C. Lee McKenzie

Young Adult and Middle Grade Author

Why Blog and Hats Off Corner Welcomes Stephen Tremp

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Why I Blog
by 
C. Lee McKenzie


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I started blogging because my publisher told me to, and back then I did everything my publisher told me to do. The interesting thing that happened is this: I liked it. So why?

I learned a lot of new stuff for one thing, and that’s always a motivator for me. I had to figure out which program to set my blog up on, and then how to use it. Blogger worked for me because it didn’t have a long learning curve. I quickly     learned where the undo button was, so what could go wrong?

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I quickly learned that, too. A lot could go wrong if I didn’t have content that was of value. What was valuable content anyway? I wasn’t a marketing guru. I didn’t have hot tips for writers. What was my platform? What was a platform? See? I had a lot to learn, so I kept going.

Then I discovered things like Awards and Hops and Groups. Yay! Now I was on a roll because more than the family cat was reading what I posted.

Then just as I had this blogging thing down, I burned out. Yep. Dry as a summer hill in California, and it happened overnight. I was quitting. I was burrowing into my writer’s cave and blowing off all this blogging business.

So why didn’t I? Why did I take a break and return? Here’s one reason: I missed the contact with the people I’d connected with. I missed knowing when they had new releases or rejections or a great new WIP. 

Was there any other reason? I thought about that and decided that without blogging I might have continued to read within my preferred genres. I wouldn’t have sampled books that I usually passed up. Because I was curious about what writer friends had created and I wanted to support their work, I found myself reading much more widely. 

And that thing about showing up to the blank page? Well, blogging taught me a lot about doing that every single day.   

So why blog? I guess those are three compelling reasons for me. 


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Here are the followers who won books in this month’s Back to School Special Offer. 
I had this idea to share books I’d read, enjoyed and reviewed with people on my Mailing List. I love to recycle, but reuse is even better. So congrats to: 
  • Bish Denham gets my ARC of The Secret Files of Fairday Morrow
  • Beverly Stowe McClure gets my signed copy of Woven
  • L.L. gets my signed copy of Shooting Kabul. 

I’ll need your snail mail people, so email me that and I’ll send your books on their way!  I hope you enjoy these stories as much as I did.

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Hats Off Corner Welcomes Stephen Tremp

Stephen Tremp writes speculative fiction and his fourth novel, 
Salem’s Daughters, 
is supernatural thriller. 
A four hundred year old evil is unleashed when souls of the daughters of those killed during the Salem Witch Trials find a new generation of people to murder at a popular modern-day bed and breakfast.
For a full synopsis and to pre-order a copy of Salem’s Daughters for $2.99 (price goes up to $4.99 soon after release) 

Click Here.

Visit Stephen at his BLOG.

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Quote for the Day: “The different and the novel are sweet, but regularity and repetition are also teachers.” Poet Mary Oliver

Why do you blog? Ever think of giving up? Does Salem’s Daughters look interesting?

Good News, Meet the Muffin Commandos, and Hats Off Corner Welcomes Patricia Lynne

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Good News with a touch of Gossip.

George Clooney received a lifetime achievement award and was roasted a bit by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. They pointed out that his wife, who is a human rights lawyer, has a significant list of lifetime achievements to her credit and didn’t it seem strange it was her husband getting the award. Read More



Last Day for Goodreads Giveaway for The Great Time Lock Disaster. Hope you’ve entered to win. 

Muffin Commando Squad, Part 2 A couple of weeks ago you met one half of this #AtoZChallenge Team. Now here’s the other half. 

Q. What’s your latest WIP/publication?

BROKEN BRANCH FALLS (MG fantasy) was published last June and SIMULATION (techno thriller) comes out in September!

Find out more about Tara Tyler

Q: Who are you anyways?

I’m the sugar in your muffin, the cup liner in your tin, the hotness in your oven, and the muffin flavor with a spin. I am the Muffin Commando that goes commando every now and then. No shame…

Find out more about Tammy Theriault

Q. What’s your latest book, short story, publication?

A Jumble of 500+ Writing Prompts, A Pocket-Sized Jumble of 500+ Writing Prompts (paperback), and Jumble Journals 1 and 2. Like they sound, these are books chock full of writing prompts.

Find out more about Tyrean Martinson

Q. What’s your Favorite Food?

Peanut butter. I bet you thought I’d say chocolate. A gal can’t live on chocolate alone, but she can survive on peanut butter. 

Find out more about Elizabeth Seckman

Hats Off Corner With Patricia Lynne

There is only one path.

Born mortal along with his three brothers, Michael is an Archangel with a specific role: hunt fallen angels and send them back to Hell. He is determined in his mission, never straying from his appointed path, until he meets Lake Divine, and discovers there may be more to his beliefs than blind duty.
But Lake is not who he seems. Offspring of a human and a fallen angel, a Nephilim, Lake must choose his own destiny: give in to the coldness and embrace the dark, or seek the light and rise above the sins of his father.
Two paths lay before them, but only one has the potential to destroy them both.
Tweets to share:
Walk the path. Face evil. Defeat it. #PathOfAngels
#urbanfantasy #NA #NewAdult
Michael thought he knew what lay on his path, but he didn’t see Lake coming. #PathOfAngels #urbanfantasy #NALit
Lake knew he was divine, but is he strong enough to prove it to the world? #PathOfAngels #NA #lgbt
About the Author:
Patricia Josephine never set out to become a writer. In fact, she never considered it an option during high school and college. She was all about art. On a whim, she wrote down a story bouncing in her head. That was the start of it and she hasn’t regretted a moment. She writes young adult under the name Patricia Lynne.
Patricia lives with her husband in Michigan, hopes one day to have what will resemble a small petting zoo, has a fondness for dying her hair the colors of the rainbow, and an obsession with Doctor Who.
Connect with Patricia
Twitter 
Website 
Google+  
Wattpad  
Goodreads  
Quote for the Day: “Love is like quicksilver in the hand. Leave the fingers open and it stays. Clutch it and it darts away.” Dorothy Parker
Hope you’ll help Patricia by sharing her Tweets. And be sure to connect with her on her social media. Are you a George Clooney fan? Why did he have to marry and why did she have to be someone absolutely perfect? Are these Muffins fab or what?

Good News, Book Launch and Awards…Just Keep It All Coming

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Good News

Yes, there is always some good news in the world. We just have to find it. And here’s one good news story. Josie Conlon rescued an abused border collie. The dog was never affectionate, having been so badly treated, but he suddenly started jumping on her, crying and nuzzling her chest. When she went to the doctor they found a stage three cancer. The detection of this tumor saved her life. 

Yay for that border collie and yay for the kind woman who saved him, so he could save her.  

Great Time Lock Disaster Launch

I know some of you have already said you’ll lend me a hand when The Great Time Lock Disaster launches, but if you’ll let me know in a comment, I’ll be in touch. I’m aiming for Feb 24th as the L Day. I’d appreciate any of these:
  • Reviews
  • Guest Post
  • Interview
  • Character Interview
  • Standard post (blurb, image, buy links)

Awards are also Good News, and I have two to share today. Both are INSPIRING! 

Thanks you,  BISH DENHAM
VERY INSPIRING BLOGGER AWARD 
My nominees are: (If you’re too busy or have already done this or are adamantly opposed to awards, kindly disregard.)
  1. Beverly Stowe McClure Excellent Reviewer and storyteller
  2. Klahanie Anti Hop, but Pro Writers:Sorry about this. Send the gnomes to get me. Or stop being so damned inspiring.
  3. Angela Brown Ms. Happiness
  4. J.L. Campbell Helpful, Prolific Writer
  5. Lexa Cain Kept the Friday Small Things To Appreciate alive!
  6. Catherine Stine Marketing Queen
  7. Alex Cavanaugh Marketing King
  8. Loni Townsend Zombie expert
  9. Mason Canyon Cat Lady, and who can not be Inspired by a Cat Lady?
  10. Lynda Young A great Down Under Blogger
  11. Tammy Theriault Should do standup comedy.
  12. Al Diaz Knows how to control the dwarves. . .sometimes.
  13. Buddy Poet and Kilt wearer
  14. Gina Stoneheart Costa Rica Traveler who knows how to have fun.
  15. Michelle Wallace A Girl with the Words

My three inspiring things for past few weeks:

  1. My Good News Story about the border collie.
  2. The sign of rain possibly coming our way after several dry weeks.
  3. My book covers for Alligators Overhead (a new, shiny version) and for The Great Time Lock Disaster, my sequel.

Rules for this AWARD.
1. Thank the person who nominated you, and link to their blog. 
2. Display the award logo. 
3. Nominate at least 15 other blogs (more or less) and provide 
a link where they may be found.
4. Then, go to their blog, leave a comment to let them know they have been nominated, and where to find the information they need to accept (rules).
5. Mention three things that inspired you the most during the past few weeks.

Thank you, YVONNE VENTRESCA

VERY INSPIRING BLOGGER AWARD#2 and One Lovely Blogger Award

My nominees are: (Since these Awards have the same rules, I’m putting them together. If you’re too busy or have already done this or are adamantly opposed to awards, kindly disregard.)
  1. Darby Karchut A Long-Time Writer Friends who really is award-winning.
  2. Chris Fey Looks for the Magic in Words
  3. Mary Pax The most Grounded, Space-Explorer I know.
  4. Sheri Larsen Supports Writers Always, and who won my copy of Sudden Secrets!!!!
  5. Julie Musil Writes up a storm on her blog.
  6. Hilary Always great history on her blog. 
  7. Gwen Gardner Writer of Great Ghostly stories.

7 Things About Myself:
  1. I write books. (Surprise!)
  2. I read books. (another surprise)
  3. I am a book…no, that’s not true. I am an award-winning author. Just look at this webpage.
  4. When I’m not writing I’m sleeping or eating or thinking about all three.
  5. My best kept secret is XXXXX. Not on your life will I reveal that!
  6. When I grow up I want to be an artist.
  7. I don’t have a Bucket List because I don’t intend to leave. I like it here.

Rules for this AWARD:

1. Display the logo on their website/blog
2. Link back to this page
3. Answer 7 questions about themselves
4. Nominate another 7 people
My Quote for the Day: “Happiness is pretty simple-someone to love, something to do, something to look forward to.” Rita Mae Brown

The World Hop Rules, Some Halloween Jack-O-Lanterns & the Hats Off Corner With Beverly McClure

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Thanks to YVONNE VENTRESCA for tagging me. Here’s her POST

The World Hop Rules

Start with a quote.
Answer 4 short questions
Tag another writer
“Imagination was given to man to compensate him for what he is not; a sense of humor to console him for what he is.”  Francis Bacon
1. Why do I create what I do?
One answer is it keeps me out of trouble, but I guess the best answer to this is because I love to see if I can get the ideas from my head to the page. It’s a true challenge, and sometimes it takes a lot of word wrestling before I succeed.
2. How does my creative process work? (note my editing of this question. There are days when the creative part just ain’t there.)
But when it is there, I start with a single sentence. That sounds sooooo simple, doesn’t it? But it’s the toughest part of my job. Once I get a sentence that has a character I can relate to, a goal I can imagine, and some obstacles I can dream up, I start the story. Sometimes I write the end first. Sometimes I write scattered but important scenes I have in my head. I never know how the book is going to come together.
3. How does my work differ from others of its genre?
I guess one difference is my focus in never on romance. It’s always on the circumstances that the teen is stuck with. If love finds its way into the story, it has to have a purpose. In Sliding on the Edge, I needed the Sunday Boy to provoke my MC in a country boy lighthearted way and show her the truth. In The Princess of Las Pulgas I needed a no nonsense kid who could set the Princess on the right track. In Double Negative I needed one person Hutch McQueen could turn to and trust. 
4. What am I presently working on?
I’ve gone back to middle grade adventure fantasy for a bit to clear my head and have some lighthearted fun. I’ve finished a sequel to Alligators Overhead and called it The Great Time Lock Disaster. I’ll be subbing that starting December. I’m also in the middle of editing an ancient manuscript, Dragon Child. I say ancient because this is something I started years ago and never finished. I did a lousy job crafting it, so it has taken some doing to fix my mess. Still I’m fond of the story and hope to whip it into some kind of shape soon.

Next up on the blog hop, I’d like to tag CATHERINE STINE. Catherine is the author of several novels. Among them her Fireseed Series. She’ll be joining this HOP in December.

Now. . . about that Jack-O-Lantern

Got your pumpkin ready to carve? Here are some ideas. Simple, and then the Not So Simple.

Love the Bats

My Carving Level
Ahhh. Sweet Bird Nesting

Shudder

Hats Off Corner

A girl.
A dream.
An accident.
A dream shattered.
Eleven-year-old Kate Taylor dreams of being the star of her basketball team, Angels. When Kate’s tooth is knocked out at one of the games and her mother, who is also her coach, says she can’t play until the tooth the dentist replants heals, Kate’s dreams are in jeopardy. Add Emily, the new girl at school who claims she’s the best, and Kate faces a challenge to prove that she is the star.
Will Kate succeed? Or will Emily ruin Kate’s plans?
Available on AMAZON, BARNES AND NOBLE
About BEV!
Most of the time, you’ll find Beverly in front of her computer, writing the stories little voices whisper in her ear. When she’s not writing, she takes long walks and snaps pictures of clouds, wild flowers, birds and deer. To some of her friends, she is affectionately known as the “Bug Lady” because she rescues butterflies, moths, walking sticks, and praying mantis from her cats. 
For twenty-two years Beverly taught children in grades two through five how to read and write. They taught her patience. Now, she teaches a women’s Sunday school class at her church. To relax she plays the piano. Her cats don’t appreciate good music and run and hide when she tickles the ivories.

MY REVIEW HERE.
You can visit her here. 
BEV’S BLOGSPOT 
BEV’S WORDPRESS 

How About Those Loglines?

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Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot about LOGLINES on different blogs. These little devils are tricky and not easy to write. I speak from experience. My loglines started out darned sucky, they’ve progressed to somewhat satisfactory, and I’m still hoping to write brilliant ones one of these days.

I find these steps help me start.

*Be sure to include your MC, what they need or want and why they can’t get it.

*Don’t name the character in the logline, but clearly identify them. 
a zombie
a lizard
a gas station attendant
*Use one adjective to describe your character. Be sure this adjective is unique to that character in the story. 
a talented zombie
a heroic lizard
a clairvoyant gas station attendant
*Give the MC’s main goal clearly and succinctly. 
A talented zombie wants to perform Hamlet before he’s destroyed.
A heroic lizard must save his community from a Cat.
A clairvoyant gas station attendant must prevent his own murder.

*Tell who/what the antagonist is, but don’t overshadow the MC, so this bit should be short and concise. 
A talented zombie must elude his sister, a zealous zombie hunter, so he can perform Hamlet before she destroys him.

A heroic lizard must escape life threatening enemies to save his community from a Cat.

A clairvoyant gas station attendant must track down his killer to prevent his own murder. 

There’s more, but I’ll stop here for now. I need to practice this much, then I’ll get back with more ideas about how I’d write that “perfect” logline.

In my Hat’s Off Corner 

SAMANTHA GEARY JONES

CARRIE BUTLER/PK HREZO

My Quote for the Day

“When you cease to make a contribution, you begin to die.” Elenore Roosevelt.