Friday, June 11, 2021
The Wideawake Hat The Applecross Saga Book 1 by Amanda Giorgis Genre: Historical New Zealand Fiction
Saturday, May 15, 2021
The Adventure of the Deceased Scholar The Early Case Files of Sherlock Holmes Book 3 by Liese Sherwood-Fabre Genre: Historical Mystery
The
Adventure of the Deceased Scholar
The
Early Case Files of Sherlock Holmes Book 3
by
Liese Sherwood-Fabre
Genre:
Historical Mystery
Award-winning author and recognized Sherlockian scholar Liese Sherwood-Fabre’s third novel in “The Early Case Files of Sherlock Holmes” follows the young detective to London for the spring holiday. This CIBA first-place mystery and mayhem winner has been described by bestselling author Gemma Halliday as “a classic in the making” and Kirkus Reviews as “a multifaceted and convincing addition to Sherlock-ian lore.”
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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$15
Gift Card (winner's choice--Amazon or Apple)
Monday, April 26, 2021
A KIND OF DROWNING by Robert Crave
The man standing at the funeral in bubble-gum pink hair
is P.J. Crowe. His career as a detective is in tatters - he's facing dismissal,
vilified by the press and his wife's about to leave. Lying low in a
small seaside town he spots a ‘Help Wanted’ ad in the kitchen of a local
café. It offers him an escape from the public and his spiralling mental health
- and it's where Thea Farrell worked – until she was found dead at sea.
And herein lies the problem: Thea was an Olympic
medallist, silver for swimming and Crowe’s burned-out synapses are starting to
join the dots – it wasn't his case, but his cop’s senses tell him that Thea
wasn’t the drowning kind.
And the suspect may well be in the congregation.
A KIND OF DROWNING is a big departure for me
both in subject and style. I put the main character, P. J. Crowe in a small seaside
town, off the beaten track in the midst of a mental and professional crisis. He
is isolated in a small town where a tragedy occurs, and despite everything he’s
going through he’s not convinced it’s an accident.
For the technical aspects, I contacted Sue Procter at
ThinkForensic in the UK. I sketched out my ‘crime / tragedy’ and within weeks,
she was back with the science of what I was looking for. I built an entire
chapter around this and sent it back for approval. A few tweaks and several rewrites
later, Sue validated it. I now had a ‘hub’ around which the story would
revolve.
I had my protagonist, I had my ‘incident’ (or supposed
crime with the technical nous behind it), I had my location. Now I could
tap into the key Lockdown themes of this Covid-19 Crisis: Isolation, mental health,
and survival.
A KIND OF DROWNING is a noir novel – a Chandleresque, Ken
Bruen, Hammett, and Spillane dark in its concept. I wanted the characters to
grow through dialogue rather than actions and I wanted to stay clear of the
technical and procedural jargon and let the story evolve through Crowe’s eyes.
I think its my best novel to date; a culmination of 14
years of writing that has finally come together in this book.
But I will let the reader decide on that.
A KIND OF DROWNING will be released in early May on Amazon
& Kobo platforms
Sample chapter
“Where
to, Boss?”
It was Crowe’s kind of
ride, neither he nor the taxi driver spoke. The sporadic bursts from the Satnav
punctuated the silence. Dublin’s suburbs gave way to the northbound motorway.
But long distances abhor
a vacuum,
“I know you,” she said.
Crowe flicked his eyes
across the laminated ID – the driver’s name was Abosede Akande O’Hare. He spied
the small camera on the mirror behind a thick-beaded wooden rosary hanging from
the mirror.
“I don’t
think I’ve had the pleasure,” he replied.
“You look
done in,” she said.
He drew his hand across
the week long stubble then pulled it away; he studied it. The knuckles still
had faint traces of bruising. He covered them with his other hand. Sometimes
the tremors arrived unannounced. The scratches had healed in coarse diagonal
lines. A faint indentation on his finger hinted where a wedding band used to be.
Crowe had gone
twenty-four hours without sleep. He had the kind of sour hangover that felt
like a vice squeezing in on either side of his skull.
The white lines of the
road were hypnotic. A passing truck flicked its lights like a flashgun sending
lightening forks across his prefrontal cortex.
A lot could change in a
fortnight, he thought.
“You
police?” asked Abosede.
“No,”
Crowe replied.
Abosede made a clicking
sound with her tongue, rolling the words “PJ, PJ, PJ..” like a rolodex.
She turned her flawless
profile scanning him up and down. She saw a man in an unwashed fleece; a man
whose entire existence was stuffed into pockets and bags.
“You
look like police,” she murmured.
“It’s Gardai
in this country,”
“Gardee.
Guarding what?” she snorted.
Guarding what indeed, he
thought.
“I’m
paying you only to drive,” said Crowe.
The clicking continued,
she mumbled something under her breath. It sounded like “Stronger air
freshener,”
He couldn’t be sure.
The cab smelled exotic. A
gold watch glowed on her ebony skin; its glass was covered in a faint meshwork
of cracks.
“Not paying me enough,” she said.
Crowe slunk further into
his seat.
Twelve junctions later,
the northbound motorway siphoned off to a dual carriageway that dog-legged onto
a secondary road. The silence stretched out to forever. The first signposts for
his destination appeared.
“Well,
don’t expect any sunshine in Roscarrig, man. The forecast for the summer is
terrible,” said Abosede.
“Suits me, I’ve been told to rest,” said Crowe.
“You cannot rest in Dublin?”
“No-one
seems to think so,” he paused, pressing his forehead against the window. The
faint vibrations of the road coursed through his temples, “I thought I’d get away,”
“Why?
The city is where the money is, the money is boss; it crisp, it nice,”
He closed his eyes,
“I could
tell you, but then I’d have to kill you,” he said.
“I do
know you. Brutality, man. Brutality,” said Abosede.
Like her photo, her
braids were piled gloriously high on her head.
“Roscarrig, thanks. No more talk or I will definitely
kill you,” he replied.
Crowe’s gaze fell onto
the glove compartment, an adhesive 3-D Jesus doled out a plastic benediction.
Abosede glanced sideways at him,
“Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved,”
she intoned,
“I never trust anyone who’s read just one book,” said
Crowe.
The silence descended
between them like a pall.
Dilapidated lines of
greenhouses amid large tracts of grass, yellow gorse and seas of ragwort sailed
past,
“Jacobaea
Vulgaris,” he muttered.
He thought about Googling
the word ragwort, but like his watch, the blood stained mobile phone was
sealed tight and locked away in an evidence bag.
He folded his arms.
Abosede’s tongue started
clicking again.
Two bedraggled roundabouts
later, they passed a peeling, dirty reflective welcome sign that requested
everyone to please drive slowly. The Satnav announced that they had reached
their destination. They were on the narrow main street of Roscarrig town.
It was a town dismal and
forgotten; out of time and out of luck, thought Crowe. The ragged end of
nowhere.
Last
stop, he thought.
Friday, April 23, 2021
Looking Through History's Window by David E. Young Genre: Nonfiction, History
Saturday, April 10, 2021
Flame of Normandy The Comet Series Book 1 by Miriam Newman Genre: Historical Romance
Sunday, March 7, 2021
Myth Agent by L.A. MacFadden Genre: Historical Time Travel, Science Fiction
Saturday, February 6, 2021
WHO NEEDS A BOOK EDITOR?
Do I Need A Book Editor?
Is your manuscript finished and
you find yourself wondering if you need an editor? The answer is most
definitely yes. Even the most seasoned authors need an editor! The truth of the
matter is you, as the author, are too close to your work to see what it does or
doesn’t need. If you don’t spend time and money on a good book
editor, everything else you do to publish and market your book won’t matter. A
poorly edited book is a waste of time and money. Every dollar you spend
promoting an error-prone book might as well be thrown away. If you intend for your
book to be read by anyone other than your family and friends, you need to pay
for the most extensive book editing that you can afford, and you need to make
sure that whoever edits your book is a professional book editor. Depending on
the budget you’ve set, all or most of it could—and maybe should—be consumed by
editing. Don’t skimp on book editing just so you can publish your book now. The
world has waited this long for your book, it can wait until it’s edited. If you
can only afford one or the other, hire a good book editor, then save up money
to have it published.
When is the right time to
hire an editor?
Consider
these frequently asked questions, and be brutally honest with yourself in
answering them before figuring out if you’re ready:
- Have I done as
much as I can to make my manuscript the best I can?
- Am I looking for an editor because I’m tired of looking at my manuscript?
- Have I attempted
any self-editing?
- Has any
experienced writer read my work? (Tip: find a local writing
group or critique group.)
- Do I need to
learn more about the craft of writing before proceeding with further work
on my book?
- Do I have the
nagging feeling that something undefinable isn’t quite working in my
manuscript?
- Do I understand
the cost, both in time and money, of hiring a professional editor,
and have I budgeted for both?
- Do I know the
difference between developmental editing and copyediting? And if I’m tired
of working on my book but want to get it done, do I have the budget to
hire a developmental editor to help me cross the finish line?
- Am I rushing the
process simply to crank out another book?
- Am I sending my
book to an editor because I’m afraid I don’t have what it takes to be a
writer? In other words, am I hoping that a professional editor can shape
my goo into the masterpiece I have in my mind?
Now that you know you’re ready for an editor, you need to
also know that there are
different types of book editing—including developmental editing, copy editing/line
editing, and proofreading—for different stages of the publication process. You
have to decide which type is best for you, and then find an editor you feel you
can work well with. Make sure you get references, or read their testimonials,
and have them edit a sample for you.
·
Developmental editing, also called content or substantive editing,
involves an editor providing detailed feedback on “big-picture” issues. They’ll
refine your ideas, shape your narrative, and help you fix any major plot or
character inconsistencies. Basically, they’ll look at just about every element
of your story and tell you what works and what doesn’t.
·
Copy editing, or line editing, is to bring the
author’s completed manuscript to a more professional level. A copy edit helps
create the most readable version of your book, improving clarity, coherency,
consistency, and correctness. The goal is to bridge any remaining gaps between
the author’s intent and the reader’s understanding.
What elements do line editors
consider?
A line editor examines and corrects the
following elements in your work:
- Spelling
- Grammar
- Capitalization
- Word usage and repetition
- Dialogue tags
- Usage of numbers or numerals
- POV/tense (to fix any
unintentional shifts)
- Descriptive
inconsistencies (character descriptions, locations, blocking, etc.)
Essentially, while a
developmental editor will address overarching issues with your story, the copy
editor looks at more minute details. After all, it’d be pretty distracting to
your reader if you constantly misuse dialogue tags or misspell the word
“restaurant.” Copy editing ensures that errors like these don’t happen, so your
writing is as strong as possible, and your reader remains 100% focused on the
story.
· Proofreading is the last major stage of the editing process. Proofreaders are the eagle-eyed inspectors who make sure no spelling or grammar errors make it to the final version of your work. They’re extremely meticulous, as they should be—their painstaking review of your manuscript ensures that your text is 100% polished before going to print.
Melissa Ringsted
has owned There for You Editing Services since 2011.
She has
experience editing for Indie Authors, USA Today and NY Times Best Sellers, as
well as several small publishing and large publishing companies.
Melissa
has worked with editing in several writing genres. She has worked with articles
and blogs, small presses, anthologies, children’s books, middle-grade novels,
children’s series, Young Adult, New Adult, Horror, Sci-Fi, and Romance,
Interracial Romance, and many more.
Several
authors have award-winning books Melissa has had the pleasure of perfecting
through the art of editing.
Melissa’s
portfolio contains well over four hundred books in her nine
plus years professionally editing, and includes several award-winning books.
Dedicated,
a pleasure, inspirational, passionate, detail-oriented,
insightful, great communicator, honest, and most importantly,
professional, are just a few words authors have used to describe Melissa’s
talent.
In
the words of the award-winning author, Stacey Rourke:
“She’s
like the Mary Poppins of books—practically perfect in every way.”
Cover
photos of some of the books she has edited can be found at http://www.facebook.com/thereforyouediting.
As of February, There for You Editing Services is accepting new clients. For more information, email thereforyou.melissa@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ThereForYouEditing.
































