1 Key to Help People Find Your Blog.

Ronovan Blogging , , , , , , , ,

I visit blogs.

I read comments.

In those comments I will find someone I am interested in checking their blog out. They may have made a great comment, or maybe I was doing a guest blog and they commented on my post. Maybe they just looked way out and interesting. You know the type I mean. The kind you just have to discover more about.

So what do you do?

You click their name or picture.

You end up nowhere. End of attempts. I actually do some extra work at times, but most of the time, that’s it. Click. Click. Boom. Game over.

Why is it game over?

I end up at the Gravatar.com site with their lovely image and there are no links to their blogs or social media. There is no way to find their blog.

Over the time I’ve been blogging, I have literally clicked on hundreds of people and ended up not finding a blog. All because a few clicks were not made.

When I sign into Gravatar.com and click My Profile at the top, I get a list of links on the right of things I can do.

One of those things is called ‘Websites’.

Once there I can click on the icon that’s labeled ‘Add Website’ or the one labeled ‘Add WordPress.com Site’ and simply add the URL and Title I want to appear. Once I click ‘Save’ people can then find me.

Right now, I have my three WordPress sites on there, my Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon Author Page. I did have a couple more, but I wanted the focus to be on those for now. Click HERE to see my Gravatar profile.

All very easy and in a simple place at the click of a picture.

For those who have a name different from their website title, which would be most people, this is the easiest way to make certain you are found. Not everyone can have a name like Ronovan. It does make for an easy to remember blog presence. I still have a secret disdain for the one who came up with it. Okay, maybe not so secret, but it’s starting to come in handy these days.

 

Please, do me a favor, want you? Add your website to your Gravatar.com. I would love to visit you.

Link your site to Gravatar.com Comic Image

 

Click HERE to get my Adventure novel on Amazon!

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The Fortunate One.

Ronovan Fiction , , , , , , , ,

“Men always want to be a woman’s first love – women like to be a man’s last romance.”
Oscar Wilde
Irish playwright, novelist, essayist, and poet.
October 16, 1854-November 30, 1900

When I arrived, a dream came true. Sunlight danced in her hair, made her skin glow, and all the world combined to make my heart beat faster.

We talked over each other in the excitement of our uniting. There were no angry glances or raised voices attempting to rise over the other. Our tones relayed the truth, words did not matter, we were ecstatic. It was euphoria; at least it was for me. Light headed, walking on a cushion of air, unable to stop smiling, you name all those cliché possibilities, and they were true. Why do you think they are so cliché? It is because they are real.

Was it love at first sight? No, but it was love at first shared thought. Now, there we were, at her doorstep, Christmas Day.

“It will be fine. I promise. They don’t like any man at first.”

I smiled. “You’ve told me that or something like that, a hundred times. I think your first choice has tainted their opinions. That or they just don’t trust your judgement.”

“Okay, perhaps. Just do not worry.” She placed her hand on my chest, leaned in, and smiled up at me.

I raised my brows in mock shock at her affections. “Nope, no kisses. You know they are watching through curtains and blinds all over the house.”

“I know. They will get over it. Now kiss me or I will pout.” She stuck her lower lip out, a fail of a pout that never worked, but I loved her attempts. She knew it. She knew I wouldn’t resist that bottom lip.

Moments of electric sensations sparking through the body later, and she opened door. That’s just the frame of mind I wanted to be in when meeting her family for the first time.

I could only shake my head at that point and avoid looking down to watch her walk in. I was being as gentlemanly as I could, but I was still a red-blooded American male in love with a beautiful mind and beautiful body.

“Glenn, these are my parents.”

“Mister Allen. Mrs. Allen.” I shook both hands. “Ma’am, this is for you.”

Cora’s mother looked surprised. “Me?” Her surprise did not stop her from taking the small gift I slipped from my pocket. Cora gave me an odd look as I shook hands with her brother, who made certain I knew he would kill me if I hurt his sister. I hoped I squeezed back hard enough to make a good impression.

“Oh dear,” Mrs. Allen said. She held one hand to her chest. “It is beautiful.”

I smiled at the joy and surprise on her face. “I thought you might put a photo of each child and grandchild in the frames. There are enough for all of them. Of course, they would need tiny photos for a bracelet.”

“Buying your way in are you?” A loud voice rose broke the moment.

I thought Cora’s head would snap off she turned it so fast.

“Gary, what are you doing here?”

“How nice, I think I can visit my children on Christmas Day.”

You guessed it, Cora’s ex-husband.

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Whatever, Cor. So this is the guy, is it?”

“Hello. I’m Glenn Taylor.” I extended my hand to be friendly.

“I know who you are.” He took my hand and made a feeble attempt that would have made Cora’s brother laugh.

He broke away and glared. I had never experienced a glare before. It was kind of funny and I had to smile. I don’t think he liked that. “You bring one of us a present, you must bring them for all, or you appear rude,” he said a bit too loudly.

“Sorry, they wouldn’t let me bring the coal on the plane.”

Laughs were muffled and some not. Their daughter’s giggle came out before she could bring her hand up to hold it in.

Gary’s eyes grew uglier. “Funny boy are you?”

“Only when they laugh, otherwise it’s just awkward pauses.”

“Think you’re a big man because you’re with her now, don’t you?”

I glanced down at Cora. The anger was barely contained. She was ready to unload on him at any moment. I looked back to Gary. “Actually, yes I do. I know how lucky I am.”

He laughed, and it wasn’t a pleasant sound. “I got lucky with her first.”

I pulled Cora to me a little tighter as I felt her move. “You were luckier than you could imagine. You are also a bigger idiot than any man could ever possibly try to be.”

“You son—“

“Don’t.” John, Cora’s brother, stepped in front of Gary.

“You gave this up. You messed a good thing up. You never would admit what she was, how important she was, or even that she existed as a unique individual that you needed in order to be whom you became.”

Cora looked up at me. I smiled and felt her ease beneath my touch.

I looked back at Gary. “Yes, you were lucky first. The important thing is that I’m fortunate last, and will be for the rest of my life.”

Oscar Wilde Romance Quote~~~

Thanks for reading!

This is part of the all new Writer’s Quote Wednesday Writing Challenge co-hosted by Colleen Chesebro of SilverThreading.com and ME, Ronovan. Click HERE for more links to those entering and to see how easy it is yourself. It’s not only writing a short story. That was just my choice this week. A quote, poetry, haiku, story, and more!

Click HERE to get my Adventure novel on Amazon!

Amber Wake

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@RonovanWrites

 © Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com 2016

Writers Quote Wednesday Writing Challenge – “Romance”

Ronovan Writing , , , , , ,

Here is the new challenge I am co-hosting with Colleen on SilverThreading.com. It combines BeWoW and Writer’s Quote Wednesday. We both felt a need to change things up and move forward. Instead of simply stopping all together, we decided to open things up even wider, give people more opportunities to join in and connect. Any kind of talent can be expressed with this challenge. We even include a Theme of the Week if you need inspiration. Or ignore that and do what you like as long as it involves a quote. Join in and have fun! And most of all CREATE!!!

 

HERE is my entry this week. https://ronovanwrites.wordpress.com/2016/03/09/the-fortunate-one/

RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #87 Class&Firm

Ronovan Haiku Prompt Challenge , , , , , , , , , , ,

Haiku Poetry Prompt Writing Challenge Useful Links.

Click HERE for LINKS to last weeks Entries for Flash&Dance.
Thesaurus: Class, Firm.
HowManySyllables.com
Thesaurus.com
Haiku in English
How to do a Ping Back

 

Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge Image 2016

 

The Challenge Words!

Class& Firm*

(REMINDER: Check that your ping backs are working!)

Not sure how to write a Haiku? Click HERE for a quick How to write Haiku Poem in English Form with links to articles for other forms of Haiku.

*Use the 52 Week Photo Challenge hosted by some of our Haiku Challenge friends in unison with the above prompt words. This week’s photo prompt is SOLID. Click HERE to see the full 52 prompts. And yes, EXTRA can be used with the Haiku words, although I didn’t plan it that way this week.

The Guidelines are simple.

  1. Use the two prompt words in a Haiku. I use Haiku in English  as my style, which is 5 syllables for the first line, 7 for the second, and 5 for the third, but you can use what you like. The link above gives you more specifics of a Haiku and other forms of Haiku.
  2. Words have different definitions and you can use the definitions you like. You can even use a synonym word. Go to Thesaurus.com for Synonym help. I’ve also included the words at the top of the page.
  3. Copy and paste the URL link of your finished haiku post into a comment here on the challenge post. I then know you did one, and we can all go visit your site to see what you have done. You can also do a ping back. What’s a ping back? Put the URL link from the address bar of this post, if you like, within your post. Your inclusion of the link encourages others to try the challenges out, be creative, and join a community to find friends and more followers (hopefully). I honestly gain nothing by more people visiting the post. I don’t have ads running I get paid for by your visit. How to do a Ping Back
  4. Use the Tag of Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge. This will help me find you in case you forget to ping back or leave your URL in the comments.
  5. The Challenge currently BEGINS at 8 AM EST (New York City time) on Mondays. And a DEADLINE is Noon EST (New York City time) on the Sunday following the Challenge Post release.

Much Respect-Much Love

Ronovan

Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling on Amazon

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Going Where None Have Gone Before by @QuiltedPoetry

Ronovan Guest Haiku ,

First in this week is . . . Lizl Bennefeld. Click through and support her post. For those wondering why she’s showing here as first but not first in the comments . . . I deleted the ping back because she also commented with her link. I like to keep only one link in the comments per entry, that way people are not clicking to the same blog twice. Some get a bit not happy about that and just stop checking out the rest of the entries.

Leadership at Every Level.

Ronovan Devotional , , , , , , ,

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” (Luke 16:10).

Throughout your life there will be people in leadership positions you’ll look to, entrust in part of your wellbeing and future. Some leaders we are involved in selecting. A great way to determine a leader is to look at what they do with what they already have.

How do they take care of what they have?

What are the results of what they have?

Do they always try to put their best foot forward for the good of those they are leading?

The amazing thing about this day and age is we can see into every facet of a person’s life. There is very little anyone can hide. I’m not sure if that is a good thing or not, even for someone wanting to be a leader. People make mistakes in their private lives. What they do with their public lives is another matter.

If a person has a history of dishonesty and disaster on one level of leadership, why would we think there would not be blunders at a higher level of leadership?

Trust and Faithfulness

Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling on Amazon

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© Copyright-All rights reserved by Ronovan Hester 2016

FRIDAY FICTION with RONOVAN WRITES Prompt Challenge #16-A lie is told.

Ronovan Friday Fictions , , , , , , , , , ,

Click HERE for last weeks Entries-A Spill Occurs.

Useful links:
Grammarly.com
Click HERE for STRIPPING for FICTION or HOW TO WRITE FLASH FICTION.
Click HERE for Dialogue Tags, Action Beats, and the Dialogue Comma.
Click HERE for What’s a GL and PSS got to do with writing.

Friday Fiction with Ronovan Writes Challenge

IF YOU WOULD LIKE COMMENTS ON YOUR WRITING, PLEASE NOTE AT THE END OF YOUR ENTRY THE AREAS YOU WISH FOR THE READER TO COMMENT ON, OR IF YOU WISH FOR AN OVERALL OPINION.

If you’ve been here before click Skip To Prompt.

Refrehs yourself on the Content Guidelines

FRIDAY FICTION with RONOVAN WRITES

With decades of writing behind me and daily learning of how to be a better writer, and by daily, I do mean constant, I wanted to give a way for current friends and future finders of this blog a way to push themselves to improve as well.

Through this challenge my hopes are you will:

  1. Find your voice
  2. Step out of comfort zones to discover a genre where your talent truly lies
  3. Perhaps make connections that will help you become a better writer

DEADLINE IS:

23:59 EST (New York Time) Wednesday. I will then have Thursday to complete reading the entries and compiling the links and such. I do read all entries. You can ask any of my Haiku Challenge family/community members.

I DO ASK THAT YOU:

 

 

  • Keep it PG as all ages do follow the blog and may click through and read the entries. (Continue for exceptions.)
  • If you do write a piece of fiction that goes past the PG level, copy the link into the comments of this post and make a note of it being such and give the reasons you think it is, such as violence (See below for clarification.), sexual content, language/profanity.
  • No violence toward children by adults or predatory aspects toward children. I know you may have two kids have a fight. I get that, but I don’t want gratuitous violence such as glorifying bullying. Also I can see you having a kid kicking some bad guy in the face for some reason. I get it.
  • No sexual assault against anyone.

WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR WORK OF FICTION: (The below guidelines are less than they look.)

Copy and paste your URL in the comments of the challenge post, or do a ping back to this post. This does not mean you must share a link today, Friday, just because the challenge says Friday in it. It means you must return to this post or ping back to this post.

A ping back is copying and pasting the URL of the challenge post into your post. That lets people know about the challenge, sort of, and is one way to let me know you’ve entered. Just make certain to visit back here to see your ping back is showing. Confused? Click HERE to see how to do a ping back.

If your blog is with WordPress, TAG your post as Friday Fiction with Ronovan Writes. This way people may find your work in the WP Reader.

IMPORTANT! For those wishing to participate in the possible FREE eBook Project for Fiction, click HERE for the Challenge Page with information at the bottom along with a form of agreement to fill out.

Click HERE for STRIPPING for FICTION or HOW TO WRITE FLASH FICTION.

Prompt for Challenge

FIRST OF ALL: Please remember, this is NOT a race. Take your time. Friday is only a part of the title, not a deadline. SECONDLY, if the story is flowing, don’t let the word count stop you; keep writing. THIRDLY, if you are an ACTIVE challenge participant and you just aren’t feeling the prompt, write something and ping back or paste your link. I’ll still include it in the #Links post the following Friday.

  • See if you can come in at more than a Word Count of 600. Control your word usage. (SUGGESTED)
  • Using the prompt of ‘A lie is told’ create a scene. This scene can be about what happens because of the lie, or how it makes the person lying feel, or anything you can come up with. If a series is being written, like some are doing, this lie can come back later to haunt the liar. (REQUIRED)

For proofreading of your work you might check out Grammarly.com. They have a free option to download for Word or that will even work right here in the WordPress Post Editor. It also works in the comments of sites. An additional feature is you can turn Grammarly off and own for each site you visit.

Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling on AmazonRonovan Hester is an author, with his debut historical adventure novel Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling is available now for pre-order on Kindle or the Paperback is ready to ship now. Click HERE to choose. He shares his life through his blog RonovanWrites.WordPress.com. His love of poetry, authors and community through his online world has lead to a growing Weekly Haiku Challenge and the creation of a site dedicated to book reviews, interviews and author resources known as LitWorldInterviews.com.

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@RonovanWrites

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“Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but…”

Ronovan #BeWoW, Quotes , , , , , , , , ,

When I met him, it was by chance in a quiet bar in 1940 Hollywood. I can still remember it as clear as if I were looking him square in those energy filled blue eyes right now.

He was a bit too shiny for the place, if that was possible, but no one seemed to pay him any attention. It was as though he was part of the furniture. He belonged there.

I slid onto a stool as Eddie walked up to take my order. “What’ll you have? Bit early for you isn’t it?”

“Just a beer today, Eddie. I got a date later.”

Bushy eyebrows rose and tobacco stained teeth showed behind thick lips. “Bring her by here, I’ll set you up nice.”

I smiled but didn’t commit to anything. Figaro’s Bar was fine for a few with the boys at night, but a dame didn’t belong here. I took the mug of amber liquid and took a sip. My smile was the show appreciation Eddie had waited for. He was one of the best in the business. He remembered what people liked, and I liked my beer warm. You can’t taste an iceberg. If I wanted something cold, I’d ask for milk.

Leaning against the bar, I checked the mirror that ran above the length of bottles and glasses. I didn’t see any of the boys around to talk with. That’s the first time I saw him. Like I said, he was shiny, shiny on the outside of a worn out inside. He had sheets of paper in front of him and the glass he had wasn’t for beer.

“Guy’s a writer,” Eddie said, following my eyes. “Comes in here around this time every day. Says it helps him escapes life. I asked if it was the wife, he said she wouldn’t be caught dead in here. I get the feeling he wishes she would be caught dead somewhere.”

I didn’t like the chuckle Eddie gave. Maybe it was the amusement in his eyes. He thought he was being funny. Death wasn’t something I played around with, even in jest.

There was something about writers that intrigued me. Writers were strange people. They could make you believe things by using words and nothing else. It was like magic without the tricks. Everything was laid out in front of you but you still got fooled. No film or sound effects, just words, and you would swear you heard explosions, music, and you felt the girl in your arms and smelled the perfume as you kissed her.

He saw me coming. I guess it’s hard to miss me, being a big six footer with red hair. Hollywood wasn’t overrun with my type yet, but I wasn’t ever mistaken for Leslie Howard or Spencer Tracey.

He laid his pencil down about the time I reached his booth. “Is there something I may assist you with?”

He had class. The man was educated for sure. Better, even than the people I met though my work, and I met a lot of people up and down the money living line.

“Eddie said you were a writer and I wanted to ask you something.”

He smiled and leaned back stretching his shoulders. “Have a seat and ask away. I might even answer, if I have one. Writers don’t really know much about writing. We’re too busy being in the middle of it to think about it.”

I slipped into the booth. “So, how do you do the magic that you do with words? How do you take something so simple and turn it into something people, thousands of people, will breathe heavy over rushing to turn the page?”

“Be a whore.”

That wasn’t what I was expecting. “A what?”

He emptied his tumbler and signaled to Eddie before answering. He laughed. “It’s an old joke between me and a friend of mine, Ernest. Write your guts out and lay it all on the page. That’s art, that’s writing. If you want to eat, then you add the tits and ass, the sex and crime the public these days want to read about.”

I remained silent. The illusion I had of a writer was gone in under two minutes. I don’t think I’d ever heard anyone sound so bitter. “Then why do it at all if you hate it so much?”

Eddie set another glass down filled to the rim with something dark and dangerous for that time of day. “I don’t hate writing, I hate money. I hate having to have money. Money ruins a creation, art. All it does is create demons and evil.”

“Then write what you want to and live different.”

A smile spread across the handsome face. “Too many responsibilities for that. I knew what I was getting into when I became a writer. Writing a novel . . . you become famous after you are dead. To make a living you write for the magazines or film. You copy yourself and repeat the process over and over again. What works once will work again. I still write for myself, for after my death’s success.” He tapped the pages in front of him.

I shook my head. I couldn’t understand why stay in such a business. “Looks to me like this job would wear you down, instead you still look like you’re enjoying it. Why not try something else? How do you find the ability to keep going?”

The man stared at the glass on the table, cupped between his hands. “You need to find the energy to keep going in any business. Where do you get the will power to keep going? Some think I find it in this.” He picked up the glass and took a sip.

“Do you?”

He set the glass back down and looked at me. “No. I find numbing escape from certain parts of my life. I will say that much. To the subject of energy when faced by time after time of compromising your work to make a living, I have one thought that comes to mind. Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over.”

“Hey, Scott, telephone.” Eddie’s voice echoed in the quite bar.

“Excuse me a moment,” Scott said as he slipped from the booth.

As he went to the phone at the bar, I glanced over at the first page he’d been working on. Across the top was scribbled The Love of the Last Tycoon. Maybe it was going to be a movie or something.

Scott rushed back to the table. “Sorry, I have to rush out.” He gathered the pages into a stack. “I completely forgot about a movie premiere I’m to attend tonight.”

“Oh, which one?”

“Something with Rosalind Russell and Melvyn Douglas. I think it’s called This Thing Called Love or some such.”

He reached out one hand and I stood taking it. “Nice to have met you,” Scott said.

“You to, hope you keep that vitality going. Oh, and have a Merry Christmas.”

“You to.” He smiled, turned, and headed for the front door.

Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over.

I guess that goes for people like me. I take hit but I keep coming back to be hit again or maybe dodge the punch next time.

Sitting my empty mug on the bar, I fished into my pocket. “Scott took care of you,” Eddie said.

“You’re kidding?”

“No, he’s a good guy, especially when he’s not around those society types. He likes being a normal guy. I don’t treat him like nothing special except keeping people out of his business when it gets crowded in here.”

“He was working on a book. I can see how this would be a good place to do that.”

“He’s good too.” Eddie stepped away to the cash register and came back. “Here, you can borrow this. And I mean I want it back. He signed it for me and everything. Got it?”

I did. I looked at the cover. The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald Vitality Quote

 

“Vitality shows in not only the ability to persist but the ability to start over.” F. Scott Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940)
Fitzgerald was living in Hollywood with gossip columnist Sheilah Graham, when he died the morning after attending a movie premiere with her.

For more Writer’s Quotes Wednesday click HERE to visit SilverThreading.com, and check out the comments below for links to more #BeWoW articles. (#BeWoW stands for Be Writing on Wednesday, Be Wonderful on Wednesday, writing positively.)

Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling on Amazon

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10 Questions for Ronovan Hester

Ronovan Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling , , , , , , , , , , , ,

With only being able to reblog once, and having done that with this interview to my author site, I’ve copied and pasted the article here. It isn’t as nicely formatted as author Vashti Quiroz-Vega has it on her site, and I suggest everyone visit the original for the full experience by clicking HERE.

Hello everyone! I have a treat for you today. I’m an avid reader and self proclaimed bookworm and to me as well as others like me it is always fun when a new, intriguing book is released. Do you enjoy fascinating stories about pirates? Well then you’ll love The Razor’s Adventures Pirate Tales by P.S. Bartlett. I have featured P.S. Bartlett and her books on this blog and you can check out that post here.

Today’s focus will be on the wonderful and talented Ronovan Hester since P.S. Bartlett’s recent installment in The Razor’s Adventure series, Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling is co-authored by him. This is not your typical pirate story since Ronovan puts his love of History and his 20+ years of writing experience to use in his debut Historical Adventure set in 1705 England, American Colonies, and Caribbean.

Amber Wake-Ronovan Hester-pirates

♦

Ronovan’s Bio:

Ronovan Hester is a writer living near Athens, Ga, home of his alma mater, The University of Georgia, where he received a B.S.Ed. in History Education. Ronovan puts his love of history and his over 20 years of writing experience to use in his debut Historical Adventure set in 1705 England, American Colonies, and Caribbean co-authored with P.S. Bartlett.

Ronovan’s devotion to history and writing sometimes competes with his love of tacos and fresh fruit. At times, all his favorite things work hand in hand in mouth during long binge writing sessions that have been known to last nonstop for over 24 hours. Rather than see a sleep disorder as a hindrance, he uses the time for creative purposes or watching old TV shows on online.

Ronovan enjoys putting elements of history, if only as nods to the past, in all of his book projects. He currently instills that love of history and learning in his son daily as he helps him through his college prep courses, meaning hours of homework every night, even while not yet a teenager–his son, not Ronovan. Now if he could find a very good mute for that trumpet his son just began learning.

10 Fun Facts About Ronovan

One of your 10 fun facts is that you love to cook. If P.S. Bartlett arrived at your house for dinner what would you make for her?

I would go Southern. I make very good Southern Fried Chicken, biscuits, and I these potato wedges that I batter then fry, then oven bake. It’s something I created, and everyone loves them. I fry them enough to get them brown and slightly crisp, then into the oven to finish cooking over a rack to let the excess oil come out. I cover them with foil so as not to let the brown much more or burn. You end up with a crispy on the outside, completely done on the inside oven fry. You spice the batter how you like it and either make or use your favorite condiment if you want to dip them in something. There would of course be sweet iced tea. For dessert a peach cobbler, since I live in the Peach State.

Another fun fact about you is that you love the sound and feel of the ocean at night. Have you seen the movie ‘JAWS’?

I did. I also saw the Jaws 3D in the movie theaters when it first came out with some older cousins.

One more fun fact about you is that you enjoy eating lunch sitting under a tree while watching and listening to birds. If you could be any bird which would you be?

I think I’m pretty much a Robin if you look at me. I can’t escape that.

Ronovanwrites-The Writer Next Door

10 Questions for Ronovan Hester

1/ Tell me about your book

Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling is a historical adventure beginning in a sailor’s pub in 1705 London and then taking to the seas. Court-martialed due to the events in the pub, Captain Gabriel Wallace of the Royal Navy finds aide with his former crew who mutiny against the Royal Navy, just in time to avoid capture by his enemies. Wallace has more than one mission/objective during his war against the men behind his disgrace but only he is aware of it. This secret causes some problems as the story unfolds and Wallace and his men go after the biggest haul a pirate has ever attempted in the waters of the Caribbean, all in the name of revenge and loyalty.

Reads like a riveting story! And not your typical pirate story.

2/ What inspired you to write this book?

After many conversations with PS Bartlett, the creator of the Ivory Shepard world of pirates, the discussion came around to her thoughts of a sequel to her very first pirate novel, The Blue Diamond: The Razor’s Edge. A book I enjoyed a great deal. I had the idea of her writing a prequel series of books of how her main character became a lady pirate captain, while I wrote the book that would currently be the beginning of the entire series and become known as Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling. By the way, not only does Microsoft Word object to the use of lady in this paragraph, but Ivory Shepard would as well.

Ah, ha, ha. I guess ‘female’ is the word that comes to mind then. The idea of a ‘prequel series’ telling how the main character comes to be, who she is in the original series is quite brilliant.

*Clarification from Ronovan: I should have worded the part about the prequel ideas coming up between PS Bartlett and I about the same time. It was an idea to expand the world she created and bring in more attention to the character of Ivory Shepard. The Blue Diamond was a great book.

3/ Why team up with another writer, instead of writing this book on your own?

I looked at it as a two-fold thing. One, I would be helping PS Bartlett get one more book out in her series. In this book, I could give a different perspective, a different voice than that of Ivory Shepard. There needed to be that different voice. Second, I’m a historian and love research. Thus, I saw this as a challenge of sorts. Just as I challenged myself to write a Southern Romance, completely out of my comfort zone, I did this, which was a new genre for me. I do historical fiction more around WWI and WWII.

Although not a historian I share your love of research. I’m happy you took this on and wish you continued success.

4/ Which is your favorite character in the book? Why?

I would have to say Gabriel Wallace is my favorite because I put so much of me into him. Some of that’s been taken out because of the collaboration, but I know where I show up. People that know me will know what I wrote and not. The styles mesh but my personal character is different from some of what Wallace ends up as. Gimby, the helmsman is a good one too.

5/ Which character in the book would you not get along with? Why?

That’s a tough one. There are times, due to circumstances a couple of people are difficult to deal with. One is somewhat obvious when you begin reading the book, and the other grows into someone less than a joy to know.

Very diplomatic answer.

6/ Finish these statements:

-If I wasn’t afraid I would move to a better climate part of the world with a beach and a nice ocean view, although I’m not really afraid of much.

Florida awaits!

-Someday, I want to be successful enough at writing to pay the bills and maybe help form some sort of foundation to fight some children’s problem.

7/ You have multiple personalities, describe some of them.

First, I’m not sure how you knew that. Second, I’m a workaholic one minute and a total veg the next. That might be part of some health issues though. I have the funny guy side, then the serious the next. Yes, I’m a Gemini.

I pay attention, Ron.

ronovan-hester-and-the-fish

8/ List 5 adjectives to describe yourself?

  • Hopeful
  • Romantical (My creation of a word.)
  • Caring
  • Idealistic
  • Inquisitive

Yes! I agree with all five. I’ve come to see all of these in you and your writing.

9/ How have your physical problems affected your writing?

That’s a big one. I could make a long list of negative things, but I look to the end result being I use the time I have to write as much as I can, which at times is a lot. If I had normal health I wouldn’t have a book out right now. I see this as one of those things where God took an extreme bad thing and used it for an extreme good in my achieving getting a book published which can show others anything can happen if you work at it.

That’s a very positive and inspiring way to look at a traumatic experience in your life. I love your outlook. 

10/ How is Captain Gabriel Wallace like or unlike Captain Jack Sparrow?

The two are about as opposite as you can get. Wallace is a trained captain in the Royal Navy, member of the upper class of society, actually a member of the House of Lords, well educated, and has a certain level of morality that dictates a lot of his actions. He doesn’t mind fun and jokes but his focus is his mission and the well-being of his crew. Wallace is not really a pirate, but more a soldier at war with a given enemy.

RonovanWrites-Hester-author-interview

Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling on Amazon.com

Amber Wake; Gabriel Falling on Amazon.UK

Amber Wake; Gabriel Falling on Amazon.CA

Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling on Amazon.IN

You may connect with Ronovan through:

Amazon Author Page: Ronovan Hester

Amazon UK Author Page: Ronovan Hester

Personal Blog: RonovanWrites.WordPress.com

Author Site: RonovanHester.com

Book Review Site: LitWorldInterviews.com

Twitter: @RonovanWrites

Goodreads Author: Ronovan Hester

Facebook: Ronovan Writes

Google+: Ronovan Writes

LinkedIn: Ronovan Hester

About.me: Ronovan

Pinterest: RonovanWrites

 

Synopsis

The autumn of 1705 brings Royal Navy Captain Gabriel Wallace to face off against an enemy within the ranks of the Admiralty itself that threatens his career, his reputation, his family, and something even more far-reaching in its plot.

Court-martialed and with Admiral Chambers, the mastermind fearfully known as the Chambers of Hell, out for his destruction, Wallace finds he has allies willing to face the might of the mightiest power on earth, with some allies in the most unlikely of places. The crew of his former command, the Majesty’s Venture, mutinies from the Royal Navy. With capture by his enemies close behind, Wallace agrees to become captain once again.

With a ship at his command, Captain Gabriel Wallace sets out to fulfill his mission, the completeness of which only he knows.

Now a pirate by situation, Wallace sets out for the Colonies and the Caribbean. Will his crew remain loyal as they leave the rule of the Royal Navy behind? Will his lifelong friend, Miles Jacobs, follow Wallace blindly without knowing the whole story? Finally, will the young Lieutenant Maddox Carbonale stay under the command of Wallace or have plans to lead instead?

With these questions in his thoughts, Gabriel Wallace wages war on Chambers and goes after the largest haul in the history of the Spanish Main. Whom does Wallace meet along the way? To whom are his loyalties to: vengeance or something more powerful?

If you love tales of adventure, of the sea, of the struggles of men, and nods to history, this is your book. Read Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling and you’ll have a new appreciation for all of The Razor’s Adventures Pirate Tales.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this author Spotlight/Interview. Be sure to check out some of the links.

Enjoy the weekend!

I Want You to Host me!

Ronovan Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling , , , , , , , , ,

Do you want to help me spread the word about my novel?

I want people from everywhere,  . . . I WANT YOU!

There is every kind of marketing gimmick you can think of, but the only sure fire way of getting people to know about a book is by people sharing it with others. Friends tell friends about it.

You read it and like it, tell people about it.

You do an actual review, share it.

Do a review. Hopefully it’s a good one.

Always review as a reader, not as a writer or author.

If you want to help by being a host, fill out the form below.

I’ve been to 15 sites so far. I’ve done How To articles, Book Excerpts, Answered Book and Random Questions, Provided a Stock post about the book.

I like answering questions. People always come up with some that are different. If you’ve read the book and have questions, then you can ask them, and some I might answer as long as it doesn’t give away the story too much.

I have two previous hosts that want a return visit. Now I need you.

I’ll keep at this until we sell a lot of books and get a lot of Book Reviews. The more reviews we have on Amazon.com the better they will show us in lists and emails to Amazon customers.

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling on Amazon

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@RonovanWrites

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 © Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com 2016

RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #86 Flash&Dance

Ronovan Haiku Prompt Challenge , , , , , , , , , , ,

Haiku Poetry Prompt Writing Challenge Useful Links.
Thesaurus: Flash, Dance.
HowManySyllables.com
Thesaurus.com
Haiku in English
How to do a Ping Back

 

Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge Image 2016

 

The Challenge Words!

Flash & Dance

(REMINDER: Check that your ping backs are working!)

Not sure how to write a Haiku? Click HERE for a quick How to write Haiku Poem in English Form with links to articles for other forms of Haiku.

Use the 52 Week Photo Challenge hosted by some of our Haiku Challenge friends in unison with the above prompt words. This week’s photo prompt is EXTRA. Click HERE to see the full 52 prompts. And yes, EXTRA can be used with the Haiku words, although I didn’t plan it that way this week.

The Guidelines are simple.

  1. Use the two prompt words in a Haiku. I use Haiku in English  as my style, which is 5 syllables for the first line, 7 for the second, and 5 for the third, but you can use what you like. The link above gives you more specifics of a Haiku and other forms of Haiku.
  2. Words have different definitions and you can use the definitions you like. You can even use a synonym word. Go to Thesaurus.com for Synonym help. I’ve also included the words at the top of the page.
  3. Copy and paste the URL link of your finished haiku post into a comment here on the challenge post. I then know you did one, and we can all go visit your site to see what you have done. You can also do a ping back. What’s a ping back? Put the URL link from the address bar of this post, if you like, within your post. Your inclusion of the link encourages others to try the challenges out, be creative, and join a community to find friends and more followers (hopefully). I honestly gain nothing by more people visiting the post. I don’t have ads running I get paid for by your visit. How to do a Ping Back
  4. Use the Tag of Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge. This will help me find you in case you forget to ping back or leave your URL in the comments.
  5. The Challenge currently BEGINS at 8 AM EST (New York City time) on Mondays. And a DEADLINE is Noon EST (New York City time) on the Sunday following the Challenge Post release.

Much Respect-Much Love

Ronovan

Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling on Amazon

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In a Flash by @YouAreTheExpert

Ronovan Guest Haiku ,

In a Flash. First in this week. I guess you can say she did this one in a flash.

Annette Rochelle Aben's avatarAnnette Rochelle Aben

HaikuPrompt

Enjoy the day’s dance

All the experiences

In a flash are gone

©2016 Annette Rochelle Aben

https://ronovanwrites.wordpress.com/2016/02/29/ronovanwrites-weekly-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-86-flashdance/

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The New #Haiku #Challenge #Review Week 85!

Ronovan Writing , , , , , ,

Welcome to the new Haiku Challenge Weekly Review with Ronovan Writes. Brought to you by … The Word of the Week to Live by:

Vitality
plural vi·tal·i·ties
1 a:  the peculiarity distinguishing the living from the nonliving b:  capacity to live and develop; also :  physical or mental vigor especially when highly developed

2 a:  power of enduring b:  lively and animated character

Word of the Week to Live by-Vitality

Narrowing the list down to 10 was a lot more difficult than I imagined. I had it down to about 17, then had to keep going. I think I know why I did all those links for so long.

For all the links, click HERE for the challenge post and the comments. All duplicates have been removed. In other words, if you click one, you won’t visit that same one again as you move through the list. I delete the ping backs of those who leave links in comments for the convenience of readers. The ping backs still work.

The Featured Ten

(In order of entry.)

TJ Paris Haiku – The Tight Rope http://wp.me/p5ipGi-1ub via @Roccoco_a_GoGo

Alice – Her experience (2) http://wp.me/p4g8gn-Uk via @Vidocq_CC

Judy – Molly http://wp.me/p54Obu-1Ho via @EdwinasEpisodes

Oneta – Spring Swing http://wp.me/p4Ipb9-i5

Doug – Enigma  http://wp.me/s69SqY-enigma

Martha – Love Signs http://wp.me/pPFyE-1Lj via @MeridithLBL

Greg – Warmth Abounds http://wp.me/p51loS-js via @Greg_Wolford

Ruby – Tight pillow cuddles @RubyManchanda

Pancake Bunnykins – Slipped Away http://wp.me/p5JoVg-1RN

Crow – Poem 20160225 (Forgotten) http://wp.me/p1kF-IU via @crow

 

Special Mentions

OBA – All The Way Love – **Wedding Anniversary** http://wp.me/p5ptIl-292 via @obapathway

Clarence – Ode To RonovanWrites **Appreciation** http://wp.me/p3ZFSi-Vv

 

Authors

(Click Images to go to Amazon or SmashWords Author Pages for Books.)

A Haiku Perspective 2015 by Annette Rochelle AbenAnnette Rochelle Aben – Cozy Traditions http://wp.me/p4ayEo-15H via @YouAreTheExpert

 

Mankind Limited by Scott BaileyScott Bailey – Over the Plains http://wp.me/p3kG6h-1xC via @houseofbailey

 

The Dark Citadel by Jane DoughertyJane Dougherty – Cocoons to Spring http://wp.me/p2ESuy-2uX via @MJDougherty33

 

Like a Child to Home by Bill EnglesonBill Engleson – Democratic Dance via @billmelaterplea

 

The Dragon Tempest by D.B. Mauldin and others.D.B. Mauldin – Melting In  http://wp.me/p2YiAw-37n via @dmauldin3

The Basement by Vashti Quiroz-VegaVashti Quiroz-Vega – Spanx & Food Porn http://wp.me/p3eYyj-1cm  @VashtiQV

 

The-Mystical-Hexagram-Sue-VincentSue Vincent – Cold http://wp.me/s1wss8-cold via @SCVincent

 

Dilemma by Baheya Zeitoun.Baheya Zeitoun – Drumming Hearts http://wp.me/p1FhVD-IO via @BaheyaZ

 

Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling on AmazonClick the Image.

“Now, I want to warn you… this is not your typical pirate tale! It’s BETTER!”

“The historical descriptions are done smoothly, and flow nicely without being to “teachy”.”

“What I found when I began reading was immediate engrossment in the cleanly written character of Captain Wallace, who is a seafaring man of high rank, with a conscious. That his first person voice is as confessional as it is kept me turning the pages. ”

“I enjoyed meeting the characters, kept turning the pages to see what was happening next …”

“Captain Gabriel Wallace is a man with a moral code that is largely unwavering; a confident man who holds himself with pride yet humble. A romantic hero for sure! This is an entirely engaging and enjoyable read!”

 

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@RonovanWrites

© Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com 2016

 

 

A Change for Now.

Ronovan Haiku Poetry Challenge Reviews , ,

I guess some of you may have noticed I am everywhere lately. I have posts across other blogs promoting my book. I am here promoting my book but trying not to because I don’t want to seem like I am forcing it on anyone. Then I am trying to do my normal blogging.

To be honest, it’s taking its toll. I’m having to wear compression gloves now to type and wow are they taking a lot to get accustomed to typing with. I guess you realize if I am wearing the gloves then the hands have gotten worse.

I love writing. I love blogging. Lately, really for months now, I don’t blog. I host challenges and put out reviews, both of which I like.

The problem is . . . I never knew the Haiku Challenge would ever get as big as it has. Would any of you have thought it that’s been around the whole time?

For the time being, I’m going to change the Haiku Review to include the Authors, because I know every extra mention helps, and choose 10 other Entries to feature along with the blog names. I am working on a way to maybe include all the links of all the entries just not in the format we have now. I’m going to work on the easiest way I can get it done so as many people can benefit. This may be temporary.

Other than my hands and overall health issues, I also want to get back to being creative again.

I loved writing poetry for so long, but now I don’t get into that space long enough to write. It’s time I created the chances to write again. I’ll be sharing the next phase of that journey with you. Keep an eye out for excerpts of that Southern Romance I’ve been working on for so long.

Much Respect

Ronovan

What’s a GL and PSS got to do with writing?

Ronovan Writing , , , ,

If you’ve been following my Flash Fiction prompt on Fridays, you may notice I mention things called GL and passive sentence structure. Why do I do that and why are those things important?

Some people think if you write, then you’re all good. The problem with that is, you are only as good as your editor when it comes to publishing.

You must know what writing is about.

You must know what it takes to make a story you like.

You must always be learning and realize you don’t know everything and never will, and that’s okay.

Writing Tips with Ronovan-Passive Sentences and Reading Level

Grade Reading Level

GL is the reading grade level of a book. For fiction, you generally want your book not too difficult so the reader can get lost in the story and forget they are reading at all. If you can do that, you have a good reading level.

There are many ways the grade reading level is determined. The one I use it strictly based on the length of sentences and the syllables used. I don’t take into consideration the content of your work. That is something for professionals to determine. I think most of us know if we have violence, profanity, or sex in a book, the reading level is going to go up.

As time goes by, the suggested grade reading level drops according to what society sees as acceptable. In addition, you need to keep in mind the level will be different for the general public than it might be for schools where books are for educational purposes in classrooms.

You might think adults would read books at a level of 12 or higher. Realistically we want something simpler, where we know most of the words if not all of them. Most of the greatest fiction, or most popular, is written around a grade level of five or six, and that is for adult readers as well as teens.

Harry Potter is a GL of around five. Tolkien is around GL 6.5. In other words, don’t knock a GL of 5-6 when you see it in the weekly #Links post I put out.

If you are participating in the weekly prompts and are not writing around that level, it’s up to you to decide if you want to adjust. Now you know how to adjust. If you want a higher GL, use longer words and sentences. If you want a lower GL, then shorter words and sentences.

How do I determine the GL of the entries into the challenge? Word has a built in tool that does it for me.

Now you know why I include the GL in the comments/links for the entries to the challenge.

How about PSS?

I’ve more recently begun including the passive sentence structure percentage. Why did I do that? Passive sentences normally end up being longer and somewhat convoluted, causing the reader to do more to understand the sentence. Passive slows down the reading, the progress, and action of the story.

I know, some of you are thinking your book is not an action story, but each book has something going on that needs to move forward. You want to carry the reader onward. You don’t want to have your reader bogged down and their brain getting tired or bored.

Doing prompt challenges like the one I host, or any blog for that matter, helps you get in the habit of writing in the grade level you like and in an active voice. You don’t want to write an entire book and realize you need to change it all. 350 pages of do over is a daunting thing to face.

Use Word, if you have it, and set things up to check for passive voice. Yes, Word has that ability. Check out Using Proofing To Help Your Fiction Diction & More! to see how to set Word to work for you.

I don’t give much feedback about how to improve writing, because when I have given serious feedback I ended up with anger and defensiveness. That is another reason I put the GL and passive sentence structure percentage in the links.

Ronovan Hester is an author, whose debut historical adventure novel Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling is available now on Kindle and in Paperback is ready to ship now. Click HERE to choose.

My Book SupportersClick the image for Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling on Amazon.com.

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@RonovanWrites

 © Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com 2016.

FRIDAY FICTION with RONOVAN WRITES Prompt Challenge #15-A spill occurs.

Ronovan Friday Fictions , , , , , , , , , ,

Useful links:
Grammarly.com
Click HERE for STRIPPING for FICTION or HOW TO WRITE FLASH FICTION.
Click HERE for Dialogue Tags, Action Beats, and the Dialogue Comma.
Click HERE for What’s a GL and PSS got to do with writing.

Friday Fiction with Ronovan Writes Challenge

IF YOU WOULD LIKE COMMENTS ON YOUR WRITING, PLEASE NOTE AT THE END OF YOUR ENTRY THE AREAS YOU WISH FOR THE READER TO COMMENT ON, OR IF YOU WISH FOR AN OVERALL OPINION.

If you’ve been here before click Skip To Prompt.

Refrehs yourself on the Content Guidelines

FRIDAY FICTION with RONOVAN WRITES

With decades of writing behind me and daily learning of how to be a better writer, and by daily, I do mean constant, I wanted to give a way for current friends and future finders of this blog a way to push themselves to improve as well.

Through this challenge my hopes are you will:

  1. Find your voice
  2. Step out of comfort zones to discover a genre where your talent truly lies
  3. Perhaps make connections that will help you become a better writer

DEADLINE IS:

23:59 EST (New York Time) Wednesday. I will then have Thursday to complete reading the entries and compiling the links and such. I do read all entries. You can ask any of my Haiku Challenge family/community members.

I DO ASK THAT YOU:

 

 

  • Keep it PG as all ages do follow the blog and may click through and read the entries. (Continue for exceptions.)
  • If you do write a piece of fiction that goes past the PG level, copy the link into the comments of this post and make a note of it being such and give the reasons you think it is, such as violence (See below for clarification.), sexual content, language/profanity.
  • No violence toward children by adults or predatory aspects toward children. I know you may have two kids have a fight. I get that, but I don’t want gratuitous violence such as glorifying bullying. Also I can see you having a kid kicking some bad guy in the face for some reason. I get it.
  • No sexual assault against anyone.

WHEN YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR WORK OF FICTION: (The below guidelines are less than they look.)

Copy and paste your URL in the comments of the challenge post, or do a ping back to this post. This does not mean you must share a link today, Friday, just because the challenge says Friday in it. It means you must return to this post or ping back to this post.

A ping back is copying and pasting the URL of the challenge post into your post. That lets people know about the challenge, sort of, and is one way to let me know you’ve entered. Just make certain to visit back here to see your ping back is showing. Confused? Click HERE to see how to do a ping back.

If your blog is with WordPress, TAG your post as Friday Fiction with Ronovan Writes. This way people may find your work in the WP Reader.

IMPORTANT! For those wishing to participate in the possible FREE eBook Project for Fiction, click HERE for the Challenge Page with information at the bottom along with a form of agreement to fill out.

Click HERE for STRIPPING for FICTION or HOW TO WRITE FLASH FICTION.

Prompt for Challenge

FIRST OF ALL: Please remember, this is NOT a race. Take your time. Friday is only a part of the title, not a deadline. SECONDLY, if the story is flowing, don’t let the word count stop you; keep writing. THIRDLY, if you are an ACTIVE challenge participant and you just aren’t feeling the prompt, write something and ping back or paste your link. I’ll still include it in the #Links post the following Friday.

A spill occurs, what do you do next?
Use your imagination for what a spill is. Click HERE for the Thesaurus for spill.

  • See if you can come in at more than a Word Count of 600. Control your word usage. (SUGGESTED)
  • Using the above scenario, create a scene about a spill of some kind and what you happens. Is it related to you, to someone around you, the world, love, death, sports. Get creative. (REQUIRED)

For proofreading of your work you might check out Grammarly.com. They have a free option to download for Word or that will even work right here in the WordPress Post Editor. It also works in the comments of sites. An additional feature is you can turn Grammarly off and own for each site you visit.

Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling on AmazonRonovan Hester is an author, with his debut historical adventure novel Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling is available now for pre-order on Kindle or the Paperback is ready to ship now. Click HERE to choose. He shares his life through his blog RonovanWrites.WordPress.com. His love of poetry, authors and community through his online world has lead to a growing Weekly Haiku Challenge and the creation of a site dedicated to book reviews, interviews and author resources known as LitWorldInterviews.com.

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@RonovanWrites

© Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com 2016

Friday Fiction with Ronovan Writes Prompt #14 Entries: THE #LINKS

Ronovan Friday Fictions The Writers with The Links , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I wasn’t going to do MUST READs this week, I mean most are must reads already. Then I read one that I could not ignore or pass by. Timely and for a writer this one hits home. Make sure not to skip it. We had everything from humor to death, and drama to suspense. Two new members joining in, and good storytellers at that.

A Must Read designation does NOT mean an entry is necessarily better than the other entries. It means that entry clicked with me in some way in that moment I read it.

The order appearing is the order in which the entry was received.

GL below stands for the reading Grade Level. Harry Potter is a GL of around 5. Tolkien is around GL 6.5. Passive Sentence percentage is included as Active Sentences are considered the preferred form of writing by most editors and publishers. Active moves the story along. Passive is not always bad. Sometimes a story works that way, perhaps through the language of a person or the type of story. Even then, keep the percentage low.

The Writers with The Links

The Prompt for the Challenge was:

You’ve just been handed a message that makes you drop to the floor, trembling uncontrollably.

  • No more than a Word Count of 600. (SUGGESTED)
  • Using the above scenario, create a scene of what the note is about, and why it makes you react the way you do. (REQUIRED)
  • No external dialogue for this scene. (SUGGESTED)

NEW MEMBERS!

Coffins
Damean Mathews (Writing Is Life)
A family saga in few words. 686 words, 6.4 GL, and 5% passive sentence structure.
“My name is Damean Mathews. I an author with an immense love of the written word. This blog is here to help aspiring authors in their craft. I plan on giving as many tips as possible, sharing my own examples and experiences, and posting some of my work in order to get feedback and help give examples of various stages of work, etc. I am five times published in the Clinch Mountain Review and Jimson Weed, and due to my work in the Jimson Weed I served as Managing Editor for two and a half years, one of which was also spent as Head News Writer for the Highland Cavalier…[Click for more interesting information].” @MathewsMarvels

Messaged Received
Bré Sanchez (Writings of a Single Girl)
Not sure if this is part of an ongoing or not, but it has a lot of potential. Hooked in 345 words. 1.9 GL (Seems like higher.), 0% passive sentence structure.
“Single girl in her 20’s(ish), living in Dublin, sharing her thoughts and experiences.” @singleGRLbrain
 

Tonight You Die
TJ Paris (La vie est trop courte pour boire du mauvais vin)
To let the cat out of the bag or knot? Knot. Go and check it. You know TJ comes through with entertainment each week. 178 words, 5.1 GL, and 5% passive sentence structure. @Roccoco_a_GoGo

Just Friends (Part 4 or Jelly Legs)
Ritu (But I Smile Anyway…)
In the throws of guilt, embarrassment, and general day after insanity, Lara receives a message from the last person she expected. 696 words, 6.9 GL, and 0% passive sentence structure. @PhantomGiggler

Just a Little Slip
Teresa Smeigh (Writing is my Life)
A surprise awaits from a captured soldier and a family reunion. 811 words, 4.4 GL, and 4% passive sentence structure. @TeresaSmeigh

The Note – A Case for Sarah Bradley
KL Kaley (new2writing)
A police officer is up for a promotion when she receives an envelope with something inside that sends her reeling. 637 words, 4.3 GL, and 1% passive sentence structure.

Harper Lee is Dead…
MUST READ Bill Engleson (Writings)
A powerful inner turmoil and realization or disturbance. Depending on the reader, this story may bring about different feelings. 592 words, 4.2 GL, and 0% passive sentence structure. @billmelaterplea

A Child Remembers
Neel Panicker (NeelWritesBlog)
Trigger Warnings in this one for anyone with adult to child situation history. The story does get across the damage something like this does to a child mentally and emotionally. 654 words, 7.8 GL, and 0% passive sentence structure. @PanickerNeel

News
Jane Dougherty (Jane Dougherty Writes)
Another side of a story, one we sometimes don’t consider in our own actions. 406 words, 4.8 GL, and 0% passive sentence structure. @MJDougherty33

The Letter
Kat Myrman (like mercury colliding…)
Great story. Kat gives just enough and you can decide the meaning at the end. I think she writes that last part so well you must know the answer, but maybe I’m wrong. Kat can write! 422 words, 3.1 GL, and 4% passive sentence structure. @kat_myrman

Sentence
Athling (A Writer’s Life)
What do you do, what do you think when that times comes? 287 words, 3.7 GL, and 3% passive sentence structure.

Ronovan Hester is an author, whose debut historical adventure novel Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling is available now on Kindle and in Paperback is ready to ship now. Click HERE to choose.

My Book SupportersClick the image for Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling on Amazon.com.

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

@RonovanWrites

 © Copyright-All rights reserved by ronovanwrites.wordpress.com 2016

READ THIS and GET TO KNOW MY BOOK!

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You’ve probably seen me talking about Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling on other sites. I’ve mentioned it here, but not really talked about it. Well, it’s time to tell you a little so you can decide to go and purchase either the Paperback or Kindle. Don’t have a Kindle? Neither do I. I use the Kindle App for my Android tablet and my laptop. Only my son has a Kindle. That’s what happens when you’re the only grandchild.

One reason I would like people to purchase is to read the book and write reviews. The more reviews we have, the better Amazon will promote us. It’s a shame that some great books have floundered because people don’t write reviews.

Another great thing about all of the books in this series is, they are available on KDP or Kindle Unlimited for Free to read.

The third thing is I want this book to be a bestseller. It’s my first book, and it would be so amazing to be able to put that label on something I’ve written. For a book to be a bestseller, it needs to move a lot of Kindle or Paperbacks. Every purchase helps. If you watched the ranks the way I have, you would be amazed what a few purchases can do. After a few days of being a top seller, we get a bestseller tag and wow. That is huge.

Now, although we’ve spread the word about the book including pirates, there aren’t that many. Captain Gabriel Wallace and his men set sail from London in 1705 after Wallace is court-martialed and then has an attempt made on his life. His crew is so loyal to him they mutiny and take his former ship the Majesty’s Venture after tying up and hiding away those members not agreeing with the majority vote.

Let me tell you about Wallace. He’s a member of the House of Lords sense the death of his father, but is primarily dedicated to his duties as a captain in the Royal Navy. His upbringing, education, and loyalty to Queen, Country, and God dictate a great deal of how he lives.

He is known as one of the sharpest men in the Royal Navy and all men serving under him would lay down their lives for him. Why? Because he always takes care of his crew. They are always assured of the dedication of their captain whenever it comes to their well being.

After his treatment in the courts and harm done to his family, Wallace wages war on those behind it all, Admiral Chambers, known as the Chambers of Hell for good reason, and his cohorts. After a secret meeting prior to his court-martial, Wallace had time to make plans for his coming war.

The story is told through first person by Wallace. What he thinks, you know. He has one mission, one goal in mind, and nothing will deter him from success. Even the sea itself cannot stop him, although it tries its best.

Beta-readers and reviewers alike have commented about the character development and the man Gabriel Wallace. It’s a fast paced, page turner. The internal monologue of Wallace, done so because he is the only one he can trust completely, makes you want to know what happens next.

This has been called “…not the ordinary pirate tale. It’s BETTER!” The reason this is not the ordinary pirate tale is because it wasn’t written as one. Wallace doesn’t see himself as a pirate. He has a war to wage. He’s also not a pirate for another reason, a reason only he is aware of among his crew.

By the end of the book, all is revealed and changes occur that are unexpected from someone like Wallace.

When writing the original drafts of Amber Wake: Grabriel Falling, I wanted to include things that would be nods to an original character from the first pirate book and give a good foundation for a future character named Rasmus Bergman that plays a big part in the development of Ivory Shepard, the main character in all of PS Bartlett’s other books, as a captain.

Following is a 4 Star Review by Claire Fullerton, published author with Vinspire Publishing. You may wonder why I am sharing a Four star rating instead of one of the Five Star ratings. It’s easy to quote a Five Star rating. Clarie Fullerton is someone I’ve asked to rip my writing apart. I want brutal honesty that will move my writing forward. She has the talent, experience, and the professionalism to push me to the next level in my career. I send her a chapter of my writing and she sends back edits with reasons and suggestions. Some I use, some I don’t, because there are reasons some parts are the way they are. She gets that.

Claire Fullerton bought the Kindle version of the book, then posted a review on the paperback, so it doesn’t show as a verified purchase. She’s one of those who isn’t going to post a review unless she wants to, and am I ever grateful she did. Her following review is as a reader.

If you don’t mind, I’ll bold certain sentences.

“Drawn by the pull of Ronovan Hester’s influence in the blogosphere, I quickly downloaded this book to my Kindle after reading a 5 star review of this book. What I found when I began reading was immediate engrossment in the cleanly written character of Captain Wallace, who is a seafaring man of high rank, with a conscious. That his first person voice is as confessional as it is kept me turning the pages. There is a humanness to Captain Wallace that the reader is privy to via his internal monologues, and this is what kept me engaged with this fast paced, undulating story of a man falsely accused by the English court, who then takes to the sea with a cast of supportive characters. It is an unusual spin on the idea of a pirate story in that Wallace has little other recourse but to go rogue, as it were, and because this premise is wonderfully set up in the beginning, the reader sympathizes with Wallace, who is motivated by the edification of his own reputation. This is a fun book: it is action packed, full of time and place appropriate language, and quite a departure from what I typically read. Here, here to the authors! Ronovan Hester and PS Bartlett clearly set out to collaborate on a joyous, highly visual ride, and it shows.“

With mild use of sailor language, this is a good read for just about everyone. PS Bartlett kept the book honest in many aspects when it came to certain areas, while keeping me and the background of the main characters in mind. Together we achieved a good story I think all of you will find different than what you are expecting.

This is a story that could be taken and put in any era, on sea or land, and end up a great story because of the characters within.

Click the image for the Kindle Page on Amazon. For only $2.99 you get one unique story. How large a story? The paperback is 346 pages, the Kindle 198.

Spread the word about my book. My Tweets reach my followers. My Google+, My Facebook, my, my, my … I think you see what I mean. I need your help. Word of mouth is the way books get sold. Buy a book, read it, enjoy it, and tell your friends about it.

Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling on Amazon

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10 #Quotes of #Respect for #BeWoW Positivity.

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Quote about Respect by Ronovan Hester

Combining events across two blogs can bring inspiration. I’ve always been a quote person in my writings. Quotes naturally lead to positive thoughts, and positivity is what #BeWoW is all about. If we write positive words to share across the blog community, instead of rants, hatred, and veiled animosity that fools no one (check politics these days), we then promote a positive atmosphere.

Too many people get their kicks writing about junk. Too many people get their kicks reading about junk. I avoid junk as often as possible. One friend recently asked me to read a satire about Donald Trump in regards to his accepted role in the Republican Party in the United States. I refused. I waste no time with reading about Donald Trump, or any other candidates all that much.

“There exist only three beings worthy of respect: the priest, the soldier, the poet. To know, to kill, to create.” Charles Baudelaire

French Poet and essayist, Baudelaire named the three beings correctly, but these days each takes on a different guise. Those committed to revealing the world, bettering the world, and saving the world are encompassed in those descriptions above. If you are or know someone with those characteristics . . .  respect them.

“One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say.” Bryant H. McGill

It is difficult to discover what a person is without listening. We have conversations buy how often do we listen? You my have several exchanges but points are completely missed. Each side is colored by their own opinion and thus interpret the other side of the conversation with that opinion. We are often so wrong.

“I never make the mistake of arguing with people for whose opinions I have no respect.“ Edward Gibbon

By listening you discover a great deal. One is when not to waste time. If someone won’t listen to you, then move on. There is a give in take in the world. There are no time limits or deadlines to the understanding of opinions as long as each are actively attempting to understand.

“It is so important to get respect for what you do and at the same time give it.”  Estelle Parsons

People are so concerned with obtaining respect for their own opinions or accomplishments they forget there are two sides of the situation in many cases. In order to obtain respect, you must give respect in return. I know that can be difficult when you perceive others as not giving you respect, that’s where listening comes into play . . . true listening.

“Respect for ourselves guides our morals, respect for others guides our manners.” Laurence Stern

For me, when I am well centered and focused on what is important in my life, I have a set of beliefs that allow me to respect myself and when I respect myself, I’m able to respect others  more easily. When you can’t respect yourself it’s almost impossible to find how to respect others.

“As all human beings are, in my view, creatures of God’s design, we must respect all other human beings. That does not mean I have to agree with their choices or agree with their opinions, but indeed I respect them as human beings.” Stockwell Day

It can be tough at times to keep respect in mind. Sometimes you feel disrespected or ignored. Then when you are respecting you must push through those times when other people continue to ignore you, don’t listen to you, and disrespect you.

“I firmly believe that respect is a lot more important, and a lot greater, than popularity.” Julius Erving

One thing to keep in mind is, no one has to like you. You don’t need like in this world. Society has because a click away from acceptance and popularity or depression and suicide. If we share something with people we look for a response. Since there is less and less face to face interaction, we now look at clicks for ‘likes’ on updates and posts.

“That you may retain your self-respect, it is better to displease the people by doing what you know is right, than to temporarily please them by doing what you know is wrong.” William J. H. Boetcker

People are going to disagree with you. The important thing is to stick to your beliefs. If you do that, stick to what you believe, you can always hold your head high. We all slip at times, but the important part is getting back up and moving forward and beyond whatever we allowed to influence our slipping in the first place.

“This world of ours… must avoid becoming a community of dreadful fear and hate, and be, instead, a proud confederation of mutual trust and respect.” Dwight D. Eisenhower

Looking around you can see divisions everywhere. People demanding respect by not giving respect. You respect us, we’ll respect you. That’s not how it works. You want something, you be something. Communication is one of the most important tools we have as humans, and one of the least utilized ones.

“When you are content to be simply yourself and don’t compare or compete, everybody will respect you.” Lao Tzu

For more Writer’s Quotes Wednesday click HERE to visit SilverThreading.com, and check out the comments below for links to more #BeWoW articles. (#BeWoW stands for Be Writing on Wednesday, Be Wonderful on Wednesday, writing positively.)

Amber Wake: Gabriel Falling on Amazon

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