Are we real? What do we know about reality? Are we creating it as we go? - by Vijaya Schartz

Find these and many other novels of mine on my BWL page HERE

As a science fiction writer, I am fascinated by the new theories emerging from the scientific community, about the world we live in, about the universe.

What if the world we live in is just a dream? What if our dreams are real in another dimension? What if our minds are creating our reality as we go? What if we are pre-programmed characters in a gigantic videogame? What is Artificial intelligence, and can it evolve to our level, including emotions? These are only a few of the theories serious physicists are discussing in recent papers.

Many physicists today are reconsidering the world we live in, and discovering that what we believed for so long might not be true at all. The physical world is not as concrete as we think, since atoms vibrate, and what we consider solid matter may not be solid at all, but malleable and changing. What if by changing our own vibrations we can shapeshift? Some animals do it. An octopus can change color and shape for camouflage. Chameleons can change color to blend in.

The Octopus can mimic shapes and colors to blend into its environment.

Reality is also different when analyzed from different points of view. Two telescopes will reveal different and sometimes contradicting information about a galaxy, a star, or a planet. Perception is relative. Not everyone sees the colors the same way. Our brain is filling the blanks and might be quite creative about it. The world we see and touch and hear and taste, as well as our feelings, may only exist in our mind.

As we are limited by our perceptions, there may also be an entire world around us that we cannot see, hear, or touch. Life could exist around us in vibrations invisible to us. The eye only sees a very small part of the light spectrum.

This is how little we perceive of the light around us

Our mind is very powerful and can influence and even create our own reality. Negative thoughts create negative outcomes, and vice versa.

Have I scared you, yet?

Don’t worry. Training our brain to think in a positive way is beneficial to our health, our success, our happiness, our wellbeing. So, let’s see the good around us and be happy about it. React positively, be kind, nurture, encourage, ignore toxic people, and create your own bubble of positivity and love. Good luck.

In the meantime, you can read feel-good stories, like my science fiction novels, with plenty of action and adventures, strong heroines, and brave heroes… and always a satisfying ending.

amazon - B&N - Smashwords - Kobo

amazon - B&N - Smashwords - Kobo 

Happy Reading.

Vijaya Schartz, award-winning author

Strong Heroines, Brave Heroes, cats

http://www.vijayaschartz.com

amazon - B&N - Smashwords - Kobo - FB

Plan for Success by Darcy D

 

Deutsch, Darcy - BWL Publishing Inc.

Winston Churchill famously said,
"He who fails to plan, plans to fail."

These are wise words for anyone in any business, including the music industry. Does this mean that having a plan guarantees success? Certainly not. However, there are principles that guide you when it's time to take the next step, and having a plan helps facilitate that moment. You’ll know when the time is right.

One of the first things I convey to new clients, no matter where they are in their journey, is:
"It’s what you don’t know that’s holding you back."
Everyone has gaps in their knowledge. These gaps often manifest in questions like: Do I really need a voice coach? What genre best suits my sound? Who can I write songs with? Where do I record? Who should produce my music? Who should play on my project? Does my sound fit a radio format? What even is a radio format? How do I brand my product? How do I register my songs? When do I need a publisher? When do I need a lawyer? Can’t I manage myself? Can I just make YouTube videos and get discovered? How do I become famous? And the list goes on…

There are countless factors and experiences that contribute to an artist's path and outcome. Every lesson, session, consultation, jam, and performance has the potential to become a pivotal moment in an artist's development. The answers to those questions form the sequence of your plan. Some elements of the plan can be tackled simultaneously, while others may need more focused attention.

This process requires discipline and a thirst for knowledge.
Find out what you don’t know, and you’ll discover what you need.
Keep asking questions.

·                  Intrinsically: Singers sing songs.

·                  They tell stories, again and again.

·                  The journey begins with a voice.

Good singers possess technical skills—they can hit the required notes and maintain consistent breath control with ease and grace. They can create power when needed or ease into subtlety without losing control. These are all essential qualities. But great singers feel. They understand the meaning of the song—they’ve lived the emotions, the pain, or the joy—and they can connect emotionally with the lyrics. They make listeners believe that the song is unfolding in real-time. It becomes their song. With passion, honesty, and vulnerability, great singers transport listeners to a place beyond mere understanding. In that space, listeners might swallow lumps, cry, or raise their fists in agreement. It can be magical.

When a singer performs without connecting emotionally to the lyrics, it’s often because they don’t understand what the song is about. If they can’t relate to the song, they’ll struggle to convey its story. This can happen if they’ve never experienced the emotions the song portrays, or perhaps they’re too young to grasp the theme. To make the song believable, the singer must relate to the content. A performance is much more than just notes and melody; it’s more than words and rhythm.

The Artist Development Process: A Checklist

This list offers a glimpse into the artist development process. Each point will be explored in greater detail throughout this series.

Voice Lessons / Music Lessons

·                  Work with a voice coach and music influencers you can relate to—someone who understands you and helps you achieve results.

Repertoire Development

·                  Learn as many songs as possible.

·                  Work through them with your voice coach.

·                  Perform them in front of anyone who will listen.
This can be any genre, any style, from any influence.

Discovery

·                  Break down your favorite songs and figure out what draws you to them. Is it the melody, the beat, the chord progression, the key, the lyrics, or the genre? What gives you that “this is it” feeling?

Write

·                  Don’t wait. Start writing.

·                  Try writing a short story, then paraphrase it using as few words as possible.

·                  Use a key, chord progression, and style that move you.

·                  Write a verse and chorus, and call it done for now. Move on to the next song. After you’ve written a few, you’ll notice a pattern emerging.

·                  Record these songs on your iPad or phone and listen back. Share them with others in the industry. Get feedback before doing anything further with your ideas.

Perform

·                  Put together a cohesive setlist. Don’t be too scattered in your genre choices.

·                  Play covers that complement your originals, covers that people want to hear, then add your own music.

·                  Engage with your audience. Develop a rapport.

·                  Book house concerts, coffee shops, clubs, bars, private parties, contests, local events and, opening slots if you can get them.

Build a Social Network

·                  Everyone needs a webpage—it doesn’t have to be elaborate. Start with a simple landing page.

·                  Experience a professional photo shoot with a photographer who knows what they’re doing. Choose an image that represents who you are.

·                  Get an opinion from someone in the industry (not family and friends).

·                  Link to only the social networks you’ll actually use. Stay active and share useful information.

Record

·                  This is a big process. Don’t go too cheap, but don’t break the bank either. You need to discover your sound, and everything you’ve done so far will influence the recording process.

·                  Know your intentions before selecting a studio, producer, session players, etc. If you’re just making demos, you can record almost anywhere.

Release

·                  If you’re releasing a product for online or radio distribution, you’re competing with every other artist in your genre. You need a plan that includes market research, strategic partnerships, and often a team to help you reach your goals.

Repeat these steps, over and over again. If it feels like work, that’s because it is!
But if it also feels like you can’t stop creating, and you’re up at night thinking about your next song—that’s passion. Keep going.

As this series continues, I’ll dive deeper into these topics, sharing my personal experiences and knowledge gained from industry professionals around the world.

I’ll leave you with a quote from an article by renowned voice coach, Dave Stroud:
"Create a system, and then go find chaos!"
Brilliant.
Most importantly—don’t fail to plan.

 

 

Darcy D/Virtual Voice Coach
www.virtualvoice.coach

Winning An Award for My Writing by Joan Donaldson-Yarmey

 

https://books2read.com/The-Art-of-Growing-Older

It makes a writer happy to have their novel, short story, non-fiction book, poem, children’s book, or any other form of writing acknowledged by readers and peers either in person or by way of a review. And it is an honour for a writer to win a contest for something they’ve written or to have their writing chosen for an award. In the past, I won a flash fiction contest put on by the now-defunct Ascent Aspirations Magazine and was given a cheque for one hundred dollars. At the time I wasn’t sure enough of myself to say I was an award winning author. But now I can claim that title.

Below is a letter I received by email from the CEO and Founder of the International Impact Book Awards, where I had entered my non-fiction book The Art of Growing Older: It’s Not Age, It’s Attitude and Ability in the Aging Category. I received the email just before Christmas and it was a great present. It will also keep me going for many years knowing that one of my works was considered good enough to win an award.

 

Dear Joan,

I am delighted to extend my heartfelt congratulations to you for being selected as a winner at the International Impact Book Awards! Your exceptional talent, dedication, and creativity have set you apart in a competitive field, and it is an honor to recognize your remarkable achievement.

This award is a testament to the impact your work has made in the literary world. Your story, your voice, and your commitment to excellence have resonated with readers and judges alike, and we are proud to celebrate your success. Winning this award is not just a moment of recognition but a significant milestone in your journey as an author—a reflection of the countless hours, passion, and perseverance you’ve invested in your craft.

To honor your achievement, we are hosting the International Impact Book Awards Gala on February 23, 2025, at the Courtyard Phoenix Downtown. This prestigious event is designed to celebrate you in person as part of a vibrant community of distinguished authors, publishers, media professionals, and industry leaders.

Attending the gala offers you the unique opportunity to step onto the stage and receive your award in person, surrounded by peers who share your passion for storytelling. More than just a celebration, the event is an invaluable chance to connect with media professionals, offering the possibility of gaining additional media coverage and further promoting your book. Networking sessions, keynote speakers, and an elegant dinner will create an atmosphere where meaningful connections and collaborations can flourish.

We would love for you to join us in celebrating your success at the gala. If you are unable to attend the in-person ceremony, we still want you to have a tangible reminder of your achievement. You can order your award trophy and emblem to be shipped directly to your address.

Enclosed, you will find your certificate and digital emblem as a symbol of this significant milestone. We will be promoting your book on our social media and winners page to be featured on our website on December 23rd, so be sure to check back for updates.

Your success is truly remarkable, and we are honored to have your work as part of our award-winning collection. Whether in person or from afar, we look forward to celebrating your achievement and supporting you as you continue to make an impact in the literary world.

Once again, congratulations on this well-deserved recognition. We are excited to celebrate with you and to help you seize the opportunities that come with this prestigious award.

Warm regards,

Nim Stant

CEO and Founder
International Impact Book Awards 
www.internationalimpactbookawards.com

 

Horses...again

 It's not that my main character, Doug Fletcher, hates horses. He has a healthy respect for horses and approaches them cautiously. When the director of the National Park Service Investigative Services Branch suggests that Doug and his partner, Jill, use horses on their new assignment, he balks. 

The assignment is to locate skeletal remains in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, outside of Medora, North Dakota. The challenge presented by the assignment includes not knowing exactly where the remains are located in the park's 110 square miles. Their boss suggests riding horses as a means to cover more ground.

Doug is loaned a docile horse and over the course of the investigation, Doug and Joker bond. At least to a degree. That bond is tested when Doug fires his pistol while atop the horse. I won't expand other than to say Joker hasn't heard a gunshot before...

With the help of my horse and cop consultant, Deanna Wilson, I have Doug and Jill exploring the vast expanse of the park on horseback. As often happens in the Fletcher mysteries, the original assignment morphs into something entirely different when a woman and her daughter are kidnapped from a nearby campsite. Because of the vast area involved, Doug and Jill get assistance from the National Guard in their search for the kidnap victims.

This was a particularly fun book to write because the landscape, weather, mysteries, and characters revealed themselves to me, taking me far outside the scope of my original plot outline. I rode along with Doug and Jill as they explored the expanse of the park's south unit. I was concerned about the kidnapped woman and teen as we tried to identify the kidnapper and where he had taken them. I hiked the hills with my protagonists and National Guardsmen as they searched the remote portions of the park. I sat inside a camper as it was buffeted by a thunderstorm and was pelted by hail. And I snuck through the timber as Doug and Jill tried to find a remote campsite, with my heart pounded as we approached the conclusion.

I won't share any more of the plot other than to say I think it's one of the most gripping stories I've ever written.

Check it out this coming February on Amazon and the usual sales outlets.

Hovey, Dean Doug Fletcher series - BWL Publishing Inc.

GOTTA have them Reviews.... By JD Shipton

 

I know I've been harping on the lot of you this past month about this, but I'd really like to drive home how incredibly important it is if you want to sell books in today's online marketplace.  Writing, covering, and editing a good piece are really half the battle if you can't make it rise above the flood tide of books pouring onto the market each and every day.  

Barnes and Noble themselves admit that the more reviews you have on your book, the more "discoverable" it's going to be on their algorithm.  Can we all admit to ourselves that we've all been shopping online for something and completely eschew every product- no matter the price point, shipping cost, or practical viability- that is listed without a single review?  Why is that?  Perhaps, herd animals that we are, we subconsciously suspect a scam when there are no others who seem to have gone before us?  

Forte Labs published a cool article here, where they use a bunch of data on book sales to break down the predictive elements.  Essentially the number of reviews has a direct correlation (88%) to the amount of sales, and, get this, the rating of the book has only a 30% correlation! It really doesn't matter how good/bad they are, just that there are as many of them as possible.  

Now, Barnes and Noble is much less fussy than Amazon- they accept reviews from third parties, and as long as you have a Personal Reader Account, you can essentially cut/paste those reviews from wherever, as long as the name of the reviewer (and not your own) is attached.  Amazon, however, will stomp you hard if they find you tried to review your own product, or your sister posts a glowing review where she specifies that she is, in fact, your sister.   

So get out there, my aspiring artists, and do your work justice by garnering as many reviews as you possibly can for each of your hard-written creations, lest they languor on the e-shelf, unappreciated, unread, and unpurchased.

JD