Tag: Books

On the Bookshelves

On By dotluvs2writeIn Beauty, blogging, Fiction Writing, humanity, Inspirational, News Events, Past Life Activities, Religious, Travel, Writing Techniques2 Comments

Passage of Promise closeup bookstore pic

 

Once there was a twelve-year-old girl who used her index fingers to peck the keys of her dad’s electric typewriter to write her first book, A Stuffed House. Then in her mid teen years, she wrote a historical romance trilogy set during the US Civil War. She went on to write a novel in her early to mid twenties, took a long seventeen-year hiatus for marriage and family, and came back to writing in 2014. She wrote her debut novel, Passage of Promise, in 2015 and finished revising and editing it in 2019. It was published May 1, 2020.

Passage of Promise midview bookstore pic

Today, she stopped by the local bookstore in her town and saw her book on one of their bookshelves. This was a new experience for her. A joyful and proud experience. She’s thankful to Sudden Fiction Books for carrying her work.

Passage of Promise local authors pics bookstore

If you are in the Denver, Castle Rock, or Colorado Springs area, stop by Sudden Fiction Books in Castle Rock if you like to help local bookstores. You can buy my book there or online via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Indiebound.

 

Thank you, God, for giving me this talent to share with others.

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Pick up your copy of Passage of Promise  at Sudden Fiction Books in Castle Rock, CO, if you’re local. If not, try Amazon or Barnes & Noble!

Me with PofP final print copy April 27 2020

Marketing Your Novel

On By dotluvs2writeIn blogging, Fiction Writing, Inspirational, Musings, Past Life Activities, Writing TechniquesLeave a comment

marketing your book

For the past three weeks, I’ve been working to the point of exhaustion on marketing my debut novel, Passage of Promise.

Writers, especially introverted ones like me, who have not yet published their works, look upon the upcoming marketing and promoting of their books with some dread. It looms out there, always prodding in the back of your brain, telling you, “You’ll have to work your butt off after you hit the “Distribute” button on your publication date”.

You thought the first draft was a whole lot of sweat and mentally draining. The hundreds of revisions and several edits were drudgery. The last minute tweaks and perfecting before publishing were nerve-wracking.

Well, of course, it is true all of that is hard work, but then you’ve reached the point of promoting and marketing your book. You’ve never marketed yourself so hard since the instances where you’ve interviewed for a job.

It feels awkward at first. Your confidence isn’t quite up to the task. But as people purchase your book, you begin to truly believe your story is worth even more than you originally thought.

Then, as your confidence grows, your promoting, reaching out via social media, local bookstores, online bookstores, libraries, etc. becomes easier.

And it boosts your confidence more so when your book is accepted by a local bookstore and the library includes you in one of their Author Showcases for the year.

No doubt, I’ve had to ramp up massage appointments and drink extra calming tea through this period. But it’s all part of being an author. It comes with the job.

These are the actions I’ve taken to promote my book:

Posting on social media about my book and where my book can be purchased

Contacted local bookstore to carry my book and do a future author event

Contacted local library to participate in their 2020 Authors Showcase event

Contacted online bookstores, as well as a large bookstore in Denver

Contacted my former and current churches

Contacted a good friend who does radio interviews

Made fliers for my book to set in local and church bookstores

Will post a picture when my book is on the shelf of the local bookstore

With all of this in place, I’m taking a little breather for the next several days.

I hope these ideas are helpful to new and first-time published authors.

Happy writing!

 

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Pick up your copy of Passage of Promise  via Amazon or Barnes & Noble!

Me with PofP final print copy April 27 2020

 

Take Advantage of a Difficult Shut-In in Many Creative and Good Ways

On By dotluvs2writeIn Beauty, blogging, Cultural and Political, humanity, Inspirational, Musings, Nature, News Events, Past Life Activities, Pets, ReligiousLeave a comment

window seat with books and pillows

As we huddle in our homes, there are so many things we can do, whether we live alone or are with our family members. Here are some ideas I thought about and wanted to share.

During a time of trials and hardships, there is always light that shines in the darkness. Always a sprinkle of blessings throughout the struggle and sadness of isolation and a sense of loss of freedom.

But it is for both our health and our neighbors.

So, here’s some activities I have for our homebound selves:

READ

Fragonard painting of woman reading

Now is your chance to catch up on your reading. I have a stack of books on my nightstand and also online fellow writers’ works that I’m reading, a little at a time. Help out authors, like me (ahem), in buying and reading our books. My book is in the processing step of publishing. Its publication date is May 4, 2020.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing my book cover and a book video trailer. Please be on the lookout!

HOBBIES

knitting skeins

If you like to do jigsaw puzzles, write stories, draw, paint, cook, knit, or whatever it is your hobby, you have so much time for it now. Catch up on all those things that give you comfort and joy.

MOVIES

up on poppy hill

You can binge watch, if you haven’t been doing it already, all the movies you’ve missed, or watch your favorites again.

WATCH LIVE STREAMING RELIGIOUS VIDEOS — If you are a person of faith, catch up on your church’s, temple’s, synagogues’, mosques’ worships, if they are being live streamed, to connect with those holy and edifying services.

NATURE WALKS

walking trail with woman

Walking is always a good way to exercise, clear your mind, and find peace in your natural surroundings. It does the brain, heart, body, and soul good.

FACETIME OR ZOOM WITH FRIENDS — This morning, I connected with my dear friends from church in a quick zoom video to prepare them for continuing my women’s bible study on Zoom Tuesday evenings. It was so wonderful seeing their faces and talking to them. You might want to do the same. Set up a time to chat with your friends on one of the platforms that allows for multiple people to chat, like Zoom, or maybe catch up with a good friend via FaceTime.

REST

woman resting 2

If your life has been too busy and exhausting, now is the time to rest, maybe even get in a few naps you’ve needed but never were able to take before.

BOARD GAMES AND VIDEO GAMES WITH FAMILY

family playing board game

You can spend a lot of time with family, if you are still living with them, or your children are still in the house with you. Pull out those old board games and play them. Or get out a fun family video game like Mario Kart or Mario Golf or whatever you prefer, and play with your family. Family time, to me, seems to have been lessened in the past few decades. But this is an opportunity to bond and reconnect.

CUDDLE WITH YOUR FUR BABIES

Jewel and I 12:5:08

(Old picture of my dog, Jewel (RIP) and I from 2008)

They’re always a comfort to you, and you can be one to them more than ever. Smother them with pets, strokes, and hugs.

CHERISH THE TIME TOGETHER WITH THOSE YOU LOVE — As was mentioned, reconnect with family, show them love, and include your pets.

 

Hopefully, this pandemic will dissipate in a few months. In the meantime, God be with you all, stay healthy, and love to you all.

 

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