Friday, July 11, 2014

Welcome to Eliza and Mollie

Happy Friday, good people of the blogosphere! Jo here. Well, I promised you some exciting changes coming to IBGW, didn't I? This is the first of three posts we'll be doing to welcome five new editors to our little family. Today, I'm proud to introduce you all to Eliza and Mollie. They'll be working under the fabulous Tia Silverthorne Bach. Which basically means she'll be guiding them through our standards and will be available to help them fulfill all the INDIE Books Gone Wild promises we make (you know we promise a lot and live up to those pledges). Every one of the ladies you'll be meeting over the next three posts have been fully vetted. They joined the team because their ideals and love for the author are in line with ours, and we're thrilled to have them on board.

We know you'll adore them, too!

First up, we have Eliza Dee. Eliza has joined us from Clio Editing.

Bio:
Hi, I’m Eliza Dee. I’m a lifelong word nerd and foreign language freak. I was that child who read the dictionary for fun, and the only thing that’s changed is that I have more dictionaries now! I hold both bachelor’s (University of Michigan) and master’s degrees in English, in addition to stints as a law student and a student of library science. I’ve always known I wanted to work with words for a living, but while I love writing, bringing out the best in others’ work is my true passion.

Fiction editing is somewhere in between an art, a craft, and a science, and I am as passionate about the technical aspects of language as I am about the art of storytelling. Before switching to fiction editing, I spent over ten years editing academic writing. I’ve also been a college composition instructor, a writing center administrator, and a writing tutor, experiences which are reflected in the educational approach I take to my editing work. I love seeing my authors improve over the course of our relationship, so I won’t just tell you that a comma is unnecessary—I’ll explain why!

I’m thrilled to be a part of the self-publishing revolution and to work directly with indie authors to make their books the best they can be! My style manual is The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed.

Here's what Eliza's clients are saying:
"Eliza is AWESOME. She just did content editing on my release for next month and her work is meticulous, thorough and very thoughtful. She knows her stuff. I’ll definitely be coming back to her again in the future for the next books."  ~  Brenna Aubrey, bestselling author of At Any Turn (edited by Eliza) and At Any Price

"The book she edited was the first book I’d published. It had already gone through edits with another editor. However, I kept finding mistakes in the manuscript and had planned to get it re-edited when Eliza stepped in. Talk about great timing! I have to say that Eliza caught a lot of mistakes. It gave me a headache just looking at all of them! Eliza is the real deal. Copy edits and line edits were awesome. She even did some proofreading and found lots of extra spaces in the manuscript, backwards quotation marks (grr), among other typos. For developmental editing, she caught lots of plot holes (which I fixed up) and gave me a 5-page report that detailed motivation problems, detours, plot holes, loose ends, and characterization problems with the story. [...] If you’re working on your first book, I highly recommend Eliza’s comprehensive editing."  ~  L.G. Castillo, author of The Broken Angels series

Next, Mollie Turbeville! Mollie is joining us from Mohr Editing.

Bio:
Hi, I’m Mollie. I’m an editor who strives to preserve every writer’s unique voice. I graduated from North Carolina State University with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and a minor in Creative Writing. I developed a love for reading and writing over the years, as well as a keen interest in helping authors put their best story forward.

After college, I worked as a writer and editor at a literary consultancy, helping business professionals establish their brand, create and edit content, and manage social media accounts. I launched my business  a year later as an independent editor, and I have immensely enjoyed helping authors enhance their stories. My style guide is The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Edition. I currently live in Winter Park, Florida, with my husband, lazy hound dog, and two fat cats. I like to ride my bike around the city and drink my weight in coffee.

Testimonials to come!

These ladies will still provide other kinds of editing via their own businesses (independent of the IBGW name or association), but they'll now have the unique INDIE Books Gone Wild line editing package available to their clients. Once we get everyone announced, we'll be doing a special giveaway of a bundle of books these ladies have worked on so you can get to know their authors!

Monday, we'll be welcoming two more lovely editors to the team: Karen and Jennifer. Tuesday, we have one more awesome lady: Krystal. Then, on Wednesday, there will be another great giveaway held by Tia for a book she worked on a while back that just went live a few days ago. Be sure you come on back for all the fun!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Re-release and Giveaway - The Crossroads of Time

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Jo here. It's time for another awesome INDIE Books Gone Wild giveaway! If you haven't already, join our mailing list to be notified when we do one of these promotions. We won't spam you, you'll just get the Rafflecopter entry forms right in your e-mail and one message a year that does a recap.

Today, I have for you a book that's been re-released after proofreading was done by yours truly. I'll give you some information about the title and we'll get to the free stuff. There will also be a review of this book on the Jo Michaels blog either tomorrow or Friday, so be sure to check that out as well (after all, you wanna know what you're winning, right?). So, enough yammering. Let's get on to the book information, shall we?

Title: The Crossroads of Time
Author: Rhonda Denise Johnson
Genre: African American Urban and Historical Fiction
Length (print): 292 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $9.95   ~   Paperback $8.96

Synopsis:
Chloe loves to listen to music, but when the music starts listening to her, she begins to wonder. Try as she might, she can’t dismiss the strange things happening in her life as mere coincidence. Could some spirit be trying to send her a message? She tries to live a normal life as a student at California State University, but the more she tries, the more bizarre her life become. From the moment Chloe consults a Candomblé priestess to find out what’s what, the events in her life spin from uncanny to numinous.

As her visions become more corporeal, Chloe gets literally swept out of her twenty-first century Los Angeles world in the stormy vortex of Oya, the African Orisha of the wind. Oya takes Chloe on a journey through time that throws her into the world of Ayodele, her ninteenth century ancestor on a Virginia tobacco plantation.

Both women share dreams of achieving more in life than is expected of them as women and as African Americans. At the Crossroads they must decide which costs more, struggling to fulfill their dreams or letting them die—and which price are they willing to pay?

I recently finished the proofread for book two (this is a series), and I'll have that one up for grabs as soon as it's published.

Time for the Rafflecopter entry form! Good luck, all!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Don't forget! We'll be doing some welcome posts in the near future for some new editors. Come back for that.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

New Release and Giveaways - Chasing Shadows

Hello, everyone; and happy Hump-Day! Jo here. I'm super excited to share a new release with you all and give you yet another chance to snag a wonderful book worked on by IBGW. I did the edit and the print formatting for this book, and author Tia Silverthorne Bach (another of the EICs here) wrote it. Before we get to the giveaways (IBGW's and the author's rafflecopter AND Goodreads), I'm gonna tell you a little about the book, where you can grab a copy, and show you some of the goodies you won't find anywhere else. Ready? Let's get going!

It’s here! And it’s only 99 cents through Sunday, 5/11/14.


About Chasing Shadows (Tala Prophecy, Book 2)

Reagan thought one night changed her life forever, but her fate was written long ago.

Merging creature and white blood,
One of flame, one of night,
At eighteen years it will commence,
Spiritual warrior and power,
Will bring an end to the lawless ones.

A war looms: One that pits brother against brother for werewolf supremacy. Angels and demons will each have a say before a victor is chosen.

With her eighteenth birthday only six months away, time is running out. Reagan must find a way to harness the two powerful, ancient bloodlines coursing through her: Werewolf and Wiccan. Then, she has to figure out her role in the century-old prophecy foretold by her great-grandmother.

However, if Reagan can’t save her family from her most vicious rival, Rafe, the forces of Hell will be unleashed and the war will be over before it starts.

Add Chasing Shadows on GoodReads 

Cover Design by Jo Michaels

Amazon Link


And don’t forget Chasing Memories (Tala Prophecy, Book 1)
Until Sunday, 5/11/14, it’s FREE!

Synopsis

There isn’t another way; not now. The others are coming. I can’t let them have you…

Seventeen-year-old Reagan has a problem: She can’t remember what happened the night her brother was taken. Now, the dreams haunting her from the incident are becoming more intense by the day. All the while, the lines between what’s real and what’s a product of her paranormal-obsessed mind are becoming blurred.

Is she losing her mind or has she just stepped into a world she thought only existed in books?

Caught in a web of worried parents, competing boys, Wiccan relatives, protective amulets, and psychiatrist babble, Reagan must determine the truth before it’s too late.

Amazon Link

Giveaways

Three great giveaway opportunities...

GoodReads


Goodreads Book Giveaway

Chasing Shadows by Tia Silverthorne Bach

Chasing Shadows

by Tia Silverthorne Bach

Giveaway ends May 28, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.
Enter to win
Rafflecopter
a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Tia Silverthorne Bach is an avid reader, sometimes runner, involved wife and mother, and rabid grammar hound in addition to being a multi-genre writer. Her three daughters were born in Chicago, San Diego, and Baltimore; and she feels fortunate to have called many places home. She's the award-winning co-author of Depression Cookies, a coming of age story written with her mother. Tia's office is wherever her laptop takes her and any place that's conducive to allowing a wild imagination like hers to flourish.

Connect with Tia

Now, a little peek at the inside, then we'll move on to the IBGW giveaway.


Yeah, we wanted it to match Chasing Memories! *grin*

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD LUCK!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Thursday, May 1, 2014

New Release and Giveaway - Tbinkerknese 101

Howdy, y'all! Jo here. Today is the official release day for E. L. Thomas Sr.'s book Tbinkerknese 101 Book One - Poetic Enrichment for Teens. It'll be featured on the sidebar of the blog along with the other books in our IBGW family. As always, we're running a promotion with giveaways for our author! Read on to find out more, where to buy the book, and enter to win one of four great prizes: One Paperback, One Coil Bound, One Kindle copy, or a $25 Amazon gift card!

I did the edit, cover design, and interior design, and the lovely Tia Silverthorne Bach did the proofread. We hope you love this book as much as we do. On to the info, buy links, and Rafflecopter entry form!

Title: Tbinkerknese 101 (Book One) Poetic Enrichment for Teens
Author: E. L. Thomas Sr.
Genre: Young Adult Poetry
Length (print): 106 pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $7.25  ~  Createspace Paperback $14.95  ~  B&N $7.25  ~  Smashwords $7.25  ~  Lulu Coil Bound $14.95

Synopsis:
“Okay, teens, let’s go speak some TBINKERKNESE.”

E.L. Thomas Sr. has created the Tbinkerknese language specifically to break down communication barriers with teens. Quips, like the one above, in this inspiring book of poetry will keep you engaged throughout. Inside, there are 101 tidbits of useful, practical advice for teens, parents, and teachers, all communicated in a fun way while retaining a note of seriousness.

If you’re the parent of a teen, or a young person yourself, you’ll love getting lost in the pages of this book. Hopefully, it’ll open up lines of communication thought to be lost and get you thinking about life. With lines to record your thoughts as you read each poem, it beckons to be used as more than just a casual reading device.

Sounds good, eh? It is. Some of them are funny, some make you stop and think, and others leave you shaking your head at the truths Earl dared to put on the page. There are lines after each poem inside for the teens to record their reactions in the printed versions, and note spots on the digital versions. We made it as interactive as we could in order to get young people to engage with the words and really think about them while reading.

You can check out this post for an example of the interior and a bit about the author.

Now, connect with E. L. Thomas Sr. while earning an entry into the Rafflecopter giveaway. Good luck, everyone!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Cover Reveal and Giveaway - Tbinkerknese 101

What's up, everyone? Jo here! Well, we have a new client on the block and he's coming in with guns blazing. Not only is IBGW responsible for this book cover, we also did the editing, proofreading, and print design. Add to that, we gave the author a gorgeous logo, identity package, and website. Though this is out of the realm of what we usually do here, E. L. Thomas Sr. was patient and worked with us to get it all done.

We'll start off by giving you a little bit of information about the author and the book, then move into some pretty pictures and, of course, give you the Rafflecopter entry form. You'll have a chance to win one of these great prizes: A paperback, a coil-bound book, or an e-book!

Let's get going!

E. L. Thomas Sr. is a semi-retired construction worker, father, and grandfather born and raised in Valdosta, Georgia. And a United States NAVY veteran (U.S.S. Yosemite A D 19) who served during the Vietnam era. Earl has for a long time had this passion to write poetry, but only recently found what he considered to be a suitable outlet for some of his poems. His hope is, at the least, some of what he’s written will inspire teenagers to confront and conquer some of the immense challenges they’ll face during and after their teen years.

You can find E. L. Thomas Sr. at the following social media sites: Facebook: Tbinkerknoxx Inc.
Twitter: @Tbinkerknese101

You'll find an odd quote on the front of Tbinkerknese 101. Here's a little about that, and Earl's vision for the book:

“A teen without the Means is like an orange without the juice.”

If you’ve ever seen an orange that’s shriveled and dried up with only the skin and dried pulp remaining, then you’ll be able to equate that piece of nearly useless fruit—which was deprived of the necessary resources to help it reach its full potential—to a teenager who’s been deprived or denied the opportunity to reach their full potential because of lackadaisical parents, disinterested teachers, or both.

The Tbinkerknoxx slogan implies that the teen who gets their juice (the motivating, inspiring, enabling force or factor) from the Means, will be able to substantially enhance both their physical and mental capabilities. These Means will employ high moral standards and encourage academic excellence, while exhausting all available resources in instructing the teens in proper discipline.

We believe the teens who’ve been provided the necessary resources (the Means and the juice), can become productive citizens in an increasingly competitive society.

Once again we want to reiterate and encourage all the adults who have the opportunity to help and can, within the proper channels, to please help our youth. It has been said by many and believed to be true that: “It takes a village to raise a child.”

Sounds compelling, eh? *grin* Here's a little about the book:

Title: Tbinkerknese 101 (Book One)
Author: E. L. Thomas Sr.
Genre: Young Adult Poetry
Length (Print): 106 pages
Synopsis:
“Okay, teens, let’s go speak some TBINKERKNESE.”

E.L. Thomas has created this language specifically to break down communication barriers with teens. Quips, like the one above, in this inspiring book of poetry will keep you engaged throughout. Inside, there are 101 tidbits of useful, practical advice for teens, parents, and teachers, all communicated in a fun way while retaining a note of seriousness.

If you’re the parent of a teen, or a young person yourself, you’ll love getting lost in the pages of this book. Hopefully, it’ll open up lines of communication thought to be lost and get you thinking about life. With lines to record your thoughts as you read each poem, it beckons to be used as more than just a casual reading device.

Now for the pretty!

Cover:
Full Wrap:
Aaaaand, here's a peek at the inside (you won't get this anywhere else):
This book will be available on Createspace, Amazon Kindle, Smashwords, and you'll be able to snag a coil-bound version on Lulu (or win one) May 1, 2014!

Now, it's time for the Rafflecopter entry form. Good luck, everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway will run through May 12, 2014.

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo 

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Keepers of Arden The Brothers Vol. 1 by L. K. Evans Re-release and Giveaway

Hello, happy followers of the blog! Jo here. Today we have for you yet another IBGW family member giveaway! This one is for two e-copies of Keepers of Arden (The Brothers Volume 1) by L. K. Evans. I read this book a while back and wrote a review for it. If you'd like to check out what I had to say, you can find the review on my blog here. Since then, the book has been proofread (by me) and many of the niggling little issues have been rectified. Ms. Evans is also preparing to release Volume 2 of the series later this year; so, you'll all have that to look forward to! Without further ado, I give you the information about the book, followed by the Rafflecopter entry form.

Title: Keepers of Arden (The Brothers Vol. 1)
Author: L. K. Evans
Genre: Fantasy & Sorcery
Length (print): Approx 459 Pages
Buy Links: Amazon Kindle $2.99

Synopsis:
"Slowly, year by year, day by day, hour by hour, the evil grew stronger while he grew weaker. It found ways around his shield, and, even as he sat in the sun on a beautiful spring day, he could feel the tiny nibbles the evil bit off from his soul."

This is just the beginning of the Laybryth brothers' journey, to not only rid the lands of Arden of a vile evil, but for one brother to save the other from the darkness that lives within him.



Believe me, it's awesome. I read it and loved it, then the author let me do the proofread on it and I loved it again!

Enter away, readers! Here's your Rafflecopter widget:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo 

Monday, December 16, 2013

A Pair of Docks by Jennifer Ellis Preview Release and Giveaway

Happy Monday, everyone! Jo here! Today I'd like to share with you all something awesome we've been working on here at IBGW. I was notified yesterday the book went live on Amazon and here I am, doing some great promotional work for it! Without further ado, I give you A Pair of Docks (The Derivatives of Displacement Book One) by Jennifer Ellis.

TitleA Pair of Docks (The Derivatives of Displacement Book One)
Author: Jennifer Ellis
Genre: Young Adult Sci-Fi Time Travel
Print Length: 230 pages
Purchase Links: Amazon Kindle $2.99 Print $11.48

Synopsis:
What if you could see your future?

Fourteen-year-old Abbey Sinclair likes to spend her afternoons in the physics lab learning about momentum and gravitational pull. But her practical scientific mind is put to the test when her older brother, Simon, discovers a mysterious path of stones that allows them, along with Abbey’s twin, Caleb, to travel back and forth between their world and what appears to be...the future.

Unfortunately, they’re not the only ones who know about the stones, and they soon realize their lives are in danger from a man known only as Mantis. Abbey, Caleb, and Simon must follow a twisting trail of clues that will lead them from their autistic neighbor, Mark, to a strange professor who claims to know the rules of the stones, and to multiple futures—some of whose inhabitants don’t want to stay put.

It will take all of Abbey’s analytical skills to unravel the secrets of the stones, uncover the threads that tie the futures together, thwart Mantis’s plan, and, most importantly, keep her family alive—now and in the future.

A Pair of Docks is an action-adventure for kids and adults that explores Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, parallel universes, time travel and the boundary between science and magic. It is the first novel in the Derivatives of Displacement series. Lovers of fantasy and science fiction will find plenty to like in A Pair of Docks.

Sound awesome?

Here's a peek of the inside:

So, as we always do when we work on a book, we're offering two lucky winners a chance at a printed copy!

Here's the Rafflecopter entry form:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck to you all!

Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!

Jo