Where Will JLBCP Be Next?

With a whirlwind of a late summer early autumn schedule we are having!  You'll be seeing JLBCP represented next at the First Annual U.P. Book Festival! 

On September 20, 2014 JLBCP team member, Connie M. Thompson (Chief Graphics Designer/Pagination) will be exhibiting at the First Annual Eastern Upper Peninsula Book Fest.  You'll find the event taking place:

From 9a-3p September 20 Faith Lutheran Church Hall 1600 Park St., 

Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

Only seven days after that, Florida team members Jean E. Lane (Senior Financial Director) and Janet Beasley (CEO) will be exhibiting at the St. Augustine, Florida Heritage Book Festival. There will be a full conference for writers to enjoy, and a market place chock full of some of the best books around. JLBCP team members will have plenty of books to sell. So be sure and stop by their table on Saturday, September 27 between 9a - 5p. 

Titles that will be represented at both shows include: 

Enchanted YA epic fantasy: 
Hidden Earth Series






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Science Faction: Lill and Mewe Series











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WWII Historical Fiction: 28 Months of Heaven and Hell







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Childrens Books: 

Miss Amy's Rhyme Time Collection (4 books) 

and The Sydney Series 
(Sydney Finds a Job - available in English and Spanish)






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True to Life: A Life Renewed






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Epic Fantasy: The Untold Legend








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Pickford Community Library's Young Writers Workshop: Anthologies and Novella

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We hope to see you at one of these cool book festivals!

Thursday Prompt: Dangerous Solutions

Create a thriller, horror, or fantasy story beginning with this phrase. 

“I’m so sorry, that I can’t offer you a less dangerous solution.”

Your story can be of any word count as long as it begins with this phrase. Happy Scribbles! 

WEDNESDAY FEATURE "Spark Your Creativity"

#Lighthouse #Sailing #Ships #Lighthouses

This week's photo takes us to Whitefish Point, Michigan's U.P.  

Janet has titled this photo, "Be a Beacon of Hope to Someone Today"

Happy Creating!

On Wednesdays we're posting a photo taken by our CEO, author Janet Beasley to help inspire authors, painters, musicians, and other awesome artists. We've titled the new feature, "Spark Your Creativity." How did we come up with this? Read on...

When Janet isn't hard at work in the literary world, you'll find her and her husband kayaking the crystal clear, spring fed rivers of Florida. Janet's second passion next to writing is photographing nature as they glide through the serene settings these rivers have to offer. She and her husband also enjoy traveling the US, so you'll also be seeing some of Janet's

photos taken from hikes and journeys she and her husband have done nationwide. She has used her photos time and again for her own inspiration when it comes to many of her stories, and decided she would like to share the same inspiration with the literary and arts world.

And not to worry if you're not inspired this week, come back each Wednesday to catch a glimpse of what could "spark" your next amazing piece of work. And if you don't want to wait until next Wednesday, we'd like to invite you to visit our JLB Creatives Photo Gallery on Flickr where the photos are always free to download and use as book covers, business cards, wallpaper, etc. All we ask is that you give credit where credit is due - perhaps by something as simple as adding a credit link to the JLB Creatives/Janet Beasley Flickr site in your book or on your presentation. 

We hope you enjoy our new Wednesday feature, "Spark Your Creativity." And we want to let you know, if a photo inspires you to write a story that you would like to have considered for publication by JLB Creatives Publishing, be sure to visit our website at http://www.JLBCreatives.com where you'll find our company's history, be introduced to the publishing team, discover our Submission Guidelines, and may submit your work for consideration.

Enjoy!

What a Character! And How About That Creature?

Character and Creature Development 

from #1 best selling author 

Janet Beasley / JLBCP CEO

     One of the funnest things I enjoy doing while writing is discovering my characters. From their names to their quirks to their fine points it's amazing how they develop before my very eyes while writing.

     Here's a quick list of 10 things I like to do to lay the ground work for my characters and creatures. Are these set in stone? Not at all - just a fun list I have created on my own to help me, and now I hope they'll help you. 

1) What is the book's genre/theme - is it space, a western, nostalgic, modern, backwoods, northern, southern, happy, scary...you get the idea. 

2) What is the ages of your character? Is he/she a kid, a teen, an adult, an elderly person? If creating creatures are they mammals, aquatic, or winged?

3) In what year(s) does the story take place? Is it going to be during the same time all through the book - or will some of the characters pop up long before or long after the real time of the story? 

4) List their strong points. Are they an over-comer? Can they handle pressure and stress? Could they survive if lost in the woods? Are they able to greet each day with a smile? Are they a good leader and able to lead from the "back of the pack" to help others who are not as strong? Are they polite? Can they shoot a gun, a bow and arrow, or fight with their bare hands and win? 

5) Quirks, soft spots, and pitfalls! What weird things do your characters or creatures seem to surprise you with? A slang term, chewing gum with their mouth open, skipping every third step. Are they scardy cats? Is your creature a biter with no teeth, or a growler with a very high pitch tone? Is your creature smelly, stubborn, or silly? Do the characters complain all of the time? Does everything have to happen their way? Do they act tough but really deep down inside are nothing more than a soft squishy teddy bear? Does your character like to poke fun at the less fortunate? Now I don't necessarily mention any of these quirks directly in the story, but rather do it through their actions. Also, keep in mind, we're developing them at this stage and are simply looking to find out how they might react in a situation.

6) Which ones, if any, of your characters have super powers, or outstanding human qualities? Can your creatures perform any kind of special magic that is exclusive to them? 

7) List some of their family history...who (or what) would have been their parents? Do they have brothers or sisters, cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles? Do they know about them or not? Is your creature part of a pack or clan? Was it hatched, birthed, or created?

8) Appearance can be a great developmental tool. What color are the character's/creature's hair (scales or skin perhaps for creatures), and eyes? Would their hair length be long - short - medium? Is it styled or sloppy? Do they glow in the dark? How tall are they? How much do they weigh? Do they wear glasses, do they hate socks, do they prefer high heels-sneakers-or flip flops? Are they a jeans and t-shirt kind of person/alien/elf or elegant in style? Are they faddish or is comfort more an issue, do they wear shoes or no shoes, jewelry, hats, etc.? Is your creature stately, impressive, hideous, cute, or rugged?

9) Even more fun is determining their traits and mannerisms. Do your characters favor a logical trait or prefer to "shoot first and ask questions later?" Do they like their family and friends (if they have any) or are they a loner? When they eat do they slurp their food and drink or raise their pinkie high in the air sipping on wine and dining on caviar? Does your creature prefer chasing its next meal or having it served to them by humans? Does your creature have a nervous twitch that is common to its breed? Does your creature roar every time someone enters a certain room, or forest?

10) Last but not least - give them a name that best fits all of those things you've chosen from above. Because I write a lot of fantasy, I like to create names from base words. For instance - one of my favorite creatures is an equinarch: a friendly, small flying horse with butterfly wings. Hence, the first part of the creature, equi, was taken from the term equine, while the second half of the name was taken from the monarch butterfly...so we have an equinarch. 

Now have some fun creating your characters and creatures, and don't be afraid to ask them questions point blank - you might be surprised just how quickly they will answer you!  ;-)

JLB Creatives Publishing joins the Upper Peninsula Publishers & Authors Association

The Upper Peninsula Publishers & Authors Association UPPAA was founded by Sue Robishaw in 1998. The purpose of the organization is to network, support, and exchange ideas among the Upper Peninsula area publishers and authors. Also to promote the books and written works of UPPAA members.

Since UPPAA’s first conference in June 1998, the organization has grown to over 70 members. McNaughton-Gunn, the leading book printer in the mid-west is a corporate sponsor for the UPPAA. Putting JLB Creatives Publishing in good company as a fellow member.

The group meets twice a year for a spring and fall conference with workshops geared toward aspects of writing and the publishing industry. On September 20, 2014 UPPAA is adding their first annual book festival to the calendar.

The event is sponsored by Creative Endeavors and is open for UP area authors and publishers to register for participation. JLB Creatives Publishing Michigan team member Connie Thompson will be representing the company at the Creative Endeavors’ First Annual EUP Book Fest.

Connie is the head of the JLB Creatives Publishing Design Department. She is responsible for all of the cover design, formatting, and interior design of JLBCP books. Connie is also a published author and will be selling and signing her book at the event as well.

For more information about UPPAA and  how to participate in the book festival visit http://uppaa.org/

For more information about JLB Creatives Publishing visit http://jlbcreatives.com

JLB Creatives Publishing is open for manuscript submissions. Go to the website above for submission guidelines and requirements. 

Celebrate V-J Day with 28 Months of Heaven and Hell by J.D. Karns

Today we're celebrating the cover reveal of 28 Months of Heaven and Hell by J.D. Karns on a special day V-J Day. For those who don't know, V-J Day celebrates the announcement of surrender by Japan on August 17, 1945. What makes this day significant for this book, you ask? 28 Months of Heaven and Hell takes place in the Pacific Campaign of WWII. Why don't we let this book speak for itself....

About 28 Months of Heaven and Hell and Author J.D. Karns

J.D. Karns is an 82 year old author making his debut with this novel. His true to life / WWII historical fiction novel is based on the journal kept by Carl Lee Young who served in the navy on the DE 416 USS Melvin R. Nawman. Karns has taken Mr. Young's journal entries and brilliantly woven them with fiction creating an entertaining, breath taking, and highly factual account of WWII from this sailor's point of view. You will experience everything from the great typhoon of '44 to Iwo Jima to Okinawa to the atom bomb and on to the signing of the peace treaty. It is an emotional roller coaster of a ride between the action and the family back home, waiting and wondering. The realism of not only the war, but also the era, has been captured with expertise.

Carl's younger brother, Charles, has longed to hear his big brother's WWII story. Carl promised his little brother when he returned from the war, that some day he would tell him all about it. That day came in 2011 when Charles began receiving journal entries from his big brother. The emails totaled 168 entries. Both Carl and his younger brother Charles are excited to have the story being turned into a historic novel. 

To read an excerpt and pre-order 28 Months of Heaven and Hell visit J.D. Karns blog. For more about JLB Creatives Publishing and how you can submit your manuscript for consideration visit JLBCreatives.com