Nov 14, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
The Assault: Harbingers, Cycle Two
Well, I’m not gonna lie. I haven’t finished reading it yet. But, since I never give away the ending, I figure it’s okay to tell you what I know so far.
But first . . . MOM. STOP READING.
I’m not kidding.
Spoilers to follow.
You can revisit this post after you’ve read the book.
We good?
Okay. Carry on.
Y’all know that Andi is my favorite character of the team, right? So how giddy do I get when I get to read Angela Hunt’s contribution? Pretty. Freaking. Excited.
Books One and Two took us to the Vatican and back to Florida. Andi, as you’ll recall, was institutionalized for withdrawing. Seems those orbs the team saw in Cycle One were causing some more problems. The Gate is at it again, trying their mind control to create a collective knowledge void of any creator other than themselves. Of course, the team saves the day, and while there was never any doubt, it was still quite the nail biter.
So, now the Professor has had a change of heart and not so adverse to being part of the team (Man, you should have heard his complaints up ’til now. Oh, wait. Read the book and you will!) but once his dear Andi was in jeopardy, something inside him triggered and he realized he might not know everything, and the team might know more than he thinks.
So he rents this house in Florida. A one-month deal, just long enough, he hopes, to gather information to combat The Gate. He had also collected a damaged orb and brought it to the team for inspection. But by the time he reached the house, it had put itself back together again. I know ~ weird, right? Like the whole journey isn’t weird. But anyway . . .
Andi, as his assistant, starts to investigate and study the orb. Her contact with it resurfaces the voices, the control, from Book Two when the fungus took hold inside her. Yes, I said fungus. Read the book. Read all the books. The Professor gets her to go to a doctor where she spills her guts and he asks her to keep a daily journal. No problem.
Back at the house, packages start arriving. Boxes for the Professor. Turns out he subscribed to a clipping service, and had them print and ship every article they could find on The Gate. Turns out these boxes of documents are noncommittal. The Gate is a rumor. The Gate is from Medieval Times. The Gate is new and improved. Andi finds out The Gate is now online. Forget subtlety. They’re all about in-your-face, taking-over-the-world tactics. And they say so! But in a way that almost makes you want to know more. Of course, we know if we know more, it will be the end. Tank likens it to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Once they knew more, they knew evil. And once they knew evil, it was the end of paradise.
Brenda also gets a package. From her dear Auntie Rene: A life hammer to smash out the windshield if their car runs off a bridge. A can of shark repellent. And mosquito wipes to prevent the little buggers from biting. They laugh and Brenda sets the items on the coffee table. Immediately, young Daniel scoops them up and offers them back to her. “Keep,” he commands, in the way he has. The way that lets the team know he knows more than any of them.
And that’s where I’ve stopped reading for the night. Hey, This Girl needs sleep, too. But that’s okay. As soon as the sun comes up and I find some spare minutes, you can bet I’ll be finding out if Andi’s free of the mind-control fungus, if the orbs will leave them in peace (doubtful), and what’s significant about Auntie Rene’s interesting care package.
What are you reading this week?
TWEET THIS: #AmReading Harbingers, Cycle Two, Book Three #Infiltration @MollyJoRealy
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
Nov 13, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Firsts in Fiction Team
The FiF Team is at it again, folks. You won’t want to miss tomorrow’s live podcast episode as we continue our discussion on genres. This week, we’re talking mystery/police procedural, with very special guest Steven James.
Steven is a national best selling author of over thirty books including fiction and nonfiction. His Bowers Files series has been called “nailbiting,” and “psychological thrillers.”
He’s also a very talented public speaker.
I met Steven at my first Blue Ridge Conference. Anyone who has taken his classes walks away with more than information and guidance. He teaches writing in a way that lets the writer live what we learn.
Join us tomorrow evening, 6:30 PST as Steven shares his insights on writing a remarkable thriller.
Click here to join the podcast: Firsts in Fiction: Steven James.
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
Nov 12, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, On Faith.
God doesn’t lie. He doesn’t manipulate, coerce, or push us into doing things.
Sure, there are times on this earth when life goes sideways or worse, upside down. That’s not God’s design. That’s the result of free will and sin.
You know what God’s design for us here on earth is? Joy. Peace. Community. Love. Beauty. Understanding. Freedom. Rest.
There’s at least one reference to resting in God in each book of the Bible. I’d say that means it’s a pretty significant message, wouldn’t you?
Then Jesus said, “Come to me,
all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28 NLT
The thing is, we’re taught to carry our own loads. That it’s not “cool” to ask for help or slow down the busy pace of life. We especially don’t want to inconvenience someone else. Am I right?
But what if that part of our teaching is wrong? What if we could simply stop, take a breath, and ask God to help us? Do you think He would?
Frankly, On Faith: God Will Give You Rest
Resting is our body’s way of healing itself. Whether it’s just a day’s work, or a significant illness, during sleep our bodies are working to recover and get back to God’s design for our humanity. So is it really out of the question to think He should be our first Go-To Guy when we need rest of any kind?
Whether it’s physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual, God’s got this. We just need to let Him.
TWEET THIS: Will you give God the opportunity to give you rest? @MollyJoRealy #franklyonfaith #restinHim
And Franky, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
Nov 11, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Social Media Saturday
It’s that time of year again. No, I’m not talking about holidays (at least, not here on the blog.)
I’m talking about what happens after the holidays. That’s write right.
I’m talking about making a plan for the future of your media.
Hey, if you’re like me (and I know at least some of you are), you’re figuring out how to move forward with your health, your budget, your home. So why not your media presence as well?
If you want your social media to grow, you can’t just scatter a bunch of seeds and hope they stick. You have to plot the garden, figure how to feed what needs feeding, and prune what needs pruning.
It’s not too soon to think about a marketing budget, a posting schedule, and contacts you need to make to get the word out.
Overwhelmed? Don’t be.
It’s as easy as getting a weekly calendar and plotting out ahead of time things you want to draw attention to, and maintenance you need to do. If you’re blogging, it might look something like this:
SATURDAY: Schedule posts for week.
SUNDAY: List themes/ideas for next week.
MONDAY: Read book notes, write review.
TUESDAY: Contact/Call/Email so-and-so re: guest blogging
WEDNESDAY: Pull research for next week
THURSDAY: Rough draft posts
FRIDAY: Review/edit posts
Or, if you’re only about posting to Twitter or Instagram, it might look a little different:
SATURDAY: Share recipe posts from so-and-so
SUNDAY: Search hashtags for NYC
MONDAY: Post coffee facts
TUESDAY: Create memes for the week
WEDNESDAY: Follow three new people
THURSDAY: Share three #throwbackthursday posts
FRIDAY: Create list of themes/ideas for next week
Sure, you say. But that’s just weekly. How does a year calendar come into play? Easy-peasy answer coming up! Try to pick a theme for each month before the month starts, and curate information and other links to share. Boom. Job half done. Got guest bloggers? Assign them a day each week or month, and remind them ahead of time. Bam. Another to-do marked off. And once or twice a monthly (even weekly) schedule time to review your stats and responses. See what works, what doesn’t, and change accordingly.
Having a theme and a calendar makes it easy to track the special days you want to celebrate online, the stories you want to write about, and the times you may need someone to fill in if you’re on vacation or at the dentist. [Note to self: Reschedule exam after the holidays.] There are several websites that list Celebration Days. For instance, did you know tomorrow is National Pizza with The Works Except the Anchovies Day? Hey, I’m not making this stuff up!
Now, I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say I think y’all can tell I’ve not been following any calendar guide lately. Short posts, late night posts. But hey. At least I’m posting, right?
Y’all will be happy to know it’s time This Girl picked up next year’s Happy Planner. I’m gonna Plan the bejeebies out of 2018. Who’s with me? #plannersunite
Frankly, My Dear . . . : MoJo’s Happy Planners
Okay. So that’s my social media scheduling advice. What do you do to keep track, and how do you get through the days you don’t?
TWEET THIS: Social Media Saturday: Planning is Key @MollyJoRealy #socialmedia
And Frankly, My Dear . . . : That’s all she wrote!
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Nov 10, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @MollyJoRealy
Frankly, My Dear . . . :Five Things Friday
I know this may come as a shock to y’all, but I like reading. Almost as much as writing.
And while I’m a fan of reading something new, I also enjoy revisiting my favorite stories.
I recently compiled a list of books to read in the next few weeks, and well, let’s just say I think I’m set for the next year.
Here are my five favorite books to read each holiday season:
- The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. So, technically, this is a series of books, but for me, they’re bound into one volume. The saga of the Pevensie children and others as they continue to be drawn into Narnia has always been one of my favorites. Mr. Tumnus, the Beavers, and Aslan are just a few unforgettable characters that make the Gospel Story told in a remarkable way.
- A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Hullo. The original self-published book, am I right? The three ghosts, poverty, pride, and a change of heart. What’s not to like?
- Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. This book shaped my youth and my writing. With Jo March as one of my first mentors, I learned it was okay to not fit in, and as long as I remain true to myself, good things follow.
- The Complete Collection of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Yes, another collection. And I admittedly have not yet read it in its entirety. But it’s still a fascinating read and one that I love to experience on a cozy fireplace weekend.
- Cookbooks. They are too books! And I know, I know. This isn’t one book for the list. But really? You’re gonna make me choose between Better Homes and Gardens’ sugar cookie recipe, or Scharffen Berger’s chocolate liqueur? What about Taste of Home’s casseroles? No. No, I can’t choose just one. Please don’t make me.
Frankly, My Dear . . . : Five Books to Read This Season
So there you have it. My more-than-five favorites for this week.
What books do you like to read during winter?
TWEET THIS: Frankly, My Dear . . . : Five Books to Read This Season @MollyJoRealy #amreading
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
