Nemo James Reveals the Hidden Music World in His New Book

Book Spotlight - Just a Few Seconds, A Story From the Hidden World of Music and Beyond

Nemo James dreamt of becoming a professional musician from the first time he picked up a guitar following a talent content disaster. Thought of by his friends as being the person most likely to make the big time he turned professional but was continually side tracked by the need to earn a living from music.

His journey takes him all over the world from private gigs for the rich and famous to the roughest pubs. Starting in the late sixties when heavy rock was born, through to the 1980’s and 90’s when discos and electronics decimated live music dance halls.

Just a Few Seconds is an amusing and heartrending story of perseverance showing how the road to success can lead us down the strangest of paths. Just A Few Seconds is a story of one man’s experience in the music business. It is an amusing and true story of a successful freelance musician whose gigs ranged from private parties to the very rich and famous to the roughest London pubs where playing the wrong song at the wrong time meant the difference between life and death. He takes more twists, turns and knocks than a mouse trapped in a pinball machine but the ending shows how the road to success can lead us down the strangest and most desolate of paths. If you are looking for the usual rock star memoirs full of sex drugs and rock and roll then this book is not for you, but if you are interested in a unique insight into the music business that reads like a thriller then this book won’t disappoint.

Here's what Nemo has to say about the inspiration for his book:

Although I was a successful musician, composing was my real love and after 30 years of being unable to a make a living from my compositions I had dug myself into such a huge rut that I knew I had to change my life drastically. Before deciding on what direction my new life should take I had a strong compulsion to write everything down that had happened to me in my old one. I suppose it was a kind of closure from the past and avoidance of the future. This happened twelve years ago during a tour of Switzerland when I had to drive hundreds of miles between gigs and it was during those long drives I practically wrote the whole book in my head. Having spend so many years memorizing everything from thousands of song lyrics to complicated classical guitar solos I was fortunate in being able to remember everything vividly. A year later I finished the final draft and tried to find a publisher but although a couple of them called to say how much they liked it they said it was impossible to sell autobiographies written by unknown musicians and to get back to them when I became famous. I was well aware of how slim were the chances of getting published but it was my last resort so that rejection forced me to look for a new life. It seemed extraordinary to me that the requirement for getting an autobiography published was not good writing and an interesting life but having a record in the charts.


In Just A Few Seconds I wanted to write about what life is like for the 99% of musicians that don’t become rich and famous but still earn a good living often working for the rich and famous. The most interesting stories I have to tell are not about backing artists like Tom Jones and Cliff Richards or playing at private parties for Sheik Yamani or the Aga Khan but stories about holiday camp epidemics, strippers with flatulence and being the cause of US military personnel being Court Martialed. It is amazing how music is such a huge part of everyone’s life and yet so little is known about the ordinary working musicians who supply that music.

12 years later I finally got my big break and so came to live in this beautiful seaside village near Dubrovnik in Croatia. I had the time to return to my book and was determined to publish it even if I had to do it myself. I contacted one of the many publishers that published my music and he advised me not to bother with traditional publishing but to go down the self publishing route. This made sense as for years it has been necessary for bands and songwriters to produce their own albums. Record companies love it because it removes a lot of the risk of signing unknown bands as the band has already produced an album and shown there is a market for their music. I needed to publish my own book and prove there was a market for it and then hopefully a mainstream publisher would offer a solid deal as opposed to small publishers whose only real commitment is to get the book in print.

The more I looked into self publishing the more surprised I was at how sophisticated it had become. I was fortunate in having the I.T. skills to physically produce the book and some loyal fans of my music who offered professional editing and advice so the whole process was plain sailing. I released Just A Few Seconds in February this year and have already been approached by a publisher although it was a small company who were unable to make a firm commitment on promotion so I had the luxury of turning them down. All I have to do now is sit back and dream while I wait for the bidding war. The longer I wait, the longer I get to enjoy the dream.

Amazon Paperback Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Just-Few-Seconds-James-Nemo/dp/0956798608/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1319654177&sr=8-2

Kindle Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Just-A-Few-Seconds-ebook/dp/B004T3FCAW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319654177&sr=8-1

Other Ebook Versions can be purchased from Nemo’s store at

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/nemojames

Born and based in England, Nemo James worked as a professional musician and singer/songwriter for more than 30 years. He now lives in Croatia with his wife Federika and their cat Jutko who is becoming intolerable following his rise to fame on Youtube.

Visit Nemo James at his website http://www.nemojames.com/
Find Nemo James at his tour page at Pump Up Your Book
Watch his videos at You Tube

Please welcome Nemo James to Double M by leaving a comment for him.

Who Has 99 Cents Books?

I've been busy getting my work in progress edited, and have neglected my blog here lately. Still, today I saw a question on the Book Spa Friends egroup which I thought could use some attention.

It was Who Has 99 Cents Books?

I invite anyone with a book selling for 99 cents to let us know and leave a link.

Mine is Killer Career, about the lawyer whose career change could be deadly for her and the man she's come to love. Here's the Amazon kindle link:

http://www.amazon.com/Killer-Career-ebook/dp/B002PDOPPG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318883582&sr=8-1

It's also at Smashwords for 99 cents at

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/21007

Do you have a 99 cents book or know someone who does?

My Guest, Mystery Author, Marilyn Meredith, Tells Us About Changes in the Writing World

THINGS KEEP CHANGING IN THE WRITING WORLD, according to my guest today, Mystery Author, Marilyn Meredith. Here's what she has to say:



Marilyn Meredith


I’ve been at this longer than most and I’ve seen a lot of changes in the writing world, enough to know that nothing ever stays the same.

When I first started writing, I did it in long hand then transcribed it on a typewriter. So I would have copies when I began with a new page, it was paper, carbon paper (had to be sure to put it facing the right direction), and another piece of paper. It was awhile before copying machines came along.

When sending out a manuscript, I had to have two boxes, one with my return address and postage to put inside the larger box so that my manuscript would come back to me if it was rejected. After all, I didn’t want to type all 500 words over again.

Eventually, I would have to retype the manuscript, though, because after being sent out and returned from about five different publishers, it would become rather shop-worn: bent pages, coffee stains, and smelling like cigarette smoke. When I retyped I often also rewrote. (By the way, my first book was rejected nearly 30 times before it found a home.)

Electronic typewriters came along, ones with a correction ribbon. Oh, what a wonderful discovery. By this time, there were also outfits that had copying machines, so for about 5 cents a page, I could get a copy of my manuscript.

Personal computers were the biggest gift to a writer yet. My first one had two places for floppy disks—and these were big and really floppy—one was for the program being used, the other for your story. Neither held very many words. To learn how to use it, the fellow who sold it to me had to come to my house—he also received a lot of phone calls from me.

I have no idea how many other computers I’ve had since then—each one far better than the one before it. You could even have your own printer, copier and fax included.

The next great change was the Internet and email. Sending a whole manuscript via an attachment to e-mail was wonderful! Think of all the paper I saved. Wow!

The first notion of e-books came along about then—10 years or so ago. I had an e-book published before there was such a thing as an e-reader. Not only did that mean anyone buying the book had to read it on a computer, but purchasing it was not easy. The Rocket e-Reader came along and it was great. Ebooks were easily purchased and downloaded. And of course everyone knows how the ebook revolution has taken over with all sorts of eReaders available. Not only that, people can publish their trade paperbacks and their own e-books in various ways

I recently heard that for 150 ebooks are being purchased for every 100 paper books.

Change is coming faster than ever before and it makes me wonder what’s next.



Bears With Us by
Marilyn Meredith

 My latest book is Bears With Us and Deputy Tempe Crabtree has her hands full when bears turn up in and around Bear Creek, a young teen commits suicide and his parents’ actions are suspicious, a prominent woman files a complaint against Tempe and her preacher husband Hutch, a love affair from long ago comes to light, and a woman suffering from dementia disappears.

Available from the publisher as a trade paperback and most e-book formats at: http://mundania.com/book.php?title=Bears+With+Us/

The link at Amazon is

http://www.amazon.com/Bears-Us-Marilyn-Meredith/dp/1606592645/


All my books are available as trade paperback and e-books. You can see what I have on my website: http://fictionforyou.com/

My books are also available at Barnes and Noble, and can be ordered through your favorite independent bookstores.

Marilyn Meredith is the author of over thirty published novels, many award winning, including the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series. Writing as F. M. Meredith, her latest Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel is Angel Lost, the third from Oak Tree Press. Marilyn is a member of EPIC, Four chapters of Sisters in Crime, including the Central Coast chapter, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. She’s also a been an instructor at many writing conferences including the Maui Writers Retreat, Central Coast Writing Conference and many others.


Visit Marilyn online at http://fictionforyou.com/
and her blog at http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/.

Please leave a comment for Marilyn. Maybe you'd like to mention if you've noticed any changes yourself.

Really Roughing It

I'm sitting on the deck of my cottage in the Northwoods. Inside, along with electricity and running water, I have basic cable TV with remote control, VCR and DVD players, a laptop computer, an iPhone from which I can get email and connect to the Internet, or in the alternative, connect the iPhone to the computer and read it all there. On the end table by the bed sit my hands-free landline phone and clock radio. The kitchen contains a small stove and refrigerator, and running water. The bathroom boasts a toilet and shower.

Coming Soon
Forever Young-
Blessing or Curse

My husband fishes from the pier or takes his motorboat out when weather is permitting. So far on this trip, weather is very much cooperating.

From the campground further down the road, I can see a Fed Ex truck coming out.

Did I mention all the great restaurants nearby, and the casino a little too close for my pocketbook?

It's a wonder in the midst of all this hardship I can actually find the strength to sit down and get any editing done on my thriller, Forever Young-Blessing or Curse. Despite the enormous odds, somehow I'll have to manage.

Tell Us How It Got There

On one of my many walks, I happened to notice a hole in the window of a new house that was for sale. I had a few ideas of how it could have gotten there, but I thought I'd ask you to tell me and everyone how you think a hole in a window could have happened.

Please give a short scenario of how the hole got there - a sentence or two, or if you wish, 1-2 paragraphs.
Later, I'll tell you my theories.

If you like romantic suspense,
Killer Career is 99 cents on
Kindle and Smashwords,
$13.95 in print

Thriller - Forever Young-Blessing
or Curse - almost ready!

Mystery - Two Wrongs coming out
again soon!

This Week's Lineup

I'm still working on Forever Young-Blessing or Curse, so I'm not blogging as much. I still managed to get a few posts in, if you'd like to check any of them out.

My 2nd monthly post at The Blood-Red Pencil -
http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2011/09/leave-tip-today-on-blood-red-pencil.html

My blog at Acme Authors Link inspired by a Sold sign -
http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/2011/09/sold.html

My guest, RJ McDonnell, rock & roll series mystery author. That's not all he does -
http://spunkyseniors.blogspot.com/2011/09/rj-mcdonnell-senior-tweener-fulfills.html

Morgan Mandel

Killer Career is 99 cents on
Kindle & Smashwords.
Also in print at Amazon.

Forever Young-Blessing
or Curse Coming Soon

Two Wrongs to be re-
released soon.

Where I Am Lately

You're welcome to make comments at any of these blogs, even if not on the date I originally posted -

At the Acme Authors Link, tell us what your favorite social network is -
http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/2011/09/whats-your-favorite-social-network.html

On Monday I did a blog about Mishaps and how to use them to advantage in manuscripts. I asked people to mention theirs, and got some unusual responses at
http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/2011/09/mishaps-by-morgan-mandel.html

Here's a fun blog called Save the Goober, where you get to show how to fix a mangled manuscript excerpt -http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2011/09/save-goober.html

At Spunky Seniors, you can see a blog about me and my pit bull at
http://spunkyseniors.blogspot.com/2011/09/spunky-senior-morgan-mandel-owns-pit.html,
among other blogs from seniors. Thursday, Sept. 8, will be a post where I feature one of my favorites, The DanZman. If you sign up for emails, you won't miss any of the posts there or you can just drop by http://spunkyseniors.blogspot.com/ at any given time to see what seniors are up to.


Thanks,

Morgan Mandel

Killer Career still
99 cents on Kindle
and Smashwords.
Also in print for 13.95

Two Wrongs to be
re-released soon.

Forever Young-
Blessing or Curse
also coming soon.

Spring Fling 2012 Conference

Get in on the great early registration discount for Spring Fling 2012 conference.
I will be one of the presenters at this conference, speaking about Blog Book Tours!
Here is the information:
2012 SPRING FLING WRITERS' CONFERENCE
Chicago-North Romance Writers of America
April 27-28, 2012
Hoffman Estates, IL

Early Registration opens September 1, 2011
FEATURED SPEAKERS
New York Times best-selling authors:
Sherrilyn Kenyon
Mary Balogh
Simone Elkeles

*Over 30 workshops, many presented by NY Times bestsellers, RITA award winners and multi-published authors. http://www.chicagospringfling.com/workshops.php
*5 Publisher spotlights

EDITORS
Martin Biro-Kensington Publishing
Tera Kleinfelter-Samhain Publishing
Megan Long-Harlequin
Shauna Summers-Ballantine Bantam Dell
Tessa Woodward-Avon Publishing

AGENTS
Ginger Clark-Curtis Brown LTD
Cori Deyoe-3 Seas Literary Agency
Scott Eagan-Greyhaus Literary Agency
Sara Megibow-Nelson Literary Agency
Paige Wheeler-Folio Literary Management, LLC.

*Agent/editor appointments provided on a first registered first served basis.
*Agents and editors subject to change.

Early registration from September 1-October 31, 2011.
RWA members: $164
Non-RWA members: $174

Regular Registration opens November 1, 2011
RWA members: $184
Non-RWA members: $184

For more information about Spring Fling 2012 and to register for the conference please visit:
http://www.chicagospringfling.com/
Questions? Contact us at: conference@chicagonorthrwa.org


It would be great to meet you there!

I Have A Cover For Two Wrongs!

After collaborating with my cover artist, Stephen Walker of S.R. Designs, http://www.srwalkerdesigns.com/ ,
he constructed a great cover for the re-release of my reverted rights debut mystery, Two Wrongs by Morgan Mandel.

A boy's sister is murdered and he knows who did it, or does he?
Prison can turn the most innocent man into a killer. What happens when the person testified against is free?

This novel is set in Chicago when Marshall Field's was still Field's, with references to the Big Tree, Walnut Room and Frango mints during an era when basketball was king.
Lots of Chicago references, including my alma mater,
DePaul University.

As soon as I change the introduction, do a read through and insert a teaser at the back, I'll tackle downloading it onto Kindle and Smashwords. Hopefully, this can be done sometime in September, by October at the lastest. It may also coincide with the release of my new thriller, Forever Young-Blessing or Curse, which is in the editing stages.

I'll let everyone know!

Authors, Be Aware!

Money's tight, so we all need to be alert. I noticed an email ad from Kohl's about free shipping, with no purchase limit, along with 15% off. I then remembered I'd also received a mailer ad containing a 20% off code. I knew what I wanted to buy, so I went online and completed the transaction. What would have been a $51.00 charge became $35.36.

Many readers are out of jobs, or making less money than before. They're looking for deals also. Authors need to be aware of this trend. If you're publishing a book on Amazon Kindle or Smashwords, don't overcharge. Unless you're super-popular, you won't make many sales.

Or, maybe you're entering into a contract with a publisher. If so, think about that publisher's record with ebooks. Are they usually overpriced? What percentage of the sales will you get? Would it be worth it to keep the electronic rights if the publisher will allow it?

The majority of readers still want print, but the tide is still turning. While it does, and probably afterwards, overpriced ebooks don't sell as well. People still want to read, but they're looking for bargains. I know I am.

My current romantic suspense, Killer Career, is priced at 99 cents on Amazon Kindle and at Smashwords. I plan to put Forever Young-Blessing or Curse up at $2.99 at first. I have two backlist books I'm getting ready to also transfer over, and don't plan to go higher than $2.99 for any of them.

What are your thoughts about ebook pricing and book trends?

You can also find Morgan Mandel at
http://facebook.com/morgan.mandel
http://twitter.com/morganmandel
and other online spots.

In the Mood

My friend, Debra St. John, and I were discussing writing and editing our manuscripts. We both agreed we  get a lot more accomplished if we're in the right mood.

Some people may consider it a copout, but if I'm too tired or too rushed, I can't give my manuscript the focus it deserves.

But what if I'm never in the mood?

Sometimes it's not easy to psych myself up to get back into the mood once I'm out of it.This started to happen after putting aside my work in progress to clear the basement after the recent flooding.

I wanted to get the editing of Forever Young-Blessing or Curse started again, but part of me said I didn't, mainly because I'd gotten out of the habit of being in the mood.


After setting aside a block of time with no interruptions, I went to the manuscript and began editing and kept at it. Soon I was back in the mood, getting into the flow where I wanted to be.

I'm not done yet, but I'm getting there. I used some trickery to get back into the mood, but it worked.

What about you? Do you have to be in the mood to write or edit? Do you sometimes trick yourself into getting back into the mood?

My glam shot

Lots of laundromat visits since the basement flooded over a week ago. I'm still cleaning up the mess of waterlogged items amassed from living in the same place over thirty years.

The good news is I finally had time to do more editing on Forever Young- Blessing or Curse today. Also, soon the basement will look better than it has in years!



Morgan Mandel

RAIN is a four-letter word

I know lots of four-letter words that I won't list here. During the winter, SNOW is one of them.
These days, I've added RAIN to my list.

All week it has kept me from doing the edits on Forever Young-Blessing or Curse.

After what might be described as a drought, rain came down in buckets last Friday night and more is predicted. That's not good news because our basement took in 6 inches of water while we lay in bed unaware of the floodgates being opened. Lots of throwing out of Christmas items where the dye ran, plus other wet items, some that should have been discarded years ago. A horrible way to clean out the basement which needed cleaning!

Treasures found were photos in a waterlogged Rubbermaid container, which I rescued after many tedious hours of separating them to dry. It was worth the effort to bring back such memories.

I'm very disappointed that the Rubbermaid containers turned into flotation devices and tipped over with lids coming undone. I'd thought they would be more secure.

I keep telling myself it could have been worse, since many people threw out carpeting and other items that got ruined, and we don't keep anything really fancy down there.

With the forecast of more RAIN this afternoon and  tonight, the DH and I are hoping it won't be visiting our basement! If it does, it won't find too much left to get wet.

My Post Tip - Please Plus



Morgan Mandel



Google +  (Google Plus) is still in its infancy, yet already has millions of members. This network may have a huge impact on SEO, if it doesn't already. Since that may be the case, if you like a blogpost somewhere, and happen to see a plus sign in the tray at the bottom of that post, please click the plus sign. I believe pluses will have the effect of bringing it to the attention of the millions of Google Plus members,

Plus your post yourself first. Never lose an opportunity.

My Google Plus address is morgansplus@gmail.com if you belong also and want to connect.

Everywhere



Forever Young
Blessing or Curse

 I've been everywhere lately, and not here as much. I'm still working on my edits for Forever Young-Blessing or Curse and am amazed how much can still be changed. when I thought before it was right. (g)

Also, I've been pushing the new Spunky Seniors blog at http://spunkyseniors.blogspot.com/ for the 50 and over crowd, or those who are just curious to see how our minds work.


Then, to top it off, I've also created a new Facebook Group, called, guess what? Spunky Seniors, also for the 50 and overs and wannabees (yes, there are some), at https://www.facebook.com/morgan.mandel#!/groups/spunkyseniors

So, I've been busy, and now must get back to my editing so I can get my book out!

A New Blog Called Spunky Seniors

I'm excited to announce my new blog especially for and about seniors. It's about all kinds of fun things seniors are doing these days.

I've got some great pictures from these bloggers to go with their posts as well.

July 7  - Maggie Toussaint goes kayaking.

Here's the link for Maggie's post -
http://spunkyseniors.blogspot.com/2011/07/spunky-maggie-toussaint-kayaks-in-rice.html


July 14 - Pat Bean goes skydiving.

If you're 50 or over and are spunky in some way, I'd be very interested in what you do, and would love some jpegs about it also. Or, maybe a family member or friend, or famous figure strikes you as a spunky senior. I'd welcome a post and pic or two on that also.

I'm keeping the posts short, 3-4 paragraphs are ideal.

Email me at morgan@morganmandel.com with Spunky Seniors in the subject line if you're interested. In the meantime, no matter what age you are, you may wish to come over and see what our spunky seniors are all about. I've also got a button on the blog for you to follow by email, which is handy for reminders. So far, Thursdays will be the only day a new blog will appear, so people can appreciate the contents all week.

Morgan Mandel

Blessing or Curse

I've finished one of the stories in Blessing or Curse - A Forever Young Anthology. This one is the tale of Consuela who caretakes her husband, Diego, who suffers from Parkinson's Disease. This tale strikes home to me since my own dear mother suffered from this debilitating disease before she passed on.

In Blessing or Curse you'll learn whether the Forever Young pill was a good or bad thing for this couple.
I'm off now to work on another of the anthology stories.

In Capable Hands

Forever Young- Blessing or Curse

Forever Young - Blessing or Curse is now in the very capable hands of my editor, Helen Ginger. Hopefully, she won't find too many things wrong with it, but I'll find out. (g)

In the meantime, I'm getting some blog posts ready ahead of time for when I do my Blog Book Tour, and also blurbs to describe the book. It's a busy, fun time!

Will Today be the Day?

I'm wondering if today will be the day I finish editing Forever Young-Blessing or Curse. I'm getting very close.

However, the DH is also home today. He's already got plans for grocery shopping, going to lunch and a few other projects, so maybe it won't be the day.

I'll let you know when it happens.

It's Worth the Bother

I'm on my second personal edit of Forever Young - Blessing or Curse. I'm finding the experience very intense because not only am I reliving what happens in the story, but I'm also checking every little detail to make sure it's filled in and done in the best way possible.

Editing can be fun, and editing can be drudgery. From minute to minute, my feelings change on which it is for me.

I typed it all out single spaced so I could catch the mistakes and mark them in pen. That works fine, except for then having to go back to the manuscript itself and make the changes. I discovered it's way too easy to go through about ten typed pages and mark the corrections. Trouble is then it's a real pain to go to the manuscript itself and make the changes permanent. For my peace of mind, I'm doing only a few pages at a time now instead. I despise the minutiae!

After this, my manuscript is going over to my real editor, Helen Ginger for an even more intense going-over.

Fingers crossed that the Kindle and Smashwords editions will be ready some time this summer. Then I'll tackle Create Space, another project. I'm glad the front cover is already done, but the back is laying in wait for me. I'll need that before Create Space can publish it. So many details, but I'm chugging along. It's worth the bother.

Updated Website

Come on over and check out my updated website at http://morganmandel.com/ when you get a chance.

Fly Like an Eagle?

I saw many eagles while I was on vacation in Wisconsin. They're graceful birds, but also puzzling.

While I walked Rascal one day, I noticed an eagle being chased by a smaller bird. You'd think the eagle, being so much bigger, would have turned on the smaller bird and attacked it. Instead, it put up with the harassment.

The incident reminds me of what's happening now in the publishing world. The smaller birds, i.e., indie publishers and small publishers, are chasing the eagles, i.e., traditional publishers.

The smaller birds are gaining. The big birds are only starting to realize they are threatened. For the most part, they're still going about their usual business, as if no threat is involved. Maybe they don't think there is one.  Or, maybe they can't find a way to get rid of the pesky little birds, the ones they thought wasn't so important but really are.

And what about the authors published by the traditional publishers? Some are having second thoughts about going the same route as before. They're not sure if flying like an eagle is the best choice.

I'm one of the small birds right now, but each author needs to decide what's the best flight path. The great thing about this whole phenomenon is there is a choice.

On the Road Again by Morgan Mandel

Good Paul wasn't so successful last time in the fishing department, so we're off again to Wisconsin so he can try again!

Here are a few pics from last time:

My friend, Jeanne's backyard deer.

Rascal sunning herself on a good day.The tee shirt is so she won't get sunburnt.

The frog pond



The Lake

I'll have more for you from the next trip!

Morgan Mandel At the Mexican Restaurant - We'll probably go back there.
Great food and Great prices!

Mona Risk, Contemporary Romance Author, Shares Editing Tips

Mona Risk

I'm very happy to welcome my guest and Internet friend, Mona Risk, today.
Mona never thought chemistry would lead her to publishing romance novels! Her Ph.D. in Chemistry trained her to prepare medicinal products, allowed her to analyze water and soil samples, and landed her contracts to refurbish laboratories in foreign countries. As a director of an analytical laboratory, she traveled to more than fifty countries on business or vacation. To relax from her hectic schedule, she avidly read romance novels and mentally plotted her own books. Eventually she left a successful scientific career to dedicate herself to her passion and share the many stories brewing in her head. Mona likes to set stories in the fascinating places she visited and throw conflict at her heroes and heroines.

"Mona Risk writes heroes with heart, heroines with spunk in stories and settings that are simply unforgettable!" -- Roxanne St. Claire, Killer Curves, National Bestseller.

You can reach Mona at
http://www.monarisk.com/  and
http://www.monarisk.blogspot.com/

Mona says, "If you like to travel and love to read, come and enjoy my international romances. I will take you around the world through stories that simmer with emotion and sizzle with heat."

Her current release is Rx IN RUSSIAN. Here's a little bit about it -

Fyodor Vassilov is a Russian widower, surgeon and officer. Duty demands he provide a mother to his four little boys and marry a woman who loves children and a big family.
Jillian Burton is an American pediatrician on a mission to improve medical conditions in Belarus. She blames herself and her ex-husband for their son’s death, and has lost her illusions about men and marriage. When they work together for six months in his hospital, their fascination with one another shocks them both. Can attraction and love overcome guilt, duty, and a clash of cultures?
For more, see http://tinyurl.com/3ulvcxp


AND NOW - Mona has some great tips today she'd like to share with you about editing
Edit your Manuscript

By Mona Risk

Someone said that creating a good book is ten percent writing and ninety-percent editing. Although I believe this statistics to be exaggerated, I certainly spend a lot of time polishing my manuscripts before sending them off to an editor.

For me, editing starts while I am writing. As soon as I type my first chapter, I read it again and again, first to check the story flows well, then for typos, spelling and grammar and finally to make sure that the hook is grabbing enough. By hook I mean, the first line, the first paragraph and the first page. These should be intriguing enough to catch a reader’s—or editor’s—interest. As a result, I keep revising the first line and first paragraph while I continue to write my story. By the time the book is finished, I have at least twenty versions of first paragraphs, all saved. I compare them, send them to my critique partners, and sometimes combine some of them, until I am satisfied with my hook.

While revising my first book for ever—more precisely for three years— I realized that an outline could save a lot of time. Now before starting a new story, I do my homework: an outline for the first three chapters, a summary of the back story, a few lines about the hero, heroine and villain’s characters and one paragraph to summarize the storyline. Only then, do I allow myself to start typing the actual story.

By the time my partial is polished, I am well acquainted with my characters and I have a pretty good idea of where the plot is going.

An outline for the whole book completes my preparations and helps my story to flow. Now I can write without interruption for days and weeks.

To edit the whole book, I tabulate the chapters and scenes, and then check the following items.

Setting: avoid having several scenes in the same setting. It’s boring.

POV: Heroine’s or hero’s. If you have a long book you can add, the villain’s POV.

Hook: strong enough to grab the reader.

GMC: what is the goal in that scene, what is the conflict?

Emotional development: show how the Hero/heroine’s attraction to each other escalates and their romance progresses. You should see a definite increase of tension and emotion from scene to scene.

Action: it’s important to show some stage direction.

Sensual Tension: any eye contact, hand touching, kiss,… Like the emotional development, the sexual tension should increase from chapter to chapter.

Sensorial: smell, sounds and color in the scene. It helps the reader be grounded in the scene.

End hook: Make sure it generates suspense, a question to be answered in the next scene or some emotion that keeps the reader panting.

Pace: how do you evaluate the pace in this scene, fast, medium slow? It should be fast if you have action or dialogue, and slow to emphasize emotion.

In addition to self-editing, I can’t stress enough the importance of sharing your work with critique partners.

You manuscript is ready to go. You need one last reading. I suggest you save the file in Adobe, click on VIEW, and then READ OUT LOUD. It’s an amazing feature I discovered a few years ago. The computer will read your story while you look at the pages on the monitor screen and note on a paper the repetitions, missing words, lack of transition. I prefer this method to printing and reading on paper. But you need one these two methods of final reading to catch the mistakes your eyes have stopped seeing on the screen.



Babies in the Bargain



Rx for Trust



BABIES IN THE BARGAIN winner of 2009 Best Romance Novel at Preditors & Editors and winner of 2009 Best Contemporary Romance at Readers Favorite.



Rx FOR TRUST, winner of 2010 Best Contemporary Romance at Readers Favorite and 2011 EPICON.      

Mona’s books are all available at amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_9?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=mona+risk&sprefix=mona+risk

Mona's website: http://www.monarisk.com/

Mona's blogspot: http://www.monarisk.blogspot.com/

Please leave a comment below to welcome Mona.

I Have A Cover for My Almost Done Book, Forever Young-Blessing or Curse!



 I now have a bright new beautiful cover for my almost done paranormal thriller, Forever Young - Blessing or Curse.

Thank you, Stephen Walker, of S.R. Designs at http://www.srwalkerdesigns.com/ for doing such a great job!
Stephen was very patient, easy to work with, and open to suggestions.

Now that I have my cover and my editor, I better finish my initial edits and get the ball rolling!

For more details about Forever Young - Blessing or Curse, come on over to http://facebook.com/morgan.mandel

I Have An Editor!

I emailed my former editor, Helen Ginger, who did such a great job editing Killer Career. She has graciously agreed to be my editor again for Forever Young - Blessing or Curse.

Now, I just need to finish going through Forever Young first so I can catch all the glaring errors before she sees them!

Almost a Cover

Excitement is building, as my cover for Forever Young - Blessing or Curse takes shape. I'll be sure to share it when it's complete, even before the book goes up!

It's been a while since Killer Career came out. Above, on the blog header, I'm sharing my joy as I visited bookstores, found my book, and signed stock copies. I'm not too sure how many bookstores will still be around soon, which is a shame.

Anyway, with regard to Forever Young, right now I'm doing my own editing process, which will then be followed by professional editing. After that will be when I buckle down and figure out how to put it all up on Amazon as a kindle, then later into print.

Stay tuned for further developments.

Killer Career available for 99 cents
on Kindle and Smashwords.
http://facebook.com/morgan.mandel

Happy Easter Egg!



A chocolate Easter Egg from a Bakery.
I don't do real ones any more.

 Silly things stay with a person forever. When I was a kid half a century ago, the pastor at our church said, "Happy Easter Egg" to me. That I remember, though lots of other stuff I've forgotten through the years.

Do you remember something from long ago? Tell us, no matter how sillly it is.

Oh, and by the way, Happy Easter Egg!

Morgan Mandel

At Acme Today

My blog today is over at http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com/  where I offer examples of how what characters eat offers clue to their makeup. A good way to show, not tell. If you get a chance, go over and check out the examples, and if you have your own, please add to them.

Morgan

Never Enough Organized

No matter how much I try, I'll never be enough organized. Still, I do have to make some efforts. I relish every small success along the way.

On my group blog today at Make Mine Mystery, I show some ways for Writers and Readers to remove clutter. Maybe you know more. Please share at


http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com/2011/04/spring-cleaning-for-writers-andreaders.html

Thanks,
Morgan Mandel

Back with Pictures and Lots of Housework to Do




One of the Amtrak stops on the way there was Galesburg.

 

I had a great time doing research coming and going and while in Arizona. I came back with loads of pictures, also loads of wash and bills to take care of. I'm hoping to once again work on Forever Young this week, but some things need straightening out before I can think straight.



Morgan Mandel in the observation car. Lots to observe.



Every time I put my camera away I had to take it out again. There was so much to observe out there, and I wanted to keep as many memories as possible.



More pics on later posts, still have many more to upload onto the computer.


 

Taking in the local flavor

I'm in Scottsdale right now researching for my work in progress, Forever Young - Blessing or Curse. I can hardly wait to include some of what I'm learning in my manuscript to round it all out.

When I get home, I'll put up some pictures here and on Facebook. In the meantime, if you wish, please stop over at Acme Authors Link on Wednesday to read my blog about some of the differences between Arizona and Illinois, and feel free to mention about those in your home state and others.

Tag if you wish

I've been busy doing some neglected housecleaning the last few weeks, and unfortunately have much more on my plate to accomplish. It doesn't come easy, since I neglected the home over 38 1/2 years while working full time. This project needs doing before I find another full time job. In the meantime, I'm also doing research on Forever Young - Blessing or Curse.

One of the egroups mentioned about how tags are important on Amazon. If you've read Killer Career, I'd appreciate your going to Amazon and agreeing with the tags there or adding your own tags at

http://tinyurl.com/48bunxg

Thanks,
Morgan Mandel
Killer Career 99 cents on
Kindle and Smashwords

I'm a Guest at Mike Manno's Blog

I'm usually the one interviewing, but today I'm answering interview questions at Mike Manno's blog -


We'd both be happy if you'd stop by at

http://mikemanno.blogspot.com/2011/03/mondays-with-mike-author-morgan-mandel.html

Thanks,
Morgan Mandel

Seven Things You May Not Know About Me - Or Maybe You Do

Stylish Blogger Award

Jean Henry Mead has presented me with a Stylish Blogger Award. I've received other awards before, and have been lax about responding, since they required posting a bunch of links, and I just didn't have time at the time, then my senior mind forgot about them.

This time, I decided to respond right away before I forgot. Also, I only need offer one link, and that's hers above.

The main requirement for accepting the Stylish Blogger Award is to list seven things about myself, so here goes:

1. I'm currently unemployed, after working as an administrative assistant for 38 1/2 years.

2. I love my kindle and read it while eating breakfast and lunch, or when nothing's good on TV.

3. I hardly every make phone calls. I prefer to e-mail instead. That's why my Iphone doesn't get used much as a phone, but the other features get lots of use, like the camera and Internet.

4. I'm addicted to Facebook and visit often during the day. I also like Twitter, but am not on there as much.

5. I've written mysteries and romances, and am almost through writing a paranormal thriller.

6. This is not my only blog. I'm also at Acme Authors Link on Wednesdays, at Make Mine Mystery on the first and 3rd Mondays of the month, and on The Blood-Red Pencil the first and second Tuesdays of the month.

7. I love country music, slots, chocolate, ice cream and pizza.

8. I dye my hair to keep the grey away.

9. I hate arithmetic. I guess that means I'll never be rich.

Rascal

10. My dog, Rascal, is a pit bull, yet is more popular than I will ever be. She's also on Facebook and has many followers.

TOLD YOU I HATE ARITHMETIC!  AS ONE OF YOU POINTED OUT, I CAN'T COUNT. I PUT DOWN 10 THINGS, NOT SEVEN. (LOL)

If You Don't See Me Here

Just to let you know, I've been quite busy on my work-in-progress, Forever Young. Because of that I haven't been posting as many blogs.

If you don't see me here, stop on over at http://facebook.com/morgan.mandel or
http://facebook.com/foreveryoungbook and you'll most likely see me there.

Morgan Mandel

Killer Career now 99 cents
on Kindle and Smashwords

Back in the Groove

After struggling with the income taxes since February 25, my brain was wasted. When I sat down to pick up where I left off on my paranormal thriller, Forever Young, I wasn't sure if I could do it.

I took baby steps, cheating and going back to the first chapter, fixing and condensing sentences. Then, I got brave enough to hit Control, End, and skip to the bottom to pick up where the story had left off. I kept at it and the flow began.

I'm happy to say I made my daily goal of 1,000 words, actually 3 words more!

Now, I'll relax, maybe play on the Internet or read the book I tore myself away from at lunch. It's good to be back in the groove again. Once I slip out if it, I'm always afraid I can't make it back in. This time I did, and I intend to stay there!

Morgan Mandel

Come visit on Facebook as well at -
http://facebook.com/morgan.mandel

It's Done! It's Done!

I can now reclaim my normal life. My income tax stuff is all ready to go the accountant! Maybe next year I'll be more organized and it won't take me as long --- Big Maybe!!

Will Today Be the Day?

Will today be the day I finish getting the income tax stuff in order? I hope so, because it's a real time waster. I haven't been able to do any more work on Forever Young since February 25, when the dreaded income tax junk took priority. I'm under the gun because once it's in order, then it goes to the accountant. If it's not in order, that would be tons of extra money to pay him, and it's money I can't afford.

So, I'm hoping today will be the day. Maybe you're more organized and yours is already done. Hope so for your sake.


Morgan Mandel




http://facebook.com/morgan.mandel
Killer Career is 99 cents on
Kindle and Smashwords

Can You Spot the True Optimist?



A True Optimist


Can you spot the true optimist in this photo?

I'll give you a hint - it's yellow.

Yes, one of my daffodils dares to believe it can survive, despite the cold temperatures and recent deluge of snow.  Somehow, this optimist believes Spring is coming and it can hang on until then.

Maybe it will. I'm hoping it does, because I admire such optimism.

That's the kind of attitude I'd like to cultivate. Every book I write I want to be the best I've ever written, and I want to convince everyone else it's true.

If a daffodil can do it, so can I!

To Promote or Self-Promote? Which is Easier?

After all these years as an author and blogger, self-promotion still doesn't come naturally to me. I find it much easier to promote other people, books and places rather than to extol my own virtues.

You may find this strange, since I'm in so many social media groups, and I seem to be all over the place. Yes, I am, but once the basics are down, you don't find out much more. Once in a while I'll slip in a reference to one of my books, but I have a feeling I could have done so a lot more often, but haven't bothered.

I've passed over many opportunities for promotion because it seems so much more difficult to convince others of my own capabilities than to convince them how wonderful my friends, fellow bloggers, or even strangers are.

One of the reasons is something I learned long ago, which is nobody likes a braggart. Another reason, I'm afraid, is laziness. It's a lot simpler to let others answer my questions, than to be the one on the receiving end and have to think up what to say about myself. Another reason is probably disorganizaition. I need to keep a FAQ list with answers to frequent questions handy, so I can answer them easily.

As part of my new disciplined attitude toward being an author, part of which involves my setting the 1,000 word goal each day, I've decided to be more aggressive toward self-promotion. I've already set up a new Facebook page specifically to detail my progress on my work in progress, Forever Young, to keep me on the right path to finishing my goal in that respect. I've also accepted requests for interviews by two bloggers, April Pohren and Mike Manno, and will be appearing on their blogs. First, I have to finish their interview questions. Then I'll let you know when I'll be there.(G)

What about you? Is it easier for you to promote or self-promote? You don't have to be an author to answer this question. It can apply to other areas of your life as well.

Morgan Mandel
http://facebook.com/foreveryoungbook
Killer Career now 99 cents on
Kindle and Smashwords

Forever Young - My New Facebook Page

Even with extra time at my disposal due to my recent state of unemployment, it's not always easy to discipline myself to write a certain amount of words on my manuscript each day. Although I love writing, inspiration doesn't strike as often as I'd wish.

To keep myself motivated and encouraged, I've set up a Facebook page for my work in progress, a paranormal thriller, tentatively titled Forever Young, which seems to fit. Also, I've put up a stock photo profile pic, which is an accurate depiction of the heroine. The cover may be changed if needs be, but this will suffice for now.

I'd appreciate your coming over and do the Like thing at my new page. Once I get a certain amount of followers, I can then get a fancy url to make it easier to get there. Here's the link for now:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Forever-Young/187944944561645

Come on over when you can and share the progress of my book.

Time Flies

I've learned that time flies even when I'm not working, per se. I still don't have a day job, but it's amazing how fast the days are going by. I expected to be bored at least some of the time, but actually I'm too busy to be bored. I also expected to get more of the house cleaning projects done, but I'm lucky to get something small done each day.

I've discovered it takes me a while to reach my self-made quota of 1,000 words per day on my Forever Young manuscript. I wish I were a faster writer, but that doesn't seem to be happening either. Still, I am accomplishing something, but won't feel fully accomplished until writing The End on the last page of my manuscript.

Morgan Mandel
Killer Career 99 cents on
Kindle and Smashwords

My Brain is Toast

My brain is toast lately. That's because I can't keep too many things in it at one time. So, since I've been concentrating a lot on writing my thriller, Forever Young, other stuff kind of slips through.

What about you? Do you have trouble concentrating on other things when you've been trying to get a manuscript written?

Morgan Mandel
Killer Career 99 cents on
Kindle and Smashwords

Working on Forever Young Again

Working on Forever Young again today. Accomplished 1038 words yesterday, despite the hoopla of the Bears/Packers game.

In the meantime, you're welcome to tell us how you're feeling today at Spill It Here:
http://spillithere.blogspot.com/2011/01/monday-mix.html

Morgan

Spill It Here Is Now Open

Just opened a new blogspot, kind of a catchall, where you can report whether you're Sad, Mad or Glad, and why - Here's a link if you want to check it out.

http://spillithere.blogspot.com/2011/01/glad.html?showComment=1295825289805#c8153056327960744404

In The Flow

Since I decided to go forward again with Forever Young, I've been creeping up with the page count. It's now up to 33,862, from 31,815 yesterday, making 2,047 up, but who's counting? (G)

At first I wasn't sure I could think of things to say. Once I got started, magic happened. The other night I'd just pulled the covers over me in bed when inspiration struck, gifting me with plot leads and twists. I was so excited, I jumped up, turned on the light. grabbed a pen and scrap of paper from my purse, and wrote down what had sprung into my mind before I could forget it all. (Good thing the DH was still downstairs, having fallen asleep on the easy chair, while watching TV, or that light turning on wouldn't have gone over too well.)

Today, I experienced something which hadn't happened in a while. I finally got into the flow. The words came out as fast as I could type them. They even made sense.

Right now, I'm tired from inhabiting my character's mind and body for a few hours. It's almost like physical labor.

Am I the only one who gets worn out from a good day of writing?

Morgan Mandel
http://facebook.com/morgan.mandel
Killer Career on Kindle for 99 cents

Winter Weather Stories

We've got below zero and dangerous wind chill in the forecast for the Chicago area Thursday night going into Friday. Already there's a mix of snow and ice on sidewalks, streets and parking lots. It's difficult navigating around even if you're in  a car. Good time to stay home, keep warm and read a book, but not everyone can do that.

Those who experience winter weather in states like Illinois and tons of other places know all too well how can impact their lives. 

Killer Career

Along with other winter scenes, my romantic suspense, Killer Career,  shows two of the main characters looking for a missing dog in a snow covered backyard. Their shocking discovery heightens the feeling that something is amiss.

Have you written a book where winter weather plays a part in the setting or plot?

Or, maybe you'd like to recommend someone else's.