C is for...

We are giving the ABC of your State Blog Fest a shot, a blog fest set up by Fleur de Aleta.  The idea is, every Wednesday, we have to post a fact about our home state New Jersey for the letter of that week.

We are starting somewhat late, missing A and B, but without further ado, I present the letter C.

The City of Cape May - A great shore town that houses some beautifully designed and preserved Victorian homes.  A gorgeous beach and small shops filled with wares specific to the signs on the buildings.

Cape May County Zoo - Not in the city of Cape May, but in the county.  The zoo houses hundreds of animals, including a tiger, cheetahs, a lion, bears, otters, and much more.  The zoo is place comfortably off the Garden State Parkway and set back in the woods.  Oh yeah, did I mention that it is a free zoo!

Cow Town - In Salem County.  Cow town is the home of the first ever rodeo in the USA and today is the sight of a huge auction for area farmers.  We are still the Garden State.

Camden Aquarium - Set in the center of the Camden Waterfront, the Camden Aquarium is a beautiful Aquarium with thousands of fish and animals.  It is educational and entertaining, the only problem is getting there, the surrounding town isn't the nicest.

Cheesequake National Park - A park in north Jersey that I was recently at for a business BBQ.  The scenery is gorgeous, filled with lakes and trees.  Plus, it has fields and pavilions where you can set up and have fun and picnics.

I am already thinking about what to do next week, the all exciting D.

A nice, simple post today.  Just wondering, if you had a genie and three wishes.  What would you wish for?

Mine is, more time.  I could use more time in the day.

More money.  Couldn't we all.

I am still thinking about what my third would be.

M. Fate?

We, Amy and I, were having a discussion last night with a friend. We were going back and forth about fate, specifically, Nostradamus and his predictions.


Amy and I are from the school of thought that people and the world are not destined to do a damn thing. Things do happen for a reason, but it is up to the person to decide what to do with them. I can’t believe that we are all cords cut in space, with a predetermined length.

Others felt that the writings and predictions were too closely related and that our destinies are drawn out at birth. But, then again, the predictions aren’t written with specifics and could be interpreted to fit any necessary event.

I know this is coming from left field, and it’s only a Monday, but it really interests me. As writers and more specifically as people too determined to except no from agents, do you feel your destiny is already decided?

M. Marketing

My least favorite aspect of the writing/self-publishing process is marketing.  I know that you have to get yourself out there and introduce your work to the world, but it isn't easy.

Between blogging, Facebook, Twitter, and community events; you have to set aside a large portion of your time to put yourself out there.  Then you have to hope that people are receptive.

I do have to say that in the community, people have been very receptive to our journey and attempt at self-publishing.  Facebook is somewhat more difficult, the people on there are a hard egg to crack and every once and a while will download the book.  Then there is Twitter.  I have started to meet some amazing people through Twitter, people I wouldn't have ever imagined, but still you can't just go on every day and push a book.  You become boring.

So how is it done?  How does someone with a macaroni and cheese budget break into the world of publishing?  Is there something that you are doing that maybe we aren't?

M. Why We Do This

Take the stress out of your mind right now. Stop thinking about rejection letters from agents and not getting published, don’t think about self-publishing, and remember. Do you remember why you started writing?


Take a deep breath. Calm down. Let the words flow from your mind, to your hands, from your fingers to the keys or pen, and finally onto the screen or paper. One word after the other you will have a sentence, then a paragraph, and eventually a story.

Why did you write that story? If you wrote it to make millions of dollars and have a house next to James Patterson, then you wrote it for the wrong reason. Write because you love to write and when you are a writer, don’t forget why you write.

Lately, I have been letting rejection letters from agents start to leave dings on my outer shell. A few actually broke the surface and honestly it stings. I am not going to lie and say I don’t care if I don’t ever get published, but it can’t be the only reason that we write.

In reality, when you write, you are creating something that will last forever. Whether it is in a hardback copy, marked as best-seller or a manuscript in your attic for your great-grandkids to find long after your gone, it will last forever. The story line, the characters, everything about the pages comes directly from deep within you. Despite what anybody thinks, that is amazing.

Don’t let rejection keep you down. If you love to write, then be as thick skinned as you possibly can be. Don’t lose the main objective and don’t forget why you started doing this in the first place.

Tristen & the Whining of the Wind

TRISTEN & THE WHINING OF THE WIND

Book two

M. A. Leslie

With the changes and trials that Tristen Parker had faced in becoming a druid, he thought he could handle anything.  He had his magic and his best friend Brody, what else could a boy need?

But when the St Patrick’s Day festival comes around, he finds that life isn’t as certain as he thought.  New Shannon is in party mode and just about every imaginable fun event is taking place, jugglers, bards, games, relay races, and much more.

However, as the festival progresses a strange sound echoes through the wind.  And, the only way he could describe it was whining.  At first he thinks nothing of it, but as the days go by and whining gets louder, he starts to worry.

Strangely as the whining increases, so do the violent tendencies of his classmates.  Fights break out and kids that were once friends are throwing punches.

Again, Tristen realizes it is up to him to find out the source and stop the infection of evil that is encasing his town.

A. Stepping Out of My Comfort Zone

As a writer I LOVE to read. I panic when I am about to finish a book and don't have another one lined up. I seriously have a full on heart racing sweating panic attack to the point that I can't finish the book until I know what book I am reading next. I also normally stick to a few Authors, Nora Roberts (writing under J.D Robb as well) Kay Hopper, J.K. Rowling, James Patterson. I have branched out in the past here and there and read other Author's, books someone would say you have to read this. I usually enjoy them but don't always read anything else by that writer.

So as a writer trying to get my own works read I stepping out of my comfort zone and reading a new authors for me all summer along. I was on Amazon ordering books for my children's summer reading and decided to give Amanda Hockings a try. I order Switched. This will be the third book this summer that i am reading by a different writer.  Hopefully i can stick to my guns and not fall back to my safety net of reading till September. Sorry to all my favorites, I will not be picking up any of your books till the end of summer. You will be missed