• If you are willing to review books, that's great! We will ask for details on the form. You may opt to review during this event, or during the April A to Z challenge 2019, or any time during 2019.
• You may also sign up to only offer tour stops.
• You will only be offered books that match your criteria. See the form.

The form for bloggers is below and also at: https://goo.gl/forms/RH0a0tvm5AxIqqmg1

Yes, you may be an author and opt to also sign up for the blogger option. Yes, you may be a blogger/ reviewer who also wrote a book for the challenge and sign up for the author option. In other words, yes, you may do both.

The April Blogging from A to Z Challenge is not only for writers and book bloggers. We are interested in ideas on how we could offer something similar to this for our other categories. As these are our two most popular ones though, it made sense to start here.

FOR AUTHORS

FOR BLOGGERS IN THIS EVENT

(This event being the "First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop")


First Annual #AtoZChallenge Book Reviews, Tour, and Blog Hop
WEEKDAYS in February 4 to 28 2019
19 days total

Be sure to also stop back on
March 1 2019
when the Tenth Anniversary of the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge sign ups OPEN
and
March 18 2019
for the
THEME REVEAL sign up!

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Answers to FAQs: *update*
As long as the posts from the A to Z challenge were your motivation, inspiration, the "push" to get you to go from idea to book, sure, the book counts. If you can say something like, "If I hadn't done the challenge, I might not have written this down, and thus wouldn't have moved on to create a book," you're good.
If you have MOVED blogs, please indicate this. We will need to verify your previous participation.

Making Resolutions with Wendy of Wendy's Waffle Guest Post

Happy New Year everyone! I was thrilled to be chosen to write a guest post for the A - Z team. I stumbled across the challenge in 2015 through one of my blogging friends. I sometimes feel an imposter taking part - so many participants are clearly writers who blog. I am definitely a blogger who blogs and would quite like to write but gets caught up in waffle, hence my blog's name: Wendy's Waffle. You can find out more about me there, including my previous attempts at the A-Z Challenge but beware, you'll probably find yourself down a rabbit hole and struggle to find your way out. I've managed to complete the challenge 4 times times now and fully intend to do so in 2019. Yes it's that time of year for making resolutions. I always make resolutions but I'm not very good at keeping them. The first year I took part in the challenge I didn't even know it existed at New Year so I fell into it and waffled my way through. Actually I had a theme of Family and Relationships that worked well for me because I'm part of a very large extended, but extremely close family. For 2016 I resolved to be more ambitious and plan ahead and the theme of London Underground stations got me out and about taking photos so I was pleased about that but still wasn't as prepared as I needed to be. Lessons to be learned! 2017 was a particularly challenging year. Even though I started out probably more prepared than before, life sometimes life throws you a curve ball. Our first Grandchild arrived on 31st March. You could be forgiven for thinking if I was prepared I had factored his arrival in to my planning and all would be well. Except his arrival was not supposed to have been until mid June! But he and I both survived some challenging times and since then 2 more Grandsons have arrived and they take up a lot of my time. Lovely, enjoyable time like this: A bracing walk on Christmas Eve 2018. So if 2017 was a lot of random waffle 2018 became a lot of waffle about sport. Quite an achievement considering I'm not in the least sporty! Hmm where was I. Oh yes resolutions. See what I mean about waffle? In 2018 I made a list of 18 things to try and achieve during the year. I failed miserably but it hasn't stopped me making a new list of 19 things for 2019. (19 in 19) Many of them are the same things, a few are new. Actually I've called them objectives. I'm definitely not into saying things like I'll give up chocolate (or even eat less chocolate) because I would fail, big time. The list will hopefully improve some areas of my life and of course it does include completing the 2019 A-Z Challenge. I'm aiming to do more of a writing theme this year and I have already started work on it. (I even left a clue somewhere in this post.) Well I think that's enough about me and my resolutions. What about you? Resolutions - love them or hate them? New Year or any time? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject. If you've made it here thanks for reading and thanks to the A-Z team for the invitation.

Holidays Aren’t Always Easy Guest Post from Mike of Tupeak Hope

Holidays Aren’t Always Easy

I truly wish that you are enjoying the holidays, regardless of your belief system. I wish you the best of health, happiness, financial stability, and good fortune throughout the holidays and all the days yet to come in the coming years.

The truth of the matter is I’ve been struggling incredibly in trying to compose this particular post, much more than I would like. For many, the holidays are an enjoyable time of year during which they get to spend time with friends, family, and those they love. Maybe they even get paid for the holiday. Maybe they get to see those people that are too far away to visit regularly.

Unfortunately, for others, the holidays are a tremendously challenging time of year for any number of reasons from personal health challenges, those of people close to you, or even the death of a friend or family member. Perhaps you find yourself struggling financially, for reasons beyond your own control, and like me have had to make the difficult decision to inform friends and family that there would be no gifts this year due to the horribly adult task of prioritizing what funds you have towards bills. Perhaps none of the above applies to you but rather you are faced with depression or other mental health issues which are often notably worse during the holiday season.

Then again you could be like me and fall into multiple categories. I have multiple complex medical and physical issues that are impacting my health this year more so than many previous years to the extent that I spent the better part of October in the hospital as well as some time in September and November as well and the medical community still hasn’t quite figured out what all is going on with my body. My mother passed away suddenly two days after Christmas many years ago. While Christmas obviously was never the same, we all tried to carry on for our own respective families.

As we mature into adulthood and even parenthood if we so choose, we realize that nothing in life is static and that it can all be gone in an instant. Some, like me, have been witness to this not only on a personal aspect but through being in emergency services most of my teen and many adult years.

See, sometimes we have to experience the difficult and troublesome things in order for us to appreciate those things in life, which we often take for granted. Nobody ever promised us life would be easy. Life is full of challenges and sometimes of the year are full of more than others. These are the times when we must make more than average efforts to truly take time to be appreciative of the good things that exist in our lives as opposed to the things over which we have no control. Let me see if I can put this into a bit more perspective for you.

See, I could be a miserable grumpy old guy during the holidays because of the various things affecting my perception of the holidays, including things I have not shared here, but to what end? What would be the point of being miserable both to myself and those around me I care about, not too mention to strangers I may encounter. Don’t get me wrong, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t depressed, and anyone who knows me well, knows that I most certainly am for a variety of legitimate and verifiable reasons.

However, despite having good and bad days like any person I’ve ever met, I choose to make a conscious effort to be mindful of my mood and the impact it can have on both my physical and mental health, as well as how others may perceive me. If I am constantly negative, then what will that accomplish? It will simply perpetuate the negativity and make those around me miserable as well as making me feel even worse. Now, I need to be clear here I am not telling you to “fake it”, but you do whatever gets you through the day.

I choose to try to recognize the things upon which I have absolutely no control and try, to the best of my ability, to not let those things negatively affect my mood or how I react with or to those around me. Sure, I still think about these things that are weighing on me but realistically I cannot change them so dwelling on them accomplishes nothing other than getting the pharmaceutical companies rich by ensuring I need more than the three different medications I already take for my blood pressure.

I try to acknowledge the negative items in that I allow myself to know that they exist, and then push them from my brain. It doesn’t always work, but it’s sure better than dwelling on them and frees my mind up to try to focus on the positive things in my life. Sure, I may not be able to buy gifts for those I care about, but I am also lucky enough to be able to be present in order to spend time with them. Many people no longer have that chance or ability.

I could be obsessing about the as yet unknown health diagnoses, but that would again accomplish nothing save give me a heart attack or stroke. Instead, I choose to try to take some time each day to try to clear my mind in whatever way works that day, be it listening to music, some breathing exercises, or even meditation. The trick is to find whatever works for you and try to keep things in perspective, so that you don’t torture yourself or others unnecessarily. Sometimes journaling helps, other days trying to think of how to put things into words is more of a stressor. The trick is to find a few things that work for you so that you have more tools in your toolbox for those tough days.

Life is hard enough without us punishing ourselves, so take a moment to breathe, smell the fresh air, coffee, flowers, or whatever makes you smile, then keep doing that. Don’t take a single moment of life or health for granted and don’t sweat the small stuff. Be grateful for what you have as opposed to upset at what you don’t have and while we will all have a bad day do your very best to minimize it to maybe a bad few minutes, refocus on what’s truly important, and then continue forward through the journey of life. Maybe you can even make your own A to Z list of things for which you are grateful!

Best wishes for health and happiness to all who read this, all participants and visitors of the A to Z Challenge, and the team members who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure that the A to Z Challenge continues each year. Special thanks to the A to Z Team for all they do!

Mike from Tupeak Hope

W: www.tupeak.net

F: https://www.facebook.com/TupeakHope/

T: @TupeakHope

The Google+ Board Is No More

As you might have heard, Google plans on shutting down its Google+ service next year. The original shutdown date was scheduled for August 2019, but owing to more than a few data breaches, they've decided to push that up to April.

Seeing as how the service wouldn't be around during the next challenge or at any time in the future, and that signups for the AtoZ '19 would be coming up, we made the decision to delete the A to Z Challenge community now. Sorry for any inadvertent inconvenience.

John