Showing posts with label the 5 W's. Show all posts
Showing posts with label the 5 W's. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 9, 2019

The 5 W's of Story: Mark Love's Romantic Suspense--Fleeing Beauty and Giveaway

The 5 W's Guest Author Series
Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story Blog!

One of the basics when learning to be a writer is to listen to a lecture on the Five W's.  The 5 W's in a story are:
WHO
WHAT
WHERE
WHEN
WHY
These questions are the essence of a story. Since we are focused on story at this blog, we need to realize just how important working out the 5 W's can be for creating a great story for your readers.

You'll find this series with my guests informative and entertaining and not a stuffy lecture in a dusty, old classroom with a professor palavering on and on and on. 


Today I'm thrilled to introduce you to my guest author, Mark Love. Isn't that a great name for a romance author? Mark is generously offering an eBook format of his book to a lucky commenter. To enter the drawing, add a comment below by 9 p.m. ET, Sunday, July 14. Good luck. Now let's explore the 5 W's in Mark's romantic suspense, Fleeing Beauty.
***
Thanks, J.Q.

Here's my shot at the Five W's
Fleeing Beauty (A Jamie Richmond Mystery)
Mystery and Romance
THE FIVE W's: Fleeing Beauty (A Jamie Richmond Mystery) by Mark Love

Who:  Jamie Richmond is the star of the story. Just ask her, she’s not shy!  After working for ten years as an investigative reporter for one of the Detroit area’s daily newspapers, Jamie decided to pursue her passion and write mystery novels. A stubborn redhead who is fiercely loyal to her small circle of friends, Jamie is a magnet for trouble.  Using her skills and wits, she’s often able to unravel the mystery that draws her in.  Keeping her balanced and more than a little distracted is her blooming romantic relationship with Malone, a sergeant with the Michigan State Police.

What:  This is the third book in the series. Jamie’s father was a very successful artist who died suddenly when she was only seven-years-old.  Now, twenty-five years later, his studio is discovered, along with a hidden storeroom packed with crates of his work.  Jamie and her friends undertake the project of unpacking them to make a catalogue that can be appraised. Before they can finish, part of the collection is stolen.  Now Jamie is determined to find out who is behind the theft and recover the missing art.  

In addition to the project and the mystery, there are several subplots. Romance is building with Jamie and Malone. Her mother, Vera and her ex-husband, Bert, are rekindling a few passionate connections. And there’s Ian, a teenage boy who is Malone’s unofficial kid brother, discovers Brittany, a neighborhood cutie.  Along with the artwork, Jamie also discovers several journals that her father wrote, that give her new insights into his life.

When:  It’s a contemporary story, and it takes place during the summer!

Where: Metro Detroit, or as some would say, Motown.  Jamie and her friends live in the suburbs, but a lot of the action takes place right in Detroit, down near Wayne State University, an area that isn’t far from the dark and dangerous side of the city.

Why:  Jamie likes to keep busy. Between writing novels, spending time with her friends and unraveling mysteries, it’s all part of her life. And she wouldn’t have it any other way.


EXCERPT:   Fleeing Beauty (A Jamie Richmond Mystery) by Mark Love
In this scene, Jamie and Malone are with her best friend Linda, and Ian, the teenage boy, who is helping unpack the crates in the storeroom.
This sculpture was titled “Fleeing Beauty”.
It was a woman caught in the act of running. Tendrils of slender marble in various lengths and thicknesses extended from her head, as if they were locks of hair billowing out behind her. Part of her face was obscured, turned against her shoulder as if attempting to hide her features from whoever was chasing her. The woman’s body was voluptuous, full of dangerous curves. There was something haunting about this piece. The guys became quiet, which was unusual. Linda slowly moved around it, taking pictures.
“Holy shit,” Ian muttered.
“Watch your language,” Malone said, cuffing him lightly on the back on the head.
“How did he do that?” Ian said, taking a step away. “She looks real.”
“She looks alive,” Malone said.
“Check the file,” I suggested.
None of us could take our eyes off the sculpture.
We spread the file out on the worktable. There were pictures of a woman standing in front of a drop cloth. She was blonde, with an impish smile on her face. She could have been in her early to middle twenties. It was impossible to tell how tall she was. Her figure was eye-catching, with a tiny waist and rounded hips. Most of the pictures showed her in a one-piece bathing suit. There was one where she wore a sheer negligee. There were shots of her standing on a pedestal, others with her arms outstretched, and still others where she was looking over her shoulder. In a couple of photos, he must have used a fan to blow her hair back.
“She’s a doll,” Ian said.
 “Jamie, I think this is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Linda said softly.
“You’ll get no argument from me.”

Click a link below to download Fleeing Beauty at the following digital booksellers:
Amazon  
Kobo 

ABOUT MARK LOVE:

Mystery Author Mark Love
Mark Love lived for many years in the metropolitan Detroit area, where crime and corruption are always prevalent. A former freelance reporter, Love honed his writing skills covering features and hard news. He is the author of the Jamie Richmond romance mysteries, Devious, Vanishing Act and Fleeing Beauty, and the short story Stealing Haven, which is in the collection Once Upon a Summer.  His mystery series, starring Jefferson Chene includes WHY 319? and the new release Your Turn to Die.  Both Chene novels are also available on Audible. Love resides in West Michigan with his wife, Kim. He enjoys a wide variety of music, books, travel, cooking and the great outdoors.

You can find him on Facebook, Amazon and his blog at the links below.
Mark's Facebook Page 

Thanks for being my guest, Mark!
***
BIG NEWS FOR READERS AND WRITERS!
July1-31 2019 Smashwords is having a 75% off SALE! Check it out at Smashwords.com.
Click here to download these mysteries for $1.50 each only through July 31.

Don't forget to leave a comment to enter the drawing for 
Mark Love's ebook, Fleeing Beauty!





Tuesday, September 25, 2018

The Five W's in Storytelling: S. Peters Davis' Malevolent, Giveaway

The 5 W's of Stories
Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story blog. We continue with the guest author series, The 5 W's in Storytelling--who, what, where, when and why. This week our guest is multi-genre author Susan Davis. We go way back beginning our fiction writing careers at the same publishing house. Today we're together again at BWL Publishing.

Win $10 Amazon Gift Card from Susan. 

Susan says, "Leave a quick comment on what kind of supernatural/paranormal being you like best, along with your email addy for a chance to win a $10.00 Amazon Gift Card." Deadline for entry is Sunday, September 30, 10 pm ET. Good luck!!

Thank you, Susan. Now let's find out the Five W's in Susan's latest release, Malevolent.

Trafficked girls marked to lose their souls by a malevolent supernatural entity require someone with explicit abilities for their rescue. 
Will Kendra be able to save them?

The 5 W’s of Malevolent, A Kendra Spark Novel by S. Peters-Davis

Hello JQ, thank you so much for having me at your place. You have a lovely blog: ) Hello to everyone stopping in also. Thank you for taking a moment to check in. I’m honored.

Now for the reason you came – to see the 5 W’s of Malevolent:
WHO:
Kendra Spark, a mystery-suspense romance author, who also possesses the ability to see and communicate with the dead, aka ghosts, ends up consulting for the FBI. She’s become the translator for Jenna.
Jenna Powers, a criminal analyst for the FBI and BFF of Kendra, died in the first book, but never left Kendra’s side. She continues to analyze criminals.
Derek Knight, a totally hot FBI Special Task Force Agent, leads an investigation team that includes Kendra and Jenna.
You’ll also meet FBI Director Jackson Powers (Jenna’s father); Luke, Ray, and Tressa (the rest of Derek’s investigation team); and plenty of “evil bad-guys” – like Vinny Merretti (part of a cartel), Bertellia Camelia Gonzales and her side-kick, Buster (two malevolent entities). 
WHAT:
A sealed container driven outside of Washington D.C. was found tipped over in a ditch with a number of young teen girls, dehydrated and confused, inside. The driver, DOA, had a business card tucked in his pocket listing Vinny Merretti’s North Carolina businesses along the Cape Fear River.
The case: find the ringleader of the trafficked young women.
WHERE:
Northern Michigan (where Kendra lives), Washington D.C. (FBI headquarters and Derek’s house located outside the city), Wilmington, NC along Cape Fear (location of Vinny Merretti’s “Midnight” businesses).
WHEN:
June 12 – 18, 2018 (My timeline for the story, but more or less, present day; )
WHY:
Even though the BIG why is - find the ringleader of the trafficked girls, there’s more going on with Kendra and Jenna – supernatural story-threads that also need immediate attention. Their souls are marked by a malevolent entity and the countdown for the soul-sucker’s consumption fast approaches, not just for Kendra and Jenna, but for the trafficked girls as well.
HOW:
A couple new characters are introduced in this 2nd book, a major one being a voodoo priestess, NaNa Rosa (who I personally adore…and she’ll definitely show up in Albatross, the 3rd book in this series). NaNa Rosa handles most of “righting” what’s happened on the preternatural front, along with Kendra’s grandmother Ellie, who makes a couple appearances even though she’s no longer on the earth plane.
FBI agents, ghost-seers, ghosts, voodoo priestess, guardian angels, and undercover police detectives play their respective parts in “how” the story unravels.
***
That’s a wrap;) Please don’t forget to leave a comment on your favorite supernatural-paranormal being/entity in the comment section with your email addy for your chance to win a $10 Amazon Card. Who knows, perhaps your favorite will show up in the next Kendra Spark Novel:)
***
About S. Peters-Davis
S. Peters-Davis writes multi-genre stories, but loves penning a good page-turning suspense-thriller, especially when it’s a ghost story and a romance. When she’s not writing, editing, or reading, she’s hiking, RV’ing, fishing, playing with grandchildren, or enjoying time with her favorite muse (her husband) in Southwest Michigan.
Author S. Peters-Davis
As DK Davis, she also writes YA and NA paranormal, supernatural novels that involve diverse and mature subject matter.

Connect Online with Susan:




Back of the Book: Malevolent, A Kendra Spark Novel
Kendra Spark, suspense-mystery writer and communicator with the dead, signs on to the next FBI Special Task Force case, trafficked girls that are marked to lose their souls.
Jenna Powers, ghostified criminal analyst, sticks close to the case as she and Kendra are also marked by the same malevolent supernatural force.
Derek Knight, lead FBI Agent on this case, learns of the malevolent entity and the deeper paranormal realm of danger.
Kendra’s unfiltered feelings for Derek struggle to take a backseat, and as the menacing threat grows more intense, so does her passion for Derek.
Derek faces uncertainties he’s never dealt with in his past, like malicious entities and the loss of his heart to love. How can he protect Kendra against forces he can’t see?   
As boundless supernatural danger intertwines with the future reality of the trafficked teens, Kendra and Jenna realize only they can shoulder the rescue by calling in a voodoo priestess…












Tuesday, July 17, 2018

The 5 W’s of Story—Girls Succeed! Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women by J.Q. Rose

Welcome to the Focused on Story Blog and to the Five W's in Story event. Mid-way through the summer season, I want to thank the guest authors who have shared the Five W's of their stories. Each one has been unique in how they approached the topic. 

I look forward to hosting Dr. Bob Rich and Diane Burton in August and to more authors in the lineup this summer. If you would like to talk about the Five W's in your book, please contact me to set up a time. We can extend the event into the fall months if there is enough interest. Thanks.


The 5 W's in Story
I like the idea of sharing the Five W's in a story so much, I decided to jump in today and take a turn at explaining the five W’s in my non-fiction book for girls, Girls Succeed! Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women. 

The 5 W’s of Story—Girls Succeed! Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women by J.Q. Rose



Girls Succeed!
Inspiring and empowering girls to achieve success in their dream careers
WHAT
Girls Succeed! is an eBook filled with stories of women who, just like the readers, had dreams as little girls to embrace their passion and make it their career. The girls will be inspired by meeting the women and how they overcame obstacles in order to achieve their dream careers.

Unique to this eBook is the section about the women’s education and their resumes. Resources are listed to find out more about each profession through books and magazines. Links to websites and videos make the stories about the careers come alive for readers.

WHO
Fifteen successful women profiled in Girls Succeed
I was honored to interview fifteen successful women who trusted me to tell their stories in the book. I appreciate their generosity in sharing their stories so girls can see how important it is to believe they can actually make their dream career a reality.

 The stories include women who have discovered cures to stamp out disease, made people laugh, earned Olympic gold medals, and experienced seeing the country from the cab of an 18-wheeler truck. 

They all have some things in common.  First, they are passionate about the work they are doing. Second, they had people who influenced the decisions they made and helped them achieve their dreams. Third, they worked hard to be the best.


Dream Big
Painting by Julie Ann McKevitt

WHERE
The stories come from all over the United States from Arizona to Pennsylvania, from Michigan to Florida.

WHEN
The women are contemporary women and contributing to today’s society including trailblazers in their professions.

WHY
When I worked several seasons at a girls residence camp in Michigan, I met outstanding young women who were counselors at the camp and smart, energetic campers full of potential to do great things with their lives. I wanted them to know women who achieved success in their chosen professions. These role models can inspire and empower girls to reach for and work toward achieving their dreams.


You can achieve your dreams.
HOW
I was driven to put together this book, but I didn’t know too many women who were outstanding in their professions. So how did I start? I made a spreadsheet in 2008 of all the careers I wanted to cover in the book. Then I began my research. I made up a letterhead and wrote letters to each person telling them about my dream to write a book that would inspire girls and I requested an interview. I had a lot of rejections, but amazingly I had women who were excited to share their stories hoping they would inspire girls. (I’ve had adults review the book and they told me the stories inspired them too!)

Email was not as popular then as now, so all of the communication was done through snail mail. I also set up a time for a live interview via phone.

This was an exciting time for me and I value every minute spent getting to know these kind and giving women. Meet the ladies in the video below. 



Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women
Below is the list of successful women in the project and their careers.


Chapter 1--Horse Trainer/Competitive Dressage Rider, Pati Pierucci
True Love
Chapter 2--Bike Racer, Mackenzie Woodring
Speeding Around the Track
Chapter 3--Children’s Book Author and Illustrator, Jane Stroschin
Practice, Practice, Practice
Chapter 4--Medical Doctor, Cate Bradley
Role Models Rock
Chapter 5--Chef, Sue Chef
Cooking Up a Career
Chapter 6--Technology Expert, Diana Stoneberg
Keep Your Sense of Humor
Chapter 7--Christian Minister, Laurie Haller
Serving God
Chapter 8--Horticulturalist, Sharon Loving
Thank You Very Mulch
Chapter 9--Medical Scientist, Juanita Merchant
Confidence Counts
Chapter 10-Olympic Gold Medalist in Women’s Ice Hockey, Angela Ruggiero
Showing the Boys
Chapter 11-Semi-Truck Driver, Barbara Totten
Freedom of the Road
Chapter 12-Teacher/Coach/Athletic Director, Barbara “Chili” Chiles
Aim Higher
Chapter 13-Social Worker, Lenair Correll           
Overcoming Obstacles
Chapter 14-Entrepreneur/Product Developer, Veronica Bosgraaf
Find the Path to Success
Chapter 15-Professional Clown, Brenda Marshall
A Big Red Nose

Reader’s Guide

The Reader's Guide can be used as a companion to the ebook to encourage discussion on themes in the book and to have fun creating projects to further understanding themes of Passion, Persistence, Trailblazers, Feeling Different,  Be the Best You Can Be, Overcoming Obstacles 
Girls Succeed! Now on sale for 99 cents
Girls Succeed! including the Reader's Guide,
is now on sale for 99 cents at your favorite digital bookseller!
BUY LINKS









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