J.D. Simone's Blog: JD's Blog

Doug’s writing, no matter what format it’s in, continues to blow me away on a regular basis. Doug has a pretty amazing background and he has long been one of my favorite writers, so it comes as no surprise that other people are starting to notice his skills as well. But imagine my excitement when I discovered a photo layout of the Odessa shoot on the front page of the El Paso Times!

Photo by Rudy Gutierrez of the El Paso Times

Odessa, starring  as Estrella and as Victor, is a post apocalyptic story in which Texas becomes its own country in the future. The short film is being developed by Ethos Pictures, and will be about ten minutes long. They plan to show it at the Sundance Film Festival and other festivals in hopes of having it developed into a web-based series.

Harris Tobing, an accomplished producer and filmmaker, has added writing to his ever-growing arsenal of creative talents. His debut novel, The Diary, is a touching love story that covers all the ranges of human emotion.

Martina from Amazon put it so well I had to quote her: ”This is a heart-warming love story you will never forget. It tells of a love so deep, so complete, that time has not been able to erase it. In his first novel, Tobing makes his characters cleverly come alive as they become genuine people in this fascinating and new version of a love triangle. It inspires hope to a love long thought lost. Brilliantly done. Get it and read it right away.”

Synopsis: Gabriel truly loved only one woman in his life, and that was Maria. When her diary is entrusted to him alone, in front of her husband Henry, and daughter Olivia, during the reading of Maria’s last will, it launches an emotional journey in which Gabriel rediscovers their love and blossoming romance that had developed forty years earlier. While Maria’s death occurs at the beginning of the story, she is very much alive throughout the novel – taking us back and forth in time throughout their historic journey that spans decades and countries. Ultimately, Gabriel shares prized snippets from the Diary with Henry and Olivia as they form a unique friendship, and gain new insights into the woman that each of them profoundly loved. In the end, the Diary leaves a profound and lasting emotional impact on the lives of those who cared about Maria.

Available at Amazon.com.

Please help me get Amazon to match the price of “Innocent When You Dream.” Right now it is FREE on Barnes and Noble, Lulu and here at Chaos Publishing, but it still costs $0.99 on Amazon. That’s the lowest they will let me set the price.

All you have to do is copy the following link, then click on the picture below. It will take you to the Amazon page for “Innocent When You Dream.” Scroll down a bit, then click where I have the red arrow stating “Tell us what we missed.” The second picture shows you where to paste the link and submit it. It’s as simple as that, and you get to help an author get free exposure for her work at the same time.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/innocent-when-you-dream-lizz-ayn-shaarawi/1116463019?ean=9781304128416

If you have a few spare moments, please forward this on to your friends as well!

Ocean Snow by Doug Johnson is available exclusively through Amazon for two more days, October 26th and 27th.

You don’t need to own a Kindle to enjoy this great free title, Innocent When You Dream by Lizz-Ayn Shaarawi. It’s always available for free on Barnes and Noble, Lulu and at Chaos Publishing.

Please help support Lizz-Ayn by asking Amazon to price-match the story so Kindle owners can get their own copy for free as well. It will only take a minute of your time! All you have to do is copy the URL from Barnes and Noble into the Amazon link that says “Tell us about a lower price.”

Thank you!

Ocean Snow by Doug Johnson will be available exclusively through Amazon for free for three days, October 25th, the 26th and the 27th. You don’t need to own a Kindle to enjoy this great free title, Innocent When You Dream by Lizz-Ayn Shaarawi. It’s always available for free on Barnes and Noble, Lulu and at Chaos Publishing!

Check out these 13 amazing stories by 13 great writers!

Is it lucky or unlucky? Does it conjure tragic events or hilarious ones? Is it a superstitious fear or an obsessive compulsion? Could it be the 13th planet in a distant solar system, the length of a dog’s life or the number of steps it takes to open a creaky door? Could it be the camera that sees into your soul, or the bottle that destroys it? Is it the number of minutes that remain before your fate is sealed or the name of the girl who first captured your heart? Is it the age of discovery or the moment when the ultimate question is answered? Just what is 13?

13 writers know the answer. It’s the year 2013 and for 13 eclectic writers from a half dozen countries, the challenge was to each write an original story in which the number ’13′ featured prominently. The aim of the project was to inspire 13 original, diverse stories across a spectrum of genres, all connected by the number 13. The total collection would form The Anthology. Our intrepid tale-spinners took on the task and now, some moons later, the result is something quite remarkable, the sum being greater than its unique parts. In this anthology, you’ll be able to discover these 13 intriguing worlds for yourself.

Check them out on Amazon and Facebook, or click the book (below) for their website!

After reading this article from the Bluecat Screenplay Competition, I realize I’ve been guilty of this transgression myself in the past. Although I’ve not had my own screenwriting successes yet, I totally agree with what the author explains about the mechanics of a rewrite. It really isn’t just about changing words. The same holds true about writing in novel format as well.

Here is their entry info page if you’re interested in their competition.

The Joke’s On You: How to Write Comedy by Steven Hoover is a great “how to” book for writers of all types who need a bit of help getting in touch with their funny side. Full of tips and examples of all types, I was pleasantly surprised at the wealth of information when I downloaded my own copy.

The book begins with a history of comedy through the ages, including the psychology and science of it. Chapter two covers filtering, characterization, and audience and historical context. Chapter three is where the meat of the book lies (in my own humble opinion), with the types of humor and great examples to go along with it. The last chapter, chapter four, covers style, differences, getting material, and writing for stand-up.