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Book Review: Even a Pandemic Can’t Stop Love and Murder

March 31, 2023 Post a comment

Even a Pandemic Can’t Stop Love and Murder

Author: A.E.S. O’Neill

 

After having been set up in Iraq, Alby O’Brien is on the Iraqi hit list. Therefore, Alby is now hiding in southern New Jersey to avoid the wrath of terrorists who are after him. Believing he is safely hidden in his cave-like garage apartment, he supports himself on under-the-table fix-it work while wrestling with nightmares of what happened in Iraq. Being that he was only a government contractor, he is not privy to all of the employee benefits provided by the government, and this letdown continues throughout his new life.

The author, A.E.S. O’Neill, wrote this book during a pandemic and used the pandemic as the setting. O’Neill does a great job working the pandemic into scenes and showing various reactions to it and the new way of life. Some characters detest wearing the mask; others double mask. Some wear the cheap mask, while others wear a Plastimask. Even the psychotically polite killer is sure to wear a mask. The author also mentions vaccines, variants, and GPS trackers—all items readers can surely relate to.

Alby was in Iraq when the pandemic hit, so the United States he returns to is different than the one he left—something Alby regularly struggles with.

Though Alby is trying to avoid the terrorists, he cannot seem to avoid trouble.

Something very valuable has been taken from a mob-run bank. The mob believes the thief was Alby, and now everyone is after him, who appears to have drawn the short straw in life. Despite his life being on the line, all he can think about is the mysterious Ginger. As it all comes to a head, Alby knows his choices are few and his fate could go either way.

This novel is filled with action at a speedy pace and takes place in just one week. How many lives can be changed in just one week! Once the action begins, it just keeps coming, breaking up the action scenes with small episodes of normalcy.

A reader may desire the prologue to occur later in the story with Alby remembering his life in Iraq, once the reader has been able to connect with Alby. However, the reader is able to empathize with Alby in chapter 1, and then the action begins in chapter 2.

O’Neill is a gifted writer, developing a great story with suspense, and he was at the right place at the right time. This novel is based on a true story O’Neill’s father told his son about a mob bank being ripped off and the ensuing consequences. The author does an excellent job of taking this true story and placing it in a pandemic crisis and entangling the two challenges.

Even a Pandemic Can’t Stop Love and Murder, vol. 1 Break the Bank is the highly entertaining and almost implausible story of what can happen by being at the wrong place at the right time.

Categories: Book Reviews, Member Benefits

Days to Celebrate in April

March 24, 2023 Post a comment

April: English Language Month. A month-long celebration of the uniqueness of the English language and all the learners working hard to master it.

April: National Poetry Month. Spend time this month writing, reading, and studying poetry.

April: National Volunteer Month. In the United States, volunteerism is instilled at a young age. Most organizations in small towns, rural counties, and the largest cities would not function without volunteers.

April: Records and Information Management Month. This event celebrates good record keeping and information management and emphasizes the importance of having organized records.

April: Stress Awareness Month. This month, we are all challenged to keep our stress levels low, and our peace levels high.

April 3-9: National Public Health Week. The week focuses on prevention and reducing unhealthy activities.

April 4: National Hug a Newsperson Day. Say thank you and send a hug to your local newsperson.

April 4: National School Librarian Day. School librarians spend long hours keeping the library organized, helping our children find the resources they need to keep learning, and are dedicated to creating an environment they can learn in every day of the year. Set aside some time to honor school librarians.

April 7: National No Housework Day. Freelancers working from home sometimes choose to be distracted by housework rather than work on a challenging project. On this day, it is not allowed, so find something else to distract you–or rather, sit down and work on that challenging project.

April 8: National All Is Ours Day. This is a day to appreciate everything we have, rather than dwelling on what we don’t have.

April 10: National Encourage a Young Writer Day. Do you know a young person who has a vivid imagination, maybe someone who likes to tell stories and reads a lot of books? Encourage them to pursue their goals and develop their writing skills.

April 14: National Library Workers Day. Libraries do so much more than house the books we can borrow nearly any time of the day or night. Today, library workers are masters of research.

April 14: National Reach as High as You Can Day. Review and plan your goals for the upcoming quarter or the rest of the year as you reach for your dreams or goals.

April 14: Look Up at the Sky Day. Look for inspirations and beauty by looking up at the sky.

April 15: National Rubber Eraser Day. Celebrate the invention of erasers by acknowledging that we all make mistakes.

April 16: National Wear Your Pajamas to Work Day. Let go of the stress by wearing your pajamas to work.

April 17: National Haiku Poetry Day. Try your hand at this creative form today by writing about what you see outside.

April 23-29: Administrative Professionals Week. Celebrate the administrative professionals and secretaries who keep businesses going.

April 16-22: National Volunteer Week. Provide support by offering your services to a local organization you feel passionate about.

April 20: National High Five Day. Spend a moment on social media today, and give a virtual high five to someone who has recently helped you out.

April 20: Get to Know Your Customers Day. Select a customer and get to know them a little better today.

April 23-29: National Library Week. Visit your local library in person or online, and give your library card a workout.

April 26: National Bookmobile Day. Honor the access to information and resources our nation’s bookmobiles make available to our communities and the professionals who work diligently to provide these services.

April 26: National Administrative Professionals Day. Even some freelancers have virtual assistants, so we didn’t want you to miss this day! Celebrate your VA and show how much you appreciate this person.

April 27: National Tell a Story Day. Share a story with fellow word lovers.

April 27: National Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Take some time to mentor your sons and daughters and aspire their writing to new heights!

April 28: National Great Poetry Reading Day. Celebrate distinguished poetry and the notable poets who wrote them.

April 28 – May 4: Small Business Week. Small businesses account for half of America’s workforce, and more new jobs come from small business than any other source.

April 29: National Poem in Your Pocket Day. Memorize a poem or two to share with the people you meet throughout the day.

Categories: National Days

Copyeditors, Your Last Line of Defense

March 20, 2023 Post a comment

The copyedit is the last stage in the process of bringing a manuscript to publication, and it is the last time the manuscript will be reviewed before being typeset and laid out in book format. All substantive changes should already have been made by this point. Copyeditors may tighten up the text to eliminate wordiness and increase readability, move text around to improve logic, and smooth awkward transitions, but substantive changes should be few.

Copyeditors look for errors in

  • sentence organization
  • structure
  • consistency
  • tone
  • writing style
  • transitions
  • grammar and usage
  • spelling and punctuation
  • house style.

Copyeditors perform a similar function to proofreaders; the difference between these two professionals is their place in the publishing process and the type of errors corrected. Copyeditors perform their job when the manuscript is still in Microsoft Word files, before the manuscript has been laid out by the designer. Sometimes a proofreader may work on a manuscript before layout, but proofreaders usually work in PDF files or on hard copy (paper) after the typesetter or desktop publisher has laid out the manuscript to look like the final product. Copyeditors correct all types of grammatical and punctuation errors, whereas proofreaders correct only egregious errors and mistakes in layout. Therefore, copyeditors are the last line of defense against bad writing.

 

April Michelle Davis, NAIWE Executive Director

April Michelle Davis has been the executive director of the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (NAIWE) since 2018. Prior to that, she was NAIWE’s Social Media Marketing Expert. NAIWE is an association that focuses on career building for writers, editors, and other professionals in the publishing industry by developing multiple streams of income; it helps its members market their products and services through social media, newsletters, and more.

She is also the coordinator for the Virginia chapter of the Editorial Freelancers Association, a lifetime member of the American Copy Editors Society, and a freelance editor, indexer, proofreader, and author. April Michelle has taught courses through her own company, Editorial Inspirations, as well as for associations and colleges on topics such as editing, indexing, grammar, writing, and creating macros.

Her credentials include a master’s degree in publishing from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Messiah College, as well as certificates in editing (University of Virginia), book publishing (University of Virginia), and professional editing (EEI Communications).

April Michelle has shared her insights about her career development by contributing quotes and vignettes to several books. She has presented sessions on various editorial topics to many groups, including the Virginia Writers Club, the Communication Central conference, Randolph-Macon College, the Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network, the EFA, Copyediting newsletter, RavenCon, and the Hanover Book Festival. In addition, April Michelle has published three books.

 

Categories: Publishing

Book Review: Murder at the Zoo

March 17, 2023 Post a comment

Marcia Rosen (aka M. Glenda Rosen) is the author of 10 books, including the Senior Sleuth Mystery Series and the Dying to be Beautiful Mystery Series. Once again, she delights her readers with Murder at the Zoo, the first in her new Agatha, Raymond, Sherlock, and Me Mystery Series, debuting in 2023.

Murder at the Zoo starts off with the thud of a dead body landing in the lion enclosure of the Albuquerque Zoo. Our main characters are called to the scene: the lovely Miranda Scott, Senior Veterinarian at the Zoo, and the tall and handsome Detective Bryan Anderson, who is assigned to the crime scene. Within hours, another body is found near the lion enclosure with a bullet in its chest. The pace of the action quickly accelerates and keeps on going throughout the novel.

The romantic attraction between our two main characters is evident from the start but new murders and other serious crimes multiply quickly, putting our couple both at odds with one another and in danger of becoming victims themselves. A colorful cast of other characters who are not what they seem keep getting in the way, including a potentially corrupt politician and a possible crooked cop.

We also learn that Miranda’s family is more than dysfunctional. Raised by her gangster father and his friends and often used by her mother for her own personal gain, Miranda soon learns that her family is somehow involved in the chaos surrounding the zoo and the terrible events that have been unfolding are, in fact, personal. She becomes the target for revenge.

So where does the title of this new series come from? It turns out that, as a child, Miranda read dozens of mysteries by authors like Agatha Christie and Raymond Chandler and loved characters like Sherlock Holmes. Over the years, she heard their voices in her head telling her what she should and should not do. As she eventually explains to Detective Anderson, “Somehow some of my favorite authors and characters seem to talk to me. . . The voices, of course, are really my own thoughts or feelings about something but they often play around in my head as if they are these other voices.” What these voices do for the reader, however, is to lighten the load as the murders pile up. Their distinct personalities provide humor in the midst of tragedy when they bicker amongst themselves, and guidance for Miranda as she tries to sort her way through her relationships with her family and the mysteries of her feelings for Bryan and the case which they are trying to solve together.

All in all, Murder at the Zoo is a great read and it’s sure to satisfy Ms. Rosen’s mystery fans. They’ll be wanting more before this first book in the series ends!

Rosen’s descriptions drew me into the story and made it an immersive experience. The narrative often pulled my focus to little details that hint to Miranda’s past and made me want to know more about her. This was an exciting read, and I highly recommend this story, which begins with a murder at the zoo.

 

Leah Rubin is a copyeditor and proofreader who works under the business name of Your Second Pen. A native of Chicago, she and her family threw away the shovels and the snowblower and moved to Arizona in 1999. With a degree in English and Speech Arts from Hofstra University, and a background in teaching (both in the U.S. and South Korea as a Peace Corps Volunteer), Leah worked in various administrative capacities while raising her family. Always the English expert, whether working in the office or managing a pottery gallery in Sedona, Leah followed her dream to start her own business when she and her husband relocated to Tucson in 2017. Armed with multiple classes in professional development and a new computer, the idea of Your Second Pen was born and has been blossoming ever since. While she doesn’t believe in having a “niche”, Leah has worked for several authors in the categories of memoir, biography, mystery, science fiction, spirituality, self-help, adventure, and business, as well. She enjoys working with first-time authors or seasoned writers. She prides herself on her professionalism, patience, perseverance, and the desire to work with an author to produce the best possible version of their written material. Whether a lengthy novel or a simple business letter, each project is equally important to her. Leah is a member of the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors, the Professional Editors Network, and an active member of the Tucson Chapter of the Editorial Freelancers Association.

Categories: Book Reviews, Member Benefits

Member Benefit: Quick-Start Guide

March 10, 2023 Post a comment

Member Benefit #1

We recommend that you start with Make the Most of Your Membership: A Quick-Start Guide to NAIWE. This handy guide provides a brief overview of the benefits you receive, along with step-by-step instructions for accessing them. By referencing this guide, you’ll be off and running in no time!

 

Visit the NAIWE website to see all of the member benefits.

Categories: Member Benefits

WMW 2023 Writing Challenge Day 5

March 10, 2023 Post a comment

Books by well-known authors who have died are still read. Why do their words still matter to generations of today?

 

Prepare for the Writing Challenge

During Words Matter Week, we host a writing challenge. Each day we will post a question on our blog and various social media outlets.

Respond to the question on your blog or social media page (be sure to include #WMW2023 in your response), and then link back to it in the comments of the corresponding article on the NAIWE blog. For each challenge you respond to, you will receive one entry (and a bonus entry for each response written on your NAIWE blog).

At the end of the week, we will have a drawing, and one person will win a fabulous prize, along with a mention and link in the next newsletter.

Categories: Events, National Days, News, Words Matter Week, Writing

WMW 2023 Writing Challenge Day 4

March 9, 2023 1 Comment

Have you heard insincere words that caused you to rethink the character of the speaker? Was it the tone of voice, the actual words? What made you doubt the sincerity of the words?

 

Prepare for the Writing Challenge

During Words Matter Week, we host a writing challenge. Each day we will post a question on our blog and various social media outlets.

Respond to the question on your blog or social media page (be sure to include #WMW2023 in your response), and then link back to it in the comments of the corresponding article on the NAIWE blog. For each challenge you respond to, you will receive one entry (and a bonus entry for each response written on your NAIWE blog).

At the end of the week, we will have a drawing, and one person will win a fabulous prize, along with a mention and link in the next newsletter.

Categories: Events, National Days, News, Words Matter Week, Writing

WMW 2023 Writing Challenge Day 3

March 8, 2023 2 Comments

What is your favorite quote? What words in it make it your favorite quote?

 

Prepare for the Writing Challenge

During Words Matter Week, we host a writing challenge. Each day we will post a question on our blog and various social media outlets.

Respond to the question on your blog or social media page (be sure to include #WMW2023 in your response), and then link back to it in the comments of the corresponding article on the NAIWE blog. For each challenge you respond to, you will receive one entry (and a bonus entry for each response written on your NAIWE blog).

At the end of the week, we will have a drawing, and one person will win a fabulous prize, along with a mention and link in the next newsletter.

Categories: Events, National Days, News, Words Matter Week, Writing

WMW 2023 Writing Challenge Day 2

March 7, 2023 1 Comment

Word Choice. Inner Thoughts. Open Book. What do these three have in common?

 

Prepare for the Writing Challenge

During Words Matter Week, we host a writing challenge. Each day we will post a question on our blog and various social media outlets.

Respond to the question on your blog or social media page (be sure to include #WMW2023 in your response), and then link back to it in the comments of the corresponding article on the NAIWE blog. For each challenge you respond to, you will receive one entry (and a bonus entry for each response written on your NAIWE blog).

At the end of the week, we will have a drawing, and one person will win a fabulous prize, along with a mention and link in the next newsletter.

Categories: Events, National Days, News, Words Matter Week, Writing

WMW 2023 Writing Challenge Day 1

March 6, 2023 1 Comment

Walk like you talk. How do your words reflect in your actions?

 

Prepare for the Writing Challenge

During Words Matter Week, we host a writing challenge. Each day we will post a question on our blog and various social media outlets.

Respond to the question on your blog or social media page (be sure to include #WMW2023 in your response), and then link back to it in the comments of the corresponding article on the NAIWE blog. For each challenge you respond to, you will receive one entry (and a bonus entry for each response written on your NAIWE blog).

At the end of the week, we will have a drawing, and one person will win a fabulous prize, along with a mention and link in the next newsletter.

Categories: Events, National Days, News, Words Matter Week, Writing

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