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Book Review: Wicked Innocents

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Wicked Innocents

Author: S.H. Livernois

 

A young girl claims that her family has changed. Not in personality, but as if their bodies have been overtaken. Nelly Huggett does not feel loved by her mother, and people say she exaggerates a bit too much. Fellow classmates have ridiculed her, and her brother doesn’t even like her. So is Nelly telling the truth?

While her aunt takes Nelly in when she runs away from home on the night of Halloween, Aunt Emma believes Nelly is lying. However, it has been three days and no one has answered the phone at the Huggett house, not even a cellphone.

The Frontenac sisters, Hyla and Lizeth, are on the case. As supernatural sleuths, Hyla and Lizeth drive to the home of Aunt Emma at the bequest of a phone call from Nelly. After confronting Emma’s denial that anything is going on in Nelly’s house, the four of them drive to Nelly’s home in search of clues.

In Wicked Innocents, S.H. Livernois quickly builds suspense through the description of the emptiness and eeriness of the Huggett home. And then once the missing family members are discovered, the mystery evolves as the Frontenac sisters continue to investigate to determine if Nelly is telling the truth or filled with anger and lies.

While there is not an overwhelming number of characters, there are a handful of characters that are easily confused. The Frontenac sisters, Hyla and Lizeth, have different strengths, but their personalities are not different enough, making them easily confused. Emma and Gillian, Nelly’s aunt and mother, respectively, can easily be confused, leading to some interactions needing to be re-read. And Miles and Jack, Nelly’s father and brother, can be confused too, especially in a discussion about a dispute with a neighbor.

Though additional description of these characters could be added to further separate them from one another, and this lack of description causes some slowdown in the reading to completely understand a few scenes, this does not take away from the overall enjoyment of the book.

In reading this novel, it was obvious the book is still in need of a proofreader. There were errors in punctuation and a few developmental questions, such as an undifferentiated pronoun, making a sentence difficult to understand.

Overall, we enjoyed this novel. The author has a skill for writing mystery and suspense to capture the audience and involve the reader until the end.

Days to Celebrate in January

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January 2: National Science Fiction Day. American author and Boston University professor of biochemistry Isaac Asimov was born on January 2, 1920. He was best known for his works of science fiction and his popular science books.

January 5: National Screenwriters Day. Inside the industry, screenwriters are well known for their ability to crack the story, create great roles for actors, and write memorable dialogue.

January 6: National Technology Day. From the wheel to smartphones, technology has been changing the world. Recognize those achievements and look to the future for more advancements in technology.

January 10: National Clean off Your Desk Day. This day is an opportunity to begin your new year with a clean and organized work space. Whether your desk is in a private or shared office, cubicle, home, or a make-shift desk on the counter, having your work space uncluttered, organized, refreshed, and clean will help you work more efficiently and give you a sense of serenity.

January 18: National Thesaurus Day. Whether you are looking for a new word or trying to complete a sentence, the thesaurus can be your best friend. Expanding your vocabulary improves both written and spoken communication skills and creative writing abilities and can be helpful in advancing your career.

January 20: Get to Know Your Customers Day. When businesses get to know your customers, you also get to know more about what you need to grow.

January 23: National Handwriting Day. Reintroduce yourself to a pen or pencil and a piece of paper. According to the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association, it is a chance for all to re-explore the purity and power of handwriting.

January 24: National Compliment Day. What a wonderful way to brighten someone’s day or to give credit for a job well done!

January 28: National Fun at Work Day. Many people spend a good portion of their lives at work, so why should they not try to enjoy it?

A December Focus

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It’s the end of the year. A time for holiday parties and festivities, and as a business owner, it is a time for me to touch my current and former clients with holiday cards.

While I have spent the month of November writing and addressing these cards, December is when they are mailed out, so for the rest of the month I spend it focusing on my business and planning for the new year.

I review my business’s mission statement and how it affects my marketing plan. I review the types of clients I have worked for and how our relationship has stayed true to my mission statement.

I also review my monthly marketing plan’s goals, to determine the ones I want to continue focusing on and ones that need to be updated. These goals allow me to proactively market each month without delays, as the marketing plan is one of my guides and maps to success!

NAIWE offers On-Demand Training to help freelancers with their marketing plans.

 

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.

Ashley Henyan, The Social Media Marketing Expert

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We wanted to get to know Ashley Henyan (NAIWE’s Social Media Marketing Expert) better, so last month we sat down with her. Here are some thoughts she shared with us.

What is the span of a social network?

A social network is not limited to those who follow your channel or like your page. A social network is, for the most part, unlimited — especially considering that it only takes one “like” or “retweet” to exponentially expand your reach.

What is the average number of items in a toolkit to help engage a network of social advocates?

A toolkit is really a fancy way of describing a single-page online guide for your social advocates — the friends, family members, and colleagues who support your work or business and already like your page. In that essence, a toolkit is a single-page, Word document. However, the amount of content you incorporate into that document is completely up to you.

Once I have created my toolkit, is it one and done?

No! As your products expand and your brand evolves, you will want to update your toolkit. You might want to considering doing so quarterly, seasonally, or even in alignment with a new product launch, campaign, or event. Being timely and relevant is essential to stand out in the digital world. Your brand’s toolkit should be timely and relevant too!
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Are you posting and posting and posting on your social media platforms only to find your high school best friend and your mom are the only two followers liking or sharing your content? Then our upcoming webinar is JUST FOR YOU!

Get tips and tricks for engaging your followers and gaining new ones. You will also learn how to create a toolkit to help engage a network of social advocates to work for you, bringing greater visibility to your brand.

You can join in this conversation on December 9, at 2:00 pm eastern, when NAIWE will host a discussion on building your social media presence. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10! Non-members can join for $30. Register today!

Freelancer Favorites

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Based on recent dialog in the NAIWE discussion group, publishing professionals use references (and many prefer to have them in hard copy, rather than digital). While some of our references may differ, depending on the services we offer, a lot of the references mentioned were the same no matter the services (or perhaps many of us offer several services).

With that in mind, here are some of the references mentioned that NAIWE members like to have:

  • The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition. ISBN: 978-1328841698
  • The Associated Press Stylebook, 55th edition. ISBN: 978-1541647572
  • Bernstein, Theodore M. The Careful Writer: A Modern Guide to English Usage. ISBN: 978-0684826325
  • Butterfield, Jeremy. Fowler’s Dictionary of Modern English Usage, 4th edition. ISBN: 978-0199661350
  • The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition. ISBN: 978-0226287058
  • Dreyer, Benjamin. Dryer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style. ISBN: 978-0812985719
  • Einsohn, Amy. The Copyeditor’s Handbook. ISBN: 978-0520306677
  • Garner, Bryan. Garner’s Modern English Usage, 4th edition. ISBN: 978-0190491482
  • Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition. ISBN: 978-0877798095
  • Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage. ISBN: 978-0877791324
  • MLA Handbook, 9th edition. ISBN: 978-1603293518
  • Strunk, William, and White, E.B. The Elements of Style, 4th edition. ISBN: 978-0205309023
  • Walsh, Bill. The Elephants of Style: A Trunkload of Tips on the Big Issues and Gray Areas of Contemporary American English. ISBN: 978-0071422680
  • Walsh, Bill. Yes, I Could Care Less. ISBN: 978-1250006639
  • Zinsser, William. On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction. ISBN: 9780060891541

Software mentioned include

  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word

Aiming Higher

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NAIWE’s executive director April Michelle Davis was one of the selected speakers at the Eleventh Annual Navigating Your Writing Life Symposium. The 2021 theme for this event was Your Writing Journey: Shooting for the Stars; true to the theme, April Michelle presented her value packed seminar Critiquing Your First Pages.

In her webinar, April Michelle emphasized the importance of the opening pages, or the first 1,000 words: sharing her self-realized four goals and 10 components that help writers become authors with published books.

This webinar is also representation of NAIWE’s mission to learn how other freelancers use their skills to create financial stability and how you can do it too!

You have access via NAIWE’s On-Demand Training to listen to April Michelle’s complete presentation as the live session of this seminar was limited to just 45 minutes. The cost for NAIWE members is only $10. And just $30 for non-members.

Book Chat: Marcia Rosen

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Today’s podcast episode is a Book Chat episode, where we get to know one of the books that has been published by a fellow NAIWE member.

Our guest today is Marcia Rosen.

Marcia Rosen (aka M. Glenda Rosen) is a marketing and public relations advisor for authors and a senior team member creating out-of-the-box strategies for a marketing/advertising agency and client projects. She was owner and founder of a business/marketing and public relations agency and consulting firm in New York City; The Hamptons; and Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the company served as advisors to a wide range of national, regional, and local clientele. Marcia has presented book marketing and public relations programs at local and national events, including major book conferences, for nearly 20 years. In addition, she has worked with numerous authors developing and implementing plans to create an awareness of them as authors and gain recognition and sales for their books, including book launch campaigns and ongoing actions both through social media and traditional activities. Marcia is the author of ten books. She has published numerous articles and is a member of Sisters In Crime Los Angeles and Albuquerque, Central Coast Writers, Public Safety Writer’s Association, and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers.

 

Q: How long have you been a writer? And what piqued your interest about this industry?

I’ve been writing books for almost twenty years, first business, then memoir and last eight two mystery series. I wanted to be a writer since I was 14.

 

Q: Is this your primary profession, or do you have other careers?

It is now. Prior to this, I owned a full-service marketing and public relations agency offices in New York, California, and New Mexico.

 

Q: When did you first have the idea for this book? And what inspired you to actually write this book?

The idea of the Senior Sleuths Mystery series was a combination of loving the Thin Man series and wanting to write mysteries and adventures with seniors being active, interesting, exciting, and adventurous with a touch of romance mixed in with murder.

 

Q: What prompted you to publish the book when you did?

Good timing for seniors and me as a senior.

 

Q: What did you learn while working on this book? And what were some challenges you faced during the writing or publication of this book?

I kept at it same as in business. I don’t listen to negative voices, only let people I trust read and edit it.

 

Q: What avenues have you used to market your book? And which ones were the most successful for you?

Lots! Signings at bookstores and conferences, social media actions, networking,  guests on blogs and not going programs on zoom, which are very helpful.

 

Q: Where has this book been mentioned, and has it won any awards?

It has been mentioned on Goodreads, Amazon, social media, mystery blogs, Mystery Scene Magazine, and it placed second with Public Safety Writer’s Association—a great organization. It won first place for writing, “My Memoir Workbook.”

 

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with our listeners?

Accept and act on how important it is to stay visible with your book and you as an author.

Days to Celebrate in December

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December: National Write a Business Plan Month. As a freelancer, you are a business owner, so consider writing a business plan this month!

December 26: National Thank-you Note Day. It is a day to get some note cards, paper, pen, envelopes and stamps to write special thank yous.

December 31: No Interruptions Day. This is a day set aside for getting organized for the new year by cleaning up your work space without interruptions.

Member Benefit: Discount on EZRA

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Easy Relationship Application (EZRA) is a database to house all of the information for your small business! EZRA was developed by Editorial Inspirations to meet the record keeping needs of freelancers and their businesses. NAIWE members receive a $50 savings! And there’s a free 30-day trial available.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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