Guest Post - Three Ways To Boost Your Writing Career

These days, many aspiring writers are looking for simple strategies they can utilize to take their careers to a new level of success. If this is your professional goal, it's important to note that there are several techniques you can implement to make it happen. Here are three:

1. Do Not Avoid Controversy.

Writing is one of the most controversial careers an individual could pursue, especially if you opt to discuss polemical topics known for inciting anxiety and discord. In the event that you find your ideas or values critiqued or criticized by the public, it's a good idea not to avoid controversy. Instead, figure out how to defend or retract your views in a humble, intelligent manner. This helps you develop a positive public image while simultaneously drawing attention to your work. For example, successful writer Daniel Handler was recently critiqued for a racial joke he made while a woman was awarded the National Book Award for Young People's literature. Handler apologized for the joke and has gone on to continue cultivating his writing career.

2. Build A Blog.

Building a blog is another effective strategy you can build to boost your writing career. In addition to functioning as a form of internet marketing through which you can boost sales for your work, blogging can be a wonderful way for you to network with other individuals in the writing community. Additionally, there are many writers who built substantive names for themselves through the maintenance of a high quality blog. Once they've developed a strong online presence and an avid following, they are oftentimes capable of attracting attention from literary agents.

3. Write.

One of the biggest mistakes that writers make when attempting to cultivate their careers is that they neglect the practice of writing. This is debilitating in many ways, including the fact that it means one is not continually submitting fresh work to potential publishers. Neglecting one's writing work is also disadvantageous because it precludes you from building your vocabulary and learning how to write more effectively.

Conclusion

If you've decided that you want to become a writer, it's important to note that there are numerous things you can do to increase the likelihood that you will have great success. To ensure that you remain on the path to vocational mobility, be sure to implement some or all of the writing techniques outlined here. Good luck!

Book Spotlight & #Giveaway - Justice for Katie

In 1985, budding author Jeb Cannon discovers the decomposed body of a young woman while riding fence with his father on their wind-swept Wyoming ranch. The case quickly goes cold but her memory haunts his imagination. Thirty years and a number of best-selling thrillers later, Cannon asks Detective Matt Joyner to help him finally find justice for the woman, whom he has dubbed "Katie." Joyner has his hands full investigating the modern-day murder of an Assistant County Attorney so Jake and Emma Rand step in to take a fresh look at the decades old case. When they uncover a link between Katie's death and the murder of the Casper ACA, they may finally unmask the mysterious "Boss" that has been orchestrating a campaign of murder and deception.

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About the author:

Linda grew up in Loveland, Colorado as the sixth of six children. She moved with her parents to California when she was 16 and spent the next 16 years of her life in the Bay Area before moving home to Colorado. Linda devoted 20+ years to nonprofit human services before deciding to take a new direction in her life. She founded Focus Forward, LLC to do the things she most enjoys - management consulting for small business owners and nonprofits and career coaching. In 2012, Linda realized a life-long dream when she published her first book, "Life Isn't Just Luck: Getting from where you are to where you want to be." In it, she explores what keeps us from achieving our goals and identifies strategies to overcome these roadblocks. In 2013, Linda published her first mystery novel, "Too Cute to Kill." This was followed by "Main Street Murder" in 2014 and "Justice for Katie" in 2015. Linda lives outside Casper, Wyoming with her husband, ten cats and one incredibly patient dog.

Find the author:

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The Empire and The Rebels Book Tour and Blast & #Giveaway

The Empire All Adrian Stannis wanted was a quiet corner of the galaxy where he could work on his beloved scientific experiments, but unfortunately, he was born into a world at war, where his people are struggling for survival against a vastly superior alien invasion force and he is a genius who was trained for the very thing he hates, the creation of deadly weapons. Not to mention, he appears to have been genetically mated to a telepath by his government and he doesn’t find her…uninteresting. In fact, she appears quite intelligent. So what will happen to this solitary man when his peace is shattered in every way possible and there is nowhere left to run?

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The Rebels Adrian, Kali and Adrian’s personal assistant, Bryce are finally free of the oppressive Empire. They hide on a planet called, Orasis, a tech-4 world on the Outer Rim whose only usefulness is a low-grade source of Tri-Iridium ore. Not the kind of place to find the most advanced weapons scientist in the galaxy. Things go well, relatively, and Adrian and Kali finally have time to develop the relationship they didn’t think possible. Adrian and Bryce even start up their own fix-it business. Then a stranger arrives on the planet.


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About the author: Elizabeth Lang is first and foremost, a geek with the obligatory love of science fiction and fantasy. She spent most of her life in the computer industry designing computer systems for world domination the mundane industry of life insurance, which is surprisingly, not as exciting as it sounds. Now she creates enchanted worlds of magic, explores the human condition in the light of future technology and civilizations, and dreams about world domination. Or at least, some of her characters do. Her first book, The Empire was fortunate enough to be a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards and she has never looked back.   Author Social Media Webpage: www.elizabeth-lang.com Facebook: Elizabeth Lang Twitter: @Elizabeth_Lang Pinterest: Elizabeth Lang

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Book Spotlight & #Giveaway - Over the Ivy Wall by Rosa Sophia

Genre: Romance
Clara Pendleton is a prisoner in her home. Always searching for new places to hide from her uncle, whose drunken attention terrifies and confuses her, she finds a tiny clearing in the back of the property near a disintegrating section of the ivy-covered wall that surrounds the estate.
Gaven Bridge has been sent to Clearwater to live with his Uncle Daniel. Never fitting in, he doesn’t believe he’ll ever meet anyone who understands him. But when he goes out for a walk in the woods, he happens upon a young lady sleeping soundly on a patch of moss.
A deep bond is fostered between them, helping Clara find the courage to change her life. When she finally decides to climb over the ivy wall and out into the world, there is no going back. Will Clara escape her horrible past, or will it destroy the love she and Gaven share?

“I have to go back.” Clara’s whisper was hoarse, her words forced out by the terrifying desperation that rose with the bile in her stomach. She and Gaven had been given a few moments of private time to talk in the next room, where she squeezed his hands in hers as if worried he might disappear.
“Clara, listen to me.” When he drew her close, she watched the way his dark hair slipped over his forehead, the way his eyes focused on her, so full of fierce loyalty and knowledge. “You’ll be okay here, I’m sure of it. Chloe and Jordan seem like really great people. I’ll be back before you know it. We just have to wait until this blows over. Please, don’t go back there.”
“What about Tammy?”
“You heard them. We’ll make sure she’s safe, too. You just have to give it time.”
Clara found solace when she was close to him, so she leaned her head against his chest, shut her eyes and listened to his heartbeat.
For a long moment, they were both quiet until Gaven spoke.
“Why do you like me?”
She turned her head, looking up at him. “What do you mean?”
“I mean exactly what I asked. Why are you interested in me? You have to realize I’m not like other people. I can’t…Clara, I don’t feel things like other people. This medication dulls it. It makes me crazy. The only time I feel anything is when I drink. I’m a goddamn child in a man’s body, don’t you see?” He stared into her eyes, leaning his forehead against hers. “You need to be with someone you can really depend on. Not me.”
“No, Gaven. Don’t say things like that.” She turned her head up slightly so she could look straight into his eyes. The sensation coursing through her, heat rushing through her body, made her dizzy with desire. It was so unfamiliar to her, yet she welcomed it, for his company was something she refused to relinquish. “Gaven, I don’t want anyone else.” She made sure he could see into her eyes, see the truth in her gaze as she spoke. “I love you.”
He wrapped his arms around her and held her for a long time. She craved his warmth and closeness; she didn’t want him to leave. But he had to. He gently withdrew from her arms, running his hands down along her shoulders.
“Clara, sometimes I don’t know what’s going on inside me. And I’m not sure you’d like who I am if you really got to know me.”
“Gaven, that’s not—”
“Let me finish. Maybe you won’t like all of me. Sometimes I’m not very pleasant to be around. But…” He held her hands in his, gently squeezing them.
“But what, Gaven?”
“I love you, too, Clara.”
Buy Links: Amazon      Barnes & Noble      Kobo

Rosa Sophia is a novelist and full-time editorial consultant. With a degree in Automotive Technology, she adores writing and editing as well as fixing cars. Rosa is also a crazy cat lady in training, and currently divides her time between South Florida and Pennsylvania.
Author Links: Website       Blog      Facebook

Rosa Sophia is giving away a eBook copy of When I Dream of You (Book 1 in the When I Dream of You series) to one lucky winner. Enter the rafflecopter below for your chance to win.

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Book Spotlight & #Giveaway - Blush by Anne Mercier (Rockstar #2)

Genre: Contemporary Romance
*DISCLAIMER* This is not a dark romance. There will be minimal angst or drama. There will be lots of laughs, frequent dropping of the F-bomb, and crazy monkey sex.
You know how people say they woke up in Vegas married and you’re like, how the hell could that possibly happen? Who does that? Well, us apparently… and the press is having a field day.
Let’s not even get started on the topic of my mother. Then there’s my grandpa wanting to meet my new husband–that’s not scary at all. On top of that, we’re heading out on tour and I’m a nervous wreck–factor in the fact that Jesse’s newly changed marital status doesn’t seem to be an issue for the groupies. Nothing deters them. Not even the fact that I’m standing right there when they proposition him.
I can handle the press, my mom, and even my grandpa. But the women who are ruining my current mood of “happy”, well, they’ve got another thing coming. It’s time to put these women in their place because nobody messes with my happily ever after.
Lucy and Jesse continue in Blush, Rockstar #2.

Lucy’s POV
“I’VE GOT IT,“ Xander shouts and bangs his fist on the table in the quaint little diner.
“What have you got? Herpes?“ Meggie asks with a snort.
“Ha, ha. No, smart ass, I’ve got our title.“
“What title?“ Sera asks.
“Well, you know how PR goes through and gives the tour some fancy schmancy title, usually based on the album title?“
“Yeah,“ Cage tells him. “I think we’ve got that handled.“
“Dude, Cage. No. I’ve got the title for our tour.“
Cage lifts a brow. “Yeah? What is it?“
“The BFD tour.“
Meggie snorts.
“The what?“ Cage asks.
“The BFD tour. See, technically it can be the Blush-Falling Down tour but really what we’ll be calling it is the Big Fucking Deal tour.“
“Um, Xander?“ I say.
“Yeah, Luce, what’s up?“
“Well, the big fucking deal thing? That can be construed as it’s really not a big fucking deal.“
He waves a hand at me. “Luce. We’re talking about us. There is no mistaking that.“
“True, true.“
“So what do you say, Cage my man? The BFD tour?“ Xander asks with a grin.
“Yeah, Xander, I just don’t see that working. We can’t have profanity in the slogan for the tour.“
“Dude, no one needs to know it’s profanity.“
“Everyone knows that BFD means big fucking deal, Xander,“ Sera tells him with a laugh.
Xander pouts for a second and silence fills the diner. Then he perks up. “You know what? Fuck you all. I’m going to slogan the shit out of this tour all by myself and informally call it the BFD tour. That’s going to catch on so much better than whatever bullshit your PR asshats are cooking up, Cage, and you know it. The BFD tour is going to be a big fucking deal!“
“Fuck yeah it is,“ Jesse agrees with a fist bump. Everyone else fist bumps as well.
“That’s pretty freaking clever, Xan my man,“ I tell him and he preens. Seriously, he preens.
Cage blows out a breath. “I guess there’s no choice then is there?“
“None,“ Xander smirks.
Cage nods. “The Blush-Falling Down aka BFD tour it is.“
“This is going to be fucking awesome,“ Ethan says.
“No, no dude,“ Xander corrects. “It’s going to be a big fucking deal!“
“We’re going to have to listen to this until the tour’s over aren’t we?“ Sera asks, leaning over and whispering in my ear.
I sigh. “I’m afraid so. Xander’s on a roll and we don’t want to hurt his feelings. I hate when he gets all pouty.“
Sera nods. “Okay.“
A few minutes later Sera shouts out, “BFD!“
And Xander answers her with a fist bump and a really loud, “Yeah baby! B effing D!“
Cage wipes a hand over his face and shakes his head in disbelief. “Bitches, fuckers, skank-ass-hoes, groupie whores, and big fucking deal. You all are going to get me fined for sure, possibly even sued.“
Sera bumps his shoulder with hers. “Should make for an interesting tour, huh?“
Cage laughs. “That it will, Sunshine. That it will.“
Buy Links: Amazon      iTunes      Barnes and Noble
First and foremost I am an avid reader of romance. I read every single day. Without reading I wouldn’t be inspired to write. The same can be said about music. I started reading with Nora Roberts and Sandra Brown’s LoveSwept titles forever ago and went from reading solely traditionally published to reading nearly all indie authors. I still read my Nora and a few others. A must.
I started seriously writing about six years ago when the need to get the stories that are stuck in my head on paper became overwhelming.
I hope you enjoy reading my stories as much as I enjoy writing them.
I’m a huge fan of music, chocolate, fruit, Fall, Matt Shadows, Avenged Sevenfold, and Milo Ventimiglia.

Author Links: Site      Facebook      Twitter       Pinterest        Goodreads

Anne Mercier is giving away a Print copy of Falling Down, a print copy of Blush, and a $10 Amazon GC. For your chances to win, fill out the rafflecopter below.

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Book Spotlight & #Giveaway - Take A Chance, Cowboy by Lacey Wolfe

Genre: Contemporary Romance  

Carver Ranch Series, Book 2
Can a city girl heal a cowboy’s broken heart?
Nathan Carver gave up on love long ago after a betrayal he wasn’t sure he could ever get over. When Angie Simms arrives in town to help his brother’s fiancée with their upcoming wedding, she stirs things in him that he hasn’t felt in a long time. Things he doesn’t want to feel. So he pushes her away.
Angie wants what she wants, and doesn’t always think before she speaks. When she lays eyes on sexy cowboy Nathan, she’s determined to find out what caused his brooding attitude. She can tell right away that he’s not someone to play with. He’s got a layer of hurt around his heart, which makes him that much more attractive.
The feisty woman is determined to make Nathan her conquest, but will he take a chance on Angie?
Content Warning: contains adult language and sexual situations
 Coming soon!

Lacey Wolfe has always had a passion for words, whether it’s getting lost in a book or writing her own. From the time she was a child she would slip away to write short stories about people she knew and fantasies she wished would happen. It has always been her dream to be a published author and with her two children now of school age, she finally has the time to work on making her dream come true.
Lacey lives in Georgia with her husband, son and daughter, their six cats and one black lab who rules the house.

Author Links: Site        Twitter       Facebook

Lacey is giving away 3 copies of any eBook off her backlist during her tour!

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Book Spotlight & #Giveaway - Fontana’s Trouble by T.C. Archer

Genre: Science Fiction Romance 
Enforcer Fontana Marks vacations undercover until she can testify against the Track Cartel for crimes against the Galactic Coalition. But the cartel is hiding something, and Fontana intends to find out what—then make them pay for murdering Jenny, the young scientist she failed to protect while on assignment on Rigil IV.
The last thing Fontana intends to do while vacationing incognito on the fantasy resort Sagitariun is follow the advice of her superior. “Rest, recuperate, and find a man.”
But how can a woman resist a blond, blue-eyed man streaking naked in public?
And why can’t she to get rid of the damned trench coat she stole?

The man shifted, and the loose-fitting white shirt went taut across his broad shoulders. Memory of his tanned skin and steel muscle hit like a thunderbolt, and Fontana’s stomach did a flip.
He grinned, a sure sign he knew he was being viewed through a one-way door. Desire rippled through her on a slow, sure wave that promised heart-stopping pleasure. She’d known good-looking men. Ray, her last serious relationship five years ago, had been gorgeous. She’d been mad for him, but the man standing outside her door had a quality about him that made her want to snuggle up against him and fall asleep.
Fontana snorted. Her body would disagree. Right now that part of her throbbed with an insistent desire to bed him—hard. Maybe then the flutter in her heart would have a say, and she’d fall asleep wrapped in his arms. That would be a welcome change to the sleepless nights she’d spent since Jenny’s death. It would be a temporary fix, but she could use at least one good night’s rest.
She sighed. First she’d better deal with the damned raincoat and find out how the naked man had escaped the shock troopers. Then there was the little matter of how he’d found out where she was staying.
Fontana rose and smoothed the form-fitting blouse and poly-cotton slacks she wore. “Open door,” she said, and the door dematerialized.
His stare slid down her body, and her nipples tightened to a delicious discomfort—and one he couldn’t miss under the millipore fabric of her top.
“Well, Mr. Long John.”
His blue eyes returned to her face. “Long John?”
She stepped aside and motioned him in. “Last time I saw you, your long johnson was standing at attention.”
He entered, and the door rematerialized behind him. “Give him a minute, and he’ll be at your command again.”
“What are you doing here?”
He wrapped an arm around her waist. “You said to look you up.”
She spun out of his grasp and backed up. “How did you find me?”
“Spacer Jack’s is brimming with information.”
He was right. She’d figured that out the first time she’d walked in. Even a benign resort like Club Sagitariun had a dark side. Proof stood right in front of her in all its masculine glory. No. All his masculine glory had been long, hard, and ready to go in the alley. Damn shock troopers. Ten more minutes and she would have had a quick hard ride on his steel rod.
He continued to advance.
She retreated. “Where’s my raincoat?”
He grasped her hand. “What do you need with a man’s raincoat?”
“The owner is looking for it.”
“Forget about him.” He stepped closer.
“Can’t.”
“I came to thank you for the coat. Let me buy you breakfast.”
Some offer—and not what she had in mind for jump-starting a morning that had begun four hours ago for her.
“It’s not my coat,” she said.
“We’ll find the owner and thank him—later. We have some unfinished business.”
Heat radiated from his body. Her pulse sped up. The smile at the corners of his mouth deepened. Her calves made contact with the bed. He stepped closer, grasped her hand, and pressed her palm over his heart.
Fontana ignored the warmth spreading through her and locked gazes with him. “What did those shock troopers want?”
He shrugged. “Never found out.”
“They never caught you.”
“I had to elude them so I could be here.”
That had a certain logic she liked.
His fingers gently tightened over the hand still pressed against his heart. “You’ve got my heart beating like crazy.”
She noted the hard muscle of his chest, under which only a regular heartbeat thumped, and pulled her hand away. “It’s not nice to lie.”
“I’m hurt.”
She wanted to laugh. He actually did look hurt.
“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten all that we’ve shared,” he said.
Now she did laugh. Fontana was startled at the unexpected relief she felt. She hadn’t laughed since setting foot on Rigil IV. He cut off her thoughts by pulling her against him. His mouth crashed down onto hers. The hard ridge of his arousal dug into her stomach. She could almost believe she had a special effect on him. Almost. But that erection was just a little too ready—a little too eager—to belong to anyone but a working man.

Buy Link: Amazon

T. C. Archer is comprised of award winning authors Evan Trevane and Shawn M. Casey. They live in the Northeast. Evan has a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, and Shawn is a small business owner. Their collaboration began on a lark with the post WWII film noir story The Pickle My Little Friend, and has evolved into over a dozen works, which includes their new series The Phenom League, the Blood Angels series, and Daphne Du Maurier winner, the romantic thriller For His Eyes Only.
Author Links: Site       Facebook      Twitter      Goodreads

 T.C. Archer is giving away an ebook copy of Fontana’s Trouble to one lucky winner. Enter the rafflecopter below for your chance to win.

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