Friday, May 29, 2015

Name the Hurricane! (for my next book)

Hello, all!

It's been a crazy season in my author's life, as well as in "real" life. But the garden's in, my mom's surgery is over, and we're fully enjoying life with my daughter and her one year-old-son. (We adore that baby boy!) I've also released the sequel to Devil's Lake, entitled Devil's Creek, and am on the way to finishing up another sequel as well. 

http://www.amazon.com/Devils-Lake-Bittersweet-Hollow-Book-ebook/dp/B00LNFP8XU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1432850701&sr=8-1&keywords=devil%27s+lake

This time it's The Seacroft, which follows The Seacrest (a love story set on Cape Cod). We haven't finalized the cover art yet, but then again, I'm only halfway through the story. ;o)

http://www.amazon.com/Seacrest-story-Aaron-Paul-Lazar-ebook/dp/B00G1TDBRI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1432923439&sr=8-1&keywords=the+seacrest Here's how you can help! 

NAME THE HURRICANE: I need to choose a fictitious hurricane name. I've decided to stick with "D" names, and you can vote on it here: NAME THE HURRICANE 

YOUR HURRICANE STORIES: I need descriptions of hurricanes, and if you've lived through one on Cape Cod, even better! I want my readers to feel the wind, hear the howls, and be shocked at the destruction that follows.

My main protagonist (Vivian) is escaping from a mansion on Cape Cod (bay side). The hurricane is raging. A big elm tree goes down in front of her. The shed door flies off sails across the yard. It's dark, almost blindingly so with heavy downpours and a sideways wind that is howling like mad. She is seeking shelter outside the mansion, because she found the guy she likes in bed with their boss lady (LOL). Plywood loosens off window in garage, pinwheels across the yard. She's going to sleep for a while in the garage, then head out to her mother's nursing home at daylight, but the storm will still be continuing. I'll show her making her way through the horrors, then I'll show the aftermath in the community. I think we'll have flooding in the nursing home and she'll have to get her mother to the higher elevations in the building. ;o) So, any details you might like to share like that would be great!

Thanks in advance, and feel free to add your memories in the comment section, below!

Have a great weekend,

Aaron Lazar
www.lazarbooks.com


“Addictive, award-winning fiction.” 

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

A New Cozy Mystery and A Chat With Linda M. Au



By

Dora Machado






Welcome back to MB4, Linda! It’s great to have you here. We hear there’s a new release in the wings, The Scarlet Letter Opener, a cozy mystery with a murder in it. What is it about and when will it be available to readers?

Howdy! Great to be back, this time from the other side of the writing desk. The Scarlet Letter Opener just went live in both Kindle and print formats. And, it has a coupla murders in it, like a lot of good cozy mysteries. It’s about a freelance proofreader who stumbles upon the body of the editor of the local newspaper … and, with her nitpicky attention to detail, entangles herself and others in a rather silly attempt to figure out whodunnit.

What inspired you to write The Scarlet Letter Opener?

Actually, I’d always wanted to try my hand at a mystery, and I’d read a few cozies and found them to be a lot more fun than darker, scarier, earthier mysteries (there’s often an element of humor and quirkiness in a cozy). And seeing an amateur get involved inadvertently in a murder seemed like the only way I’d certainly ever end up in a situation like that myself. Plus, I needed a new, fresh idea for National Novel Writing Month that year (www.nanowrimo.org). I’m usually a “pantser” when I write (by the seat of my pants, so to speak), which works well for NaNoWriMo, but plotting a mystery turned out good for the story, but very bad for my nerves. It was the most challenging NaNoWriMo novel I’ve done because I had to work a lot more slowly and methodically in order to not mess it up completely.

This is your third release. What parts of the publishing process do you like best? Which parts challenge you the most?

As you know, I’ve made a career of doing prepress work (proofreading, interior typesetting) for many years, helping authors and publishers produce books. But I’m finding that I thoroughly enjoy being my own boss and doing the layout and proofing for my own books, too. I love working with talented artists and designers on the covers (because I am NO artist!). I enjoy the control, watching the book go from a raw idea to a finished product, making all the decisions along the way by myself. Well, “by myself”—with a lot of input from writers and friends I trust!

The biggest challenge is right before a book goes live. I get all squidgy inside, I hit walls of self-doubt and second-guessing, and I balk just before uploading the final files. That’s when I turn to those same trusted friends to talk me down off the proverbial ledge. It’s terrifying sending your baby out into the world alone.

LOL. I think most writers would agree that’s exactly how it feels putting out a new release. Tell, us, Linda, how is this book different from your previous ones?

The first two are essentially nonfiction collections of humor essays, in the general style of Erma Bombeck. And by “nonfiction,” I mean I only slightly exaggerate my tales, for humorous effect. It’s always amazed me how little I have to change a true, funny episode in my life when I write the humor pieces.

The Scarlet Letter Opener is a novel—in particular, a cozy mystery (kind of a “lite mystery”). Though it’s not the first novel I’ve written, it is the first novel I’ve published. It was the most stable and “ready” of the tidy handful of novels I’ve finished. Other novels should start showing up in print now that I’ve girded my loins and put the first one out there in the big, wide world.

What kind of reader do you think will enjoy The Scarlet Letter Opener?

A discriminating reader with awesome taste in literature and “lite” cozy mysteries. And, you know, my mom.

LOL! Thanks for the laughs, Linda. We wish you great success with The Scarlet Letter Opener.

****



Linda M. Au lives in western Pennsylvania with her husband, Wayne, and her intrepid office companions, guinea pigs Bob and Frid. She's been a proofreader and copy editor since 1988.

Information on her books and work can be found at her site: http://www.lindaau.com.


****
Dora Machado is the award-winning author of the epic fantasy Stonewiser series and her newest novel, The Curse Giver, available from Twilight Times Books. She is one only a few Hispanic women writing fantasy in the United States today. She grew up in the Dominican Republic, where she developed a fascination for writing and a taste for Merengue. After a lifetime of straddling such compelling but different worlds, fantasy is a natural fit to her stories.

When she is not writing fiction, Dora also writes features for the award-winning blog Murder By Four and Savvy Authors, where writers help writers. She lives in Florida with her indulgent husband and two very opinionated cats.

To learn more about Dora Machado and her award winning novels, visit her at www.doramachado.com , email her at Dora@doramachado.com, find her on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.

 
The Curse Giver's Amazon's Link: http://amzn.to/1szECCn

Monday, May 25, 2015

Memorial Day 2015





"In simple obedience to duty as they understood it," reads the inscription at Arlington's Confederate Memorial. "These men suffered all, sacrificed all, dared all — and died."

http://www.msn.com/…/one-thing-veterans-want-yo…/ar-BBkdinr…

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Dry Eye and The Writer



Eye Fatigue, Burning, Dryness?
Writer's Health Alert
By
Dora Machado




I'm not a doctor and I don't play a doctor on T.V. Gosh, I don't even write about doctors. I'm not a nurse either, or a medical assistant. Disclaimer established, let's talk about dry eyes and the writer. Whether you're young and gorgeous, old and glorious, or something in between, if you're putting on the writing mileage, you're either about to experience, experiencing or recovering from a skirmish with dry eye syndrome.

The term "dry eye" applies to a wide range of symptoms, from simple eye fatigue to severe, systemic eye disease. For me, it began a few years ago, with tired eyes that burned and itched. I didn't think much of it. We writers stare at the screen all day long, all night too, if you're a night owl like me. I frequently clock twelve to fourteen-hour days on my computer. Given the long hours and the increased use of digital devices, more of us are suffering from what has been termed "computer vision syndrome."

According to WebMD.com, computer vision syndrome affects about 50%-90% of computer workers and is responsible for up to 10 million primary care eye examinations each year.

You and I? We are not alone.

My problem worsened as my symptoms progressed. The burning and itching became worse. Then my eyes began to ache. Sometimes, when I scratched my eyes, the capillaries broke. Not pretty. Eventually, my eyes felt as if they were coated with a perverse mix of glue and sand. My vision became blurry. The light hurt my eyes. Working was hard. Sleeping was even harder. When my eyeballs began to stick to my eyelids at night, I figured it was time to pay a visit to the ophthalmologist. 

Yeah, I know, a little late, but I'm dense, so zip it. 

Once he finished his examination, the doctor made it official. I'd made the leap from computer vision syndrome to severe dry eye syndrome. He explained that, left untreated, dry eye disease can lead to complications, including scratches in the cornea.

"Oh, you mean those little squiggles?"

He sighed. 

It was going to be a long appointment.

The American Optometric Association defines dry eyes as: 

"A condition in which there are insufficient tears to lubricate and nourish the eye. Tears are necessary for maintaining the health of the front surface of the eye and for providing clear vision. People with dry eyes either do not produce enough tears or have a poor quality of tears. Dry eye is a common and often chronic problem, particularly in older adults."
 
Personally, I think they should amend this entry by downplaying the part about "older adults"—which is true, of course, but would fit in better with my personal denial patterns. I also think they should add that, based on anecdotal information collected on writers' forums everywhere, dry eyes syndrome affects lots of writers, young and old. I'm just saying. Maybe next time around? 

Back to my appointment. My doctor said that dry eyes are more susceptible to infections and chronic inflammation, which is the culprit of severe dry eye syndrome. To treat the problem, he recommended inserting tiny silicon-based plugs in some of my tear ducts to keep my natural tears in the eye for as long as possible. The procedure was simple and pain free, but within a few weeks, one of the plugs came out. I decided against replacing it. Other options included surgical procedures to permanently close the tear ducts. Since the words "surgical" and "permanently" give me the heebie-jeebies, I held out.  

The doctor also prescribed one of the only medications available to treat the underlying inflammation associated with dry eye syndrome. He mentioned that it doesn't always work for all patients. It was very expensive, health insurance only covered a portion of it, and it took weeks before I noticed some relief, but over several weeks, the medication did provide a measure of relief.

In addition, the ophthalmologist recommended a regimen of preservative-free, over-the-counter, eye drops, at least four applications throughout the working day. A quick foray into the world of eye drops revealed that everyone has their favorite brand and what works for some doesn't work for others. I tried many different brands to identify the ones that worked best for me. I would recommend you do the same. By the way, cooled eye drops offer a quick reprieve to the tired eye. I keep mine in the refrigerator. 

Also very important, the doctor insisted that I should look away from the screen several times each hour, allowing my eyes to focus on other things. He told me to blink and blink often. He explained that tear production is stimulated by blinking, which is something that we can "forget" to do when we spend our days staring at backlit screens.

Geesh. Leave it to me to forget to blink.

If you feel you might be experiencing the symptoms of severe dry eye disease, head out to see your ophthalmologist. Tell him Dora sent you. If you are new to writing, if you're smart and you want to prevent damage to your eyes, here's a quick list of things you could do to protect your eyes:

·         Blink, blink, blink.
·         Keep your eyes moist. Apply preservative-free eye drops several times a day.
·         Take breaks away from your computer. Several websites advocate the 20-20-20 technique. Look away every 20 minutes, at a distance of 20 feet, for at least 20 seconds.
·         Adjust your computer settings for brightness, contrast and glare.

Here's to clear vision and rested eyes for busy writers everywhere!

******

Dora Machado is the award-winning author of the epic fantasy Stonewiser series and her newest novel, The Curse Giver, available from Twilight Times Books. She is one only a few Hispanic women writing fantasy in the United States today. She grew up in the Dominican Republic, where she developed a fascination for writing and a taste for Merengue. After a lifetime of straddling such compelling but different worlds, fantasy is a natural fit to her stories. When she is not writing fiction, Dora also writes features for the award-winning blogs Murder By Four and Savvy Authors, where writers help writers. She lives in Florida with her indulgent husband and two very opinionated cats.

To learn more about Dora Machado and her novels, visit her at www.doramachado.com , email her at Dora@doramachado.com, find her on Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.

The Curse Giver's Amazon's Link: http://amzn.to/1szECCn