Can You Remember?

My granddaughter turns 28 this month. Okay, I’ll say it...where has the time gone? I can remember the first time I saw her, but I can’t remember much else from that year. So I started digging...

In 1984...

Brian Mulroney became Canada’s Prime Minister on 17 September.

In the US, the average cost of a new house was $86,730 and, also in the US,

a gallon of gas was $1.10.

The UK and China agreed that Hong Kong would revert to China in 1997.

Virgin Atlantic held its inaugural flight.

Famine began in Ethiopia.

The first Apple Macintosh went on sale.

The Space Shuttle Discovery had its maiden voyage.

In 1984, we went to the movies and saw:

Ghostbusters

Beverly Hills Cop

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

The Terminator

For the trivia buffs:

In Canada, Mike Riley of Manitoba won the Labatt’s Brier.

At the Olympics in Los Angeles, Canadian speed skater Gaetan Boucher won three medals...a record at that time.

Ronald Reagan was re-elected to the Presidency of the United States

In 1984, Kenny Loggins was Footloose and The Boss was Dancing In The Dark.

In television:

there were no reality shows, so we made do with the classics:

Magnum P.I., Dynasty, Hill Street Blues, and Cheers.

We were reading (according to the NYT Bestseller list)

Iacocca, an autobiography of Lee Iacocca

The Aquitaine Progression by Robert Ludlum

The Talisman by Stephen King

But most importantly, my granddaughter was born. My granddaughter, my sometime conscience, and my friend. Happy Birthday Jessie!

New Book Out Today

My new book, Gift Wrapped for Christmas, is at Amazon.com today. For the first week or so, it will be offered at the introductory price of .99c, then it will revert to its normal price of $2.99. I enjoyed writing this book, which takes place in Calgary. I think of it as warm and fuzzy meets edgy. Hope you enjoy!
Here's the link:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009DRUP9C

Coming Soon

I've finally finished my Christmas novel. It's a gentle, delightful story of a young woman in Calgary who loses her job shortly before Christmas and decides to become her own boss. I won't give away the plot but there's a heartwarming romance with a few surprises along the way.

Gift Wrapped for Christmas should be available around September 21st. I'll post about it here, as well as on my website and my facebook page.

Free Read September 13 - 16

Back by popular demand, Full Circle is available today through Sunday for free on Amazon.

Bella Thompson has news: she’s pregnant. But before she can tell her boyfriend Jeffrey, he shatters her with the news that he’s going to marry someone else.  Bella is given a choice: Go to Atlanta and give up her child for adoption, or leave town and raise her child on her own. The choice is clear, and she travels to California, where she settles in Santa Monica. Determined to make her own way in the world and return to Willow Bend on her own terms, Bella puts all her energies into building a successful business with her partner Rafael Vargas. But at what cost? Follow Bella as she struggles to balance her passion for business with the ultimate prize...love. 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005NTW8SU

A big shout-out and thank you to Free Kindle Books for their assistance in promoting this free offering. Other authors might want to check 'em out at http://www.fkbooksandtips.com/

You Gotta Read This

A friend of mine set up a new facebook page today. As authors, we’re always trying to steer people toward our books, but I suspect that some people are becoming tired of the constant pleas to “buy my book”. Do we want you to buy our books? Of course, but as authors we read constantly and every once in a while we come across something outstanding. Thus the name of the facebook page: You Gotta Read This.

  My first posting on the page is a book that was recommended to me by my granddaughter. The young woman has eclectic tastes, I’ll say that for her. The page is brand new, but I recommend you keep an eye on it. Chances are you’ll discover a gem.

I You Gotta Read....SHANTARAM

There’s something about this book that erases the boundaries between genres, and between the sexes. I’ve recommended this book to something like ten people now...adventure readers, romance readers, men and women, and every single one has enjoyed it.

  No, that’s not right. They didn’t just enjoy it, they raved about it. Several have mentioned to me that it’s difficult to get into, and I can understand that. I found it difficult to get started on it as well, but once I was into it, I was hooked, and I rode the story right to the end.

  Before I became engrossed in this story I knew nothing about India, and very little about her people. Am I now an expert from reading this book? No, but the knowledge I gleaned has afforded me a small amount of insight, and brought into focus some things I’ve seen on television, or read about in other books.

  It’s an adventure story, a love story and a story of compassion. The author, Gregory David Roberts doesn’t hide the fact that he has an unsavory past. He shows us who he is, faults and all, and we end up liking and respecting him for his honesty.

  I’ve read this book twice and recommended it to many of my friends and family. Now I’m recommending it to you. Come back when you’ve finished and let me know what you think. You'll find it on Amazon.

Mona Ingram

 

In the good old summertime...

Summer has finally caught up with me - to the extent that I won't be posting a blog this week or next.
  It's about slowing down and enjoying the weather, enjoying visiting with friends and family, and next week I'll be taking a bit of a holiday to San Francisco.
  I've had a novel percolating around in my head for quite some time now...a historical romance, set in San Francisco. I've visited there before, but I wasn't a scribbler then, so I'll be keeping my eye open for historical sites, and I understand there are plenty.
  Next week, commencing August 16th, I'll be offering Moonlight Dancer  free on Amazon.com. It's a contemporary romance with a touch of paranormal. It's a delightful book...give it a try.
  And just to show you what the weather was like this morning in the Okanagan valley, here's a picture I took at breakfast.
  See you in 3 weeks!

Writing The Dreaded Blurb

I think it would be accurate to say that writing the all-important blurb is something most authors approach with trepidation. I should be able to articulate the reasons; I’m a writer after all, but I honestly don’t know why we freeze up when the time comes.

I frequent a few message boards and at any one time there are likely to be several of us posting our blurbs, asking for an opinion from our fellow writers.

A great topic for a blog...plus it’s an excuse to put off writing for a bit longer, so here are my thoughts about writing the blurb for e-fiction.

I would say that too many of us treat our blurb as a mini-synopsis. While I would agree that we should establish the time, the location, and mention at least two main characters, I don’t think we need to give away the entire story line. We rarely need backstory.

Let’s face it, we’re in the business of selling books, and assuming the cover has attracted the potential reader's  attention, the blurb will be the first contact he has with the content of our book. It’s up to us to make it count.

When the book has been purchased, read, and you get that five-star review from a total stranger, what did the reader like about your book?

In virtually all cases, the reader connected with your main character. They liked the action, whether it was solving the mystery, watching the heroine being swept away by the hero, or cheering as the good guys repelled the aliens. But mainly, they identified with the hero of your story. Perhaps in some small way they became him.

If that’s what the reader liked enough to write a review (and we all know how few and far between those are), then why not use the blurb to draw them into your story with a few words showing your hero’s charm, determination, vulnerability, or whatever makes him/her appealing.

There’s always conflict, right? It comes in many forms, but it’s always there. Throw out a hint of the conflict, and your reader should at least read the sample. After that, it’s up to you to have written a compelling beginning.

One last thing: ask a question. Can Jack and Jill scale the insurmountable hill? If you feel your blurb lacks punch, add a question. It’s a frequently used device, but that’s because it works. By asking a question, you invite the reader to become involved in the story and that’s what you wanted from the beginning, right?

I’ve read opinions stating that a blurb should be no longer than two sentences. I disagree. Your blurb should be concise, but it should also be as long as it takes to interest the reader in your story.

These days, readers can scan a hundred books an hour on the internet. That’s a lot of competition. We all need to write better blurbs, myself included.

https://www.amazon.com/author/monaingram.com