Free Today on Amazon

Today is day eight in the NaNoWriMo competition. I am behind in my word count, though not by too much. For those not familiar with NaNoWriMo, the goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days. That equals 1,667 words per day. At this point, I should have written 11,666 words, but as of now, I’ve written only 10,607. Hopefully, I can catch up by today or tomorrow.

Still, I hate neglecting my blog. Or perhaps I love procrastinating? Regardless, I poked around Amazon a bit this morning and found a fun-looking book, “Shaman, Healer, Heretic.” Its description reminded me a bit of the series, The Dresden Files, which got me thinking about the author of that series, Jim Butcher.

I met Jim Butcher at a writers’ conference awhile ago. He and his wife, Shannon, who is also a best selling author, are two of the nicest people I’ve ever met. They were so friendly and easy going, and eager to be perceived as fellow participants rather than star attractions.

Jim sat on several panels and always showed up on time, while other, lesser known authors either bailed or showed up late, and in one case, drunk. He was attentive to the questions asked and gave great advice. He spoke of how he was hardly an overnight success, that he’d received piles of rejection notes, and offered encouragement, that if he could make it, anyone could.

The conference was open to the public during the afternoon of book signings. Jim’s fans showed up and he had a very busy table. Afterward, he chilled out in the lobby with a group of fans who’d hung around.

Jim Butcher, to me, is a great author because he’s a great person. He put aside his ego and reached out to aspiring authors and eager fans. Putting aside ego was one of the points he made during a panel discussion. He said when he first started writing, he thought he was all that and didn’t want to listen to any advice. And he failed miserably. Then he started attending conferences, listening to authors and editors, and going over the notes from his creative writing class. He took the advice to heart and his writing improved.

I think this is so true. If you just want to write for yourself, then write however you want. If you want to write for an audience, you need to start taking advice on how best to reach that audience.

Today’s freebies include the above mentioned book, plus another fun-looking paranormal, along with a tasty selection of writing guides.

For those of you also participating in NaNoWriMo, no more procrastinating. Let’s get cracking!

  Shaman, Healer, Heretic by M. Terry Green
Even for a techno-shaman, a kachina in the bedroom isn’t exactly part of the drill. When Olivia Lawson wakes to find one towering over her, she panics. A Hopi god visiting the real world isn’t just wrong-it’s impossible. Or is it? Soon Olivia learns that the kachina is the least of her worries. As she struggles to save her clients, clashes with other shamans, and fends off the attacks of real-world vigilantes, Olivia finds herself in the destructive path of a malevolent ancient force intent on leaving the spiritual realm to conquer this one.

  Brightest Kind of Darkness by P.T. Michelle
Nara Collins is an average sixteen-year-old, with one exception: every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate…until she dreams a future she can’t ignore. After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate. Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.

  The Seven Moments In Storytelling That Really Matter by Christian Blake
Stories are told through the Seven Moments. You can’t tell a story without them. It’s impossible. This book explains what the Seven Moments are and how to use them within your writing. If you want to learn how to captivate your reader from the first page of your story to its very last, read this book.

  Plotting Simplified by Eddie Jones
We remember characters; we pitch plot. In Plotting Simplified you’ll learn how to map your story using the “passage markers” that shape every story’s journey. From introduction and motivation to your Lead’s moment of maximum angst, you’ll see how easy it is to develop a story line and keep your characters on the path to a compelling climax. Learn how to introduce the Great Disturbance, what 4 Questions you should ask of your plot, how to map-out your story, manage your key scenes, the 7 Keys to every good plot, whyWorry, Conflict and Disaster spells success for the writer, and how to introduce your Major Dramatic Question.

  The Prolific Writer by Ethan Miller
Stop staring at the blank page and make your writing dreams come true through professional, prolific writing. Every writer knows that writing takes practice, but how do you find the time in a busy schedule? For those who write full-time, the schedule may be open, but pushing yourself to complete tedious writing projects can be difficult. The Prolific Writer: A Minimalist’s Guide to Productive Writing provides numerous tools and tips for dealing with problems that plague many writers.

Descriptions provided by Amazon

Disclaimers and Disclosures

I found these books via Amazon’s Kindle eBooks store. Resources for free Kindle and other format eBooks are listed in my sidebar.

These freebies are limited time offers, so there is no guarantee any of these books will still be free when you click on the links. Grab them sooner rather than later.

Books that I have previously listed will occasionally come up free again. I add those to my current posts for people who didn’t see them the first time.