Pick up your copy of The Mercy of Men today!
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And as a special, one-day-only-bonus, The Mercy of Men is 99 cents on Amazon for its debut day, June 30th, 2016! Grab it today with the first book for only $1.98 (or equivalent currency).
Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy it!
I’m beginning to learn what the phrase “those who can’t do, teach” means. It doesn’t mean only people who are crap at something teach it. It means that if you do something instinctively, actually trying to figure out what you do enough to explain it to someone else is a process that might actually drive… Continue reading Those Who Can’t Do, Teach the Rest of Us Coping Skills
It turns out I hate a lot of books. This came as something of a shock to me, because I grew up as that sad stupid kid who had books for friends. Various characters guided me through life, informed my (occasionally idiotic) choices, and in general were there for me. I always had a book… Continue reading Where the Good Books Hide
Hey, everyone! It’s been a crazy few weeks for me. Months, really. From book release to book release, I charge onward!
Due to a few things going on in my life, I’ve decided that after nine months continuous posting it’s time for me to take a week to myself. So, no posts from me for the next week.
Does that mean there will be nothing? Who knows, maybe not. But from June 18th-June 25th I’m lying on a deck chair roasting like a tomato. In the meantime, here’s some old favorites for you to enjoy–one for each month!
Dilemmas, Dilemmas: When Advice Isn’t Asked ForWhat do you do when you feel a friend’s work isn’t their best?
This blog started out as being at least tangential to my writing–and it stayed that way for all of five posts. Still! A great exploration of a hypothetical that many a writer has faced. How would you handle it?
Husband and I attempted to learn Scottish Gaelic. To put it mildly, it didn’t go well.
The first slice-of-life post came from sheer baffled frustration. And, okay, a bottle of hard cider. Having learned a few languages, I figured embarking on Scottish Gaelic wouldn’t be much different. Nope.
Every novel is both the worst and the best until it’s read by someone else. And that’s the problem.
This innocuous little post went out of the gate and keeled over. For three months, it sat with nine hits to its name. Then a WordPress Editor found it, loved it, and reposted it. For a day, my site exploded as writes came out of nowhere to admit they had their Schrodinger’s novel, seeming to take comfort in not being alone. And so I’ll ask again: do you have one too?
How My Husband Makes Chili (And Most Other Foods)My husband makes great food–and he makes me crazy in the process.
Husband debuted in this post as a regular character on my blog. Slightly oblivious, rather silly, always stubbornly doing his own thing, posts featuring him became instant hits whenever I wrote them. What’s not to love about a man who goes to the grocery store before he reads the recipe?
You’ve written a book! Now what?
Part 1 of a four-part series explaining the point of self-editing for content. How to do it, why to do it, what to cut, what to keep. I was in the midst of an editing frenzy myself, and between writing these, I was practicing what I preached. It was a month of editing until I dropped!
To escape the winter blues, I tried my hand at a bit of aerobics, and regretted it.
Every once in a while, comedy wins over tragedy. Such was the case when I attempted to do vigorous dance aerobics in my microscopic apartment living room. The chaos. The tears. The yelling at the TV set. Don’t forget its sister post, Breathing Easily as I Yoga Myself to Death!
Want to support the indie artist or small business in your life? Spread the word!
In the midst of creatives as I spend so much of my time, I see first-hand the power of a word in an ear, a post shared on Facebook, a link emailed to a friend. But how is anyone outside of this bubble to know what power they have unless we tell them? So I did, and received some fantastic feedback in turn.
After hearing one too many “dear author,” I decided to write a “dear agent.”
The world of publishing is not a meritocracy; good writing is not the only, or perhaps even the most important requirement. Authors trying to become traditionally published constantly send queries only to usually hear nothing in reply. It’s pretty frustrating, so here on my blog, I spoke up.
Really, the title speaks for itself.
In this blog, I’ve done a lot of things I’ve proud of; crafting click-bait headlines is not one of them. Yet it’s get the clicks or flounder with nothing, and so I valiantly sought the words to grab your attention. Few of them worked so well as this one, though. Did you fall for it?
These are just a small sample of the posts I’ve written in the nine months of running this blog. It’s been crazy, it’s been tiring, it’s been about the most exciting thing in my life some days, and I’ve enjoyed myself immensely.
Under-paid, Over-enthused would not nearly be the place that it is without your comments. Your thoughts, questions, ideas, and tidbits have filled it with interesting takes and and memorable moments.
If while browsing today you feel like commenting, go for it! So what if the post is old? You had a thought, and we want to hear it! A few people have voiced worries that posting so late after the fact is creepy, or stalker-ish. I’ll tell you right now, it’s nothing of the sort. It’s cool to see that months have passed but the feelings still ring true, a bright spark in my day. Have at!
That said, I’ll say my goodbyes for my week away with one more thought for all of you: do you know why this blog is called what it’s called? “Under-paid, Over-enthused.” Is it a complaint? Whining?
Nothing of the sort: it’s a declaration to the world of who I am. For the money I’m getting for my writing I’ve got way too much energy, so here I am typing it away! And now I’m taking a week to gather that energy back and spring-board into the release of my next book, The Mercy of Men. I hope you’ll be there with me!
Thanks for reading, and see you then.
It’s here, what you’ve been waiting for–the cover of The Mercy of Men! The anticipated second installment of the Saint Flaherty series moves from the hills of Appalachia to a city where law no longer prevails. When Simon Flaherty’s routine of training and fighting is interrupted by a sudden eviction, he never expects his new… Continue reading Cover Reveal and Preorder Details for The Mercy of Men: Book 2 in the Saint Flaherty Series
I’ve always loved the etymology of ordinary words. Was the color orange first, or the fruit? In this case, I know the answer: the fruit came first, the color second. Until the 1500’s, the west had no orange, only red. Red-breasted robins aren’t red, now are they? That’s why. Japan’s colors are also quite fascinating.… Continue reading Japan Memoir Part 7: Water-Color
It’s there on Twitter, the name of a city, and the words “Pray for” in front of it. #prayforBrussels #prayforParis #prayforOrlando And I know there was tragedy, minutes or hours ago. I Google the city, read the article. Sometimes whatever happened is still ongoing, so I read another. Not a third. Never a third. Not… Continue reading #prayfor__________
I’m not saying that marriage causes spicy curries, I’m just saying that three out of the four curries that have been too hot for me to eat have been cooked since Husband and I got married a couple years ago. Which is what happened this wedding anniversary. It was one of those fatal meals where… Continue reading What Dinner Is Like When Your Husband Lacks Tastebuds
In the world of blogs, memes fly around like measles, and lo but I’ve been bitten! Not that I mind, really. And so this Wednesday morning, we bring you, courtesy of Sarah Mitchell Jackson, the Sunshine Thingy! …with one caveat: I refuse to call it an award. It isn’t. It’s a meme. And the rules are… Continue reading The Sunshine Thingy (aka silly questions)
There’s a quiet change sweeping my books…
Well, quiet until now.
What Boys Are Made Of has a new cover. New blurb. New look.
Same book, but made-over in preparation for the cover of Saint Flaherty book 2, The Mercy of Men.
Want to see?
…Of course you do!
With the swing of a baseball bat, a back alley prize fight ends in one teenager’s death. The other walks away with cash in his hand and a conscience screaming for mercy.
Just another day in Buchell.
Five years after the Second Civil War ended, isolated Appalachia is a minefield ruled by cartels and warlord despots. In the town of Buchell, Simon “Saint” Flaherty cage fights for money—until the day a fight gone wrong leaves him a murderer.
In a town that saw the worst of the war, the death only boosts Simon’s reputation, and his coach enters him to headline a local tournament. No one seems to notice that Simon’s in no condition to train, wracked by guilt over his opponent’s death. No one seems to care, least of all his coach—not with a career-defining fight on the line.
But Simon’s coach isn’t the only man in Buchell with an eye for talent. The cartels that keep a stranglehold over the mountains are scouting for new recruits, and the local kingpin has his eye on the teenager with the one-punch knockout.
Although Simon wants nothing to do with the cartels, he’s already involved: his last match was no tragic accident, but a set-up by the kingpin himself.
Already haunted by one death, Simon will do anything to get out of the next fight. In Buchell, anythinggoes a long way.
In this gritty debut set in a dystopian Appalachia, S. Hunter Nisbet presents a stunning story of surviving the choices we make—and those that are made for us.
This gorgeous cover was done by Deranged Doctor Designs. To get a closer look at it, why not hop over to the book website of your choice?
Of course, a couple of you might be saying, “But I liked the old cover.”
I did too; but I like this one a heck of a lot better. It’s edgier, darker, more gripping. This is the sort of cover that will draw in readers.
If you still love the old cover that much, you can buy the print edition, which still has the old one, and will match the print edition of book 2 because I’m not so heartless as to make people have non-matching books in their series (the horror!)
Now, who can’t wait to show this to everyone? It might, just might, just definitely be me.
Under-Paid, Over-Enthused 