Saturday, March 30, 2013

Meet Stan the Pilgarlic man ~ Save-A-Word Saturday



The word lovers' and prompt writers' blog hop. Here's how it goes:

1. Create a lovely blog post that links back to The Feather and The Rose blog - our host.

2. Pick an old word you want to save from extinction to feature in your blog post. It really must be an old word, not just a big one. We are trying to save lovely archaisms, not ugly giants (for example, "Dihydrogen Monoxide" is not an acceptable choice). Luciferous Logolepsy is a great database of lovely words if you're having trouble coming up with something on your own.

3. Provide a definition of your word. Use your word in a sentence (or even a short paragraph) vaguely related to the theme we have chosen this week. You may also add visual or musical interpretations of your word or your sentence. In fact, add anything that moves your creative spirit.

4. Add your post to the linky list below (sometimes it's added late). Then hop to as many other blogs as you can in search of as many wonderful words as possible!

5. Use as many of the words as you can on the people in your life. Do leave us a note or add something to your own post to let us all know what wonderful old word you whipped out to befuddle your friends and relations.

Today's theme isLaughter

My word today is: PilgarlicFrom 1520-30
Noun - a person regarded with mild or pretended contempt or pity; a baldheaded man 

And here's my writing for this word:

"Look at him."
"Yeah, I know."
"That's a shame."
"Yeah. Wanna do something about it?"
"What more could be done to that homeless, drunk pilgarlic?"

Stan stood up and stumbled near the two. "I may be homeless, drunk, even pilgarlic. At least I know enough to show pity on those who have less than me, even on two worthless punks like you. Here, take a swig."

Diane and Marvin burst out laughing before walking away, and finished off with, "Good bye, you old geezer!"





Remember, the Most Amazing Giveaway is still on until April 5! Just click here.


Friday, March 29, 2013

Celebrating the Biggest Thing: Easter


I'm celebrating... well, we all are... celebrating those small and big things for VikLit's Writing Blog weekly bloghop.

I'm celebrating the end of the week and Good Friday service tonight at Faith Fellowship Church in San Leandro. Then there's Easter this Sunday, which for some reason I'd gotten the message to host Easter dinner this year. You know who that message was from, don't you? Sure you do. It was God. I knew you knew. So, I've got to trust that it will be a great Easter dinner.

Happy Easter everybody!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Book Review: Learning to Fly has some great character...



This is a review of Learning to Fly by Rachel Elizabeth Cole for the Indie-Fever Reading Challenge brought by b00k r3vi3ws.



I won this book in a LibraryThing Member Giveaway.

Learning to Fly is a book of short stories with characters that are well developed, relatable and oh so real. They are stories that tell of a difficult moment in people’s lives. In Fallen Leaves, there is the widowed mother who must consider taking in a difficult, elderly mother-in-law. The question is why? Listen to the Rain, is about a young pregnant couple who must learn whether it’s worth surviving past the chapter in their lives when neither of them says what they mean to and end their days in arguments. The character I related to most was the mother in Caring for Lily who is trying to find a daycare for her baby so she can return to work – truly that’s what she wants, right? Then there’s the blogger in For Good or For Bad, who has a good husband and two children, but can’t stop thinking about the one who got away. Finally, there’s Is This Seat Taken? where a young pregnant woman at a bus station meets a young college guy. Are they both lost or looking to find their own way?

As I stated above, the characters are real and the book is well written. What was most amiss for me was that they weren’t short stories, but excerpts of longer pieces. None of them was a complete story. It seemed to be what the author intended, but I was always of the belief that a short story has a beginning, middle and end. These all lacked an ending, some more than others. The last story was the most mystifying, though it wasn’t a mystery. It was unknown what the conflict was and why the pregnant woman was at the bus station. At least with the other stories, you could think of how the stories could turn out and dream up possible endings. For the last one, however, since it’s unsure what the conflict was, you have no idea what might happen.

Furthermore, as this is a fairly short book, I initially thought it was one short story and it took me a while to realize that the next chapter was indeed a whole new story since they are in the first person and you don’t know who the narrator is until the name is finally mentioned. This confusion could have been because I had a pdf version of the book without the cover. Looking at the cover later, it does state that these are a collection of short stories. A Table of Contents or a logline on the cover page could have helped, however.

Still, Rachel Elizabeth Cole is a very good writer who is great at character development, something I admire in a writer. I would be interested in reading a complete novel by her to see how she does finalize stories.

She has published eight books and her work has appeared in various publications.

Click on the links below to find Learning to Fly and to learn more about Rachel Elizabeth Cole.

Book Info: 
Pages 51  
Cost $2.99 Kindle edition


Friday, March 22, 2013

Celebrating 100 Followers! A Grateful, Small Achievement + Save-A-Word Saturday


To celebrate reaching my 100th follower, I wanted to do something big, bad and funny. We all need a laugh, and I'm seeing the picture above as something funny, not sad. (You know, as in it was a gag picture.)

In celebrating this most small achievement for Celebrate the Small Things Friday (again Thanks VikLit for hosting this weekly blog hop), I wanna first thank all who have taken the time to follow this blog, read my posts, comment, and be a positive presence in this blogosphere.


Now for gift time! I wanted to give something to everyone who wants something. So here you have it:

1. A free download of an eBook version of Anticipation of the Penitent from Smashwords.com (for any and every one of my followers!)
2. $10 gift card from Amazon.com (for two winning followers)
3. A surprise gag gift (for two other winning followers)

To enter this giveaway, be a follower of this blog and express your interest by leaving a comment or sending me an email to nlarondajohnson-author@yahoo.com. The winners for gift numbers 2 & 3 will be randomly selected from those who express their interest. This giveaway will end on Friday, April 5, 2013.

P.S. - If you comment on this blog but aren't a follower, maybe because you don't have gmail, you can still enter this giveaway. Just send me a note that you do comment on this blog and that you wish to enter.

Happy Celebrating the Small Things!



This is a word lovers and prompt writers bloghop. Here's how it goes:


1. Create a lovely blog post that links back to The Feather and The Rose blog - our host.

2. Pick an old word you want to save from extinction to feature in your blog post. It really must be an old word, not just a big one. We are trying to save lovely archaisms, not ugly giants (for example, "Dihydrogen Monoxide" is not an acceptable choice). Luciferous Logolepsy is a great database of lovely words if you're having trouble coming up with something on your own.

3. Provide a definition of your word. Use your word in a sentence (or even a short paragraph) vaguely related to the theme we have chosen this week. You may also add visual or musical interpretations of your word or your sentence. In fact, add anything that moves your creative spirit.

4. Add your post to the linky list below (sometimes I add it later in the day). Then hop to as many other blogs as you can in search of as many wonderful words as possible!

5. Use as many of the words as you can on the people in your life. Do leave us a note or add something to your own post to let us all know what wonderful old word you whipped out to befuddle your friends and relations.

Today's theme iscastles

My word today is: canticle - From 1175-1225 Middle English
Noun – one of the nonmetrical hymns or chants, chiefly from the Bible, used in church services; a song, poem, or hymn, especially of praise

And here's my writing for this word:
“I am sure it was Eugene’s evocative canticle that reached heaven and brought God to our aid. That is the only reason this house, our castle, withstood the devastating attacks from those lawless thugs.”

“Don’t give up on them, Harriet. As long as they have breath, there’s a chance that even one of them could see the truth and be the catalyst for our next victory. Remember, God doesn’t give up on anyone. Neither should we.”


Wednesday, March 20, 2013

A Day of Awards - Time for Sunshine & Blogger's Tag!



I'm happy to report on this Sunshine Award I received. The recipients of the Sunshine Award are “bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogsphere.” The way the award works is this: thank the person who gave you the award, and link back to them. Then answer questions about yourself. Finally, select up to 10 of your favorite bloggers, link their blogs to your post, and let them know they have been awarded the Sunshine Award. And don't forget the Sunshine Award badge!

Thanks S.K.Anthony for this honorable award! :)

I've nominated 5 bloggers for the Sunshine Award, and please feel free to do the Blogger's Tag as well!

Here are my nominees:

Aford of Quill Pen
Sheena-kay Graham on whichever blog she'd like to post
Lexie C of Pennies in the Jetstream
Suzanne Furness of The Word Is...
Diana Wilder of about myself, by myself

And these are my intriguing answers to the questions:

What inspired you to start blogging?
At the SF Writers Conference in February 2012, it was encouraged to start a blog to get your name out there no matter how your book gets published. Also, internet presence, I was told, is one of the things agents look for.

I had no idea what creating and maintaining a blog entailed and really had no interest in anything to do with marketing and promoting. But since I like to write and spread my opinion, and did want my book to be known, I decided to look into it. And boy, there’s no stopping me now!

How did you come up with the name of your blog?
The name Writer’s Mark just came to me – putting my mark out there as a writer. It was initially called “Writer’s Mark – Christian fiction, poetry, and ideas.” Later, I realized that if I just post my Christian work, there’s a lot of my other work which wouldn’t be showcased. So, I stuck in the “and other” to open the field and not be limited to just Christian work.

What is your favorite blog that you like to read?
There’s not just one. I do have several favorites that I love to return to and don’t like it when I’ve spent too much time away.

Tell about your dream job.
Dream job… of course to write fulltime. I wouldn’t want any other writer type of job like editing. I would love to teach creative writing part-time at the college level later on, after enjoying the freedom of writing whenever and wherever I want. Ho hum… :)

Is your glass half full or half empty?
Oh, really more than half full! That doesn’t keep me from complaining and pining for more, hear me. I’ve been where the glass was less than half full on several occasions in my life, and I can celebrate that now I’m a spoiled child of God with the glass level rising.

If you could go anywhere for a week’s vacation, where would you go?
One week is definitely not enough for the ideal spots I’d want to go. So for one week, I’d be happy to go to Maui again or Mexico, somewhere hot, beachy and where I could get some fun drinks. :)

What food can you absolutely not eat?
Something I wouldn’t even try? There are some things I hate, like olives (unless they’re totally buried in the other ingredients), but I try them every blue moon to see if my taste buds have changed – yuck! But something I wouldn't even try might be worms – you know, grubs or some other wormy delicacy in another country.

Dark chocolate or milk chocolate?
Okay, a year ago I would definitely have said milk chocolate, but now they are coming out with some tasty dark chocolate sweets. I mean, have you tried Reese’s Dark Chocolate? And Sprinkles has this chocolate cupcake with marshmallow filling and dark chocolate ganache that’s divine. And let me mention one more. At the Cheese Cake Factory, they have the Godiva Dark Chocolate Mouse cheese cake that is so heavenly I was UNABLE to share it with anyone! until I’d had my fill. (They give you such a big slice, I was eventually able to share some and still have some to take home.)

Do you watch TV – if so, what are some of your favorite shows?
I like S.K.’s answer, “Bwah hahha, do I? YES.”  I wouldn’t say I’m obsessed. I can go probably one, maybe two nights in a week without watching TV. But more than that would start to hurt.

I love some of the food competition shows, like Top Chef, The Worst Cooks in America, Chopped, Sweet Genius… there’s a million. I also love The Amazing Race, Law & Order SVU, and Sunday Best.

Here's the "No Badge" Blogger's Tag:
In case you haven't learned enough about me, John Byke of 2012writers Still Alive started a Blogger's Tag, and I agreed to take part in it. Here are the rules:

1. Post these rules.
2. Post a photo of yourself and eleven random facts about you.
3. Answer the questions given to you in the tagger’s post.
4. Create eleven new questions and tag new people to answer them.
5. Go to their blog/twitter and let them know they have been tagged.

My photo and 11 random facts:

1. My childhood dog was named Chico









2. A chunk of my hair in the back fell out after dying it once
3. As a child I used to suck my thumb, and every now and then I still get the urge to do it (but don't)
4. My brother and I used to shoplift Cadbury's candy bars from the grocer
5. Now, as an adult, I do my best not to lie, even a little
6. I loved the movie Oz: The Great and Powerful. Saw it in IMAX 3D
7. I'd rather be miserably hot than cold
8. I hate ironing clothes, and buy clothes that don't need to be ironed
9. One privilege I don't want to give up is having a housekeeper
10. I only buy new shoes once the old ones are nearly falling apart.

These are the 11 questions my tagger asked me:

1. Favorite vacation spot?  Italy, the Amalfi Coast
2. Shoe size?  9
3. Favorite celebrity?  I’ll change that to favorite actor. (I’m not into all that celebrity stuff). This is hard. I’ll say Will Smith. I can’t wait til his new sci-fi movie comes out with his kid.
4. Cats or dogs? If I were to have one, cat. They need less attention and play with time.
5. Satellite or cable TV?  Cable TV. Don’t like the extra garb you need for satellite.
6. Bill Gates or Steve Jobs? Who knows? Going by familiarity, I’d say Bill Gates.
7. Rice or noodles?  Rice, brown rice at that!
8. What secret or hidden talent do you have? Spending time alone, even going on vacations and to movies by myself.
9. Any pet peeves about people in general? Gum smacking.
10. Complete this: If I could change one thing in the world it would be... all the negative TV shows out there that promote self-entitlement and intolerance.
11. What do you think about the haircut in my picture above? Here’s John Byke’s pic he’s talking about:
 I’d say it’s very monkish.








Okay taggees, now answer these 11 questions:

1. Lefty or righty?
2. “Hi” or “Hello”?
3. What old-time tradition would you want to bring back, i.e., drive-in movies?
4. What celebrity do you think you look like most?
5. What animal would you want to be if you had to be one?
6. Did you have any childhood bad habits, i.e., sucking your thumb? What?
7. Momma’s boy/girl or Daddy’s girl/boy?
8. What’s your favorite leisurely activity?
9. What one word would you use to describe yourself?
10. Popcorn or chips?
11. Who’s the last person (or animal) you kissed?

Thanks for reading. :) I look forward to your comments and answers! Be sure to let me know if you've accepted the tag.


Monday, March 18, 2013

Press Release & Media Kit


Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SF Bay Area Author Making Her Mark in a Growing Genre

A killer raised by Satan, a mother reaching for God - Not your typical Christian fiction

HAYWARD, CA – Local author and San Mateo County Deputy Probation Officer, Nancy LaRonda Johnson, is making her mark in the Christian speculative fiction genre with her debut novel, Anticipation of the Penitent. Not your typical Christian fiction, it is a novel about a serial killer and his mother, and was a front-runner in the Indie Publishing Contest sponsored by the San Francisco Writers Conference 2012.

Reviewers on Amazon have said:
If there was 'ever' a first chapter of any book that was going to hook you in- it would be this! Well written with a superb plot. Disturbing, sad, dark and at times-just plain creepy, but always a great read.” - Review by Little Red

“…strong Biblical principals without distracting from the plot…. a very strong command of visual imagery. Once I started reading this book there was no way that I was going to do anything short of finish it!” – Review by Audrey Semprun

With elements of horror, Anticipation of the Penitent is written in beautifully crafted prose that draws you into the characters’ lives and spiritual struggles. When Alezea is trapped by the Devil, she bears him a son and knows her life will never be her own. She is the mother of Thomas, a man reared by Satan to be a killer of life’s most innocent – little girls. When Alezea finds a way out, she will risk her very soul to free Thomas from his father. The fight to save her son will either redeem Alezea or destroy her forever. Rachel knows Thomas’ history, yet she believes her presence can transform him. Her belief in Thomas might send her further into the Devil’s realm or provide an opening for God’s miracles in both of their lives.

Nancy LaRonda Johnson is a passionate writer of Christian and other fiction and poetry. She earned a BA in sociology from UC Santa Cruz and a JD from the University of San Francisco, School of Law. While raising a niece and nephew as a single woman for ten years, she began working as a deputy probation officer in San Mateo County. She currently lives in Hayward. You may contact her at nlarondajohnson-author@yahoo.com for more information, book signings or speaking engagements, and feel welcome to join her blog “Writer’s Mark” at www.nancylarondajohnson.blogspot.com.

Anticipation of the Penitent
A killer raised by Satan, a mother reaching for God.
A battle of souls begins.
###

Media Kit



Synopsis


When Alezea is trapped by the Devil, she bears him a son and knows her life will never be her own. She is the mother of Thomas, a man reared by Satan to be a killer of life’s most innocent – little girls. Alezea lives detached from the horrors committed by her son and from her domination by the entity who uses her as he pleases. Until she meets Martha who shows her a way out. Now Alezea will risk her very soul to free Thomas from his father. The fight to save her son will either redeem Alezea or destroy her forever.

Rachel knows Thomas’ history, yet she believes her presence can transform him. Her belief in Thomas might send her fully into the Devil’s realm or provide an opening for God’s miracles in both of their lives. In a scheme to continue his father’s line, Thomas may ruin his alliance with Rachel or rend himself from the dominion he was born to hold. The impulse to contrive his future takes Thomas to new heights in his lifework as a killer, pushes him toward maturity, and forces him to encounter the astonishing truth of his heritage.

Anticipation of the Penitent depicts the battle between good and evil in one family until it is rendered to its destined completion. Only then will it be known whether Alezea succeeds in her struggle for a life free from Satan’s control.



AUTHOR BIO



Nancy LaRonda Johnson is a passionate writer of Christian and other fiction and poetry, was raised in Berkeley and currently resides in Hayward. Anticipation of the Penitent is her debut novel in the growing Christian speculative genre. She has written short stories, poetry and personal journals most of her life, and won her first award for a short story in a sixth grade summer program.

Nancy attained a BA in Sociology from UC Santa Cruz and a JD from the University of San Francisco, School of Law. She raised a niece and nephew as a single parent for ten years, during which she began working as a deputy probation officer for San Mateo County, where she has been employed for nearly twelve years.

She is working on several projects, including a sequel to Anticipation of the Penitent, a book of short stories and poetry, a science fiction novella and another Christian speculative novel about the Witch of Endor. She has a love of stories that are character driven and have surprising twists.

Anticipation of the Penitent was a front-runner in the Indie Publishing Contest sponsored by the San Francisco Writers Conference 2012.


AUTHOR Q&A

Where did the idea come from for the book?

My initial questions when writing Anticipation of the Penitent were, why is there evil in the world, and can a sociopath be saved? There is no end to the evilness people allow themselves to inflict on someone else. Luckily, all the answers I needed to explain this behavior are in the Bible. I no longer had to research evil behaviors, of which I have great examples through my job trainings and my job in general.

Is your book self-published or traditionally published through an agency?


It's self-published through CreateSpace. I spent about 6 months sending out query letters to no avail. I later realized from a comment by someone on Authonomy.com that my pitch was not very interesting. I believe I've got a better one now, but I was already in the midst of self-publishing.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

About 6 years, more or less. It started as a flash fiction piece, but the character stayed with me for a long time. Then I got custody of my niece and nephew while working full-time, so it took a while. The last year and a half I wrote the full second part of the book.

What other books or authors would you compare this story to within your genre?

I'd say The Priest's Graveyard by Ted Dekker. They are both dark, Christian and speak about people in unacceptably ugly situations. I believe mine is more inspirational in its entirety.



Anticipation of the Penitent
A killer raised by Satan, a mother reaching for God.
The battle of souls begins.

Amazon ISBN# 9781479258550:
CreateSpace ISBN# 9781479258550:
Smashwords ISBN# 971301701735:

Pages: 304
Price: $15.95 for print; $4.99 eBook

Also available at:

Nu Revelations Christian Books and Novelties
            22431 Foothill Blvd.
            Hayward, CA 94541
            (510) 397-0474

The Book Shop
         1007 B St.
            Hayward, CA94541
            (510) 538-3943

Pegasus Books
Oakland
            5560 College Ave.
            Oakland, CA 94618
            (510) 652-6259
Shattuck
            2349 Shattuck Ave.
            Berkeley, CA 94704
            (510) 649-1320
Solano
            1855 Solano Ave.
            Berkeley, CA 94707
            (510) 525-6888 

Or order it from your favorite bookstore

AUTHOR CONTACT INFO:



Events


Interviews


Cable TV Interview: Interview to be aired on Revelations Gospel Music Update
Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at 9 pm
In Hayward on Local Cable Channel 28 
and Saturday, April 13, 2013 at 9 am
In Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, Richmond on Channel 26, 

Podcast Interview - 2012writers STILL ALIVE
Author Interview - Pam Funke's Book Reviews


Media



Book Reviews


Articles



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