I am pleased to announce that I have designed the initial cover for my current novel Devil’s Nightmare. After working on the design for a couple of hours, I decided to omit “The” from the title. What do you think?
Let me know what you think of the cover in the comments below. I’m very excited to have this cover produced as it’s one step closer to completing my novel. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Cover photo by John Fowler
www.lumenetic.com
Used by permission
Over the past few days I was pleased to receive notice of two five-star reviews for my first novel Pursuit of a Dream. This always puts a big grin on my face. What author doesn’t like seeing those five stars? So, I thought I would create a quick blog post to share these excellent reviews with you…
A Satisfying Well-Written Story of Hope – July 19, 2012
By Eden Baylee (Canada)
Car racing is not my thing, and I cannot remember the last time I read a story that was touted as `wholesome.’ In the age of zombies, horror, and thrillers vying for attention, Pursuit of a Dream seems out of favor with the current trend … but, and this is a HUGE BUT, what isn’t out of favor is excellent writing and storytelling, and this is what Mr. Pruneda provides.
The theme is universal – a young boy is tested at an early age. How he chooses to rise to the occasion will determine the outcome of his life pursuit.
I view this story as a parable for anyone who has ever had a dream. Though dreams come true, what is the cost and is it worth it? These are questions each of us wrestles with daily, and Mr. Pruneda does it with eloquence in his book.
Family, Love and Faith – July 17, 2012
By Dannie Hill (Thailand/ Houston)
PURSUIT OF A DREAM (Victory Lane) by Robert Pruneda is a story of a family and it takes you through the tragic death a mother and wife. All the while a father wrestles with providing for his two sons while finding what is more important: work or family.
I thoroughly enjoyed going along with John Lockhardt and his two sons, Jared and Caleb, as they all come to terms with growing up and learning the importance of family. This is a heartfelt tale.
If you enjoy a wonderful story that takes you through, highs, lows, faith and inspiration then you will find great pleasure in Pursuit of a Dream.
I am a car racing fan and really enjoyed the details and lifelong hard work it takes to become a top race driver. It commitment.
Pursuit of a Dream is a great wholesome story and I highly recommend it!
Pursuit of a Dream is currently on sale for only $1.76 (on Amazon-US, Nook and Smashwords)! That’s way less than a gallon of gas, so why not race on over to your favorite e-store and download your copy today?
Pursue your dreams… and never look back!
Available to purchase in several formats:
Welcome to the first edition of Chumming with Sharky™ :-), my new blog series where guests from around the deep blue sea make a visit to the realm of Sharkbait Writes to chat it up talk show style. Most guests will be authors, but other artists may make guests appearances too. I hope you enjoy this new series and keep coming back to meet my future guests. Now, on with the show…
Karen Einsel
Karen, thank you for being my guinea pig first guest on the new blog talk show called Chumming with Sharky, where viewers from every corner of the deep blue sea will be treated to a small taste of various authors who write in a myriad of genres. Please take a seat by the sea cucumber and let the mermaid know what you would like to drink.
Well when it comes to drinks, I am quite boring 🙂 Black coffee please. Only fill it ¾ of the way with coffee and ¼ with water. I like to be able to drink it without waiting for it to cool.
Black coffee it is then. I’ll take a Ninja Turtle, Ariel, and tell Hammerhead to make sure it’s light on the tequila. I don’t want things to get too crazy on my first airing of Chumming with Sharky. vV””Vv
Okay, now that Anchor the Hammerhead Shark has made our drinks, we can get started. We’ll start off with some basic questions about you as an author.
Thank you Anchor. It’s perfect! And thank you Sharky for inviting me to this wonderful under the sea world. This is amazing!
Thank you, Karen! We spared no expense. Just make sure you don’t spill your drink. Jacques gets a little upset when we get a bit messy. Those pacific cleaner shrimps are real neat freaks!
Anyway, back to the interview. Word around the coral reef says that you’re a contemporary romance author. What is it about this particular genre that interests you the most?
I love the conflicts and the heart and soul connections that lead to a Happily Ever After.
Ah, yes! I love happy endings. Although, I have read a few books with not so happy endings that actually worked very well. That is a challenging feat for an author to accomplish. And speaking of challenges, when you’re working on your manuscripts, what do you feel is your biggest challenge as a writer?
I have the hardest time Showing and not telling, which means I end up with a lot of revising!
I can definitely relate with you there, Karen! It’s a bit tedious sometimes with the edits, but when we complete the manuscript, it’s time to celebrate. When you finish your novels do you celebrate the accomplishment in a special way? If so, what is it? If not, why not? 🙂
You know…I haven’t. I really haven’t thought about it, but I think I will when I finish the one I’m editing now, because I have been working on it for quite some time. Dinner out at my favorite Italian restaurant sounds really good to me. Everyone’s invited!
I love Italian food! Just name the time and place!
I attend a Twitter Addicts Anonymous meeting every Tuesday night on Twitter and last week the topic of social media marketing came up. One very outspoken swordfish in the group stated that he does not like the fact that Indie authors have invaded Twitterville to promote their work. What’s your opinion regarding writers and social media marketing?
Actually, if it wasn’t for Twitter and indie author’s tweeting their books, I wouldn’t have met so many wonderful people and read some great books! It doesn’t bother me at all. Tweet what you want and I’ll even share and RT. I love to help others. I believe there’s enough people and different tastes in the world that we can all be successful.
I agree with you Karen. Twitter has connected me with some amazing indie authors and some great books. I haven’t read a traditional book in a while because of it. Sorry, Mr. King. You know you’re still my favorite author.
So, Karen, I was sitting in the jury selection room downtown the other day for a trial involving a missing clown fish and a great white shark and something caught my eye. A blue tang fish named Dory sat next to me and began reading a short story titled Kyle & Kelly: The Perfect Party Planner. I asked her what the story was about, but she couldn’t remember and just kept introducing herself to me. Maybe you could help fill us in with a brief synopsis of this short story without giving away any spoilers.
This is the hardest question!
Kyle and Kelly meet the first day of jury duty. Kelly is a party planner and Kyle asks Kelly to meet him for lunch the following day so she can plan a child’s birthday party for him, but when he tells her that he will be out of town for two weeks and he will give Sheila her number Kelly realizes he’s unavailable. Can Kelly keep their relationship on a professional level while trying to keep her feelings for Kyle hidden?
Thanks for the brief synopsis, Karen! And for avoiding the spoilers!
I was at the vet recently to get my dogfish Fluffy’s rabies vaccination taken care of when I overheard the staff talking about one of the other vets in town. I think his name was Dr. Grant, and I heard something about a dog named Peanut. It turns out the ladies were actually talking about a book that you wrote titled The Good Dr. Grant. So, Karen, what is it about Dr. Grant that these ladies at my vet’s office were so giddy about?
Maybe it’s his quiet reserved demeanor, or maybe his gentleness with animals? Nah, it’s his gorgeous blue eyes and the passion that hides in them. For some reason, why I haven’t a clue, women want to unleash that passion. Go figure.
Well, that explains everything. I’ll have to let those nurses know that I had you on the show. They’ll probably be wanting your autograph… or Dr. Grant’s phone number.
When you are not writing, what do you like to do for fun?
Hmmm…Sleep! 🙂 No, I have many interests. I like to read, go camping, do yard work, and I’m a crafter. I enjoy knitting, crocheting, plastic canvas, even some woodworking. I like to work with my hands. There is one thing I don’t like to do, that sets me apart from others.
Want to know what that is?
I don’t like shopping! I don’t like to shop for clothes, gifts, or groceries and I have no problems staying away from the malls.
So, I guess that rules out Black Friday shopping. I would rather spend time at a car show. Which reminds me… you and I both have a love and appreciation for classic cars. If you could own any classic car, what would it be?
A 1956 Chevy two door hardtop with a 454. I know a gas guzzler, but think of the power! I do own a 1983 Chevy Suburban with a 350. And I used to have a 1968 AMC Javelin.
Excellent choice! You won’t get any criticism from me about the gas guzzler. My 1981 Corvette (also with a 350) gets eight miles per gallon… well, that is when it’s actually running!
Here’s a hypothetical scenario just for fun: You’re stranded on a small island and find a magic lamp. You rub the magic lamp and the genie (a great white shark with a mischievous grin) offers you three wishes, none of which can be a way off the island. What would your three wishes be?
I’m a practical person. So what would I wish for? A laptop, electricity, and an internet connection!
Ha ha! What a perfect selection of wishes, Karen! It was a pleasure having you as my first guest on Chumming with Sharky. Before we go could you let the audience know where they can stalk keep up with you and find out more about you and upcoming writing projects?
If anyone has read The Good Dr. Grant, you know I do have the first book in my series, “Chris’ Journey Turning Different Corners” Coming out soon. If I quit procrastinating that is! So watch for it during the first week of July.
Author Bio:
Hmm… Bio? They say you should be able to say one sentence describing your novel and people will recognize your book by that one sentence. Recently I was reading a challenge on another blog and the challenge was describe yourself in one sentence.
So my bio is…
“Karen is a caring, compassionate, go-getter, who procrastinates!”
Thank you Donna at My Write Spot for the challenge!
Oh and my tag line is…
“Treat everyday as a new adventure, because you never know what tomorrow might bring.”
Links:
Karen’s Blogs:
Karen’s Different Corners
Different Corners in My Life
Connect with Karen on these Social Media platforms:
Thank you Sharky for such a wonderful evening!
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And thank you for being such a wonderful guest, Karen!
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vV””Vv
Chumming with Sharky™ is a weekly spotlight series brought to you by Robert “Sharky” Pruneda, author of Victory Lane: The Chronicles and The Devil’s Nightmare. If you would like to be a guest on Chumming with Sharky™ or you know someone who you think would like to be featured, please send an email to: ChummingwithSharky (at) gmail (dot) com or contact me via Twitter @SharkbaitWrites.
Today you get to dig into the mind of Sharky on not one, but TWO different sites in cyberspace!
First I have the pleasure of taking a trip all the way to the United Kingdom for an interview with Junying Kirk, author of the “Journey to the West” novels The Same Moon and Trials of Life. Follow me into my homemade transporter by clicking on the link below and you too will be beamed to Birmingham, UK to enjoy my interview with author Junying Kirk.
Meeting Gregarious, Supportive & Ambitious Robert “Sharky” Pruneda
Now that you’ve been transported back (hopefully with all your DNA intact), follow me to my next interview with Denise Alicea at The Pen and Muse
My interview at the Pen & Muse
A few days ago I had the opportunity to write a guest post on Blood Skies (cyber home of Steven Montano) to share some words about my involvement with the Indies Unite for Joshua campaign, and today it is a great pleasure to announce that Steven is my very first guest blogger on Sharkbait Writes. I met Steven on Twitter last year when he was writing his first book Blood Skies and I have to say he is one of the coolest guys I have ever meet. He has a great sense of humor and has a special talent for writing and managing his time.
If you are a writer I’m certain you have come across the difficulty of juggling your busy schedule to find time for writing. Today Steven Montano, the talented author of the Blood Skies series, will be sharing some tips on how we too can integrate writing into our daily routine. Enjoy!
Write the Exercise Way
By Steven Montano
Believe it or not, you have time to write. You may just not realize it. Anyone can find the time to write. But a lot of people can’t figure out how to go about it.
For me, writing is all about routine. Like anything and everything we do, the more you do it, the better you are at it. More important, the more you write, the better you get at the act of writing – the routine, the ritual, the purposeful process of engaging with your work.
I approach writing the same way I approach exercising: as something that is going to happen, no matter what. A few years ago I decided to finally, seriously get in shape. I started counting calories, I walked every day, and I made an effort to get to the gym and jump on the treadmill. I determined how much exercise was realistic for my body to handle (I can only run so long before my knees lock up tighter than airport security), and how much exercise would be helpful towards attaining my weight goal. I figured out how much time I needed to put aside for exercise, what time of day I’d physically be up to the task, and what worked best with my daily schedule.
Don’t get me wrong: it took quite some time to figure this all out. It sounds like a pain…okay, it is a pain…but after you do it for a week or two, suddenly it’s not a pain, and it’s not something you wake up feeling like you have to do. It just becomes part of your routine, so much so that when it doesn’t happen, you notice…and it throws you off, throws you off to the point where you’ll go out of your way to make sure that part of your routine is met, even if you have to shuffle a few meetings or other obligations around to do so.
Yes, that sounds a little obsessive. But that’s what you want.
Now, the trick is to try and do that with your writing.
Hey, I know it’s hard to find time to write. Like I said, I have a job, kids, and a spouse who likes to see me every once in a while (or so she claims… ;D). I write at least 1,000 words a day, 2,000 if I’m actively trying to finish something up. Now, I admit some people consider that freakishly prolific, but how much you write isn’t nearly as important as just writing.
Set yourself a realistic goal, but make it something worthwhile. It shouldn’t be easy (just like a workout shouldn’t be easy): you need to challenge your brain cells enough to kick those creative gears into play, and for most people that doesn’t happen until you have at least a few hundred words down. At the same time, however, you don’t want to set yourself up to fail, because if you do you may quickly find yourself not caring or not wanting to maintain the routine. 500 words is usually a good starting point if you’re not used to writing every day, and you may soon find yourself wanting to do more.
Imagine writing as a workout routine: figure out how much time you need to produce your projected word count, and try to make your writing time coincide with a time of day when you’ll have favorable conditions to be productive. (Some people need silence; others could write while running a marathon while their underwear is on fire. Whatever works for you.) Just like with working out, it may take time for you to figure out when and where is the best time for you to write; just be sure to make writing something you can work right into your daily schedule.
Now, the biggest mistake you could make is to treat your writing time as something less important than the rest of your day. If you do, your mind tells you it’s okay to marginalize or reschedule writing time if your day gets too hectic. This is just silly, and, quite frankly the reason most people end up giving up trying to establish a writing routine. If you want to write, if you need to write, then you’re going to have to make it just as important as going to work, going to the bank, making dinner and dropping the kids off at school. Until you treat your own writing with the proper level of respect, you’ll never be able to work it into your already busy life. (Note: yes, the same applies to an exercise regime.) Now, don’t get me wrong: there will be times when writing doesn’t happen, just like with everything else. Don’t beat yourself up over it, so long as you’re making the proper effort to maintain the routine.
So don’t look at writing as a chore, as something extra you’re trying to do on top of all of your other important life stuff. Don’t force it into your routine, but make it a part of your routine, integrate it smoothly. If you have 15 minutes a day where you find yourself just sitting and staring at the computer screen without actually doing anything, HEY!, there’s a golden opportunity for you. If you have 20 minutes after dinner where you usually just sit and contemplate your toe-socks, BAM!, scribble down a few hundred words, instead. Make writing a part of your equation…a new paradigm, if you will:
My Day Now + Writing = My New Day
Try to make it as much a part of your day as eating your toast in the morning and reading your e-mail. Missing writing should make you feel as discombobulated and as irritated as forgetting your coffee or forgetting to charge up your cell phone.
Once it becomes ingrained into your daily habit – once you’ve secured writing as part of your ritual, when you’ve made it as natural and as automatic as letting the dog out and checking the news – you’ll be amazed at how productive you can be.
Lastly, let’s get the “who is this guy and why should I listen to him about writing?” question out of the way: I’ve self-published three novels and two short stories. I’ll be publishing three more novels this year, and right now I’m about a quarter-of-the-way through the rough draft for the first novel I plan to release next year. I work a full-time job as an Accountant, I’m the father of two medically fragile children (one is epileptic, the other has impulse control issues), I blog two to three times a week, and I somehow manage to find time to spend with my wife.
So there. =D
Steven Montano fell out of the sky one day and landed behind an accountant’s desk. Rather than write novels about his experiences in an alternate post-apocalyptic world besieged by vampires, he decided to reconcile accounts and calculate journal entries. He still writes in his spare time.
Check out his Blood Skies series at Amazon, or visit his website at http://bloodskies.com/
You might also like:
Devil’s Nightmare by Robert Pruneda available in print and eBook formats. Click the image below for more details.
Over the past week two beautiful women in my circle of writerly friends, Nikki McCormack and Miranda Gammella, tagged me with The Lucky 7 Meme game.
The rules of the game are:
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS/WIP (If you don’t yet have 77 pages of your current work in progress completed, just choose the first seven sentences.)
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next 7 lines, sentences, or paragraphs, and post them as they’re written.
4. Tag 7 authors, and let them know.
Since two of my fellow authors decided to tag me within the same week, I decided to have a little fun with this and break the rules a little bit. I’m going to use both my current work-in-progress AND post from my book that is already published. That way both of these lovely ladies don’t have to fight over who gets credit for the post…not that I’m complaining about them fighting over me. I’m thinking mud wrestling match to declare the winner. No wait…CHOCOLATE PUDDING! I love chocolate pudding!
May the best pudding wrestler win!
For some reason that I simply cannot understand Nikki and Miranda declined the invitation to settle this in the pudding ring and decided to play nice. Now what am I going to do with all of this chocolate?
Back to the game…
The first Lucky 7 Meme excerpt comes from my debut novel Pursuit of a Dream (Book One of Victory Lane: The Chronicles). This is the book that I’ve been promoting and donating royalties to Indies Unite for Joshua. Sticking with the whole “7” theme, I’m going to shake it up a bit. I’m going to start with seven random snippets that include the word “dream” since the book is titled Pursuit of a Dream. Okay, it’s corny, but it’s the best I could come up with at one o’clock in the morning. So, here they are:
1. I would also like to thank my sister Linda for her encouraging words and belief in me as a writer as I pursued my own dream of publishing my first novel. (Oh, wait, that’s from the acknowledgments. Next search…)
2. Stephanie asked, “Have you ever seriously considered Caleb’s dreams?”
3. John frowned, “I know. It’s… I just think it’s way too dangerous. I’m not sure if I could handle him pursuing that type of a dream, knowing that there would be even a remote possibility of him getting hurt or even killed in an auto racing accident. I don’t think I could live with myself if—”
4. Dr. Williams clicked the top of his pen and placed it in his shirt pocket, “I think that’s a great dream for a kid to have. Who knows? He may wind up being the next Dale Earnhardt or Richard Petty.”
5. “And if that’s really your dream, then I’ll support you a hundred percent. You just keep on pursuing that dream and never give up… no matter what.”
6. The closest he had actually come to pursuing any of his childhood dreams was when he drag raced his car down Congress Avenue. He had nearly wrecked the car in the process. John smiled as he remembered that he had also won that race.
7. John looked at his older son. Now there was a kid who did not have a complicated goal. John knew what he needed to do to help satisfy Jared’s athletic dream. First he needed to sign him up for Little League, then Jared could play on his high school baseball team, go to college on a baseball scholarship and play college ball for the Longhorns. If everything turned out in Jared’s favor, he would then play AAA ball and then work his way up to the major leagues. That was a chain of succession that John understood, but he was completely lost when it came to Caleb’s dream.
And now for the main event…
The following excerpt is from The Devil’s Nightmare, a novel in the horror genre that I hope to publish in October. I will be using the first paragraph, which just so happens to be exactly seven lines. I have 155 pages complete, but Line 7 of Page 77 currently has a scene that I would rather not reveal. Well, I could, but then I’d have to send the forces of darkness after you and…oh, never mind!
(This post is a bit longer than I had anticipated…)
If you’re still with me here is the Lucky 7 Meme excerpt from The Devil’s Nightmare…
Cody Sumner ran frantically past rows and rows of tombstones in the dark cemetery. His lungs burned with each frenetic breath. Several times the boy lost his footing, whimpering in fear as he picked himself up. He then heard a bloodcurdling scream in the distance behind him. A loud explosion of thunder and lightning startled him as he looked backwards and then lost his footing, collapsing onto the wet, muddy ground. He pushed himself backward, his hands splashing in puddles of water and mud as he noticed a large dark shadow approaching from fifty yards away. In the darkness of the cemetery, the shadow concealed its true identity, but the boy knew exactly what the evil was that stalked him.
And now for the ceremonial tagging of seven fellow authors…
Christina Esdon
Carolyn Arnold
Eden Baylee
Dannie C. Hill
Cara Michaels vV””Vv
Rebecca M. Senese
Karen DeLabar
You all shall be properly informed of your esteemed Lucky 7 Meme invitation via Twitter or carrier pigeon, depending on what my mood is and whether or not I’ve had any caffeine when this publishes.
Cheers!
Update: On Wednesday, April 11, another talented young author named Spencer Brokaw tagged me with “The Lucky 7 Meme”, but since the ladies and I already ate all of the pudding (including the chair), I’ll have to come up with something else to recognize the recent tag. In the meantime, check out Spencer’s “Lucky 7 Meme” post here and his first book The Impenetrable Spy on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Update (11/11/14): I ended up dropping “The” from the title of Devil’s Nightmare prior to publishing my first horror novel on January 6, 2013. It went on to be an Amazon Best Seller in two horror categories, and as of this writing has over 100 reviews with an average 4.1-star rating. I think I’ll celebrate with some pudding. :-).
That’s right, folks! I have recently been awarded the very prestigious Versatile Blogger Award. Okay, it’s technically one of the blogging community’s answer to the chain letter, but my friend Christina Esdon was so thoughtful enough to pick little ‘ol me! Thanks, Christina!
So, what is a versatile blogger anyway (pulls out dictionary)? Aha! (Points index finger up) That means I’m adaptable and inconsistent. Okay. Well, I guess that’s a pretty good definition of me. You never know what you’re going to get when you read my blog.
Now that I’ve been given such an esteemed award, I guess it’s only proper to give my “thank you” speech. (Clears throat) I’d like to thank all of my supportive followers for putting up with—I mean—reading and commenting on my blog. I’d like to thank my wonderful family, my fellow bloggers and authors, all of my friends on Twitter…
– 20 minutes later –
… my mailman, my accountant, my bookie, my mechanic, my— (taps on microphone). Hey, is this thing on? Okay, fine. I can take a hint.
As a recipient of this highly exalted award, I am required to fulfill certain duties:
My list of nominees can be found at the bottom of this post, and who can miss seeing that beautiful badge of pride at the top of this post? I will continue to proudly display this award on my site.
Cradles “Versatile Blogger Award” in arms and sings a song to it.
Ahem… um. Sorry about that! I just got lost in the moment there. Anyway, you’re probably wondering when I’m going to stop flapping my lips and get on with the seven random facts, because that’s why you started reading this post in the first place right?
Leans over and whispers in imaginary agent’s ear, “Nosey bunch aren’t they?”
Seven Random Facts about “Sharkbait”:
1. I drool a little bit when I see an exotic sports car or muscle car. I’ve always 
been an exotic sports car and muscle car enthusiast ever since I was a little kid playing with Hot Wheels cars. There’s just something about the roar of a muscle car’s V-8 engine and the scream of the V-12 engine of an exotic sports car (a.k.a. super car) that gets my heart throbbing. It has always been my dream to own a Ferrari, Lamborghini or a classic muscle car, particularly a Corvette Stingray. One of my dreams came true during the Summer of 2009. On my way to work every day I would drive past a black Corvette Stingray parked in front of a body shop. The Corvette had a “For Sale” sign on it tempting me every day for weeks. Finally, one day after work in May 2009, I decided to stop and take a look at the car. The next day I test drove it and the rest is history. The car fit me like a glove! Well, it turns out this dream of mine turned into a nightmare! But, I’ll save that for another post!
2. I collect dragons and used to sell them. While I don’t drool over dragon collectibles like I do sports cars, as a fan of the fantasy genre dragons have always been a 
part of my life. I have a fairly large collection of dragon figures, many of which I added when my mother and I went into business together selling stuff at the local trade show. It only lasted a couple of years, but it was fun while it lasted. The best thing about having access to a warehouse full of dragons imported from China (like everything else) was being able to purchase items for my own collection at ridiculously low prices. My favorite (pictured here) is one of a knight battling a dragon that is protecting its treasure. The battle occurs on top of a castle. Concealed within the castle is a complete chess set. The knight and dragon are actually attached to a removable lid that reveals the chessboard underneath.
3. I used to play Dungeons & Dragons with my brother when I was a kid. That’s right, I’m a D&D nerd! I haven’t played for years, but it was one reason my brother and I got along so well (on the most part) when we were kids. My brother taught me how to play 
D&D when I was around eight years old. He and his friends would play all day and all night going on fascinating adventures simply by using paper, drawing maps, and rolling dice. As corny as it may sound to those who don’t understand the game, it was such a great way to use my imagination. Think World of Warcraft without the computer screen, mouse and keyboard. You actually have to use your imagination when playing the game. And no, we didn’t sacrifice animals and worship the devil when we played either.
4. Speaking of animals, I have had a number of unusual pets. I grew up in Austin, and the first house my parents bought was on the outskirts of the Texas capital city. This neighborhood was still under development, and we had a huge back yard that led into an 
“enchanted forest” that had a mysterious cave in it. Plus, the forest that surrounded the neighborhood was home to lots of creatures for my brother and I to catch and bring home. My mother absolutely loved the critters we brought home too! Can you hear the sarcasm in my voice? They ranged from snakes, lizards, spiders, insects, you name it. We didn’t care if they were poisonous either! My dad eventually bought us a boa constrictor, which remained in the family for about 10 years. Her name was Rosie, ate the Easter Bunny’s offspring for lunch (T.M.I.?), and was scared of thunderstorms. There are a few entertaining stories that go along with this new addition to the family which I’ll eventually write about in another post.
5. For someone who is fascinated with sharks, I am deathly afraid of swimming in the ocean. And before you ask, my nickname “Sharkbait” actually has 
nothing to do with that. Some folks think my nickname comes from getting bitten by a shark. Nope! It’s very simple. You can thank Steven Spielberg for my fear of the ocean waters. That’s right, as irrational as it may sound, the famous Carcharodon carcharias (Great White Shark) from the 1975 blockbuster hit is the reason you won’t find me swimming in the ocean anytime soon. Ironically, though, I’ve always wanted to get in a cage and lowered into a tank infested with sharks. Go figure!
6. I am addicted to video games. Okay, maybe addicted is a bit too strong of a word to describe my joy of video games. I grew up in the 80’s where video arcades were very 
popular, but after getting my first home video game system (you guessed it… it was Pong!), I was hooked! I have a decent collection of video games dating back to the late 70’s all the way to today’s first-person shooters and role playing games. I also own an old Intellivision (Mattel’s answer to the Atari 2600) home video game system, which still works and I continue to play to this day. That’s me in the photo playing Bump ‘N Jump on my Intellivision (I still have that game and still play it). Video games can be a distraction that is sometimes hard to overcome when trying to write a novel. However, playing my NASCAR games actually inspired some scenes in my book Pursuit of a Dream (Book 1 of Victory Lane: The Chronicles). So, my addiction actually paid off there.
7. I’ve had an awkward (but funny) moment with a former President of the United States. In 2008 President Clinton was in town campaigning for his wife Hillary Rodham Clinton. I went to go listen to the President speak, but the auditorium (shown in background of photo) was at full capacity
. There were still hundreds of people outside wanting to hear the President speak, so President Clinton suggested that the rally be taken outside. He spoke from the back of someone’s pickup truck. It’s not every day you have a former President visit your town (at least where I live), so it was kind of cool that the President made this last-minute change. Shortly after I took this picture of President Clinton, I shook his hand, and as I was releasing my grip a young lady asked if she could take a photo with him. The President acknowledged that it was okay and kept a firm grip on my hand even as I was pulling away. I just stood there patiently waiting for the President to let go. President Clinton didn’t release my hand until after the picture was taken. So, needless to say that was kind of awkward, but it was kind of cool shaking hands with a President of the United States, even though he held my hand hostage for a few moments. 🙂
Okay, so there you have it. Those are seven bites of information that probably resulted in many of you wondering why the heck you are following a nut like me in the first place. Now for the hard part…finding 15 other bloggers that haven’t already been nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award and hopefully participate just for the fun of it.
After much scrupulous research (and numerous distractions), in no particular order I have my list of nominees for the 2012 Versatile Blogger Award:
Jesse James Freeman – Billy Purgatory: I am the Devil Bird
Shelli Johnson – Small as a Mustard Seed
Karen DeLabar – Writing on the Rocks
Thea Atkinson – Gonzolink: Because I Write What I Want
Virginia Lee – Dagon’s Blood
Sara Furlong-Burr – Starving Novelist
Tess Hardwick – Riversong
Dannie C. Hill – A Writer’s Life in Thailand
Sheilagh Lee – Fear Not the Darkness
Cara Michaels – I am Definitely Literate
Michael R. Hicks – Writes So You Can Have Fun Reading
Carolyn Arnold – A Writer’s Journey
Al Boudreau – In Memory of Greed
Eden Baylee – Fall into Winter and “campaign chairperson” for #IndiesUnite4Joshua
Jeff Bennington – The Writing Bomb
Update: Honorable mention…
Thaddeus Howze – A Matter of Scale. You are officially on a Versatile Blogger list bud! Cheers! 🙂
Okay, some of the above mentioned nominees have already been nominated, but that should be an even greater honor for them, right?
Thanks again to Christina Esdon for nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award! To my readers (well, for those who managed to keep reading this far), be sure to check out the above listed blogs.
Cheers!
Who doesn’t like getting stuff for free?
This week I’m having a special free giveaway to promote my first book Victory Lane: The Chronicles – Pursuit of a Dream. The e-book version is currently available exclusively for the Kindle as part of my trial run with Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing Select program, which allows Amazon Prime members to borrow one eBook per month through the lending program. Amazon also allows up to five free promo days per 90-day period, and since the end of my 90-day KDP Select period is coming up, I decided to take advantage of it. So after figuring out how to make my book available for free, I launched my promo campaign, which began on Tuesday.
Your feedback is appreciated.
So, why am I giving my book away for free? What’s the catch? The only catch is that by offering my book for free to my readers I’m asking that you simply return the favor by giving me some feedback on what you liked and maybe disliked about Pursuit of a Dream. I’m looking for honest feedback to help me grow as an author. Getting honest feedback will help me gauge what my readers like and dislike about the book. This will help me improve as an author and produce quality content in the future by continuing to write in a style that you like and make adjustments on certain aspects of writing that you may not like. This can only result in a more enjoyable experience in future books.
After reading Pursuit of a Dream, if you would like to leave feedback you can do so in a couple of ways: 1) You can write a review on my book’s page on Amazon, or 2) You can post your feedback on my book’s page on SharkbaitWrites.com. Reviews on blogs are nice, too. 🙂 Also, be sure to “Like” my book on Amazon.
Campaign results in Top 5 spot in Sports Fiction category
So far, after some promoting on Twitter and Goodreads, over 135 people have downloaded Pursuit of a Dream, which I’m very grateful for. During this promotion, my book has reached as high as the No. 3 spot in Top 100 Free e-books in the Sports Fiction category on Amazon. Granted, there aren’t that many sports fiction books listed for free right now, but it still puts a smile on my face to see my book there. My last free promotion was through Smashwords, which only generated about 10 downloads, so you can imaging how pleasantly surprised I was to see the great response this promotion has had.
What if you don’t have a Kindle?
If you don’t have a Kindle but would still like to read my book, you can also read my book on a number of Kindle applications available for PC/Mac, iPhone, iPad, and any device that has the Android operating system. I’ll include it in the list of links at the bottom of this post.
For those who have already downloaded my book to their Kindles and Kindle apps, I thank you very much and hope you enjoy reading Victory Lane: The Chronicles – Pursuit of a Dream as much as I enjoyed writing it. I plan on working on Book 2 of Victory Lane: The Chronicles later this year while I continue to work on my first supernatural horror tentatively titled The Devil’s Nightmare.
Below is a list of links where you can take advantage of my free book promotion along with links to where you can follow me on Twitter, Goodreads, and Google+.
Links:
Download My Book on Amazon for Free
Download a Kindle reading app
Stalk me on Twitter
Hit me up on Goodreads
Join my circle of friends on Google+
Cheers!
A Review From a Sci-Fi Newbie’s Perspective
My normal reading usually consists of fantasy, horror, and thrillers, but I decided to try out the SciFi genre with Gabriel’s Redemption. After reading the first chapter I immediately grew interested in the story, while a bit confused at first with some of the technology, such as “neuretics” and “Mindseye”. However, as I continued to read further, it all started making sense, which actually made for some interesting reading. I loved the technology presented in Gabriel’s Redemption. Umstead does an excellent job of creating believable technology that isn’t too far-fetched.
There’s a lot of back story in Gabriel’s Redemption, but while some have noted that it was too slow-paced, I’m the type of reader that enjoys some good back story. I think Steve Umstead did a good job of giving me just enough back story without resulting in information overload. If you are the type who expects action from the first page all the way through the end, a little patience goes a long way. Umstead definitely rewards that patience with some great action and a satisfying ending! I finished reading Gabriel’s Redemption with a smile on my face.
My only complaint (which is a very minor one) is that I wish I could have learned a little more about the title character Evan Gabriel, but since this is part of a trilogy, I believe Umstead gave me just enough information to keep me interested. In a way, this is a positive note because I cared enough about Evan Gabriel to want to get to know him more in the story. The last pages of Gabriel’s Redemption leads me to believe I’ll be getting just that in the coming books.
I’m certainly looking forward to continuing this Sci-Fi adventure with Gabriel’s Return and Gabriel’s Revenge. All three books are also now available in one complete edition titled Gabriel’s Journey.
This series is highly recommended for all Sci-Fi fans and those just trying out the genre for the first time. You won’t be disappointed.
Gabriel’s Redemption is available for all major e-reader platforms, and now in print:
About the Author:
Steve Umstead has been the owner of a Caribbean & Mexico travel company for the past ten years, but never forgot his lifelong dream of becoming an author. After a successful stab at National Novel Writing Month, he decided to pursue his dream more vigorously…but hasn’t given up the traveling.
Steve lives in scenic (tongue-in-cheek) New Jersey with his wife, two kids, and several bookshelves full of other authors’ science fiction novels. Gabriel’s Redemption was his debut novel, published in February of 2011; Gabriel’s Return, the second in the trilogy, launched in August; the finale, Gabriel’s Revenge, book 3, hit the virtual shelves in December.
Defining an Author
Dictionary.com defines a writer as a person engaged in writing books, articles, stories, etc., especially as an occupation or profession; an author or journalist. That’s a very simple and vague definition of what a writer is, but it does sum it up. I’d like to take that a step further, though. Writing is a lot more involved than just putting words together to form a sentence. What I do like about this particular definition is the word “engaged.” That word defines a vital part of the writing life. One who is engaged in something is dedicated and focused on that particular task. Going back to the simple definition of a writer, anyone who writes something is technically a writer, right? Wrong. This is why as a writer of fiction I like to instead define myself as an author…not simply a writer.
Let’s look at how Dictionary.com defines an author: a person who writes a novel, poem, essay, etc.; the composer of literary work, as distinguished from a compiler, translator, editor, or copyist.
Mirriam-Webster defines an author as one that originates or creates; the writer of a literary work.
Now that sounds more like it.
The Author’s Writing Canvas
Writing fiction is a form of art. It involves using your imagination and telling a story that is original and hopefully keeps your reader turning the pages. This is a challenging process because when you are writing fiction you have to remember that while you may think you have written a great scene, you may lose your reader’s attention if that scene isn’t painted well on your writing canvas. You have to figure out how to capture your audience when telling your story, and more importantly, show the reader the details of your written scene. If the reader can’t visualize what you have written then it may be time to pull out the red editor’s pen.
When assembling your story your work of art includes everything from setting, characters, dialogue, pace, sentence structure and the overall plot. That’s a lot to think about when building a story and it can be quite a challenging process, but that’s part of the fun, especially when your characters disagree with your outline and you have to rethink the whole damn story. Those voices in your head get to arguing about where the story should be heading, and as much as you want to be in control, sometimes you just have to concede and give your characters the reins.
I’m an Author Because I Love to Write
I’m preaching to myself when it comes to all of the details involved in trying to create a story that others will enjoy, and when I’m staring at my computer screen with the deer-in-the-headlights look as writer’s block rears its ugly face at me, I have to step away from my writing canvas and remind myself why I’m an author. When I get discouraged after literally putting years of hard work into a book that doesn’t sell, which I truly enjoyed writing (and enjoy reading), that’s when I have to remind myself that I’m an author because I love to write. That’s it. Nothing more. Nothing less. If I write for the sole purpose of making a buck, then I need to stop writing.
Obviously, I hope people will spend a few bucks and dedicate some of their valuable time to read my work of art, my work of fiction, and enjoy it. However, if I don’t become the next Amazon best-selling author, or even get one five-star review, that’s okay. Why? It’s okay because I’m an author who simply loves to write.
The Author’s Thermometer
If you are struggling with your work of art and sometimes feel like kicking that writing canvas to the ground in frustration because your masterpiece isn’t selling, it’s time to take your temperature, because you may just be getting hot headed about nothing. Are you tempted to stop writing because you are entertaining the assumption that it’s not worth continuing to write because nobody is reading your work? That temperature gauge is getting too high now and you need to cool off. Just relax, take a deep breath and remind yourself of why you are an author. Why did you start writing to begin with? What is it that motivates you to continue writing? How do you measure your success as an author? Do you measure your success based on the amount of copies you sell or do you measure your success in the satisfaction of publishing a work of art? Your work of art!
Just Write!
Write because you love it. Write because you enjoy the creative process. Write because you are an author. Just write! Nothing more. Nothing less.
You might also like:
Devil’s Nightmare by Robert Pruneda available in print and eBook formats. Click the image below for more details.
Sharkbait Writes 
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