Cosplay at The Corner Cafe? What in the world?

Today Marian Allen is talking with author Red Tash about her story "Living Well" and cosplaying (what is that you ask?) from The Corner Cafe: A Tasty Collection of Short Stories (by BBT Cafe Authors).

What's cooking at The Corner Cafe?

Assorted stories featured at or around The Corner Cafe by 15 authors including Marian Allen, Shonell Bacon, Karen Casey Fitzjerrell, W.S. Gager, Helen Ginger, Dani Greer, S.B. Lerner, Audrey Lintner, Morgan Mandel, Maryann Miller, Bodie Parkhurst, Bob Sanchez, Mary Montague Sikes, Red Tash, and Christine Verstraete.

Fun seeing the different takes everyone has on the cafe. Certainly a busy, interesting place!! Stop by for a cup of coffee and see!

** It's hit #2 in Best Short Stories at Amazon!**

* Some of the Corner Cafe Stories: *

** In my story "Perfect Timing" by Christine Verstraete, a rescued pup helps cafe owner Gina Mason find love and thwart a would-be robber.

** In "Living Well," Red Tash gently pokes fun at the Star Trek fan culture and the ups and downs of long-term love, in the fan-favored setting of This Brilliant Darkness' Corner Cafe.

** In "The Catfish Enchantment" by Marian Allen, Cosmo’s father deserted the family and died unforgiven, his mother is sinking into depression, he’s started cutting himself to relieve the pain, and his boss suggests…a tattoo?

The Corner Cafe Blog Tour

June 4 Blog Book Tours Kick-off Blog Book Tours Kick-Off
June 5 Bob Sanchez
June 6 Red Tash
June 7 Bodie Parkhurst, Magic Dog Press
June 8 Heidi Thomas

June 11 Marian Allen
June 12 W.S. Gager
June 13 Here at Candid Canine - Chris Verstraete
June 14 Helen Ginger
June 15 Kathy Wheeler hosts Christine Verstraete

June 18 Morgan Mandel's Double M
June 19 Pat Bean
June 20 Shonell Bacon
June 21 Alberta Ross
June 22 Karen Casey Fitzjerrell

June 25 Pat Stoltey
June 26 S.B. Lerner
June 27 Maryann Miller
June 28 Mary Montague Sikes
June 29 Stephen Tremp

Are blogs effective by Margot Justes

Blogs take a bit of time to write, at least for me. I know that marketing has to be a factor in sales, and that name recognition goes to marketing and sales.

A midlist author needs that crucial name recognition to build a readership, and so it goes. E-book sales are a huge business and growing rapidly, and many of us are taking the plunge and going indie, and trying to build on that name recognition.

How to do it? One way is to blog and post all over e-net creation. That is an upside, our name is out there. There is also a downside. How many read all the blogs that are posted?  People are busy with everyday life.

Are blogs effective? Do the readers really get to know us through them? Is a shorter version of communication better? There is Facebook and Twitter, and many other social networks that take far less time and are a faster way to communicate.

What do you think, are blogs effective, or have they outlived their usefulness?

Cheers,

Margot  Justes

Hearts & Daggers

A Hotel in Paris

and coming soon Hot Crimes Cool Chicks

www.mjustes.com

Who Is Reading What? by DL Larson

As a librarian I have a unique position to compare book stores top sellers to what folks check out at their local library.  Reading reviews on Amazon and local book shop favorites are usually pretty similar and most who don't want to purchase a book, head for the library to find the popoular books. 

The list below was gathered by a Texas Librarian who wanted to track what Young Adults were actually reading, not just what was being pushed at them.  If you haven't heard, YA is hot!  The stories are well written, riddled with real life issues, plus tons of page turning fantasy!  It's a great combo and has been drawing adults as well as Jr. High students to the YA stacks. 

The researcher queried far and wide to see what the youth of America was reading.  The study covered the months of July to December 2011.

The Top Ten:
- Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
- Twilight, Stephenie Meyer
- Percy Jackson and the Olympians, by Rick Riordan
- Wolves of Mercy Falls, by Maggie Stiefvater
- The Maze Runner, by James Dashner
- The Kane Chronicles, by Rick Riordan
- Mortal Instruments, by Cassandra Clare
- House of Night, by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by Jeff Kinney
- Heroes of Olympus, by Rick Riordan

To that list I would add:
- Secrets of Immortal  Nicholas Flamel, by Michael Scott
- Maximum Ride, by James Patterson
- Septimus Heap, by Angie Sage
- Halo, by various authors
- City of Bones, by Cassandra Clare
- The Ranger's Apprentice, by John Flanagan

If you are interested in writing YA, read something from the lists.  These are all series with the second and third, and fourth books as popular as the first book.  Or if you are simply looking for a good read this summer, pick one of these and I can guarantee you will be coming back for the sequel!

Try reading an author you aren't familiar with ~ it's a fun discovery to add him/her to your favorite authors list!

Til next time ~

DL Larson

Variety is the Spice of Life by Morgan Mandel

Anyone who has seen my writing can tell I love variety. I don't stick to  one genre, and have been known to combine them at times.

When Dani Greer asked for volunteers in our BBT Cafe egroup to contribute to a short story collection, I jumped in. Since I believe in following where inspiration strikes, it's not surprising my stories for The Corner Cafe: A Tasty Collection of Short Stories are different than what I wrote before.

What Nice Blessings stars a young adult who undergoes a life changing event. The Closing of the Corner Cafe features a couple who venture into the cafe business.

Eighteen stories are included. The good thing about so many is if you don't like one, you can always try another. We offer something for almost every taste.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Christine Verstraete, another of our Acme Author Babes, who has contributed a short story called Perfect Timing, which includes a dog. Read her story to find out how the dog got inside the cafe. Was the door open?

Find The Corner Cafe: A Tasty Collection of Short Stories at http://amzn.com/B0085YDO7E
on Kindle for 99 cents. Or, if you're patient, mark your calendars for the two free days, Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10.



Morgan Mandel writes mysteries, romances and thrillers, also short stories, one including a young adult.

Find excerpts and buy links to Morgan's full length novels at http://morgansbooklinks.blogspot.com/

The Corner Cafe is Open! A Tasty Collection of Short Stories by 15 authors including Morgan Mandel and Christine Verstraete

Today is opening day at The Corner Cafe. Can't you just smell the coffee?

The Corner Cafe: A Tasty Collection of Short Stories (BBT Cafe Authors) offers an eclectic selection of stories from 15 authors.

Hey, Morgan, how are you doing? Why hello, there's an author sitting in the corner. And look at the cute dog!

What! A dog in the cafe?

Well, in the adjoining room, at least. And this dog is special.

In my story "Perfect Timing" by Christine Verstraete, a rescued pup helps cafe owner Gina Mason find love and thwart a would-be robber.

Morgan offers two stories:

* In "What Nice Blessings" by Morgan Mandel, tragedy strikes a young adult, testing her courage and teaching her the value of friendship.

* "The Closing of the Corner Cafe" by Morgan Mandel describes the rise and fall of a cherished eating establishment.


Enjoy the stories! Check out the line-up and details at the Blog Book Tours blog.

Different Paths

Yesterday we worked in the yard. It was a beautiful day and we got a lot done. However, there's an area in our yard that still needs a lot of work. We've kind of let it go a bit, and it's quite a mess. So, last night I got out the gardening/landscaping books and looked for some ideas. I hit upon one I really liked and proceeded to do some 'leg work': a basic sketch, a list of materials, went on some web-sites to check out prices. I had a vision, and it was going to be great.

This morning we hit a few garden supply stores. We found the lights I wanted and got the mulch. My hubby talked me into a different kind of rock than I'd envisioned, but that's okay...it'll still be fabulous. And then we hit a road block. I couldn't find the edging I wanted. At a second store, we found it, but realized after looking at it that it would be really difficult to install. The other edging, which would be an easier install, was three times as expensive.

So, what to do? Do we go for broke (perhaps literally) and spend the money on the edging that will complete the theme and be easy to install? Do we bite the bullet and get the less inexpensive but more labor intensive variety? Or do we choose something else entirely which would change the vision I had.

Writing is a lot like this. Sometimes I have a plan, even though I'm usually more of a pantster, I do know where I want the story to go. I have a feel for the story, a vision of how it should be. But sometimes, it doesn't come together the way I planned. Sometimes I need to deviate and go an entirely different direction. In the end, the story turns out fine, even if it wasn't what I expected at first. Often times it's better, because I let my muse take over and rule.

I'm sure no matter what we decide, this area in the yard will turn out great. Only time will tell if it turns out like my original vision.

Until next time,

Happy Reading!

Debra
www.debrastjohnromance.com

Words on Paper and Time by Margot Justes

It's been a while since I've blogged. Time has a way of disappearing. There is work, the one that actually pays bills. There is family and somewhere in between there is solitude. The type you need to put words on paper. The solitude where you escape to a world of your own creation. Somewhere in between there has be time to do errands, take care of house and make time to read.

Then of course, it's time for bed and you realize the day is done. Time has flown.

That is what happened to me the last few weeks. I have a deadline for my short stories.

Amy Alessio, Mary Welk and I are back together for a short story anthology.

Coming soon to a Kindle near you, Hot Crimes Cool Chicks.

I have a request for a full submission for my paranormal manuscript, and have to wait until my editor is ready-should be end of this month. Have to work on another novella due in September, and so it goes.

The one thing I have learned is time is precious, and anytime I can spend with family, is always my priority. Except for today, got an afternoon call from Solonge (older daughter) and she asked if there was time to go boating-I said no. She caught me in the middle of cooking-yes indeed-I was actually in the kitchen making chili.  A dear friend is ill and I promised him some homemade chili. It's actually quite excellent, if I say so myself. It was something small but important for me to do. I gave Solonge an option for breakfast tomorrow morning.

Back to my point, I really have one. Time is short, we need to pick the things that are truly important to us and do them first, and if there is time, well then we go on to the next item on the list.  I think we'll find that no matter how hard we think our life is, there is always, always someone worse off. Enjoy your life and make time meaningful.

Cheers,

Margot  Justes

Hearts & Daggers

A Hotel in Paris

www.mjustes.com