A Half-Choked Scream

Okay – so, as I mentioned in my book HALIFAX HAUNTS, Winston Churchill is TECHNICALLY of Nova Scotia ancestry – but I did not know that he also wrote horror!

Paula Cappa

Man Overboard   by Winston S. Churchill (1899)

Tuesday’s Tale of Terror    January 6, 2015

True or false: Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill wrote a horror story. Most people know that Churchill, former prime minister of the United Kingdom, won the Pulitzer Prize for The Second World War. He has a long list of publications from 1896 to 1961 but few know that in 1899, The Harmsworth Magazine published his short story Man Overboard.

I call it a horror story because even though there is no supernatural power going on, it is a grueling emotional account where fear and despair play leading roles as does the will to survive. Suspenseful and chilling, you will not forget this tale of terror. Churchill was a painter and he paints this story vividly with his words. This is a story about dying. And the grim ghostly approach.

We are on a steamer…

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9 Ways to Make Your Self-Published Book Look More Professional

Turning your e-books into traditional paperback format can be a daunting process. Here are a few handy and helpful tips for folks who are planning to do it!

Michelle Proulx - Author

In my continuing attempts to promote and improve the self-publishing scene, today I present a handful of helpful tips you can use to make your self-published print book look more professional. These tips have been compiled via examining multiple traditionally published books and comparing them to the collection of self-published books I’ve acquired over the years. Read and enjoy!

Note: I’ve used my own book for all the examples below, as copyright law is confusing and I don’t want anyone to sue me.

#1: Formatting your page numbers

Step 1: Page numbers should begin on the first page of your story. This means Chapter 1. If you have a prologue, use Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, v, vi, etc.). Do not start page numbers on the very first page of the book (i.e. the title page).

Step 2: Page numbers should end once the story is over. You…

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How Amanda Hocking sold 1.5 million on Amazon: I’m revealing the secret!

One and a half million copies?

Seems like a daunting prospect, doesn’t it? But it is VERY possible!
Read this blog entry and find out how.

Leona's Blog of Shadows

You might have heard of Amanda Hocking, the indie superstar who sold 1.5 million on Amazon and got picked up by a big house and signed a movie deal for her Trylle Trilogy.

This is the exact quote from her explaining how her sales exploded after the book bloggers spread the word:

Then in June, something truly magical happened. I discovered book bloggers. I had no idea such people existed. They just read books and write about them. And I don’t mean “just.” These people take times out of their busy lives to talk about books and have contests and connect with followers and writers and other readers.

These guys are honestly my heroes. I’m a little in love with all of them.

I asked several if they would be interested in reviewing my books, and most of them said yes, even if they didn’t generally review self-published work.
Then…

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