Rachel Thompson

Jack Canon's American Destiny

Friday, May 24, 2013

Orangeberry Book of the Day – Betty’s Child by Donald Dempsey

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“Heartrending and humorous.” Kirkus Reviews

“Highly recommended.” Dr. Alan Gettis, Ph.D., author of The Happiness Solution

“An unforgettable memoir.” San Francisco Book Review

In the tradition of Frank McCourt and Angela’s Ashes, Don Dempsey uses Betty’s Child to tell the story of life with his cruel and neglectful mother, his mother’s abusive boyfriends, and hypocritical church leaders who want to save twelve-year-old Donny’s soul but ignore threats to his physical well-being. Meanwhile, Donny’s best friend is trying to recruit Donny to do petty theft and deal drugs for a dangerous local thug.

Young Donny is a real-life cross between Huckleberry Finn and Holden Caulfield as he tells his story, with only his street smarts and sense of humor to guide him. Donny does everything he can to take care of himself and his younger brothers, but with each new development, the present becomes more fraught with peril–and the future more uncertain.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Memoir

Rating – PG13

Connect with Donald Dempsey on Facebook

Orangeberry Free Alert - Artful Dodger (Maggie Kean Mis-Adventures) by Nageeba Davis

Artful Dodger - Nageeba Davis

Amazon Kindle US

Amazon Kindle UK

Genre - Romantic Suspense

Rating - PG13

5 (4 reviews)

Free until 26 May 2013

Take one funny, wise-cracking artist, one gorgeous, sexy detective, throw in a grizzly murder, a little amateur sleuthing, and you have the makings of a wild, romantic, mis-adventure.
Art teacher and sculptor Maggie Kean thought she was having a rotten day, burning her toast, stubbing her toe, and all before eight in the morning. Things just couldn't get any worse. At least, until the dead body clogs up her toilet. To make matters worse, Maggie becomes the prime suspect. Now all she has to do is evade the police, clear her name, trap a killer...and deal with one mouth-watering, hunky detective who drives her crazy while making her hormones do the happy dance.

Kim Cano – 10 Tips for Becoming a Better Writer

10 Tips for Becoming a Better Writer

by Kim Cano

*Read a lot of books and outside your usual genre too. You will learn so much more that way. It will also help develop your own unique voice.

*Even if you’re working a regular job, make some time each day to write so it becomes a habit. (I’ve been guilty of not doing that, and it makes your book take too long to finish and you can lose momentum.)

*Memorize a new word in the dictionary every day, or at least read it and its description. There are so many wonderful vocabulary choices. We tend to stick the same ones.

*Check out some writing books either at the library or online. There are some great ones devoted to slices of writing technique: point of view, dialogue, etc.

*Observe people in situations, how they act, what they are really feeling. Living daily life will give you plenty of character ideas. Just be sure to mix them up and don’t make someone a copy of a real person, unless you’re writing a true story.

*Write stories you want to read. Don’t ever write what you think will sell. Readers will know the difference and it will backfire.

*Connect with more successful authors and see what they have done to improve their craft. You’d be surprised how many are willing to give you tips.

*When you have a dream or a sliver of an idea that could be a story, take time to jot the basic concept down. If you can begin writing right away, great, if not, you will have a seed of something to start in the future.

*Get familiar with grammar rules. If you’re rusty, brush up. Check in every month and re-visit them for an hour or two until you know them without second guessing. I still do that.

*Stop writing and take a short exercise break every hour. You want to create worlds for readers, not expand your waistline!

On a cold Valentine’s Day in Chicago, Amy White, a young widow who lost her husband to cancer, visits the cemetery and makes an unsettling discovery: a bouquet of fresh daffodils lying in front of her husband’s grave.

Curiosity grows into obsession as Amy searches for the stranger who left the flowers, while keeping her activities a secret from her live-in mother and seven-year-old son. The search leads to an unusual friendship that transforms her world and redefines her life.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Women’s Fiction

Rating – PG

More details about the author

Connect with Kim Cano on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.kimcano.com/