Cover Reveal for Laurel Garver's Muddy-Fingered Midnights!

Check out this awesome cover for Laurel Garver's new book, Muddy-Fingered Midnights.

 

And, if you didn't have a chance yesterday, come check out Clara's 18 Things at Jamie Ayre's blog.  

Guest Post at Jamie Ayres and An Award

I'm over at Jamie Ayres today with Clara's 18 Things, inspired by Jamie's book 18 Things.

Plus, I am waaaay behind, in giving thanks for an award. Allison at Geek Banter gave me the Very Inspirational Blogger Award a few weeks ago now. I meant to post about that on Monday, and here it is Wednesday. I'm pretty sure that Very Inspirational doesn't stand for Very Late. Despite my lateness, I am very thankful for Allison and this award!!! Thank you!

According to the rules, I have to share 7 things about myself that I have never revealed to you before. Here I go. (Wait, are there things I haven't revealed before? I have a tendency to say too much.)

1. I only have animals that can make their needs known to me by whining, barking, mewing, or by jumping on me. Why? I am a fish killer. Birds either tolerate me or hate me. I did raise rabbits way too successfully as a kid, and I think they're cute, but they are way too quiet. I just like noisy animals - currently, my beagle is barking - not a "I want you to play with me, feed me, or walk me" bark but the"I love barking" bark. I can actually tell the difference in the sound. And now, he went silent, which could mean he's found an animal to watch, or he's plotting a way out of the fence to knock over the neighbor's garbage cans. Noisy pets with big personalities always give me stories to tell, and they definitely help me meet the neighbors.

2. I like fun shaped paper clips, instead of the regular ones, but I use both.

3. I like Trader Joe's green tea mints - no one else I know likes them, but Trader Joe's keeps making them, so there must be someone else that does.

4. To celebrate the finish of Champion in the Darkness, my youngest daughter and I went to a ceramics place and I painted a ceramic box in the shape of a sword.

5. I've had three surgeries on my arms to recover the ability to move my arms, wrists, and fingers and to recover sensation in my hands. I don't take the ability to write, type, zip, button, and touch for granted. It's a gift.

6. My parents both have lifelong disabilities, but I didn't really think of it that way when I was younger, because they didn't. My mom has been deaf in one ear since birth, and my dad was born with something like hammer toes, and then had a surgery that went wrong and lost the part of his right leg as a teen. My mom has always loved to sing in choirs and praise teams, and my dad has always loved to stay active with skiing, canoeing, and tinkering on cars and motorcycles. They always find a way to do what they love. I think, or at least I hope, that gives me a different perspective on life.

7. I have a coin "can" that is shaped like big ben and has a picture of Peter Pan flying on it that I purchased in London in 2000.

I'm supposed to name seven people, and I did try to figure out who had received this award already and who hadn't . . .but I don't like choosing just seven people. You are all VERY INSPIRING bloggers to me. So, if you haven't already received this award, please take it and make it your own.

Please come visit with me at Jamie Ayres, and discover Clara's 18 Things!

Neumarian Uprising, and Guest Post at Geek Banter

 

Please be sure to come and visit with me and Allison at Geek Banter with the Champion in the Darkness blog tour! We'll be talking about trusting yourself as an author.

Meanwhile . . .  

 

Neumarian Uprising

We need your help! Thanks to our spy, Ciara Knight, we are able to communicate with you today via blogs, Facebook, Twitter and other social media.

The Neumarian uprising has begun. We are fighting for freedom and equality for all, but we need your help. Ciara informed us that you might want to know more about the uprising and why we ask you to risk your lives for our cause. To answer these questions I’ve agreed to let Ciara tell my sister’s, Raeth’s, story about her captivity. It will be free for you on a site called Amazon until March 1, 2013.

Our spies have told us this will help spread the word and find more recruits for our rebellion against the tyrannical queen. You can help by simply downloading a free copy of Weighted, a prequel to the Neumarian Chronicles. If you are intrigued and wish to follow our uprising, Escapement, book I of The Neumarian Chronicles, will be available for only $2.99 until March 1, 2013.

Escapement is told by Princess Semara. Don’t hold the fact Semara is a princess against her like I did, there is more to her than you can possibly imagine.

Here is a brief explanation of her telling of our uprising:

Ten years after the great war of 2185 the queen’s reign is threatened by uprisings and fear. In celebration of my sixteenth birthday it is my duty as princess to sacrifice a slave to be initiated into the ruling council, solidifying my mother’s empire. When my own erratic powers surface I’m captured and tried for treason. Slaves hate me, my mother wants me executed, and my only chance of survival rests in the hands of a young man, Ryder Arteres, whose sister I sentenced to death.

What people are saying about Escapement:

“A heady mix of action adventure and steampunk -- leavened with a dash of romance -- ESCAPEMENT offers up its fair share of thrills, horrors and heart-pounding moments. A strong start to a captivating new series.”

-- Jana Oliver, author of The Demon Trapper's Daughter

“A riveting tale of justice, mercy, honor and love. Take a deep breath and hold on, because you'll be turning the pages of Escapement quickly. Three unlikely comrades, Princess Semara, Ryder, and his sister Raeth, embark on a journey that will alter their lives forever. The beautiful love story nestled into these action-packed scenes will make you sigh and remember why you love to love. After reading the prequel Weighted, I knew this story would be amazing, and it was. Ciara Knight truly has a gift for creating awesome worlds and characters you won't forget.”
 

--Lindi Peterson--Award winning author of Summer's Song.

“Betrayal, secrets, and a rebellion send readers on a grand adventure, caught in the plight to discover Semara’s gifts and purpose.”

--Alex J Cavanaugh, author of Amazon best sellers CassaStar and CassaFire

 

“The most unmissable series ever! I couldn't stop reading, the action and romance too breathtaking to break the spell!”

--ARC review by Sudah on Goodreads

"A courageous heart-stopping journey by young people to save their kind."

--Hildie McQueen, bestselling author of Where the Four Winds Collide

If you’d like to see a peak into our world, please view this short clip on You Tube.

If you are now ready to join our fight, please add Escapement to your TBR shelf on Goodreads here. Shout out on all your social media sites, and tell everyone you know to stand up and fight.

Be Bold.

Be Brave.

Be Free.

In the name of the rebellion,
Ryder Arteres

Escapement can be found at Amazon.

Rafflecopter giveaway: a Rafflecopter giveaway

http://www.amazon.com/Escapement-The-Neumarian-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00BC1H1I0/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1361369488&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=Escapement+by+ciara+knight


And after you've joined the fight, please remember to stop by and visit with me at Geek Banter! 

 

Celebrate the Small Stuff, CassaStorm Cover Reveal, An Award, and The Champion in the Darkness tour

First, please, go to Tara Tyler's blog, and check out the interview there! Tara is so much fun, and she's so creative! I really enjoy visiting with her!

Celebrate the Small Things is an awesome way to stay positive hosted by VikLit!

1. Champion in the Darkness is available in paperback and in Nook books. Plus I've had a really fun week on the book blog tour. Remember, check out Tara Tyler Talks today!

2. I survived triple booking myself on Wednesday. I don't recommend it, but the fests were too fun to pass up.

3.There are three ways to win Champion in the Darkness now! Laurel at Laurel's Leave is hosting an ebook giveway here which is awesome! Thank you Laurel! Brinda Berry included Champion in the Darkness in her Random Acts of Kindness giveaway, and I totally didn't expect that. Thank you Brinda! Plus, you can check out the ongoing blog tour giveaway on my Blog tour page here.

4. Mid-winter break!

5. My family is awesome! (too many details to cover here, just let's say that they have been especially wonderful this week)

6. I snowboarded last Friday and had fun, even though I spent 5 hours going down the bunny hill repetitively, when usually I would ski past it in less than five minutes.

7. Alex J. Cavanaugh's new cover for CassaStorm is out!

CassaStorm by Alex J. Cavanaugh

http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/

 

A storm gathers across the galaxy…

 

Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, his only struggles are occasional rogue pirate raids and endless government bureaucracies. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.

 

After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, shaking Bassan to the core and threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.

 

Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could be on its way back. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…

 

Release date: September 17, 2013 - It's not coming soon enough, but I'm excited. Congrats Alex!

 

8. Allison at Geek Banter awarded me with the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. Wow! Thanks!

I'm going to honor that award properly next week on Monday here, while I'm visiting her at her blog for the Champion in the Darkness tour . . .trying to make double booking myself make sense.

 

 

Again, please stop by Tara Tyler Talks for a little Friday fun!

 

What are you celebrating today?

Level Up Blogfest, Progressive Book Club, and Champion Blog Tour

I'm spending my time in three places today (not sure how it's possible but I'm trying). I'm gaming with Level Up Blogfest, reading with ML Swift's Book Club, and I'm touring at Laurel's Leaves for the Champion in the Darkness Book Tour. Oh, and I put my She Said What? Post yesterday. I think I'll have to more of a realist with my time one of these days, but it's Midwinter break, so it's all good, right? If you don't have time to read all the following, just scroll until you find what you're looking for:

 Brought to you by Allison at Geek Banter and Jamie from Mithril Wisdom, Level Up Blogfest gives us a chance to share our favorite games.

I had a tough time choose just one favorite. I love games. I'm not a huge video game player like my husband and kids, because if I got sucked into playing one of those ongoing games I would never come out. I stick with little ones like Fruit Ninja . . .only 60 seconds. (Then I make myself stop.)

As a kid I loved Monopoly, War, Rummy, Slapjack, and pretend Star Wars. My favorite video games as an early teen were Zaxxon, and Joust. (I'm old)

Then I learned to play Ditch'em, which is kind of like what my kids call Home Free. Two teams. One base. One team hides, and tries to run to the base, while the other team guards the base and tries to tag the runners/hiders. If a person doesn't get found or if a runner gets to the base, then the hiding/running team wins. However, if the base team finds all the hiders or tags all the runners, then the base team wins. I spent hours and hours playing Ditch'em during the summers with my neighborhood friends so in a nostalgic way I consider it my favorite game of all time.

For my 14 year old daughter's recent birthday, we played games for six hours in a ballroom sized dance studio with 21 kids. (Awesome fun for all of us) The games: Capture the Flag, Birdie on a Perch, Foot relay, Draw relay, Signs, Wink, Everybody's It Tag, Shuffling Bums/Chairs, Human Knot Race (two teams), I've Never Ever, Group Charades, 4 Corners, Tap, and Partner Everyone's It Tag. Later, the fun continued with Pass the Story, Mafia, and Pictionary.

If you haven't guessed yet, we are avid game players in our house, from Catan and Chess, to Pictionary and Nerts. If you meet us, and we have a deck of cards or an open space to play in, Game On!

What are your favorite games? Do you like video games, board games, card games, group/party games, or all of the above?

 The Progressive Book Club, brought to us by ML Swift is focused on books about the craft of writing, with a few fiction books thrown in for fun!

Our book this month is: Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott.

 

 

Ages ago, a college professor of mine recommended Bird by Bird to me, and I found it and read it right away, awed by the way that Lamott gets to the throat and heart of writing in this book on writing and life. Reading it this time brought back both memories, and some reminders that I truly enjoyed. As with the first time, the most memorable section of the book for me is the first on on writing. I love the chapters on short assignments, sh-y first drafts, and polaroids. They remind me to keep it simple, and not try to write an entire "perfect" novel in one sitting.

 

When overwhelmed by the big idea of writing a novel, Lamott says, "I remember to pick up the one-inch picture frame (that she keeps on her desk) and to figure out a one-inch piece of my story to tell, one small scene, one memory, one exchange."

 

Although I find many other parts of Bird by Bird to be compelling, hilarious, interesting, and helpful for writing, the image of the one-inch picture frame sticks with me. I even used to have a picture frame like that on my desk in college. The question is now, in the midst of messy, busy life, where did I put that thing? Now I look out the window and that window frame reminds me of the same idea - except the window frame is way too big.





Have you ever read Bird by Bird? Do you use a picture frame, or a window frame to help you focus your writing time?

Next Month for Progressive Book Club, we're reading Save the Cat! and I'm already one chapter in and taking notes.

Please, stop by Laurel's Leaves for the Champion in the Darkness book tour stop!

She Said What?! Blog-o-versary Giveaway Bash, Minion Badge, and Giveaway

 The "She Said What?!" Blogaversary Giveaway Bash is brought to us by Michelle and Elise, both celebrating their blogaversaries! For this fun event, each blogger gets to fill in the captions:

Add caption Panel 1: "Look out Elise, I see the dragon's cheek! She's right behind me." "Dudette, I know, get up in this balloon so we can getaway with her treasure!"
Panel 2: "Michelle, what are you doing?" "My foot got caught in a twist Just help me up, all right?"
Panel 3: "Don't worry Lady Dragon, I'm here to save your treasure from these two thieves!"

Panel 4: "Oomph!" Panel 5: Michelle, jump for the lake! Panel 6: "That was easier than I expected." "Yeah, it just goes to show you that even supergirl can't tango with us and get away with it."

Panel 7: Dragon: "Oh no, supergirl is hurt, and my treasure is gone!" Elise: "I've heard there's a healer in that next town, we'll send you  some champagne to help supergirl. That might get her buzz back!"

Ok, so my entry for that made no sense at all, but I had fun. Hopefully the dragon will take good care of supergirl, even if the two thieves forget to send the champagne.

 

 

I've been having so much fun these days that I thought I would sign up for more fun as an A to Z minion for Spunk on a Stick. Check out the cool badge:

 

 

 

Meanwhile, my Champion in the Darkness blog tour is going well, thanks to all of my awesome blogger buddies. In addition to those awesome buddies who signed up to help, I've had some unexpected, totally surprise help in spreading the word about Champion in the Darkness.

 

Brinda Berry is hosting a Random Acts of Kindness Giveaway on her blog, and Champion in the Darkness is one of the five books available for that! Check it out here!

 

 

Also, I haven't been very good about posting this on my blog, but I'm having a long Giveaway with the blog tour. If you want to sign up, here's the rafflectopter info:

 

 

 





 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Dianne Gardner on Art and Writing, Champion in the Darkness Tour, and Writers4Writers

Dianne Gardner is an artist and is the author of Deception Peak, Dragon Shield, Silvio, Menaka, Kaempie, and Reuben. She's currently touring for her latest novel, Dragon Shield, and I had a question for her about art and writing. Meanwhile, I'm at Dianne's blog Ian's Realm discussing Faith in Fiction. It's part one of a series of faith in writing that is part of the Champion in the Darkness tour. So, after making Dianne welcome here, please come visit me at Ian's Realm.

Tyrean writes…I have a student who is a writer and an artist. We've been discussing whether artists describe their characters more than non-artists. She's an artist, I'm not. She excels at description, I don't. I have a tendency to struggle to get the descriptions on the page even if they are in my imagination. Do you feel that your artistry helps with your character descriptions and characterization? If so, how much?

I have to tell you I believe that being an artist helps me to write good descriptions.

 Although I don’t believe you have to be an artist per se to write good description. You only need to be observant.

 One of the most important lessons when studying artist is that a good artist spends more time observing than they do creating art. Consider the following quotes:

 Art demands constant observation. (Vincent van Gogh)

 A heightened sense of the observation of nature is one of the chief delights that have come to me through trying to paint. (Winston Churchill)

 It is difficult to say why I decided I wanted to be an artist. Obviously, I had some facility, more than other people, but sometimes facility comes because one is more interested in looking at things, examining them, more interested in the visual world than other people are. (David Hockney)

 When you’ve trained not only your eye, but your temperment, to observe things around you it is amazing how much more alive the world becomes. You begin to see colors that you had no idea were present. I once argued with a student of mine that there were indeed purple in the tree trunks. It wasn’t until they began to slow down and really observe did they see the many hues that make up our surroundings.

 When you study art you learn about the warms and cools of color, how the sun affects nature, how ambient light seeping through a window can create a mood. How, if the light glares at you from below -the shadows that are cast will make you look ghoulish.

 All of these things can be written in your book. You can explain an atmosphere through observing life around you as if you have the eyes of an artist. And you don’t necessarily have to be able to draw well. You just need to observe well.

One of the best lessons of observance I’ve had has been studying plein air painting. Plein air painting is when an artist paints a landscape on site. The trick behind this kind of painting is that you work for no more than two hours. Why? Because after two hours the sun has shifted, the shadows have moved and the atmosphere has changed. Often you’ll find plein air paintings very small for this very reason.

 It’s little wonder that a plein air artist has trained their eye to observe the nuances of nature. They have heightened their observance skills to adapt to their needs.

The great thing about this is, anyone can do it. Even if you don’t know how to mix colors, or ‘draw a straight line’ or know perspective, you can at least train your eye to see them.

 And then find the words to explain what you see!

 

       

 

Dianne Lynn Gardner

Author-Illustrator

Young Adult Fantasy-Adventure Fiction

Dianne Gardner is both an author and illustrator living the Pacific Northwest, Olalla Washington. She’s an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and the National League of American Pen Women. She has written Young Adult Fantasy novels as well as articles for national magazines and newspapers and she is an award-winning artist.

Dianne spent many years living out in the desert wilderness of the American Southwest, lived in a hogan made from adobe and cedar for thirteen years, co-owned 25 horses both pure bred and Native American ponies, traveled horseback and by wagon throughout the Navajo reservation, herded sheep and goat, worked in the forest planting trees and piling, farmed on barren soil and even lived in a teepee for a short while. She spent many long years using survival skills as a way of life.
Later she studied pastoral counseling and was a Pastor’s apprentice at a mainline church. She and her husband have been feeding the homeless for over twelve years. Today she shares both her survival experiences and her love for people, especially young people, into her writing as a way to not only to give her readers a firm understanding of her stories’ characters, but a rich appreciation of nature.

 

You can find more about Dragon Shield, and Dianne Gardner at the following links:

 Official Book Blog   Dragon Shield Trailer

 

Website     Facebook     Twitter     Author Central     Goodreads

 

Deception Peak at Amazon   Dragon Shield at Amazon 

 

Deception Peak at Smashwords 

 

Dianne Lynn Gardner
Hydra Publications

Ian's Realm: Deception Peak

Teenage Ian Wilson follows his father through a portal into a deceptively beautiful Realm, where horses run free, the wind sings prophetic melodies, and their computer avatars come to life. But separation from his dad puts Ian in peril as he’s abducted by a tribe of dragon worshipers and forced to find his courage.  As he struggles for his freedom and embarks on a perilous search for his father he meets the true peacekeepers of the Realm, and learns of a greater purpose for his being there. 

Ian's Realm: The Dragon Shield

As a young man, Ian returns to the Realm to fight against the tyranny that has befallen his friends. But the Realm is a different place, the forest is dying, the Kaemperns have lost the shield that protected them from the dragon, and Ian has a hard time proving his allegiance when trouble follows him through the portal. His struggle to do right buries him in confusion, and he must fight his own will to prove his integrity.

Again, please come visit me today at Ian's Realm to discuss Faith in Fiction: Part 1.

And remember, today is Writers4Writers: Go Gwen and Melissa!

 

Celebrate the Small Things, News, and Champion in the Darkness Blog Tour



Champion in the Darkness Blog Tour Stop with Laura Josephsen today!



We're supposed to be celebrating small things, but this has been another huge week for me.
1. My book, Champion in the Darkness, is out in ebook format! (Paperback is coming soon)

2. Awesome people helped spread the word about my book in big and small ways. Friends, family members, blog buddies, homeschool co-op friends, and even random acquaintances congratulated me throughout the day. My homeschool co-op group sent out a mass e-mail about my book. Bloggers posted and tweeted. My family took my out to dinner and gave me balloons and flowers. It was amazing, and I felt overwhelmed by all the amazing support! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

3. A local book club chose my book as their March book! Wow! I found out while standing in line at Costco.

4. I started my blog tour, and it's been fun. Today I'm at Laura Josephsen's blog discussing How a Rejection Letter Started a Novel. Come check it out!

NEWS This is what I know, there's probably more.
Cover RevealCover reveal for Sheri Fink's new book, the Little Firefly

 Christine Raines' book The Dragonslayer is out, and she's touring. Look for her around the blogsphere!


Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn is currently free! I highly recommend it!











Champion in the Darkness Tour
Today's Stop: Laura Josephson     Topic: How a Rejection Letter Started a Novel
Next week:

Upcoming Events, News, and Champion in the Darkness blog tour

The amazing Susan Kaye Quinn is hosting me at her blog today for the Champion in the Darkness blog book tour. Please come and say hello!

Upcoming Events!

I just joined the Indelibles, but I don't have a post for today.

Next week February 19-21st online. Free. It's IndieReCON

National Wormhole Day Bloghop on March 13th and 14th hosted by to you by Laura Eno and Luanne Smith at Bards and Prophets.

 The Top Ten Movie Countdown Blogfest by Ninja Captain Alex on March 18th!

NEWS!
T. Drecker's short story,  In the Shadow of the Eagle's Eye, is in the upcoming anthology, Real Girls Don't Rust. Congratulations T. Drecker!!!


Mirandy Hardy and Rimi Rashee have their first picture book out, Wacky Waddles. Congrats Miranda and Rimi!











Book Tour Info for Champion in the Darkness


February 13th          Susan Kaye Quinn

February 15th          Laura Josephsen

February 18th          Dianne L. Gardner

February 20th          Laurel Garver

February 22nd          Tara Tyler

February 25th          Allison at Geek Banter

February 27th          Jamie Ayres

March 1st                Livia Peterson

March 4th             Alex J. Cavanaugh

March 13th            Nickie AndersonI'm hanging out with Susan Kaye Quinn today. Come check it out!

Champion in the Darkness Release Party!

 

It's here, it's here!!! Champion in the Darkness is here! I'm so excited!!! After years of hard work followed by a two week cram session of formatting, Champion in the Darkness is out, and can be found at Amazon Kindle, Smashwords, Goodreads, and iBookstore. Hopefully, within the next few days it will be in Kobo, Lulu, and in trade paperback.

 

Please join me in celebrating! Raise your nearest sword, or flagon of mead, coffee, or tea, and cheer!

Then dance around the room! And hug someone!

 

If you can, please help me celebrate and spread the word by giving Champion in the Darkness a shout out on your blog, twitter, facebook, myspace, pinterest, or goodreads. I would really appreciate it. If you do that, please attach your name to the linky list, so that I'm sure the visit and give thanks properly! Also, please sign up for the Rafflecopter giveaway that will go for the length of the blog tour.

 

I'm an indie author, so your word is the only way that Champion in the Darkness will get noticed. If you see the name "Wings of Light Publishing" in my book - well, that's just me. See the page up top about that.

 

First stop on the blog tour is at Susan Kaye Quinn's blog on Wednesday! And on Friday, I'll be at Laura Josephsen's blog. For more details on that, check out the Champion Book release and blog tour tab up top.

 

Again, many thanks to all of you for helping me spread the word and celebrate today!!!

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Celebrate the Small Things (and a few big ones)

Celebrate the Small Things is an awesome weekly blog post exercise in positivity hosted by Vikki at Scribblings of an Aspiring Author. Think of anything, like: getting the laundry folded, writing a sentence or two every day, surviving a tough day, spending time on the treadmill - and then celebrate them.

I feel like I'm cheating on this celebration this week. I have huge things to celebrate - gigantic, big, enormous, exciting things.

1. I formatted my novel in three different ways, and successfully uploaded it to two different sites. I had help from my husband with two of them, but we worked together too, and I did the third on my own.

2. I learned how to use author central at amazon, learned more about smashwords, createspace, and kindle, and finally wrote four guest posts!!! (I conquered that guest post fear, and realized that I was trying too hard to be "cool" like all the "coolio" bloggers I know and decided I should just write in my comfort zone instead)

3. I have a cover. It's cool looking. There might be a few changes made to it before Monday, but I do have one!

4. My kids survived a homeschooling week while I spent too much time with my book release prep. I did remember to tear myself away from my stuff to give feedback on writing, go through some math equations, and find out that my oldest daughter wants to re-evaluate her history curriculum. She feels she isn't retaining enough of the information. So, somehow tomorrow or early next week, I'll be figuring out how to make history more meaningful.

5. Went to a high school informational night for homeschool families that included looking at different school options, including running start. I knew 95% of the info (partly because I used to be a certified public high school teacher), but my oldest daughter learned a great deal and came away enthusiastic about running start. Plus, I reconnected with some "old" homeschool buddies and "current" homeschool buddies.

6. I didn't get any decent cardio exercise this week, but I did stretch out for quite a while on Thursday and today I will ski.

7. Had an awesome guest post yesterday by L. Diane Wolf. If you haven't read it, check it out. Her new book, How to Publish and Promote Your Book Now, sounds like a treasure trove of information. I purchased a copy, and so far, well, I really wish I had read it six months ago. I highly recommend it.


What are you celebrating today?

News
Julie Flanders' Polar Night is out today on Kindle!!!













If you haven't yet, please sign up for the Champion in the Darkness book release party for Monday. To join the party, just sign up on the linky list and give me a simple shout out. You don't have to use all the information I'll send you if you are signed up. Quick shout outs are perfect! I'm just using a blog hop link so I know who to send information to this weekend. Plus, on Monday the rafflecopter giveaway will start.
Charity Bradford'sCharity Bradford's book The Magic Wakes is coming soon on February 19th!

Welcome L. Diane Wolf: Writing Articles to Promote Our Books

Today I'm thrilled to host L. Diane Wolf!!!

 

 

Writing Articles to Promote Our Books

 

 

Marketing is all about putting ourselves and our product in front of potential buyers. An excellent way for authors do this is through articles. Articles posted online also add to our search engine fodder and increase our website’s traffic and ranking. And we have the advantage—we’re already a writer.

 

What should we write about? What are some of the key topics in our book? What research did we conduct? We are a wealth of information on at least one subject if not more. If our book is about gardening, we can write articles on the best time to plant, controlling pests, or selecting the proper soil. If our fiction book is a love story set in Savannah, GA, we can write about the history of that town.

 

The purpose of an article is to inform or solve problems. It is not to feature our book. We can mention our book if it's relevant, but our article should not be a 1,000 word commercial. We’re selling ideas, experience, tips, and knowledge. We’re selling us, as an expert. If we can sell US to the reader—presenting ourselves as an expert able to help others—people will make a connection with us.

 

Articles carry another purpose; to move the reader from the article to our website or blog. Our name and website should be listed at the bottom of every article we write. (This is called the byline.) Once the reader reaches our site, he will then be exposed to our books.

 

Where should our articles appear? Where does our audience go? Sites such as:

 

·         Websites

·         Blogs

·         Online magazines

·         News sites

·         Article banks

 

The real world holds possibilities, too. Look for magazines both big and small, newspapers, small circulars or flyers, etc. Some of these venues require articles six or more months in advance, so check the submission guidelines and query what subjects they currently seek.

 

Articles should begin to appear a few months before our book's release, and continue a month or two past that date. (Longer if possible.) Aim for one to three articles a week. That may seem like a lot, but one a week is only four a month. We can even recycle older articles and use them for newsletters or blog posts.

 

Once the ball is rolling, it will become easier to produce more articles. We just need to get our name and website out in front of potential readers as often as possible. Brainstorm some article topics today!

 

 

 

 

L. Diane Wolfe

Professional Speaker & Author

 

Known as “Spunk On A Stick,” Wolfe is a member of the National Speakers Association and the author of numerous books. Her latest title, “How to Publish and Promote Your Book Now,” covers her publishing seminars in depth and provides an overview of the entire process from idea to market. “Overcoming Obstacles With SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership & Goal-Setting”, ties her goal-setting and leadership seminars together into one complete, enthusiastic package. Her YA series, The Circle of Friends, features morally grounded, positive stories. Wolfe travels extensively for media interviews and speaking engagements, maintains a dozen websites & blogs, and assists writers through her author services..

 

www.spunkonastick.net

http://www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com

www.thecircleoffriends.net

 

 

 

 

HOW TO PUBLISH AND PROMOTE YOUR BOOK NOW!

BY L. DIANE WOLFE

 

Publishing and promoting made simple!

 

Have you always dreamed of publishing a book but didn’t know where to begin? This book walks you through the steps of identifying markets, budgeting, building an online presence, and generating publicity. Get the whole story on:

 

·           Traditional publishing

·           Self-publishing

·           Print and e-book setup, formatting, and distribution

·           Finding your target audience

·           Generating reviews and media interest

·           Networking and developing an online presence

·           Promotional materials and appearances

 

Uncover your ideal publishing path and numerous marketing options before you begin. Writing is your dream. Give it the best chance for success!

 

Available February 5, 2012

Publishing/Marketing, 214 pages

$14.95 Trade paperback ISBN 978-0-9827139-5-2

$4.95 Ebook ISBN 978-0-9827139-9-0

Available in all Ebook formats

 

“She gives an unbiased take on the advantages and disadvantages of traditional publishing and self-publishing and publishing paths that combine the two… It's the perfect book for those who want an overview to begin the decision-making process.”

- Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning series of how-to books for writers http://howtodoitfrugally.com/

 

“A must-read for writers planning on self-publishing or any writer who wants the ultimate how-to on promoting. Tons of links, advice, and how-to, whether you're going for print or e-publication.”

- Helen Ginger, author of Angel Sometimes http://helenginger.com/

 

Available February 5, 2012

Publishing/Marketing, 214 pages, Dancing Lemur Press LLC

$14.95 Trade paperback ISBN 978-0-9827139-5-2

$4.99 Ebook ISBN 978-0-9827139-9-0

 

Available at the following links/sites:

 

Barnes and Noble

Amazon -

Amazon Kindle -