The Phoenix Blade by Andrew Hess - Book Tour, Guest Post & Giveaway

The Phoenix Blade

by Andrew Hess

Have you ever created an amazing plot, but didn’t know how to work from conception to story? It’s something many believe to be easy to do, but quickly find out it is easier said than done. Writing your novel starts with the plot and theme. The plot is a few sentences describing what the story is about. Theme is the foundational concept in which the core of your story boils down to one or two specific words. But once you have these two down, how do you move forward with your story?

Your first step after you have your plot, theme, and characters would be to outline your story. You’ll find many successful writers plan out their story beforehand. Likewise, there are many that don’t and can be just as successful. I encourage the outline as a way for the writer to see where their story will go. This will help minimalize a relentless flow of writing that will cause your story to go on too long.

Once the outline is complete, it’s time to sit down and write your scenes or chapters. Each one should be designed to keep the readers’ attention, move the general story, and further the character development. With your outline in hand, you should be able to accurately map out your characters as they transition from living their normal average life and become the person that faces the challenges and conflicts of your story.

Each chapter or scene should include a well-developed description of the scene or actions. For example; don’t write it was a hot day. Instead, write how the hot sun feels; have the character stare into the cloudless sky; the sun beams off the water’s edge; the possibilities are endless. If you do this right, your reader can visualize the scene instead of just reading through.

Another major factor in each chapter is dialogue. This is key to the story feeling like a reality to your readers. Dialogue should help move the story along and used to create tension, conflict, romance, etc. You want readers to visualize your story, so I would not recommend using proper English language for people in New York, Detroit, Chicago areas. Likewise, you wouldn’t want your characters talking like they live in a heavy populated city with a thick accents and their own lingo when you’re writing about a small country side town that is very polite and proper. Tailor your dialogue to the right setting for your story.

By following these basic rules for writing your chapters or scenes, you should have a good foundation for your story. They will help you build on your idea and evolve your plot and theme from conception to full story.

About The Author:

Andrew Hess (1983-present) was born in Lindenhurst, NY where he spent most of his life. After living in the New Paltz/Poughkeepsie, NY area for five years (2003-2008) he returned home to Long Island to pursue his dream of writing. Andrew published his first book, The Chamber of Souls (2011), where he blended free verse poetry and short story into one book.

Blog | The Real Phoenix 13 | Book Page FB | Twitter | Linkedin

Genre: Action/Drama

Publisher: CreateSpace

Release Date: April 24, 2013

Amazon

Book Description:

Follow the journey of Andrew Lancaster and his friends as they are thrown in the middle of the biggest government conspiracy to hit the United States. Andrew is contacted by a man known only as the Benefactor.; claiming to be a government official that has been monitoring Lancaster and his friends. He is told they have enough evidence to arrest them for treason, but would like to hire them instead for a top secret government project. As a bonus the Benefactor says he will reveal something Lancaster has wanted to know for the last six years. Who killed his mother.

Excerpt:

“I keep thinking how so much has changed in the last ten years.” “Here we go again.” “I mean it. When we were kids everything was different. The world was more peaceful. Everyone got along and helped each other. But now everyone’s fueled by greed, corruption, and they get some sick pleasure from hurting others.” “I know what you mean, but there’s not much we can do about it. Too many people think they have to do whatever’s necessary to get ahead in life.” “I still wish we could change it.” “Yeah, it’d be great to get rid of all those people.” Mike reached for the remote to turn the movie back on. “Too bad it’ll never happen.” I knew he was right. Our idea was ludicrous. But at that moment, my cell started ringing. “Talk to me,” I answered. “Yes hi, I’m looking for Mr. Andrew Lancaster,” a stern confident voice said. “Who’s calling?” “Someone who has the power to change your future.” “If this is some telemarketer, you can hang up now. I’m not interested. “I assure you this isn’t a sales pitch and I’m not a telemarketer.” “Then what do you want?” “It’s come to my attention that you and a few friends have been talking about eliminating certain types of people.” “What are you talking about?” “Don’t play dumb Mr. Lancaster. You and your friends have been monitored for some time now. We know everything.” “Who are you?” “I’m someone from the government that would like to give you an ultimatum. We have e-mails and recorded conversations between you and your friends talking about killing people that are as you said evil.” “Look, Mr. we were only joking around.” Mike heard the panic in my voice. My face turned pale white. “What’s going on,” he whispered. I placed the call on speaker and placed a finger to my lips. “Be that as it may. You’ve been under our watchful eye for several months. Now, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way.” “And that would be?” “The hard way is we send our agents to your house and arrest you for conspiracy and possible treason.” “Are you fucking serious,” Mike shouted. I quickly covered his mouth with my hand. “Who is that? Who’s with you?” I didn’t reply. I could hear him rifling through papers. “Ah yes, that is most likely Mr. Santangelo.” “How does he know my…” “What’s the easy way,” I asked. The man cleared his throat. “Simple, we hire you to go through with it.” I laughed it off immediately. “Yeah right, and next you’re going to tell me that I’m the next in line to be King of England.” “I don’t know about that, but I’m very serious. We have a list of targets and evidence that proves their illegal activities. We would like to give you the chance to make the world a better place.” “If you have evidence against them, why not put them in jail where they belong?” “Because they have ways of getting around our judicial system. We all know it’s fallible.” “But why me?” “Who better to lead a team than someone who has never received justice for his own mother’s death?” “But it was ruled an accident.” “That’s what you were led to believe. I have proof she was murdered and know who’s responsible.”

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VBT Pit Stop - George Hudson in the Spotlight

George Sherman Hudson was born and raised in Atlanta Ga.. After being continuously rejected by different publishers because of the subject matter contained in his books while serving time, this father of two did some research and started G Street Chronicles, the urban book publishing company that's ran by him with the help of his COO and fiancé Erica Jones . While George is continuously working hard to make G Street Chronicles a recognized name in the literary industry, he's also working hard on his highly anticipated REAL series. George has authored five books in all. His debut book Drama is in stores now. Having published more than 10 titles in the first year of business George is determined to make G Street Chronicles an urban lit powerhouse.

The drama just doesn't stop in the lives of Deb, Tammy, and Lisa. Deb, the hard worker and savvy entrepreneur is blessed with a multimillion dollar contract, but has to enjoy the success without the comfort of her man whose fledging music career has him busy from state to state. Tammy has everything a diva could want, a multimillion dollar home, expensive cars, clothes, jewelry, and she thought love.

Drama is a book a lot like sex in the city with black characters, each chapter is told from the point of view of a different character.  They take turns telling their side of the story.  It has everything, humor, emotions, great characters, and a lot of drama.

 website: http://www.gstreetchronicles.com


Since I am an author and  publisher of Urban Literature, I though you all would be interested in the history of Urban Lit.  This is a genre of fiction known variously as "street lit," "ghetto lit," "urban lit" or "hip-hop lit" has begun registering impressive sales, catching the attention of the publishing industry. Previously sold as typewritten photocopies on street corners, these pulp-fiction books now appear in slick paperbacks available in bookstores and online, for instance on
my website: http://www.gstreetchronicles.com. I found most of the following information on
Wikipedia.

Urban Fiction was (and largely still is) a genre written by and for African American's.  Although my book Drama has universal appeal.. In his famous essay “The Souls of Black Folk,” W. E. B. Du Bois discussed how a veil separated the African American community from the outside world.[1] By extension, fiction written by people outside the African American culture could not (at least with any degree of verisimilitude) depict the people, settings, and events experienced by people in that culture. Try as some might, those who grew up outside the veil (i.e., outside the urban culture) simply could not write fiction truly grounded in inner-city and African American life.
In 1965, The Autobiography of Malcom X was published. Because this non-fictional read captured the realistic nature of African American urban life for coming-of-age young men, the book has consistently served as a standard for reading among African American teenaged boys.

In the 1970s, during the culmination of the Black Power movement, a jailed Black man named Robert Beck took the pen name Iceberg Slim and wrote Pimp, a dark, gritty tale of life in the inner-city underworld. While the book contained elements of the Black Power agenda, it was most notable for its unsparing depiction of street life. Iceberg Slim wrote many other novels and attained an international following. Some of the terminology he used in his books crossed over into the lexicon of Black English.

During the 1980s and early 1990s, urban fiction in print experienced a decline. However, one could make a cogent argument that urban tales simply moved from print to music,[3] as hip hop music exploded in popularity, with harsh, gritty stories such as "The Message" and "Dopeman," set to a driving, strident drum rhythm. Of course, for every emcee who signed a recording contract and made the airwaves, ten more amateurs plied the streets and local clubs, much like urban troubadours telling urban fiction in an informal, oral manner rather than in a neat, written form.  Hip Hop lit in print form, though, is thriving.[
Toward the end of the 1990s, urban fiction experienced a revival, as demand for novels authentically conveying the urban experience increased, and new business models enabled fledgling writers to more easily bring a manuscript to market. With this new wave of renaissance street lit comes a whole new ballgame when it comes to promotion and exposure. Aside from hand-to-hand sales, which seems to work best in a genre where word-of-mouth has proven to be worth more than any large ad campaign, the Internet has increased the authors and publishers the ability to reach out to the genre's readers. With Internet savvy, many self-published authors who once had no shot of recognition are now household names.
You are all invited to my website to investigate the books that fit this genre very well.
Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Drama-George-Sherman-Hudson/dp/0615314082/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1281797093&sr=8-3

Meredith Cagen is Guilty as Charged - Book Tour Stop

Guilty As Charged

When I was younger, I had a relationship that broke my heart. Adverbs, adjectives and accolades did not do him justice. He was the perfect man. No matter how many times he showed his true colors, I was steadfast in my belief that he was perfect. I languished in my illusion (actually delusion) of his perfection. I was in love.

I didn’t know what to do. There was no expert who could guide me. No published Q & A pertinent for my situation. I searched for a plan, a guidebook, and a path to success: how I can get the storybook ending with Mr. Perfect.

Every “what not to do while dating” offense a girl can make, I embarrassingly did. I was available to him. I telephoned him. I was the one who initiated contact, demonstrating my interest as if he had doubts. Running to see him when he beckoned, accepting his last minute dates and last minute cancellations. Worse, I accepted his lies, I had no self respect. I threw myself at him. I was insane! Where were my friends when I obviously needed them? An intervention was needed but no one restrained me.

Unwilling to consider the possibility of his rejection, I changed myself to meet his requirements.
Yes, Mr. Perfect had criteria. His personal preference was models, blonde skinny models. His office walls were covered with photographs of Mr. Perfect with his choice of arm candy. It was a shrine to his ability to attract these trophy girlfriends. A medium height, curvy size eight brunette (me) didn’t seem to be a worthy enough prize for a man of with his considerable talents.

I tried my best to meet his standards. I dieted, exercised, groomed, and ingratiated myself into his social universe. I attempted to succeed with this game plan. But I committed the biggest sin a girl can. A don’t so whopping that I am banned from giving advice forever. A mistake so huge, there is no known recovery. This dating felony pains me even now, years later. I told him, I was in love with him.

What was wrong with me? The girl police should have come and thrown me directly into jail or a padded cell on the spot. No trial or psych evaluation was necessary.

Crimes Charged: Extreme Stupidity and whatever else is beyond.

Verdict: Guilty.

Sentence: Rejection by Mr. Perfect.
My idiocy haunted me for years. If only I had a second chance. What could (coulda, woulda, shoulda) I have done differently while staying true to myself. In my fantasies, I would still be me, but smarter. What was I thinking during this dark period of being in love? How did I permit myself to act like a fool?

One day, I looked back at my past actions, those silly schemes, attempts at change, and idealistic belief that if I loved him with a pure heart, he would love me back. I started to laugh. It was funny, very funny. Telling this story would be my second chance and shot at redemption

Reality hit me as I lay pen to paper, Mr. Perfection was my upstairs neighbor, he was The Man Upstairs. That was the original title for my book, ‘The Man Upstairs,’ but people thought it was a book about religion.

To this day, I am uncertain what was going through my pathetic naive head during that time. Maybe I wasn’t thinking properly? There are theories that posulate love affects (and obviously impairs) your cognitive thought processes. Next title was ‘What Was I Thinking?’ but people thought that was a self-help book.

My healthy curvy body, thin not emaciated, did not fit into his model sized world. I wasn’t who he wanted, whatever my size. Paroled from my romantic stupidity I realized that the intellectual/emotional connection didn’t exist between us. It is what is on your insides that counts. It’s a cliché but true. The older I get, it’s my sense of humor that gets me through the days and the nights. I love when someone makes me laugh, even if it’s me! I am a Size Eight in a Size Zero World. 

Author's Bio

Meredith Cagen is a working wife and mother living in New York City. She works as a freelance writer and registered nurse. Her family has awarded her the “Queen of the Multi-taskers” title. In her free time she goes to the gym and out to eat.

Meredith returned to school to obtain a Bachelors of Science in Nursing. Finding the subject dry, technical and boring, she had a difficult time focusing on her studies. Easily distracted, and prone to daydreaming, she wrote Size Eight in a Size Zero World.

Meet Lindsay Chandler--a 32 year-old New York City working wife and mother with old-
fashioned values who thinks she's living a fairy tale life (she's not). She's too busy navigating
between her job, husband, home, children, friends and other obligations to acknowledge her
loneliness. Then an unexpected friendship with her upstairs neighbor (he is smart, successful,
sophisticated and sexy-- she's not) unleashes her passion and re-ignites her sparkle.

This liaison causes her to realize what she is missing. Yearning for a storybook ending, she
decides to make changes in her life, embarking on a quest for self re-invention in this hilarious,
witty, heart felt story.

In the tradition of Sex and the City, Size Eight in a Size Zero World, is a modern-day story of a
good girl trying to do the right thing and the wrong thing simultaneously, while remaining true to
herself, whoever that is.

With the help of a believable cast of characters, Lindsay embarks on a plan to better herself and
plight. This novel is a wickedly funny social commentary on the lives of average women in New
York City's posh Upper East Side.

What happens when the road to happily ever after takes an unexpected detour?

Follow Meredith on tour as she continues to talk about her book Size Eight in a Size Zero World.  Meredith's next stop will be at http://lisahaseltonsinterviewsandreviews.blogspot.com  on Aug.  23.  Be sure to leave a comment for your chance to win a copy of her book.

Thank you so much for stopping in Meredith it has been such a pleasure.  Wishing you much success in the future.

Book Tour - Diamonds In The Rough by Vogue

Diamonds are a girl's best friend right?  Please welcome my guest today,  Vogue,  author of Diamonds in the Rough.  Welcome Vogue and thank you so much for stopping in.  Today Vogue discusses writer's block.

Tackling the Roadblock

A frequently asked question that most authors get is:

What do you do when you have writer’s block?

Well, there is never a correct answer for this question because it all depends on the person. There are some authors who may try to write through the block while others may take a break.

Personally, I choose not to write. I feel as if I come up with the worst material only because I feel obligated to put something on paper. It is then that I realize that just because I am an author, it doesn’t mean that I have to write daily. My personal advice to all published and aspiring authors is this: Write only when you feel inspired.

It is never good to force yourself to do something that you don’t want to do. Just think; the break might be good for you. You might come up with new ideas for the plot or even a new character.

A lot of times we view writer’s block as something that is negative, but maybe it isn’t. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise. Here’s an exercise that I recommend for all writers. Even if you only do it once, the next time you experience writer’s block, simply stop writing. Wait a few days or even a few hours and revisit the story. See if you come up with something more exciting and intense then what you wrote last! Feel free to share the results!

Vogue loves to hear from her readers and would love to hear from you too.  You can visit her online at www.simplyvogue.net or find her on Facebook.   She is also on virtual book tour so leave her a comment for your chance to win a copy of this fantastic book.

Thanks again for stopping in Vogue.  Wishing you much success in the future and please keep in touch and let us know when the next book in the series is out.

So You Think You Want To Be An Author? Guest B. Swangin Webster

Please welcome my guest today,  B. Swangin Webster,  the author of Let Me Just Say This,  And Again...Just Let Me Say This.  Great books and a terrific author.  Thank you B. for stopping in.

Are you ready to become an author? 

Well you may think you are, but answer these questions. 

When people ask you what you do, do you answer, “oh, I work for the government” and then whisper, “and I write” 

Now depending on their reaction, you either go into what your book is about or you turn and walk away feeling dejected by their response. 

If you are ready to become an author, the first thing out of your mouth, whenever someone asks you what “do you do”, should be, “I'm an author, and the name of my book is _________.” 

Now, four years ago when asked what I did, I proudly said, I work at a middle school, but I would like to be an author.” See I wasn't ready to be an author. Then two years ago, I was involved in a conversation that centered around what “we would like to do” I said, “if I wasn't working at a middle school I would want to be an author”. Again, I wasn't ready to be “an author”. A little while after that, my manuscript was accepted and published. I then whispered to a select few that “I have a book, do you wanna see it?” Now, again, I wasn't ready to be an author. After a few, ok it was only four people, read a chapter (I gave each a different chapter to read) they came back and said, why haven't you published this, and my response was, “it is published.” At which they pre paid for their copy. Ok, now I'm excited, because I have 4 people wanting my book. (ok, that might not be exciting, but remember I wasn't quite ready to be an author) 

After the initial shock wore off, and the checks cleared, I then decided to call my best friend and tell her and she screamed “oh my gosh! I can't believe I know an author!” ok, my response, “I'm not an author, I just wrote a book”. Again, not ready.

After a long, and I do mean long, conversation, I hung up the phone and said to myself, `maybe I am an author.' It wasn't until my first shipment of my books came in that I realized, that I had something published. I took my shipment to school and gave them to the woman who can sell the Brooklyn Bridge to someone and make it seem like it was the best purchase in the world, by the end of the day, all 50 books had been sold! When she told me, I was like; What! Just like that? And her response, of course, people love to read. 

Now I must tell you, no one knew the book was by me, because I use a pseudonym as a writer. I went home and nearly cried because I couldn't believe that people would like to read MY book. After a few days, I was called to the main office and when I got there, the front secretary told me that I needed to go to the teachers lounge. When I opened the door, the entire building had threw me a “book release party” complete with a cake with my book pic on it and a few appetizers. I was introduced as “The celebrity of the school” I went back to my office and had to meet with some children who were in trouble. After listening to them try and tell me why I shouldn't call their parents, one of them got a major attitude after I called his parent. Tired of dealing with his attitude, I blurted out, “I am an author, and don't need to put up with this behavior!” 

Yes, at that very moment, I realized I was an author, when will your moment come? 

Let me know by visiting my website and leaving a comment in my guestbook; http://bswanginwebster.webs.com or email me at anauthor08@live.com

 

B. Swangin Webster—Author

 

B. Swangin Webster is the author of two novels, Let Me Just Say This and its sequel And Again…Let Me Say This.

 

She currently works in a middle school in Waldorf Maryland and is married with five grown children and four adorable grandsons. 

She grew up in the Washington DC area calls Southern Maryland her home.

She has over 200 novels, and has read all of them at least twice. Her passion, besides writing is cooking.

.

Her passions are writing, reading, and talking about the process of writing and being an author.

To learn more about her please visit: http://bswanginwebster.webs.com

Thank you again for stopping in B.  I always enjoy chatting with you.  Please be sure to follow B along her virtual book tour leaving a comment along the way for your chance to win a copy of one of her books at the end of her tour :).