Category Archives: Authors

Meet Guest Author Colleen Chesebro…

Colleen Chesebro is a guest on The Story Reading Ape today, talking about her new book, The Heart Stone Chronicles: The Swamp Fairy. Colleen is a writer, poet, and fairy whisperer. What is a fairy whisperer? Visit Chris’ blog and learn about this unique ability, as well as the symbolism of the number seven, rainbows, and ancient Greek Mythology sprinkled throughout her novel …

Chris The Story Reading Ape's avatarChris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

Hi, everyone. Many thanks to Chris for his kind invitation to visit and write on his blog. It is much appreciated and a great honor. For those of you who do not know me, my name is Colleen Chesebro. I am a writer, a poet, and a fairy whisperer…

Yes, I bet a few of you are scratching your head wondering what I am talking about – a fairy whisperer? Let me tell you the story of the greatest experience I have ever had.

While on a walk during a warm, foggy morning in November 2014, I had a close encounter of the fairy kind. At the time, we were living in Pensacola, Florida. I still remember the day, as if it has been carved into my memory; something I will never forget.

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The road I took on my morning walk

As I walked along the road, I heard a…

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Smorgasbord Blog Sitting Special – Author Tina Frisco – Time is an Illusion.

It’s a pleasure to be part of Sally Cronin‘s Blog Sitting Special while she’s off celebrating her birthday with her sisters in England. There will be many more hosts throughout the week, so do stop by and enjoy the variety of posts she has lined up for our edification in her absence 💜

Guest #Author #Jan Sikes

I’m delighted to feature Jan Sikes on my blog today. Jan is a dear friend and multi-award winning author of five books.

Jan Sikes

Find Jan’s books here and here.

With the publication of each book, Jan also releases a CD of original songs appropriate to the story’s time period, because “the stories revolve and evolve around a passion for music.”

Jan lost her husband, friend, and soulmate in 2009. Her novels are “true stories about the journey of two people moving through adversity in order to grow and learn to become better humans.”

Featured below are a back cover blurb and short synopsis of two of Jan’s books, along with my review of the first.

Home At Last

HOME AT LAST

Back Cover Blurb

With empty pockets and a heart full of dreams Luke Stone leaves behind the nightmare of fifteen long years in Leavenworth prison, not giving it a backward glance.

Eyes firmly on the future, he boards a Greyhound bus bound for Texas…for freedom…for the one who holds his heart. The unjust conviction no longer matters and revenge haunts him no more. Darlina Flowers, the woman who takes his breath away, waits ahead and with her by his side, nothing can stop him.

He is headed HOME AT LAST.

Short Synopsis

When Luke Stone gains freedom from prison, he heads home to Texas, to family and to the woman he loves. Though his pockets are empty, his heart is full – full of hopes, dreams and plans. He knows it won’t be easy starting over with nothing, but he believes in the power of positive thinking and hard work.

Darlina Flowers has spent her entire adult life waiting to be Mrs. Luke Stone. She’s never been more ready than now to welcome Luke home, into her arms and into her bed.

Trying to carve out a new life for their little family proves to be a challenge. At times Darlina wonders if she’s strong enough to be the woman Luke needs.

Together, they face extreme hardships from poverty to a near fatal heart-attack. None of it is easy, but their love is mighty.

My review Jan Sikes CD

One of the elements that makes Jan Sikes’ novels compelling is that they’re autobiographical. I was so moved by her second book, The Convict and the Rose, that I knew the third book would prove equally poignant.

Luke Stone is finally released after spending 15 grueling years behind bars for something he didn’t do. Darlina Flowers meets him at the bus station, filled with anticipation and hope for the life together that was denied them when Luke was imprisoned. With little money and no home of their own, their deep and resolute love determines to imbue their lives — and the lives of Darlina’s 2 young daughters — with joy and meaning.

Austerity greets them head-on, but Luke and Darlina never fail to ride the waves with conviction. They remain focused on carving out a better future and seldom look back on past obstacles or tragedies. Damaged and awkward family relationships in need of renewal are handled with warmth, hope, determination, and a sprinkling of raw veracity. When problems threaten to sabotage their happiness or undermine their stability, their solid love for one another always helps them prevail. The adversity they’re forced to deal with would crush a less immutable nature. But Luke and Darlina’s firm resolve, tenacity, and enduring love see them through the hard times as well as embellish the joyful times.

This review might read like that of a fairy tale, but the characters depicted are real people, and this is their story. It’s both tragic and triumphant. It exhibits the depth the human spirit can reach in order to not only survive, but also thrive. It exemplifies the long-held truth that believing makes it so. Energy follows thought. And Luke and Darlina show us how to manifest our heart’s desire.

'Til Death Do Us Part

TIL DEATH DO US PART 

Back Cover Blurb

Over the course of Luke Stone’s life, he’s been everything from a simple farm boy to a singing star, from a convict to a family man.

Only one woman has managed to keep his out-of-kilter world on track. When Darlina Flowers danced her way into his heart so many years ago, he never dreamed she’d stick by him through the best and worst.

He should be satisfied. Yet, the lifelong dream he harbors deep in his heart – the dream of making music again – won’t let him rest. He grabs at one more chance to prove that he still has what it takes.

But, Luke’s body is failing him and he faces catastrophic changes that might end more than his re-born music career; they may end his life. He’s more determined than ever to provide for his family and share the music in his heart with them and the world in the days he has left.

In the dead of night when the world is silent and still, the forlorn hoot of an owl, his spirit animal, sends a warning up his spine too strong to ignore.

Will fate allow him to sing his last song?

Short SynopsisJan Sikes CD

Things for Luke and Darlina finally start to get a little easier. Luke is writing and performing music again and this time, Darlina is participating with him. He’s even going into the studio to record a new CD. And just when it looks like he will have a shot at another music career, he suffers a leg amputation and winds up in a wheel chair.

But, Luke doesn’t let anything keep him down. He and Darlina continue to find ways to make lemons out of lemonade. Together they are writing songs and pitching them everywhere they can. Luke opens a music store and begins to teach students to play guitar.

Luke is compelled to leave behind a legacy for Darlina and for his family. He won’t let anything stop him…until it does.

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Join Luke and Darlina on an emotional and powerful tale of the life they build together and feel inspired at their determination to wring the most out of every minute they are given. Love is an elixir like none other and they find there is an endless supply in their hearts, even in death.

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I hope you enjoyed learning more about Jan and her books. Please visit her sites, like and share. Thank you so much for stopping by  ❤ 
Jan’s Sites:  Website  Blog  Twitter  Facebook  Pinterest  Amazon  

 

EDITING 101: 25 – Style Guides for Fiction…

Susan Uttendorfsky is a guest on The Story Reading Ape, bringing us Part 25 of her Editing 101 series: Style Guides for Fiction. Even though The Gregg Reference Manual is typically for business, I’ve used it for decades and find it an invaluable resource. Susan lists several other editing guides that you might find helpful. Bottom line: If self-editing, a style manual is a necessity!

Chris The Story Reading Ape's avatarChris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

Originally posted as the Dun Writin’—Now Whut? series on this blog, EDITING 101 is a weekly refresher series for some of you and brand new for others.

Courtesy of Adirondack Editing

Style Guides for Fiction

In order to make the English language (or any language) consistent, style guides and manuals have been developed to use certain consistent rules or standards. Most industries or professions have their own style manual, so that all materials written for that industry are of the same standard. This not only includes punctuation, but also capitalization and grammar.

For instance, all newspaper articles in the US are written using AP (Associated Press) style. For business, there’s The Gregg Reference Manual, and for web publishing, there’s the The Yahoo! Style Guide. Each of these style guides has different rules, and someone writing for those industries must follow those rules.

If you’re working for the United States government, it has…

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When I Am Not Enough… Guest Post by Tina Frisco…

Thank you to Chris The Story Reading Ape for his enduring support of authors. I’m so pleased to have another guest post featured on his outstanding blog 💚

Chris The Story Reading Ape's avatarChris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

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Image courtesy of Lucie Stastkova

Throughout our lives, we hear ourselves say:  ‘I’m not that good!’  ‘I’ll never make it.’  ‘I wish I could write that well.’  ‘If only I had said. . .’

Words are powerful. Energy follows thought. The words we speak to ourselves drive our subconscious minds. Diminishing thoughts tell the subconscious we are not enough.

The subconscious mind is self-serving. Its mission is to fulfill our every desire, and it sets in motion the means by which to do so. It takes our words at face value and strives to manifest what they represent. It assumes that what we think and say is what we hope and dream.

How often have we heard ourselves utter, ‘Did I say that’? Unless we’re channeling spirit, the mouth speaks what the subconscious mind thinks. If thought rests in the conscious mind, we are aware of it and can choose whether or not to give it a…

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Creation Myth

Andrew Joyce shares his Creation Myth. I like Andrew’s take on the genesis of creation, because it posits that each piece of creation is “a part of the entity we call God, not apart from It.” In other words: Together, we constitute The Divine; and if any one part is diminished, so is the whole of us …

Andrew Joyce's avatarAndrew Joyce

godEvery culture has a creation myth. Ours is that the world was created in six days and the first humans were Adam and Eve. The Apache Indians have Changing Woman who was impregnated by the sun and gave birth to Nayé Nazghane, Slayer Of Monsters. The Norse people have Odin and Ymir … the Ancient Greeks, Gaia. But I would like to tell you guys how we really got here, and why. If you like, you may call this Andrew’s creation myth.

Long, long ago, in a place of no time and no space, existed an entity. As far as The Entity knew, It just was, and always had been. Before the universe we inhabit existed, before time existed, before space existed, It was. Within The Entity were the powers of creativity and It knew of their existence, but the ways to produce them were unknown to It. The entity…

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Meet Guest Author Colin Chappell…

A #Dog After My Own Heart . . . 

Colin Chappell and Ray

Ray Chappell, beloved canine companion of Colin Chappell, charmed his way into Colin’s heart and home, despite being insecure. Colin tells us the tail-wagging tale in his guest post on The Story Reading Ape  🙂

Chris The Story Reading Ape's avatarChris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

colin-chappell-01

I am Colin Chappell and was bitten by a German Shepherd at 14, which established a strong dislike of dogs for the next 40 years or so. Then I met a dog lover and we eventually became a couple, but without dogs!

In late 2012, I decided that perhaps I could find a place in my life for a dog and so started talking to our local Humane Society. I decided that yes, I would adopt a dog, and I wanted a large, very self assured, cuddly, openly affectionate and domesticated dog!

However, while I was planning on adopting a dog, there was a dog (Ray) planning on adopting me… and his plans were clearly better than mine as he moved in with us in March 2013! 

colin-chappell-02Ray is a German Shepherd / Rottweiler. He was very insecure; was afraid of anything that moved and would lung and bark to…

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#Author Interview: SallyCronin

Sally CroninSally Cronin is a prolific author and blogger, a nutritional therapist, an ardent supporter of indie authors, and has worked on radio and Internet television as producer and presenter. She is originally from England but has lived and worked all over the World. Her books can be purchased through Amazon US, Amazon UK, and Moyhill Publishing. I’m thrilled to feature her as my guest today, as we celebrate the launch of her new book.

 

Books by Sally CroninBuy Sally’s books HERE and HERE

Welcome, Sally!
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Thank you so much, Tina, for this lovely invitation to join you today. I am only sorry it is not in person, but perhaps that might happen this year.
I’m hoping we’ll meet up at the Bloggers Bash, Sally. Keeping my fingers crossed. In the meantime . . .  

 

Tell us a little about yourself.  I am a 64-year-old explorer. I What's n a Name? by Sally Croninhave done the tough bits on the knees climbing mountains in reality and have climbed a few metaphorical ones too. Great life, wonderful people and a sense that there is always something more to come. Adore reading and writing and cannot imagine doing anything else. I have been married to David for 37 years. He is my partner in life and in my work. He makes me laugh, likes the same movies that I do, loves books and keeps me grounded. Can’t ask for more than that.

What is the title and genre of your latest book? Who published it? We have just published What’s in a Name, which is the first volume of 20 short stories that feature men and women in alphabetical order. One for Anne and one for Alexander. The first volume goes up to the letter J and includes tales of loss, murder, revenge, romance, rebirth and a couple of ghosts. Something for everyone I hope. I am self-published under our own label, Moyhill Publishing.

Tales from the GardenYou have written in several different genres. What motivates you to write?  I believe that I have always been a good communicator. My mother tells me I was talking out of turn at a very early age! Most of my jobs relied on good communication, both oral and written, especially when managing large teams. I was writing songs and poems from the age of ten or eleven, which coincided with my thirst for reading; not just fiction but also non-fiction books, particularly about animals and adventure. That balance of the two crept into my writing and motivates me to share subjects of interest to me, as well as ones that are a product of my imagination.

How do you write – outline or free flow?  Both I would think. For my novels, I would outline the chapters and what I am planning to cover in each of them, and then flesh out the characters and the major events and locations etc. For my short stories, I tend to write them in my head first; and when I have them more or less complete, I sit down and put them on paper. I may make a change as it flows, but invariably it stays true to the image in my head.

How do you schedule your time between writing and keeping yourTurning Back the Clock physical life together?  Both David and I are what some might call workaholics. When we went freelance 15 years ago, we had to put the hours in across our various projects to make ends meet. Neither of us has ever been a 9-to-5 person. But lines have to be drawn to avoid being in a stressed environment. I have worked out strategies that work for me with regard to combining an active online routine and my own projects. But we take healthy breaks during the day for exercise and meals, and if something slips by . . . Well, it is not life threatening.

What fostered your love of animals?  Growing up, we either had a cat or a dog. I have been on the receiving end of their unconditional love since then. This includes my own dogs and cats who have shared my home in the last forty years. I have had three Rough Collies – Sasha, Sabre and Sam – and several feral cats who have adopted me. Once you have experienced that kind of unconditional devotion, it becomes impossible not to love and respect all animal life.

Just an Odd Job GirlWhat inspires you most in life?  You made me think quite a bit about this, Tina.

I am not really motivated by money as long as the bills are paid and there is some left over to buy books, movies, the odd trip out for a meal; oh, and a little retail therapy from time to time.

I think what inspires me most are the people around me who smile at my writing or are moved by it. The feedback I receive online and in person motivates me to do more and to do it better.

Have you ever had a paranormal experience?  I have had several strange encounters. When I was a young manager of a steak house, I used to do a stock take late Sunday nights to reconcile meals sold and remaining stock. I would go through the bars and kitchen and basement storage and then to an attic room to do the figures. I would be sitting there for about ten minutes when the hair on the back of my neck would stand on end and I would feel that someone was looking at me intensely. I found out from one of our oldest regulars that the first owner of this big Victorian house had starved Size Mattershis wife to death in the attic. There have been a couple of other incidents; stories for another time.


Aside from your lovely eclectic blog, what are your plans for 2017?
I am planning on doing more reading and have freed up time at the weekend to do so. It is my first love, even before writing. And last year, with our move and work on the house, everything took a back seat. I also want to get another four books finished that are sitting in my files glaring at me; two nonfiction and two fiction. I think that will keep me out of mischief for the time being. Well, perhaps not!

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Thank you so much, Tina, for allowing me to share the things I love doing with you and your readers. I value your incredible friendship beyond measure.  
You’re most welcome, Sally. It’s been a pleasure having you as my guest. We’ve learned a little more about you, which always delights fellow authors, as we tend to have an insatiable curiosity about the face behind the name on the books we love to read. I treasure your friendship and am blessed to have you in my life.  
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Connect with Sally:  Blog   Facebook   Twitter   LinkedIn   Amazon US   Amazon UK   Moyhill Publishing

I hope you enjoyed learning more about Sally, her writing process, and her books. Please visit her sites, like and share.
Thank you so much for stopping by  

 

Meet Guest Author Steve Boseley…

Author Steve Boseley introduces himself on The Story Reading Ape today, giving Stephen King and Stephen Colbert a run for their money. Don’t believe me? I dare you to read his post without cringing and laughing ~ not necessarily in that order and probably not at the same time  🙂

Chris The Story Reading Ape's avatarChris The Story Reading Ape's Blog

Everything you always wanted to know about me, but didn’t care enough to ask.

steve-boseleyIf you are looking for horror fiction that is chock-full to the brim with werewolves and zombies, I’m probably not your man. I write horror (amongst other things) that people can (hopefully) relate to. If pressed, I would say I write horror that takes the ordinary and mundane and makes it extraordinary and fantastic. I want to write about people like you and me that are dragged towards the edges of their reality and shown what lies just beyond.

Hello. I’m Steve, and I’m an author (AA is Authors Anonymous, right?).

I started writing as a much younger man, but lost my way when life interjected. Children, house, bills, health. But isn’t that always the way? I found my way back to writing several years ago and it feels like a familiar place. There are good…

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Thirty Years a Junkie

Addiction ~ perhaps begun in pleasure ~ becomes predator if we attempt to let go, and persecutor if we do not. Andrew Joyce has written a compelling no-holds-barred article about his years as an addict. When, where, how, and with whom we learn our life lessons are all based in choice, whether or not we choose to accept this. Despite the theme, there’s something in this story for everyone …

Andrew Joyce's avatarAndrew Joyce

andrew-young

Compared to some, I’ve lived an exciting life. At least parts of it were. However, compared to others, my life has been humdrum. The only thing I’m satisfied about is that all the drama took place when I was young and able to handle it. That would not be the reality today for I have grown old.

It’s confession time. I’m not looking for absolution. My only intent is to show some of you out there that there is hope. Nothing is forever. Perhaps my story might help you get to the next stage of your life. Maybe not, but I had help getting there, and I’ll tell you about it in a minute. First, a little background. And please, feel free to judge me. You cannot condemn me any more than I have already condemned myself.

When I was kid, I always had a wanderlust. I would see a…

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