For all the dates of this tour please click the banner!
And remember, 32 SECONDS will be free from 6-15 to 6-19.
Today, I deactivated my personal Facebook profile, and it wasn’t an easy process because Facebook is everywhere. Truth is: I couldn’t take it anymore.
I don’t know how Zuckerberg managed to grease so many palms but he did so with much talent. No matter which platform I use – Spotify, Goodreads, WordPress, and naturally my Facebook author page – my personal Facebook account is like the big spider puppeteer in the background. It casts a web over everything, and slowly eats you alive, without you even realizing it. Facebook makes you addicted to feeds that aren’t newsworthy; Facebook makes you feel like a loser when you don’t have many virtual friends, likes, or comments; Facebook feeds off your low self-esteem to make you superficial and vain; Facebook makes you pay for “legit” advertisement when in all reality, these extra likes from Indonesia or Brazil don’t do anything to your popularity.
In sum, Facebook is just the modern plague.
And like a nasty ex-boyfriend you can’t get rid of, Facebook pollutes your life in every imaginable way. That’s how it became for me anyway. The new algorithm to track the post engagement, and position posts on timelines, plus the new “unfollow” feature help increase the gap between the popular accounts, and the ones desperately trying to reach a higher level of popularity. And it isn’t quality of content that makes a post worthwhile to list at the top of a timeline. The algorithm just toys around with people’s statements, most of the time, the meaningless ones, like – I had a burger for lunch – or – I took a dump in my neighbor’s doghouse because I was too drunk to find the key to the door of my own house – and makes them newsworthy. For what purpose? None. Facebook doesn’t even help promote anything because when you buy “legit” likes, you don’t get any engagement from them.
When I first joined Facebook, I needed a student account. It was for people who went to college or grad school, and who wanted to stay connected online. Why we needed to stay connected in the virtual world and not in the real world is a question which in itself sums up the whole social media phenomenon, but since everyone was doing it, I did it too. And what did it bring me? Nothing. I posted my status, like I’m at work, or I’m eating, which honestly no one gave a flying banana about, and I let people into my life, strangers mostly, to like and comment on my pictures. Facebook knew when I was single, and when I was engaged, married, and then divorced. Facebook knew details about my life no one in real life cared to know, but it was there to be read and seen nonetheless. People from my past resurfaced, and tried to stay connected, for what purpose I have no idea. In the real world, there was no purpose to any of this. I wasn’t supposed to stay friends with people whom I had lost touch with ten or fifteen years ago. But in the virtual world, all of a sudden, I needed to reconnect with my kindergarten schoolmates, and a post needed a like, and a comment so I could be happy.
My ego fed from this fake instant gratification like it was absolutely necessary for my wellbeing, and emotional balance.
But it wasn’t. And when I tried to deactivate my account today, I had to do it many times, because every time I connected myself to another application linked to social media, my Facebook account was automatically reactivated. What’s up with that? Why the heck does Facebook need to keep all my information? I’m done, I’m done. I don’t want to feel guilty for deactivating a stupid social media account.
Yet, Facebook does that. It gives you the guilt trip. You won’t be cool anymore. You won’t be liked anymore. Meanwhile, it’s all bogus.
Facebook just managed to create this need we never needed. And it killed real friendships and human interaction. People who I consider friends, have not talked to me in person, or via the good old phone, because they’re on Facebook. I’m supposed to know what they’re up to by checking their profiles. WTF? I had a conversation with people and they didn’t answer me, or maintained their focus on the conversation, because they were too busy checking their social profile.
And I had about 400 friends on Facebook. To any Facebooker out there, I’m not a loser. I don’t even know these people. Maybe twenty I know personally. The rest, I have never met them. Why should I care what they had for dinner? Does that make me a better person if I do? Some people don’t have a cell phone, but they have Facebook. They don’t have an email account, but they have Facebook. Really?????????? That’s what the human race has come down to?
Updating Facebook and keeping up with Facebook is worse than a full time job. I just have no energy for this. So I quit. For good. All I have left is my author page, because Facebook has managed to infiltrate every little nook and cranny in the virtual world, and I can’t really not have at least a very tiny connection to Facebook. Sad but true.
Facebook has redefined slavery of the mind. At least, I managed to leave this horrible relationship without too much damage. Hopefully, it stays this way. Only time will tell.
Hi folks,
Sorry for the blog silence, but I’m (very) busy working on my Manicheans Trilogy at the moment, and life has gotten so full, I haven’t had a chance to stop by and let you know what was going on.
Well, I keep marketing my YA novel 32 Seconds, and to rise up to the occasion, have given the novel a new cover, more YA and definitely up to par with the best books out there.
Enjoy! A book tour will happen soon, so stay tuned!
Hello folks,
Marketing continues for my novel 32 Seconds as I’m making big progress on my upcoming trilogy The Manicheans.
The lovely Debdatta has scheduled a gigantic book tour with 30 stops! Thank you to all the blog hosts for their support. The tour ranges from author interview, to guest post, character interview and reviews of 32 Seconds.
So mark your calendars!
To the average onlooker, the city of Los Angeles represents glitz, glamour, and the celebrity lifestyle. But to seventeen-year-old Julie Jones, the city is a vast host of problems she’s longing to get away from. The latest? An unfortunate disagreement with her ex-boyfriend Mark—one that could land her in some serious hot water.
So rather than face the troubles that torment her, Julie decides to run away from her old life and start fresh somewhere new. But her parents aren’t on board with the plan, and she soon finds her bank accounts frozen and her wallet empty.
With just seventy-five dollars and a full tank of gas, the troubled teen is far too stubborn to turn around and head home. So what’s a girl to do?
What Julie doesn’t know is that her travels are about to take her somewhere unexpected—a place where she’ll be forced to come face to face with the ghosts of her past in order to secure her future.
A tale of redemption, hope, and freedom lost and found, 32 Seconds is a thought-provoking exploration into the human spirit and the nature of forgiveness.
– See more at: http://b00kr3vi3wtours.blogspot.in/2015/01/32SecondsSchedule.html
Howdie and happy Friday! It appears I have been nominated as a participant of the One Lovely Blog Hop by the wonderful C.L. Schneider (check her book The Crown of Stones here and her blog here). This blog hop is designed to show our readers a more personal side to ourselves. Gosh knows I’m trying to do that every day LOL. I haven’t been on this platform a lot lately, and I apologize, but books don’t write themselves and if I don’t sacrifice at least something, the Manicheans Trilogy will take decades to finish. I promise though, you won’t be disappointed with the final result.
Alright, I’ve been challenged to list seven interesting facts about me. The rules are that I share 7 Lovely Facts about myself, and links to at least 15 blogs that I enjoy reading. If I’ve nominated your blog (see names below) please don’t feel any obligation to join in but, if you do, please link back to the blog of the person who nominated you (that would be me!), share facts about yourself and nominate 15 blogs (or as many as you can).
As Julie Jones would say, here goes nothing:
1) If I was given a choice, be imprisoned for life, and write, or stay free, but don’t ever write again, I’d choose imprisonment. Obviously, I never wanna be given that choice, but freedom of speech to me is more important than freedom of movement. Once you prohibit people from thinking and saying whatever the heck they wanna say, society is doomed. Abuse of power and censorship are death to me. Isn’t it what we fall victims to when terrorists kill because we’ve expressed ourselves? And why should I be afraid of speaking my mind? As long as I’m not inciting riots and violence, I’m free to speak and think whatever I want. That’s what the First Amendment tells me anyway. Now people’s understanding of this fundamental right is a total different ball game. And we have a tendency to take this particular right for granted. Restrain me to a chair, and prevent me from going anywhere, I’m gonna go mad real quick. But tell me I can’t say this, or that, and I might not be as aggressive. Stealth oppression is the worst.
2) I have four cats, but I’m no cat lady. I’m jumping on a lighter subject with this one. First, who determined the number of cats that makes someone a cat lady? Four cats is nothing. And no, I’m not in denial. If I had four turtles, would you call me a turtle lady? (I think this would sound offensive to some people.) Seriously? My house is clean. Doesn’t smell. My cats are cute. Like holiday calendar cute. I work, I shower, and my boyfriend is as much in love with these cats as I am. Therefore, revise your cat lady judgmental statements. So what, you’re jealous I have so many furry pussies to keep me warm at night? Your loss.
3) Unlike a bunch of people out there, I don’t hate Iggy Azalea. Who raised their hand and asked “Who the crap is Iggy Izalea-something spelled weird, whatever that name is?” Yes, I did that too. Thank God for Wikipedia. She’s a white rapper from Sydney, Australia, and she’s pretty popular right now. Some black hip hop artists are just slamming her for stepping into their territory, claiming hip hop is black culture, not white culture, blah blah, bunch of unnecessary drama and bad publicity, that made me like this Iggy chick even more, and these haters even less. The appropriation of anything just doesn’t scream tolerance to me, now does it? As soon as you say “it’s mine”, you sound like a selfish prick. Who made you the owner of anything? As long as you have the talent, and work your ass off for it, freaking take the reins. Drive, speed up under the influence, and crash for all I care. Black, white, yellow, green, at the end of the day, it’s hip hop, it’s music, it’s words on a page. It’s freedom of expression again! Jealousy, and under the belt jabs are just another sign of immaturity.
4) I’m lactose intolerant. Who cares if I can’t eat cheese, right? Or ice cream? Or drink milk? I don’t really care either. I can live without all of that. The problem is that sometimes, I’d like to eat cheese, because cheese is delicious, and well, I gotta pay attention to how much I eat. Lesson learned: pleasure causes pain too.
5) I learned to parallel park by crashing into cars. I say “crashing”, I should use “brushing”. Well “hitting softly” if you’re really technical. The reason is when the parking spot is really tight, and you gotta park, you have to jam yourself in there. Bumper to bumper, push the car in front, and the car behind, and tada, you just created your personalized parking spot with one half of the car on the sidewalk, the other half into a tree. And if you own a Smart car, you can park in any direction you want! Isn’t that sweet? We can’t say whatever we want, but we can park however we want! Life is just so full of surprises.
6) People have suffered from my elbows. And I will explain. In New York City, when the subway, or the street, whichever, is packed, and I’m talking not even one square foot of personal space available, when you move, and exit the car or have to walk through a thick crowd of tourist who just don’t give a flying banana about standing right in the middle of the intersection taking pictures of tall buildings, and not speaking English, so they can’t understand when you curse at them, sometimes, you gotta use the elbows. And the elbows work like this: open the arms like two powerful wings, and engage. The only issue with the elbow hit is that once I sent a girl flying to the other side of the underground pass, and the other time, a kid took one elbow in the face. It’s horrible, but I didn’t intend to hit anyone. I was just trying to walk out of the crowd. If you don’t live in a big city like New York, you won’t understand what jampacked is. I don’t really use the elbows that much anymore, now I’ve switched to breaking the crowd with my forearm-it works like a blade. I’ve noticed it’s less lethal, and I can sleep at night.
7) Last but not least, I’m a licensed attorney but I’ve never practiced. And it’s a good thing because it gives me an edge. I know about the legal world, and am truly inspired by it, but I feel like a spy. I know their secret, I belong to their private club, but I’m not really one of them. LOL The Manicheans takes place in a law firm. Brace yourselves.
Well, that wasn’t too bad. Now onto the nominations:
5) A.F. Stewart
7) Kim Koning
It’s not fifteen, but eight very good blogs from great authors! Now hop on!
***
And remember, 32 Seconds is still available for 99 Cents on Amazon, and will be promoted in a ginormous book tour this February. You gotta love it!
32 Seconds by Johanna K. Pitcairn – YA Psychological and Paranormal Thriller
To the average onlooker, the city of Los Angeles represents glitz, glamour, and the celebrity lifestyle. But to seventeen-year-old Julie Jones, the city is a vast host of problems she’s longing to get away from. The latest? An unfortunate disagreement with her ex-boyfriend Mark—one that could land her in some serious hot water.
So rather than face the troubles that torment her, Julie decides to run away from her old life and start fresh somewhere new. But her parents aren’t on board with the plan, and she soon finds her bank accounts frozen and her wallet empty.
With just seventy-five dollars and a full tank of gas, the troubled teen is far too stubborn to turn around and head home. So what’s a girl to do?
What Julie doesn’t know is that her travels are about to take her somewhere unexpected—a place where she’ll be forced to come face to face with the ghosts of her past in order to secure her future.
A tale of redemption, hope, and freedom lost and found, 32 Seconds is a thought-provoking exploration into the human spirit and the nature of forgiveness.
Click here to access the ebook. Happy reading!
Hello folks!
The end of the year is near – very near – and what a better gift to make than a free ebook that has gathered a bunch of 5 star reviews so far! I’m very happy everyone is enjoying the story, and feels so touched by it. The ebook will be free on Amazon on December 24 and December 25.
For those who have showed so much love and support during this wonderful year, I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. It was a dream to write, but this dream has become my reality for the past few years, and working on this book made me realize how much in love I am with words and great storytelling. I wouldn’t have published, and marketed this book without the help of a few folks I’d like to thank personally:
First, my dear author friend Minnie Lahongrais @Lahongrais, whose books are available on Amazon. Check her website here if you’d like to learn more about her work. Minnie is a truly gifted writer, and an amazing person to know.
Second, my editor Philip Newey @All_read_E, who gave me great advice and guided me in the right direction. His professionalism is outstanding. If you’re interested in hiring his editing services, you can check his website here.
Third, I’d like to thank author C.L. Schneider @cl_schneider for her amazing support on the Twittersphere. She has released a great fantasy book I’m currently reading, The Crown of Stones. My review of the book will be published within the next few weeks. She’s a wonderful wordsmith. Check her work on Amazon!
Last but not least, I’d like to thank Courtney Whittamore @CourtneysMorals for her amazing PR skills; the Masquerade Crew for their promotional campaigns; Debdatta D.Sahay for running her book blasts and book tours so efficiently (access her website here); all the retweets from fellow authors; the great reviews on Amazon US and UK by Brigitte @bluebirdbrige, John @John_KENWORTHY, and Melissa @Melissa_Author, and Randy @Randy77.
All my thanks to everyone for purchasing the book during the Black Friday free deal, and making 32 Seconds a bestseller (in the top 20!!).
I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a very happy new year 2015 with more writing, more reading, and more marketing!!
***
32 Seconds by Johanna K. Pitcairn – YA Psychological and Paranormal Thriller
To the average onlooker, the city of Los Angeles represents glitz, glamour, and the celebrity lifestyle. But to seventeen-year-old Julie Jones, the city is a vast host of problems she’s longing to get away from. The latest? An unfortunate disagreement with her ex-boyfriend Mark—one that could land her in some serious hot water.
So rather than face the troubles that torment her, Julie decides to run away from her old life and start fresh somewhere new. But her parents aren’t on board with the plan, and she soon finds her bank accounts frozen and her wallet empty.
With just seventy-five dollars and a full tank of gas, the troubled teen is far too stubborn to turn around and head home. So what’s a girl to do?
What Julie doesn’t know is that her travels are about to take her somewhere unexpected—a place where she’ll be forced to come face to face with the ghosts of her past in order to secure her future.
A tale of redemption, hope, and freedom lost and found, 32 Seconds is a thought-provoking exploration into the human spirit and the nature of forgiveness.
Click here to access the ebook. Happy reading!
***
A small excerpt from 32 Seconds:
A sudden shower pelted my windshield, reducing the visibility to almost nothing, but I maintained my speed. The black asphalt licked the bottom of my tires, striking every inch of the rubber, hungry to swallow me whole and transport me to my next destination. And at this point, I could go anywhere. Eager to get out, I didn’t even care whether I died in a car-crash. After what had happened between Mark and me earlier today, it truly was my way or the highway.
Planning my escape wisely hadn’t crossed my mind when I ignited the V8 turbo engine and dashed out of the school parking lot like a hoodlum in panic of being chased and caught by a platoon of law enforcement officials, after an unsuccessful bank heist. Like I said, I wanted out. And whatever I wanted, I achieved by any means necessary.
Running away brought me closer to freedom. No consequences for my actions. No guilt. No pain.
As my foot pressed harder on the gas pedal, I listened to the roar of the engine, which threatened to remind me of the overbearing loneliness I continued to ignore. My hand reached for the radio and I turned the volume to high. My head needed that noise to overwrite any internal monologues. Relentless, like waves on the shore, my thoughts wouldn’t stop crashing inside my brain, giving rise to a series of hot and cold sweats, while my inner self kept screaming the same question.
Why did I always have to run?
***
And some highlights from reviewers on Amazon:
By Randy: The imagery of words will stay with me for a long time. “Cluster flying load of monkey bananas. I was about to be crisped to crumbles,” was another example. The physiological roller coasters of emotions took me higher than high and lower than low. I laughed. I cried. I was grossed out and I loved it. I think I understand teens a little more after reading this book. It’s twisted but the message is straight. Every teen and parent should read this book. “32 Seconds” teaches how to win. I give this book a 5 star rating.
By Melissa: I was given this book for an honest review. I struggled with the words that would do this book justice. Books are not only created to entertain us, uplift us, but to transform and touch us. This book does this. Johanna Pitcairn’s 32 Seconds is a wonderful book. She has created an uneasy, thoughtful, and profound story. You follow Julie the main character, a teenager, on a journey of emotional struggle. Ms. Pitcairn delves into the dark recesses of Julie’s mind and follows her as she fights her inner demons. I found the unfolding of Julie’s story moving and gut-wrenching. I believe it’s a worthy book and should be read by many. There’s a strong possibility this book can reach out to many that are in similar situations and give them hope. I found Ms. Pitcairn’s story effective in portraying Julie’s breakdown in spirit and how she finds the strength within herself to overcome what is pushing her down. I would recommend that all read this. I cannot wait to read another of Ms. Pitcairn’s work.
By John: In some ways, “32 Seconds” can be read as a post-modern memoir steeped in a sort of Dante-cum-Freud way. But in others, it stands alone as simply a story. A darned relevant one. Not merely for teens, but for all of us who have once been a teen.
Unlike that of her peers (does she truly have any?) who adorn their work with ego-centric verbal decorations for the sake of showing off their literary prowess, Pitcairn’s elegance is absolutely essential to the story being told. Integral. Resonant. Profound. She is a writer with a deep and abiding gift. One who must be read. Again and again.
By Brigitte: The journey isn’t an easy one. It’s very emotional and shows the drive and determination needed for her to be able to overcome the obstacles in her way in order to face up to the truth. This story could apply to many teens and would benefit young adults and parents alike. It’s written in such a way that I felt I was there with Julie throughout the whole journey. It’s definitely worth reading and to me fully deserves a five star rating.
***
Happy holidays to all!
Hi folks!
Well, all I can say is wow! I couldn’t believe it myself. The ebook was released on November 16, and the Black Friday free kindle deal kicked some serious ass. Thanks to your downloads, and the amazing promotional tools at my disposal – i.e. Twitter, and The Masquerade Crew – 32 Seconds‘s best rank was 1,238 and it hit number #15 in Dark Fantasy, and #17 in YA. Yes, 32 Seconds was in the top 20, which is just incredible.
Today, the book is available for its original price, 99 cents. The next free promotion will be scheduled around Christmas.
Thanks again for the support. I couldn’t have done it without all of you.
***
32 Seconds by Johanna K. Pitcairn – YA Psychological and Paranormal Thriller
Click here to access the ebook. Happy reading!
To the average onlooker, the city of Los Angeles represents glitz, glamour, and the celebrity lifestyle. But to seventeen-year-old Julie Jones, the city is a vast host of problems she’s longing to get away from. The latest? An unfortunate disagreement with her ex-boyfriend Mark—one that could land her in some serious hot water.
So rather than face the troubles that torment her, Julie decides to run away from her old life and start fresh somewhere new. But her parents aren’t on board with the plan, and she soon finds her bank accounts frozen and her wallet empty.
With just seventy-five dollars and a full tank of gas, the troubled teen is far too stubborn to turn around and head home. So what’s a girl to do?
What Julie doesn’t know is that her travels are about to take her somewhere unexpected—a place where she’ll be forced to come face to face with the ghosts of her past in order to secure her future.
A tale of redemption, hope, and freedom lost and found, 32 Seconds is a thought-provoking exploration into the human spirit and the nature of forgiveness.
Hello folks!
Click here to access the ebook. Happy reading!
32 Seconds by Johanna K. Pitcairn – YA Psychological and Paranormal Thriller
To the average onlooker, the city of Los Angeles represents glitz, glamour, and the celebrity lifestyle. But to seventeen-year-old Julie Jones, the city is a vast host of problems she’s longing to get away from. The latest? An unfortunate disagreement with her ex-boyfriend Mark—one that could land her in some serious hot water.
So rather than face the troubles that torment her, Julie decides to run away from her old life and start fresh somewhere new. But her parents aren’t on board with the plan, and she soon finds her bank accounts frozen and her wallet empty.
With just seventy-five dollars and a full tank of gas, the troubled teen is far too stubborn to turn around and head home. So what’s a girl to do?
What Julie doesn’t know is that her travels are about to take her somewhere unexpected—a place where she’ll be forced to come face to face with the ghosts of her past in order to secure her future.
A tale of redemption, hope, and freedom lost and found, 32 Seconds is a thought-provoking exploration into the human spirit and the nature of forgiveness.