REVIEW FOR CHARLENE THE STAR BY DEANIE HUMPHRYS-DUNNE

It is a sweet story about Charlene, a horse who knows from the start that being a racehorse is not for her. Instead, she has another talent that is uniquely her. I really liked this story because it was about finding that one true thing you are good at and doing it to the best of your ability. This book is also about friendship and her companion Elliot, is just the sweetest dog imaginable. I think this is a very good book for children and grown ups alike. There are lessons to learn that could be applied in life for people young or old. Like giving your best is always good enough. The illustrations are beautiful and I personally just loved learning more about horses.

You can purchase a copy Here or you can visit the author Deanie Humphrys-Dunne over at her blog Here.

GRAMMARLY REVIEW

What is Grammarly you ask? It is a website that hosts proofreading, grammar and spell checking software that allows you to better your written documents. It is meant to act like your proofreader or grammar coach. I was recently asked to take the Grammarly software for a test drive, to see how I liked it and here are my thoughts…

I have tried it and I can say that it is user friendly. All I had to do was cut and paste the first chapter of my manuscript onto the template provided and then choose the style of the document, which was creative and then click on the review button. You wait a few seconds and up pops a report saying how many errors have been found, what types of errors they are and what needs correcting. With the first chapter of my manuscript alone, the software mentioned that I had 47 errors, which made me want to faint.

Pros

• It acts like an extra pair of eyes, which is what we writers need
• It is user friendly
• It is quick
• You can even check for plagiarism
• BBB accredited business
• Truste Verisign Secured
• McAfee Secure
• You can sign-up for a free 7 day trial
• It can be used to check various types of writing styles, whether it is for blogging, business or simply creative writing 

Cons

• You have to pay a fee to use it regularly. You have an option of Monthly, Quarterly or even Annual payments
• You get a report with all your errors on it, but you have to create an account and provide payment information in order to get the suggestions to fix those errors, even though you use the free trial option 

You can check Grammarly out for yourself, Here. 

THE RAIN MAKES IT ALL BETTER

The rain is just beating down on our roof right now and I must admit people, I am feeling like writing. It is something about the sound of the rain that just gets to me. It calms me and the writing juices flow. I guess I like the rain weather here, because tomorrow the sun will be shining bright again and there would be no traces that it had been dark and gloomy the day before, as if the rain had never happened. So no matter how much it rains, you are guaranteed that the sun will shine again soon and brightly at that.

These are the last 11 days until my contract expires with my literary agent and until I can say what is and has truly been on my mind for a while. I have asked her to withdraw my manuscript from the entire submission process, so now I am just waiting out my contract.

My colleague, the one who doesn't like me, has been offered a transfer. It is a better position with a better chance of advancement in the future and she accepted the offer. She will be leaving next month and then there is the prospect of my boss needing to replace her with someone else. I am still looking for another job too. The company I work for is just...lets just say we have different ideas of what is right and wrong. The sooner I find something else the better. I actually did apply for a new job today, but a lot of people applied for it, so we'll see.

GREAT READ! MAGUIRE'S CORNER!

Maguire’s Corner by fellow blogger, Heather M Gardner is Half Price over at Front Porch Romance! It is definitely a must read and oh so enjoyable. I got my copy and I am loving it. It is fast paced and I can't stop wanting to find out what happens next. You will not be disappointed. 

Just so that you know, it is also available in PDF format, if like me, your software is not e-book compatible. 

About Maguire's Corner

Coffee shop owner Maggie Maguire doesn’t trust the new police chief her father hired to protect Maguire’s Corner. He’s a stranger, cold, bossy and annoyingly handsome. But, Maggie’s witnessed a serious crime and now someone’s trying to kill her. The man that aggravates her most might be the only one that can help her.

Police Chief Jack Munro likes his new job and his new town, and unfortunately he also likes the stubborn but beautiful town sweetheart. His self-imposed hands-off Maggie policy is about to be put to the ultimate test when he must keep her close to protect her while he tracks down a ruthless killer.

Determined to ignore Jack’s charms, Maggie attempts to help him unravel the mystery but when their lives hang in the balance she must decide how much she’s willing to risk to save the man she suddenly can’t resist.

I GOT ANOTHER AWARD!

I was just starting to think what a terrible blogger I was and then I get another awesome blogger award. 

Thank you so much Carol from Under the Tiki Hut. This award really means a lot to me because there are so many kick-ass female bloggers out there and you shared this award with me. Thank you. 

Now I have to share this award with 10-12 other female bloggers. 

Heather - The Waiting is the Hardest Part

Annalisa - Wake Up, Eat, Write, Sleep

Katie - KCross Writing

Sarah - Simply Sarah

LD Masterson - LD Masterson

Nancy - Introverted Writer

Michelle - Writer in Transit

MJ - My Pet Blog

Deanie - Thoughts and ideas from Deanie Humphrys-Dunne

Jai - And Then

The Golden Eagle - The Eagle's Aerial Perspective

These ladies are all very awesome and I enjoy reading their blogs a lot. 

SNAILING AROUND

July month, has been a very slow blogging month for me so far. I am finding it hard to blog about certain topics this month, because I will only be allowed to talk about them at the end of this month, so stay tuned.

I have been doing a lot of thinking and a little bit of writing. The thinking entails what I am going to do when my contract with my agent expires at the end of this month. We have been together for a almost a full year at the end of this month and nothing to show for it...blah blah blah. The writing is taking me strange places. I am totally taking myself and my main character out of her comfort zone, doing all kinds of things that the good girl shouldn't. It has been a long while since I have been so excited about a book that I am writing.

In a strange way, the closer my contract is to expiring, the more writing I am getting done. That is just so weird. What are you up to?

SEBASTIAN FALLS AND IWSG

I am really happy to have author and fellow blogger, Celeste Holloway from Words Done Write guest posting on my blog today.

Hello, and thanks for saving me a spot on your blog!

If I had to dish on Sebastian Falls, I’d say it pulled me out of the depths. While writing SF, I was smack in the middle of a crisis, and sorrow transformed into productivity. Instead of taking my frustrations out on the world, I poured them into my characters. Now, I’m a true believer in the saying, “Something good always comes out of something bad.” No matter what happens, I’ll always be grateful for the things I don’t understand and how they serve a greater purpose in my life than what is visible.

About Sebastian Falls

A year after her parents’ death, seventeen-year-old, Meadow Parker is close to having a grave of her own.

Beyond her shrink’s false diagnosis of PTSD, there’s no medical reason for her failing health. Only she knows the cause. But if Meadow told the truth—told them what comes for her at night—they’d lock her in a padded cell.

Grasping to help her find closure, Meadow’s best friend, Casey Somner, drags her to the place her parents were obsessed with—the historical landmark that fuels Meadow’s fears and nightmares.

Once Meadow steps foot on the hallowed ground, she has a supernatural encounter that leaves her stricken with terror, but charged with power, fulfilling the legendary prophesy about the coming of The Keeper.

Both the holy and the unholy have waited over a hundred years for a new Keeper to resurface. Like it or not, Meadow’s destiny as Keeper is sealed, and the battle for her soul begins. A sharp double-edged sword, she will either save the world from Armageddon or fast track its annihilation.

You can purchase your copy of Sebastian Falls Here 

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IWSG

Writing has always been my way to vent and to express myself. I might not always have written novels, but I have always been writing in one way or another. I have this strange habit of not writing when I feel sad or upset, which is ironic, as it is the best opportunity to get rid of those unpleasant feelings.  I can definitely not imagine my life without writing. I guess it has become part of me and in some way it defines me.  Yet, whenever I talk about my writing to anyone else, I am shy and I wonder if I should change the subject, before they ask me whether I am any good and whether I am published.  

The Insecure Writers Support Group was created by the wonderful and talented author and blogger, Alex J. Cavanaugh. You guys can visit Alex over at http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com.