The Book Pedler Featured in the 2nd Edition of Purple Snowflake Marketing!

Hey Everyone!

Here’s something else that’s totally cool:

My book review web site, The Book Pedler, is listed in the 2nd edition of Purple Snowflake Marketing in the Appendix V: Author Friendly Blogs!

Now how cool is that? Totally cool right?

Here’s a bit about the book:

Purple Snowflake Marketing - How to Make Your Book Stand Out in a Crowd is a reference guide for self-marketing authors who want to be noticed in a snowstorm of writers. With nineteen chapters and twenty-five appendices, this e-book is a means for authors to design an effective marketing plan and utilize frugal promotional tools with the click of their mouse. The e-book also offers over 900 resources that will accelerate your marketing efforts far beyond your peers. As a reassuring marketing plan guide, it contains ample advice for avoiding pit-falls and setting a pace for marketing endeavors.

Clearly, this is a book that every writer needs. And not just because my site is mentioned in the book.

You can learn more about the book, and pick up a copy, by clicking here: http://www.brummet.ca/purple.html

Woohoo!

I'm Featured on The Leaky Cauldron...sort of....

Hey Everyone!

Okay, this might seem like a minor thing to some, but I just had to shout out about it.

I’ve been following The Leaky Cauldron for years. It is the number one fan resource for all things Harry Potter including information on the books, the movies and more. I love this web site and check it religiously several times an hour (I did say that I was obsessed with Harry Potter, right?)

I’ve been submitting a few things to The Leaky Cauldron; tid bits of information, news, etc. And today they posted something I sent in!

I know, I know, not a huge thing, but still totally cool. To check out the news item I submitted, click here:

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/2009/7/20/canadian-magazine-feature-on-half-blood-prince

Woohoo! Now that’s how to start a Monday off on the right note!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - A Review

I saw Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince today; I’m pretty sure that I’m still in shock.

For those that haven’t read the books, here is the quick run down of the movie. Harry Potter must help Dumbledore with a grave task this year. He must help Dumbledore procure a memory of the teenaged Voldemort.

If Harry succeeds, they will know more about their enemy and defeat him. If he doesn’t succeed, Voldemort will win.

But there is more going on this time around. A wizarding war has begun and the damage and destruction has spread to the Muggle world. Neither Muggle nor Wizard or Witch is safe. Everything is in turmoil.

Harry also discovers an old potions book that used to belong to the Half-Blood Prince. Who is the Half-Blood Prince and will the book be more of a hindrance to Harry than a helping hand?

Will Harry get the memory from the new potions master, Professor Slughorn? Will they solve the mystery of Voldemort’s past? Will he be able to confess his feelings towards Ginny, Ron’s younger sister?

Will they succeed? And at what cost?

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is, by far, the best movie out of the series. David Yates has built upon his already considerable skill and gone above and beyond with Half-Blood Prince. Though his direction of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was superb, Half-Blood Prince is even better.

Yates and Steve Knowles, the screenwriter, have taken what it perhaps the most difficult and clunky of the books in the series and transformed The Half-Blood Prince into something streamlined and beautiful.

The book was incredible but the flashbacks, while a good literary device, would have felt laborious and repetitive in visual format. Knowles has taken a book that goes all over the place (hormones, a country at war, dark wizards, love, secrets revealed, questions unanswered) and transformed it into something that is funny, touching, dark and emotionally moving. No mere feat, I assure you.

And the performances in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince were incredible. Watson, Radcliffe and Grint are developing into incredible actors with great comedic and dramatic timing. Most notable, however, are Michael Gambon as Dumbledore and Alan Rickamn as Snape.

Both actors are downplaying their characters this time around, giving us more subtle, quiet performances that are incredibly powerful because of their quietness. Rickman as Serverus Snape is not as angry this time around but no less evil. Dumbledore is far more grim and serious and we can see the weight of the world on his shoulders.

However, I should mention that Freddie Stroma as Cormac McLaggen, Jessie Cave as Lavender Brown and Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy really make the movie. Though they are smaller rolls, they really shone in this movie and made it more than it could have been.

I was also surprised by how incredibly funny the film was. Yates and Knowles really know how to balance out the dark with the comedic and there were quite a few parts that had me snorting into my popcorn. I found this surprising as the book itself had an incredible dark and antsy tone to it. They took the movie in a direction I didn’t think possible and pulled it off incredibly well.

The effects were amazing, the acting incredible, the pace lightning fast, making for an excellent film. But be warned: this is not the warm Harry Potter we were introduced to in Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince shows us the series at it’s most dark and grim. But it is necessary to prepare us for what is to come.

This is without a doubt my favourite in the series of films so far. I know that I’m going to have to go and see it a few more times just to take it all in.

After watching Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I can believe that magic, real magic, truly does exist.

Silent no more!

Hey Everyone!

Well today is the day!

What day is that, you ask? Today is the day that The Written Word Book Four: The Silence of Sound is published!

This is one of my favourite books in the series. Though quick, it packs quite a whollop and is filled with magic, sex and romance. And all for less than a coffee at Starbucks! Not only do you have a tragic hero, you also get a mysterious healer, a little bondage and a whole lot of hot sexy action. What more do you need to make your weekend a hot one?

It will be available from Cobblestone Press later today! Make sure to head on over to http://www.cobblestone-press.com/ to get your copy!

And if you’re looking for something to do while you wait for The Written Word Book Four: The Silence of Sound to be published, why not check out the completely redesigned Written Word Series web site?

You can find it here: http://www.thewrittenword.synthasite.com/

While you’re there, check out the books, book movies and even try your hand at a some puzzles featuring the cover art from The Written Word Series! And don’t forget to download your FREE Ebook copies of the two guidebooks: The Beginning and The Balance of Power. They’re yours for free! And a new Guidebook is coming soon!

Nothing brightens up a Friday like a free book right?

I hope you all enjoy The Written Word Book Four: The Silence of Sound. I had so much fun writing it. I hope you have as much fun reading it!

Cheers,
Jamieson

PS--Don't forget to leave a comment in any of the Silence of Sound posts made this week for your chance to win a copy of The Written Word Book Four: The Silence of Sound! I'm doing the draw tonight and the winners will be announced tomorrow! So you all still have time to enter!

A Harry Potter Month - Or A Long Swim in Obsession

Hey Everyone!

Just a quick post. I’ve got a new article up at The American Chronicle. It’s all about Harry Potter and the Fandom and my month long indulgence in all things Potter.

You can view it here: http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/110277

Enjoy!

Promoting Yourself - or - Establishing an Author Brand

Hey Everyone!

I’m always looking for new ways to promote myself and my work. After all, one of the most important parts of being a writer is knowing how to promote yourself right?

And online platform is one of the most important things a writer can create and having one is essential to creating an author brand that people can recognize.

One of the newest ways I’ve found to promote myself is with Amazon Authors. It’s a new program where authors with books on Amazon can have their very own author page! How cool is that?

Here’s the link to mine: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002GPZ22S

It’s pretty nifty. It’s got all my books in one spot, a blog, space for a photo, comments and a bio. While I wish it had a bit more, or let me personalize it a bit, it’s still a great (and FREE) way to promote yourself.

While I’m talking about promoting myself, I thought I’d post other links to where you can find me on the internet:

www.twitter.com/jamiesonwolf I Twitter constantly. Updates on life, writing, contests, etc. So make sure to follow me if you want to stay up to date.

www.facebook.com/jamieson.wolf I’m not a huge fan of Facebook, but I do go on to upload pictures I wouldn’t normally put on my blog and update my Virtual Bookshelf. You can always tell what I’m reading if you check that out.

www.groups.yahoo.com/group/Jamieson_Wolf/ This is where you’ll find my mailing list. I love the fact that setting up a Yahoo Group doesn’t cost you a dime and lets you reach all kinds of people who may not be on Twitter or Facebook.

www.youtube.com/jamiesonwolf Now, being a writer, I’m also a very visual person. I find different ways to express myself creatively and one of the ways is by doing book trailers or movies for my books and for others. I have so much fun doing them as it is like telling a story in pictures.

http://www.americanchronicle.com/authors/view/1708 I review books and write non-fiction pieces for The American Chronicle. While they don’t pay their writers, it’s a great way to reach out to millions of people who may not stumble across you otherwise.

www.jamiesonwolf.blogspot.com Ah, the blog! Is there anything more important in promoting yourself than a blog? I don’t think so. Though many writers do not like blogging, it is a great way to write about writing and build an audience.

And there you have it! Tons of ways to promote yourself and all for free. How cool is that?

The Silence of Sound: The Movie!

Well I know that you’re all out watching Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, but how about watching The Written Word: The Silence of Sound movie?

Click below to check it out!

And remember: I’ve got five copies of The Written Word Book Four: The Silence of Sound to give away! Anyone who leaves a comment this week in any one of the posts about The Silence of Sound will be entered into a draw to win a free copy of the book!

The Silence of Sound Continues...

So I bet you’re all wondering what’s happened to Willowby right? How did he come to find himself in The Black Bandit?

Well, you’re about to find out….



He had found the note pinned to his pillow. He had a place of his own now. One that Quelen had found him. It wasn’t much, just a small one bedroom in the same building as Owen and Jace. But it was enough. It was his.

He had been stripping off his clothes, pulling off his shirt, when the piece of paper caught his eye. The parchment was thick, like card stock. And there were only a few words scrawled on its surface in a hasty, spidery script.

The note read:

The Black Bandit
* Tonight. Midnight *
Discover who you are!

Normally, Willowby wasn’t one to do something a mysterious note told him to do. But there was something ominous about the note, something heavy about it. It felt as if he were obligated to go. As if he had to go.

He had let his shirt fall to the floor and stared at the note for a moment longer. Then he slipped off his pants and socks and walked naked to the shower. He turned on the taps as high as they could go. There was a coldness inside him that only the hottest temperature could warm.

Letting the hot water sluice over his body, Willowby found himself thinking of the note, of who had left it in his apartment. How would they have gotten in? He wondered if he should be worried about his security.

Sighing, Willowby shook his head and began to soap up his body. If it had been an Immortal, or really any Magical being, walls and locked doors wouldn’t stop them. He had been involved long enough in their world to not worry about things like that.

And with everything that had gone on lately, was it any wonder there was an odd note waiting for him at his home? He had left behind everything he had known to embrace a life he didn’t. He had saved someone.

There was a small part of him that felt redeemed. But he knew there was darkness inside of him; a darkness that would take a long time to go away.

It had been a shock when the true nature of things had been revealed. He briefly wondered about Bartley and Kindrick; he hoped their love was strong enough to sustain them through the tough times ahead.

Because with the involvement of the The Gods, Willowby had realized one thing: These were the beginnings of a battle. What Crushing had done, what Lingus in turn did after him; these were the actions of those wanting to start a war.

He ran the soap in his hands along his chest. Running his hands over his nipples, he felt them grow hard under his touch. He pinched them softly, just enough to send a quick rivet of pain to his groin.

His head flashed angrily. The pain blinded into him, and he did something he never did.
He remembered....



Well, I know that you are all probably wondering what happens next right? Well, you’re going to have to buy the book to find out what happens. But don’t despair!

I’ve got five copies of The Written Word Book Four: The Silence of Sound to give away! Anyone who leaves a comment this week in any one of the posts about The Silence of Sound will be entered into a draw to win a free copy of the book!