I'm Going to the World Series

VIEW FROM MY SEATS

No one probably remembers that back in April I predicted that the Giants would be going to the World Series. There were some shaky games in the middle of the season, but I was right, the Giants are heading to the Series.

I really wanted to go to one of the games. But how can you justify spending that kind of dough on baseball tickets?

Once I thought about it, I came up with the perfect excuse to buy tickets: I'll use last month's commission check. And I'll still have a little leftover for beer. Why sell books if you are never going to spend the money?

Now, my monthly sales don't afford front row seats, but after missing the 2010 World Series, I'm just glad to be going.

The playoffs were tough (as everyone knew they would be), but we are definitely on a roll. The Tigers are a good team with great pitching, so it's going to be a great Series.

!!!GO GIANTS!!!

Kindle Nation Daily Gives Zack & Zoey 5-Stars!

Earlier this week, Colton at Kindle Daily Nation Kids Corner reviewed Zack & Zoey's Alien Apocalypse. You may recall, earlier in the year they also reviewed Super Zombie Juice.
Here's a blurb from this latest review:

"I really enjoyed this book. I laughed a lot and kept quoting things in the book to my mom. There were even pictures in Zack and Zoey, which I thought was awesome."

Read the rest of the 5-star review at Kindle Nation Daily. And a big thank you to Colton and the folks over at KND for making the effort to review kidlit. There's so few sites that do, it's great to see such a well known one taking the time to post these reviews from student reviewers!

Naked Zombies--The Zombie Apocalypse just got a whole lot scarier

By now we all know that the government is desperately trying to contain the growing number of Zombie attacks. Frankly, I think they are doing a very good job of keeping this thing under control.

However, I do have one question: What's up with all the Naked Zombies?

Just yesterday in Pennsylvania, "A naked, bloody man broke into a home, jumped from a two-story window, tackled a passerby and chewed on her head.."

But this isn't the first or even the second Naked Zombie attack. So is there a connection I'm missing, and if so do I really want to find out what it is? I don't think so.

So please, if you know any zombies, kindly ask them to keep their clothes on! This isn't the Zombie Apocalypse I signed up for.

Zack & Zoey's First Review

Paranormal Sisters is the first blog to post a review of Zack and Zoey's Alien Apocalypse, giving it 5-stars.

If you're a regular reader, you may remember that Paranormal Sisters gave Super Zombie Juice 4.5 stars.

Here's an except of the review for Zack & Zoey:

Sorry but it was just sooooo adorable. This book is mainly aimed at kids but it's really great for all ages. There's humor, a sweet little cute romance, and of course lots of action. From start to finish. From when the aliens come to the white house and take over. That scene was humorous. This is a fun story line that just allows you to be a kid for just a little while and allows you to forget the world around you.

Check out the entire review (and read the comments if you want to know more about my next project).

The Great Name Change

Okay, maybe it's not quite so great, but it's a fair amout of work anyway.

When I first started writing, I wanted to go by my nick name MJ Ware. However, the domain was already taken by someone wanting to sell a line of Michael Jackson clothes. I opted to add an A to my name making it MJA Ware. I didn't realize that two middle names comes off as a little pretentious to some. Or that a few search engines would have trouble with "M.J.A. Ware" versus "MJA Ware."

Fortunately for me, red-leather Michael Jackson jackets with matching sequined gloves didn't prove very popular. So I was able to pick up the domain at auction (for cheap). Now comes the hard part, changing everything over to MJ: manuscripts, books descriptions, book covers, and social media.

The covers were the hardest, but my limited Photoshop skills proved just keen enough to get the job done. I've updated Amazon and most of my titles on Barnes and Noble, but haven't tackled Smashwords yet.

It's going to take a little while for me to get everything moved over, so in the mean time, please bear with me. There's really nothing for readers to do (though if you've reviewed one of my books on your blog you could update the name); this message is mostly just to let everyone know what's going on.

Why Paper Books Are Better Than eBooks--It's All In Your Mind

Last year I wrote a post titled: Timeless Wisdom from Buffy, “Books Smell.”
In it I compare Giles' love of books and disdain for technology with the growing ebook revolution. It's still one of my most popular posts; if you haven't read it, you might want to check it out.

Last night, while editing a scene that just didn't feel right, just didn't draw the reader in, I remembered part of the quote from that post. In it Rupert Giles is explaining why books are better then computers and says, among other things, “Smell is the most powerful trigger to the memory there is...” That made me realize what the scene was missing: the smells.

Once I started thinking about it, I expanded the idea to printed books themselves. When we read a book, the faint smell of paper is picked up by the brain. The perception of smell triggers the limbic system, a very primitive part of the brain, and is connected not just with smell but also with our memory and emotions. If you're an avid reader who finds reading books to be a way to shred stress, it wouldn't surprise me if just the smell of books starts to make your feel more relaxed.

Additionally, the texture of paper and sound of turning pages work to solidify the experience in the brain. These subtle but critical signals just can't be reproduced with ebooks. It's possible that for some readers the only way to truly "immerse yourself in a good book" is to read a bound copy.

This is just one reason why I believe ebooks will never totally replace paper. Others include the ease of finding a favorite passage; there's no way to flip through an ebook (while you can highlight your favorite passage, doing so takes you out of the book). I even read an article a while back (that I can't find now) which said kids prefer to read paper books over ebooks.

While paper books and ebooks both have their drawbacks and advantages, in the end the thing that draws us into a book--the sights, the sounds, the smells of another world--might just be the same things that draw us to books in the first place.

Happy Release Day, Zack & Zoey

Zack & Zoey's Alien Apocalypse was released on Amazon today (late evening yesterday actually) and it's free on Amazon today. Even if you don't have a kindle, you can read it right in your browser with Amazon's cloud reader.

I'm pleased to say, thanks to a great LibraryThing member who read the ARC, it's already had its first review, 5-stars:

""Zack and Zoey's Alien Apocalypse" by MJA Ware is the ideal book if you want to grin from ear to ear while reading something. This was a charming, delightful story of an alien invasion, with buffoonery by the adults and heroism by the children....
 I recommend this book, but ONLY for readers between 8 and 80, give or take a couple years. By any means possible, you need to get Zack and Zoey's Alien Apocalypse for the reading pleasure of yourself, your children, your grandchildren, your god-children, and any other youngsters you happen to know!"

It will be free for the next two days, so grab a copy and let your friends know!

If you aren't into middle grade books (shame on you), I have something for you too. For the first time ever, I'm putting my Novelette, The Little Wooden Chair free as well. It's a heartwarming story about a little girl who's favorite possession is a rocking chair that somehow learns to return her love.
It's the only thing I've ever written for adults and at 13,000 words is a quick read.

I hope, at least one of those titles will tickle your fancy.

New Book Release: Zack & Zoey's Alien Apocalypse

I thrilled to announce the release of my newest ebook: Zack & Zoey's Alien Apocalypse.

It's about kids fighting off a band of hungry-- human eating--aliens armed only with umbrellas and toothbrushes. The ebook will be available on Amazon right around 8/15 and on other ereaders about 90 days after that.

If you'd like to get ARC for review, just drop me an e-mail and I'll be glad to send one in any format you'd like.

Unlike Super Zombie Juice, which is more upper-MG, Zack & Zoey's Alien Apocalypse is solidly Middle Grade, and is illustrated with over 50 full-color images. It's a kid safe book with lots of alien fighting action, but no foul language and no blood or guts.

Here's the marketing blurb, as well as several images from the book, enjoy:

When hungry aliens begin their 'rain' of terror, break out the umbrellas—the aliens can't eat you with an umbrella shoved in their huge mouths.

Looking for yummy human tenders, Admiral Nact-bauk invades the local school. Zack and Zoey lead the counterattack armed with rulers, protractors, and dodge balls. 

They might have a chance, if Nact-bauk didn't gulp down the only teacher brave enough to stand up to him. Even worse, he forces Zoey onboard the alien vessel for dinner — along with a bucket of honey-mustard sauce.

Zack will do just about anything to save her. If Principal Blathers won't help, Zack sees no choice but to 'borrow' the principal's car. Chasing the alien saucers, he meets up with a wrinkly WWII hero who thinks he knows the alien's weakness: electric toothbrushes.

Wielding only umbrellas and battery-powered dental weapons, things look grim. Even if the pair manage to rescue Zoey, there's the small matter of escaping a spacecraft flying at over two hundred miles an hour.

Can you say, Jetpacks?

Radio Interview Tonight & New Book Review

Tonight, I'll be doing an interview for a small station in North Carolina at 8:50 EST (5:50 PST) you can listen via Blog Talk Radio. If you miss it, I think you can listen later using the same link.

I only slept 3 hours last night, so hopefully I won't sound like a zombie =-)

Last week, Squiggles Reviews checked out Super Zombie Juice - "This was a really fun book to read. It was amusing, entertaining and silly but still had a great story line that kept me hooked." Check out the full review on their website:

Kindle Daily Nation Gives Super Zombie Juice 5-Stars

Kindle Nation Daily's Kids Corner posted a 5-star kids review of Super Zombie Juice The Graphic Novel. Here's a quote:
"Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb was awesome! I not like this book, I LOVED this book! I couldn’t put this book down."
That's why I love kid reviews; when they really like something, they don't hold back. 


Also, if you haven't done so already, don't forget to enter to win a Kindle Fire as part of the Kindle INDIEpendence Day Giveaway.

The Aussie Zombie Reviews Super Zombie Juice

The Aussie Zombie

I always get a little nervous when sending SZJMB to hard-core zombie sites for review, as it isn't your traditional zombie novel. Fortunately, Kat at The Aussie Zombie, was open to the idea of a zombie book for kids and seemed to really enjoy it.

"...I really enjoyed this one. It's a zombie story, but more appropriate for kids around the 8-10 year age range, although it doesn't hold back on the realities of what would happen during a zombie apocalypse."

Read the full review and find much more Zombie related stuff at (including tons of Zombie book reviews) at The Aussie Zombie.

The World's Greatest Living Science Fiction Writer - No More

I remember like it was yesterday, picking up a book, not even reading the title, just looking for that marketing phase, "The World's Greatest Living Science Fiction Writer." When I saw those words, I picked it up.

At my library, Ray's books were always checked out. Even today, check your local used bookstore for anything by Ray Bradbury--they sell the same day the come in, and rightfully so. I still have my paperbacks I read as a kid. Even though my writing style is nothing like his, no other writer has influenced me more than Ray Bradbury.

This may sound like the beginning of an obituary filled with praise and glowing words for this master craftsman of the written word. And I had considered writing an essay explaining Ray's disdain of books and the internet.

But alas, it is not to be. For even if I could dig up any words from the hollow pit in my belly, they wouldn't do him justice.

My only solace is I know we will speak again soon, the next time I open any of his works.

“And when he died, I suddenly realized I wasn’t crying for him at all, but for the things he did. I cried because he would never do them again...”
― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

More Reviews Rolling In

So, I'm way behind in posting reviews, again. Sorry reviewers, I really do appreciate  the fact that you graciously give your time to help struggling authors. I'm just not very good at keeping up with you.

First up (and most belated) is a review from Kitty Bullard at Great Minds Think Aloud. Kitty loved SZJMB, well her exact words were, "I absolutely, 100%, loved this book!"
She's also the first person to spot a little Easter Egg in the print version of the book. I won't spoil it here, but if you are interested, check out her great review.

Cordelia Dinsmore frequents Absolute Write, a great writer's community and contacted me on there about getting a review copy. She's not a zombie fan and was a little worried SZJMB might not suit her taste, but I think the characters won her over as left a great review, "I think MJ has nailed the middle grade voice. I have a young son, so we read a lot of middle grade books around our house. We also watch quite a bit of kid-friendly television. The characters in SZJMB think and act quite similarly to many of the kids, both real and fictional, with which I am familiar."

Cordelia has her own MG/YA book, Michaela's Gift coming out next month, so keep an eye on her blog.

Last, is my shortest review ever (not counting iPod/Pad reviews), but it's still a great one, from Trisha at Passing Through. This also happens to be my first Tumblr review, which explains why it's just three (great) sentences.

Reviews, Reviews, Reviews!

I've owe an apology to the reviewers who've recently taken the time to read and review Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb. I've been putting together a Middle Grade anthology while also finishing up my latest manuscript. So, I'm a little behind on posting these great reviews:

First up, My Life on Mars posted a review of the Graphic Novel version for SZJMB, saying, "MJA Ware tells a fun story that any kid would enjoy..."

Unlike the first blog, Susan Reviews does leave star ratings and gave SZJMB five of them saying, "A humorous tale of friendship complicated by growing up, zombie invasion and lemonade."

While the blog, A Room With Books doesn't give star ratings, it did rate SZJMB as a "Hit." In a pretty in depth review, where she recommends it for Middle Grade readers.

Last, but not least, Azure Dwarf also gave SZJMB 5-stars. Azure Dwarf writes and reviews mostly kidlit, especially boy stuff, so it was great when he said, "This is an excellent addition to the YA genre."

A lot of readers have been leaving Amazon and LibraryThing reviews recently and I just wanted to say how much these help; without them no one would find my books, let alone take a chance on them.

THANK YOU REVIEWERS, YOU ROCK!!!

Opening Day!!! - And Some Updates

Well, it's finally here, Opening Day 2012. I for one am taking off work early to watch the Giants beat the Daimondbacks.

I'll go even further than that and predict that the Giants have what it take to get to the World Series this year.

!!GO GIANTS!!

In other news, I've been writing quite a bit recently. I have some shorts that I'm going to finish and put out soon.

I'm almost finished with the first draft of a Chapter Book I've tentatively titled: Zack and Zoey's Alien Apocalypse. It needs quite a bit of polishing, but I'm going to try to have it out by the end of the month. And even though it's a Chapter Book, I think fans of Super Zombie Juice will enjoy it.

Speaking of Super Zombie Juice, I'm about 20% done with book two. Looks like it's going to be at least a bit longer than book one. I'm hoping each book gets a little longer than its predecessor. I've mapped out the kids adventures right to the end; but I'm not sure how many books it work will out to (seems like when I start writing, things always go in a different direction than I plan). It's looking like five titles total for the series, could be 4-6.

I know a few readers have asked, when the heck am I going to finish Girls Bite (my YA paranormal). Well, it's going through another major revision. I know I've been predicting this one since December, but it's just not ready. It's the first of a series, and I really want to get it right. I love Paranormal Romances, but only when they are done right--and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure mine is done right.

On the plus side, it's grown from what was suppose to be an intro novella to almost novel length (45-50k); still short for a YA paranormal, but the right length to tell the opening of this story.

If you enjoy reading my work, please consider signing up for my newsletter. I promise to never send out more than six e-mails a year (haven't sent one at all this year). I only use it when I have big news, like a new

release. In fact, that's why I'm suggesting you sign up; because the newsletter readers are my BEST readers and until further notice get a free (e)copy of all my books. I hope one day, the list will grow to the point where I can't do that anymore, but if that happens, it's going to be a while and I'll still treat these readers like royalty.

One last thing. I really like doing Happy Release Day posts and they do get a little bit of traffic. I know a lot of other authors read the blog, so shoot me a note when you release a book and I'll post a link to just about any genre that's kid friendly (ie no erotica or really hardcore, slasher-type horror--but light romance is fine).

I hope everyone gets to leave work early to watch their favorite team play today!

Review from Kindling The Fire & My book Gets Pirated

Bri, over at Kindling The Fire just posted a great review of Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb. Here's a quote:

"It's cute and funny in it's own way and will find it's way into your heart as you read it. The characters were depicted well, I loved Kali (I refuse to spoil anything! But it's so hard!) and I liked Nate and Misty's innocence, but awesome courage as they battled zombies."

Bri's site is newer, but she posts a lot and the site is growing quickly. If you haven't checked it out yet, I recommend you do.

In other news, I found my first pirated link to Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb. This isn't the first time one of my books have shown up online and I'm sure it won't be the last.

The good news is that you have to download and install the Ares file sharing program, then search for it and even then, I had trouble finding it. So basically, it's way easier to pay for a copy, espcially since it's only 99¢ right now.

Just a note to clarify: Bri's site has nothing to do the the copyright infringement, they just happened to be posted on the same day.

Google Digs Up New Reviews & Deranged Zombie Teddy Bears

In theory Google News Alerts tells you anytime someone posts news, a blog, or even a new webpage about you or your book.

However, as I recently figured out, the alerts sometimes miss blogs (and other pages) that the Google search engine picks up. I was recently searching for an old review of SZJMB on Google when I noticed pages that I had never received alerts for.

This lead me to search Google for undiscovered links to Super Zombie Juice. Most turned out to be worthless, mostly Amazon affiliate links. But some were Gold. I found two reviews and two mention of my book in blogs!

First, I found a great blog: Paranormal Sisters. They gave SZJMB 4.5 stars and wrote a great review. Here's a quote:

"Over all I totally loved and am happy with how it ended, with a slice of sense of humor. But I want more. Whether more of these characters or more of MJA Ware writing, which is lucky we get two bonus short stories along with this book. Yay. "

My reply is: Don't worry Dashley, book 2 is coming along! If you've never heard of this blog check it out, it has some great reviews and they provide updates on Free paranormal Kindle books.

Elsewhere, I found what seemed to be a great review from The Crew of Misfits:

"SUPER ZOMBIE JUICE MEGA BOMB is the first installment of this unique series that is something new, something fresh, and ..."

But alas, the site is now offline and all I can read of the review is that small portion which Google had cached.

I found one more blog: Jess Resides Here (header may not be work safe) recently got a copy and I'm keeping an out for the review.

Last, there was a really cool mention on the blog, Tales of a Semi-existent Being. Apparently, the blogger had a dream (maybe more of a deranged nightmare) inspired by a wonderful zombie book, Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb (his words, not mine) :

"The zombies were giant pink fluffy teddie bears and they zombified you by giving you a hug."

Wow, that's what I call a dream, and the first one (outside of my own while writing it) to be inspired by the book!

Image Credit: http://nightmarelunatic.deviantart.com/art/Zombie-Teddy-Bear-192973591

Reviews Can Make Your Day!

I woke-up this morning with a cold so bad that I couldn't (or maybe wouldn't) get out of bed--finally dragged myself up at 2pm feeling terrible until I saw this review over at The Kostiuk Crew . Here's a snippet:

"...She could not put this read down, she even took it with us on our little vacation and the only time she stopped reading is when we are swimming. She had the book done by the end of that night and kept telling K little pieces here and their so he was ready to start reading himself. He started reading it on the car ride home and if you could hear the noises coming from this kid you would have busted up laughing to. He was giggling and huh and the noises just kept coming when he was reading."

Throw in a 5-star review on Amazon and I fell about a thousand times better. Who needs antibiotics when you have book reviewers!