Need an Ebook with some Writerly Inspiration?

Hey there Sockmonkeys!

I hope everyone is staying healthy and hasn't had their routine completely upended by the need for physical distancing.  High hopes, I know, but hope is a good thing to have, even when things are so strange at this point.

In any case, one of our original Sockmonkey MLs/group leaders, Darlene Reilley, shared with me an e-book she created and released to try to aid writers during this unusual time.  She is offering it as a free download from her blog Darwrites (link to follow shortly).  I am writing about it here and linking you to her post with her permission, so please, feel free to go check it out and leave her some thanks, comments, encouragement, etc.

How do you download it?  Visit The Writer's Pocket Book of Inspiration page and follow the instructions listed.

Technically, this is something that would be part of Self-Promotion Saturdays, but, since she just released it, is offering it for free and it's both timely with current events and the start of Camp NaNoWrimo, I'm making an exception and posting it right away.  I hope you find it encouraging and useful if you decide to visit and download it.

On a side note, since I just mentioned Camp NaNo, our first regional Camp cabin is full (though a few people still haven't accepted their invitations) but we have plenty of room in our 2nd regional cabin. If you're interested in doing some virtual writing with us this April, please visit the sign up thread and let me know.

The Pirates of the Asteroids

This is the fourth and final (for now) post featuring Therese (Terry) Martin's books for Self-promotion Saturday (until she releases her next book!).  Thank you, Terry, for letting us feature your work to start things off!

The Pirates of the Asteroids is a middle to high school grade pirate action adventure novel set in space.  It is book 2 in the Chronicles of Alpha series.

"The Lloyd family is back in the midst of an interplanetary crisis. Pirates have been plaguing the space ways in the Sol system for decades, selling captives into slavery, and now they've begun to attack Alpha shipping. After a passenger liner is raided and the passengers kidnapped, Lieutenant Jonathan Lloyd is given a top secret assignment, to search for information in the Asteroid Belt about the pirate gangs. As cover, his brother David and his friends are along for what is supposed to look like a vacation trip. But things get more interesting when he discovers two annoying stowaways and a frightened fugitive slave. Will this "vacation trip" prove to be too dangerous for the Lloyds?"

Therese (Terry) Martin moved to Pierce County, Washington from Colorado in 2016.  She is a retired middle school teacher, but continues to teach karate to all ages.  She is currently working on the third Alpha Colony novel and has started a mystery series set in the 1950's with characters from In the Presence of My Enemies and The Uncivil Engineer.

You can buy the Kindle version or the Paperback version , as well as read a sample of the novel on Amazon.

The Rustlers of Alpha Colony

This third installment of our Self-promotion Saturday posts takes us out of WW2 historical fiction and into book one of the Chronicles of Alpha series, Book 1, The Rustlers of Alpha Colony by Terry Martin.

"There’s a crisis on Alpha Colony, the first of Earth’s colonies outside the solar system. The planet Alpha, located in the Centauri System, is a perfect agricultural world. That’s why Earth wants to keep it and exploit its resources for its own benefit. The contract that established the colony is due to expire, and one of the conditions for granting Alpha Colony its independence is not as simple as it seems. The planet’s farms and ranches must meet a strict quota of grain and livestock to be shipped to Earth over the term of the contract. If that quota isn’t met, Alpha Colony will remain under Earth’s heavy-handed rule for many more years—or perhaps forever.

  There’s just one problem. Large amounts of cattle have gone missing. Could there be rustlers on Alpha Colony? It seems unthinkable, but a trio of middle school students has stumbled across evidence that has them convinced someone is stealing cattle. Without the missing cattle, the colony can’t make its quota. But will anyone believe these three boys? Will they be able to find evidence to convince the planetary leaders before it’s too late?

This first book in the Chronicles of Alpha introduces David Lloyd, his family, and his best friends, Coby Steinberg and Joshua Bateman. Are these three intrepid young detectives involved in a challenge far beyond their abilities? Or will they be able to meet the challenge and save their home world? "

The Rustlers of Alpha Colony is a middle to high school grade historical fiction about events during the founding of the United States told with a science fiction twist.

Therese (Terry) Martin moved to Pierce County, Washington from Colorado in 2016.  She is a retired middle school teacher, but continues to teach karate to all ages.  She is currently working on the third Alpha Colony novel and has started a mystery series set in the 1950's with characters from In the Presence of My Enemies and The Uncivil Engineer.

You can buy the Kindle version or the Paperback version, as well as read a sample of the novel on Amazon.

The Uncivil Engineer

This is the next post continuing the Self-promotion Saturday posts started by this blog's creators.  A page with information about how to submit your own writing to be highlighted in a future post like this will be created soon.  In the meantime, thank you, once again, to Therese (Terry) Martin for agreeing to be highlighted first!

The Uncivil Engineer is a high school to college age (New Adult) historical fiction novel set during World War II.  It is a companion to In the Presence of My Enemies and explores the same historical events from a different perspective.

"December 8, 1941. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was followed by conquest and occupation of the Philippine Islands. James Harper, an American engineer working in Manila, is caught up in the turmoil. His experiences in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s have given him some insights that could help him survive being imprisoned. Will that be enough? Will he survive the war, keep his family together, and find his place in the postwar world? Or will he meet his end in the violence of war? Follow James' story from the speakeasies of New Orleans to the economic worries of the Great Depression and the tough decisions he has to make. Share his worry for his family, the perils of being a prisoner of war, and his growing hopes for the future. This sweeping story, inspired by the real-life wartime experiences of the author's family, is a compelling vehicle for people of all ages, spanning four decades. Readers will experience the Pacific war through the eyes of characters who find themselves in the middle of terrifying circumstances. Not a dry textbook, this exciting story with fascinating characters will make the Greatest Generation come alive for their great-grandchildren. Written for "new adults" of high school and college age, it is accessible for middle school readers as well as more experienced adults of all cultures."

Therese (Terry) Martin moved to Pierce County, Washington from Colorado in 2016.  She is a retired middle school teacher, but continues to teach karate to all ages.  She is currently working on the third Alpha Colony novel and has started a mystery series set in the 1950's with characters from In the Presence of My Enemies and The Uncivil Engineer.

You can buy the Kindle version or the Paperback version , as well as read a sample of the novel on Amazon.

In the Presence of My Enemies

This is the first new post continuing the series started by this blog's creators in order to let any Sockmonkey Writers who would like to promote their books or stories to do so.  Thank you to Therese (Terry) Martin for agreeing to be the first!
 

  In the Presence of My Enemies is a middle to high school grade historical fiction novel set during World War II.

"Emily Coates lived a life many Americans would envy. She grew up in the Philippine Islands in a diplomatic family, and reached adulthood when Franklin Delano Roosevelt was in the White House and Glenn Miller's band was all the rage. Her job with the Army Air Corps in Manila was exciting until the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, rapidly followed by air and sea attacks on Manila. At twenty-two, invading Japanese took her, her mother, and her sisters as captives. They ended up in an internment camp, where for nearly four years they experienced deprivation to an almost unimaginable degree. Will this pampered American princess collapse under pressure? Or, will she show the courage that will lead future generations to call hers the Greatest Generation?"

Therese (Terry) Martin moved to Pierce County, Washington from Colorado in 2016.  She is a retired middle school teacher, but continues to teach karate to all ages.  She is currently working on the third Alpha Colony novel and has started a mystery series set in the 1950's with the characters from In the Presence of My Enemies and her other WW2 novel.

You can buy the Kindle version or the Paperback version , as well as read a sample of the novel on Amazon.



Gimme a D, gimme an A, gimme an R, and so on

Hey, look! It's Self-Promotion Saturday, this time featuring a beloved former NaNoWriMo municipal liaison and Sockmonkey Founder & Leader Emerita. I yield the floor to Darlene:

1,001 Plots to Get You Started by Darlene Reilley is for all the writers in my life. People have asked me for years where I get ideas from. Here is my answer: a peek inside my writing file!
1,001 Plot Ideas to Get You Started is your key to unlocking unimagined stories! Perfect for the new writer or for advanced writers looking to branch out. Grab your writer's notebook and favorite pen and get writing with inspiration!

kindle edition

paperback

Thanks for sharing, Darlene, and thank you for all you've done and continue to do to support this ragtag band of ragamuffins and ne'er-do-wells. 

A round of applause please and a warm Sockmonkey welcome to our own beloved Sarah Jayne Carr, author of--well, I'll let Sarah tell you:

Conspiracy theories? Undesirable super powers? Murder? Lies? Betrayal?

A conversation with a stranger changes Amelia Hamilton's life forever. When she learns her grandfather faked his own death, normalcy slips from Amelia's grasp. To make matters worse, he is coming for her in less than seven days. What she hasn't determined is why.

Join the Insurance Agency and the Physician Coalition in their fight for dominance. Be careful. You, too, might be subjected to JackRabbit7 if you don't heed the warnings within the pages.

"The openness and honesty of Carr's storytelling marks her as a writer of truly noble character. She isn't afraid to cut herself and bleed over the pages for the sake of breathing life into the story." - Hannah Whalen

Buy Links:
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Paperback

How to Stalk the Author:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorsarahjcarr
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@sarahjcarr1
Author Central: amazon.com/author/sarahjcarr
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/SarahJCarr
Publisher: http://www.crushingheartsandblackbutterfly.com
Website: www.sarahjcarr.com

Thank you, Sarah! Enjoy your Saturdays, everyone. The weather's supposed to be, like, nice or something?

Self-Promotion Saturday, featuring Chris Weigand

The first in what Shelly and I plan to be a series of self-promotion posts. We contacted Chris because her YA novel, The Palace of the Twelve Pillars, was just released by MuseItUp publishing. Chris is also one of the founders of the Sockmonkeys and NaNoWriMo Municipal Liaison Emerita. We <3 Chris. Here's what she submitted:

The Peace Summit was in shambles, the prince kidnapped.
When the rival king realizes he kidnapped the wrong prince, hostilities escalate. Loyalties to each other and country are tested for the twin princes of Crato, Joachim and Brandan.
Joachim, captive of King Waldrom, faces deception and betrayal as he struggles to find his way home. Brandan, at home with a father focused on rescuing Joachim, wrestles with his own demons as he searches for his place in the world and the favor of his father.
Torn from the safety and peace of their childhood, they are thrust into a world where bonds of family, brotherhood and roles as heirs to Crato are tested. Through war, spiritual journeys, death and marriage, will they choose the path of good or evil? Who can be trusted, as the world they know slips into a whirlpool of chaos?

Buy Link
Blog: http://www.weigandchris.com
email: palaceofthetwelvepillars@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/caweigand.
Twitter: @CAWeigand --
Christina Weigand

Thanks, Chris, and congratulations. Happy Saturday, everybody.