Monday Blog: December 3, 2018: 24!!!!!

It’s December!! Woolaston Entertainment’s unofficial birthday month! I came up with it in the summer of 1994, but to make things easier, I celebrate it’s birthday on the same day as mine: December 1st. Together, we’re another year older, and a little better.

This is the first blog for the month of December, the final month of 2018. I’m going out with a BANG: the online store is up and running! All of June Parris’s titles are available for sale, and so are most of mine. I will add more over the next week or so, but for now, there are plenty of books for readers to choose from. There are also bundles available for specific series, so you can purchase the entire series and save a few coins. Who doesn’t love saving money? 

So, what took me so long to create an online store? Simple: fear of failure. This is something I’m sure many people can relate to. I finally got over my fear, and took a giant leap forward. Rise or fall, this is something I have put off long enough and it’s time to move forward. 

This month I’m celebrating 24 years of writing, drawing, painting, and creating. I will reflect on all things Woolaston Entertainment, and talk about all of the things I’m planning for 2019 as well.

On a side note: The NY Giants won their game on my birthday weekend, so HOORAY!!!! See you next week. 

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Monday Blog: Nov 26, 2018: November Wrap-Up

Greetings, everyone! I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday. Hopefully, none of you ate too much, or were trampled during a Black Friday sale. Personally, I spent the holiday with my mother, cooking, eating and watching football. The highlight of the day: watching the Saints destroy the Falcons. 

November is coming to a close, and so is NaNoWriMo. This is usually the time of the month when writers begin to scramble to finish their book. While I didn’t finish a book, I did write plenty of notes and a detailed outline. I’m actually glad I didn’t finish my next book, Jo Fuentes: Project Sleep. I came up with more material I wanted to use, and if I had wrote the book prior to all of this,it would kinda suck. So,everything happens in it’s own time. 

I do hope my fellow writers had a successful NaNoWriMo. Whether you completed a manuscript or not, if you put some words on paper (or on a laptop or a flashdrive, etc) then look at it as a success. Getting something accomplished is better than accomplishing nothing at all. So if you didn’t meet your word count goal, don’t sweat it. 

December is almost upon us. 2018 is coming to an end. It’s time to tie up loose ends, and get ready for a fresh start. Woolaston Entertainment’s online store will reopen next month, and I will publish my next few books between the end of the year and the beginning of 2019. There’s no sense in dwelling on what didn’t get finished. It’s time to look forward to starting new projects.

Next week: Woolaston Entertainment’s online store and 24th Anniversary! See you then!

Monday Blog: Nov 19, 2018: News for W.E.

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope your NaNoWriMo is going well. Between moving to another state and settling in, I haven’t been able to devote as much time to my writing as I would like to. Slowly but surely, I’m getting back on track. This week, I wanted to share some news:

W.E.’s Anniversary

Woolaston Entertainment is turning 24! I’m the mother of a millennial! Isn’t that crazy?! It’s hard to believe that 24 years ago, I found my passion for writing and creating, and developed something wonderful. I’m still thinking of ways to celebrate W.E.’s birthday, so stay tuned!

Online Store

While I was in transit, the online store had to be placed on pause. But, the good news is, I’ve ordered some books to replenish my inventory (I sold everything I had before leaving NY), so I’ll have books for sale again! Buying directly from the W.E. site will save my readers money and time. The titles that will be available next month are Fortune’s Wing and Valentine. I’m looking forward to serving my readers again, and I believe this will be very successful.

Valentine’s Return

Yes, you read that correctly: Valentine is making a comeback. I’m currently working on Jo Fuentes: Project Sleep, which is the final installment of the Valentine Apart series. This book will tie into the plot for my next series, Valentine R. I have some really bold ideas for this series, and I’m certain readers will enjoy it as much as the original. 

The Future of the Monday Blog

I’ve been thinking about getting rid of it for some time now. I’ve decided this year will be the final year of the Monday Blog. Instead, I will post a blog that will not run on a set schedule, which honestly takes a lot of pressure off of me. Post will be uploaded throughout the month, and I’d like to include more work from my fellow writers. I’m still working out the details, so I’ll keep you posted.

Until next week!

Monday Blog: Nov 12, 2018: Word, Words, Words

Happy Monday, everyone! Welcome to blog post number two for the month of November. In honor of NaNoWriMo 2018, this week I wanted to share some tips for increasing your word count. 

This month, many writers are working hard to finish a book they’re working on, or even starting a new one and getting the first draft ready before the month is over. Most writers are focusing on their word count. While the word count is ultimately up to the writer, the average novel is usually 80,000 words. In my personal experience, I flesh out the story in an outline, write the first draft, tweak it a bit, then work on draft number two. I’ve never reached 80,000 words, but I’ve always been satisfied with the story, from beginning to end. But, that’s me. If you’re trying to shoot for that goal of 80,000, here are some things you can try:

Give your characters a back story.

Maybe your main character has some things that took place in the past, that could be used in your story. Or, maybe it’s one of your supporting characters. Hey, it could even be your antagonist.  

Add supporting characters.

Maybe your hero could use a sidekick. Or, maybe the villain needs someone to boss around. More characters can mean more dialogue, which means a higher word count. 

Add a subplot.

Your story has a primary conflict, but maybe you can add a secondary conflict, between two other characters. 

Say it another way. 

There are other words you can use to convey something. For instance:

He was angry.

vs

He stood grimacing, with his fists balled up at his sides.

Both sentences let the reader know this particular character is not happy about something. The first sentence only uses three words, while the second one uses eleven. Three vs eleven: you do the math. This is also an opportunity to make friends with your thesaurus, if you haven’t already done so.

See you next week….

 

 

Monday Blog: Nov 5, 2018: Tips for Creativity

Welcome to the first blog for November! As most of you probably know, November is NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month. This is the time, writers do their best to crank out a novel, within thirty days. Can it be done? Sure. Sometimes, the hardest part is simply getting the writing done. Writer’s Block can sneak in and steal your creativity. It happens to every writer. This week, I’m sharing some of the things I do when I need a boost of creativity.

 

Words from a bucket

Grab a sheet of paper, a pen or pencil, and a bucket (or a hat, or some kind of container). Make a list of at least thirty words: names of people, objects, names of places, colors, etc. Leave some space between each word, because when you’re finished making your list, your’re going to cut each word apart. Fold up the words, and drop them into your bucket, hat, or what have you. Shake it up. Now, without looking, draw three words from your bucket. Your assignment: write a short story,   using the three words you have chosen. You can also clip words and lines out of magazines and newspapers to do this.

 

Get descriptive

Sometimes I have a little trouble describing things, such as everyday objects. So, here’s a tip: look around your room (whatever room you’re writing in), pick a random object, and list as many things about it as you possibly can. If you came up with five things, pick another object, and try to come up with eight things. 

This activity will require at least one other person. Grab a magazine (a decorating or gardening magazine works best for this). Choose a page that has a picture of a house, or the interior of a house, or a garden. Write a description of it. Then, have someone else read your description, and look through the magazine and try to find the picture you described, based on your description. Obviously, don’t include things like “page 241” in your description. 

 

Meditate

Believe it or not, this can make a HUGE difference. Sitting quietly and listening to the sounds of the room can be very relaxing. Silence allows your mind to wander, and you’ll be surprised at the ideas you’ll come up with, when you’re focusing on nothing. Or, listen to some relaxing music. You can search for “meditation music”on YouTube, and come up with a ton of free results. 

These tips help me, and hopefully, they’ll help you too.

 

On a side note, today is Guy Fawkes Day:

Remember, remember! 
    The fifth of November, 
    The Gunpowder treason and plot; 
    I know of no reason 
    Why the Gunpowder treason 
    Should ever be forgot! 

 

Until next Monday.

Monday Blog: Oct 29, 2018: Erin Michaels: Spooky B

Welcome to the final Monday Blog of October! Sorry its late, but I’m having issues updating my other website. However, despite the technical difficulties, the month is ending on a high note for W.E.: I published my 24th book! Erin Michaels: Spooky B: An OLORR Halloween Book, is now available in paperback form on Amazon.  In this book, Erin covers all of the things that scare her…and all of us.

Publishing was a little challenging. My new laptop didn’t come with Microsoft Word, but thankfully, I was able to use Google Docs instead. Create Space and KDP were recently combined, however, there is a downside: cover design templates. The templates that were available on Create Space, aren’t available in KDP. So, if you’re publshing a book that’s the continuation of a series you started in Create Space, good luck trying to create a similar cover for the continuation of the series. It’s a little annoying, but I’m sure I’ll find  a way around it.

 

Some of the experiences Erin mentions in Spooky B mirrir my own. For example, when she mentions the Merchant House Museum, that really happened to me. I did see an orb, and I did photograph what I believe is the spirit of a woman from the previous century. The pics are in my instagram account somewhere, and on a flash drive. I’ll re-post when I find them.

Spooky B is available here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1728846269/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1540861217&sr=8-1&keywords=erin+michaels+spooky+b

Until next week!

Monday Blog: Oct 22, 2018: Witchcraft & The Age of the Daughter

Hello, everyone! My apologies for the late post. This week, I wanted to share some of the information I have learned while continuing my research for one of my upcoming books, The Age of the Daughter. As you probably know, this is the sequel to The Witch of Fulton Lane. This book is taking longer than I originally planned, because I keep finding info that I want to include in the story. My latest findings, have been very interesting. 

 

Witch Trials in Europe

Most of us have heard of the Salem Witch Trials, where women (and some men) were accused of witchcraft and were placed on “trial” to determine their guilt or innocence. I’ve been reading about the witch trials in Europe. For instance, in Germany, a device known as the Black Virgin of Nurnberg, was used to determine the guilt of the accused. It’s basically a large coffin, lined with spikes. If you’ve ever watched Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow, you’ve seen this device during one of Icabod Crane’s dreams about his mother. 

Another device that was used in England, are the Witch Scales. The accused was placed on one of the scales, while weights were placed on the other. The accused’s weight determined their fate: if the scales maintained perfect balance, the accused was innocent. If not, yet another method was used: “swimming”. The accused’s hands and feet were bound and they were tossed into a lake or pond. If the accused floated to the surface, that was evidence they were in deed a witch. If they sank and drowned, they were innocent. It’s a hell of a thing. 

Triple Goddess Wiccan Symbol

 

Dianic Wicca

This branch of the religion of Wicca follows the Goddess Diana, and her daughter Aradia. While traditional Wicca honors both male and female gods, Dianic Wicca focuses on the goddess.  Founded in the 1970’s by Zsuzsanna Budapest, it celebrates Diana as the protector of both women and wild nature. There are no male members, only female members and followers discourage violence against women. When I started reading about this branch of the religion I knew it would have a perfect fit in The Age of the Daughter. 

I’m still working on the book, so I’ll keep you posted!​