Charles W Jones

FIGS, VINES & ROSES by Author, Joy M. Lilley Chapter 7 Snippet: Clarence was extremely unhappy when he first arrived at Rugby School. It took him a long time to understand the principles of education there, and the high expectations demanded of the pupils. The boys worked from seven in the morning until ten at night six days a week and studied the Bible equally hard on Sundays. Compared to his education at home, this new routine came as a huge shock. He had known relative freedom in his tutoring up until now, and the strict discipline of religious and moral principles, followed closely by the standards of gentlemanly conduct and the pressures of the academic requirements, all took their toll on him. The students were from the same middle and upper-class background as Clarence, but he found it difficult to be away from home and he missed Isabella immensely. The worst experience he had to endure was being bullied. For the first time in his life, he wasn’t the leader of the pack, but

Today, I’m welcoming back Harriet Hodgson for the 5th day of her RRBC Spotlight Tour. What Can You Do When Book Sales Stall? By Harriet Hodgson Book marketing is a never-ending task. To track your efforts, you may want to keep a marketing log. Try to take one marketing step a day. Despite your best efforts, your book sales may stall. What can you do? Don’t give up. When seeing an ad or article and order your book, buyers may think they took immediate action. In truth, three or four weeks may pass before a buyer takes action. So you need to continue your book marketing efforts. Learn more about marketing. My current publisher has an authors’ portal on its website. Authors can click on the portal, enter the password, and find information on a broad range of topics. This information includes copyright information, wholesale pricing, and marketing ideas. Bring your book to consumers. The days of autographing books in a bookstore seem to be fading. Instead of having buyers c

Today, I welcome Susanne Leist, the RRBC Spotlight Author for September 2020. HE HAS COME FOR ME – WRITTEN FOR PREY FOR THE DEAD (Note about the poem from Susanne Leist.) Poetry began as a way to promote my books. Now, it is one of my passions. This poem describes Wolf’s love for Linda, a vampire who loves a human. HE HAS COME FOR ME He has come for me. I’ll never be free. He comes at night, Fear at first sight. He claims his love, But he’s no dove. He’s evil as can be, Always searching for me. I must hide until morning, Or the town will be mourning. The devil hides his face. I know his deadly pace. His footsteps ring hollow. Steps quicken to follow. He sings a sweet song. I know I’m not wrong. The devil is right behind me, Even though his face, I can’t see. He has me in his grasp. I cry out with a gasp. He kisses me with passion. I know this is his fashion To take what is not his And make me into his. THE DEAD AT HEART William’s bite bonded Shana to him, but he didn’t ask her to mate

This week, I continue with the RRBC/RWISA Showcase Tour, and to kick it off, I welcome Nonnie Jules, who’s sharing a wonderful poem. SILENT TEARS by Nonnie Jules I cry these silent tears for her For her loss, for her pain, for her heart Breaking when she looks into their eyes Her children – she feels their loss, their pain, their hearts breaking. The memories – the hardest Yet, there’s no getting away from the reminders of what used to be. There once was a HE HE sat, parented, loved, even laughed Yes, towards all ends there is laughter some say But his chair is empty now Just as their hearts Hollow as the tree he chose. He left it all there His back against a world filled with painful memories of a childhood unprotected. His pain… Bottled up in the bottles of poison he consumed Reckless abandon he gave to it But quit… he could not would not was it his choice not? In the end, the call of the poison was stronger and he had to answer he was forced to answer given no choice but to answer…

Today, I’m welcoming Karen Black, July’s RRBC Spotlight Author. She wrote Race Into Murder , which I absolutely loved. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by ghosts, spirits, and anything unknown, and a lot of my plots lean toward the paranormal, sometimes obvious and other times subtle. The first eBook I published, as an Indie Author, was “A Candle in the Darkness.” It is a story of life after death. I wrote it to ask two questions. Do the dead still live? Can those mourning a death go on with their life? I wrote “Candle” after I lost a close friend and would like to believe that some who read it will find hope, or maybe a sense of comfort. It’s one of my favorites. A Candle in the Darkness Flashing and dancing, the lightning would have been beautiful, illuminating the sky like fireworks on the fourth of July, but the rain and the wind made it frightening. Its beauty was lost in the violence of the storm. Valerie was driving to Maryland. Her husband’s funeral had been

Happy New Year, followers! I’d like to invite you to visit the ALL-NEW RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB at our new location RaveReviewsBookClub.wordpress.com . -If you are an author looking for amazing support, #RRBC is the place for you! -If you are looking to grow as a writer, #RRBC is the place for you! -If you are looking for a community where your peers push for your success just as hard as they push for their own, #RRBC is the place for you! When visiting, we ask that you #follow our site so that you’re kept up-to-date with all the awesome news that we’ll be sharing in 2020. If you like what you see after looking around the site, then please, JOIN US ! We’d love to have you!

Welcome to my stop on the Rave Reviews Book Club’s BOOK, BLOG & TRAILER BLOCK PARTY at Charles W. Jones, Author!   Here’s What I’m Giving Away Today: $5 Amazon Gift Card # of Winners for this stop: 1 Leave a comment to be entered into the giveaway. Good luck! Congratulations to Jan Sikes for winning at this stop! Read a Sample Behind the scenes look at Daughter of Illusion During my research for Home , I learned about the hierarchy of Angels, which was something that I’d never considered. But as I read, I discovered more than I’d ever dreamed to be possible, and it stood to reason that the Fallen remained in the hierarchy no matter their status. Of course, I’ve always known and believed that there were more than one Fallen Angel besides Lucifer. However, with the reference of the devil or Satan in other text, I thought t

How Do You Keep Your Writing Different? Authors Breakfield and Burkey In writing The Enigma Series, TechnoThriller Fiction, we have technology as the backdrop. Technology changes so frequently as does the consumption by businesses and individuals. As a result, we are able to pick a different focus topic for each book and maintain common characters but also introduce new ones. Our stories are tales of cyber good guys versus cyber thugs. For example, we have focused on Identity Theft, Living Forever, Stealing the Future with AI (artificial intelligence), Gamification, distorting the data driving commodity markets, and Cryptocurrency. These are relevant topics often in the headlines and social media outlets which helps us keep our writing evolving. We also feel we have an advantage as co-authors. It is very effective when we review characters that are guys or gals because we tend to keep each other honest on what one might say over another. We can draw upon our professional experience and

Today, I welcome D.L. Finn, an amazing author who’s dropped by to share some of her poetry. POETRY by D. L. Finn ICICLES The icicles dangle downward Reaching for the substantial snow Each drop bringing them closer As the landscape merges into itself It is silent in its existence Until a raven reveals itself Wondering what’s in the trash Yet, the moment remains peaceful Sitting and surveying in the chill An instant promising potential When there is no celerity When crackling fires call When surroundings are concealed Soon, the renewal will be revealed But now it’s the stage of contemplation. For sustenance For solace For soul To live on our abundance of the past This is the gift of the snow When we can replenish our hearts In the silence of the icicles. FREEDOM (Musings from the back of a Harley) The freedom of the blue skies Welcome us warmly back Our path is asphalt Our vehicle a mechanical horse Our guide is the wind Lush green walls soar The sun illuminates the way Oaks are waking u

I always find it interesting to read something that isn’t within my normal genre and discover new stories. Ghostly Interference (The White Rune Series) being a romance doesn’t fit into my norm, while the ghost part does. I enjoyed the world that Jan created with Jag and Rena and their almost deadly first encounter. For me, the ghost of Sam could’ve been more frightening at the beginning, but that’s not what this story was about. Throughout the book, Jag and Rena become their better selves, allowing the other to make them stronger. These characters are very well developed and strong, making them feel real as I read. Even the harassment part of the story seemed like something that has happened in real life. I was very impressed with Ghostly Interference and give it 4 out of 5 Stars. About Ghostly Interference Jag Peters has one goal in his quiet comfortable life—to keep his karma slate wiped clean. A near-miss crash with a candy apple red Harley threatens to upend his safe world. He trac

Today, Mary Adler has stopped by to tell us about crows and share a poem that she wrote in their honor. Crows have always fascinated me, and I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. BLACK NOTES BEAT I have studied and observed crows for years, and the more I’ve learned about them, the more I admire their complex family and flock relationships. They are intelligent, create and use tools, and they teach their skills to other crows. As Rev. Henry Ward Beecher said, “If men had wings and bore black feathers, few of them would be clever enough to be crows.” Over the years, I have told my family and friends more than they ever wanted to know about crows. One person said, after hearing the stories I told about them, that she stopped trying to run crows down with her car. (There is so much wrong with that statement, that I don’t know where to begin.) During the non-nesting period of the year, crows gather at night to roost together, sometimes in flocks of thousands. They are stealthy and take a

Please welcome Shirley Harris-Slaughter today. She’s a great supporter of every RRBC Author and a wonderful person. About Our Lady of Victory (Second Edition) This is a second edition with updates on the state of this historic church. In the original publication, files were lost then resurfaced with content altered along with missing photos during transition from one publisher to another. Such is the fate of an Independent Author. This book evolved out of years of frustration at the total disregard and lack of respect for the contributions of Black Catholics in the city of Detroit. The author says, “We are not mentioned in the pages of history along with the other Catholic churches that sprung up during the World War II era, and that needed to be corrected.” The author did fulfill one dream since publication … that this church can now be found on the web even though it has merged with another church. It is now called Presentation-Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church. About Shirley Harri

Today, I would like to congratulate Harriet Hodgson (I’ve posted about her before) for winning the KCT Int’l Literary Award for her book So, You’re Raising Your Grandkids! You can find more information about her on her page at the Rave Reviews Book Club . HARRIET HODGSON BIO Rochester, Minnesota resident Harriet Hodgson has been a freelance writer for 38 years, is the author of thousands of articles, and 36 books. She has a BS from Wheelock College in Boston, an MA from the University of Minnesota, and additional graduate training. Hodgson is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi). She is a contributing writer for the Open to Hope Foundation, The Grief Toolbox, and The Caregiver Space websites. Visit www.thecaregiverspace.org/authors/hhodgson to read her articles. Hodgson has appeared on more than 185 talk radio shows, including CBS Radio, dozens of television stations, including CNN, and dozens of blog talk radio progr

The One Betrayed is the third installment in the Chronicles of the Diasodz and shows what happened to Rafe after Sofia went with Ar’ch and Angel (basically an overlay of Book 2). This book is quite the page-turner, and I had a hard time putting it down even when my eyelids started to get heavy. If you haven’t read this series, I highly recommend it. I gave The One Betrayed 4 out of 5 Stars. The One Betrayed by Yvette M Calleiro #Fantasy #Review #RRBC @YvetteMCalleiro Click To Tweet

The Altar Boy is one of those stories that I had difficulty putting down as I wanted to know what would happen next. I related to Carl with his fears of the dark field and creepy people in his hometown and a few of his other experiences. Phil did a fantastic job taking me back in time to an era that I’ve heard so much about but not experienced because I wasn’t born yet. I loved the music references. They gave an extra dimension to the story, making me enjoy it more. And I swear, at one point, I smelled a hint of patchouli. The Altar Boy is one of the most chaotic tales of growing up that I have ever read, and I am happy to have spent time with Carl and his family. I gave The Altar Boy 5 out of 5 Stars. The Altar Boy: A Dark Tale of Comedy Sorrow and the Catholic Church in the 1960s by Phil Stephens #Book #Review #RRBC Click To Tweet About The Altar Boy: A Dark Tale of Comedy Sorrow and the Catholic Church in the 1960s Black-robed nuns, priests, bishops, the select fraternity of Altar B

The first thing I thought when I finished reading Prey for the Dead was that the male characters are jerks yet the female leads, Linda and Shana, are in love with them no matter how badly they treat them. The men are vampires, but still, it left me with an uncomfortable feeling. That aside, I did enjoy the story with the many twists thrown in Linda’s path as she discovers what is actually happening in Oasis. I felt confused about what was happening at times, but everything was answered for me as the story unfolded. Please know that this is part of a series and is Book Two of The Dead Game Series, and I recommend reading the first, if you haven’t already, as a few details from the first are intertwined and explained in this chapter. I gave Prey for the Dead 4 out of 5 Stars, and I must say that enjoyed the first book in the series better. Prey for the Dead by Susanne Leist @SusanneLeist #BookReview #RRBC Click To Tweet About Prey for the Dead Linda Bennett’s dreams of happiness have alw