FairyTale Romance by M.J. Schiller

Last month I told you about Four and Twenty Blackbirds by M. J. Schiller which is Book 1 of her new series Fairytale Romance.

 If you're a fan of fairy tales in stories, movies, and TV series, you really should read M. J.'s series.

WHY FAIRYTALE ROMANCE

Here's what M. J. said about this new series.

"Like most little girls, I was totally enraptured by the fairy tales involving a knight in shining armor who flies in to save the princess from the dastardly villain. But as an adult, I like for the princess to be able to rescue herself sometimes and rescue the hero on occasion, too. And as I did research for my medieval romance, I realized that happily-ever-afters in that time period were hard to come by.

"Women didn’t have much choice in whom they wed, especially someone who was chosen by a royal. To decline meant death. So, my FAIRYTALE ROMANCE SERIES has its dark moments, but hopefully that makes the happily-ever-after more poignant and satisfying.

"After all, when life keeps throwing someone curveball after curveball, and they come out on the other side, we like to applaud. It means more."

POCKET FULL OF RYE

 If you love reading series, book after book, you'll be delighted to know that the books in the Fairytale Romance series are being published quickly. Book 1 debuted in September. This month Book 2, Pocket Full of Rye, publishes today, October 7.

Once upon a time, a girl married a prince...but that didn't guarantee her happily-ever-after.

A girl named Izzy was wed to a prince, despite the fact that she was in love with his brother. After all, one does not cross royalty. Although the marriage had a rocky start, Izzy learned to love Carac.

But when his ambition brought danger, who could Izzy count on?

In a dark world, can Izzy ever have a happily-ever-after?

Excerpt from Pocket Full of Rye by M. J. Schiller

“Help him,” she pleaded.

Trevarius went on one knee, thinking it odd that his mother looked to him for help and not to the crown prince. He touched the king’s arm. “My lord father, are you in pain?”

The king’s forehead furrowed as if confused, but Trevarius noticed that the wrinkles were only on one side, which was strange. The king managed a slight nod. Trevarius was relieved that he seemed to understand the question but, at the same time, was concerned about the pain.“Is the suffering so great that Your Majesty cannot bear to be carried to your chambers?” he asked tenderly.

The king’s visage remained unchanged.

Trevarius sighed, speaking out loud. “How am I to aid him when we lack all means to speak to each other?”

Izzy, who still watched the queen warily but had cautiously drawn near, interjected excitedly. “His eyes, my lord. Mark how he moves his eyes.”

Trevarius observed the king. His gaze was shifting from side to side.

Izzy bent. “I believe he means to say nay.”

Trevarius seized upon it. “Is that so, Father?”

Again, the king’s chin dipped almost imperceptibly.

“You give us your leave, then, to bear you to your chambers?”

This time, though still small, the nod seemed to convey the sovereign’s impatience. Trevarius stifled a chuckle, relieved that his father was feeling well enough to be his usual choleric self. He looked up and caught Izzy’s smile, too. Then she lifted her head, peering at something beyond his shoulder, and the smile vanished. Trevarius turned, spying the fierce glare that Carac was aiming at his wife. When he twisted back, Izzy had risen and withdrawn, running her hand across the top of her chair, her gaze downcast.

It is not all joy and sweet bliss with them, then.

He was surprised when this realization didn’t bring him cheer, but seeing Izzy’s sorrowful face only brought him pain.

Books2Read Link for Pocket Full of Rye

MEET THE AUTHOR

M.J. Schiller is a retired lunch lady/romance-romantic suspense writer. 

She enjoys writing novels whose characters include rock stars, desert princes, teachers, futuristic Knights, construction workers, cops, and a wide variety of others. 

In her mind everybody has a romance. She is the mother of a twenty-eight-year-old and three twenty-six-year-olds. That's right, triplets! Having recently taught four children to drive, she likes to escape from life on occasion by pretending to be a rock star at karaoke. However…you won’t be seeing her name on any record labels soon.

VISIT M. J. SCHILLER ONLINE

Website: https://mjschillerauthor.blogspot.com/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/M-J-Schiller/e/B009JOQFQQ

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/m-j-schiller

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/MJ-Schiller-Romance-Author/286382241460365

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mjschiller/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mjschiller

Tumblr: http://mjschilz.tumblr.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/mjschiller

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6479377.M_J_Schiller

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If you're looking for a different kind of romance, POCKET FULL OF RYE is it. Get your copy today!

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Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

Review - The Love Hypothesis

Now streaming on Prime is a new romcom, The Love Hypothesis, based on Ali Hazelwood's novel of the same name which you can purchase from Amazon if you wish.

Before I begin the review, let me give you some interesting history about this book which began life as a Star Wars fan fiction story published online in 2018.

Back then, the story was called Head Over Feet and was about the Reylo ship between Ray and Kylo Ren.

ABOUT THE MOVIE

The Love Hypothesis follows the main character graduate student Olive at Stanford University who ends up in a fake dating relationship with biology professor Adam Carlsen.

She does all this to convince her best friend  that she and the professor are in love so her BFF will also accept love. Of course, those fake feelings become real.

MY THOUGHTS

The movie is delightful with excellent charisma between the main characters portrayed by Lili Reinhart as Olive Smith and Tom Bateman as Dr. Adam Carlsen.

The cast is rounded out by Rachel Marsh as best friend Anh Pham, Nicholas Duvernay as Jeremy Langley, Jaboukie Young-White as Malcolm Browne, Arty Froushan as Dr. Thomas Benton, Jeananne Goossen as Dr. Juliet Aslan, Kenny Wong as McConnell, and Alexandra Petrachuk as Natalie Lazotti.

The plot is unremarkable, but that doesn't mean the movie is without charm. The movie isn't deep and dramatic, and it isn't meant to be. If you're looking for something light-hearted, fun, and funny, this will be your jam.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

If you like the movie, give the book a try Oh, just so you'll know,  a sequel titled The Two-Body Problem is set to publish in February 2027.

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

Monday Magic - Make a Cartoon of Yourself

Want to create your own cartoon image of yourself to use as an avatar, logo, or other use?

Want it to be free?

Then you want to go to CARTOONIFY, a free web-based tool that will help you do just that.

There are many web apps using the name Cartoonify, the one above has .de on the end of the link. Yes, that's Germany, but the webpage is in English and very easy to use.

So Cartoon yourself in a few easy steps.  No software to install, no account, and no photo to upload. No personal data risk and no hidden subscriptions.

The web app is a free cartoon avatar maker in your browser. You can mix more than 300 graphic parts — face, eyes, hair, clothes, and background — then download your cartoon face as SVG (vector) or PNG.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Seriously, this is super easy. Try it. You'll probably like it.

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How To Verify Amazon Communication

It's usually easy to tell if you have a package from Amazon, isn't it?

But it's not so easy to know if an email or text is actually from Amazon when you see it pop up in your Inbox or on your phone. 

Recently, I received an email from Amazon (verified) detailing what to do if you receive some kind of communication that seems to be from Amazon, but something about it makes you suspicious.

You probably got the same email, but in case you didn't, or you deleted it because you thought it was spam, I'm repeating their 3-steps procedure to verify an email, text, or phone call as legitimate.

Since scams using Amazon's name are on the rise, these are the 3 easy ways Amazon set up for you to verify if a communication is actually from Amazon.

1. Log in on the Amazon shopping app or on Amazon.com and type your question into the Alexa for Shopping chat. Example: "Did Amazon email me?" or "Did Amazon call me?" or "Did Amazon text me?"

2. Visit the Identify a Scam page and submit any message for verification.

3. Submit your question or forward the specific email to verify@amazon.com for verification.

If Amazon sent the communication, you'll know in a short amount of time.

Remember, never engage with any suspicious message in any way before verifying it. 

In the case of Amazon, a report to Amazon internal teams will automatically be submitted and your account will be monitored for suspicious activity.

Visit amazon.com/scams to learn more ways to verify messages, access resources for scam prevention, and understand Amazon's efforts to protect customers from fraudulent activities.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

It's better to be cautious and slow than speedy and impulsive.

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Hump Day Thoughts About Publishing

Happy Wednesday, or, if you preffer, Happy Hump Day!

Since I tend to pontificate on Wednesdays about whatever I'm thinking about, here goes today's subject. I'm thinking about the changes in books from traditional publishing to today's indie self-publishing.

Since the advent of ebooks, most authors I know now publish their books themselves rather than trying to place them with traditional publishers. There are many reasons for this, but I'm going to discuss one aspect of indie self-publishing: story concept.

STORY CONCEPT CHANGES

 Back when I published my first novel with a New York publisher, romance novels were peopled by the young and beautiful. Many of them still are, but back in those days, the heroine was requried to be young. The hero could be older and more mature—you know, the cliche of the seasoned lover.

At one writer's conference I attended many years ago, the editor gave a speech and said, "Make your heroine twenty-three years old and the CEO of a company.” According to the publishing house guidelines for category romance, that was what readers wanted.

Is there anything farther from reality than a 23-year-old female CEO? I didn't know any back then, and I don't know any in today's world.

No one author ever got a book with a 40-year-old heroine or a heroine who'd survived cancer or any of the other life challenges so many women face. Heaven forbid if an author tried to show senior citizens with active sex lives.

Writers were constrained by ridiculous guidelines. Is it any wonder so many authors happily deserted traditional publishers and embraced indie authorship?

Even today, some young readers turn their nose up at middle-aged characters having a rich and fulfilling sex life. I rememeber when I published Old Enough to Know Better, an age-gap romance, one of the reviews was from a young woman who thought it was gross that a 40-year-old man would want to have sex with a 50-year-old woman.

Love, Sex, and Romance are something everyone wants from the time those emotions and needs hits the conscious mind, and that doesn't end at some magic age number. 

Mary Roberts Rinehart famously wrote in The Man in Lower Ten, that “Love is like the measles. The older you get, the worse the attack.” 

Even authors who are old enough to be grandparents still write about Love, Sex, and Romance. I think it's because everyone—readers and writers—have a self-image embedded in the brain that doesn’t age. We are all forever locked into that age.

I mean, when you dream, are you ever a child again or are you a white-haired senior citizen. Chances are neither of those pictures are true. 

Maybe that’s why you are startled when you walk down the street and catch your reflection in a store window. Ever done that? Ever thought, “My God, I look just like my mother!”

TODAY'S STORY CONCEPT—REALITY BASED

Self-published authors can write about any kind of character they want because there are readers out there who want that. Authors are not limited by age, ethnicity, gender, or anything else. 

We can write about young or old main characters, about people who survived devastating situations and found love, about fantasy and reality, about introverts, extroverts, normal people, weirdos, and everyone in between.

Characters and plot elements today are based on reality and reflect Life. If you are older than 30—40, 50, 60, or beyond—don’t despair. The road of life is long and offers love and romance—and, yes, sex too—every step of the way. You can fall in love, and you can read about women and men your age falling in love. 

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

In this new age of publishing, authors aren’t restricted by arbitrary guidelines so there are books out there that you will love. 

When you find one you like, be sure and leave a review. That's the best way to thank an author.

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Review - Neagley on Prime

Much has been publicized about NEAGLEY, the much anticipated spinoff of Reacher which last month premiered its fourth season.

Unlike Reacher, based on a series of books by Lee Child, Neagley is based upon Frances Neagley, a character in the Reacher books who was a member of the Special Investigations Unit headed by Reacher.

The Neagley character, portrayed by Maria Sten in the first season of Reacher, proved so popular that she popped up in the other seasons as well. 

By Reacher Season 2, the powers that be new magic when they saw it and decided to create a series built around the Neagley character, and Season 1 of this new action series debuted September 16.

If you've seen this new Prime series already, you know it's a sure-fire hit. If you haven't watched it yet, you're in for a binge-worthy series that will make you click Next Episode until the entire series is over.

ABOUT NEAGLEY

Frances Neagley is a private investigator based in Chicago, Illinois. When her childhood best friend dies in a suspicious accident, she vows to discover the truth behind what seems to her like murder. 

Her investigation leads her to Echo Canyon Farm, a supposedly peaceful cult-like commune. Beneath that facade is a horrifying black-market operation run by Lawrence Cole, the leader, and Invection Pharmaceuticals CEO Pierce Woodrow.

Alan Ritchson, of course, bookends his cameo appearance.

Created by Nick Santora and Nicholas Wootton for Amazon Prime Video, the spin-off series also stars  Greyston Holt as Chicago PD Detective Hudson Riley, Adeline Rudolph as Renee Birdwhistle, an administrative assistant who works at Neagley's agency; Jasper Jones as Keno, a low-level criminal and recovering drug addict; Matthew Del Negro as Pierce Woodrow, CEO of Invection Pharmaceuticals; and Damon Herriman as Lawrence Cole, the leader of the Echo Canyon Farm family.

MY 2¢

The writing is intelligent with just a few minor scene points that could have been done better. The plot is solid, and the characterization is excellent. 

The main cast members are so good that you can't imagine anyone else being in that role. They bond together and create a whole that is more than the sum of their parts.

Darling Hubby and I enjoyed the series immensely. In fact, we both liked Season 1 of Neagley much more than the most recent Reacher season which we found too grim and without Reacher's likable personality as seen in previous seasons.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Definitely put Neagley on your Watchlist. You'll be glad you did.

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Monday Magic - Free Screenshot Tool You'll Love

I've been away from the office for about a week. That was totally unplanned so I have a lot of catching up to do.

Let's start with a Screenshot Utility that you're going to love because it's so much better than the one that comes with Windows which most of you use.

GREENSHOT

This lightweight screenshot software is free and offers a bunch of advantages over the basic  version in Windows.

• Quickly create screenshots of a selected area of the screen, a window, or the fullscreen.
• Capture complete (scrolling) web pages from Internet Explorer.
• Annotate, highlight, or obscure parts of the screenshot.
• Export the screenshot in various ways: save to file, send to printer, copy to clipboard, attach to e-mail, send ti Office programs or upload to photo sites like Flickr or Picasa, and others.
• Greenshot is easy to understand and configure. 

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

To learn more and see this app in action click Greenshot to visit the website which is also the download page if you want to get the latest release. 

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DIGITAL PUBLISHING AND ME - REWARDS PART 3 OF 3

Welcome back to DIGITAL PUBLISHING AND ME, my 3-part series about how I jumped into digital publishing and ebooks in 2011—what I did wrong, what I learned, and what I've received as a result of writing and publishing ebooks.

Today, I offer Part 3 of 3, in which I regale you with more tales of my self-publishing adventure.

If you missed Part 1 of 3, Mistakes and Advice, click here to read it.

To read Part 2 of 3, Advice and Insights, just click here. 

Today, I complete the series with Part 3 of 3, REWARDS—For Me and Maybe For You.

WHAT DIGITAL PUBLISHING DID FOR ME

Becoming a self-publishing indie author offered tremendous benefits. Before self-publishing, I was a category author which meant I had no power at all. A cut above me were midlist authors. They too had no power. Self-publishing meant I could chart my own course, and here's what happened.

1. I rediscovered the fun of writing because I could write anything I wanted. I was no longe writing according to what publishing houses said they wanted. 

I was no longer waiting and waiting and waiting for an agent or editor/editorial committee to rule on a submission. I could plan, write, and publish a book, and I was limited only by my own effort.

Writing what I wanted to write without regard to genre, plot, theme, or anything was freeing because I no longer had to wait and wonder if what I submitted was still wanted. Publishers could change guidelines while an author was busy writing the requested manuscript.

2. I found an audience that loved my books. I believed in my writing and knew there had to be readers who would like what I wrote. I was right. Self-publishing allowed me to reach readers.

3. I had editors contacting me instead of the other way around. I had a very lucrative foreign rights sale because the editor read my first ebook and wanted it and others to publish abroad. Within minutes of making a call to a literary agency, I had a top agent to negotiate the contract.

4. I became a New York Times bestseller because I was part of a self-published anthology that hit their  bestseller list in 2 places. (That was before they stopped allowing ebooks on the list.) I also hit the USA Today bestseller list 3 different times. 

5. I sold video game rights to 3 of my ebooks.

6. I had audio book editions of some of my ebooks published.

WHAT DIGITAL PUBLISHING CAN DO FOR YOU

1. Give you another avenue other than traditional publishing to find an audience. With a traditional publisher, you must have the right product to attract an editor and an agent. You don't have to limit yourself to one of the other.

2. Shortcut the time required to get your books before readers by becoming a self-publisher. In fact, if you become a big success as a self-publisher, you may find it easier to get with a trad publisher if that's what you want and the deal is good.

3. Become financially stable by being a self-publisher. There are many self-publishers making a very comfortable living from their ebooks. Some self-publishers have their books being turned into Netflix series and movies.

4. Give you a platform where you make all the decisions. You get to choose the cover art, the blurb, the price, etc. As someon

5. Give you a real-world experience in writing and publishing—a superb training ground in what it takes to write, publish, and deal with every aspect with which authors must handle.

You'll learn all about the writing, the technical aspects of publishing, marketing, promoting, living with good and bad reviews, dealing with the reading public, and so many other things authors must do. It can prepare you for the long assault on traditional New York publishing if you decide to do that.

Everything I've said is from real world experience. I hope it helps and inspires you if you have the writing itch. 

Becoming a selling author may be difficult, but it's easier than when I started many years ago. If it's what you want, go for it. 

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I wish you the same joy and rewards digital publishing has given me. Like I always say, "Nothing ventured; nothing gained."

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DIGITAL PUBLISHING AND ME - ADVICE AND INSIGHTS PART 2 OF 3

Welcome back to DIGITAL PUBLISHING AND ME, my 3 part series about how I jumped into digital publishing and ebooks in 2011.

I reveal what I did wrong, what I learned, and what I've received as a result of writing and publishing ebooks.

Today, I offer Part 2 of 3: Advice and Insights gained from my self-publishing adventure.

If you missed Part 1: Mistakes and Advice, you can CLICK HERE to read it.

Part 3 of 3: Rewards for Me and Maybe for You will publish Sunday, September 13, 2026.

ADVICE ON SELF-PUBLISHING, Continued

Let's pick up my List of 10 Tips with Number 6.

6. Write everything you will need to upload your manuscript prior to doing it. Don't try to wing it. Give a great deal of thought to: Categories, Keywords, Product Description, Author Profile, Pricing, etc. 

Save all your upload data in a file separate from your manuscript file so you can copy/paste where needed if you plan to publish on platforms other than Kindle. 

The same basic information may need some modifications as required by the other platforms, but you've already created the bulk of it.

7. Always use the Preview function to check what you uploaded. Take your time. Only click "publish"  when everything has been checked.

8. As soon as your upload has gone "live," buy a copy and go through it. On an ereader, you'll immediately see if something is wrong. If you find errors, take action immediately to correct the problem.

9. Make sure you have your marketing and promotion plan in place before you publish a book. Write it out and plug it into your calendar so you know what to do and when to do it.

10. Accept that sometimes things just don't go as planned and some books don't succeed. If you made mistakes, do what you can to correct them. 

If your book doesn't find an audience, do what you can to improve the situation, but don't spend all your time trying to keep it on life support. Write the next book.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

That's enough for today. Come back Friday, September 11, 2026, to read Part 3 of 3, Rewards for Me and Maybe for You, the unbelievable part of my journey—what happened for me and what digital publishing may do for you.

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DIGITAL PUBLISHING AND ME - MISTAKES & ADVICE Part 1 of 3

This year marked the 15th anniversary of my jumping into digital publishing.

I wanted to commemorate this milestone by telling you how I made that bold move, the mistakes I made, the things I learned, and what digital publishing has done for me.

The first title I slapped on this blog post once I'd writte it was Digital Publishing and Me—What I've learned in 15 Years of Writing and Publishing Ebooks.

Like the post itself, the title was way too long so I shrunk the title and broke the post into 3 parts. 

Today, you're reading  Part 1 of 3: Mistakes and Advice. I have a lot of both I guess.

Part 2 of 3: More Advice and Insights publishes Wednesday, September 9, 2026.

Part 3 of 3: Rewards For Me and Maybe For You publishes Sunday, September 13, 2026.

BACKSTORY

Recently, I came across a post I wrote for another author's website back in June 2011. I had published one of my backlist books on Amazon KDP in late March which is why she asked me to be a guest on her blog.

My post for her explained why I did something that was considered extremely radical—repubishing a  backlist book as an ebook.

Champs-Élysées Books, shows 1 of my books

Today, I decided to reprint part of my 2011 post here because it may change the opinion of readers who still think ebooks are not real books.

It may  also convince authors who believe digital publishing isn't worth the effort that they're missing a great opportunity to advance their careers—not that we who digitally publish need any more competition! 

Here's the excerpt from 2011 with my "today" comments in brackets.

EXCERPT, EBOOKS: SMART, NOT DUMB (2011)

When I announced to a group of authors that I intended to publish my backlist and even some original fiction as ebooks, many wondered why I would do that. It was easy to see they questioned the wisdom of my intention.

There's a polarity when it comes to writers and indie publishing, and there are two primary schools of thought: the best thing since sliced bread or that sucks. 

These opposite opinions are pervasive in the world. [The low opinion of ebooks is still held by many well-known authors as do some readers.]

BOLDLY GO WHERE SOME WRITERS ARE GOING

I'm a firm believer in "nothing ventured; nothing gained." When markets are drying up, left and right, it's nice to see something opening up that can directly benefit writers, and that's digital self-publishing. 

By benefit, I don't just mean making some bucks. I also mean finding an audience for your work.

I've stated before that: "I've given up on New York publishing, BUT they gave up on me first." And, I'm not the only published author who couldn't fit the square peg of their writing into New York's round hole. (No pun intended but feel free to laugh.) 

I'm a writer. I want to be read. Many authors are finding readers by becoming indie authors and publishing our own work. If you want to try the indie author route, learn all you can about the process. That's why I'm here today.

I want to give you some advice, based on my personal experience as well as that of some friends, in the hope that you may avoid some of our dumb mistakes. 

When I published Just One Look, a previously published book that became my first ebook on Kindle and sold thousands of copies every day for a solid month, I made every mistake possible so I'm particularly qualified to talk about how NOT to be dumb.

 [Why did that happen? Because there wasn't much "how-to" information out there in 2011.]

I've got 10 Tips for you that I first wrote in that 2011 blog post. You'll find the first 5 Tips in this post. The others will be in Part 2. 

2011 ADVICE THAT'S STILL VALID - 10 TIPS

1. Learn how to properly format your file for an ebook that looks professional. [Now there are options for the type of file you can upload besides DOCX, MS Word like Atticus, available at a relatively low-cost for a one-time fee, that can create a beautifully formated ebook or print book. 

[When I started, I had to learn how to transform a Word file into an HTML file and how to insert a black and white cover image into that file. It was a time-consuming process. 

There was no Kindle Unlimited then so an author was smart to publish her ebook in as many places as possible. That meant learning how to format for Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Apple, Smashwords, and a half dozen other publishers who have since closed their doors.]

2. A great cover was important then and now. For authors who can't afford a graphic artist, there's a new tool, BookBrush, that can produce great looking covers, and the learning curve is easy.

3. Make sure you have the legal right for anything you publish. If you plan to publish a book that was previously published elsewhere, you should have a legal reversion of rights letter.

If you're using images from the internet, you must have a license to use each image so always read the User License on image websites so you know what you can and cannot do with the image you purchase or get for free.

4. Make sure your manuascript is bullet-proof before you upload it. That means getting a good proofreader and/or editor. That also means not doing anything that might get you sued, for instance, using the names of real people who may take exception to your actions.

Some think that as long as you don't say anything negative, it's okay to use the name of a real person. That's not true. I personallly know an author who was sued by the person she mentioned in her book. What she wrote was simply Mrs. So and So, the owner of Name of Business. That got her sued.

5. Be patient and take your time so you don't make dumb mistakes like uploading the wrong manuscript file. Yes, that's obvious, but I did that the very first time and didn't realize it until I started getting bad reviews. I didn't understand what they complained about in my book until I looked at it on my Kindle. 

Wow. I still can't believe I did that. I can only chalk it up to being exhausted and bleary-eyed by the time I got around to uploading the file and clicked on the wrong file. 

Always make sure you have your wits about you. Don't try to set up a book if you're tired, frazzled, or rushed. Haste really can make waste.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I hope you're finding this information educational or at least entertaining. 

Join me on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, for Part 2 of 3: More Advice and Insights learned from my adventures in self-publishing.

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Spotlight NEW ROMANTASY BOOK by M.J. SCHILLER

I'm excited about this new book by my friend, M.J. Schiller, since I first heard about it. Why? Because it's a different kind of romance.

If you have wanted to try ROMANTASY, the hottest new genre in romance, M.J.'s new book is the doorway you need t choose.

FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS is the first in her new FAIRY TALE ROMANCE SERIES, and I think it's going to be a smash success.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Once upon a time...

A young lady named Izzy was abducted by marauders and forced into slavery. Upon her arrival at the castle, she was taken in by one of the king’s advisors, a wise and kindly man. 

As time passed, she fell in love with a young man whom she later discovered was the prince. This prince, Trevarius, as he was not the direct heir to the throne, enjoyed a rather carefree lifestyle. But he found Izzy fascinating and was drawn to her. To his dismay, his brother chose Izzy as his wife to spite Trevarius. 

Publishing today, Sept. 1, 2026

Will Izzy and Trevarius lose their happily-ever-after?

EXCERPT from FOUR AND TWENTY BLACKBIRDS

The birds began to sing. Or rather, shriek. The high-pitched noise was followed by the loud whir of wings as they lifted into the air. Isadore crooked her neck and watched them rise into the sky, obliterating the sun for a second; then, she was forced to shade her eyes from its glare. Subtly, another noise replaced the first, coming from the same direction as the birds had and getting louder and louder with each passing moment.

What is…horses!

A chill washed over her that had nothing to do with the frigid water she was standing in. She had come with a dozen others to wash clothing in this stream. The water wasn’t as deep as their normal creek bed; however, it was closer to home, which is why they had chosen it. Nearby villages had been raided of late, and parents wanted their daughters nearby. She scanned the horizon and saw it. The wisp of smoke that meant others had been to their village. 

Her warning burst from her mouth at the same time the mounts erupted from the tree line surrounding the watering hole.

“Riders!” 

She moved as quickly as she could in the waist-deep water, releasing the shift she had been washing, letting it slowly drift away as the quiet, idyllic scene of moments before changed into a nightmare. 

Horses came charging into the water from the banks, and women screamed as they attempted to flee but were caught up in the hands of riders. She searched for her sister, Ysmay, and caught sight of her red dress. A man had his arm around her neck and shoulders as he dragged her from the water, kicking and wailing.

“Nay! Ysmay!” She began to wade in that direction, frustrated by the resistance of the water and the weight of her dress. All she could do was cry out and watch as the man hauled her sister onto his mount and plopped her in front of him. He laughed and pulled on his horse’s reins, twisting its head back to the bank. “Nay. Release her.” Ysmay at fourteen was two years her senior; yet, as she was smaller framed, people often mistook them for twins. 

Ysmay turned. Isadore couldn’t hear her but read her lips. “Flee, Izzy!”

Her view of Ysmay was cut off when a soldier and his steed cut between them, a yard away. The man grabbed a younger girl, who couldn’t have been more than ten, and she screamed. With dismay, Izzy realized that it was too late to help Ysmay; on the other hand, maybe she could at least save this one girl. 

Isadore struggled forward and lunged at the last second to latch onto the girl’s leg before she could be plucked from the stream. Getting her feet under her, Isadore reached further to try to claw the girl from the man’s grasp and almost succeeded. However, she was so focused on prying his fingers from the girl’s arm that she didn’t see the sword in his other hand until it was too late.

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ABOUT M.J. SCHILLER

M.J. Schiller is a retired lunch lady/romance-romantic suspense writer. She enjoys writing novels whose characters include rock stars, desert princes, teachers, futuristic Knights, construction workers, cops, and a wide variety of others. In her mind everybody has a romance. 

M.J. is the mother of a twenty-eight-year-old and three twenty-six-year-olds. That's right, triplets! So having recently taught four children to drive, she likes to escape from life on occasion by pretending to be a rock star at karaoke. However…you won’t be seeing her name on any record labels soon. 

CONNECT WITH M.J. ONLINE

Website: https://mjschillerauthor.blogspot.com/

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TAKEAWAY TRUTH

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Review - Reacher Season 4 - Prime

We are watching Reacher, Season 4, which premiered August 12, 2026, on Prime Video.

Darling Hubby and I have read the Reacher books by Lee Child and were thrilled when a physically appropriate actor was finally tapped to play the larger than life hero.

Season 4 has a compelling mystery to keep viewers guessing, and it has some good secondary cast members: Sydelle Noel as Detective Tamara Green, Kevin Corrigan as her partner Shaun Docherty, Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette as Jacob Merrick, Agnez Mo as Lila, Marc Blucas and John Sampson, Kathleen Robertson as Elspeth Sampson, Kevin Weisman as Russell Plum, and Chris Owens as Nolan Cahill.

This series is tremendously popular and has legions of fans.

BUT...

 Don't throw rotten eggs at me, and for goodness's sake, don't send death threats that necessitate my calling the Constable's Cyber Crimes Unit again, but I have a little complaint. I'm probably thhe only one who thinks this, but with every succeeding season, Alan Ritchson as Reacher becomes more and more robotic in his performance.

Reacher, Season 1, was fantastic. Ritchson breathed life into the character. He was strong, larger than life, witty, and had an appealing personality as he tackled the mystery at the heart of the season. He didn't back down from threats. He used brutall force when it was called for, but he still seemed human.

With each passing season, he has become more like a machine, fighting, killing, brutalizing the bad guys, and tersely snapping out dialogue with nary a smile.

I'll watch the rest of the season and see if I'm wrong about his season's presentation of the Reacher character.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

It may just be me, but the powers that be need to go back and watch Season 1 so they can learn why Reacher was so immediately appealing.

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