Memory Lane: Tree/House Version

While I was writing Tree/House, my first big project, I went looking for all the ego-boosters I could among the educated people in my hometown. Going through my junk recently, I found a sheet of their comments. What they had to say is still music to my soul.

My then-boyfriend couldn't get over it when we discovered that I think in English prose, considering and crafting each thought before passing it through my lips or pen.

My high school junior year English teacher noted: "You have a natural and instinctual grace and elegance." My prose is "always well-dressed, finely bred and stately." My poetry "captures a freshness, innocence, and dreaminess." I have "a wonderful ear for conversation and dialogue" and my "characters converse as real, compelling people."

My high school senior year English teacher claimed I was far smarter than he. "I read in your style a passion that was uncommon, saw a tease that was subtle and alluring, felt a tickle that needed to be scratched." He also advised that I should take more risks (though mostly I have failed to undertand what that would mean  to my writing). "If you ever let loose and showed people the passion that is within you, you might cause the wig-tappers to be called out in force to straighten all the wigs you'd flip." (Yes, I used that image in Tree/House -- how could I let that slip away unwritten?)

I could never see these wonderful things in my own writing. It feels weird to type them here. I know only that I had to write. If what they said was ever true, I hope I have only improved with time!

See Tree/House at eTLC.

Thank You

While I was unable to start a global kindness movement in honor of my birthday and for the sake of the rhinos, I have been really touched by the responses I've gotten to my heartfelt pleas.

Dave Evardson, author of The Fenwold Riddle, donated to the rhino cause I directed everyone to right away, making feel the effort had already been worthwhile. Megan Eichenlaub, my colleague from Tucson and the namer of Loose Leaves Publishing (not to mention all the other talents she possesses); Sam Covell, a beautiful spirit with whom I could have had a fruitful in-person friendship if I hadn't met her so close to my departure from Tucson; B. N. Peacock, author of A Tainted Dawn, professing her love for animals; and Kim Rendfeld, author of The Cross and the Dragon and from what I've seen, a very generous person, also donated.

All of you truly moved me with your generosity. Thank you so much.

No one reported any random acts of kindness to me, but if you care to let me know, I'd love to write about something like that here! I performed a non-random act by donating many items in excellent condition to our local Goodwill, but Im sure may of you can come up with something more creative than that.

On another note, I'm on the verge of making my lifelong dream of finishing my first novel come true. It's now that I need to gear up and seriously get my name and whatever else I have to offer out there so that by the time it's published, all the right readers will be champing at the bit to purchase, read, and write reviews for The Seven Noble Knights of Lara. How to do that when marketing grates against my sensibilities as a shy person?

Lately I've been reading that some experts think the conversation of social media has been taken over by too many people using traditional advertising techniques. I agree that it's getting too loud out here, someone turn the volume down! People joke about "shameless plugs" but for me they have always been full of shame, so I've resolved not to fall into that pattern (when I can identify it).

I'll still post content I like or love, simply because I like it. In fact, next week I have a guest post by author Kim Rendfeld that I find fascinating and am genuinely excited to present. I hope you'll like it, too.

If you have any ideas for what I should do about marketing (effectively and with no money) at this important juncture, I'd love to hear it!

Guest Post Today!

I got a wonderful boost for my birthday today! My little ol' guest post is appearing on Rachelle Gardner's incomparably useful blog. Check it out!

Thank you! And many thanks to Rachelle for choosing my musings.

Authors After Dark

A wonderful writer and social media friend of mine, J. Gunnar Grey, will be attending the Authors After Dark Festival of all things Romance books. She'll be handing out goody bags, and in them you'll find some of my postcards and bookmarks and even a CD with a free pdf of my story "Rhinoceros Dreams." (This is the story that is also going to be available from Jake's Monthly: Magic Realism. Get it here, get it there, but get it while you can!)

Although I don't have what it takes to write romance, I have nothing but respect and affection for romance writers in general (and a few specific ones). So enjoy Authors After Dark today through Sunday, August 12 and look for me in the goody bags!

Readers, Only You Can Help Authors

Jeri Westerson recently laid out some things active readers can do to support their favorite authors in this exciting, confusing time. I don't necessarily think these are obligations, or even responsibilities, as she puts it, but if readers do decide to actively support a certain author, they need to know that their actions have huge, direct effects on the publishing industry, so they should purchase and engage in social media in a conscious manner.

I love being a writer, but like most other authors I'm struggling to get my writing noticed above the sound and fury.

Tomorrow is my birthday. I've already asked you to help me save the rhinos (here and here), but I have some great ideas for random acts of kindness, too. These are all things I've done to support other authors, but I figure my birthday is a great excuse to call you out in force for my sake!

You could buy my books. Try these links or request them at your local library or bookstore.

Tree/House: paperback Kindle Nook Kobo eTLC
Dusk Before Dawn: paperback Kindle Nook Kobo
Sail to Italy and Sail from Italy: paperback Kindle Nook Kobo
Threads Woven: Kindle Nook Kobo
Law and Order in Medieval Spain: paperback Kindle Nook Kobo
The Abencerraje: paperback Kindle (Also, you can still borrow it for free if you're Amazon Prime! It's like Christmas for me when you do!)

Lots to choose from!

If you have no money to spare (or, and especially if, I already gave you a free copy), these other highly appreciated acts will cost you nothing but a little bit of time.

Step 1: Log into Amazon. It's basically the same no matter which country you prefer. Search my books or use the links provided above.

Step 2: Click the Like button.

Step 3: If you've read it and liked it, write a review. If there are other reviews, click the button indicating that they were useful to you. If there are bad reviews or ones you don't agree with, vote them down. Contact me for free review copies if you haven't read it and it looks interesting to you.

Step 4: Share it via Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest (if you are so inclined).

Step 5: Scroll down until you see the section about "Tags."

With a few simple clicks, you can agree with all the relevant tags. (In this example, "crime drama" isn't relevant, so please don't agree with it.) Then you can fill in the box with any other relevant tags you can think of for that book. Creative and amusing!

Still at Amazon, you also can go to my Amazon author page and click on the Like button, look at videos, and share it via twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, or even that old dinosaur, email.

It already feels better to help my cheery, thoughtful books than to play Angry Birds, doesn't it!

If you have a Goodreads.com account (I highly recommend it!), you can add my books, rate them with four or five stars (if you like them, that is), and if you really like them, add a review and add them to lists and suggest them to other readers. You can also become my fan. I'd love to have you!

Returning to this blog, there are a few more things you can do to help out.

1. Follow this blog. Get your picture up there on the left with all the other Truly Awesome People or type in your email address (I won't spam you).

2. Use the easy-peasy buttons just below the followers to follow me on Facebook and Twitter. I also have other Facebook pages and amusing places to visit listed in the Contact Me page.

3. Use the silly simple buttons at the bottom of each post you like to share it via email, Blogger, Twitter, Facebook or Google Plus.

4. Comment on posts you like. Let's get the conversation going!

Did you even know there were so many ways you as the reader could assist your favorite authors? Every click helps raise Amazon rankings and makes books more visible to search engines so your favorite authors can find their sometimes elusive but always lovable target readers.

Thank you. Any of these actions performed in kindness will help to boost the world's karma in some small way. This is just about the only feedback I can get for my job, and I take it all very seriously.

The Many Ways to Get Your Book to Your Readers

Terry Giuliano Long created a stir with the blog post Where Do Books Come From? It explains for the uninitiated (and some confused industry insiders) the differences between traditional and self-publishing and the untold advantages being unlocked by the latter in the wacky, wild, changing publishing climate.

Most of the claims in the article are undeniable. I've reviewed a few self-published novels over the life of this blog and in general, they've been worthy efforts, so I support the freedoms self-publishing provides to people with the chutzpah to do a good job.

I would really like to know: is the stigma really wearing off? What is the reader's opinion of self-published books? With the improvements in self-publishing options, how can readers distinguish which ones are of an acceptable writing quality? Does the reader ever miss the gatekeeping function of traditional publishing?

The Nicest Acceptance Letter Ever

It's always a thrill to get a letter of acceptance for any publication I've submitted to, but the one I received yesterday from Jake of Jake's Monthly anthology series tops them all. Just look:

Publishers and editors, take note! It would be a crime not to accept this story! It still blows me away to read that. I'd been having a pretty listless day. I had finished my chapter for the month, and the world was lacking in splendor. But then Jake made my day. Thanks, Jake!

When the anthology comes out, I'll be sure tell you all about it. It's an amazing opportunity for writers of magic realism to get their stuff to their readers, wherever they may be.