A Slice of Orange

Home

Enter Here

September 13, 2022 by in category From a Cabin in the Woods by Members of Bethlehem Writers Group

It began with a small door in an upstairs bedroom of a Cape Cod house in central Pennsylvania. Although Jacque Day Pallone had lived in the house for a number of years, neither she nor her husband had ever opened the door, assuming it led only into a small crawlspace. That got her to thinking what else it might lead to—if imagination were mixed in.

Jacque is one of five members of a small tribe of writers who called themselves The Hive, a spin-off of the Pennsylvania Horror Writers Association. Formed during the early days of the pandemic, the Hive members write primarily dark fiction. They embraced Jacque’s story idea, and Hive mate Cathy Jordan suggested the group use it as an anthology theme. Each Hive member contributed a story, and they called for other writers of dark fiction to submit.

This month, That Darkened Doorstep will be released by Sunbury Press. All of the stories touch on the detail of an unopened door and the consequences that might lie beyond it.

Between the anthology’s covers, you’ll find Jacque’s story, “Seeking a Good Woman,” Cathy’s story, “Lonely Is the Desperate Heart,” and 18 others, including one by Louisa May Alcott, “The Mummy’s Curse.”

The list includes a tale about a camping trailer with a mind of its own; a hard-luck woman who’s unstrung by her mother’s death; a house with a haunted history; a remote mountain lodge with a disturbing past; and a genetic experiment that has life-changing results.

And Jacque’s actual unopened door? She did finally open it—to find not a crawlspace, but an actual room, ten feet deep. The next mystery is why was it built, but that’s for another day.

picture of dianna sinovic

Born and raised in the Midwest, Dianna Sinovic has also lived in three other quadrants of the U.S. She writes short stories and poetry, and is working on a full-length novel about a young woman in search of her long-lost brother.

Dianna is a member of Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC.

Other Books By Dianna Sinovic

0 1 Read more

Consistently Write In Order to Meet Your Writing Goals

September 12, 2022 by in category The Writing Journey by Denise Colby tagged as , ,

Each week my progress feels limited, but add the work all up together (it’s the 37th Monday of the year) and I’m finding that consistently writing a small amount week to week is working for me. It’s fun to check in mid-year, or in this case, September, and take a peek at the goals I set for the year. Am I even close? Did I miss my mark this year? Should I give up writing? 

Blog Banner with laptop on right side, and Left side text saying Consistently write in order to meet your writing goals by Denise M. Colby

And learn I HAVE made progress.

It’s just so hard to see when we are going word by word, page by page.

Be Encouraged to Keep Writing Consistently

I want to encourage my writing friends to not give up. Set realistic goals for yourself on a week to week basis and keep plugging along. Stay steady. Be persistent.

Have I reached all my goals? No. But the year isn’t done yet. And yes, I have some far-reaching goals that can overwhelm me if I try to hurry up and get them done all at once. But this is where breaking tasks into manageable chunks help. 

Put in the work (my word for the year) and you will see results. If you are like me, figuring out what that work should be in each stage of the process can be challenging. I’m not able to focus on my writing full-time at this stage in my life, so my writing consistently has to be squeezed in between my day job and the family commitments. 

How do I do that? 

Find The Schedule to Help You Consistently Write

At first I selected a specific day and time, one day a week. But that fell through when other required events popped up. Then I tried to just touch my ms sometime during the week. Constantly touching your MS even if it’s one page at a time is better than no writing at all. But it was hit or miss how far I would get and there wasn’t any accountability to myself to keep going.

Then a door opened that was exactly what I needed (which is something that has happened a lot in my writing journey). A new critique group came along at the perfect time within one of my writing groups. Out of all the writing clubs I belong too, this was really where I needed to put in the time. But I was afraid of the commitment. Yet it’s the commitment to consistently write that helps us complete a book. So finding the way that works for you to do that is key.

So this critique group came along at the perfect time. Sure I wanted my MS completely edited and ready to pitch ASAP. But instead I’m focusing on a chapter a week, by relooking at the scenes, editing, submitting and getting great feedback. And learning how to provide feedback back to others. Which has helped in many ways as well. 

Overall, this has helped me streamline my story and make it stronger. And I’ve become a better writer. The bonus with working on this one writing task consistently every week? By the end of the year, I’ll have gotten feedback on every chapter. This was the accountability I needed.

Choose Your Own Way to Be Consistent

I’m not writing this post to encourage you to join a critique group. Maybe a critique group isn’t for you at this stage. For each writer, what helps you consistently write can be different. So know yourself. And spend some time figuring out what you need to do at this stage in your writing. What you need can change. Allow it to change. There just needs to be forward momentum (which happens when we consistently write) in order for us to reach our goals.

It’s the consistently writing, however we approach it, that counts.

Denise M. Colby loves to write words of encouragement blog posts. She also loves to write about her word of the year she chooses each year. She’s been working on her first manuscript for a long time and hopes to publish soon, since she has lots of other stories in her head waiting to be put on the page.

0 1 Read more

The Orphans of Berlin cover reveal and that moment in proofreading that made me cry by Jina Bacarr

September 11, 2022 by in category historical fiction, Jina’s Book Chat, Writing tagged as , ,

What I’ve been up to…

@jinabacarrauthor

A week in the life of an author can be crazy crazy #amwriting #amwritingromance #historytok #authorlife #writersoftiktok #booktok #authorsoftiktokr #historicalbooklover #booksthatmakeyoucry #amwritingromance #ameditingfiction

♬ original sound – Jina Bacarr Historical Author♥

Hey, everyone, I just had to share a moment with you… I was proofreading THE ORPHANS OF BERLIN (pulling an all-nighter) and the tears were flowing… I swear every time I get to certain sections of the story, it hits me.

I cry.

We writers spend days, weeks, months getting it right (or so we hope), then it moves through the system and we don’t see it for a while, then we get that final last look before it gets ready for you guys…

And it’s then we get to experience it as a reader. Wow…

You don’t think about the craziness of writing and rewriting and the intense research you’ve done to get there, you get caught up in the moment. Like a dance you’ve rehearsed and rehearsed and then the music starts and your feet don’t touch the ground… you’re flying!

I’m so excited to share this fabulous Boldwood Books cover here with you! This is a story of my heart… it takes place in Paris in the late 1930s and during WW2, Berlin… and Philadelphia. Yes, Philly… during the middle 1930s. We’ve got debutante balls, intrigue in Paris… Berlin when the Nazis came to power… and a hero to die for. And two heroines. Questions? Please ask me! I’m here and dying to share my story with you.

It’s a story about rescuing Jewish children on the French Kindertransport… children’s transport and three sisters who must leave Berlin before it’s too late… and the American woman determined to make that happen.

Thanks for listening…

Jina xx


A heartbreaking World War 2 novel that tells the story of two women’s fight for love, family and hope, as the world crumbles around them. Based on the true story of the Kindertransport rescue from Nazi-occupied Europe.

#TheOrphansofBerlin is out 10th November!

Pre-order now for $1.99 US and UK 99p:

https://amzn.to/3Qjp5mB UK

https://amzn.to/3TMKZlf US

2 0 Read more

Jina Bacarr September Featured Author

September 7, 2022 by in category Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Featured Author of the Month tagged as , , , ,

About Jina Bacarr

Jina Bacarr | A Slice of Orange

I discovered early on that I inherited the gift of the gab from my large Irish family when I penned a story about a princess who ran away to Paris with her pet turtle Lulu. I was twelve.

I grew up listening to their wild, outlandish tales and it was those early years of storytelling that led to my love of history and traveling.

I enjoy writing to classical music with a hot cup of java by my side. I adore dark chocolate truffles, vintage anything, the smell of bread baking and rainy days in museums. I’ve always loved walking through history—from Pompeii to Verdun to Old Paris. The voices of the past speak to me through carriages with cracked leather seats, stiff ivory-colored crinolines, and worn satin slippers. I’ve always wondered what it was like to walk in those slippers when they were new.

You can follow Jina on social media:

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Pinterest
Goodreads
Bookbub

Jina also has a column here on the 11th of every month: Jina’s Book Chat.

Jina’s newest novel, The Orphans of Berlin, is available for preorder and will be published November 10, 2022.

THE ORPHANS OF BERLIN
Buy from Apple Books
Buy from Books-A-Million
Buy from Google Play
Buy from Kobo
Buy from Barnes and Noble
Buy from Amazon

A Few of Jina’s Other Books

THE ORPHANS OF BERLIN

Buy now!
THE ORPHANS OF BERLIN

THE LOST GIRL IN PARIS

Buy now!
THE LOST GIRL IN PARIS

RESISTANCE GIRL

Buy now!
RESISTANCE GIRL

THE RUNAWAY GIRL

Buy now!
THE RUNAWAY GIRL

HER LOST LOVE

Buy now!
HER LOST LOVE

A NAUGHTY CHRISTMAS CAROL

Buy now!
A NAUGHTY CHRISTMAS CAROL

A SOLDIER’S ITALIAN CHRISTMAS

Buy now!
A SOLDIER’S ITALIAN CHRISTMAS

COME FLY WITH ME

Buy now!
COME FLY WITH ME

LOVE ME FOREVER

Buy now!
LOVE ME FOREVER

SISTERS AT WAR

Buy now!
SISTERS AT WAR

SISTERS OF THE RESISTANCE

Buy now!
SISTERS OF THE RESISTANCE

2 0 Read more

Republishing Can Be Fun

September 6, 2022 by in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as , , , ,

I’ve mentioned before that I’ve had 57 books traditionally published, mostly romantic suspense and mystery.  And I’m still going!

But some of my older books are out of print, which is a shame, although theoretically they can be purchased for high prices from people by way of Amazon.

However, some of them are being republished as ebooks and audio. In fact, the first three of my Pet Rescue Mysteries will become available on the 13th of this month in ebook and audio formats! Those that will be coming out are Beaglemania, The More the Terrier, and Hounds Abound.

The Pet Rescue Mysteries are a spinoff of my Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mysteries, which are also out of print but available again as ebooks.

And I’ve also gotten some of my earlier books available as ebooks as well, including The Glass Slipper and Once a Cavalier.

It’s fun to know that some of those older books can be republished in different ways to remain available to readers.

That’s true of many other authors’ books too. Print books are still enjoyable, but it’s delightful that readers—or listeners—can discover them in other formats such as ebooks or audio.

And I’m wondering if any other new formats are on the horizon…!

~Linda

Some of Linda’s Books

UNDERCOVER COWBOY DEFENDER

Buy now!
UNDERCOVER COWBOY DEFENDER

SHIELDING COLTON’S WITNESS

Buy now!
SHIELDING COLTON’S WITNESS

HOUNDS ABOUND

Buy now!
HOUNDS ABOUND

THE MORE THE TERRIER

Buy now!
THE MORE THE TERRIER

BEAGLEMANIA

Buy now!
BEAGLEMANIA

GUARDIAN K-9 ON CALL

Buy now!
GUARDIAN K-9 ON CALL

BEAR WITNESS

Buy now!
BEAR WITNESS
UNDERCOVERING COLTON’S FAMILY SECRETS

HER UNDERCOVER REFUGE

Buy now!
HER UNDERCOVER REFUGE
COLTON FIRST RESPONDER (The Coltons of Mustang Valley)

THE SOLDIER’S K-9 MISSION

Buy now!
THE SOLDIER’S K-9 MISSION
COLTON 911: CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE

FOR A GOOD PAWS

Buy now!
FOR A GOOD PAWS

VISIONARY WOLF (Alpha Force)

Buy now!
VISIONARY WOLF (Alpha Force)

TRAINED TO PROTECT

Buy now!
TRAINED TO PROTECT

PROTECTOR WOLF

Buy now!
PROTECTOR WOLF

BAD TO THE BONE

Buy now!
BAD TO THE BONE

COVERT ALLIANCE

Buy now!
COVERT ALLIANCE

TO CATCH A TREAT

Buy now!
TO CATCH A TREAT

PICK AND CHEWS

Buy now!
PICK AND CHEWS

UNLUCKY CHARMS

Buy now!
UNLUCKY CHARMS
0 0 Read more

Copyright ©2017 A Slice of Orange. All Rights Reserved. ~PROUDLY POWERED BY WORDPRESS ~ CREATED BY ISHYOBOY.COM

>