"She Becomes You" to be released in Fall of 2012

I am a mother. What are you?

I have watched and listened. I am disgusted to hear that a mother is having the blame of the injury of her child being laid publicly at her feet. There is only one person to blame for the Aurora tragedy... the shooter. Not the mother who kept her child with her. Not any of the other parents who took part in a family outing with their children. Not the makers of the movie. Not the parents of the shooter. Not the the theater owners nor the stores that sold the shooter the guns. Nor is the time of day to blame for we all have schedules. If this had occurred at a 2 o'clock matinee it would still be a tragedy.


The guns were his weapon of choice for carrying out his deranged plan of massacre. He is 24 and the only one responsible for his actions. Lets lay the blame solely at his feet and quit putting the victims and their families through a public trial. 


I have heard of instances of unselfish acts to protect complete strangers when the carnage began.... so instead of taking away the glimmers of humanity that erupted during this tragedy, lets pray for all those touched by this. More importantly, the victims and their families need it, the community of Aurora needs it and the current state of our world needs it. 
So stop braying and start praying.

DIY publish INDIE!

I love this article and the warnings included!  Authors Beware!
http://indiereader.com/2012/07/penguins-new-business-model-exploiting-writers/

Backs up my research data and recommendations to self publish via YOU!  Keep your control!  Keep your money!

What he said... Mark Coker Interview on Indies Unlimited!!

An interview that from an author's point of view should have you nodding yes, yes, yes. Great advice as always! Thank you, Mark!

Advice Tip#5  Follow the advice and up to date explanations of what is going on in the indie movement! From writing to marketing..its all here! This is the man who helped me decide to self publish.  Straight up as always!

Mark Coker

Mr. Billy Kravitz

The depth of the characters created by Billy Kravitz are riveting as individuals but as you begin to see the whole picture the lore dangles before you to entice, to draw and to lure. "Get a fresh bite of vampire lore." A multifaceted experience you can only get in one place.......

                                                      Vampire Wonderland


Usually, just before midnight or right after their first run 
through the city! 

#4 The Hyperlink

Tip #4 

Today, ladies and gents, I will be explaining how to make a regular word into a link that takes your reader to an extended explanation of your subject matter. These directions are for blogger but if you can find this little tool on your regular site I am sure they will probably interact fairly close to what I am describing.  

Now notice the tool bar above...see the word link just to the right of the highlighter tool? Sometimes it is represented by a circular graphic with arrow points following in the same direction.

Usually I write my whole post then decide which words or phrases to turn into links.  I highlight the chosen words then click on the 'link' tool to make the drop down box appear.....

Now if you have highlighted a word or phrase just prior to clicking on the tool it will appear in the text box then all you have to do is copy/paste the url of the link you want the word to display.  If not, you must type the wanted text into the top slot then copy/paste your url in the box for the link direction.  Make sure the appropriate circle is filled..... either web address or email.  Then click on the 'test this link' and make sure the link will take your reader to where you want it to.  Also when you have published your post it is a good idea to proof read it again and use the  links to make sure they are in proper working order.   Viola!  A hyperlink!  If you have any other questions just leave them as a comment.  Hope this helps!

Oh! No! I have blocked myself! Marketing Manners!

Manners Matter!  Set an example....
It takes some classic moves to get their attention and you have to be strong enough to stand straight in the middle of chaos!

TIP #1  Firm Delivery
Open with funny... or what you hope is funny.  This is my best advice to date.  Laugh at yourself and when negativity hits do the opposite!  Be positive! I use this in my everyday life, not just marketing.

Example:
     I searched for hours, my dictionary had disappeared.  The house was in a shambles from my search efforts and I stood in the middle of it.  Where could it have gone?  Did it grow legs and walk off?  Then my eyes came to rest on the door leading to the one room I had not searched.  My child's.  I felt the grumblings of anger at the thought that someone would take my most cherished of tools for my work.  See, I am old school about a lot of things and this was definitely leaning towards a bad moment for the culprit.
       I marched with determination, ready for full battle if need be.  I did not offer to knock but barged right in with all the rights a mother knows she has.  What met my eyes was criminal!  There it was, openly displayed and being used by another...my favorite dictionary.  My dictionary!  I paused and gathered my thoughts on how I should handle this.  This was not a young child but one clearly old enough to know better.  So here is what I did instead of yelling in frustration or spouting off hysterically:

I marched straight up to my young adult child, hugged them, said 'I love you' as only a mother can  and snatched my property like a two year old then ran from the room yelling ...'its mine, its mine' like in the movie Frankenstein....'Its alive, its alive!'  Accent and all!  As I quieted down at my desk and started to work again I could hear my child telling the story to a friend on the phone.  All in all I think I was hit!  If the laughter was anything to by.  Later the hug confirmed it!

TIP#2  Double Vision Required
Always double check everything!  Spelling, content, links and activity.....especially anything done during the hours that you should a have been asleep!  I can not stress this one enough!

Example:
I  had the most exhilarating week that ended  on a really high note.  So while doing some 'supposed assistance' with another author, which is really more like holding someone's hand in the dark as we trudge along through the swirl of marketing stumbling over everything possible, even the things you can see and well...... I blurted this out!

"Oh! No! I have blocked myself!"

"Oh Geez, I don't know what is worse...following yourself or blocking yourself!" Said my friend and author who wisely refuses to be mentioned in this!
*A long moment of laughter ensues which finally dies down to snickering sprinkled with the occasional snort!*
Now this all happened just shortly after discussing the need for me to make a new blog  for posting my helpful and hard earned views on Epublishing and marketing for the self-published.   That is what OGz Write Away was intended for.  So once again.... make a comment and leave your information so that I might help you in the cross-marketing arena known as..'The Swirl'.

I have learned many short cuts, many secrets and had many, many more ideas which were laid to rest but the ones that worked , well those were the ones being discussed when........  I realized that for months I had blocked myself from my own blog!  Now you are probably wondering if should you be following me or my advice...well honestly, I hope you are because I love to help people, which leaves me with this question...
Can people stand to be helped?

Actually if you are planning on jumping into  the swirl as an Indie author then you had better get a sense of humor or bolster the one you currently have!  I have many strategies that are still in beta form but the basics are tried and true, learned at my own hand or from many hours of research.

Are you sure you want to know what goes on in the OG's head on any given day?  bwahahaha

Warning:  I will cut-up, be serious, laugh at the wrong time, make jokes, rant then rave because....
I simply refuse to not have any fun doing this.

TIP#3 Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
This does not mean:  Do unto others then run! This simply means that if you want your tweets retweeted then retweet someone else's.  If you want someone to read your book and do a review then do so for another author.  If you want to have links on another blog then post on your blog and make it contain links for other sites. If you want someone to promote your books then promote theirs. If you have a natural talent, by all means use it in your marketing strategy.  Waste not, want not.

I am a firm believer in giving and being helpful.  Not everyone you help or promote will reciprocate.  You must then decide when and at what point to move on. Treat people as people first, then if they seem interested in your work by all means share it with them.  You must remember, in the beginning it is about establishing a social contact with others henceforth.... SOCIAL MEDIA.  It is  not about treating every person you have access to as a sounding board for your sales pitch.  Those constant tweets about yourself every 10 minutes do not look good folks.  Messaging someone with your promo on any social media site then almost demanding a like or follow is, well, just rude to say the least. A 'nice to meet you' can and has gone a long way.  I have met some of the most wonderful people while marketing and they remain very dear to me even when we are not marketing.  Be open, honest and friendly, but this does not mean to let your guard down.... there are sharks in the water in which you dare to swim.

People, this is the beginning of all that I have been getting so many requests for.  I will try to be as straight forward as possible in the details of my topics which will cover ......
How to swim in the swirl through simplicity. Beginning steps for marketing account setup. I will discuss such topics as links and sites for promoting but on a novice's level. I will give tips on keeping your accounts safe  as well as learning how to navigate various marketing sites along with recommendations for my favorites.  As my dear friend Seumas Gallacher says.... for 'us old jurassics', I will try to break things down to a step by step, click by click, set of instructions.  If only that had been available back when I started this gig! I might recommend a youtube vid on occasion but I have been there and honestly it was easier to do it  my way!  I am not saying my way is the best but it has worked (so far) and without the mind numbing effects.

Next, TIP#4, will start with that all amazing thing, a link, of which there are several kinds.  As you can see in my post they are very useful things and I think it only fair to share! I was asked how to do this and so jumbled around til I understood the question and realized they wanted to know how to make a regular word into a working link, a hyperlink!  So stay tuned and I will work that post up ASAP!

Excerpt from: VENGEANCE WEARS BLACK

By: Seumas Gallacher    

http://www.amazon.com/VENGEANCE-WEARS-BLACK-ebook/dp/B008H45KJC/

CHAPTER 1

It wasn’t supposed to happen this way.

The journey from Krakow to Cherbourg is a thousand kilometres as the crow flies.

The dingy truck with four dozen aboard was cramped and filthy. Svetlana could smell the sweat and fear that clings to transit refugees. Like herself, the others sharing the dark canvas-covered space in the rear of the transporter were searching for a way out of the squalor and poverty of their villages. All were female, some barely older than her own seventeen years, some older than that. She knew only two of her companions. Their common thread was the desire to find a route to England and a chance of earnings, however meagre, at least better than nothing in their homeland. Desperation and hope make easy bedfellows.

The handlers had outlined the way out two weeks ago, promising work with their business partners in London. Guaranteed placements with good families keen to have their foreign labour. No money up front required. That was the clincher. What was there to lose? There were early misgivings as whispers surfaced about enforced prostitution. These evaporated with their handlers’ assurances that this was a legitimate business, with constant need in the UK for reliable workers like themselves. However, crossing borders without documentation was illegal, but who could afford time and money to acquire passports?

Thin matting covered the floor of the truck, and piles of large empty cardboard containers softened the jolts and jarring. They were told not to smoke, as that could betray their presence to officials at checkpoints. It would also be dangerous because extra fuel containers were stacked inside to avoid the need to purchase gas on the road.

A small light fitment shed its glow across the passengers. Some were already in nervous conversation, but many travelled in silence, wrapped in the anticipation of better times at the end of the journey. They were warned not to speak when the vehicle was motionless. Officials have ears.

Svetlana was the third last to board in Krakow before the door was locked. Some dialects she understood. Most she didn’t. She tried to focus on being as comfortable as the overloaded conditions allowed. Tucked into the left rear corner, at least she was supported on two sides. Her belongings were crammed into a duffle bag, which doubled as a cushion. She didn’t own a watch, had no idea how long they’d been on the road, and not being able to see out of the vehicle made the time drag even more. The initial fear that caused the dryness in her mouth at the start of the journey was slowly turning into more positive anticipation of what lay ahead in England. At least she’d be able to send money to her mother in the village. Her father had been an unknown figure, having died sixteen years ago when Svetlana was barely one year old. Opening her bag, she took out the grease proof paper holding the cheese and bread she had brought aboard, and ate half of it. Not knowing how much longer they might have to go, she decided to keep some for later. The bottle of water, warm by now, eased her throat a little. The monotony of the noise from the wheels as the journey progressed began to make her drowsy. With barely room to manoeuvre with the other girls pressed so closely, she tried to position the bag at her back once more and leaned her head against the heavy cloth wall. The truck had been used to transport many different cargoes in recent months. The smell of rotted vegetables and dank canvas mixed with the sweat and body odour. Proper sleep was almost impossible, but she managed to doze for short spells.

Tev Naar had made this run dozens of times over the past three years.

His job was to drive. Just drive. Nothing else. Each trip had a bag man aboard. Some of them he had journeyed with often, some not. Names were neither asked for nor exchanged. The bag man’s function was to grease palms at the points of entry and exit ensuring that recognised friendlies at customs crossings received the standard payment. No vehicle inspection needed.

The greaser on this trip was a regular. A small man, unremarkable in any crowd. These were the best operators. Quiet. Effective. Mingling in.

Early evening drizzle misted the entrance to the quay as the truck drew into the port of Cherbourg. As normal, Tev parked on the far edge of the dockside, away from unwelcome attention. Now the wait. In a couple of hours, around ten o’clock, local handlers would arrive to transfer the human cargo to the waiting freighter for the journey across the English Channel. Until then, Tev and the greaser chatted quietly about football, the only common interest they shared.

In the rear, the women waited, talking only in low whispers. They had been briefed on the schedule. They knew in a couple of hours they would be on the high seas on the final leg to England.

The dashboard clock neared nine o’clock. Tev’s companion opened the truck door.

“I need a pee.”

“Right,” said Tev.

The greaser stepped down from the passenger seat. He didn’t hear the click of the silenced gun that blew a hole in his right temple.

Tev heard a grunt. He turned towards the passenger side door and was met by an equally deadly bullet to the head.

Inside the truck, Svetlana heard a rustling coming from the canvas-covered side of the vehicle, along with whispered voices in a language she didn’t recognise. Then the pungent smell of petrol fumes. What was going on?

Everything happened in a blur. Flames exploded along the sides of the truck and up across the roof. The screams from the women were terrifying. Utter panic. Instinctively, she and several others beside her clawed frantically at the back door sheeting. Nothing moved. Others piled forward. They heaved their bodies against the door as acrid smoke filled their lungs. Svetlana struggled for air. “Dear God, I’m going to die,” the thought came to her, “who’s going to look after my mother?”

The flames reached the spare fuel tanks at the right hand side of the truck. Seconds later they ignited in a roar. None but those furthest from the tanks stood a chance. The wall of refugees between Svetlana and the explosion saved her along with the front three women pressing against the door. It gave extra impetus to their shoving.

The door broke open. Svetlana fell headlong on to the muddy ground and rolled away. She wasn’t aware that the back of her clothing had been burned along with her legs, half of her back and her left side. At least she was away from the burning truck.

It wasn’t supposed to happen this way.

Everything went black as Svetlana passed out.

Latest Reader Comment!

I just got the most amazing comments out of a voice mail from a male reader of the Sanctuary Saga. I am not sure what they mean so comments are welcome!

I admit the Saga is probably geared more toward females so I went in search of males... to read folks! To only read! 

The connection must have been sketchy or this guy was really into the book. Here are the parts that were clear enough to understand....

"I don't like to read and you knew that when you asked me to do this OG............ I can't find book 2! Please.#$%^^%$#.....You did send me the second book right?"........sounds of shuffling stuff....... a few more mild cuss words..........then some squeaky sounds...then a long stretch of silence.... faint cussing and shuffling sounds ....
"Look, I forgot about the message and I can't talk right now...I am on chapter 2!"... sound of the call being disconnected.

Have you ever?