Tomorrow's the Big Day!

Welcome to the JLB Creatives Publishing Blog. Tomorrow marks the event that we've been looking forward to...that being the Florida Authors and Publishers Association (FAPA) Spring Conference. 

FAPA brings to the plate an array of goodies in the literary world. At the Spring Conference, Social Media is the main focus. We are honored to have been chosen as a publishing company to participate. Our Media Director, Elise VanCise, will be speaking as our company representative.

In addition to their conferences, FAPA offers up one of the best contests around. Several categories are available to choose from, and you may enter your work in more than one category (entry fees required). Their Fall Conference serves up a nice array of topics for attendees, all of which are presented by industry professionals. The FAPA board members are always on hand to assist other FAPA members with their expertise in the industry. 

JLB Creatives Publishing is proud to be a member of FAPA. If you have not as of yet "introduced" yourself to the association here is a helpful link to get you started: Florida Authors and Publishers Association. Once you are on the website we invite you to surf around to get yourself acquainted.

If you have already registered for the FAPA Spring Conference being held in Orlando, Florida Saturday March 7, 2015, please be sure and stop by the JLBCP exhibit table between sessions and say hello to our CEO, Janet Beasley. She will be happy to answer your publishing questions, show you some of JLB Creatives Publishing's published authors' works, or talk to you about making a submission of your completed MS.

Thursday Prompt: Objects around the house

This week's prompt is all about impromptu thinking or musing. We all have some kind of collection or interesting things around our house. We're going to find three things to include in a flash fiction of at least 800 words. You can write in any genre you wish.

Where do you find these story objects you ask? Do you keep a curio cabinet or nik-naks on your bookshelves? My personal favorite is the junk drawer. There are a ton of treasures in there to toss into a story.

Once you have where your objects are coming from, don't think about it just reach out and pick three random things. If you need to time yourself with say five seconds to pick out items. That shuts off the thinker so you can just grab. :)

Now sit back at your desk with your muse's treasures and look them over. You can turn your thinker back on again here and examine your objects and see if they have a story to tell on their own or where you can add them into a dark mystery or would  an elf keep that in his pouch?

Have fun and stretch your imagination as you  charge your muse with the cool stuff you walk by every day. Oh and don't forget to visit us at JLBCreatives.com for a great read or to submit your manuscript :)

Spark Your Creativity!

Every Wednesday we offer you a special photo taken by our CEO Janet Beasley to help spark your creativity. Whether you're an author, a painter, a musician, or clay sculpture artist we think you'll find her photos very inspiring!

Life is Full of Ups and Downs

Happy Creating!

Why Don't You Get a Real Job?

Hello awesome fans!

Today we are going to focus on a couple of tips for authors. We hope these tips will make life easier for you when you're on the receiving end of an infamous cliche` such as, "Why don't you get a real job?"

How frustrating it is when you've invested tons of time into your story and someone delivers a devastating blow to you like, "Anyone can write a book - what makes you so special? Why don't you quit playing around and get a real job?" I think we've all been hit with those kinds of words, and hit hard, me included. But through the years I've learned to deal with those kinds of words fired at me, and consider them "water off a duck's back," and you can too.

I am an author ~ I am creative
I have a fantastical imagination
I have a talent ~ and I am NOT a quitter

The first thing to come to terms with is that what you are doing IS a real job. Paid or not, the literary arena is full of real jobs that take real work, dedication, and a passion for a craft to achieve polished end results. 

Not an easy thing, but doable nonetheless; train yourself to NOT fire back when someone says something negative about your career choice. Smile, bite your tongue, and move on no matter how difficult it may seem. Learn to tell yourself the person delivering the verbal-hard-punch is most likely not familiar with the entire process of writing and/or publishing. If youre' feeling up to it, you may want to ask them, nicely, if they have ever written a novel and had it published. If their answer is no, then offer to explain the process. If they're not interested in listening to your explanation, again, smile, bite your tongue, and move on.

Does it ever stop hurting when you hear such words? No, at least it hasn't for me and I'm on epic novel #9. But if you stay poised, polite, and keep a good attitude in those situations, in time, those negative words won't hurt nearly as much. 

In life, as an author, you will have every opportunity in the world to "give up" on your writing career, but in reality the best thing you can do is keep going. I have found that often times the negative remarks fuel my passion to continue on, and I strive to become even better at my "real job" than I've ever been.

Don't let the "nay-sayers" get you down. No matter what negative things they say to you, always remember this: if you are a writer you have a true talent, you are creative, you have an imagination worth sharing, and you are worth every word you write and then some! Keep your chin up, and your ideas flowing. There is always someone out there who wants to read your hard work and will appreciate it.

Believe in yourself, be confident in your stories, and never throw in "the pen." If you have a story inside, you need to let it out for the world to read. It's just that simple. 

The time has come for his story to be told: 28 Months of Heaven and Hell by J.D. Karns

Imagine a young sailor stationed aboard a destroyer escort during WWII. Try to imagine the adventures he experiences and the sights he sees, as well as the horrors he endures. In this historical novel you’ll meet this young man and witness the wonders and tragedies with him.

28 Months of Heaven and Hell is based on the true life experiences of Naval veteran Carl Lee Young as shared with his youngest brother. This fact-based account has been fictionalized by author J.D. Karns. It is a story to stir the American spirit. You will be inspired by a young man’s journey to survive a war.

About 28 Months of Heaven and Hell

J.D. Karns' historical novel is based on the actual journal kept by Carl Lee Young while he served in the U.S. Navy during WWII aboard the escort vessel USS Melvin R. Nawman DE-416. Karns has brilliantly woven Carl’s journal entries together with fiction to create an entertaining, breathtaking, and highly factual account of the war from a sailor's point of view. Experience everything from the great typhoon of 1944 to Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and from the atom bomb to the signing of the treaty that ended the Second World War. It is an emotional roller coaster ride between the onboard action and the family back home. The realism of not only the war but also the era has been captured with expertise.

In real life Carl's younger brother, Charles, longed to hear his big brother's WWII story. When Carl returned from the war he promised his little brother that someday he would tell him all about it. That day came recently when Charles began receiving journal entries from Carl via emails, totaling 168. Both Carl and Charles are excited to have their story turned into a historic novel. Both brothers are still living; they share the dream of holding a published copy of Carl's story in their hands before being called to Heaven. Carl resides in Arizona, and Charles resides in Florida. Both are still happily married and, through emails and phone calls, enjoy keeping each other informed of their day-to-day lives.

Readers can find 28 Months of Heaven and Hell in print and ebook at the links below or a bookstore near you.
Amazon (Kindle and Paperback)
Barnes & Noble (Nook and Paperback)
BooksAMillion  (ebook)
BooksAMillion (Paperback)

For more about this book, authors and other great reads published by JLB Creatives Publishing visit us at JLBCreatives.com JLB Creatives Publishing is also open for submissions. To find out what we are open for and our manuscript guidelines visit our website.