Samantha Fury's Land of Writing

AI Hate it or love it!

2025-01-17T14:14:00.000-08:00

https://app.artflow.ai

Hi!! Samantha Here!!

I wanted to wish everyone a Happy 2025 New Year

This year is going to bring in many new things as usual. Some good and some not so good. One of those new things that come on the scene for me in the last part of 2024 was AI images.

I've been playing with AI for a while now and learning how to use some AI apps. I'll share a few images I did on a really good site. Here is the link https://app.artflow.ai. This one to the right is one I did at ARTFLOW.

It was free for a while, as a lot of AI and other platforms are, but now it's time to pay if I want to keep it. I'm not sure if I need it. I already pay for a few sites that offer AI images. But I will say none of them are as good as ARTFLOW when it comes to getting an image of yourself. Then again they take several images of YOU that you upload and create your Actor as they call it.

It was a lot of fun to play with, but I found no real commercial use for it. It gives us the chance to see what we would look like if we were a bit smaller in weight, maybe if we have a different haircut or hair color.

It also allows you to put yourself in different images, some free some are pro. I picked this one. I only had the free side of this site so far.

What little girl wouldn't want to be Cinderella for a few moments. We can escape reality and share with others on social media and enjoy pretending we're someone else for fun.

There was also images with tigers, and fantasy looking images to check out. You could become a street detective and imagine what it would be like to solve crimes and live on the streets with those that come out at night. So many different images to look at and play with.

I'm always writing and dabbling into the crime and drama so I had to see what I would look like if I was a crime fighting Diva!

NO!! TO All AI SOME SAY

Some hate AI and avoid it at all costs.

They think it's going to take everyone's job and only hurt people.

They could be right. It is still very new.

I'm sure it will take some jobs.

I know that a lot of different tools and aps have taken work from me.

It's going to happen. Change always helps some and hurts others.

I'm sure when the first motor vehicle came about it put the horse and buggy owners out of business. It means now and then we have to take the talents we have and use them in a different way.

AI will take away some of my business, but I also think it can be a lot of fun and I'm sure I'll figure out a way for it to help me with in my work.

MY DO'S AND DON'TS

I don't think people should use AI to write books. That's just not a good idea. But it can be used for fun. What does worry me is that people will depend on it instead of doing the work on their own. Kids can google write a report and it will. So there will be bad things that come along with AI.

I don't think people should use it to imitate famous people. It will be hard to know what is real and what is AI from this point. When they say someone famous was seen out with this person or that we'll wonder was that really them, or was it AI?

I think someone needs to police AI a little, keep an eye on what's being done with it. Is it hurting kids, are people abusing it in some way. Maybe a panel of people from different places in life. I am not sure I trust the government to do what's right and control AI.

What do you think?

Do you love the new AI. Do you play with the free apps?

Do you avoid it completely. Maybe you think it should be banned.

Let me know in the comments. But most of all Happy New year!!!

Website

Facebook Group
Contact Us
Samantha Fury is the author of the Street Justice Series. She's written many articles on book covers, for Indie Authors.
She operates several Indie Groups. Editing Services, Cover
Artist, Helpful Indie Facebook Groups.

Happy New Year Great Clean Romance Novels

2021-01-02T18:59:00.006-08:00

Samantha has joined some other great authors in picking out some
sweet romance novels for you to start out the year. Please feel free to
check them out!!

Click here

Website

Nano here we come! Preparations Part 4

2020-10-20T13:33:00.003-07:00

Don't know what Nano is go here.

Final Preparations
We are down to the last few days and I must say I'm not very ready. Most of the time by this point I have an outline and have things pretty well ironed out but I've just been too busy. I hope you Nanoheads are doing better than me.

Around the house
I do have things around the house in better order. I have some frozen soup, and

some canned veggies for those days when I want to write without cooking. Almost all of the laundry is caught up, and I'm hoping to get some chips and snacks to help feed my muse. :)

Dogs
Yes I have to lovely inside pets and they will want a lot of attention so I will try to break and be sure that they go outside and get some play time. I must say that a laptop can help a lot when you have pets or kids.

Last Minute Tips
Speaking of laptops, it's good to have one set up somewhere that is a high traffic

area for yourself. You will be surprised how many words you can get down between stirring supper, or washing dishes, just be sure and don't burn anything and always dry your hands. I normally place my laptop in the kitchen on the bar, and I get quite a few extra words that way.

Drop Box
This is a really handy little thing I found. It's a way to share what ever work that you have on every computer you have. If you have M word on both of your computers, if you have two, you can just switch back and forth between devices by dropping your current work into the drop box icon that will be on your computer.

I have Carbonite for back ups too, but this is handy because there is not a lot of searching necessary when you want to work on one novel on two different computers. It's really a breeze and you can also use it on your ipod for images and some music. I really do love it. Check it out here. DropBox.

Pacing Yourself
It's a good thing to set a word count goal. If you type 1666 words a day that will take care of everything, but I prefer to have some stellar days, where I knock the ball out of the park. Last year I hit 10 K in a 24 hour period. Yes I really did. I am going to try and have a day this year where I beat that, but it will be hard.

Word Count
Trust me during that first ten hours or maybe even the first few says you are going

to wear out that word count button. I know I can not be happy until I have at least 5k under the old writers belt. Try to forget about it, and to just focus on writing. I know it will be hard, but the main focus is keep writing.

When to write
When it comes to Nano I will be sitting in front of the computer on Wed night ready to start writing when the old clock hits 12, and if all goes well I will punch out about 1500 words or so and start again when I wake up the next morning. I normally like to write when it's quiet in the house, so every chance I get even if it's just twenty minutes I'll be there writing every word I can.

Final Thoughts
The thing is to not freak out and sit there looking at a blank screen when you can't think of anything to write. Just get up and move around, play with the idea in your head, pick a scene on later in the book and write on that. Don't focus on I can't get this chapter done. Drop it and move on. Nano teaches you to write, and write. Don't correct mistakes, don't edit just write.

It will help you to learn to write things that you would never consider if you were just on a normal word count day. You will find yourself writing your characters out on a limb that they would have never even thought about venturing on because you are looking at that word count button again.

Prayer
It can never hurt to pray about anything. I am a Christian and I pray about

everything, so sure I'll pray that the Lord will bless my mind with some great ideas, and that what I write will end up being worth something that someone will enjoy reading later.

Everyone have fun,

Nano is about learning, about pushing yourself, though it's fun to win, it's not about winning. It's about learning to write and keep your rear in that chair until you have came to the end of the month. It's taught me a lot, it's placed me on the road to self publishing and it's helped me to make a lot of new friends.

Until November

Nano Nano Samantha Fury

NaNo 2020: What is Nano?

2020-10-19T22:36:00.000-07:00

I know we're starting a little early but I want all those new writers to learn about NaNo.

NaNoWriMo: The Contest

Coming this November will be one of the most exciting contests I've ever entered. I'll be fighting against someone that's hard-headed and hard to please. A person that thanks God for the opportunity to write. A person that loves to write, and a person that I know will fight to win when Nano pushes her to new heights and new way's of thinking. I'll be competing with this person every minute and that person is ME.

What is NaNo?

It's a contest where you try to write 50 thousand words in a month. Yes you heard me right. It can be done, thousands of people do it every year. True, every word of it might not be worth keeping, but it teaches you to get out on that limb and write. Never heard of Nano go here.

Win Prizes and Pride through NaNoWriMo

I've entered and won this contest in November many times. Each time in November, I have won a prize. This year some of the prizes are some great discounts on some great products. You can check them out here.

Now, of course, there is no way for the good NaNoWriMo folks to know if you are cheating, but they hope you won't. You can sign up here and get a free account. Click here.

Words, Words, Words
It's not easy to write 50,000 words in a month, but it can be done. For me it comes down to a contest against my last year's record. I try to get in one really good day with about 11,000 words, so if I have a bad day, I don't get behind. Last year I hit 11 and change in a 24 hour period. I was stoked.

I don't think I had ever written that many words in one day. I also don't know if I will ever beat that record or not, but you can bet that I will do my best when November comes around.

Outline?
For those of you that have participated you know that the only thing your supposed to do towards getting ready for the contest is to work on an outline. You can plan and think and outline, but you can not write one word not even that first line to this great new novel until midnight of November the first. I don't have my outline started . You can also be a rebel and work on another project if you like and still participate. But many years I have started with a blank sheet and only a few ideas and hit 50k each and every time. This year I'll be a Rebel because I have way too many stories going to start yet another!

Really? 50,000 Words in a Month?

Writing 50,000 words in a months opened my mind to a new way of writing. It helped me learn to focus on the creation of the story, and to put editing to the back burner. It helped me to see I can write under pressure. It taught me some of my best work comes when I'm working and writing under a timeline. When I won and finished over 50,000 words in less than 30 days it gave me a boost, and give me a great feeling of accomplishment.

Please don't let the idea of failing stop you from trying to win. Don't keep yourself from the lessons that are waiting there to be learned. It's fun, it's exciting, and at times it can be frustrating. I can't stress enough what a learning experience this is, so come on join in on the fun, and see if you can write 50k or more in a month.

Winning!
Winning is fun that is for sure, but even if you don't win, you can learn so much from being in this contest. You can meet great people, learn you can write a lot of words in one month, but most of all you learn to write write write.

I learned I can write above and beyond an outline. Sometimes if put myself out on that writing limb that the story line created and the Good Lord and my Muse always helps me off that limb. I suggest every writer tries Nano at least once.

Still looking for more to read on Nano check my older nano post from previous years, some of the information will be repetitive some not.

Nano Nano

50,000 words in a month?

Gearing up for Nano

Nano 2009

Dave King's Blog on Nano

Images thanks to

Annette Shaff

Javier Brosch

Edward Fielding

Ramona D'Viola

T.A. Byrne
Samantha Fury Images

Nano Nano Preparation Part 1 2020

2020-10-19T17:38:00.010-07:00

What is Nano?

It's a contest where you try to write 50 thousand words in a month. Yes you heard

me right. It can be done, thousands of people do it every year. True, every word of it might not be worth keeping, but it teaches you to get out on that limb and write. Never heard of Nano go here.

Getting ready for Nano.
I'm not one of those people that count down the days, well not until it's like two

weeks out at least. But I love to get ready for Nano, or at least try to. There is so many things that you can do. You can clean the house, get some food frozen so your family does not starve while you're writing. There is laundry to get caught up on, so many things that you really need to make a list.

Will I be ready?
Yes! NO! Maybe! Of course not! But I will do my best, but there will be something that creeps up on me that I'm not thinking about. Like running out of Nano supplies. Candy, Coffee? There are daily things that you can't do ahead of time: like walking the dogs, eating, praying family issues. Those daily chores that just have to be done. But still Nano must go on!

Outline?
For those of you that have done Nano before you know that the only thing you can

do towards getting ready for the contest writing wise, is to work on that outline. You can plan and think and outline, but you can not write one word not even that first line to this great new novel until midnight of November the first.

I don't have my outline started yet. I'll once again be working on my Street Justice Series during this month so I'll need to do a little reading on the last novel and see where I left off. I'm behind one book and that is not good. Most of the time at this point I would be releasing my next in the series, but forces beyond my control . . . life in general . . . have slowed me down.

Homework.
If you think you might be interested in joining in on this contest just jump right in with both feet. That said do your homework, talk to others that have done this before. Join our Nano group on face book. Outline if you can check out more Here

Winning!

Winning is fun that is for sure, but even if you don't win, you can learn so much from being in this contest. You can meet some great people, learn that you can write a lot of words in one month, but most of all you learn to write write write.

I learned that I can write things that were not in my outline, that sometimes if do put myself out on that writing limb that the story line I created while out there will last and it is good. I suggest that every writer tries Nano at least once.

I'll more than likely be talking about nano more before November so as I like to say during this time of year.

Nano Nano

Part 2

Part 3

Links coming soon

NaNoWriMo 2020 Nano Preparation Part 2

2020-10-19T11:05:00.005-07:00

Getting Ready for NaNo

So you've decided to jump in with both feet, and you want to know what you can do to help get yourself ready for the greatest writing contest going? Well you have come to the right place. Some have called me the Queen Of Nano, NOT because I have won five years in a row, but because I try to get everyone that writes to join this contest. There are some cool badges that they've given us over the years. I hope to add 2020 to my list of accomplishments!

The Mental Preparation

I personally try not to write much a few weeks before Nano, kind of hold all of that writing steam in. Also I'm normally busy doing other things getting ready so that all works out well. You don't want to be tired when Nano starts, well, mentally tired, you want your mind fresh and ready for ideas, plots, and characters to go flying all over the place.

Though we can't be writing about our novel, Unless you're writing as a Rebel this year, we can be thinking and outlining. You may want to write down a list of characters, ideas, what kind weather will they be having, and do you have a plot in mind. You may even be one of those people that like to outline, and if so that's find. You're allowed to outline, you just can't write one word toward the November Novel you'll be entering into the contest.

Your Health
These last few weeks be careful what you do. Try not to catch a cold, or throw your back out. You want to be as healthy as possible, during this month of frenzied writing. You'll want to wash your hands a lot to keep away the flu, and Covid and of course bend with your knees and don't hurt that back. You can drink lots of juices and water to keep well in general.

You also might want to try to catch up on lost sleep, because during the month of Nano you may be burning the midnight oil, trying to keep up, or just lost into he new story idea that will by this point be wanting to be told.

Home-front Preparation

You can clean the house, get some food frozen so your family does not starve while you're writing. There is laundry to get caught up on, so many things that you really need to make a list. I try to cook and clean during the last two weeks so that we all have clean clothes, and that the first two weeks I can focus on writing.

I have some frozen soup, and some canned veggies for those days when I want to write without cooking. I'm hoping to get some chips and snacks to help feed my muse.

Children and Dogs
If you have children you might want to line up some baby sitters for Nano, talk your mother into coming over or even better having her take them for a visit. If you can't afford a sitter, write during play time or nap time. Use every minute you can, but don't keep your eyes away to long, you don't want the kids getting into something while you're lost in Nano.

When it comes to dogs and some kids, you need a good schedule so you can make sure Mommy has time to write. Laptops and Chrome books, even some phones, come in really handy for this. It's good to have a laptop set up somewhere that is a high traffic area for yourself. You will be surprised how many words you can get down between stirring supper, or washing dishes, just be sure and don't burn anything and always dry your hands. I normally place my laptop in the kitchen on the bar, and I get quite a few extra words that way. You might even want to go outside like I do in my outside office.

The Unexpected
There always is something that goes on during Nano to cut into your writing time. It can be anything to paying bills, to shopping, kids
dogs, husbands, the list is endless. So, what's a writer to do? Improvise! Make every minute count, lose an hour of sleep, write on the go, or use today's technology to help.

When I started doing these Nano tips there was not an iPhone iPad, etc, at least there was not for me. Now with Text to speech, and iPods you can write just about anywhere you need to. Take your Nano Novel with you to the doctor's office, to the bathroom, outside, there are so many more options. Dragon has a really great cool, free app for the iphone or ipod. It's not perfect but it might help in a pinch.

Also with Drop box you can access your work anywhere that has an internet connection. Maybe you're going to stay with your parents for the holiday, and you forgot your lap top. No worries, just be sure and activate you a dropbox account and you're all set. There will be more about drobox in our next Nano post, in saving your work.

Thanksgiving
By the time this day roles around you should be well into your nano, and if you're a nano head like me you might even be finished with your nano. If not, this is a great time to get in some words, you say WHAT? Yes I know it's busy, but also there are those slow moments. You can write in between cooking those great meals, you can write while the guys are all watching football, or you can write while the family is napping after eating that great meal. Also now this year with Covid sadly you may be home alone and not visiting the family.

Again during the holiday or any busy time this is a great place for that text to speech app, or just using your iphone to get in some good notes for later in the day . Nano teaches to be inventive with our time, with our writing, and we can take these lessons that we learn and apply them during other months in the year.

You will learn things during Nano that you did not know about yourself, and even if you don't win, you will either learn that you hate Nano, or that you love it. I think everyone will learn something useful during this month. I have learned to write when I don't have time, to write myself out on that limb that yes the story line will be better for it, and I have learned that word wars are a wonderful way to motivate. Most of all I learned that keeping my rear in that chair and my mind focused on a story is not that hard to do after all.

Still looking for more to read on Nano check my older nano post from previous years, some of the information will be repetitive some not.

Nano Nano

50,000 words in a month?

Gearing up for Nano

Nano 2009

Images By
Ivan Mikhaylov
Javier Brosch
Samantha Fury Images

NaNoWriMo 2020 Pacing and Saving Part 3

2020-10-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

Pacing and Saving

So you're thinking about doing Nano and you want to know how to pace yourself and you want to be sure and not lose any of those precious Nano Words, too. I've lost a few chapters in the past so never think that you are wasting time stopping and making sure your work is saved.

Samantha Fury Pacing
For me, pacing goes out the window. I want to get as many words down as fast as I can because normally something will happen later on in the month to ruin my writing time. I've been writing since I was 8, and typing since I was about that same age. I can type extremely fast, and took typing classes for three years in high-school, and often during Nano have word count days of 3000 and up. My best record of late being close to 12k in one 24 hour period so for this topic I've spoke to a few of my Nanoites from our Nano Word War group.

Saving Nano: Drop Box-Carbonite-ETC
Dropbox is a way to share what ever work that you have on every computer you have. If you have M-word on both of your computers, if you have two, you can just switch back and forth between devices by dropping your current work into the drop box icon that will be on your computer. Your work will be saved and you can even access Dropbox on any internet connected computer.

I used to use Carbonite for back ups. I don't care for it these days. I had a computer die, and it was really hard to rebuild my new computer but for files it's okay. These days I stick with Dropbox, google drive, and some use one drive. Dropbox is my favorite, it's really a breeze and you can also use it on your ipod for images and some music. I really do love it. Check it out here. DropBox.

Be sure and comment and tell us how you save your work.

Images by
Writing Life
Edward Fielding

Nano Nano

50,000 words in a month?

Gearing up for Nano

Nano 2009

How to speed up your writing

2020-02-28T13:13:00.001-08:00

Writing Styles

We all have a different style of writing. What works for one person might not work for everyone, but it's always worth a try to see if it is something new can be helpful.

This week I was asked the question how can I speed up my writing. I put some thought into this and decided to do a blog post. This way I can share with others and then you can also share with your writer friends, so they can try out some of the things that works for me.

Time with God

First thing I would tell anyone is to pray. Ask the Lord to bless your brain your time anything to do with your writing and not just one day try to pray this at some point every day.

Putting the Lord first is a blessing. It can make the rest of your day go smoothly. Even if it's just a morning prayer, or a verse you read. The Bible says to seek first the Kingdom of God and all things will be added to you. We all need a blessing over our work, sales, brain, and definitely our time.

Everyone can do a basic outline

I always try to outline a book. Even if the characters don't follow every line it's a help on when to know I'm getting close to the end of the book.

I also find this is a good way to try and keep my books shorter. I like to do a 225 pages so my books are cheaper to print. If I know what page I'm on it helps to try and pull in the muse. :)

I love Work flowy it's a great way to outline. You can easily make a free account. Here I have all of the lines open so you can see them all but when you're inside the app, they are all closed unless you mark them to be open. It's a great writers tool. I use it daily, for prayer, keeping up with yearly tasks you should try it out.

Early Morning Writing

I think every author should have one day or two during the week (or month) that you sit down and write first thing, well just after prayer of your verse reading.

Have two hours blocked off. Turn the phone off, turn off notifications. I've read we have a couple of hours that we do our very best work, so when I can I write in the mornings, but most of the time it's later for me. I'm not a morning person but I do try to write in the morning at least once a month. Gauge yourself and try it out, see if you're more productive in the morning?

Place your writing in God's hands

Another thing is put your writing in God's hand. Write it out there no matter if it makes sense. Trust God to help you with your work. For him to get you off that limb that you write yourself out on.

I never know what the crime is going to be it just comes to me, or the plot. I just start writing and give the rest to God. We can do too much thinking and worrying . . . try turning the book over to God. Ask Him to guide your story line.

Trouble Shooting

If you're having trouble finding something to write about, watch a movie or read a book in the same genre you're writing in. I always get some kind of an idea when I do this.

Take notes all the time, keep up with calendars if you do a series. Make a list of names you've used before so you don't use the same names in your books. Also it's a good thing to have a story board, be it on paper or on your wall. Anything that helps inspire your writing is a good thing! Just don't spend too much time in the planning stages get in that chair and write!

Save time with your book covers too

The best way to save time here is find the couple or image you're going to use first, then write the book around
the image.

Sometimes if you're doing a Series with other authors you may have to use an image they've chosen, but please don't spend hours and hours looking for the perfect image that matches the characters in your mind. Find a good image that suits the book. Some thing that is eye catching. Every time a reader reads a book they use their own imagination to figure out what the character look like, so in the end it's a huge waste of time to spend weeks or days trying to find an image of the guy or gal in your head. PLEASE just find a good image that will suit your characters and then write the story around them. It will save you a lot of time that you can spend with your children, pets, or writing!!

Genres: Write what you know

To save time write books in a topic/ genre or area that you know a lot about. This will hold down the amount of research you have to do.

Research takes a lot of time. I know now and then you'll have to look something up but if you stay in an area that you're familiar with that is a huge help.

Distractions

Also, when you sit down to write, Turn the TV and or radio off. Get
something to drink so you don't have to stop your train of thought. If you can turn the phone off or write at a time when no one will call that is a huge help.

Though I would like to write in the morning. My best writing is late at night when everyone is gone to bed and no one calling. If you have kids or pets, try and find them a sitter so you don't have to worry about what they are into, or keep getting up and down to let your pets in and out. I know not all of this is possible all the time but we need to look at our writing as a business not just a hobby.

A few more thoughts

Keep your writing area clean and free of clutter, If your desk looks neat and has some appealing flowers it will make you want to sit down more often and it will help you get more writing done.

Another thing that helps greatly is to use a word file that is all ready formatted just the way it's going to look in the book be it paperback or e book. I have the spacing - font - formatting - everything exactly as it will print out in a paperback book. I want all of my chapters to start on the right side so each page I turn I know where I'm at, how many pages I have written and how many words. It's a great help to pace you correctly and so you'll know at what part of the book you're in at the moment.

Another time saver is like today with this blog. An author asked me a question and I give her a very detailed answer so I turned it into a blog post. I always tell author so blog. I don't think it matters how often, or on what topic but you need to blog.

I'll do another post soon on Blogging and why authors should blog!!
I hope that you have found this helpful!!

Blessings
Samantha

Website
Facebook Group
Contact Us
Samantha Fury is the author of the Street Justice Series.
She's written many articles on book covers, for Indie Authors.
She operates several Indie Groups. Editing Services, Cover
Artist, Helpful Indie Facebook Groups.

Jason Tobias Interview Part Three

2019-08-02T12:11:00.002-07:00

Our first interview with Jason Tobias, was a huge hit. He's been on many covers and will soon grace my new cover. Here is the exciting part two of the interview. :)

Check it out and look for more Interviews!!!
Part One Model
Part Two Actor
Part Three The Man

It is our goal to reach out to those in our business, be a light and share our faith with those in and around the Publishing Industry

All of our guests may not be Christians, but they are willing to share a part of their life with us and we hope that by sharing and showing them the Love of Christ that we'll make a difference in our industry one person at a time.

Jason Tobias Interview Part Two

2019-07-26T15:52:00.001-07:00

Our first interview with Jason Tobias, was a huge hit. He's been on many covers and will soon grace my new cover. Here is the exciting part two of the interview. :)

Check it out and look for more Interviews!!!

Part One Model
Part Two Actor
Part Three The Man

Interview With Jason Tobias Part One

2019-07-18T23:20:00.001-07:00

Over the next few months I'll be hosting interviews with those in and around the Indie Business of Self Publishing. We may interview a model. a photographer, or a musician. We'll be reaching out to editors, artist, actors, and authors anyone that plays a hand in our huge publishing industry.

It is our goal to reach out to those in our business, be a light and share our faith with those in and around the Publishing Industry

All of our guests may not be Christians, but they are willing to share a part of their life with us and we hope that by sharing and showing them the Love of Christ that we'll make a difference in our industry one person at a time.

Our first interview is with Jason Tobias, he's been on many covers and will soon grace the cover for Samantha Fury and her new release. We'll talk about that in the coming weeks, but for now check out our first part of a three part Interview with Jason Tobias. Click on the interview below to learn more about Jason!!

Part One Model
Part Two Actor
Part Three The Man

Showing genre capturing and looking like a pro Cover advice

2019-01-29T19:08:00.001-08:00

Genre and Capturing those readers

Intro

This will be a post on showing genre and looking like a pro. I'd just like to suggest a few things that will help present your books in a more professional manner. We're all in this to make money and that means spending money. With the amount of authors and new books that are out there we are going to have to do our best to make a big splash in the Amazon pond. Here is some tips that will get you on the road to doing just that.

Ebook size One thing that stands out to readers is when your eBook is not the proper size, or isn't the same size as your other novels. When they go to your Author Central page and all of your books line up side by side they need to be the same size. This will have nothing to do with the size of your paperbacks. We're just talking about e books.

Series Branding

Series seems to be the key to getting a lot of sales, so I'll address a few things I've noticed. We don't always set out to write a series and many books reflect this problem. Books don't look anything alike. They don't have the same fonts, same theme, or a logo that ties them all together. If writing a series the author needs to try to connect the books in every way possible. One of these things is to go back and add book one, and a series title if you did not the first time around. Also, using a series logo is a very important way to connect the books. Something that let's people see the book is in a Series.

Fonts and placement

I used the image above to show the good and the bad. all of my logo's in this image are in a line and look great. But you can see I got my name off on the last image. This makes the book stand out and it causes the whole series to look a bit off. But I am using the same fonts, the same theme of two couples and the same type of images. The people take up the biggest part of the cover and none of the couples are looking at each this shows the reader this will more than likely have some romance but is not a pure romance novel. Also using an image of a woman or a man is a good way to draw in readers. The expression on a models face can make or break if a person will buy your book.

Pure Romance If your book is pure romance, boy meets girl, gets girl looses girl, etc. I highly suggest a couple on the cover. Use the amount of romance that you have to guide what the couple is doing. If it's what I call pure romance then show the couple kissing, or about to kiss. If your novel is not all about Romance then have the couple standing beside each other or back to back. Use the couple to help readers see what your book is about and how much romance is inside.

My California trilogy are all pure romance, in the Surprise Engagement there is some issues with the couple more so than most so I showed a tension on the cover. Still the couples are close and it shows romance.

Experience

I love talking about covers and have learned a lot since 2009 when is started making my own. You'll notice my Street Justice Covers reflect that the books have some romance but it's not all about romance. I also was

sure to get a handsome man with a gun to try and show this has some suspense in Charlie's Angel.

Wrap up

These are just some quick tips of what I see Authors doing that is not going to help their sales. Your books present you, if they are all kinds of different sizes, or the covers don't match in a series, if your fonts are not all the same. If there is not a series Logo or theme, readers will notice.

Money well spent

I always tell authors, what you spend on your cover shows. If you just toss words on a one image cover, readers will notice and sometimes they could even think it's non fiction and go right on by - not even stopping to see your book is fiction.

Genre

Genre can and should show on your cover. Your cover is the first and most lasting impression on readers. You only have seconds to get their attention so your cover needs to be the best, it can be. You need to spend a good amount of time thinking and planning what will be on your cover. If you want couples, on your cover, pick the couple first and then write the story around them. This will save you HOURS of time.

Cover Artist

Also please consider saving up for an artist and an editor. Yes it will take you more time, but in the long run it will be well worth it. You don't have to

spend 500 dollars on an artist. There are a lot of great pre-made covers out there, and a lot of artist willing to work at reasonable rates.

Everyone is not an artist, please know your limitations. If you played with crayons and painted from the time you were a kid you might be able to make your own cover, but if not it will show and it will hurt sales.

Thanks for your time

Thanks for listening and I hope this helps you in some way to look more like a pro and gain you more sales and more readers, that will stay with you for years. I do cover design, but that's not why I do these blogs. I do them because we all want our books to sale, we all want to make money, and sadly if you don't have a great cover that will stop a reader in their tracks you're wasting valuable time.

Blessings, Samantha Fury

Website
Facebook Group
Contact Us
Fury Cover Design
Samantha Fury is the author of the Street Justice Series.
She's makes paperbacks and e-books for Indie Authors.
She operates several Indie Groups. Editing Services, Cover
Artist, Helpful Indie Facebook Groups.

Alexa, do you really know how helpful they can be.

2018-11-07T23:15:00.002-08:00

Alexa
Echo Dot I know some tablets come with Alexa, but my Alexa sits on my desk. I have three of them through my house. I love to turn the music on and have stereo sound.

Alexa / echo dot will cost you about around 49.00. If mine quit working, I would buy another one seconds later. We love them so much I've bought 4 of them for family members.

I love the automated options. Every day at noon and at midnight Alexa automatically tells me the weather. Every week on Wed evening she tells me it's time to take out the trash. She tells me every day at 11.00 it's time to take your medicine.

Any time I want to hear the news, I just say Alexa play the news. I have her set up to tell me these things when I ask about the news.

NFL update
New things to try with Alexa
Bible verse of the day
Rush Limbaugh Update
The news from fox
Then she gives me Two Tennis updates
Then she tells me the weather.

Did I mention you can pair her to your blue-tooth speakers. I love Alexa

I also use her daily for timers, and reminders. I ask her a lot what's the high for the day or the low. There are several options for where you get your weather and news. You can listen to pod casts, music. I even listen to Rush Limbaugh through tune-in. I love that I can be washing the dishes and just turn around and say Alexa play Christmas music, or play the Joyce Meyer podcast. It's great.

I won't get into detail here, but you can also set it up to play your own music or if you're an author your own audio books by using google drive and My Pod aps. It is just so amazing I wish everyone could have an Alexa. We also have Prime so that means we get a lot of music options. Blake Shelton is one of my favorites and I guess she hears Alexa play Blake Shelton more than she hears anything.

There are so many cool and fun apps. Don't even get me started on the store list, the To do list, or google calendar. I love the option tell me what's on my agenda for the day. If you are like to listen to audio books, or music, or need a reminder when to take something out of the oven you have got to get at least one Alexa.

Right now we're up to three of them in the house and if my house was bigger I'd have more. I'm always joking with my husband that I just wish I could get her on my smart watch so I could take her everywhere. Though you can take her on your phone around here in the sticks we don't have great cell service so for now I'll just be happy to have her in just about every room of my house.

Thanks for listening and oh get an Alexa for someone you love, and no I don't get a dime if you do, just the satisfaction that you'll be getting a great tool for your home that will help you do so many things, you too will say Alexa is the best thing since sliced bread.

Any Pod Great skill for pod casts via Alexa

2018-11-05T11:39:00.000-08:00

Do you like pod casts

if so here is a great way to listen. I'm not a huge pod cast listener but I wanted a way to use Alexa to listen to Joyce Meyer and Joseph Prince. Well Praise Heaven I found it. Don't you just love Alexa.

I'm sure there will be a lot of other pod casts you can listen to if you know their name, and I think there is a way to have your podcast added to the list, if it's not there. There is a lot of helpful information on the Any Pod site

If you want to listen to podcasts say "Alexa, enable AnyPod skill.”

Then you say something like this “Alexa, ask AnyPod to play Science Fiction & Fantasy Marketing Podcast. Most of the time she will say did you mean you wanted to listen to (name of pod cast here), and you just say yes. Sometimes she will just take right off and start playing.

It is possible that you will also need to set up an Anypod account. I can't say for sure because I did do this weeks ago.

You can also enable the skill .... Click here Amazon Link
Then you can create an account here at Click here Any Pod Link

I found another helpful blog post with many other options they are as follows
Subscribe to a podcast “Alexa, ask AnyPod to subscribe to [insert name of podcast].”Play a specific episode: “Alexa, ask AnyPod to play episode XX of [podcast name].”

Jump to the first or last episode “Alexa, ask AnyPod for the [newest/oldest] episode.”

List your podcast subscriptions: “Alexa, ask AnyPod, ‘What are my subscriptions?’”

Skip forward or back an episode “Alexa, play the [next/previous] episode.”

On The Ambient Blog post HERE you can also learn how to use Alexa using tune in, and how to add pod casts to your routines lots of helpful things. so please also check out his blog post you will find it very useful if you use Alexa.

Images by Javier Brosch from depositphoto.com

Voice Dream Reader a great Author app

2018-08-17T19:16:00.002-07:00

Every now and then you fall in love with a new app. Well, this is the one you write home to mother about.

I hope I can keep your attention, because you're going to want to run out and grab this app. I will warn you this app is 9.99 a one time fee but it's worth it. True there is a lot of apps that are free but they won't work this well. Also, just a note, I'm not making any money at all from this. I just love to share about a great app when I find one that works this well.

Authors
This app is for you. If you have drop box this app will work
even better than ever. I keep most of my books in progress in Dropbox. When I'm bored, or can't sleep, or just want to do an audio edit of one of my books I pick up the phone and open the Voice Dream app.

Joey Voice from Ivona
With this app you can pick from many great voices, or you can buy a couple of your favorites. I love the Joey Voice from Ivona and have purchased it for my Next up for Pc Text to Speech software, but on this app it's having a few issues, so I went with another male voice.

I've contacted the developers of the app and they hope to get Joey fixed and I hope they do he's my all time favorite. But, since Joey's broke for now I picked out another premium voice. Tyler, from Acapela he's a male voice with a bit of an accent but after a while your mind takes over and Tyler's voice seems to morph into any character in your story.

I often use apps like this to edit with, but never have I found one that works so well. Most of the time you have to turn the file into a mp3, and then download it to your phone, but this time it reads right from the file and you don't have to stop for chapters it will read the whole book to you.

Not for Commercial Use
Though I don't think there is anyway to turn these files into MP3 on the phone these voices that come on this app can not be used for commercial use. Though trust me they read well enough and would be great for audio books. I have two of these voices also on Next up and it says in the tos that you can't use their voices in any way for commercial use without paying a HEFTY license fee, but you can use it daily and it will be a great help. Maybe you need to do an audio edit, or maybe you just enjoy listening to your own books in audio form. Either way you will not beat this app. It will cost you a one time fee of 9.99 but to me it is well worth the money.

Perks
There is a timer, you can have it play from 15 minutes to 60 minutes or have it start automatically. Just don't fall asleep with the phone on, or you might wake with a nice red mark on your neck. And of course I've never done this. Well, maybe. :)

There are book marks and highlights and Chapters. If the voice is reading too fast you can slow it down or speed it up. It comes with about 6 free voices and one premium voice. It can connect to drop box, and I also see google drive and I see Bookshare, Pocket and Instapaper though I don't have those platforms. It came with Pride and Prejudice loaded in the memory though I don't know if the whole book is there or not.

You can sort your books by Recent, Add Date, Title, Author, Size, you can also search. You can read along with it to and change your font size.

I can't say enough good things about this app, and I'm sure it does thing's I've not even learned yet, but please do check it out. If you're an author and you like to edit with audio, or just listen to your own stories while you clean house, or go to sleep you have to save your pennies and buy this app. If you have any questions just ask, and check back in a few days to this post and I'll have a few more helpful blog tips about voices to pick and the Nextup Software for your pc.

Google play store link HERE
Website HERE
Apple here

Posts coming soon
Next up post
Joey's voice

Narrators (My Favorites Part 2)

2017-04-21T12:32:00.001-07:00

Here is some more great Narrators please feel free to check out their pages and or listen to some of their audio books that are available. Remember not all samples are Christian Content.

Pamela Almand

Professional narrator/voice over talent for commercials, audiobook narration, web videos, on-hold, e-learning ...for your company's best image!

Click to hear samples website

ACX Samples

Susan Boyce

A narrator and an experienced performer

Susan earned a bachelor of theater arts degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1979. She has worked on-stage at Trinity Repertory Theater, Worcester Foothills Theater, The Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, and every major Ragtime and Traditional Jazz Festival in the United States.

Click to hear samples

Caroline McLaughlinln

Caroline is a versatile narrator with a warm, smooth voice who enjoys bringing words to life. She discovered her love for storytelling while recording audiobooks for people with reading disabilities. Being a great study of "people" has helped her to develop rich characters and accents (Southern, Asian, English, Australian and Irish). Her languages include conversational Mandarin Chinese.

Click to hear sample website
ACX Samples

A professional voiceover talent since 1999, I now work almost exclusively in audiobooks. I prefer clean reads and specialize in performing cozy mysteries. Since I’m an Atlanta native, books set in the South and/or starring Southern characters are a natural fit for me. I love to laugh and have a great sense of humor, so I especially shine in comedic reads. I also have excelled in narrating sweet romances and legal thrillers, along with biography, history, self-development, and other Non-Fiction titles. I bring the emotion in the subtext into each word.

Website here

Acx here

Find more samples coming soon of

great Narrators and go back and see

some of my older posts here.

Favorite Narrators click here

Audiobooks 101 click here

Sharing your ACX audition click here

My ACX Audio Adventures

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Narrators (my favorites) Samantha Fury

2017-03-17T14:04:00.001-07:00

© Depositphotos.com/Damedeeso

Some of my favorite Narrators @ ACX (Samantha Fury)

Picking a Narrator

When I first thought about having one of my books turned into an audio book it took me a long time to get up the nerve to do so. Signing a contract for 7 years was a bit daunting, but I finally did it. But, it took me 2 years to make up my mind to get started. During that time I kept going back and looking at the artist there and listening to samples. Here below I will share with you some of my hard work. All of these are currently on ACX, but some of them do read everything so beware what your little ears might hear when you are picking out samples. Always check to be sure they are still doing Royalty Split if that is what you're looking for.

Royalty Split favorites Females

Carin Elizabeth Gilfry
Available for: Royalty Share or $200-$400 PFH

Gillian Vance

Intelligent, Warm, Professional, Engaging, Real Available for: Royalty Share or $200-$400 PFH

Lois Johnson

I have studied with Pat Fraley and Kathe Mazur in the Scott Brick style of audiobook narration. .

Available for: Royalty Share or $100-$200 PFH

Nikki Devitt

Strong and flexible female voice with a background in Radio, Theater and more.

Available for: Royalty Share or Unspecified

Kelly Pruner

Engaging, colorful and inviting

Available for: Royalty Share or $200-$400 PFH

Royalty Split favorites Males

Alexander F. Lewis

Alex is a devoted story teller with a BA in Theater and a long list of film credits in leading and supporting roles.

Available for: Royalty Share or Unspecified

Sample Husband & Wife help crying girl

Andrew B. Wehrlen

Audible Approved and available to bring your world to life. Enjoy sci-fi, horror, thrillers and PA. I also do Romance as Connor Brown.

Available for: Royalty Share or $200-$400 PFH

David Boyll

Bring me a story and I'll tell it for you, just the way you like.

Available for: Royalty Share or Unspecified

Matt Weight

Audiobook Narrator and Producer with Digital Studio

Available for: Royalty Share or $200-$400 PFH

Michael Riffle

I am an actor and computer programmer with years of experience in both fields.

Available for: Royalty Share or $200-$400

Dan Boice

I have recorded pay-for-play short stories for author Andrew Vachss and others, novellas, and 10 full-length novels with my home studio.

Available for: Royalty Share or $100-$200 PFH

Eric Michael Summerer

Dynamic and Friendly Narrator and Character Actor

Available for: Royalty Share or $200-$400 PFH

Robert Armin

Audio engineer, actor, stage director, writer, record producer

Available for: Royalty Share or $400-$1000 PFH

Mark Nelson / Harry Shaw

Experienced professional audiobook narrator in fiction, non-fiction and classics.

Available for: Royalty Share or $100-$200 PFH

Scott Slocum

More than forty years experience as a voiceover artist, broadcaster, and producer. Background includes news writing and on-air reporting.

Available for: Royalty Share or $100-$200 PFH

I will have more later

I'd like to also say I don't know any of these people personally. I just found them on ACX while trying to find the best. I also suggest that when you listen to sample you try them out on various devices. Listen on alexa if you have her, or on a different computer, and on a mp3. I know my PC does not have good speakers. And I can't stress enough that once you pick out a favorite or two shell out a few bucks and buy a audiobook they've completed.

If you have questions please PM me on Facebook or if you would like me to listen to your sample pm me. Thanks
Click here
Website
Facebook Group
Conference Group
Contact Us
Samantha Fury is the author of the Street Justice Series.
She's written many articles on book covers, for Indie Authors.
She operates several Indie Groups. Editing Services, Cover
Artist, Helpful Indie Facebook Groups.

Audio Books 101

2017-03-17T12:47:00.001-07:00

Picking a Narrator

Learning What Not to Do

Don't choose the first Narrator who comes along. Listen, listen and listen some more. If you're not an avid audio book listener, you're going to need to first get used to the idea of listening to a story. A suggestion would be to get an Audible subscription for a couple of months and just get used to hearing a book.

A Narrator can boost or hurt the sales of an audio book. Some narrators do funny voices or try to sound like a woman when they're a man. I prefer a good reader over someone who tries too hard. The trick is finding someone who knows what they're doing that you can afford.

My Experience as an Audio Book Listener

Audio books have been so much a part of my life that I should be an expert on the subject. For over 18 years, I traveled with my husband in his 18-wheeler. I would make a guess that we've listened to at least 22 thousand hours of audio books. We listened to every audio book we could get our hands on to make the time go by faster so that number could actually be higher. Truckers are a huge audio fan base because they spend so much time behind the wheel. My problem is, I write romance and most truckers :) are not romance fans.

Finding a Good Narrator

Find a Narrator you like and then buy at least one of their audio books. This will be the best way to learn what they sound like. If the audio is 10 hours, which most good audio books are, it will take you at least an hour to get into all the voices and the story.

The best are expensive, but there are great Narrators on ACX who will do the royalty split. If I had all the money in the world, Scott Brick would narrate all my books. The man could read the telephone book, and I would listen. I spoke with him once on Facebook and it was like speaking with a movie star. :) If you would like to learn more about Scott, check out his website here and you can find some of his featured audio books here.

Brad Pitt, Elliott Gould and Burt Reynolds are all great to listen to. I know -- I know we may not be able to afford the best as we first start out. I suggest you find someone who is good, clear and cares enough about their work to get most or all of the breath sounds out while reading and editing. And, do find and listen to a previous audio book by said narrator.

Points to consider. Can you understand the narrator and do they pronounce the words clearly? It's kind of like trying to find the perfect model for our book covers. We want to hear the perfect person portraying our characters but what we really need is someone who sounds close to their age and is a first-rate narrator. These qualities will capture and hold the audio book customer’s attention.

When you listen to an audio book, if the narrator is good, the tone in their voice can change and you will soon hear each character's voice that is in the story. A female narrator can become a man or a male narrator can become a woman. A good Narrator will bring each character to life. I want to stress that a few short audio samples will not be enough to help you choose a narrator. After you have received samples from your ACX narrators, buy an audio book of each one you're considering. Listen to each choice and see which one best represents the way you see your characters.

In closing, you can never be good at something unless you understand the process. So, read, listen and learn all you can.

I hope you found this article helpful. I'll be doing a blog post soon on my favorite narrators from ACX. Please check it out.

Here is an audio sample of my book, Maid for Martin. Click here

Samantha Fury is the author of the Street Justice Series.
Samantha creates book covers at Fury Cover Design.
She also moderates several Indie Groups: Editing Services, Cover
Artist, and Helpful Indie Facebook Groups.
For Christian authors, join our Portal Group @ link here
Indie Authors who write PG13 and/or clean join here @ link here

Kindle Giveaway

2016-12-17T14:22:00.000-08:00

Kindle Giveaway for the CWW Ladies Group.

Welcome to The Christian Women Reader’s Club 31 Days of Christmas Giveaways.
This month long giveaway has multiple chances to win. CWRC is giving away a Kindle Fire. To win YOU MUST be a newsletter subscriber. (Winning entry will be verified.) If you are already a subscriber, you can still enter. Simply verify you are a subscriber to our monthly email newsletter, then type “Yes” in the appropriate place on the Rafflecopter form below. Plus, you can win additional entries by tweeting about the giveaway or following us on our social media site.

We also have a collection of blogs for you to visit, each with its own giveaway. These are hosted by our talented authors, so make sure you visit each one!
Use the Rafflecopter below to enter the Kindle Fire giveaway, and then click on the list below to enter the individual giveaways. Make sure you check back throughout the month to see if new authors have joined the blog hop!

Romance for the Heart

2016-05-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

Romance for the Heart

Do you like clean romance, or christian romance? If so then Romance for the Heart is for you.

Readers
Romance for the heart is a great Facebook group where you can learn about clean and Christian romance novels and authors. If you like to read drop by and look through our files to see if you find anything you like. We keep all images at pg13 or cleaner and welcome Authors and Readers to interact. We hope you will drop by and join us. We are all about helping authors find readers and helping readers find good clean books to entertain them. Check us out I don't think you will be disappointed.

Rules
We don't have many rules but we do ask that authors only advertise once a day, and that they be sure and share with us when they are doing a free giveaway. We ask that readers if you share a link to a book that you explain to us why you think it's a great read. Readers can invite authors to join but we must be able to see that they write clean or christian novel on their profile.

Authors
If you would like to be a Romance for the Heart author just come on and check us out. If your work is Christian or clean tell us about your novels and we'll take it from there. We love romance and welcome more authors to join our little group.

Check out our group here The link is now working for a while it was broken click here to learn more

Thanks for your time
Samantha Fury

A great App Everyday

2016-05-14T20:26:00.000-07:00

Android to PC apps
This will be a series so book mark this page and when I have more app reviews I will post a link to the next review on the next helpful app.

Are you one of those people that love keeping things in order. Do you like to sync through all your devices, then I've found an app you're going to love.

Every Day
This is one of the newest app's that I've came across, well I've been searching for some way to help organize my busy life. If you need an App they have one for just about everything but wadding through the hundreds of apps can be tiresome. This is one of my favorites so lets take a look at what it does.

It reminds me of an outline in ways, but it's so much more. I've only had it for a few days but I'm already learning how it works. You can set notifications, and check things off once you've accomplished the task. Let's take a look at some screen shots.

Lists
First you can start out with your lists. This is where you chose the topic of your tasks. I have several. Home, Taxes, pets, books, you can make several but there is a limit with a free account. I will admit I'm going to just be using this App 'Everyday' for Novels only. Some Apps have different ways they are more useful and as far as this app goes I think it will be best to be used for my books. I looked for something like Ywriter but so far just can't find the perfect plotting character development app but I will keep looking.

The next image will be of my 'list- NEW ROMANCE.' In the free version there is a limit to the amount of lists you can have. If you want more the pro version is only 2.99 a month. As you can see I've started with basic lists: Plot - Characters - Chapters.

I was looking for an app with fill in the blanks, with options like hair color, height, eye color etc. But for now this will work.

The next image will show you the outline effect. When you click on the little arrows the next section breaks out. You can see I have some general plot ideas for my new novel. Then down further you will see the character section with ideas for my characters.

Here in the next image you will see that I have three ideas for my plot. No stealing by the way :) I have also broken those down and add sub plots and soon will hit the number of lists that I can use until I go pro or delete some of those other lists. I think I'll delete the list 'TAXES' lol. I don't like that one much anyway.

The next screen shot is of what you get in another hidden section for notes. I'm going to click on the Romantic Guy is a cook section and add some notes and an alarm for a time when I want to be sure and finish this section by. I'll be honest I've not set an alarm yet so not sure how that works and what kind of noise it makes.

You can also show that a task is complete so you will know you've finished that area of your outline as I like to call it. You can also use this for daily tasks too, but I prefer to use another app for that. You may have to look close but there is a line marked through three tasks.

I have several apps that I want to review and more than I want to try out. Here is a list of comparisons between the free and pro version. I like this app. It works on my android and it syncs quickly with the pc. I suppose I could put it on the phone too but haven't tried it. I'm not sure I can say that this will be my favorite app or the one that I use the most, but it's a nice app and I give it a 4 star rating.

Come back again and I'll try to tel you about another great app that I'm trying out. Be sure and let me know what your favorite app is in the comments.

Thanks
Samantha Fury

http://www.evrdy.com/

Buildling a weebly website free or pro

2016-05-10T09:43:00.000-07:00

WEEBLY WEBSITES

I love Weebly and I've been with them for several years. I moved over to them when webs.com. I felt that Weebly was easier to access and they fit my needs. When you first joined with Weebly and you bought the pro plan you received 10 websites with the pro. Now you only get one when you buy a pro. I have websites that are pro and some that are not. I have my own domain on some of my sites and some I don't. It just all depends on what you want to do. I get my domains from Godaddy because they are cheaper than going with Weebly.

At this moment I have over 18 websites and I've built over 25 maybe even 30 by now I don't keep count. I do love them and I will say I'm not being paid anything to write this blog. I don't get anything from Weebly but a great working website.

I wanted to share with you some of the things you can get with a Weebly website and kind of let you get in behind the workings so you can understand how they work. I will say the site I took the screen shots are from a pro and it comes with sliding headers, a store and a few different items. But the price is really fair. I pay about 45 dollars a year and to me it's worth it. Now it may be a tad higher now, because I'm locked in on my prices from where I joined them when they were just starting out. So always check on the prices. BUT I will say I really don't use the store and many of the pro options other than the editors, and the sliding banners.

THEMES

There are many different kinds of themes that you can use and if you want a different them on a different page you can just start another website and use a html link to take you to that other hidden site. It's just something extra for those that have been working on websites for a long time and you get tired of the same themes. With Weebly you can have many websites free or paid you can start 10 websites without making a new account. Here is a screen shot of just a FEW of the many templates you can pick from.

As you can see on the left you can pick by color theme etc.

You can even get into the html and edit your site. I'm not great with html so I've never tried this but here is a screen shot.

You can start out a page by choosing four different options. You can use a link from another website an external link and chose 4 different kinds of pages. You can use which pages are seen by the public set up a password. You can also name the pages what ever you want and edit them later. You can nest pages under a topic. Say you want to have Books at the top then under books could be a drop down menu with all of your books.

Once you have a page in mind we go to the drop and drag area. This is what I love about weebly. Anything that you want to place on the page you just go to the left, and drag and drop it into place. Now some of this when it comes to headings and images can be a little tricky at first but in general it's very simple. You can drop and drag all kinds of things and I'll get you a close up of those in a minute. But here is the main page and how it will look.

Now here I will show you the options and AGAIN this is for the pro site. I don't have time to do a blog post with both the pro and the free but you can read through and find out what options are pro only. There are a lot of options on the free side. As you can see there is a lot of things to pick from and if you want these options on your page you just drag and drop. I love the you tube it's so easy. You will just drag and drop it onto your page and then go to the video on the website and place the link in the proper spot and when you refresh your video is on your page. I also use the html button a lot.

The next thing I'll show you is the dashboard. It's pretty self explaining and I'm showing you my stats a very cool thing they offer. Pretty sure the stats come with the free site, but again you'll more than likely want the sliding headers or the store and the pro site is very affordable. I'm sure there is a list somewhere and I'll try to find a link to it so you can learn what comes on the free site and what comes on the pro site. IF you're like me you'll have several websites so to keep your pages separated and buy only one pro site. Then if you need any of the pro options just use the external link on the specific website you need the pro options on. Then again most authors only need one website.

The next is the settings and this is where if you have the pro you can add other authors to edit things and work on your website, you can do it on the free also but you can't chose what pages that they are working on. Let's say I want Pastor George a good friend of mine to post a blog but I don't want him to have access to the whole site, with the pro I can pick and chose what pages he manages from one page to as many as I would like. It's really easy to ad an editor, but on the free site if you add an editor they can edit the whole site.

With the pro site you can also have members on your website and a store and there is the option of a small forum too. Can't recall if thats on the free side or not. But it's a cute little forum and people can join with their Facebook page.

The last page is the Store and I don't use it but it's an option for me because i have the pro site so I'll let you take a peak at the dashboard.

Thanks for joining me today and I'm sure that I've missed something that weebly does or some page or some area but this will give you a general idea of what it looks like to be behind the scenes of building a website at weebly.

I'll clarify weebly has three options. FREE - Pro -- or business. And here is a video that will explain all about it. I also don't use the blog option much on weebly, I prefer blogger, but they do have a blog that comes with the website.

Weebly pro or business
http://www.websitetooltester.com/en/reviews/weebly-review/starter-vs-pro-vs-business/

Weebly compare plans here

You can also see what your site looks like mobile
You can have polls and ask questions, contact forms I just found out you can change your mobile them, cool, ;)
There is a place on the dashboard to check your blog comments or form entries.
You can invite people to your site by email
There is just so much you can do I just can't name it all today. THE only thing you need to consider is if you want the free or the pro and if you pick free make sure it has the options you want.

Thanks for joining me today and I hope you found this post useful.

Website
Facebook Group
Conference Group
Contact Us
Samantha Fury is the author of the Street Justice Series.
She's written many articles on book covers, for Indie Authors.
She operates several Indie Groups. Editing Services, Cover
Artist, Helpful Indie Facebook Groups.

Welcome to Christian Mystery Suspense

2016-05-07T08:07:00.000-07:00

Welcome To Christian Mystery Suspense

Thanks for joining us here at the Christian Mystery Suspense Facebook Group. We welcome Clean and Christian Mystery Suspense authors and readers. Books we'll be sharing will include cozy, police, medical, legal, romantic, thriller, crime, and detective.

Authors: Drop by and add your books to our Sub-genre photo albums, and feel free to advertise once a day. We love learning about new Mystery/Suspense novels. We do want all books to be kept at a PG-13 rating. NO erotica. If you think your book might need a rating of PG-13 or PG-17, be sure and add it to your posts. We do allow edgy mystery/suspense, but not too edgy.

Our Beliefs

*We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and is our source of truth. Jesus Christ, God's only Son, came as a man but was still fully God. He was tempted but lived without sin, died, was buried, and rose again as the perfect sacrifice for sin. He lives today to intercede for us. Any books posted in this group should reflect this message in some way.*

All authors posting here agree to this affirmation of faith. Any books posted should reflect this message in some way.

Our Goal For This Group

Our main goal is to give Christian authors a great place to advertise their clean Christian Novels. We also want to help readers find good clean works with moral values that will help them understand being a Christian isn’t always easy, but that it is something we can do with God’s help. I pray the books will help and bless those who read them. If you find a book you like, please leave a review and share with your friends.

_________________________________________________________

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6

Tinnitus: Causes and Measuring sounds

2016-05-03T08:14:00.000-07:00

There are 4 installments in this series links below
Part 2
Tinnitus: Causes

Today I’m going to talk about causes again. I spent a lot of time in a noisy truck. I often stood outside the truck talking and working, not thinking about the effects this could cause later on. It makes me mad that somewhere alone the line I didn’t hear about this problem. No one said that long term working in a noisy environment could do this. True I should have known but where is the campaign to warn people. When you get that yearly check up why isn’t there a brochure they give you that warns: protect your hearing.

My dad also has Tinnitus; he worked in the coalmines. I never thought riding inside a truck could be as noisy as working around mining equipment. I wonder at times if there is some way to link this to our family genes. My mother doesn’t have it. Only my dad and no other person in my family has it either. So I assume it comes from being around constant noise.

Sound Meter:
Did you know that you should be wearing earplugs when you sweep, blow dry your hair, mow the grass, or flush the commode. Sorry couldn’t resist that last one. I checked the volume of sound when you flush the commode it’s loud. Many things are louder than you think. You expect to wear earplugs when you go shooting. Go to a NASCAR event or a music concert.

I wonder did you ever consider popping in a set of earplugs when you mow the grass, or sweep, or ladies when you blow-dry your hair.

Here is a link to a good chart. Just copy and paste it into your browser. It will give you an idea how loud things are, compared to the amount of time to be around these noises. I’ve read that prolonged exposure to sound/noise levels as low as 70 db can result in damage to hearing.

http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.html

Daily life with Tinnitus:
Now that I have Tinnitus I use earplugs as often as I can. I warn you at times when you first remove the plugs the sounds of your own Tinnitus may seem more noticeable. I would rather be reminded of my Tinnitus than to have it get worse. My dads roaring in his ears, is really bad, he can hold a razor to the side of his face and hear the roaring sound, over the razor.

So I suggest that though it might seem to bring your Tinnitus to your attention it’s better than having it grow worse over time. So please buy you a pair of earplugs and use them. You too can buy a Sound Pressure level Meter. They are not too expensive and it’s a good way to teach yourself and your children what a safe level of sound . . . really sounds like.

I'll have a quick wrap up tomorrow tune in.
Samanta

Part one is here on this page
Part 2 Tinnitus: Causes and Measuring sounds
Part 3 Tinnitus: Final Installment
Part 4 Years later

So you've been told you have Tinnitus

2016-05-03T08:06:00.002-07:00

I'm putting this blog out there again I hope it helps someone

There are 4 Installments in this series the links will be below.

Part 1
Tinnitus: Been there done that!

This article is important and so that I don't rush this topic it will be posted over a three day period. If you suffer from Tinnitus please check back and read all three articles. Especially if you are new to this difficult obstacle.

Diagnosis
You’re sitting in the doctor’s chair looking around at all the fancy degrees hanging on the wall. You’ve been examined, possibly had a hearing test, and you’re waiting for the doctor to come in and tell you in what great way he’s going to fix your problem.

The door opens, he sits down and looks you in the eye. He smiles, shrugs, and says there’s nothing he can do to help you. He tells you that your best option is to turn the radio up loud enough to cover up the sounds in your head.

You go home, irritated, and disappointed, after paying the good doctor, and for what? You wrote him out a check so he could tell you; he can’t do anything for you.

Causes of Tinnitus
I'm not a doctor, but I have learned that Tinnitus is more than likely caused from being exposed to loud sounds for over a period of time. I spent 18 years in an 18-wheeler. I sure wish I'd known that I should have been protecting my ears. Wearing ear plugs could have kept me from this obstacle called Tinnitus. I shake my head when I see young kids at NASCAR events, or riding with that pounding music and pity them for what they are doing to their hearing. If they could just understand what it can do to you; they would stop abusing their hearing. I will discuss causes more in the second article.

Moving on!
I'm sure you are wondering. What happens now. First of all, if you don’t believe in God and prayer you should. The only way I know to truly overcome this problem, long term, is a good dose of the following.
God
Prayer
Fasting &
A general belief that … through God …all things are possible!!!

Everyone may not have the same effects. Everyone may not battle for two years to adjust to this new way of living. Some people may not even notice or care. I did.
I had a huge problem learning to live in my body as it was now. I overcame this with God's help. Through many tears and fasting. Now I'm able to discuss it with you. I'm able to help you.

I don't talk about Tinnitus a lot. I don't focus on it. I forget it with God's help most of the time I don't even think about it. If someone would have told me that was possible two years ago I would have laughed at them. But it is possible. I wish someone had been around to tell me the things I'm about to tell you.

My Story
Here’s a brief glimpse into my story. I traveled cross-country with my husband for over 18 years. One day I was minding my own business walking home and I hear this sharp whistle in my ear. I think WOW what’s that. It faded but in a few weeks it came back. It came and went for a while, then came and stayed for a long time.

I went to the doctor. I got the usual; I’m sorry smile, and pat on the back and was sent home with the idea of turning up my radio. Well I did that. I turned up the radio, the TV, sat outside depressed letting the sounds of summer cover up the whistle in my head. A few crickets can be very helpful, at least they were for me. I fought with this problem for over two years, learning to deal with this new me. Things had definitely changed.

Hope & Faith
I’m writing this to give you guys out there some hope. It does take time, it does take faith and prayer, but you can learn with God’s help to live with Tinnitus. With my advice and Gods help it may not take you two years to adjust.

With God’s help you will learn to tune it out, learn to get busy and pay it no mind. The best thing is to learn that you are STILL YOU! You can still hear the rain; you can still watch your favorite TV show. Know that you are not alone, there are many others just like you learning and praying and enjoying life.

While you are learning to adjust here are some key points.
Remember, You are not alone. You can do this. Don’t think about your Tinnitus. Don’t concentrate on it. Turn on the TV, or the radio. Get you a white noise machine. Read, Sing, or talk on the phone, and pray. Take your mind off your problem.

Just learn to forget it. Don’t talk about it. Tell your family to stop asking you are you okay, and treat you as if there was nothing wrong. Don’t focus on it. Move on and let God give you his peace and his love to overcome this new obstacle.

While you’re adjusting try these tips. Get you a fish tank, a water fountain, or something that is on all the time that will make some background noise. I personally have 3 tanks, and one white noise machine that makes a rain sound.

Each person must work this out a day at a time. I can’t stress enough to quit thinking about it. The longer you focus on it the louder it will seem. The more you can stay busy the easier it will fade into the background.

My Tinnitus seems to come and go, but I wonder. Did it really go or did I, with the help of God just forget it.

Part one is this page
Part 2 Tinnitus: Causes and Measuring sounds
Part 3 Tinnitus: Final Installment
Part 4 Years later

Please, come back and read part two tomorrow.

Samantha Fury
Questions are welcomed.
God bless.