Showing posts with label Depression Cookies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Depression Cookies. Show all posts

Monday, July 15, 2013

Book Review - Depression Cookies

Happy Monday, good people of the blogosphere! It's good to be back; but it was a much needed vacation. I only had one complaint: Zero signal on my devices in the mountains and Google blocked my access to my accounts via wi-fi because it was in a different city. While I appreciate their concern for my account security, there should be some way to fix it while away from home. However, it forced me to unplug for a couple of weeks and spend time with my family, so that's all good. I would usually have scheduled blog posts ahead but we had to rearrange dates quickly over a work issue so I had little prep time. Que serra serra! I wouldn't trade the time I had with The Best Boyfriend in the World for anything.

As a bonus, I got to catch up on some reading while I was away. I only had an hour or so each day because we were a busy troupe of monkeys, but read I did. So, as a lovely return gift for you all, I bring you my review. I'll be counting this as one of my Indie Fever, 2013, Reading Challenge books.

Title: Depression Cookies
Author:  Tia Silverthorne Bach and Angela Beach Silverthorne
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Length: 557 printed pages
Amazon Kindle link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00452VATE

Description from Amazon:
Two distinct voices, two stories interwoven within the walls of family and love.

Abby needs some magic in her life, along with a white knight, respectful children, and an exciting career plan. Instead she is drowning in unfulfilled expectations, disappointments, and unmet needs. What she doesn't expect is to find the true essence of magic in the strength, friendship, power, and energy of the female spirit found in her mother and her mother's zany group of friends. Krista cannot believe it's happening again. Her father waltzes in and announces another move. And what does her mother do? Nothing. Don't they realize she's almost thirteen, and this could mean the end of her life? In the midst of teenage melodrama, she is determined to survive a new school, defeat the annoyances of two scene-stealing sisters, and deal with out-of-touch parents. Yet she quickly realizes the double-edged sword of growing up.

Review:
I bought a copy of this book over on Amazon out of curiosity. I'd heard great things about it and the reviews were fantastic. To give you an idea, this book has fifteen reviews and fourteen of them are five stars. Once I dove in and wrapped my head around the story, I could see why. So, here we go; my review of Depression Cookies.

From a reader's perspective:
Abby and Krista were two of the most honest characters I've ever read. They held nothing back as they spoke with authentic voices, describing what it's like to be a teenager or a mother of many children. I could identify with them both. Fears, issues, and the inner workings of their minds were all right on target. Krista seemed like someone I would befriend in school and Abby sounded a lot like my own mother. I was pulled in from page one and I hated it when I had to put the book down. If I'd had time, I know I would've read straight through. I laughed, I cried, and I got angry as I read. Books that can pull emotion like that out of a reader are worth every moment spent with one's nose buried in the pages. I loved the alternating viewpoints and getting to see what the child remembers as opposed to what the parent remembers in different situations. It shows that, sometimes, you don't see the whole story or all of what's going on behind the scenes.

From an editor's perspective:
I found a number of grammatical, punctuation, and spelling errors in this book. It needs some TLC but the emotional pull didn't suffer. Example: Thrown for Throne. Darn homophones.

Rating:
+ 1 Star for creating characters I could really feel for.
+ 1 Star for making me want to read on and on and...
+ 1 Star for a creative writing style that really put things into perspective.
+ 1 Star for ripping my heart out and stuffing it back together repeatedly.
+ .5 Star for helping me understand my own mother a bit more.
- .5 Star for errors.

Overall, 4.5 out of 5 stars. A highly recommended read for women of all ages.

I hope you all enjoyed this review. Next on my list is The Awakening (The Judas Curse) by Angella Graff. I'm already into it.

As you all may remember, my birthday falls in July. I like to give gifts so keep your eyes on the blog for some great giveaways that will be coming soon!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Thursday, June 20, 2013

New TBR List

Happy Thursday, good people of the blogosphere! Today I'm bringing you all a list of the books on my TBR list. Again, I'll read more than one at a time so you'll probably get a flurry of reviews in a month or two. Links below will take you to the Amazon buy page for Kindle. Here we go:

Indie books:

I've been wanting to read this book for a while.
I've already become enamored with the main characters and I can't wait to read more.


I've had this one for a while. I know if I get into it, I won't be able to put it down.
Well, here goes!


Another one I've had for a while.
It caught my eye from a sample and the main character seemed interesting.



Trade pub books:

This is book two of the series I reviewed yesterday.
I'm very excited to find out what happens to Mr. Jacob Reckless.


I hope you all come back for the reviews.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Winners Cover Reveal and FREEBIE

Welcome to the Saturday Blog Party Winner Announcement!

Before we get to the winners, I have two announcements.

First, enjoy a cover reveal for the second book in the Soul Sisters series written by Janiera Eldridge. Janiera does a lot of great things for my blog and my books; so help me thank her by taking a minute to check out her series and see if it's something you may enjoy reading. Clicking on the title will take you to the book's Goodreads page.

Dark Expectations by Janiera Eldridge

Synopsis:
With Ani taking her place as queen, there are some enemies lurking she could never imagine! There's a secret compound in California that wants to know the secrets to making a vampire or werewolf.

When they kidnap Ani during a trip back to California they might actually get what they want. Her sister Dana, her lover Diego and other vampires do everything they can to get her back. If they don't succeed, they face being controlled completely by the human race forever!

Dark Expectations is the exciting sequel to Soul Sisters that's full of adventure, danger and what it means to be queen!


This cover was designed by: Strong Image Editing

Second, the next book in my Mystic series, Lily, releases on Tuesday. In honor of the release, I'm offering the first book, Bronya, for free on Amazon for the next five days. If you haven't read it, go grab one and get to it. Here's a cover image and synopsis for each:

Synopsis:
Bronya Thibodeaux is a senior at Houma High School whose life is about to be changed forever. She's always felt like an outcast, but thinks she may have found a friend when a strange, new girl named Markaza who has blue hair, a number of tattoos, and a strange way of dressing appears. She accepts Bronya for who she is and the two hit it off.

Markaza isn’t around long before she moves away. Bronya goes back to feeling lonely and different. Trouble arises when Bronya's love interest - a girl named Cecilia - is accidentally revealed to the entire student body. Bronya’s life choices make her a pariah in her small town. After getting thrown out of school, not being able to find a job, and being subjected to ridicule and cruel treatment, Bronya chooses to leave her old life behind forever when she receives a compelling invitation from a mysterious company named WSTW.

What Bronya doesn't know, is the mysterious company is owned by Markaza; a mystic who knows the end of the world is coming and is gathering together the only people who can stop the evil that's threatening to take over. Bronya is just the first. But going to New York is only a baby step toward her true journey. As Bronya races against the clock to unlock a power she never knew she had, Markaza races to collect the others: Lily, Shelia, Melody, and Coralie.

Synopsis:
Lily Conyers is a twenty-year-old who had it all going for her until a car crash left her with terrible scars, no modeling job, and an addiction to pain killers. When she meets a strange young woman named Markaza, Lily begins to re-build her life with encouragement from her new friend.

Problems arise when Lily leaves the safety of her apartment for the first time since her accident to venture back into the world she used to know. Her so-called friends shun her and her boyfriend recoils at the sight of her face. She rushes home with thoughts of suicide only to find a letter on her step from a company called WSTW; promising her a new life.

Lily packs her bags, bids Markaza goodbye, and sets off for the city. But going to New York is only the first hurdle Lily must jump. She must learn to use the power inside herself to help defeat an evil that is threatening to destroy the world. Once there, she meets a girl named Bronya and the two help one another re-build what was so negligently broken.

As Lily is boarding the plane bound for New York, Markaza boards another headed to Tennessee so she can collect the next young woman on her list: Shelia.

There's a preview of Lily inside Bronya so grab that booger and get to reading. WOMEN WILL SAVE THE WORLD!

Now for the moment you've all been waiting for!! The winners of the huge giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations to you eighteen lucky folks!! The authors from the party and I will be in touch to find out where to send your prizes.

Winner C.E. Hart gets a copy of Depression Cookies by Tia Silverthorne Bach
Winner C.E. Hart gets one of Sandi Tuttle's mugs with the "If I have wings" artwork
Sandi Tuttle gets the WSTW mug - how apropos...
C.E. Hart and Sandi Tuttle both get printed, signed copies of The Indie Author's Guide to: Building a Great Book
Tia Silverthorne Bach and Alana M each get a copy of Sex, Death,  & Mind Control (for fun and profit)
C.E. Hart wins $10 Amazon gift card, printed, signed copy of Yassa, and a digital copy of each of the following: The Abigale Chronicles Bundle Pack (books 1-3), Mystic ~ Bronya, Mystic ~ Lily, and The Indie Author's Guide to: Building a Great Book.
And these 10 people win a signed Mystic bookmark!!
Entry #150Becky F.
Entry #241Charlene T.
Entry #263Ashley
Entry #165C.E. H.
Entry #121Alana M.
Entry #74Heather B.
Entry #110Heather W.
Entry #115Ellie M.
Entry #18Beth J.
Entry #50Sandi T.

C.E. Hart, you certainly got a lion's share of the prizes!! Congratulations to everyone that won!!

Me or the author will be in touch with everyone on Monday to find out where to send the prizes!!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Friday, October 19, 2012

Blog Party - Day Five

Welcome to day five, the final day of my October blog party! I know you're all sad to see it end, but you can still keep entering to win one of the great prizes until Friday, October 26, at midnight! Sadly, we all turn into pumpkins again at that time.

You all know what's up for grabs today if you read last Friday's post. If you forgot, here's a reminder:

ONE person will win: a $10 Amazon gift card, a digital copy of Mystic~Bronya, Mystic~Lily, The Abigale Chronicles Bundle Pack (books 1-3), The Indie Author's Guide to: Building a Great Book, and a printed, signed copy of Yassa in the new size and format. Rafflecopter entry form is at the bottom of the post.

If you missed day one, with my awesome interview with Ms. Tia Bach, go check it out. Day two featured Ms. Sandi Tuttle and was amazing. Day three was all about a blog called Indie Author Anonymous. And day four was quick wit and humor brought to you by Mr. Robert Chazz Chute. Go check out those posts and leave my guests some love as a thank you for their donations to this awesome giveaway!

Today, I decided to do a spotlight of an indie service that is run by an indie author. Many of you know this indie author through his Indie Review Group on Facebook. Many of you have read his novel 50 Shades of Silver Hair and Socks. That's right, it's Phil Torciva and his service for indies over at The eBook Daily Deal.

The setup over at the KDD is they will list your book on their site and do other promotions for you if you have a sale or freebie going on. They don't demand pay but they gently request you purchase the 50 Shades parody from Amazon when you sign up. There's no verification process, and they kinda go on the honor system.

If you pop over to their Contact page, you'll see the easy to follow instructions to get your book listed and ways to follow them. Like: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google +.

If you choose not to click my nifty link above, that's fine. But you'll need to follow KDD in some way to enter the giveaway below. I know, I know, I'm sneaky!

So, without futher ado, the rafflecopter widget. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now, my great frikkin blog list! Check them out. These are to die for!!

The Book Designer
On Twitter: @JFbookman

eBook Formatting
Book and Author Events Page
On Twitter: @JoHarris0n
On Facebook: Writer's Block Admin Services

Passionate Ramblings
On Twitter: @_LisaCherry
On Facebook: Lisa Cherry Author

The Hungry Freelancer
On Twitter: @bethythewriter

and

If you happen to be a designer, or just want to know more about Photoshop, check out this awesome page:

TutsPlus

Well, that's all for today, folks! Remember to come back every day and enter again until next Friday, October 26! Winners will be announced in a special Saturday post on the 27th! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Blog Party - Day Four

Welcome to day four of the blog party! I love giving things to my readers and followers. Halloween just around the corner makes it all more personal. I look forward to the knocks and screams of, "Trick-or-Treat!" that will be coming the end of this month. Candy makes us all happy (just like prizes do) and I'm glad to be able to share some 'happy' with you all.

If you missed Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, pop on back to see what great goodies were added to the giveaway and leave my lovely guests a little bit of love!

Today, I'm happy to announce my guest, Mr. Robert Chazz Chute. For the giveaway today, Mr. Chute has offered up two digital copies of Sex, Death, & Mind Control (for fun and profit) from Smashwords. Pull up a chair and get to know more about Chazz. Don't forget to enter the rafflecopter at the end of this post!

Jo: Hello, Chazz! Welcome to the blog party. I’d like to start off by thanking you for your donation to the cause and giving away two copies of your book Sex, Death, and Mind Control to a couple of lucky winners! But we can talk about that after the interview!

Instead of the usual, boring diatribe, let’s have some fun with this interview. I’m gonna start with questions about you and end with questions about your new book, Higher than Jesus.

You have two websites right now All That Chazz and Chazz Writes Do you find it difficult keeping up with both of them?
Chazz: No. I added a Tumblr account recently, too, because there was still time to sleep. Each website serves a different audience. ChazzWrites is for writers; AllThatChazz.com is my author site and the platform for my podcast; The Tumblr  is for another audience (who tend to be very creative and younger). I wouldn’t reach new audiences without spreading myself around. Add three Twitter accounts, Facebook, Google Plus, Pinterest and Triberr, and I’m way outside my inner circle. We have to shout outside our echo chambers. The key is time management. Some people find social media overwhelming, but I’m social (at a safe remove, anyway) and, except for ChazzWrites, I keep my posts short. You have to enjoy it for it to work and it must never cut into writing time. Write books first. Blog later.

Jo: What inspired you to do podcasts of Bigger Than Jesus and has it helped traffic or sales?

Chazz: If you’d asked me earlier this year, I would have said narcissism, director Kevin Smith, Joe Rogan and a wild goose chase got me podcasting. However, the podcast has caught on. I love podcasts! SF author Scott Sigler pioneered podcasting his books as a marketing tool and I followed that model. My numbers are trending up as more people discover the program (All That Chazz). Best of all, the podcast reaches people all over the world. I have a big following around Berkley, California for instance, and the original name of the podcast was Self-help for Stoners (named after my first book.) Way to hold up the brand, Berkley!

Jo: Have you taken a ton of flak for the name of the book?

Chazz: I thought I’d have more resistance. I had several rapier-sharp ripostes at the ready. However, most readers have a sense of humor (at least all of my audience does.) I heard some concerns, but even some hard core Christians told me they loved the title. I have a penchant for titles I have to explain (i.e. bad titles.) For the rest of my life I get to say each day to someone, “It’s pronounced Hay-soose,” and “Sex, Death & Mind Control isn’t porn, it’s suspense,” and “No, you don’t have to be a stoner to enjoy it. It’s all suspense!”

Jo: Your ninja monkeys are easily distracted by bananas; have you found that to be a deterrent in sending them on really important missions?

Chazz: Oh, great. You’ve exposed their weakness. If not for Dracula, no one would know how to slay vampires and if Superman had shut up about his origin, we’d never know kryptonite made him pee blood. Now you tipped over the banana cart on my ninja clone army. Way to go. Thanks a lot.

Jo: Oops! Is there a dream you have concerning publishing?

Chazz: Endless adulation would be good, and definitely more orgies. Mainly, I want to get to the point where my publishing success is an objective fact strangers point to. When people I don’t know take the time to tell me, “Hey, loved your book!” besides the dopamine high I get from writing? That’s the big pay off.

Jo: Do you think your journalism degree and background of being a proofreader, editor, and all around ninja monkey trainer give you tools other people could only dream of acquiring?

Chazz: There are lots of ways to acquire those skills. After I attended the Banff Publishing Workshop years ago, I read through The Chicago Manual of Style and it occurred to me that most of what I learned at the Banff School of Fine Arts was hidden in those pages. It is nice to have the context and background that working in traditional publishing gave me, if only to appreciate my independence more. I’m happier than I’ve ever been right now. Add an almond milk latte and I might pass out from sheer elation.

Jo: I see you promote your graphic designer, Kit, pretty often. What’s his secret formula for capturing your heart and soul (and patronage)?

Chazz: My readers at ChazzWrites.com need him, so, yes, I promote him as much as I can. Kit Foster (of KitFosterDesign.com) is a great graphic designer and author who creates all my covers, Quote Art, web art and even the image I use for my business cards. We exchange emails so much we have become friends and we agree on a lot of things. Step one to being declared a genius: hang out with people who agree with you. Actually, Kit is one of those great people who can objectively be declared a success. He’s a genius who’s also really nice. Who can resist a mold breaker like that?

Jo: Okay, enough about you, let’s talk about your books Higher Than Jesus and Bigger Than Jesus. I read the first in the series and I loved it. I found the 2nd person style to be engaging and different and the twists and turns that start from page one to be delightful. Is the second book written that way as well?

Chazz: You bet! The unusual POV is integral to the character and, as you’ll see in Higher Than Jesus when my hit man ends up in group therapy, we delve deeper into Jesus’ history, psychology and pathology. (Hint: hit men do not play well with others, particularly in psychotherapeutic settings. I think that’s my favorite chapter in the book and it’s referenced throughout.) I have a lot of fun exploring the dichotomy of the character. Jesus Diaz does bad things but, like all bad guys, he doesn’t see himself as evil. He’s a pragmatic, funny guy with an obsession for movies through which he idealizes the life he thinks he deserves. In many ways, he’s a sensitive liar who’s clever in a particular skill set. In Higher than Jesus, his pragmatism evolves to become a mission. All my books are twisty stories of Bad versus Evil, so Jesus fits.

Jo: What kind of adventures can we expect to live through Jesus’ eyes in the second book?

Chazz: Jesus has fled New York for Chicago and he accepts a job for the money. Then things get complicated when he has to solve a dispute in an arms deal for his employer. It’s a two dogs, one bone story, plus the object of his affection is his client’s daughter, Willow. I listened carefully to feedback, so expect a little less swearing, a little more sex and more jokes. For me, it’s all about the jokes and surprises that play out as revenge fantasies go awry.

Jo: I loved the surprises. I hate predictable. What kind of promotions are you doing or do you intend to do?

Chazz: I want to do a couple of especially creative things. For Higher Than Jesus, I ran the Six Words or Less Contest so a character got named after a reader. That was a lot of fun, so I’ll do that concurrently as I write the next in the series. Higher Than is also packed with movie references. For instance, all but the last two chapters are named after movie titles (mostly my tribute to film noir.) Once I release the book, anyone who counts the number of movie titles used throughout correctly and tells me that number at AllThatChazz.com will get a bonus ebook for free.

I’ll also be reading Higher Than Jesus on the podcast as soon as I’m done with Bigger Than. It’s a chapter by chapter, week by week sort of thing, so I’m sure quite a few people will want to jump ahead because they don’t want to wait to get past the next cliffhanger. I’m doing some guest posts, too.

My main focus is to have three books up before Christmas. Crack the Indie Author Code is next (my first non-fiction book on Amazon) and This Plague of Days, a dystopian thriller in which we follow the exodus of a boy with Aspergers Syndrome through a North America brought down by the plague we’re all expecting any minute. Mm. Maybe that’s just me. I have a pessimistic worldview but I sublimate the rage and terror with humor.

Jo: I see you have some issues subscriptions with bland Twitter posts. How many did you have to see before your eyeballs began to boil in your skull?

Chazz: We have to provide value to readers if they’re going to take a chance on us. There’s a little too much telling people to buy our books (I know, I’ve done it) and not enough showing them why they should be interested. There’s plenty of room for promotion and I’m not some tweet narc telling everyone how to behave. I do prefer to send people to my blog posts and podcasts instead of only sending them straight to Amazon, though. Too many tweets are generic and sound alike. It’s not spam that bothers me. I don’t label any promotion I don’t want to see “spam.” However, it is ineffective and we have to be funnier, more clever, sexier and attend more orgies to get anyone’s attention.

You can read more of Chazz’s taunting of the Twitterati here: ChazzWrites

Jo: To finish up, when is Higher than Jesus due to release?

Chazz: Mid-October. I’m just finalizing some things now because I want the paperback and the ebook to have launch dates that are close together. That will be more effective, so right now, it’s a soft launch date.

Jo: Where will we be able to procure a copy?

Chazz: I’ve debated publicly about how long to stay exclusive with Amazon. It’s not the advantage it once was. Since I’m launching so many books close together, I’m sticking with an Amazon-only policy for now. I expect that will change, but there are some variables that don’t depend on me, so I can’t say when I’ll make them available across all platforms, including skywriting. Eventually they’ll be everywhere, including the Oval Office. And yes, that’s a clue.

Jo: Oval Office...? Wow! Well, thanks for your time today, Chazz, it’s been fun! May your bananas be ever plentiful!

Chazz: I am bananas.

If you'd like to follow Robert Chazz Chute, you may do so via the links below.

AllThatChazz
ChazzWrites
On Twitter: @rchazzchute
On Facebook: Ex Parte Press

Enter to win below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Now on to the great list of blogs for you to check out and follow today!

A great review website along with an author blog:

Stitch Says
Ghostnapped!
On Twitter: @AshleyHowland

Another few review websites:

Books and Beauty
On Twitter: @LazenBeauty

Kayla's Reads and Reviews

Now some indie must-read blogs:

The Bookshelf Muse
On Twitter: @AngelaAckerman AND @WriterThesaurus
On Facebook: Angela Ackerman

Catherine, Caffeinated
On Twitter: @catheryanhoward

Remember, tomorrow comes the super big prize pack! Come on back to enter again tomorrow!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Blog Party - Day Three

Welcome to day three of the blog party! Today, I'm happy to be doing a blog spotlight of Indie Author Anonymous!

If you missed day one, go take a look and show the author, Ms. Tia Silverthorne Bach, some love! If you missed day two, go show Ms. Sandi Tuttle some love!

Now, on to day three! The prize: Two people have a chance to win a printed, signed copy of The Indie Author's Guide to: Building a Great Book (5 stars on Amazon). Every indie needs a copy of this book!

The feature: Indie Author Anonymous is one of those blogs that does free book reviews. But it's also so much more! Not only does the lady there write eloquent reviews, she also loves indie authors! That makes her one of my heroes!



From her What Is This Blog? page:

"This blog is dedicated to Indie or Self Published writers.
I am an AVID reader and I never knew there were so many awesome authors out there getting almost NO recognition!
I am here for YOU! I know there are many many awesome writers and I KNOW there are MANY readers who want to read your masterpieces!
Having a link to send out that has no affiliation to YOU is indispensable. Promoting yourself gets old. With a promotion on this blog YOU can link to it for YEARS to come.
Seeing how this can work to your benefit?
Awesome! Just click the “My Services” link to get your book on this blog ASAP!"

She also offers services that will feature your indie book or you, the author, on her blog for a small fee (we all have to make money somehow).

You have many ways in which you can connect with this lovely lady:
Twitter: @IndieAuthorAnon
Facebook
or on her blog: Indie Author Anonymous

Give her some love and let her know how much you appreciate all she does for Indies! Now, enter the contest below to WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

On to the great blog list for today!

I found this one by venturing into the .com world and searching for some of the best blogs for writers.

Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors
On Twitter: @KMWieland

Here's one you should all already know about. You don't? FOR SHAME! Check her out for great writing tips:

The Creative Penn
On Twitter: @thecreativepenn

How about another reviewer to add to our great list?

Heather's Book Chatter
On Twitter: @WoodTop255

And for today's author:

A.M. Hargrove
On Twitter: @Amhargrove1

Well, that's all for today, folks! Come on back tomorrow and help me welcome another great author! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Monday, October 15, 2012

Blog Party - Day One

WELCOME TO THE PARTY!! 

Man, do I have some great stuff going on this week. Lots of giveaways, courtesy of my guests, and tons of great blogs and authors for you all to check out and follow.

If you missed it, check out Friday's post for a list of guests and prizes and to get an idea of how this contest will go. My guest today, Tia, has graciously offered up a printed, signed copy of Depression Cookies! I have to tell you, this is a book I've been dying to sink my teeth into. Entry form is after the interview!

Please help me welcome our first author: Ms. Tia Silverthorne Bach!

Jo: A big HELLO to you, Tia! Thanks for taking the time out of your day to visit with us and talk a little bit about you and your book Depression Cookies.

I’m that rare interviewer that enjoys digging into things about you, personally, before I get to the meat and potatoes of what you’ve written. So, let’s get going.

Jo: I found a neat interview with you and your mom via The Balancing Act on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1Rk5alF020 Tell me how you got noticed by them and how you felt on stage.

Tia: I came home one day to a phone message from Lifetime TV, and I was dubious at first. The coordinator noticed our press release for Depression Cookies and loved the concept, especially as a mom of daughters. She invited us on, and it was a wonderful experience. Although I have to be honest, I felt like puking when I walked onto the set. Luckily, we had the questions beforehand and only did two takes. I honestly didn’t know how I’d handle live TV.

Jo: Tell us a little about your WIP concerning the young girl and the accident. I’m intrigued because I’m releasing Lily later this month and it’s along those same lines. I’ve said this before, but I think you’re my long-lost twin! Our thinking is very parallel.

Tia: In addition to writing the follow up to Depression Cookies with Mom, I am writing my first young adult novel. It’s about a young girl who loses her brother in a horrible accident, one she barely survives herself. She’s left questioning how it has changed her, and those who care about her. There’s a paranormal twist as well, because I wanted to explore how obsessed this generation of teenagers is with vampires, werewolves, and other creatures.

Jo: You’ve moved a lot (three daughters born in three different states). How has that impacted your writing?

Tia: Loss is an inevitable part of moving, and I think we can all relate to loss. The flip side is that I’ve met many different kinds of people, potential characters, in my moving adventures. Every single one had their own story. Plus, with every move, I was an actor in a new movie. I had to learn how to fit into that new culture. By wearing so many different hats, I learned how to create. All of this led to a love of stories.

Jo: I know my mom is my rock and, without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Tell me about your relationship with your mom. Was it strengthened at all with the writing of the book?

Tia: People ask me all the time how I survived writing a book with my mom. It was never a hardship for us. We’ve always had a very open and honest relationship, so writing about a mother and daughter came very naturally. No feelings or topics were off limits, because we trust each other. She is amazing, and I am blessed. (Although, I did skim some chapters where her “mom” character was getting amorous with my character’s dad.)

Jo: I know you’re on Twitter and FaceBook; do you feel it’s helped you or hindered you?

Tia: Social media is a wonderful tool for writers. But it’s also an alluring distraction. I liken it to my sugar addiction. I crave sugar and its quick fix, but I know too much of it is bad for me and my waistline. Same for social media. I have to keep it in balance. If it takes away from writing time, then it’s counterproductive.



Synopsis:
Two distinct voices, two stories interwoven within the walls of family and love.

Depression Cookies is a coming of age story woven around the heart of family triumph. It is told from two distinct vantage points, middle-aged mother, Abby, and her teenage daughter, Krista.

Abby is buckling under the weight of a husband who is climbing the corporate ladder, three daughters each with their own unique needs, a mother who is going off the deep end and family health issues. As she is meeting everyone else's needs, her own keep surfacing. She feels she is losing parts of herself daily and doesn't know how to handle the stress and conflict. All she truly wants is a little magic in her life.

Krista is thirteen, battling acne and low self-esteem, when her father waltzes in and announces the family is moving again. Instead of letting fear and anxiety rule her life, she is determined to survive the trenches of teenage cruelty and family issues without completely losing herself in the process.

What neither expects to find is the true essence of magic in the strength, friendship, power and energy of the female spirit.

Jo: Now, on to questions about Depression Cookies! You’ve won some great awards. Tell me about how you got them.

Tia: I searched for contests on the Internet that accepted self-published entries and then entered the ones where our book was a fit. We ended up receiving a Silver award in Realistic Fiction in the 2011 Readers Favorite Book Awards (and a Finalist in Chick Lit) as well as a Finalist in the 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards (Chick Lit). Mom and I are heading to Miami in November to officially accept the Readers Favorite award. Both award programs were well run, and I would highly recommend them to self-published authors.

Jo: I read your recounting of how your initial publishing house’s owner died six months from your publication date, how did that impact you mentally?

Tia: At first, we were stunned and unsure which direction to take. There were moments of self-doubt, and we wondered if we should just go to Kinkos and print some copies for friends and family. We didn’t know much then about other publishing options. I wish we had. But, we also knew he had believed in us and our book. Thankfully, he also gave us professional editing and lots of advice on cover and format. We decided to publish it ourselves. Now, I would do the same, but with a different company and strategy. But I do not regret all the lessons we learned along the way.

Jo: Why write a book like Depression Cookies? What was the driving force behind it?

Tia: We knew we had a story to tell. Since my family did move a lot, sometimes all we had was each other. I am the oldest of three girls, and I don’t know what I would do without the women in my life. But, women can also be their own worst enemy. Women are at the core of some of my best moments, and some of my worst. We hoped a book with two distinct, but interconnected, female perspectives would open up a dialogue between women about the choices we have and the ones we make.

Jo: You manage to keep up with two blogs: Depression Cookies and Mom in Love with Fiction How do you find the time?

Tia: I don’t sleep. No, really, I juggle like we all do. I wish I had a magic answer to share. Sometimes, I rob Peter to pay Paul. Other times, I am blessed with a calm, get-it-done kind of day.

Jo: I know I hate doing this because it seems pretentious of me to assume I have mad skillz like those of some authors, but what novel would you compare to Depression Cookies?

Tia: Let me preface this by saying that I am a Judy Blume fan. She was a huge influence over my teenage years. Depression Cookies is Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret with the mom’s perspective thrown in. My dream… Judy Blume will read it and agree.

Jo: Do you have any trinkets or words of wisdom to leave us with today?

Tia: Don’t be afraid to share pieces of yourself in whatever you do. We all have unique talents and experiences. Own who you are, and don’t try to be a copy of someone else. I learned this from creating different versions of myself through the years. Now, at 40, I’m finally finding me. Not everyone is going to like what I find, but that’s okay. Those that do will be my reward.

Thank you so much, Jo, for hosting me on your blog today. It’s become one of my favorite places to go for insight. Plus, I agree, we do seem to be separated at birth.

Jo: Thanks for giving me your time, Tia! As a recap, here are the links to follow Tia:

Depression Cookies blog
Mom in Love with Fiction
Follow @Tia_Bach_Author
Depression Cookies on Facebook
Buy Depression Cookies for Kindle ($3.03)
Buy the paperback ($23.99)

Enter below and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


As you all know, I include a couple of great blogs other than my feature. After all, this is a party! Here are today's great blogs:

If you're looking for a reviewer who knows how to review a book, give these blogs a visit:

Tana Rae Reads
On Twitter: @TanaRaeReads

Shut Up and Read

The Educated Book Review
On Twitter: @educatedbookrev

Looking for a new author to read? Check out this one:

Megan Curd
On Twitter:  @MeganCurd

Well, I don't want to inundate you with a billion blogs and authors, so that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Friday, October 12, 2012

Blog Party Overview and Prize List

The week you've all been waiting for is finally here!! The October Indie Blog Party!

Here's a list of the FAB prizes I have in store for you all:
  • Day One: You'll enjoy the chance at a printed, signed copy of Depression Cookies by Tia Silverthorne Bach.
  • Day Two: Enter to win coffee mugs! One winner will get an a coffee mug with "If I have wings, why can't I fly?" artwork, and one will get a Women Save the World (WSTW) coffee mug, featuring the Mystic title and all the names from the novels (Bronya, Lily, Shelia, Melody, Coralie, and Markaza). Images of the mugs will be shown on Tuesday.
  • Day Three: Two people will win printed, signed copies of The Indie Author's Guide to: Building a Great Book written by me.
  • Day Four: Two people will win digital copies of Sex, Death, and Mind Control by Robert Chazz Chute.
  • Day Five: A huge pile of prizes! A $10 Amazon gift card, a printed, signed copy of Yassa, and a digital copy of each of the following: The Abigale Chronicles Bundle Pack (books 1-3), Mystic ~ Bronya, Mystic ~ Lily, and The Indie Author's Guide to: Building a Great Book. It's a $32 value.
Here's how it will work:

Each day, a prize will be added to the rafflecopter widget with new ways to enter. You'll want to check every day to enter again.

There will be eight winners total, your chance to win something is very good. In total, we're giving away over $100 worth of prizes. You can win more than once!

I will start the entries on Monday, October 15, and run the contest through Friday, October 26. A special Saturday post on October 27 will announce the winners.

Remember to share with your friends (no one likes a prize hog) and come back to see if you won!

Winners will also be notified by e-mail. Good luck to you all!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo