Welcome to Parson's Cove!

Parson's Cove, NC is the fictional town that serves as the setting for Of Dreams and Shadow.   I thought I'd share a little about its origin.  After all, there are places in Onslow county that inspired it.  One of those is Yopp's Meeting House.  Yopp's Meeting House is located in Sneads Ferry, NC. and while it doesn't appear in my story,  it's a place that has always caught my attention.  When I was a little girl, the place creeped me out.  It always looked spooky - sitting off the road, surrounded by shade trees and a cemetery.  As I grew older, its history intrigued me and I knew Parson's Cove had to have an old building of its own.  

Yopp's Meeting House

Sneads Ferry, NC

I visited areas in Onslow County looking at old structures.  The Pelletier House in Jacksonville was one of the ones that I studied.  I had it in mind when I described Parson's Cove's - Henderson's Merchantile.

Pelletier House

Jacksonville, NC

I could imagine a building a bit wider than this one sitting just across the road from the river, waiting for fisherman and sailors to come inside and spend their money after a long voyage.  Such old buildings hold secrets and it's the same with Henderson's Merchantile - one visit marks the beginning of the end for someone in Parson's Cove. 

Book Trailer for The Days of Hairawn Muhly by Carol Ann Ross

If you have an extra 30 seconds, check out Carol Ann Ross' book trailer.  Click the link below:

Copy of The Days of Hairawn Muhly

Weekend Tourist - My visit to Swansboro, NC

If you're looking for something to do in Eastern North Carolina, a drive to Swansboro might be just what the doctor ordered. Swansboro is situated on the banks of the White Oak River.  It has a beautiful downtown area with wonderful shops and restaurants.

        

                

If shopping and dining isn't your thing, then a stop at Hammock's Beach State Park might be. 

There's not a lot as far as exhibits in the Visitor's Center, but little kids will be entertained.  

For the outdoor enthusiast, there are kayaks and a ferry to carry you to Bear Island.  Bear Island is perfect for exploring and enjoying nature at its best.  If you like primitive camping, then this could be the place for you. 

Go on!  Get out there and explore Eastern North Carolina!

Review of The Bond (Sphere, Episode 2)

 by Isaiyan Morrison

Description:

As a new Carrier in training, Tayla has a lot to learn. Still unable to accept that her mother who walked out on her and her father years ago was a Carrier herself, her new friends, Darrien, Sina, and Iris, began to reveal how important her mother was in the Carrier world. However, their explanations only create more questions about her mother and why she secretly passed her gift onto Tayla at such a young age.

Still trying to get used to the fact that her gift is the strongest gift that any Carrier could possess, Tayla finds herself the center of an up and coming war between Light and Dark Carriers. She meets Cody, Darrien's older brother and enemy who tells her that not only will her gift bring destruction if she chooses a side, but by not choosing a side she can be like him - a Rogue Carrier with no allegiance.  

Learning now that her power can tip the scales in the up and coming war Tayla is forced to choose. Will she fight for the Light Carriers or will she fight for the Dark Carriers?

What did I think?

In The Bond (Sphere, Episode 2), Isaiyan Morrison continues the story of Tayla, a teenaged girl who is coming to terms with the fact that she, like her mother, is a Carrier.  The story moves quickly and is full of intense action.  The introduction of Cody, a rogue Carrier, only added to the fun.  

Ms. Morrison continues to do a good job weaving in the backstory while offering tantalizing hints of what's to come.  She has set the stage for the next installment and I look forward to reading it!

While not yet available, The Bond (Sphere, Episode 2) will soon be released.  For more information regarding the release date, be sure to check Isaiyan's website-

 http://www.isaiyanmorrison.com/   

This is a serial with each episode roughly between 14,000-18,000 words long. 

  

Building My Online Presence

It's been just over three years since I started my novel.  I'm sure some of you can relate - working, family, etc.  Sometimes, it was just hard to fit writing time into the schedule.  I stuck with it and when I finally finished the edits and the rewrites, I was relieved - that was short lived though. Choosing to self-publish seemed like a viable option - one that offered control to me.  What I didn't realize was the hard work that comes with that choice.

Anyone can self-publish a novel but what we all want is to have our efforts recognized - and by that I am referring to "sales."  I have spent hours scouring the internet looking for information regarding self promotion and marketing.  Time and again, so many offer the same advice:  offer quality content, build your platform, and increase your online presence.

Quality content - I offer writing tips and updates on my journey in self-publishing.  The problem...I bet you do too.  It's like being a diamond among diamonds - I can only hope that my post glimmers enough to cause a reader to choose it out of all the other possible choices.

Build your platform - I've got a website and a blog.  I joined online communities.  I have an author page on Facebook and I'm on Goodreads.  My question is this:  Short of hiring your own social media specialist, how does anyone find the time to do it all?  I understand that "working social media" increases my online presence but like many of you, I work a full time job.  I come home and prepare dinner for my family. I pick up my son from practices and attend his games.  I help with homework.  You get the picture - it's probably very similar to your life.

It would be wonderful to stumble across the directions guaranteed to make my novel a must read...but as of yet, I haven't found them.  Instead, I'm trying to put together a marketing plan - starting with sending out media kits to area newspapers and magazines.  I've created a book trailer which I'll post on Facebook and my website and I'm looking at virtual book tours.  While I recognize the questionable use of both book trailers and virtual tours - I don't live in a metropolitan area and for me, a chance to increase my presence is worth it.