"WHO'S ON THE SHELF" by Nonnie Jules 07/19/18

"Who's On the Shelf" Interview with Nonnie Jules

     An interview that asks the questions no one else dare ask. This is the introduction to her interview with me as part of my "Spotlight Author" for July. It is featured on the RRBC site.
     Thank you, Nonnie, for making me feel very comfortable. Although my answers may sometimes be generic, your questions are not.
     I hope that some RRBC members will stop by the site today
     Thank you again, RRBC, for making me "Spotlight Author" for July!

                                         Joyce Shaughnessy

JEANIE LOIACONO

I am happy to announce that I am now represented by Jeanie Loiacono, Loiacono Literary Agency.
She is going to represent me for my book, GLORY LOST.

WONDERFUL BLOG RADIO INTERVIEW - RRBC

                   
    Had a great interview today with host Wendy Scott! It is always wonderful to hear a fellow RRBC member. Everyone I've met has been friendly and curious about my writing habits, as I am of theirs. I mentioned that I like to write first thing in the morning, when I am fresh.

   We talked about A Healing Place - what had inspired me to write it and the research involved in telling the story. I love to mention that the place which was the Miller's respite, or healing place from the Dustbowl of the Great American Depression, was named Texon, Texas. I lived there until I was nine. My parents ran the grocery store in the Oil Patch town. It was different than most small oil patch towns. It had been built by a Canadian and a Texan who had witnessed impressive and productive small company towns in South America and wished to emulate them. Texon was indeed safe, kind of like living in a "Leave it to Beaver" episode. Until World War II, when there was an exodus of people who left, it offered a movie house, a nine-hole golf course, a restaurant, drugstore, grocery store, churches, and schools up through grade eight. Women organized mornings when they would offer food for bums as the railroad made stops in Texon. It was a giving place to live, somewhere to meet friends and raise your children in a peaceful, safe environment.

  Wendy and I talked about the plight that many of the men and women who came home from WWII, faced. In the book, the Miller's son-in-law was placed in Japanese POW camps for three and one- half years. He found his healing place in the power of prayer. He fought depression and where he found solace was through prayer. Many of soldiers after WWII suffered from what was then called "battle fatigue" and is now known at PTSD. They were unable to find the help they needed through veteran's health services.Thankfully, the medical association now recognizes the problem and does try to help most veterans with their problems.

If you are interested in the interview, please go to this site to hear it:

https://ravereviewsbynonniejules.wordpress.com/rave-waves-blog-talk-radio/bring-on-the-spotlight/

Of course, we were joined by other RRBC members so the interview was interesting and fun!

Thanks again to RRBC!!

Joyce Shaughnessy, author: RAVE REVIEWS "SPOTLIGHT" FOR JULY - Joyce Shaughn...

Joyce Shaughnessy, author: RAVE REVIEWS "SPOTLIGHT" FOR JULY - Joyce Shaughn...:                     It has been a rare privilege to be picked as RRBC's Spotlight Author for July. From 7/01/18 - 07/07/18, I appeared...

RAVE REVIEWS "SPOTLIGHT" FOR JULY - Joyce Shaughnessy

                  

It has been a rare privilege to be picked as RRBC's Spotlight Author for July. From 7/01/18 - 07/07/18, I appeared on a Blog Tour with these amazing RRBC Authors and Bloggers:

Eric Borgerson              http://polylyric.com/blog.html#!/posts/Rave-Reviews-Book-Club-Spotlight-Author-Blog-Tour--Author-Joyce-Shaughnessy/6

Maretha Botha              https://marethmbotha.wordpress.com/2018/07/02/rrbc-spotlight-author-for-july-joyce-shaughnessy/

Laura Libricz                  https://lauralibriczblog.wordpress.com/2018/07/03/welcome-histfic-author-joyce-shaughnessy-the-rrbcspotlightauthor-for-july/

Linda Mims                   https://lindamims.com/2018/07/04/rave-reviews-book-club-shines-its-spotlight-on-author-joyce-shaughnessy/

Amnanay                       https://ammanaywrites.blogspot.com/2018/07/rrbc-spotlight-author-joyce-shaughnessy.html?m=1

Gracie Bradford            https://free1592.wordpress.com/2018/07/05/joyce-shaughnessy-romantic-historical-fiction-writer/

Marlena Smith              https://mylife428.wordpress.com/2018/07/07/rrbc-spotlight-author-blog-tour-authorjoyces/

WRITERS EXPO ONLINE AUGUST 12 - 18

RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB - RRBC - is sponsoring their 3rd annual writers expo online on August 12 - 18th. 

There will be over 22 classes which you can download. You will have the opportunity to sign for as many classes as you wish. The nicest part is that you will only be charged for those classes you choose. The only charge for your "attendance" will be the accumulation of the individual charges for the classes you have signed up for.

We hope you will consider joining us in this great opportunity to learn more about the writing and publishing craft!

In order to register, go to this link:

https://rrbcwritersconferencebookexpo18.wordpress.com/register-now/

See you there!

WITH ANGEL'S WINGS by STEPHANIE A. COLLINS

     REMARKABLE BOOK!

This book is extremely well written. It has every element that makes a great novel. It makes the reader keep turning the pages and the emotions are described in such vivid detail that they can best be described as raw. I had to put the book down at times because it was so real. I especially ached for Hannah, her baby girl.

Laura’s children were born with genetic illnesses. The author described what happened in graphic, heartbreaking detail. The reader is left crying, angry, and sad. What more could one want from a book, except I sometimes felt like it was at the expense of the author and her family.

I am an editor as well as writer, and I honestly have not read any book as well written and edited as this one. In telling what is actually her own story in fictional, third party, the author doesn’t seem to hold back anything. That is one thing that made the book so remarkable.

I didn’t necessarily agree with every decision that Laura made, but that was okay. She is painted as flawed, hurt, and depressed. I look forward to any book written by Ms. Collins. She is an enormously gifted writer.

TOXIC MINDS by Gordon Bickerstaff

                                                         GREAT PAGE-TURNER
                                                         
Gordon Bickerstaff is a very talented writer who can intertwine sub-plots into one cohesive thriller. Toxic Minds includes extremists, family conflicts, university politics, lovers, fracking and somehow magically makes them into unified book.

Alexa is the mother of a troubled daughter who she has neglected because of her obsession with her work. A group of very dangerous people cruelly use the young girl in order to pressure her mother. Gavin Shawlens, a character in the author’s other books, is called in to help the daughter and to find out who has caused her great harm.

Although the author is unquestionably talented, I found as a writer and editor, that he needs to really work on point of view, especially deep point of view. If he could conquer his lack of understanding in this area, he would be nothing short of a truly great writer. That is the reason I am giving him four stars rather than five.

                                                          INTO WINTER A GREAT READ

Into Winter is the third book in a series which relates the lives of several men and women who survive an America thrust into a dangerous world following the collapse of the grid. People are forced to survive any way they can. This book follows the third generation of families living in Peaceful Valley. Their parents and grandparents had built ways to survive, and taught the characters in this book everything they know. The main characters use the things they have been taught to contribute to the society existing in Peaceful Valley. But they are threatened by a gang in Corpus Christi led by Sandra Hawkins. She has managed to make citizens in Corpus Christi follow her autocratic lead. She’s dangerous and violent. She decides to wipe out the citizens of Peaceful Valley, but they are prepared for her and destroy her gang when it attacks them.

The author moves into a discussion about how to build a democratic society and how to crush those who threaten them. The citizens struggle to form a democratic government in Corpus Christi and look to the future when they can begin to form one in the entire state. The author does this with great insight. This part of the book is wonderful because it reminds all of us how difficult it is to follow the balance between a democracy and a dictatorial society.

The author knows how to build characters and weaves them together in an interesting way. It is hard to put the book down. However, his use of phrases at the beginning of chapters, such as “In the meantime, in Corpus Christi …” and “Back in Peaceful Valley…” is distracting and shouldn’t be used. He also exhibits some difficulty with point of view. However, the writer is definitely a talented storyteller and leaves the reader wanting more.