Meet the REAL Adelia Burke

If you have read any of Adelia Burke's clean romance books in the past, you might have wondered what happened to her! 

Best-selling author Trina Boice recently interviewed Adelia.  As it turns out, Adelia Burke is just a pen name!  The author's real name is Deb Earl!

Be sure to visit her website at www.AdeliaBurke.com where you can get a free eBook when you join her VIP Club!

                                       

Interview questions:

1.      Why did you want to write this book? I don’t like the standard romance novels. I love plot twists.

2.      What inspires you when you’re writing? Life and humor. Some things are so good in real life that you can’t make them up.

3.      What other authors have influenced your writing? Anita Stansfield, Marcia Lynn McClure

4.      What book are you reading right now? The Gable Faces East: A Novel

5.      What is your favorite book of all time and why?      Uglies & Pretties: Uglies; Pretties

It is futuristic and such a different view of life.

6.      Are your fictional characters based on real people you know? No

7.       How did you come up with your plot?   Everywhere we go, we are bombarded with celebrities and paparazzi. While there is some truth in the articles, even if there is picture evidence, it’s usually not the full truth. A lot get twisted to make a good story and bring in money.

8.      What was the most difficult thing about writing a book? Making sure there aren’t too many plot twists. Also, making sure each character is clearly defined.

9.      What advice would you give for someone who thinks they want to write a book? Map out your story. Make sure you know your audience.

1.  What's the next book you'll begin writing?   It’s a fun Billionaire Series...with a plot twist, of course!

11.Describe your desk.

1.  What do your fans mean to you?  I love meeting them in my Facebook group and chatting.

1.   When you’re not writing, how do you spend your time? Gardening, travel, painting, movies


Be sure to check out the other stops on this fun book blog tour!

June 1

www.crossroadreviews.com

June 2

http://www.communitybookstop.blogspot.com

June 3

http://www.confessionsofbethany.com/

June 4

www.BiblioLeviosa.home.blog

June 5

www.bonnieharris.blogspot.com

June 6

http://fireandicephoto.blogspot.com/

June 7

www.cedarforthauthors.blogspot.com

June 8

www.mybookaday.blogspot.com  

June 9

www.baronessbooktrove.com

June 10

www.MovieReviewMom.com

June 11

www.kameomonson.com/blog

June 12

https://luwromance.wordpress.com/?fbclid=IwAR3NAXiYs-2NILrwQJFQiXbk1_leCMkf9qJnYC-IaDCtEFNDpqHZHBRXjzA

June 13

https://www.instagram.com/book.amour/

June 14

www.thephantomparagrapher.blogspot.com

WIN PRIZES WHEN YOU PARTICIPATE!

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Are you passionate about earning and saving money?

This blog is all about writers who are passionate about a particular subject and readers who are too!
One of the books I've written is all about saving money and earning money! I'm passionate about helping others to learn how to do those things too!

My friend Ashleigh Boyd interviewed me, as well as other business owners, inventors, creators, coaches and bloggers. This event is your chance to listen to 21 of the most successful entrepreneurs on how they followed their dreams and achieved their success. Learn how to turn your feelings of being overwhelmed, frustrated and lost to feeling confident, competent and empowered.

Join this free webinar series by registering here http://achievingultimatewealth.com/save-my-spot-trinaboice

New movie about Charles Dickens makes authors smile and laugh

If you're an author, you'll get a kick out of this new movie about one of England's most cherished authors, Charles Dickens.  I posted this movie review on my web site Movie Review Mom.   Enjoy!


Movie Title:  The Man Who Invented Christmas

Grade:  A-

Rating:  PG, 104 minutes

In a Nutshell:   I admit it.  I loved this movie, because I'm an author.  

I have a particular fondness for movies that peel back the curtains on the life of a successful author and reveal the painful writing process, including writer’s block, muses, and taking notes of people’s names (I do all that too.)  In this case, Charles Dickens is the author and the book that he struggles to write in less than 6 weeks is the famous, beloved A Christmas Carol: Original illustrations by John Leech.

I love that he was inspired by life around him.  Charles Dickens’ father warns, “We must not disturb the poet when the divine frenzy is upon him.”  True THAT!  When I’m writing and “in the zone”, it makes me crazy when I get interrupted, so I got a kick out of watching Charles Dickens deal with the constant knocking at his door.

Based on the book, this family friendly film is perfect for almost all ages and will leave you with the desire to do something kind for someone this Christmas season.  In fact, after A Christmas Carol: Original illustrations by John Leech was released in 1843, charitable giving immediately surged.  I hope this movie gets the same reaction.

 

Uplifting theme: 

• “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of another.” –
• “Christmas…the hope that our better natures will prevail.” - John
• Are you fettered by chains that you have made in life?  Jacob asked, “Do you know the link of the chain you bear yourself?”
• Poor vs. rich

Things I liked:

• Dan Stevens and those blue eyes!  If you wanted to see more of him since you first discovered him in Beauty and the Beast (2017) (Theatrical Version), you’ll love watching him star in this movie as Charles Dickens.
• Christopher Plummer was perfect as Ebenezer Scrooge. 
• The set pieces, furniture, and costume designs are really great.  I loved the details like the oil lamps for street lights.  Speaking of sets, some of the pieces from the TV series Penny Dreadful: Season One were used to make this film.  Despite the fact that you really feel like you’re in 19^th Century London, most of the filming was done in Ireland.
• Some well-placed humor.
• The audience laughed when Charles Dickens’ publisher said, “There’s not much of a market for Christmas.”
• While A Christmas Carol addresses the spirit of Christmas more than particular Christian beliefs, Charles Dickens’ book The Life of Our Lord: Written for His Children During the Years 1846 to 1849 where he bears testimony of the Savior of the world and shares his Christian beliefs.
• We don’t often see PG live action movies, so this was refreshing to see playing in theaters.
• I love how the characters in Charles’ books come to life for him and through him and are a part of the cast in the film.  In fact, Charles explains, “Get the name right and the character will appear.”  I write non-fiction and have always been fascinated with how the writing process works for fiction authors who create characters and worlds.
• There are several references to Shakespeare and, in fact, most of the cast in the film are trained Shakespearean actors.  In real life, Charles Dickens adored “The Bard” and acted in some of his plays.  Many of them had also previously worked on other adaptations of A Christmas Carol.

Things I didn’t like:

• It’s a little slow moving.
• Neither the title of the movie nor the original book are properly explained during the movie.
• Some of the flashbacks were shown at odd times and might be a bit confusing for children.
• While a biopic of sorts, some of the story is fiction.  We honestly don’t know as much about Charles Dickens’ writing process as we would like to!

Interesting quotes:

• “Debt is an ogre.  If you’re not careful, it can eat you up.” – Charles Dickens
• “People will believe anything if you’re finely dressed.” – John Dickens (Jonathan Pryce) 

Funny lines:

• “I’m the author here!” – Charles Dickens

“Allegedly.” - Scrooge

Tips for parents: 

• If your kids have never heard or read Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, then you’ll want them to become familiar with it first.
• Kids will be surprised to learn that Christmas wasn’t always so commercial as it is now.
• Kids also won’t know about “debtors’ prison” in England, where people were sent when they couldn't pay their bills.  That always seemed strange to me, because there would be no possibly way for them to earn the money they owed while in prison!
• Work houses in England are also mentioned several times.  Poor and destitute people were encouraged to go to work houses to live and earn money.  The conditions and stigma were so terrible that people would rather die than go there.
• I heard profanity twice. One of those times was the British swear word “bloody.”
• Some words your kids may not know are “nappies” (British word for “diaper”) and “necromancer” (conjurer).

@trinaboice 

Which is better: the book or the movie?

 By Trina Boice


This blog was started by several authors who love to write and talk about writing.

Who doesn't want to write an epic novel that inspires generations and movies?

"Call me Ishmael" is probably one of the most famous first lines of a novel. You were probably forced to read it in high school.  If not, then you may have noticed it in this weekend's box office hit "In the Heart of the Sea."

Below is my movie review of Hollywood's latest attempt to live up to an incredible book.  How did they do?

In a Nutshell:     1820. A giant, vengeful whale.  A ship.  A determined captain.  Man vs. beast.  Imagine Entertainment and Director Ron Howard create a visual masterpiece with unbelievable cinematography, sailing you to the “edge of insanity.”

This seafaring yarn graphically illustrates how Herman Melville’s famous novel Moby-Dick came to be.  While the screen definitely captures your attention, the storytelling has movie critics disappointed.  I was entertained and intrigued, as well as disgusted and exhausted. 

As always, the book is better than the movie, but these special effects are innovative and effective.

Uplifting theme: 

• “Can man bend nature to our will? – Captain Pollard  (Benjamin Walker)
• Persistence and tenacity will see you through.
• Integrity is worth more than reputation or money.

Things I liked:

·         THOR!  If you’re not in awe of the giant whale, then you have handsome and studly Chris Hemsworth to stare at.

·         Believe it or not, I actually like it when there are water spots on the camera lens.  That tells me there was real water in the scene and not just CGI.  Then again, some of the scenes made me wonder if the water spots were CGI!  If so, nice detail!  The water scenes are so well done that sometimes you even feel like you’re going to get splashed on.

·         The scene with the blood raining from above was disgusting and extremely powerful.

·         I liked learning more about Melville, the author of Moby-Dick, and played by Ben Whishaw.

·         How did they get some of those amazing scenes?  Drones? 

·         Interesting camera angles.  I also love how the camera goes under the water and back above the water seamlessly.  Great underwater scenes.  You might feel like holding your breath.

·         I thought the whale pins were cool.  In order to earn one, young Tom Nickerson (Tom Holland) is told that “you have to thrust a killing lance into one of the largest beasts to grace this earth.”

·         I love the mention of Nathaniel Hawthorne.  Tom Nickerson asks “Have you read Hawthorne, Mr. Melville?  There’s a writer, great writer.”  Apparently, Herman Melville was quite taken with Hawthorne and even dedicated Moby-Dick to Hawthorne whom he compared to Shakespeare and called a genius.

·         Great sound effects, although sometimes a bit too loud.

·         I’ve always liked Charlotte Riley and wonder why we don’t see her more often.  She was really great in Ridley Scott’s medieval drama “World Without End.”

·         I’m always impressed with characters who rise above their temptations, like Cillian Murphy’s character, Matthew Joy. His resolve to not drink alcohol, even when things got tough, was inspiring and not seen often enough in movies.

·         I love that they included a quick shot of the words “My name is Ishmael” on the screen, which is the first sentence in the book Moby-Dick.

Things I didn’t like:

·         See it in 3D if you can, unless you get motion sickness.  You might get sea sick watching some of the scenes.  Just close your eyes for a few seconds and you’ll be fine.

·         Some scenes have so many loud noises between people yelling and waves crashing and boats creaking that you can’t quite understand what anyone is saying.

·         Animal activists will find many of the scenes unnerving.

·         I’ve never understood how all those sails and ropes work, but it’s always fascinating to watch sailors work it.

·         The scene that shows the ocean view from Owen’s house looks terribly artificial, but all of the other CGI scenes were very believable.

Interesting lines:

·         “Sometimes, the fewer questions one asks, the better.”   - Matthew

·         “I’ll come back as quick as a summer’s eve.” – Owen

“Just come back.” – Peggy

·         “Without you, the world plunges into darkness.” – Pollard senior

·         “Monsters, are they real or do the stories exist to respect the sea’s dark secrets?  The question both vexes and excites me.” – Herman Melville

·         “The whale?  So, it’s true?” – Melville

“Yes.  Too much is true.” – Nickerson

·         “The devil loves unspoken secrets.” –  Melville

·         “No right-minded sailor discards what might save him.” – Owen Chase
*    "We will surely perish out there." - Captain Pollard
       "We might also survive."  - Mr. Chase

Tips for parents:   

• The sailors draw a picture of a topless woman.
• Some profanity.
• Several intense scenes with lots of blood and guts. 
• Skeletons of dead guys might frighten young children.
• Explain to your kids that a “greenhorn” is the old-fashioned way of saying “newbie”.

Sailing definitions:

Doldrums: an equatorial region of the Atlantic Ocean with unpredictable and often no winds

Port side:  left-hand side of a ship

Squall:  a sudden violent storm

I always do all the “talking” in these reviews, but I want to hear what YOU liked and didn’t like!  Please comment below!

The latest news in the publishing world

                                              By author Trina Boice


This week's publishing news comes from the head editor at Big World Network.  She is gorgeous, although this video doesn't really show her off very well.  She's a fantastic editor and very talented writer.  Big World Network has published 3 of my books and their entire team is terrific.

Listen to the part about the books that are being sold with seeds embedded in their pages!  Enjoy!





If you'd like to see some of the books that Amanda Meuwissen has written, you can find them at:

What beer goes with your book?

                                                      By Trina Boice

One of the companies that has published some of my books is Big World Network. The founder, Jim McGovern, posts these really great, quick videos about what's happening in the world of publishing.

In this episode, he talks about some interesting trends, such as recommendations for pairing beer with books, like wine with meals. Funny. Check it out!

How much would you pay for Birds of America?

By Trina Boice www.TrinaBoice.com

As a writer, I obviously love books, so I wanted to share a special one with you today.  It's a copy of John James Audubon's The Birds of America that was sold at an auction in London for $11.5 million!  To date, it's the most expensive book ever sold.  Why?

It's one of the best preserved editions of the 19th century masterpiece and includes 435 hand-colored illustrations.  Only about 120 complete sets of these illustrations are believed to exist in the world.  Richard Davies, a rare and used books specialist, explained the interest in this book: "Aside from being famous in the rare book world, The Birds of America has also immense historical and ornithological importance.  Some of the birds John James Audubon painted are extinct and he also discovered new species."

Measuring over three feet in height, the book was created between 1827 and 1838.   The author was insistent that The Birds of America be made up of life-size illustrations that showed all the known species of North America.  He hunted the birds down and shot them so that he could prop them up on wires to paint.  Each drawing took about 60 hours to complete.  Sadly, and ironically, many of the birds in his book are now extinct, such as the Labrador Duck, Great Auk, Esquimaux Curlew and Carolina Parakeet.

It takes two people to pick up the book...and they do so very carefully since the book costs more money than they will ever earn in a lifetime!

Check out this video that shows some of the beautiful artwork in this famous masterpiece!

Enjoy a FREE Gift of Love for Valentine's Day!

                                                           By Trina Boice
                                                     www.TrinaBoice.com


Just in time for Valentine's Day...my Gift of Love eBook version is FREE today through Friday!  http://www.amazon.com/Gift-Love-Trina-Boice-ebook/dp/B00IDAY3IO/

Thank you for reading this blog! On behalf of all the authors here at Writing Fortress, we LOVE you, our readers! Have a LOVEly Valentine's Day!

How do you write a bestseller?

                                               by Trina Boice
                                         www.TrinaBoice.com


Once you've gone to all the trouble of writing a book…

It just makes sense to put in the little extra effort it takes to make it a bestseller. In fact…

It's almost ESSENTIAL for anyone hoping to turn their book, their message, into a solid income-producing career of coaching, public speaking, and further publishing success.

You see … a book, by itself, is not a business.

But when you can add “best-selling author” to your resume, you throw open the doors of possibility.

The trouble is:

Most authors have no clue how to do it!
But Peggy McColl sure does.

And on Monday, October 30th at 3pm ET you can join Peggy as she explains not only how to make YOUR book a bestseller (whether you’ve written it yet, or not) … but also how to use your new bestseller status as a springboard for spreading your message through speaking engagements, coaching programs, and more.

…and hopefully make a VERY comfortable living from it, too! (As she does.)

If you'd like to see how it's done, simply use the following link to visit the registration page. (Yes, you do need to register even though it's free because attendance is limited.)

http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4867932

You'll also find more details on this event there, too.

Trina

P.S. – This special online training event is for ALL authors who are serious about doing more than merely “write a book”. If you too would like to become a “bestselling author” and leverage that success into a full-blown, high-paying career…

Then this definitely is for you! Please act quickly so you won’t miss out – use the link below to register today:

http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4867932

Grammar Geeks Unite on National Punctuation Day!

                                                     by Trina Boice                                             
                                                www.TrinaBoice.com 


Did you know that September 24th has officially been declared as a celebration of the lowly comma, correctly used quotation marks, and other proper uses of periods, semicolons, and the ever-mysterious ellipsis?  Well, now you do, so let the party begin!#$?!  


Our words, both spoken and verbal, really affect our brand and how others perceive us.

The ninth annual National Punctuation Day®, the September 24 holiday that reminds America that a semicolon is not a surgical procedure, will celebrate the 2012 presidential election with a literary challenge — vote for your favorite Presidential Punctuation Mark in one, highly punctuated paragraph!

The rules: Write one paragraph with a maximum of three sentences using the following 13 punctuation marks to explain which should be “presidential,” and why: apostrophe, brackets, colon, comma, dash, ellipsis, exclamation point, hyphen, parentheses, period, question mark, quotation mark, and semicolon. You may use a punctuation mark more than once, and there is no word limit. Multiple entries are permitted.

In short, persuade them that your favorite punctuation mark should be the official punctuation mark of the President of the United States.  Contest entries must be received by September 30 to be considered for prizes. The winner(s) will receive a box of punctuation goodies, including a National Punctuation Day® T-shirt. Send entries, including name, address and phone number, to National Punctuation Day® headquarters at Jeff@NationalPunctuationDay.com.

In 2011, 220 entries in their paragraph contest were received from the United States, the Netherlands, Malta, Canada, England, and India.  In 2010, 356 people from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Italy (in Italian!) submitted more than 3,000 entries in our haiku contest, including 73 from a certain New York State employee who shall remain nameless.  

Have a great punctuation day!

Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.

— William Strunk Jr.
in Elements of Style

Do you write for your company? Newsletters? Emails? Grants? Copy for collateral? If so, then everything you write reflects upon the company. Our words, both spoken and written, create images that either build or hurt our brand.

Good grammar can instill confidence in your customers and employees. We all make mistakes, but don't worry that the Grammar Police will arrest you or fire you. Just pay attention to what you write before you send it out.

Below are a dozen words that are commonly used incorrectly. Just a quick review of your writing can avoid embarassing mistakes. Feel free to print this out and keep it by your computer for future reference. 

1. The verb “accept” means “to receive” or “to believe”. The preposition except means other than. The conjunction means “unless” and the verb means “leave out.”

a. Tim accepted Jeff’s reason for being late for work.

b. Everyone – except Chris and his supervisor – had remembered to switch to daylight savings time.

c. Only in rare cases are employees excepted from the policy on punctuality.

2. Adverse means “hostile, unfavorable, or harmful.” Averse means “to have a definite feeling of distaste.”

a. Adverse weather conditions grounded all airplanes.

b. The tired staff was averse to the idea of working till midnight.

3. Advice is a noun that means “recommendation or information” and advise is a verb meaning “to counsel or recommend.”

a. Ralph advised me to value good advice.

4. Affect is a verb that means “to influence.” As a noun, effect means “the result”; as a verb it means “to bring about.”

a. Your performance in the coming year will directly affect the amount of your bonus.

b. The effect of the economy is hard to predict.

c. The new procedure will effect significant savings in time and cost.

5. Anxious indicates that one is worrying; eager, that one is gladly anticipating something.

a. Sarah has never been anxious about speaking in public, but she was eager to play the old hag in Snow White last month.

6. Beside is a preposition that means “next to.” Besides is an adverb that means “in addition to.”

a. Put the file cabinet beside the desk.

b. Besides the new cabinet, we need a new computer.

7. Complement means “to complete or go well with.” Compliment means “to give praise.” Both words can also be used as nouns. The adjective complementary means “serving to fill out or complete.” Complimentary means “given free as a favor.”

a. That was a nice compliment for a job well done.

b. A fine grape jelly is a complement to any peanut butter.

8. A conscience gives one the capacity to know right from wrong. Conscious means “awake or alert, not sleeping or comatose.”

a. Your conscience will guide you.

b. Earl needs two cups of coffee to be fully conscious at this hour.

9. Imply means “to suggest, hint, or communicate indirectly”; infer means to “deduce or conclude from.” (Writers and speakers imply. Readers and listeners infer.)

a. I thought she was implying that I would receive a raise; apparently I inferred incorrectly.

10. Lay means “to put or place something.” It must be followed by a direct object. (lay, laid, laid)

a. Please don’t lay that report there.

b. Jerri’s assistant laid down the new carpeting yesterday

Lie means “to rest or recline.” It does not take a direct object. (lie, lay, lain)

c. Tim likes to lie down for a nap after lunch.

d. He lay down Monday at 12:30, but often he has lain down by 12:15.

11. To precede means “to go or come before,” while proceed means “to move on or go ahead.”

a. A note that preceded today’s meeting told us to proceed with part two.

12. “Than” indicates a comparison and “then” refers to time.

a. Kevin didn’t know any more about this than I did.

b. First write your resume. Then look for a job.

b. The tired staff was averse to the idea of working till midnight.

 

 

Trina Boice
www.TrinaBoice.com