Review/Interview with "DA Roberts" (Ragnorak Series)

Ragnarok Rising: The Awakening (Volume 1)

 

 

 

Ragnarok Rising: The Reckoning (The Ragnarok Rising Saga)

 

 

 

DA Roberts has strewn together an incredible Zombie series that will make your head spin in many different directions all at once. The first book will have you sitting on the edge of your seat wondering what the main character Wiley will do next and the second book of this series is even better. Wiley brings nothing to the table that will disappoint!

These books deserve 5 STARS and that is just what I gave them. Listen to the interviews and watch the videos of my interviews with DA Roberts.

 

THE DEAD ARE RISING! 

 

Initial reports of rioting and chaos begin to appear in the news, slowly spreading east from California. As the unusual "riots" come closer and closer however, the first hints of their true nature begin to emerge. Internet videos show rioters eating those they overtake. When the disturbances finally reach Springfield Missouri, all law enforcement officers are called to field duty. Officer Wylie Grant finds himself manning a remote checkpoint. There the true nature of the "rioters" becomes terrifyingly clear, and only Wylie and Corporal Chrissy Wilder survive the revelation. Their new goal becomes to survive the trip back to the Nathanael County Sheriff's Office, where the few remaining officers are attempting to regroup. Thinking ahead, Wylie and Corporal Wilder attempt to rescue as many survivors as they can and gather as many resources as possible along the way. Upon their arrival, Wiley finds himself the leader of the rescue efforts, as many officers are stranded throughout the city. During his repeated forays into the zombie infested streets, he discovers that the zombies are not the only enemy humanity is facing. In some cases, they are the lesser evil. As he struggles to cope with the loss of friends and innocents, he discovers that the Evacuation Centers that had been their last hope are part of a government "containment protocol". No one is being evacuated. Wylie and his team are faced with the realization that no one is coming for them, and the government that they had thought to be their ally has become yet another enemy in an increasingly hostile world.  

 

http://ragnarokrising.weebly.com 

 

 

First Interview:

 

http://vba.sh/S1oXFK

 

 

Second Interview:

 

http://vba.sh/13juYUb

 

 

"The Write Characters"

     Sometimes it is difficult to come up with likeable characters for you novel or story--it is all in the imagination that us writers hone them to perfection, or at least close to perfect. Our characters make the story believable or unbelievable. If they feel more like flat personalities then the reader will not like them or they will give a writer a bad review. Round out those characters and see where they go.

     Characters, whether female or male need to have characteristics, which means they need to have issues, and many of them. With many different back stories that go along with these characters enhance them by adding something they must do, like a habit. One character in my book has a habit of rubbing envelopes before opening them. Believable right? Yes, people do have habits, no matter good, bad, or ugly. Insert one into your book before it is through.

     Good characters bring a story together and enable the reader to finish the book from front to back almost in one sitting. Horrible characters are challenging for the reader to wade through and at times, readers put the book down and never pick it up again. There have been too many icky characters written out there. It is up to us writers to make them awesome!

     Keep writing that book even know it is terrible right now--that is what editing is for. When a writer edits, we blow up our characters into something majestic and flowing. "They walked into a room filled with multi-colored balloons and happy smiles." A character with a debt is what readers want to scan, and not a character that is all balloons and smiles on every page. That is just not real-life.

     Let's keep it real for the reader. Write not only what you know but what you are in the process of learning. Life is one huge learning experience and by adding something new to you, you are adding something new to the character. Make him or her something special to you and your reader. Keep this character grounded in reality or any other place, if they are too much of a loose cannon then readers exit the scene.

     Love what you write. If you don't, neither will your readers. Always edit and edit again whenever something is finished or almost completed. And always write your characters well....

~Author Candy O'Donnell

http://authorcandyodonnell.blogspot.com/

When You Write?

     Where is it does a writer find themselves when the mood strikes them? Is it at work, before they go to bed or perhaps at anytime during the day? I have discovered that writing does not follow a time piece but rather flows whenever the mood strikes. It is when this creative architecture takes place as it bows down and releases words for the writer to grasp then write in such a loving manner.

     Writing is not always sporadic or indecisive. I can continuously move along in such a way that the writer themselves does not have an apparent reason why characters, plot, or meaning is the way it is. Accept it and write at night, during the day, or in the morning. I myself write anytime I feel like it. Writing is one of those wonderful insights that comes and goes and when it comes, be prepared to exhaust your brain.

     The morning hours are usually best for writers just after a morning walk. It inspires the mind to take hold of ideas that had been stirring within. A good jog loosens many good stories ready to leap from the writer's hands. Exercise in the morning wakens the mind and prepares it to write what simmered during the night. Early writing is blurted out so the writer can move forward with their day to do whatever is waiting for them after the words have flowed.

     Day writing can be very soothing too. During the day, the morning is through and the children have gone to school so there is no excuse not to write unless you have a job to attend to. This time can be set aside for you, your mind, and your creativity. Let to move outward where words can distinguish themselves from what transpired during the morning. Release them! Don't hold back. I find that I can receive a headache if I do not write.

     Night writing is especially grand. Many writers are without distractions and feel their outward movement clutch their minds. Write your heart out and do so with integrity and honor. Allow this time to spew your sentences of the day. Sometimes we come up with great concepts for future books and can rehash what we thought about. The main premise is to write, write, write!

~ Author Candy O'Donnell

http://authorcandyodonnell.blogspot.com/

Creative Writing: A learning process for writers

If you look at the famous authors, you will find that very few ever attended a college or university, let alone the handful that actually majored in composition and literature. In all honesty, the majority of them would not have told you they were writers because frankly they did not know it themselves! 

You see, being creative and imaginative and inspirational is vital to being a creative author. It is more than sitting at your desk with that breath-taking setting, that realistic character, that mind-blowing plot, and so on. It is merely about using your own experiences and writing them out the same way an artist would paint. 

I have come to the conclusion that there are three distinct types of writers. Firstly, we have the “dreamers” that spend a lot of time thinking and entertaining themselves with their own ideas but never bother to jot them down. Secondly, we have the “commenters” who spend their time outlining and making plans for success but lack the motivation to finish. And thirdly, we have the “achievers” that are committed to their ideas and work at them daily. It’s interesting the different kinds of writers I have encountered in my young life. I notice that a lot of us are “commenter’s” in that we are all about the story and the trail that will launch us into fandom. 

I will keep it real with you by listing all the books that I have attempted to write and fail: 

The Guardian
The Finding
Blue Bird
Juliet
Wishing Wall
Spindle
Mandrill

You see, I have tried to write a total of seven novels. If you think I have failed, that is your opinion. I think the greatest thing about creative writing is that you do not have to continue or finish your work in order to learn from it. Currently, I am working on this list. It has taken the other six to teach me things like aspiration, commitment, and determination. It is also changing the way in which I write. Not everyone has a first-person point of view, which can shape the way you look at characters and plots when you find out what works for you and what does not. 

Creative writing is a learn-as-you-go kind of process. 

-Matthew Benton

Review of “Of Bees and Mist” by Erick Setiawan

“Of Bees and Mist” by Erick Setiawan is an enthralling read from the first page. It was first recommended to me through Amazon and Good-Reads. I have reread it a great deal and enjoyed it every time. It is a young adult story and also Setiawan’s debut novel which may come as a surprise because the language reads like it was written by a distinguished author. The book is told in the third-person but the main focus is on the life of Meridia.

The story begins with Meridia as a child. Her father, Gabriel, is presented as a cold and numbing character who is impossible to win attention or love from. It is shortly revealed that every night he leaves in a cloud of mist and returns home the following morning in the mist; he having a long-standing affair with another woman. Her mother, Ravenna, is no exception with her private dark language and obsessive behavior. The house, like the parents, is always filled with a bitter coldness to where Meridia can never remain warm for very long. Needless to say, she lives a very abnormal childhood.

The story transitions into Meridia’s life as a young adult where she meets Daniel. It seems unreal when she finds herself taken by his charm. She then learns to cherish his mother, Eva, whose laughter brings her warmth, appearing to be everything her own mother is not. Later in the story, Meridia realizes that Eva is the one responsible for keeping people awake durring the night, torturing them with the sound of a thousand buzzing bees. Daniel’s two sisters, Malin who is spiteful, and Peremony who is gentle and kind, are the family she envies. Meridia becomes Daniel’s bride through a sacrifice on her own mother’s part.

After having married Daniel, the plot of the book begins to take an unmistakable turn. For the remainder of the story, Meridia spends a majority of her time arguing with Daniel, feuding with Eva, re-establishing her relationship with her mother, protecting her sister-in-laws, and finding the answer to Gabriel’s secret.

The setting of the book is a mystery in that Setiawan never gives the reader a name, only the title of streets, estates, markets, and festivals; however, the language makes-up for it. It truly is an outstanding novel for those who enjoy fiction, literary, fantasy, young-adult, or those who enjoy stories with a fairytale-esque ending to it.

by Matthew Benton 

Welcome Matthew Benton!

The Shaky Shelf would like to welcome our newest blogger Matthew Benton! We can't wait to see what wonderful things you have in store for us!

ANNOUNCEMENT!!

Hey all,

Sorry it has taken me so long to update the page. I had to do a serious move cross-country from New Jersey to Las Vegas and it has been super hectic. I am in the process of revamping this and all of my blogs to make them bigger and better. Stay tuned and hold on tight because The Shaky Shelf is about to get very shaky!

ATTENTION WRITERS/BLOGGERS: I am looking for other writers to collaborate on this and possibly other blogs. I need a long-term dedicated writer who will help me take this blog to the next level. The only requirement is dedication and a creative mind. If you know SEO that is cool as well. My goal is to turn this into a full-time operation and get dedicated space through funding. Please let me know if you are interested. Post a link to your work here and I will get in touch with you through your blog.

Tips to keep you focused as a writer

A good writer needs to be focused, dedicated, and committed. As a writer it can sometimes be very difficult to stay focused especially when there are so many distractions. Here are some tips that can help:

1. Set aside a time each day to write. Turn off the phone and the television.
2. Even if you are not working on any projects, write anyway. You never know when inspiration may come!
3. READ READ READ! It does now matter what you read as long as you read. You have to keep your mind sharp and it is difficult to write when you are not engaged in any outside content.
4. Keep a notepad beside the bed. Sometimes my biggest ideas come at night right before bed or in a dream.
5. Take a walk. You don't want to spend hours in front of your computer. Always give yourself a break and then come back to whatever you were working on.

These are just some quick tips to keep you focused and sharp. I also have several tools that I use as a writer that help me maximize my time. Check out the products (this also supports the site) to the right of this post. Almost every day I use my Kindle, the Livescribe Smart Pen, and Dragon Speech-to-text. These things are awesome because they allow me to get my ideas down quickly. Did you know that the Livescribe also has handwriting-to-text converting software that you can use when you upload your handwritten notes? I use this a lot as well and this saves LOADS of time! If you have any questions let me know. Please let me know how these tips have helped you and if there is anything else that you would like to see on 'The Shaky Shelf'.

Please sign up as a member of the site as well as our email list to receive a FREE ebook!

Make money in between projects with Fiverr and Elance

Hi everyone,

I hope your holidays are going well thus far. I have been engaged in several writing projects recently. In addition to my new ebook which will be finished soon, I have been doing a bit of freelancing. For authors it is sometimes diffficult to earn an income while we are in the middle of any projects. i have found several great ways to earn an income online without the need for long-winded introductions, interviews, meetings, etc. One of the sites is Fiverr.com. Most of you probably know about Fiverr. It is an awesome way to make a little spending cash in between larger jobs. Another great way to earn is through Elance. I have a profile on Elance and I think it is a great program. You can market your skills and even certify your skills for the site. This gives you more credibility with employers. There are no physical interviews or anything like that and this is great for supplemental income. You can sign up for Elance at:  https://www.elance.com/?rid=2TWAX

Some authors may be against doing anything outside of their craft but sometimes you have to eat. I would rather outsource some of my skills from time-to-time rather than being a starving artist. While my books do bring in income, I sometimes need something extra while I am waiting to be paid from my larger more mainstream products.

I hope this post has helped all of you. I will be adding more helpful tips to get you through some of your dry spells. Remember, doing these things does not  not make you any less of a writer or an author. In fact, some of these side jobs can help you hone in on your skills. You can use your writing skills to do things on Elance and Fiverr like blogging, ebook creation, etc. You can develop new skills such as: marketing and SEO as well. These thing will not only put a few extra bucks in your pocket but will help you develop and market yourself more effectively!