May 27, 2015

Effect & Affect : Grammar & Editing Tips

A few weeks ago, I posted about Homophones and Contractions. Homophones are words that sound alike (can be spelled alike or not) but have different meanings. 

As an editor, I fix tons of homophones in manuscripts. From time to time, I thought I'd feature some commonly misused homophones. 

Today, I'll discuss effect/affect. At first glance, these might seem easy.

The simple rule: 
Effect is a Noun and Affect is a Verb

You can affect an effect.

Affect: to do something that influences someone or something
Effect: a result or action to someone or something

Ah, there has to be an exception for fun, right?

Yep.

Effect can be a verb. However, it's used very rarely. Honestly, I rarely use it. There are simply better ways to word the sentence. But, in the effort of full disclosure...

Effect (noun): to make something happen

Example: He wanted to be President to effect change.

Hope this helps.

To date, I've had the following homophone posts if you are interested in checking them out:

Is there an editing/grammar issue that's always caused you trouble? If so, share it in the comments so I can feature it in a future post. 

Definitions from Dictionary.com

May 25, 2015

Surrender Cover Reveal & Markaza : Indie News & Highlights

Good Monday morning. Hope everyone is enjoying Memorial Day weekend. God bless the men and women who have lost their lives for our nation.

I have some awesome stuff to share with you today.

First, the awesome Jo Michaels just released Markaza, book six in her Mystic series. 

My review went live today here. Loved the book. It's so awesome.

Definitely check it out if you get the chance.

*****


An awesome new cover from Quinn Loftis...

Surrender (Elfin Series Book 3

by Quinn Loftis

May 22, 2015

Fractured Glass is ON SALE!

Happy Friday!

Today, for the first and ONLY time, Fractured Glass is 99 cents. Five authors writing one story, and it's less than a dollar. Come on, that's a deal. :-)

Through Memorial Day weekend (ending at 11pm PST on Monday, 5/25, you can get the Kindle version for 99 cents. After that, it'll be $1.99 for a couple of days and then back to $2.99.

Don't miss this chance!

About Fractured Glass

by Tia Silverthorne Bach, Jo Michaels, Casey L Bond, Kelly Risser & NL Greene

What if other worlds existed alongside your own? What if you could travel through them and truly escape reality?

Sloan and Harley Glass were born moments apart; but, despite their differences, the sixteen-year-old twins couldn’t be closer. They’ve held their tongues each and every time their mother has uprooted them—often moving across the country with little notice. They’ve learned to accept change. But what is Mom running from?

They discover they’re travelers—half-descendants of those who can traverse an entire universe of parallel worlds known as fractals. When the past catches up, Harley is kidnapped and taken to one of those distant worlds. Now, Sloan must garner her courage and find a way to rescue her sister. Traversing the worlds isn’t the hard part; it’s surviving the elements and the creatures lying in wait to destroy everything in their path.

Will the Glass sisters be able to save the fractal worlds from the kidnapper, or will everything fracture and crumble around them?



Treat yourself this Memorial Day weekend!

May 20, 2015

Time's Almost Up!

Time's almost up for two things.

First, if you haven't had a chance to enter the GoodReads giveaway to win a signed paperback of Chasing Forgiveness, please do. And share it with your friends. Giveaway ends tonight, 5/20.


Goodreads Book Giveaway

Chasing Forgiveness by Tia Silverthorne Bach

Chasing Forgiveness

by Tia Silverthorne Bach

Giveaway ends May 20, 2015.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to Win
@@ Second, the voting for the UtopYA 2015 awards ends on May 21. @@

Chasing Forgiveness is up for Best Companion Novella. If you have a minute, please vote for your favorite authors and stories here.

Have a wonderful hump day!

May 16, 2015

Pre-Orders for UtopYA : Indie News & Highlights

Greetings to everyone!

Today, I wanted to share my pre-order form for next month's UtopYA. There are some special prizes and other goodies for anyone who pre-orders and pre-pays before the event.





Wanna check out some more opportunities for pre-orders for UtopYA? Check them out here.

Hope everyone has an amazing week!

May 15, 2015

Catalyst by Casey Bond Cover Reveal

Happy Friday!

Today, I want to share the latest cover by the awesome Casey L. Bond. Oh, and I happen to know it's her birthday. Happy birthday, Casey. Love the cover!

*****


Catalyst
By- Casey L. Bond
Genre- YA Dystopian
Expected Publication Date- June 3rd, 2015

The city of Confidence is surrounded by a thick, concrete wall. These walls are built to protect those within and to keep dangers outside. What happens when the only danger to the citizens within is its leadership?

When a young man on a suicide mission meets a young woman with a terminal illness, both of them use one another as a means to their own ends. They never expect to become friends. They never expect to become so much more to each other. Their backgrounds and the secrets they uncover are more dangerous than any plans they could make together or separately.

Revolution begins with a spark.






About the Author

Casey L. Bond resides in Milton, West Virginia with her husband and their two beautiful daughters. When she’s not busy being a domestic goddess and chasing her baby girls, she loves to write young adult and new adult fiction.
Bond graduated from Hurricane High School in 1999. In 2003, she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Marshall University in the field of Criminal Justice.
You can find more information about Bond’s books via the following links:
Twitter: @authorcaseybond             
Connect on tsu, Instagram, Google+ and LinkedIn!
Available or Soon-To-Be Released Books:
Winter Shadows
Pariah, Book 1 in The New Covenant Series
Paradox, Book 2, The New Covenant Series
Devil Creek
Shady Bay
Reap, Book 1 in The Harvest Saga
Resist, Book 2 in The Harvest Saga
Reclaim, Book 3 in The Harvest Saga
Sin (Serial Series)
Light in the Darkness (YA Anthology)
Fractured Glass (Novel Anthology)
Crazy Love
Water Witch
Dark Bishop (Serial Series)

May 11, 2015

UtopYA Saturday Signing : Indie News & Highlights

Happy Monday!

If you live near Nashville, or fancy a trip there, and would love to meet some awesome authors and find some great new reads, then I have wonderful news for you...

Here's your chance, and you get to do it for a great cause! Meet bestselling authors like Denise Grover Swank, Lauren Miller, Kim Holden and Rysa Walker (and many, many more!) at Authors R My Idols (ARMI), sponsored by Indie-Visibles and presented by UtopYA Con
BookEm
On Saturday, June 20, an open-to-the-public book signing will be held at Nashville’s Millennium Maxwell House Hotel. The book signing benefits local non-profit group Book 'Em

The signing is free for fans who donate a book, or only $5 without a book. Two signings will be held from 10A-12P and 1-3PM to insure readers get plenty of time to find their next pile of books to read! 

All donated books and admission fees go directly to Book ‘Em to help them with their two-part mission: to get books to children and teens in lower-income families who might not otherwise have books of their own; and providing volunteer readers to local pre- and elementary schools. Book’em creates a more literate Nashville by helping economically disadvantaged children, from birth through high school, discover the joy and value of reading through book ownership and enthusiastic volunteers. 

UtopYA Con is a proud supporter of this organization and looks forward to connecting authors and readers for such a great cause. For more information such as exhibitors, conference tickets, and more, visit utopyacon.com or you can purchase tickets (or save your signing space) here.

May 8, 2015

Voting is Live!

Happy Friday!

In June, I'll be attending my favorite conference, UtopYA. From their website:

An uplifting, collaborative and educational conference for those who love supernatural and contemporary young adult and new adult fiction!

This year I'm an award-nominee. I still can't believe it!

Chasing Forgiveness is up for Best Companion Novella.

I'm thrilled to be nominated along with some amazing authors and bloggers.

Voting is LIVE until May 21 at midnight, and each person can vote only once. You can vote here:

http://freeonlinesurveys.com/s/pgd137pk1w7lpve651688

Although I'd love it if you'd vote for my novella, please go vote your heart and support your favorite authors.

And if you haven't gotten your tickets yet, you can get them on the website. I hope to see everyone there!

May 6, 2015

What If Nobody Shows : #IWSG

The Insecure Writer's Support Group (or IWSG) is a wonderful group put together by the amazing Alex J. Cavanaugh (which now has an equally cool Facebook group). 

The first Wednesday of each month is the perfect opportunity to share my insecurities on the #IWSG therapy couch, get encouragement and support about such insecurities, and to read how other writers are faring.


I am attending a book conference, where I will have an exhibitor table for two days and a signing table for one, and a strictly author signing event this summer.

My biggest fear... what if nobody stops by to talk to me? What if they walk by, and as soon as I smile, they look down and run away?

Even more daunting... they stop to talk, but veer away from any attempts to talk about the book?

I love people and interacting with them. I can talk all day and enjoy it. But, in all honesty, my job there is to get the word out about my book. I've thought about swag, but I notice a lot of people pick it up and keep going. Swag often is treated like McDonalds toys -- Moms, you know what I mean here -- it's a new, shiny object for a day, and then it gets tossed.

Any advice?

May 4, 2015

Indigo, Secrets & an Anniversary : Indie News & Highlights

Happy Monday!

On Mondays, I like to share Indie News and Highlights, and today there's a lot of great stuff.
*****

First up is a great series by Jacinda Bachmann.

In celebration of the two-year anniversary of Indigo Incite, the Indigo trilogy is on sale for the entire month of May!

Get Book 1, Indigo Incite, for FREE, and then continue the adventure with Indigo Instinct and Indigo Infinity for 99 cents each!!!

About Indigo Incite

There are no secrets.

Sixteen-year-old Tyler believed that his extra-sensory powers were a secret, but when his twin brother, Toby, is kidnapped by a covert government agency, he realizes that he has no secrets, and he has nowhere to hide.


He’s not alone.

Now, to save himself and rescue his brother, Tyler must call upon the help of four strangers. Unknown to each other, Eddie, Liliana, Grace, and Sarah share a common bond. They are Indigo Children. With extrasensory powers of their own, they must unite with Tyler to maintain their freedom. 

Unexpected romance.

They’re on the run. They’re on a mission. Romance is a distraction that Tyler can’t afford. But sometimes, the heart has a mind of its own.

Time is running out.

Will they find Toby before the agency finds them first?

Amazon Links

*****

Secrets Revealed, Book 3 in the MysticSeeker series, by NL Greene is finally here.

About Secrets Revealed

In the final book of The MysticSeeker Series, Katherine Rebecca will have some hard decisions to make that will forever alter her life. Lance finally showed his true colors when he attacked and nearly raped her, but amid all the turmoil and confusion new secrets were exposed. Shocking revelations that had her spinning and questioning everything and everyone in her life. 

Sam is a magic user like Blaine and although she saved Becky, Becky's smart enough to know that her 'friends' sudden appearance in her life isn't a coincidence. What does Sam really want with Becky? And was she pretending to be her friend to get it? Ethan, Becky's best friend and knight in shining armor has been there for her, proving to be a loyal and trustworthy friend. She hasn't been blind to his true feelings for her though. Having fallen for Blaine so quickly, she pushed Ethan away keeping him solidly in the friend zone. But when Ethan shows up distraught and worried after Lance's attack, she wonders if she'd made a mistake. 

Until Blaine Winters knocked on her door again. 

Can Becky handle Blaine's disappearing and reappearing acts while dealing with Ethan's feelings, Sam's deception, and the things that are still going bump in the night?


Amazon Link


I really enjoyed the first two books, and I can't wait to read this one. See my reviews here. The first book, Illusions Begin, is only 99 cents right now.

*****

Fun fact: Today marks the first anniversary of Chasing Shadows, Tala Prophecy Book 2.


What a year's it's been. If you haven't read it, please pick up a copy. Chasing Destiny will be available soon, so make sure you're all caught up.

Speaking of the Tala Prophecy series, the Goodreads giveaway (8 copies up for grabs) for Chasing Forgiveness is still going strong. If you haven't entered to win a signed paperback, please do.


Goodreads Book Giveaway

Chasing Forgiveness by Tia Silverthorne Bach

Chasing Forgiveness

by Tia Silverthorne Bach

Giveaway ends May 20, 2015.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to Win

May 1, 2015

Harvest Saga Trilogy by Casey L. Bond New Cover Reveal

Thanks so much for checking out the blog today! Casey L. Bond is revealing brand new covers for her Harvest Saga trilogy! Check these bad boys out. 

The covers were designed by Cassy Roop of Pink Ink Designs
Cover photography by Mandy Hollis of MHPhotography
Cover models are Mandy Hollis and Amee Thompson. 


If you're interested in reading Reap, here are the links:


REAP





If you're interested in reading Resist, here are the links:


RESIST



Reclaim is currently being edited. A release date will be announced very soon.
 When Reclaim is released, the boxed set will also be released! Isn't it pretty?




Thank you so much for checking out the blog today! If you want to go stalker on Casey, just follow her at the links below!


Casey L. Bond resides in West Virginia with her husband and their two beautiful daughters. When she’s not busy being a domestic goddess and chasing her baby girls, she loves to write young adult and new adult fiction.

You can find more information about Bond’s books via the following links:
Twitter: @authorcaseybond                
Connect on tsu, Instagram, Google+ and LinkedIn!

Available or Soon-To-Be Released Books:
Winter Shadows
Pariah, Book 1 in The New Covenant Series
Paradox, Book 2, The New Covenant Series
Devil Creek
Shady Bay
Reap, Book 1 in The Harvest Saga
Resist, Book 2 in The Harvest Saga
Reclaim, Book 3 in The Harvest Saga
Sin (Serial Series)
Light in the Darkness (YA Anthology)
Fractured Glass (Novel Anthology)
Crazy Love
Dark Bishop (Serial Series)
Prep For Doom (Dystopian Anthology)
Catalyst 
Temptation (Serial Series)
Water Witch