Tip number one: Become the proud owner of a thesaurus.

As you write, you may have the tendency to repeat common words. We only use so many words in our day-to-day vocabulary so it makes sense that when you write the same would occur. After finishing a chapter, do a word search and try to shake things up when it comes to the common words you use often.

Tip number two: Read what you write.

After completing a section, go back and read it aloud. Make sure the words roll out of your mouth with ease and this will give you a sense of how easy it is to read your work.

Tip number three: Be careful when using auto correct.

If you use a program with auto correct or a feature, which allows you to find and change a certain word, make sure it doesn’t change something you didn’t want it to.

Tip number four: Get comfortable.

Make sure your surroundings are comfortable to you as you write. This means physically and mentally so there are no distractions. You can easily find your-self rushing the work or thinking of something else which will cause your quality to slip.

Tip number five: Use a dictionary.

Be sure that the words you are using are the ones you meant to use. Too often we make the mistake of using a word that is close but not the one we intended.

Tip number six: Set a limit.

Make sure you know how long you want to write on a given day and stick to it. When you become fatigued, you will make mistakes or you start to rush to finish up and that causes the quality to diminish.

Tip number seven: Write what you know.

Be one with your story. Remain interested in your topic and writing will be fun, making it easier to do. When you step out of the comfort zone, your head and heart won’t be in the work and this will show through the writing.

Tip number eight: Contrast and Compare.

Gain knowledge of your genre and try to compete. Don’t aim to high out of the gate because you will allow disappointment to set in if you fail. Know the market and just try to be a little better than your competitors.

Tip number nine: Set a goal.

Whether it be a goal for the day or one for your career, know where you want to end up and plan your course. Writing isn’t just about putting great words on paper and having people read them, it’s about providing a future while entertaining others.

Tip number ten: Don’t despair.

Don’t let the industry get you down. Keep plugging away and as you do, as with anything, you will get better and better. Expand your vocabulary, expand your knowledge, and expand your mind and this will help create your success.

 
Book Excerpt:

A sound normally dismissed during mid-day, the lock’s scarce clatter rang out like church bells, trespassing on a death like serenity. As tumblers aligned, Varan hoped his crouched frame went undetected on the sage’s porch. With his remaining eye, the thief peered over his right shoulder at ghostly shadows cast upon a vacant street. Choking down his heart, he ever so cautiously swung open the door and, after easing into the shop, he gently returned it to its frame. A shaft of moonlight pierced shutters flush, as the lurking thief, through dusty air, investigated a dreary interior. To his left, shelves of musty books, with their worn bindings, all stood erect by ornately carved bookends. In the near corner, to his right, a large silver‑blue sphere, dimly glowing, sat upon a heavy wooden pedestal.

Rafflecopter Code for $100 Amazon Gift Card/Paypal Cash:

Click here to enter the giveaway!

ABOUT KRAIG DAFOE

Kraig Dafoe was born in Potsdam, New York and grew up in Canton. He played high school football and joined the United States Army Reserves at the age of seventeen.

Kraig married at the age of nineteen and moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia where he worked as a Private Security officer for The Christian Broadcasting Network and also attended the Tidewater Community College for business.

After five years as a security officer, he became a Deputy Sheriff for the city of Chesapeake Virginia.

Kraig left the Sheriff’s office after nine years of service and pursued a couple of different business opportunities before he went on to publishing his debut novel.

Kraig is the father of five children and he currently resides in Kansas, raising his youngest son.

His latest book is the fantasy/adventure, Search for the Lost Realm.

Visit his website at www.kraigdafoebooks.com

Connect with Kraig: FACEBOOK

ABOUT SEARCH FOR THE LOST REALM

Pump Up Your Book and Tessa Stockton will be giving away a $25 Amazon GC or Paypal Cash, one autographed copy of her book, The Unspeakable, and one autographed copy of her other book, The Unforgivable! To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter form below and good luck!

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ABOUT THE UNSPEAKABLE

Who said forgiveness was easy?

When a furtive conflict is pitted between violent leftist guerrillas and a rightwing paramilitary group in Colombia, a North American woman mistakenly gets caught in the middle.

“I spent four months, one week and two days in a clandestine prison referred to as The Water Cave. Every day I stared hell in the face, and each day I wanted to die. I don’t want to share too much too quickly. To understand fully, you must join hands with me, fasten your heart to mine, and course through my book. Stumble over the incomprehensible human rights journey with me. I’ve pondered it to the brink of questionable sanity, and it is the only way. It’s the only way to explain. I suppose I should consider myself lucky I survived at all—for many did not—yet, perplexingly so, that’s not the premise of this narrative.

He altered my life, marked me forever.

But it’s not how you might imagine.

This is a story involving Horacio Botello, my torturer known as Puma.”

Purchase your copy:

BARNES & NOBLE | WINGS PRESS

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ABOUT TESSA STOCKTON

A veteran of the performing arts and worldwide missions, Tessa Stockton also contributed as a writer/editor for ministry publications, ghostwriter for political content, and headed a column on the topic of forgiveness. Today she writes novels in a variety of genres, often laced with romance and intrigue. In addition to her Christian suspense/thriller, THE UNSPEAKABLE, she’s the author of the political intrigue/romance, THE UNFORGIVABLE, a fable, LOVE AND LULL, and the upcoming inspirational fantasy romance, WIND’S ARIA, with more in the works.

Visit the Author:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

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~ ~ ~ $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD + 2 BOOK GIVEAWAY ~ ~ ~

Pump Up Your Book and Tessa Stockton are teaming up to give you a chance to win some fabulous prizes!

Here’s how it works:

This promotion will run from January 14 – February 15. The winner will be chosen randomly by Rafflecopter, contacted by email and announced on February 16, 2013.

Each blogger who participates is eligible to enter and win.

Visit each blog stop below to gain more entries as the Rafflecopter widget will be placed on each blog for the duration of the tour.

The prize includes a $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash, one paperback copy of The Unspeakable and one paperback copy of The Unforgiveable.

This giveaway is only open to those over the age of 18 and can accept an Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash. You must be a resident of the U.S. to win.

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ENTER TO WIN!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Eight-year-old Robert is eager to share his wish list with Santa at the mall on Christmas Eve. When he meets Glenn, who has only one request for Santa, Robert is confused over what he should do. Can he cast aside what he wants and ask Santa to bring his new friend a special gift?

Inspiration Behind A Christmas Kindness

How is it that children have the ability to reach out and help others in ways adults don’t always think to do?

One year, our oldest daughter–then only eight–went door-to-door in our neighborhood collecting money for Toys for Tots. Coordinated by the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve, this program collects new, unwrapped toys each year and distributes them as Christmas gifts to less fortunate children in our communities. This summer, my girls ran a lemonade stand so they could bring money to a local animal shelter.

Why don’t I think of doing such things? I guess it’s easier to write a check and send it in the mail. But what effort is involved in that? My children make it personal, and much more meaningful, by giving something of themselves.

With A Christmas Kindness, I hope to capture the generosity of a child’s heart–the way they look at the world as a place of endless opportunities to make a difference.

May you be blessed this holiday season.

Cheryl Malandrinos, writing as C. C. Gevry, is a children’s author and editor. She is a member of SCBWI. A Christmas Kindness is her first book with 4RV Publishing. Visit her online at http://ccgevry.com.

Pump Up Your Book and C. C. Gevry are teaming up to give you a chance to win some fabulous prizes!

 $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD

+ 

 1 COPY OF A CHRISTMAS KINDNESS

 +

1 COPY OF LITTLE SHEPHERD

Each person will enter this giveaway by liking, following, subscribing and tweeting about this giveaway through the Rafflecopter form placed on blogs throughout the tour. If your blog isn’t set up to accept the form, then after they visit your blog, they are directed to where they can fill out the form to gain more entries.

This promotion will run from December 17th – December 21st. The winner will be chosen randomly by Rafflecopter, contacted by email, and announced on December 24th.

Each blogger who participates is eligible to enter and win.

Visit each blog stop below to gain more entries as the Rafflecopter widget will be placed on each blog for the duration of the tour.

What a great way to not only win these fabulous prizes, but to gain followers and comments too! Good luck everyone!

A Christmas Kindness Book Blast Schedule

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We have all heard the saying ‘write what you know’, right? The thing is, it’s what we don’t know that excites us. Isn’t that why we read? Isn’t that also why we write? To experience the unreachable. To create the unimagined. Why then, if you voice the slightest inquiry regarding your writing do you always get told, ‘just write what you know’ – this is often accompanied by a subtle shoulder squeeze or a pitiful pat on the back. Entirely uninvited and in my case, unrequited, I am far from a touchy feely kind of person, more especially in a moment of angst. I say angst, because to voice any kind of query regarding my writing, I must be in a bad place. Any way, who wants to hear ‘write what you know’. Could anything be less stimulating to a defunked brain?

However, no matter the genre or topic, it is solemnly true that despite how uninhibited ones writing may be, real life and not just anybody’s, mine as the author, drips onto the pages. Yes, clearly the day-to-day habits of human kind are a reflection of real life; that is understood, what I am referring to are the subtleties within the story. A scene. Perhaps even a chapter. There will be something, no matter how small or insignificant, within every novel that is a true reflection of its creator.

My husband came to me just the other day enquiring as to whether his grandparents and their hen keeping were, in some obscure way being reflected within my novel ‘The Coop’. It took me a moment to respond. My initial reaction was no, of course not. The words shot around my brain before being churned out and replaced with a vividly pensive question mark. Had they been the subconscious influence that brought on the creation of Mrs Cauldwell and the chicken coop?  Well, yes, I began to realize they had. Of course they had. Ideas, creation, they come from somewhere. They are stimulated within you by an image, a sound, a flashing thought. Every plot has been sourced from within and its roots are bound to you through something you have experienced. It doesn’t make hearing that irritating saying any easier to digest, but it does make you realize that every piece you read is never that far from reality.

About the Author:

Rebecca Reid was withdrawn from school due to illness at fourteen. Being limited in the things she was able to do, she wrote all the time − poetry, stories, feelings, thoughts. At 16 she had her own page in the local weekly newspaper, the Bangor Spectator, in which she covered anything and everything: fashion, beauty, film, teen issues etc. At 17 she became a model, doing catwalk, photographic work, and TV. In 2008 she graduated in English from Queens University, Belfast, and she was awarded an Arts Council writing grant in 2009. Married in 2007, she lives in N. Ireland with her husband and their three daughters. The Coop is her first novel, and part of the Thickets Wood Trilogy.

Visit Rebecca Reid on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebeccareid.thicketswood

Pick up your copy of The Coop at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009BBGY0E

About the Book:

A psychological thriller about the destruction of innocence.

Enter The Coop, a dark and mysteriously misleading psychological thriller.

A girl, apparently imprisoned in a room, is the thread of mystery running parallel to the tale of Thatchbury village.

Meet Howard and Lilly. They take you on a journey through Thatchbury where Mathew, the child from the coop, shoots Jodie Tiding, and so unravels the history of his loveless raising, her innocence and the dramatic events leading them to disaster.

The Coop is a darkly compelling vision of the layers of consciousness. Although conceived as the first novel in a trilogy, The Coop stands alone as a brilliant individual work of fiction.

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The Indie Revolution

By: Ashley Mackler-Paternostro

My whole life has been the process of digital evolution.  I can mark my years by the advancements I’ve seen.

I’m older than the internet. I can still remember when the go-to source for information was the Encyclopedia Britannic not Wikipedia.  I can recall the sound of a dial-up modem and when AOL ruled the world.  I’ve seen the creation and rise of the iPod at the expense of the CD, and the cassette tape before it. I witnessed the boom and fall of big box book stores while in tandem mourned the loss and cheered the revival of the independent book seller.  I have owned a tape player, a CD player, a VCR, a DVD player, a BluRay player and now, a subscription to Netflix.  I remember the fifteen pound camcorder my father used to hoist upon his shoulder and have bore witness to my husband fasten his GoPro to the strap of his book bag.  My life had been in an ever moving state of furtherance, but I have consistently always been one thing … a reader.  But, that too is changing.  The way books enter my life has seen a shift.  I am no longer a card holder at Barnes and Noble, Borders has gone the way of the dinosaur … and me, I’m a prime member with a Kindle Touch and Fire.

Growing up, my mother had a rule — while she may have said no to a toy or stuffed animal, she would never say no to a book. In the beginning, she forced books upon me … in the end, I sought them out.  It started when I was hooked on the Golden Books series with brightly illustrated pages and gold foil spine, eventually that trickled down into my love of all things R.L Stine and Fear Street, carrying right into Oprah’s Book Club and my discovery of Literary Fiction. I still remember the day I bought Catcher In The Rye at that second hand bookstore below Starbucks.

Reading was more than a hobby of mine, it was bonafide passion. My mother had cultured, with her rule, a garden.  Reading became a place where I could feel comfortable and safe; books were a escape, a refuge, a home, an adventure.  For me, a book store was a magical environment and the treasures kept inside were exceedingly exciting.  The smell, the quiet, the feeling of crisp book pages under finger tips — those distinct sensory feelings are nostalgic for me.  The way Carrie Bradshaw felt about shoes or the way some women feel about chocolate or the way men adore their muscle cars … that is the way I have always felt about books.

It wasn’t, however, until I became a writer that I truly understood the business of books.  That this world I loved so much held an entire industry behind the printed page.

To a reader, the business begins and ends with the product: the novel.  It’s all you really need to know of a world where deals are inked and dreams come true and stories are written and then printed in a series of runs.  The thick book you lift up off the shelf at Barnes and Noble or an independent book seller or spy from the comfort of your chair on Amazon, that is your understanding of the world of the written word.

But to a writer, the business of books is beginning a cautious, systematic slip towards a dauntless new future.

As a writer, I can tell you, some things will never change for us — authors will still be wordy, emotional, creative beings.  We will remain expressive and verbal, artistic folk.  But, our industry is changing and we will have to adapt to that.  Gone is Borders, in tandum gone is the day of large advances.  We are beginning to involve from the chrysalis of yesteryear in the dawn of the Independent Revolution.  We’re now asked to be versatile — to grab hold of our stories and the way we get them to the reader.

I am an Independent Author.  My decision to become so was not an easy one by any means. I never planned this path for myself, it was more or less decided for me by the atmosphere of legacy publishing in 2011.  But the new world of publishing is one that welcomes the brave willing to go it alone.

In the early fall of 2011 I began the tedious task of querying agents.  I made my lists and wrote my letters and attached the required excepts from my novel The Milestone Tapes.  I waited with baited breath for someone to find my novel charming and me exciting.

That validation never came.

Of course, I did have few full reads and a handful of partials, the experience wasn’t awful and I learned a lot by doing it.  But the replies were always nearly the same … Literary Fiction, in the market, is a hard sell.  My book was decidedly not about vampires or shape shifting werewolves, or love triangles and I certainly didn’t have a show on Bravo or MTV to help me along.  I was new author with no backstory, and the chance was just one no one was willing to take.

I then had to make a choice … to decide whether I’d let my book die on my laptop, waiting for however long it took to spark the interest that would push it into a first run … or, I could face the unknown with hope and try it for myself.  When you have pour everything into a book … when every single word of the 100,000 belongs to you, letting die is simply not a option.  So, I went Indie.

You may have heard the term “Indie” bounced about or spied the unknown names on Amazon with their ninety-nine cent novels.  And you may, on your own, have drawn conclusions about them.

“They’re not good enough to be really published.”

 “It’s a hobby  … they aren’t real writers.”

 “Their books can’t be any good if a publishing house didn’t pick them up.”

 Well, I don’t blame you for thinking or feeling that way, if in fact you do.  The truth is, even with my love of books — all books — I once felt that way as well.  And why? I had picked up a discount novel on my Kindle and three pages in had to abandon ship. I made the mistake of judging the sum by one of it’s parts. To be fair, not all independent novels are good … but, neither are all legacy published novels either. I’ve abandoned my fair share of legacy print novels as well.  In general terms, as carte blanche and universal truths, those statements are erroneous.  Some Indie novels are sheer brilliance, some unknown talents will blow you away.  The new face of publishing is the Independent writer who has the shrewdness to chase a dream despite or because of what others believe to be true.

An Independent writer is a tireless worker.  We take hold of our novels from conception to the finish line.  We have our hands in and on every step of the process.  We work two or sometimes three jobs to make our books rise up to meet your expectations.  We work long, long hours worrying everything from the prose a sentence to the cover art and indentation. We stress over pricing structure and algorithms.  We often are working on two or maybe more projects at a time.  We hire editors and artists and formatters and publicists. Our days begin early and end late, we become reclusive in our home offices and work on our vacations. We understand how badly we want it, and run after it at full steam.  We take ourselves very seriously, and we wear two hats while working in one business.

Why?

Because of you.  You’re the reason we write and you are the reason we don’t accept no for an answer when agents and publishers didn’t believe.  All along, all we want, is to reach a reader with our words and in that way, considering our traditional counterparts, we’re not so different.

This is an exciting time to be a reader.  That’s the truth.  We are all part of the digital revolution of the novel. This otherwise unchanged industry is getting a face lift.  We are in an era, a place in time, when you can have books delivered in sixty seconds to a micro-thin eReader on the tarmac of an airport from the comfort of your seat no matter where in the world you may find yourself.  You can hold an entire library in 7.5 ounces.  And you finally have the chance to meet the worlds of unknown talent, and decide for yourself what it means to read a good book.

I’m going to leave you now with a question … what are your feelings about the changes in publishing?  Do you take a chance on Indies?

ABOUT ASHLEY MACKLER-PATERNOSTRO

Ashley Mackler-Paternostro was born in Naperville, Illinois, where she still lives with her husband Mark and their three dogs.  A hairstylist by trade, Ashley will often say that some of the best stories she has ever heard were told to her while working behind the chair. A life long reader with an insatiable appetite for good books, she decided to merge her love of great stories — both told and written — into her own brand of story telling.

When she’s not being held captive in her home office by words, Ashley fancies herself a flea market hunter with a weakness for Japanese glass floats and repurposing vintage goods.

Her latest book is The Milestone Tapes.

Visit Ashley at www.ashleymacklerpaternostro.com.

ABOUT THE MILESTONE TAPES

Jenna Chamberland never wanted anything more than to be a wife and mother. That is, until she realized that her life was ending after a three-year battle against breast cancer. Now, all she really wants is more time.

With 4,320 hours left to live, Jenna worries for her loved ones and what she knows awaits them on the other side: Gabe will have to make the slip from husband to widower, left alone to raise their seven-year-old daughter; Mia will be forced to cope with life without her mother by her side. In a moment of reflection, Jenna decides to record a set of audiocassettes — The Milestone Tapes – leaving her voice behind as a legacy for her daughter.

Nine years later, Mia is a precocious sixteen-year-old and her life is changing all around, all she wants is her mother. Through the tapes, Jenna’s voice returns to teach Mia the magic of life, her words showing her daughter how to spread her wings and embrace the coming challenges with humor, grace and hope.

THE MILESTONE TAPES is the journey of love between a parent and child, and of the bonds that holds them when life no longer can.

~ ~ ~ GIVEAWAY ~ ~ ~

Ashley Mackler Paternostro will be giving away a humungous gift basket during her tour!  Stop off at all her blog stops during her tour for extra entries.  Giveaway begins April 2 and ends on May 25.  The winner will be announced on May 26.  These are the wonderful things that are included in the gift basket ($200  value!)

-1 Kindle (non-touch) wifi w/ special offers ($80.00)

-1 signed copy of The Milestone Tapes ($14.00)

-1 copy of Oh The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss ($17.00)

-1 vial of lavender seeds ($6.00)

-1 bar of gardenia soap ($11.00)

-1 jar of Golden Raspberry Jam ($8.00)

-1 jar of dry ingredients & recipe of Jenna’s Blackberry Cobbler w/ recipe ($15.00)

-1 Japanese Glass fishing float ($20.00)

-1 set of note cards (6) with a “cassette tape” on front ($10.00)

-1 Amazon gift card ($10.00)

Everything in the gift basket, save for the Kindle, is direct from the book.

The basket will arrive to the winner shrink wrapped with a thank you note from Ashley for participating.

continue reading "Guest Post and Giveaway by Ashley Mackler-Paternostro"

5 Sure-Fire Ways to Get Rid of Your Daughter’s Dreadful Boyfriend

Terri Giuliano Long

In Leah’s Wake tells the story of a family in collapse. Sixteen-year-old Leah, a star soccer player, has led a perfect life. When she meets a sexy older guy, attracted to his independence, she begins to spread her wings. Drinking, ignoring curfew, dabbling in drugs—all this feels like freedom to her. Her terrified parents, afraid they’re losing their daughter, pull the reins tighter, pushing when they ought to be pulling, and communication breaks down. Soon there’s no turning back. Twelve-year-old Justine, caught between the parents she loves and the big sister she adores, finds herself in the fight of her life, trying desperately to pull her family together.

Your daughter is nothing like Leah, of course. A lovely young woman, she respects you – and herself – far too much to ever date a bad guy, never mind a boy you detest. Here, on the off chance that she does, are five things, inspired by Zoe and Will, that you can do to ensure that your beloved daughter does not follow in Leah’s wake.

1)     The first time you lay eyes on the awful boyfriend, be rude and dismissive. He’s a jerk. You can tell by the way he dresses; you see it in his eyes; you’ve heard rumors. You have great instincts. So go with your gut. Let him – and your daughter – know that nothing he does or says will ever change the way you feel. You can’t stand him. Period. If your daughter argues or cries, even though it breaks your heart, try to ignore her. She’s a teenager, a slave to her hormones, incapable of making a decent decision. Once they realize you’re serious, they’ll end the relationship. And she’ll find a guy who deserves her.

2)     If, God forbid, he sticks around, criticize him at every possible turn. Make pointed remarks about his family, his friends, his clothes, the way he walks or talks or combs his hair. Be relentless. The goal is to get under his skin. If he resents you enough, sooner or later he’ll resent your daughter too. Sure, it will hurt when he dumps her, but you’ll be there to pick her up, comfort her. It’s in those dark times, when we’re down, that we appreciate the people who love us, the importance of family. When it’s over and she’s dating again, she’ll see the light, realize what a horrible boyfriend he was, and she’ll thank you.

3)     Make her feel guilty. If you’re Italian or hail from some other guilt-inducing culture, you can stop reading. You’re a master at guilt-tripping already. The rest of you: let your daughter know how hurt and disappointed you are. Cry, whine, pray aloud, lie in bed with your shades drawn. It’s not only you she’s disappointed, either. Your entire clan, dead or alive, is disappointed in her. Dear God. A grandparent or favorite aunt or uncle must be rolling over in his or her grave. In fact, the entire town is talking about her. Everyone thought she was better, smarter, kinder, or more mature than she’s proven to be. If, in a guilt-induced depression, she hurts herself – well, you meant well anyway.

4)     You’ve tried. You’ve truly tried. Now drag out the big guns: with a look of pure disgust, let your daughter know, in no uncertain terms, she’s chosen a loser. Translation: she’s a loser. Compare her to the “good daughter,” a sister or cousin, the child of a friend, any girl who dates (in your humble opinion) a half-decent guy. Make these comparisons often – daily if necessary – until they sink in. Stop at nothing. Resort to cruelty, if you must, insults or name-calling. However tempted you are to loosen up, hang tough. She’s your daughter. You love her. You’re doing this for her good. It hurts you more than it could ever hurt her. Under your disapproving eye, her resolve will evaporate. She’ll do anything to return to your good graces – even if it means cutting loose the detestable boyfriend. If she falls into a depression, see number 3. You tried.

5)     Sorry, friend, you’ve got a serious problem on your hands. Grit your teeth:  time for drastic measures. Give your daughter an ultimatum. This is your house. As long as she’s living under your roof, she will obey your rules. Cut the kid loose or get out. Those are her choices. If she cries or makes excuses or threatens to leave, ignore her. Do not, under any circumstances, deviate from the plan. You must go through with this. It’s your last hope. If threats don’t work, nothing will. Dig deep. Make a list of boyfriend’s character flaws and refer to it often. Remind yourself: you are the parent. You are in charge. Repeat if you have to. Make it a mantra. I am the parent. I am in charge.

Be warned: while these strategies work with some teens, they backfire with others. You may find that, rather than pushing boyfriend out of your life, you push your daughter away. For an idea of how that can play out, please read In Leah’s Wake.

AUTHOR BIO

Terri Giuliano Long is the bestselling author of the novel In Leah’s Wake. Her life outside of books is devoted to her family. In her free time, she enjoys walking, traveling, and listening to music. True to her Italian-American heritage, she’s an enthusiastic cook. In an alternate reality, she might be an international food writer. She lives with her family on the East Coast and teaches at Boston College. In Leah’s Wake is her debut novel.

Website: www.tglong.com

Blog: www.tglong.com/blog

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tglong

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tglongwrites

BOOK INFORMATION

 IN LEAH’S WAKE

Terri Giuliano Long

Pages: 368

Format: Paperback, Kindle

ISBN: 1456310542

Well, good news and bad news. I haven’t been blogging a lot. I’ll let you decide if that’s in the good or bad news category. I HAVE been writing though and that’s definitely good. I entered “Shaping Fate” in a contest, so fingers crossed. If nothing else, I know the feedback will be useful, just like when I entered Pike’s Peak. And then, I think it’s time to let out into the cold cruel world and see what happens.

I got inspired by my mini muse, my daughter. She requested that her training wheels be removed from her bike. There was no hemming and hawing about this, just a simple, “I think we should take those training wheels off.” Obviously, as a seven-year-old, she has a certain fearlessness, naivety about the world around her, which is great. She saw taking the training wheels off as another step toward independence. I saw it as that too, but the mom part of me also saw scraped knees, bruised egos and possible emergency room trips. But none of that occurred to her, or if it did, it was a marginal thought at best. She put on her helmet, my husband removed the training wheels and with a minimal amount of seat holding and running along side her, she had it down.

I’ve been with my book for longer than my daughter has been alive. Writing, editing, entering in contests, taking it to writer’s groups, more editing. All of these things are writer’s training wheels. And we DO need them at first. But how long is too long? I’m on my ninth draft, and I feel it’s as good as I can make it on my own. I’ll see what the comments say from the contest it’s in now and then, I think it’s time to take off the training wheels and see what happens.

If I do end up in the hospital though, please visit.

Well, not really dead, but feeling like it for a couple of weeks. Amazing what a sinus infection will do to you.

Anyway, back in the saddle and ready to go. How was your holiday season? If you are in a snowy region, hopefully it’s not too bad for you right now.

How’s your writing? Mine’s coming along nicely. I’m currently in editing mode and going to enter “Shaping Fate” in a contest. Looking forward to it.

Anybody reading anything particularly great or not so great right now?

There are a couple of things I wanted to mention, in case you’re interested.

One is a new Fantasy Fiction Group that promises to be pretty cool. It’s new, but there are already some interesting discussions of different books, genres, etc. If you love to talk fantasy, check it out. Here’s the link: http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/Fantasy_Fiction_Forum/

Any soap opera fans out there? Specifically, “Another World?” A friend of mine is doing a fan fiction site based on the show. Feel free to check it out here: http://anotherworldfanfiction.com

That’s all for now! Hope all is well and let’s make 2011 the best year ever!

Thanks for inviting me back to Coffee and a Keyboard, Vanessa. I’m thrilled to be here.

As some might recall from my first visit, I work as a virtual book tour coordinator for Pump Up Your Book. So, I knew when Little Shepherd became available, I would be coordinating a tour for it. I’m not sure I realized how much of a challenge it was going to be to try and coordinate a two-and-a-half-month tour alongside virtual book tours for my clients, but I believe in the power of this marketing tool to create an online buzz for a book.

In one of the interviews I completed for this tour, I was asked what the first thing was that I did to promote Little Shepherd. I didn’t do just one, I did several. I would like to share my approach with your readers.

Months before my book was due to be released, I began thinking about a new website. I wanted my own domain name and I wanted something that looked more professional than the free sites with ads all over the place. While I’m still looking for a designer to overhaul the site and make it more appealing to kids, what I was able to create with my limited HTML knowledge was a definite improvement over my previous site.

I also began looking for more interviews on blogs, which gave me the opportunity to talk about my upcoming release and works in progress.

Little Shepherd made its splash into the big pond known as the World Wide Web at the end of August. I shared news of its release on all my blogs and used social media to draw attention to those posts.

I updated my Facebook page to let my friends know where they could purchase the book online. I began tweeting lines from my book, including a link to where it could be purchased. I also designed a video trailer that I posted on YouTube so I could show off some of the wonderful illustrations Eugene Ruble created for the book.

I also created a new blog dedicated solely to Little Shepherd.

My virtual book tour kicked off on October 4^th and runs through December 17^th.  I have to take a moment to thank all the generous bloggers, podcasters, and reviewers who agreed to share some information about Little Shepherd. I feel truly blessed.

I hope this post has given your readers some ideas on how to promote their books online. I would love to hear what your readers have tried.

Thanks again for hosting me today. I greatly appreciate it.

Cheryl Malandrinos is a freelance writer and editor. A regular contributor for Writer2Writer, her articles focus on increasing productivity through time management and organization. A founding member of Musing Our Children, Ms. Malandrinos is also Editor in Chief of the group’s quarterly newsletter, Pages & Pens.

Cheryl is a Tour Coordinator for Pump Up Your Book, a book reviewer, and blogger. Little Shepherd is her first children’s book. Ms. Malandrinos lives in Western Massachusetts with her husband and two young daughters. She also has a son who is married.

You can visit Cheryl online at http://ccmalandrinos.com or the Little Shepherd blog at http://littleshepherdchildrensbook.blogspot.com/.

GIVEAWAY ALERT!!! Cheryl is kind enough to do TWO giveaways! If anyone leaves a comment here between now and the end of Cheryl’s tour on 12/17, they will be entered in to a drawing to win a gift basket filled with some beautiful Christmas items. There is also a separate giveaway for those who purchase a copy of the book and provide Cheryl with proof of purchase. Details for both giveaways can be found by clicking here.