Don Massenzio
Jacksonville
Just a guy who writes
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Articles by Don Massenzio
Author Don Massenzio
Thanks very much Don for sharing my review for Denise’s book.. Have a great weekend. LikeLiked by 1 person
#GrannySays - #Humor - #Inspiration - #Wisdom
I’m SO going to do this one day!
#TenThingsYouMayNotKnow - About #JohnW.Howell
Good Morning, Everyone! Today I’d like you to help me welcome a great friend and supporter of writers everywhere, #StoryEmpire member John W. Howell. I think you’ll really enjoy John’s post today, so let’s get things rolling! Thank you, Marcia, for having me on your #TenThingsYouMayNotKnowAboutMe feature. When we initially talked about doing this, I explained to Marcia that the first item on the list would be the fact that I have evolved into a close imitation of Howard Hughes.
Catching Up - #amwriting #MondayBlogs
HELP! Where Did All My Writing Time Go? Happy Moon’s Day, Folks! I hope this Monday morning finds you in good health and good spirits. Just wanted to take a moment to let you know that my blog posts may be spotty for a bit. I have finally come to the conclusion that I am never going to get caught up again in this lifetime, but I can’t keep floundering in a sea of To Do Items and ignoring my writing.
Trick or Treat! The Tale of #Boojum and Hootin’ Annie
Happy Halloween, Everyone! Since I’m still not quite ready for Prime Time, as they say, I’m going to share a link with you that was posted on Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo blog a bit over a year ago, when she was doing a feature on Living Lore. It’s an excerpt from Wake-Robin Ridge Book 4: The Light, which I’m wrapping up today, if all goes well.
#ShareAReviewDay - The Heart of Applebutter Hill by Donna W. Hill
This morning, I’d like to welcome Donna W. Hill back to The Write Stuff. Donna is sharing another review of her book, The Heart of Applebutter Hill. I know you’ll enjoy reading this one, and will pass it along on your favorite social media sites.
#HurricaneDorian Looking Worse for Florida by the Minute
#HurricaneDorian Looking Worse for Florida by the Minute Here’s the latest update on Dorian. Picture me standing right underneath that “H” in the center of the state, waving at you. (Actually, I’m jumping up and down and yelling “Somebody get me outta here!” The “H” means a significant storm with winds between 74 and 110mph, (with anything over 74 being a hurricane, as opposed to a bad tropical storm.) This is SO not good! Like this: Like Loading...
CAMELS ON THE COAST
The Texas coast town of Indianola was once a major port and the county seat of Lavaca County. Incorporated in 1853, it was a port of entry for many German immigrants and at its height had a population of 5,000. In 1875 a hurricane destroyed the town and killed several hundred people; those remaining rebuilt. Just over ten years later in 1886 another destructive storm struck the recovering town. This time the residents did not rebuild but scattered as the county seat was moved to nearby Port Lavaca.
Book Review ~ Lacewood by Jessica James #TuesdayBookBlog
Lacewood is the first novel I’ve read by author Jessica James. I kept seeing posts about the book earlier in the summer through my Triberr feed and decided to check it out.
Book Review ~ Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine #TuesdayBookBlog
Hey, y’all. I managed to do a little reading last week. Of course, I didn’t do a lot of writing, but that’s another story. Anyway, a couple of weeks ago friend and fellow author Staci Troilo posted a review of Rachel Caine’s Stillhouse Lake Series. I’d had the first book on my reading list for a while, and decided to take the plunge. Today, I’d like to share my review of the first in the series, Stillhouse Lake.
#ShareAReviewDay Tuesday - Finding Hunter by Marcia Meara
I hope you’ll indulge me this afternoon, folks. I decided I was overdue in sharing one of my own reviews, so I’ve chosen a great one for my 2nd Riverbend novel, Finding Hunter. Hunter, the youngest of the Painter brothers, has a very special place in my heart. Hope you enjoy reading this one, and will pass it along where you can. Thanks! REVIEW: I was looking forward to this book because I enjoyed the first one in the series so much. And now I’m eager to read book three.
#ShareAReviewDay Tuesday - “Police Protection” by Kassandra Lamb
This morning, I’d like to welcome a long-time friend and supporter of this blog, Kassandra Lamb. Kass is sharing a lovely review from her latest book, Police Protection. I know you’ll find this one interesting and will be happy to pass it along. With that in mind, here’s Kass with a quick intro of her own: “I just had to share this review with you all.
#ShareAReviewDay Tuesday - Understanding: An Anthology of True and Significant Life Events Compiled by Stevie Turner & Shared by D. G. Kaye
This morning, let’s welcome D. G. Kaye (or Debby Geis, as many of us know her) to share a review of an anthology she is a contributor to: Understanding: An Anthology of True and Significant Life Events. This one is bound to strike a note with many, many of us who have been through similar things during our lives. I know you’ll enjoy learning more about it and will pass it along to others. Thanks! ~~~ Thanks so much for bringing back ‘Share A Review Day’ Marcia.
#ShareAReviewDay Tuesday - The Prince’s Man by Deborah Jay
This morning, our #ShareAReviewDay guest is Deborah Jay, and the review she is featuring is from her novel The Prince’s Man. I know you’ll enjoy learning about this one, and I can attest to how good it is! Let’s help get the word out to those who haven’t discovered it yet. Thanks! ~~~ REVIEW: April 9, 2019 Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase I’m not sure what I was expecting when I started reading ‘The Prince’s Man’, but the reality blew me away.
The 2019 Interview Series Featuring Marcia Meara
What comes first in your writing, the plot or the characters? Characters. Every time. I think about someone that would probably have an interesting story to tell, like an eco-tour boat captain and a wildlife photographer. I know they’ll provide me with lots of background I’m familiar with, and I have a feel for who they are before I begin to build a mystery or drama around them.
Book Promotion: Do This, Not That – March 2019 - The Book Designer
By Amy Collins Unless you’ve been living in the back of a cave for the last few months, you know that there has been a lot of changes to how Amazon handles their customer reviews. At the same time, getting reviews onto Amazon and into the GoodReads system is more important than ever. What do authors do now that it is harder than ever to encourage your readers and genre fans to write reviews?
As the Author World Turns on Amazon Book Review Policies
By Judith Briles Amazon: Love it … or hate it … but, you gotta deal with it. “Why are my reviews being removed?” is an ongoing question that authors ask. There isn’t a live program that I do that it doesn’t surface. Scratching our heads, few of us can figure out what makes the Amazon robots push the yank button, while others stay. Book reviews, and lots of them, can make or break the success of a book.
3 Book Marketing Myths to Avoid
By Sandra Beckwith When I was in college, one of the girls in my dorm terrified us with the “true” story of “The Hook,” a killer with a hook for a hand who attacked a couple in a parked car. The storyteller insisted it was true because it happened to the cousin of a friend of a friend on Long Island. How could we argue with that? TRUTH! You’ve probably heard the story, too, and by now we all know it’s a classic urban legend. Urban legends aren’t limited to horror stories, though.
13 Tips for the Work-at-Home Author
Let’s face it: writing is mostly a solitary business. The picture we have of the writer alone in her room, deep in the writing process, is pretty accurate. Writing takes dedicated hours over a long period of time. This means that many people who write for a living work at home. I’ve been self-employed for quite a long time, and sometimes I had a space to work that I rented, but mostly I’ve been lucky enough to have room in my home to set up an office. This scheme is not without risks, however.
Fast Track Tool for Great Characters
by Angela Ackerman Let me ask a question: how much time do you spend crafting a character for your novel, say a protagonist? Ten hours? Twenty? Fifty or more? Whatever you answered, I bet we all agree that characters require a lot of work. Who they are in the story, what they want and need, what they fear, and how they will go about dealing with the challenges on the road ahead…these are not “surface” questions.
10 Handy Writing Tips - Part 1
Independent Authors Unite! Search Main menu Post navigation ← Previous Next → Write every chance you get. Write every day if you can. You should be thinking about writing or actually writing whenever you can. Reading is so important. You should read every chance you get as well. Read good writing and read about writing. Balance fiction and non-fiction to help you improve your own writing.
To Outline or Not to Outline - Or is There a Third Choice?
This week’s blog focuses on the topic of whether or not it is better to outline your book or short story before you dive in and write. When I wrote my first book, it was in the days before airplanes allowed tablet devices to be used during that down time before the flight took off. I fly through Atlanta from Jacksonville, FL every week and usually the time waiting to take off exceeds the actual flight time.
Protests Greet President Trump As He Tours The UK, Hosted By PM Theresa May
A US military aircraft returns to Winfield House, the London residence of US ambassador Woody Johnson, shortly after Marine One leaves with US President Donald Trump and the First Lady Melania Trump to take them to Blenheim Palace as protesters wave placards during a demonstration outside on July 12, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.
Determining a Character's Emotional IQ
June 15, 2018 Becca Puglisi I firmly believe that while readers sometimes do connect with our stories, they more often fall in love with our characters. If we want to really pull readers in, we’ve got to make each protagonist relatable and easy to connect with. This can be a tall order when you consider that each reader is different. Their geographic location, individual circumstances, personal experiences—no one character can encapsulate all of that for every person who picks up your book.
‘The Pursuit of Ordinary’ by Nigel Jay Cooper #bookreview #TuesdayBookBlog
After witnessing a fatal car accident, a homeless man wanders the streets of Brighton, trying to ignore the new, incessant voice inside his head. But he can’t forget the crash, can’t get the face of the woman cradling her dying husband out of his mind. She stared into his eyes, his soul. He has to find her. Is Dan ill or has he really been possessed by the spirit of Natalie’s dead husband, Joe? If he hasn’t, why does she let him into her home so easily? Does she have secrets of her own?
Writing: Take the Next Step
Amy Impellizzeri Before I was a novelist, I was a corporate litigator for 13+ years. When I left corporate law in 2009, I didn’t leave to write novels. I left for what was supposed to be a one-year sabbatical intended to treat a bad case of professional burnout. With three small children under the age of five, and a demanding position at one of the top law firms in the country, I was anxious to shift gears for a year.
Do You Show the Villain's Motivation?
Angela Ackerman Writers are encouraged to dig into their hero or heroine’s past to understand what factors (including wounding events) are steering their behavior and motivation in the story. By doing this we can ensure our protagonist’s goal aligns with the unmet need driving them, tailor challenges that will force them to face specific fears, and raise their awareness of destructive emotional shielding (flaws, biases, dysfunctional behaviors) that is holding them back.
The Madam by Jaime Raven @JaimeRaven1 #BookReview @AvonBooksUK
The Madam is another review copy which has been on my list for a long time. My apologies to Jaime Raven for the delay in reading, but it has definitely been worth the wait for me. Lizzie Wells has served a jail sentence for a crime she hasn’t committed. She was framed and once she is released she is determined to prove her innocence and to make those responsible for setting her up pay. Lizzie is a likeable character.
Angelica, You Have Chosen Well
Angelica was arrested and imprisoned, by Saul of Tarsus, for preaching on the narrow streets of Jerusalem. While awaiting a horrible death of stoning, she decides to write her life’s story which begins in Bethlehem when her father an inn keeper met a young couple one night. He had no room in the inn. All he had to offer them was a stable. Follow her on the journey of her life as she meets Bible characters and sees things her innocent eyes have never seen before.
Increasing Your Writing Productivity
Colleen Story A girl goes into a bar. A guy takes a seat in the chair beside her. Using his most charming voice, he says, “Hey, girl, what’s your time personality?” It could happen.
Of Murphy’s Oil Soap and the Patina of a By-Gone Era…
Today is a Murphy’s Oil Soap day. Today I am cleaning some brand-new used furniture. I want a sturdy round table that can be extended for parties and holidays. I do NOT want the chairs that go with it–my vision mandates three pairs of chairs, different styles, maybe even different colors. One set will have arms and be, when the table is at its full length, anchors at the head and foot. The others, strong and comfortable, but in some yet-to-be-discovered funky, fun design, will slide up to the sides.
Review: At Wave’s End by Patricia Perry Donovan @PatPDonovan
Goodreads|Amazon|Author Website Release date: August 15, 2017 Publisher: Lake Union Genre: Women’s Fiction Blurb: When her estranged mother wins a Jersey Shore bed and breakfast in a lottery and heads east to survey the prize, Faith Sterling fears her mother has fallen victim to yet another scam. Their visit to the B & B confirms her suspicions. Wave?s End is not as advertised?it’s nowhere near the beach, it’s sorely in need of an overhaul, and its finances are shaky.
Traveling Without Siri
I hadn’t walked very far this morning when a swoosh of movement caught my eye; that amber flash was a mama and baby deer, scooting up a neighbor’s driveway. The drive is bordered by a hedge, and, as I started down the hill toward it, the baby poked its head up over the bushes to watch me. It was all liquid dark eyes and twitchy black velvet nose and huge, pointy-oval, radar ears. I cocked my head one way and it cocked its head the other, and we stopped and eyed each other like that for a moment.
A Slippery Grasp on History
We were in Buffalo, New York; we had a little extra time after our last museum exploration–after standing in the room where Teddy Roosevelt was inaugurated as president, hearing the sonorous, recorded voices of re-enactors creating the scene for us–and before we were due at the Blackthorn Restaurant and Pub for dinner. He was in his early twenties; she was right out of high school. It must have been just about 1940.
Plotting for Pantsters
There are a lot of heated opinions about whether plotting or pantsing is the best way to write a story. As an avid plotter myself, I was curious to hear about Dario Ciriello’s process, which contains a little of both. If you find yourself stuck on either end of the spectrum, today’s post might be just what you need to hear. The subject of plotting vs. pantsing is one which, for reasons I don’t fully understand, generates a lot of heat in writing circles.
Authors and Marketing Fatigue
An email from an author arrived on my desk Monday morning â€? an email that echoed countless emails, phone calls and in-person chats with authors. My emailer didn’t want to put any moneys into marketing his book. Now, this was my first contact from him. I didn’t know if he had already spent a boatload of moneys or hadn’t spent a dime. What I did hear was that he was ready to pull the marketing plug â€? and let his book go down the drain.
Communicate - Never Preach - on Twitter
As I prepared for a presentation for the San Francisco Writers Conference a few years ago, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be cool if I could come up with an acronym about the way writers should use social media?” I sat at my desk and played with some variables. It didn’t take long for me to come up with what I thought was the perfect combination. The acronym I settled on is CARE and this is what it stands for: C – Communicate with your readers. Joanna Penn devised the term social karma.
A Perfect 10 with Nancy Bell
Today we sit down with Nancy Bell to talk about her work and what inspires her to write. If you want to check out past interviews, you can find them in the following links: Also, if you are an author and you want to be part of this feature, I still have a few slots open for 2017. You can email me at don@donmassenzio.com Good question, it depends on what I’m writing.
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