One of my duties at Blog Engage is to do a weekly column called What’s Your Niche.  It a little thing where I come up with various ideas on blog topics that have the possibility to make a profit, but I try to avoid the Make Money Online venue all together.  In last week’s column, I came up with the idea of doing the Paranormal niche.  And it really seemed to go over quite well.  So well that I even got excited about it and that’s how Para-Mythic came to be.

So, my goal is to see where I can take this site from Halloween to Halloween.  Even though I’ve already gotten the site set up and a couple posts up and running, I’m not going to call it official until Halloween.  Then I want to see how it goes within the next year.  I know it’s all going to be on me to make it or break it, but I’d really like to see this one take on a life of it’s own.  I’m kind of proud of this one, and very excited too.

So please feel free to stop by and let me know what you think of the place, if you have any requests for future posts, or if you have any suggestions or advice.  I’m really hoping that even though I’m starting this endeavor around Halloween, I’ll prove that this is a subject that works all year round.  Time will tell.

This is a wonderful resource for writers of all genre.  There are places where fiction writers can sit and discuss their upcoming books, places for non-fiction writers to discuss the topics of the day, and a place where they can all hang out together.  There are links to various paying writing jobs, links to writing contests, and links to places about grants and awards.  If it’s got anything to do with writing, it can be found on this forum.

The gorgeous lady behind AWF is one of the very first writers I had the pleasure of meeting online, Michelle Devon.  She is an amazingly talented woman and has a killer sense of humor.  Michy (Michelle) refers to herself as a freelance writer, author, poet, and professional dreamer and I think that last one is something we can all relate to.

If you’ve been looking for a place to hang out with other writers who’ve been where you are, and are where you once were, this is the place to go.  Even if you’re tired of talking about writing and just want to hang out, there’s plenty of room at the Accentuate Writers Forum.

Another thing I wanted to tell you about is a giveaway happening right now at Paranormal Haven.  They are holding a Fright Night giveaway and 2 winners will be chosen.  Winner will get a Fright Night baseball cap, a full-length movie poster, and some Fright Night removable tattoos.  And though I’m not a huge movie buff, I’d kinda like to see this movie.  Why?  Well, I do like some vampire movies—–though I prefer vampire books.  But, the idea of having Colin Farrel nibbling on my neck would turn me into a movie buff right now.  Then to find out that David Tennant (The previous and most awesome Dr. Who) is also in the movie made me want to run out and see it asap.  Hubby would never go, but wouldn’t matter anyway.  I’d never remember he was in the room.  LOL—Go get in on the giveaway while you can, it ends on August 24th.

And finally, as of Monday (August 22nd), Amanda from On A Book Bender will be hosting her very first Bout of Books Read-A-Thon.  This sounded like a lot of fun so I jumped in with both feet and have put my name it the hat to officially be part of this event.  Of course, all I’ll be doing is reading, but I have to set goals for this and I will.  I just hope I can attain them.  LOL

The Read-A-Thon will run from the 22nd through Sunday, August 28th, while the sign up form will be open until Saturday the 27th.  There will be 10 different giveaways held during this time, but you’ve got to be signed up in order to enter.  So, here are my goals for this event.  Because I don’t get a chance to read as often as I’d like, I’m kinda setting myself up for a fall here but what the heck.
Goal #1–To finish reading Perception by Heather Cashman and get my review posted.
Goal #2–To read at least 2 more full books before the end of the event.

I know those don’t sound like big goals, but I really don’t get a lot of time to read.  When I do, it’s usually late at night and I’m doing all I can to stay awake to finish at least the next chapter.  LOL

So, go check out some of the things happening around the web.  If you’ve got an upcoming book related event and would like me to do a post about it, just ask.  I’ll be more than happy to pass it along.

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How many times have you found a site you really wanted to check out because it said “free” only to find out it was anything but free?  It seems as though every site you find anymore has something that’s listed as free, but there’s always a catch.  I find those sites all the time, so I’ve gotten a little leary over the years.  So when I found a site online that said I could read any book online for free, I went looking for the catch.  And guess what….I couldn’t find one.

The site is called ReadAnyBook.com and they claim that you can read any book on their site free of charge.  You don’t have register, but if you don’t, you’ll only be able to read portions of the books.  I figured that that was where the free part came in.  I figured there would be a charge of some sort when I registered, but none.  It’s a free membership.  Okay, I can dig this.  I figured the books would be either very old books or books nobody had ever heard of before, but again I was wrong.  They offer titles such as Twilight, the entire Harry Potter series, and even Dan Brown’s latest novel, The Lost Symbol.

The really cool part, in my opinion, is that the books are read on the site via what looks like an actual e-reader.  It’s really cool.  Furthermore, there are thousands of titles to choose from.  I was very excited and will be back to finish reading The Lost Symbol.  It looks awesome.  So go check it out and see if there isn’t a book or ten you’d like to read.  Up to this point, I couldn’t find any catch to the site.  But if I do, I promise to come back and tell you all about it.

However, that being said, there is a trick to writing out the perfect murder.  It takes as much time and strategy in theory as it would in reality.  You’ve got to come up with something that will keep your readers wanting more without them going “yeah, right” and throwing your book away.  It’s got to be realistic, it’s got to be ingenious, but most of all, it’s got to be AWESOME!!

Think about some of the people in this world that just piss you off.  Now we all know you’d never actually do it (right???), but how would you go about getting rid of that annoying person?  Would you go the traditional route and leave the body in an abandoned warehouse or out in the woods?  Or how about something wicked like feeding the body to your pet falcon?  Hey, it’s fiction so go all out.  Why not have the body shipped to another planet or sacrificed to that weird dude next door so he won’t eat you?

Now please understand, I am NOT condoning physical violence.  But let’s face it, a really good book usually has some sort of violent tendency.  Even if the person’s death was an accident in the book, it’s still there and it adds a touch of realism to the entire story.  Maybe the main character has to solve the murder because they’re a detective or to prove their own innocence.  The need for violence can be as vast as the number of ways a person can die in the book.  The nice thing about going about things in this way is that you don’t have to worry about a real death sentence and you can get rid of a LOT of pent up anger.

Haw!!!  Got your attention, didn’t I.  Well now that you’re here, why not hang around and find out more about this naughty little subject?  There is an aspect of the fiction world that not a lot of people feel comfortable talking about and that is erotic fiction.  The truth is that Erotica is becoming one of the leading genres of fiction.  Most really good books have some sort of erotic notations to them, but they come with a different label.  It’s all in how you look at it.

The Naked Reader Book Club is part of the EdenFantasys.com franchise and a great place to find a little something more titillating than you’re used to reading.  Readers can check out the schedules for upcoming meetings so everyone can enjoy the book of choice.  There is also a Naked Reader Book Store where anyone can buy the newest book on the club’s list, or one that’s already been read before.

The club is part of the SexIs magazine, which is produced by the people at EdenFantasys.  At the bottom of the page, they have their community calendar where readers can find out the dates and times of upcoming events, including the bi-monthy Naked Reader meetings.  This is an interesting way to expand your own horizons and maybe even bring a spark back into your own boudoir.

If you’ve ever considered expanding your reading horizons into the Erotica zone, this would be a great place to start.  There’s no pressure to go beyond your own limits, and you are in full control of your reading materials.  It’s the world at the edge of fiction, but the basic ideas of what most fiction has in store.  Dare to take yourself into a whole new world by entering The Naked Reader Book Club.  And remember, here it’s okay to leave the lights on.

Most sites I visit have their sidebars loaded with advertisements, but hers is filled with lists of various e-zines and markets.  And when I say filled, I mean to the rim.  There has to be over a hundred different sites listed in her sidebar which almost sidetracked me from getting this post done.  She’s got publications for those trying to break into the online publishing scene and publications for those who still prefer the traditional printed magazines and anthologies.  She’s even got an entire list of sites that publish flash fiction, my cup of tea.

Even with all these awesome lists, there’s more to see on this site.  I took the time to check out a few of her other posts and came across one that just jumped off the page at me.  It had to do with starting an e-zine and all the trials and tribulations that go along with it.  Having run a newsletter that didn’t have people sending in submissions was hard enough, I can’t imagine trying to run a zine that had a thousand submissions a week coming in.  I’d be totally insane!!!

Seriously, check out Sandra’s site and her huge list of zines and publications.  It’s going to take time to get through them all, but with the amount of information  on her site, it will be well worth it.

There are hundreds of places to play online games for free, but that’s not what this post is about.  It’s not so much about playing the games as creating worlds around those games.  A great place to play free games is on Facebook.  Pick any of the popular games on the site such as Farmville or Gardens of Time (my favorite).  If you can keep from becoming totally addicted to the game itself, see what you can come up with as far as the characters and story line go.

Here’s an idea, come  up with a whole new game theme.  What type of game would it be?  Hidden Object?  Strategy or Adventure?  Think about the characters in your game.  Who are they and why are they there.  Remember that the game is going to be a visual story and not just something to be read.  Close your eyes and try to visualize everything in the scene.  The house/store, the sky, the trees, and even if there’s a fire hydrant or a light post in the picture.  This is where an eye for detail comes in very handy.

Now run out there and play some free online games.  And when someone comes along and gives you a bad time about wasting time, tell them you’re very busy.  You’re not wasting time, you’re doing research.  They won’t believe you, but they will let you get back to it.  LOL.

Have fun and happy writing.

As I started looking for something to post about, I happened to run across a different site altogether that had mentioned Ty’s list.  This other site really didn’t have much to say about the list other than it could be found on the author’s site.  So I followed the link and found this huge treasure trove of sites that any fiction writer of any stage of the game would find useful in their writing quests. 

The list includes everything from Agent sites, to e-zines, to Kindles.  Seriously, if there’s any way a site can be used by the fiction author, it will probably end up on this list if it isn’t already.  I would have had this post up sooner, but I got swept away checking out this already enormous list.  As I said before, he’s only up to #40 and it already takes a couple hours to really see everything listed.  I had a ball, I have to admit. 

Go check out Ty’s site.  There’s a lot more there than just this list of coolness.  He’s a pretty cool guy who writes in the fantasy, sci-fi, and horror genres and gets a kick out of the idea that he gets paid to invent stuff.  He also likes to write about beer, but that’s a totally different post. 

The site is built on the WordPress platform and allows writers to join up (for free) and post their work for the rest of the site, and world, to see.  The others on the site offer constructive critiques and helpful insights into how to improve upon the story or where the author should go from there.  It is very important to note that all members must fill out an application in order to be allowed to publish on the site.

Each month, they offer a site-wide theme for the writers and one story will be chosen as that month best submission.  All stories must meet high quality standards and must be appropriate for all age groups.  Other stories will have the chance to be named Editor’s Choice.  It is important to remember to follow the site’s guidelines before submitting anything.  Like any good magazine, there are strict rules to adhere to.

There are also a host of writers’ resources and reading tools to be used by all members.  These include links to agents and publishers, how to improve writing skills, and ways to market your own writing.  They also encourage their members to follow each other on the various social media sites.  It’s a wonderful site to get involved with and to help take your writing to the next level.

Check out Fiction Writers’ Platform today and see if this isn’t the place to help you go from hoping to succeeding.