Make sure you get your copy www.amazon.com/Bedwetter-Journal-Budding-Psychopath-ebook/dp/B07NSG5XTS/ and visit leeallenhoward.com
When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 1 Corinthians 13:11 I believe that everyone must grow up. After a while, we outgrow childish habits. Adulting is necessary. As adults, we have responsibilities. We can no longer indulge in childish things. Then, there are some people that refuse to grow up. Maybe they are spoiled, neglected or traumatized. Russell Pisarek in Lee Allen Howard’s The Bedwetter is one of those adults. The Bedwetter is a psychological thriller, like Girl on the Train, and being inside Russell’s head, is truly a psychopathic experience. Russell has a warped sense of humor he shows in his digital journal he uses to describe his daily activities. In present-day Pittsburgh, East Liberty, or “Slibberty”, as Russell sarcastically calls it, he writes events in chronological order. The journal entries include pictures, vivid flashbacks, and a foreboding dream with electric hair trimmers. Russell is a pariah to society. He judges others and obsesses over animals, especially cats. He feels like everyone demeans him, so he rebels. Sometimes, the offenses are minor, and other times they are criminal. His lashing out serves to distract from his truth: he still wets the bed. Russell dubs another term “pissing hour” to describe the time during his dream that triggers his bladder. The dream is the same and it haunts him. Russell is determined to find its meaning. The bedwetting is a result of Russell’s troubled childhood and flawed relationships, making him a psychopath. Russell’s sister Becky, his nephew Aiden, and Connors at Hap’s Army Surplus are people that have close relationships with Russell. Besides those three people, Russell doesn’t have any close relationships. Russell has no luck with the ladies either. He claims they don’t understand his “pissue”, a term he jokingly uses to refer to his bedwetting. Part of the reason Russell is terrible with the ladies is due to his mother. Russell refers to his mother as “Melanoma”, which shows he views her like a disease. They have a volatile relationship. Melanoma punishes Russell during his childhood by shaving his head every time he wets the bed. Russell never forgives her. She is the bane of his existence and the root of his troublesome dream. The turning point in the story happens when Russell encounters “The Piss Fairy” in his recurring dream. By then, his budding psychopath is in full bloom. He can only move forward and complete the ominous mission “The Piss Fairy” has for him. Lee Allen Howard provides great attention to detail, and the plot is evenly paced. I would read more of his work. I give The Bedwetter five stars and I encourage anyone, who likes an enticing thriller, to read this story.
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If you want to write science fiction, or sci-fi, make the most of your time. Observe some common rules and tips to create a captivating story that will make the readers ask questions. You can also include questionable characters. Proceed to make the story complicated, but do this slowly. Consistency is key when writing science fiction. Character definition matters most, so make sure each character is detailed and unique, not just representatives of stereotypes of their species or cultures. If you are planning to release a book series, focus on one book at a time instead of the entire series altogether. There are plenty of inspirational pieces about sci-fi. Right now, I’m feeling “Love, Death, & Robots” on Netflix. Find what inspires you.
Writing Young Adult (YA) Fiction is tapping into the mind of teenagers and young adults from ages 12-18 and understanding their issues, challenges, taboos, and concerns. Here are the tips to write a compelling one.
Thrillers need enticing, gripping storylines and nail-biting scenes. Here are the tips to write great thrillers.
Fantasy writing requires imagination and the power to create a world within a world. Not to mention, that inspiration needs to translate into the craft. Here are the tips for how you can write fantasy below:
Mariah Carey released her album "Caution" recently, and there's one song "A No No" that sticks out. Besides the "Crush On You" sample (which always sounds good), the song seems like a no-nonsense anthem, and I like it. Mariah Carey is basically saying "no" to situations without benefit.
I think the "no" mentality is helpful. The post picture above says the following: "I don't say no because I am so busy. I say no because I don't want to be so busy." This year in my business I learned how to say no. I say no because of WIIFM, what's in it for me? I think sometimes you have to be selfish. Each move I make I wonder if it's beneficial to my business. Also, I try to make sure my business goals are aligned with anyone I wish to partner. I don't want to waste my time or the other company's time. I feel like I owed it to the people that checked my blog to let them know what's been going on. Midway through the year, my business goals changed. I noticed that during my speaking engagements, the adults talked to me more about writing a book than my target audience for my young adult (YA) books. I started off the year promoting my YA books at events, and then I realized I liked editing and reading other people's work more. Consequently, I haven't done any writing or events lately. Just because I haven't been writing or attending events lately, doesn't mean I won't write again. This year I've been taking time to find my business voice, and it's been very fulfilling. If you're interested in buying any of my books, you can purchase them here or check out my Service link for your writing needs. I hope you'll continue with me on this writing journey. I plan to have more writing events to come. I was supposed to do a blog about my event "A Most Convenient Read", but I think I'd rather talk about suicide prevention. This week fashion designer Kate Spade and food critic Anthony Bourdain committed suicide. These are just two people, so I can only imagine how many others are thinking about taking their lives.
The mind is a battlefield. I believe we all deal with things that threaten to take our peace of mind. It might feel like we can't win. Still, we have to try. I'm here to tell you that you matter. As my fellow blogger Leighann said, "Life is so beautiful with you in it." I know there have been times where I've felt low, and I got help. Talk to your family, friends, or loved ones. Also, there's nothing wrong with getting a professional opinion, too. "The suicide rate in the United States has seen sharp increases in recent years. Studies have shown that the risk of suicide declines sharply when people call the national suicide hotline: 1-800-273-TALK." (CNN) I hope I managed to encourage you a little bit. We all go through it, but we can't let our situations beat us. If you or someone you know is ever feeling down, remember to keep going. Sources CNN, www.ohleighann.com/ Hello, everyone! Happy hump day! It's only a few more days until my event "A Most Convenient Read: Book Reading & Poetry Showcase. (You can purchase tickets here. I'll be reading an excerpt from Savannah alongside Kaleema M, the poet. Kaleema is a good friend of mine. You’ll get to learn a little bit about her, and she plans to put on a show that you don’t want to miss. Since Kaleema will be giving a short bio, I thought why not tell you all a little about me?
My pen name is Roxanne Ridge, but those that know me call me by my real name. If you’re wondering what my real name is, you’ll have to come to the show this Sunday to find out. Or if you peruse my website, my real name is on here somewhere. Roxanne Ridge is what I use for business purposes. Roxanne was the second choice for what my parents planned to name me, so I figured I’d pay homage to that name by using it as a pseudonym. The last name Ridge simply derived from my desire to put some alliteration in my title. Two R’s sounded nice to me 😊 The pseudonym has come in handy. I still have one foot in the corporate world, so a pseudonym has allowed me to do things discreetly. My mom was against me using my real name. Now, that it’s been a while she said I could probably use my real name, but I like the pen name Roxanne Ridge for my books. I can publish my work, and still inform other people on the process of choosing a pen name. It’s been an enlightening journey, and I plan on doing more, so I can keep you all in the know. I hope to see you at my event Sunday. Check the link below! http://bit.ly/amostconvenientread #itsagirlthing was the saying for That's So Girly, Inc's conference, and I was happy to be a part of it. I got to meet the founder Essence Moore, the event planner Nichelle Calander, and volunteers from Goodie Girl Bags. They put together a wonderful event for teen girls (ages 12-17) to do empowering workshops, listen to influential speakers, and arrange donation bags for ladies in need.
Everyone was dedicated to the cause, which was mentoring young girls. There was dancing and lessons in a classroom environment. The staff there provided me with encouraging words, and the teens seemed to have a good time. It was an awesome turnout, and I hope That's So Girly has many more events. Check out That's So Girly, Inc. on their Facebook here. More information on Goodie Girl Bags here. For those that don’t know, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, wrestler-turned-actor, had many sayings. (I can't believe I did two posts related to the 90s this week). “Jabroni” and “candy…you know what” to name a few. This might seem like a stretch, but I think another one of his saying could relate to writers. Just imagine you ask someone a question about something you wrote. The person proceeds to give you feedback, and then you cut them off by saying, “IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT YOUR FEEDBACK IS!”
At the time, you might be thinking you just gave the ultimate tell-off. That person will know not to mess with you and your writing, right? The only problem is you just might have missed an opportunity for some valuable feedback. I believe being able to reflect and improve writing is important. If I can receive criticism from my peers, then I’m all for it. I know a few months ago, I mentioned dealing with criticism in my blog (read here), but now I want to talk about being open to criticism. Feedback can be a good thing. I know when I run into returning customers who bought my previous books, I ask them if they liked them. All of them said they liked my work, but I wouldn’t have been mad if they didn’t. I could either try harder next time or simply listen. Criticism isn’t a bad thing. I think a lot of authors, especially new ones, would prefer you leave them feedback. This is my call to action (CTA). Readers, give us authors feedback. Drop a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and even Goodreads. I promise us authors, don’t bite. Now, authors, I didn’t forget about us. I want all of you to be open to feedback. We can’t get reviews or improve our writing if we’re defensive and closed off. So, I’ll end this on a positive note. Writers and readers, it does matter what your feedback is. Make it count. |
AuthorRoxanne Ridge writes for the youth. Not to mention, writing is peaceful. Archives
August 2020
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