Why aren't you writing?

I was checking through my Google+ writers forums this morning and found this article shared by Chicki Brown. This article comes at a good time. I am getting ready to start on my next book now that most of my book signing events are over. I still have a few to do in the next two months, but I really need to get down to doing more writing. After reading this article, I realize I have become a slacker and have lost the momentum.  Even my blog here is not as active as I want it to be so I am going to have to do something about it. This is the right place to begin creating and sharing ideas about my characters and places which, in turn,  may inspire you to do the same with your project.

My fictional world of Tiaera is far from finished and I have some new characters I'll be introducing with my next novel.  The working title that most of my Google+ writer friends liked was "The Guardians of Fayre Sea." Other suggestions are welcome, so leave me a comment below if you can think any.  Other suggestions are as follows:

The Fayre Sea Pirates
Souls of the Wave
The Trident and the Cutlass
Fayre Sea
The Merfolk of Fayre Sea

The story I am working on is about not one but two races of merfolk (or merpeople) who inhabit the waters just off the coast of Athrylle known as The Fayre Sea. They are rivals who strive to live in peace while menacing pirates sail their ships between those two continents. The story will involve the piratess, Felucia Athlynn, a character you met in "Realmwalkers." There will be raiding, romance, betrayal and mystery if everything turns out the way I plan.

I've been working on the story outline this week and I've done several pages so far. Right now it looks like it's going to become a novel (as opposed to another novella) and I hope to have it done by the end of the year. It will be a follow-up story that takes place after "The Priestess and the Ravenknight" and ends right before "Realmwalkers."

 THIS IS THE PLAN SO FAR!  

Yes, I guess you can call me a plotter. I need to do research and write notes. I update my maps, notebook, character sheets and outline before I can do any actual writing.  I don't find this method of writing too rigid for my creativity as my methods and outline are always subject to change as the story unfolds. This is why I won't give out too much about it at this time. Once the book takes shape, I will give more details for those of you interested.

And none of this will ever get done if I keep finding too many things to do instead of writing, which brings me back to this article. I hope you find it helpful as I did.  Keep writing even if its short stories, articles, poetry, etc... I meet readers hungry for a good story at every event.  Whether it's by ereader, audio or the printed book, readers still abound in search of a great story.

The Clock's Ticking: Why Aren't You Writing?

10 Tips for Holiday Book Events and Craft Fairs

The season has been good for me. I've been attending several events and have sold quite a few books thanks to the generous "snow birds" who are visiting our fair city. Travelers are great people to promote to. On those long quiet road trips, it's always nice to have either a good movie or a novel to pass the time. And many tourists have the means to attend the local social events that our city has during the holidays. We treasure their patronage and loyalty when they come to visit here for a few months. It's a great time to get out and meet people. Everyone is so nice and a future buyer may become a good friend because of this. With this in mind, I would like to share a few tips on how to do some selling for the winter holidays.

1. Remember to always carry at least a dozen postcards, book markers or brochures on you everywhere you go. You never know who you may meet someone at a restaurant or store that might be interested in your latest book. Get a feel for their interest and if it's not enthusiastic, let it go and smile anyway. Never pressure anyone.

2. Plan your book signings in good time and don't be shy about doing at least two such events if the store allows it. Talk with the Book Manager about it. I did one at Hastings Bookstore last month and I plan another book event before the "snow birds" head back home in the spring.

3. Carry at least two of each book in your car, if that's possible. I know some of you have a great number of books. I only have two so far. Keep them in a clean tote bag or carrying case. Make sure you have a pen in that bag also, so you can autograph the book if they want that. I've sold books at restaurants, stores, doctor waiting rooms and even my dentist office.

4. Promote your book events at the city's web calendars and contact the local Chamber of Commerce for any help on locating clubs and organizations you can contact for a book signing. Don't forget your social  networks like G+, Facebook and Twitter.

5. I mentioned craft fairs above and I have found out that lots of Christmas Craft Fairs welcome you if you are an indie author. Many let you keep all your earnings even if they require a payment for registering as a vendor to the event. Speak to some of the other vendors. They can tell you when the next event is going to take place so you can decide if you want to do that also.

6. Dress nice and smile a lot. Shake their hands and introduce yourself. It takes courage and it can be stressful, but if you don't try, people will walk right past you as if you were never there. If they answer "No thanks. I came for something else." Keep smiling and wish them a good day.

7. Take at least one bottle of water and bring a clear plastic candy jar loaded with wrapped mints and chocolate M&M's or mini size bars. Offer the sweets to any customer and their kids. They might take a look at your books and crafts long enough for you to do your pitch.

8. Never forget to thank every person who buys your book and make sure they know about your blog and where they can reach you if they have any questions. Have business cards ready for this. Have a notebook handy in your bag and ask for their emails so you can contact them about your next book.

9. Join the local Writer's Group in your city and network with them. It's a great way to make new friends and writers help each other with critiques and advice. Mine is exceptional and I still see them whenever I can.

10. Consider signing up for a credit card app/swiper for your smartphone/iphone/tablet. I haven't had much need for one yet, but some people prefer to buy with their credit cards and you might lose a sale because you can only accept cash or checks.

I hope these tips help you. There is so much more to learn so do your homework and study the latest marketing techniques from books and articles at the library or online. I have been doing this for a few years and they have worked for me. I am sure you might have some good tips of your own. Please leave a comment of what you do to sell your books that might help other writers. I welcome all ideas as we work to spread the word about our literary creations.

Merry Christmas!
EV Medina

Free Writing Meters

I'm heading out today for a four day trip to Stagecoach Trails Guest Ranch to do some writing, scrapping, drawing/painting, eating, resting, swimming and riding.  It's a lovely dude guest ranch and I can't wait. I'll be taking my laptop (no Internet tho) and art supplies and hope to enjoy this event along with twenty-two other ladies.

I know this has nothing to do with Tiaera so let's get down to why I am posting today!

I have found a neat website that offers not one, but 16+ FREE Writing Progress Tracking Meters and I wanted to share this find with you! I hope to pick one of these out for use here at my blog when I finally get back to working on my next story based on the world of Tiaera. It's still waiting for me to finish and I intend to use a meter to help remind me where I am at in getting it finished. It will also give you all an idea as to how close I am to completing it, in cause you are wondering.

Click here for Tia Ross' blog post about Free Writing Meters.

For you writers out there, I hope this info helps you find a good meter to help keep you motivated with your writing. It doesn't need to be used for a novel. You can also use a meter to help you keep track of how many words you have written this week or this month.  You can use a meter for projects, blogs, writing assignments, competitions and clubs. If you're a online content writer, novelist, blogger, short story writer, or journalist, a writing meter may be useful for you.

Check these out and see what you think. Send me comments here if you have have used one or are using one.

Well, it's time for me to mosey out and ride into the sunset. I hope to have the next post for "Add a Spark of Valor" ready for next week.

Yeehaaaa!! Happy writing/riding!

The Priestess and the Ravenknight - In Print!

It's almost autumn! Darkness falls earlier in the evening and the monsoon rains are here. Craft stores are pushing holiday items in preparation for everything from Halloween to Christmas. I love crafting almost as much as I enjoy writing and drawing.

But I won't be doing much crafting this year as I prefer to work on my ebook, The Priestess and the Ravenknight ( or P&R). After of two years of pushing Realmwalkers soft cover books at the various book events, I have decided it's time I turned P&R into a print version, and include some of my illustrations and a little more story.  Because of all the changes to this ebook, I will mark the printed version as a Second Edition. Once the book is sent for publication, I will update and re-submit the P&R ebook as a Second Edition to Amazon.com also.

And for those of you who already got my P&R ebook, I will be making the new updated ebook version FREE (for a limited time) to download once it's available at Amazon.com.  Stay tuned for future post announcements here!

I hope to have the P&R book finished, sent and published by the end of this month. My next book signing will be in early November, so I should have not one, but two books to sign. The cover will be the same, but the book is now approximately 110 pages, a big jump from the estimated 47 pages as an ebook.

 

Thanks to all of you who have supported me these past few years. I am grateful for all the help I get from local authors and friends alike. {{{BIG HUGS}}}

I have managed to earn enough to even purchase some professionally printed bookmarks and business cards for this winter season. It's a real thrill to hand out these shiney, slick bookmarks. I will have to get some made for P&R also. 

Have a great weekend!

Oh, one more thing. I am still working on my mermaid-pirate book. That will come out sometime next year.

 

Writing and the Online Clock Timer

Since I became a full-time writer working at home, I have added some weight and now I have to watch my blood pressure. Like anything else, writing can be cruel when one does it for too long. We are often told by health experts to take hourly breaks away from the laptops or computers and now I am paying the price for not doing this.

When I worked with my collaborator, Jack Shepherd, on Realmwalkers, I spent hours without a break almost everyday. I did this also when I wrote The Priestess and the Ravenknight. I kept forgetting to get up and walk or do chores or whatever. It never even occurred to me to buy a kitchen timer of some sort to help me remember. Hours would fly by before I realized I hadn't taken a break.
Well, I think I have an answer to this problem and I wanted to share it with you. No, it's not a Tiaeran timer, but this may help keep you from gaining weight and getting sick. It's an online clock/time/music/video website: http://onlineclock.net/

It has an long list of different types of clocks and timers, in various colors and functions. It's also free and definitely worth a try. Now that I am in the middle of my next book, Sirens of Swansong, I am already using this clock timer for it and it works for me. This reminds me. I should go when this timer goes off and do some archery outside! No, wait, it's too hot now. Maybe later! But I can go do something else to stretch my legs and get some exercise. I know! Dance! Dance and do a load of laundry!

Till then, back to this post.

In the world of Tiaera, time is not as important as death makes time not so precious as in our real world. Thanks to Goddess Astria and the druids, Tiaerans don't have to worry about dying as we may. And despite all the hours spent in the libraries and great scholarly halls, reading and writing doesn't affect my fictional characters. Besides, their life is still mostly medieval and so there is a lot of physical work that needs to be done. This helps to keep the inhabitants of Tiaera healthier and stronger. I guess the closest thing they would have for timers would be hour glasses. Sun dials would only work outside and only when the weather allowed. I also hear that special candles could be used as timers. Marked in hour long sections, one would be able to measure time as the wax melted from notch to notch. For more information about candle clocks there is a wiki about them. CANDLE CLOCKS  No doubt, the tiaerans used these as they could afford them. I can imagine Audrey now, dipping candles at her convent.

Photo by www.myrandburg.co.za

I am sure there are other types of modern clocks and music players for those of us who work at our desks all day. If you know of any other site that offers a similar clock timers you would recommend, please leave a comment and share it with us.

The Priestess and the Ravenknight updated

As some of you may know, I have updated The Priestess and the Ravenknight recently.  Those of you who have purchased this ebook, do not fret. I will be making this ebook available for FREE in the next week or two and I will post news about it's availability just as soon as I figure out how to do this at Amazon. It will only be free for a day or two so please keep checking back or email me at evmedina@dragonling.com.

The cover is the same and it's still going to be a Kindle version that you can buy at Amazon.com for only $2.99. If you don't own a Kindle ebook reader, don't forget that you can also get a free app that will enable you to read this free ebook on your PC, laptop, tablet, Android/iphone. One thing you will notice is that the novelette has grown from five chapters to seven. I also added one more graphic to the ebook.  If you own a Nook or some other reader that requires an EPUB file, I have it in that format. I am looking to see how I can send this file without going against my contract with Kindle. I can't see how Kindle would hold me to not selling the EPUB file if their app doesn't work on EPUB readers. Till I find out what to do about that, you can still get the ebook to read on your PC, laptop and smartphones.

The-Priestess-Ravenknight-ebook

Why did I re-do this ebook? Well, I did it mostly because something kept nagging me that it wasn't really finished. I asked some of my readers for feedback and most were happy with the way it ended, but once I changed the ending and added more text to the story they seemed happier with the changes. All I know is that I could not rest until I took the time to pull up the file and work on the story once again. I also decided to include two chapters of Realmwalkers for those who haven't bought the book yet. I saw this being done with some novels and thought this would be a good idea.

For those who wish to know, KABAM was not very active this year. Not many people attended and a few authors were missing. The weather was nice and I got a good table to set up my books. There was music, food, drinks and vendors at the park. I suspect the date might have had something to do with the event not being so crowded as in the past. I had a good time while I was there and gave out a lot of bookmarkers, answered questions and met some really nice people there. It also gave me a chance to promote The Priestess and the Ravenknight.

Now that the snowbirds are gone and the heat is here, I can now focus on writing my next novel and get ready for some swimming. SPLASH!

KABAM Book Festival

Now that we are in spring and the snow birds are leaving our fair city in droves, it is time for one more major book signing event in the city of Kingman (about an hour's drive from here).  Kelley and I (as well as other members of the LHCWG) are driving up there to attend the event again this year. There will be lots of authors to rub shoulders with, food, entertainment and one more chance to promote Realmwalkers before the heat turns my attention to swimming and writing indoors.

The festival lasts for days, but we will be up there next Saturday,  April 6th from 11AM - 4PM. 

Mark your calendars! If you are in the area, stop by!

Metcalf Park

315 West Beale Street
Kingman, AZ 86401

Community: Kingman
 

View Map | Get Directions

KABAM Book Festival Info and Event Schedule

Blog Interview & Hastings Book Signing

Hello friends!

It's been a very busy month with several book signings in the area. The next one is at Hastings Books, Videos and Music next Saturday from 11 - 3PM. This is the Lake Havasu Store located at 321 Lake Havasu Ave. N.  (928) 680-7272. I will be signing copies of Realmwalkers and promoting my new ebook, The Priestess and the Ravenknight. Stop by to visit with me, ask questions and get out of hot mid-day heat at Hastings this Saturday. Is it summer already? Really? What happened to spring?  Hahah!!

I have also been invited to Virginia Nelson's Guardian's Hangout blog when she posted an author's interview about me. If you wish to see it click here: Guardian's Hangout  I hope you find it interesting and inspiring. Virginia also resides in Arizona. Maybe one day we can meet in person. She seems like a very busy lady and is currently doing a blog hop this month.

Keep on writing and stay in touch!

Renaissance Festival Book Signing

Greetings Good Friends!

I am back from my trip to Phoenix and Apache Junction where I was invited to have a book signing at the 2013 Arizona Renaissance Festival, thanks to my friend and fellow author, Ann Chamberlin.  Here are some photos as promised.

 

 I worked up to the day before the trip sewing and getting last minute items to complete my costume.

At the motel Saturday morning before driving to the festival.

The morning was really nice, cool and sunny.  My husband, Lee, and I has stayed the night in Phoenix and then drove to Apache Junction where hundreds of cars lined up on US60 to enter the festival parking lot. Once inside the renaissance village with my rolling crate of books and book signing necessities I got to work setting up the table located outside Lady Ann Chamberlin's Book Shop.

You can see the table with the red and white tablecloth at the front. I was so glad it was shady there as the day got hotter as time passed. It was hard to believe it was winter as temperatures rose into the mid-seventies.

Passer-byes grew steadily in number until the road in front of me was filled and sitting at my table became impossible. So many passed by without stopping as there was so much to see. It was steep competition out there with so many talented merchants and entertainers vying for people's attention. I read that there were over 200 merchants and thirteen stages of entertainers plus a large variety of eateries and rides at this year's Renaissance Festival.

I stood to stretch out my hand and called out to grab people's attention. "Smile and sound excited," I kept telling myself. My aggressiveness paid off.  One person led to two, then three and more. People began to circle around my little table as I showed them my drawings and books. It was a good place to sell "Realmwalkers" and despite the competition and despite the fact that I am a new and unknown author, I sold eighteen (yes, 18!) copies in the six hours I was there. The only time I got to sit down was for signing the books and my poor feet were killing me. The throbbing still haunts me just to remember. Anyway, it was a good event and I met many people who enjoyed medieval fantasy books. Ann was pleased with how well the event went. 

The left photo shows my little feather brooch on my black velvet hat. I even took links from my belt to make the hoop earrings and hat brooch. If you look close enough, you might be able to see how the sides of my black surcoat are laced up with red/green ribbons. I almost lost a thumb while hammering the grommets into place. LOL! I was warm and comfortable while I pitched my book to the many visitors there that day.

Lee stopped by to check on me and brought me some lunch. He strolled the faire and even passed out some business cards. My friend, Vince, suggests I get Lee to wear one of those sandwich signs to promote the book signing next year. HAH! I don't think so. After the book signing, he helped get my rolling crate back to the car and despite my aching feet, I spent about a half hour wandering around the faire to see what was new.

There were the same events and artisans I have seen from previous visits. There were souvenir shops, rides, jousting, dancers, comedians, performers, and artists. I saw artwork there that made my drawings look like doodles. Such talent! I drank some cold Pear Cider and felt right at home in my scribe costume. It was a wonderful time!

Phoenix Renaissance Festival 2013

Well met, good friends!

Now that the holiday season is finally over, it's back to business with book signings and this year I am very lucky to do one at the Phoenix Renaissance Festival which takes place next month and runs for several weeks. As the brochure indicates: The Festival is an explosion of sights and sounds in a 30 acre village with the King and His court, castles and cottages, shops and pubs, and over 200 artisans with open air shops, plus twelve stages of non-stop music, dance, swordplay and comedy to enchant every age.

Last year I met a book dealer there, dressed in period costume, by the name of Ann Chamberlin.  She is the author of a number of books including: The Woman at the Well,  The Joan of Arc Tapestries, and Leaving Eden. A very friendly and talented lady, she invited me to join her this year by having a book signing right there at her shop. I was happy to accept. I would love to help out there at her book shop. I guess I better brush up on my Renaissance English! It will take some planning, but we have already set up a date for that day.

Realmwalkers Book Signing

at the Phoenix Renaissance Festival

February 16th!

I don't have a time yet but it will be around 10:30 - 4:00. 

I have already started sewing my cloak and outfit as it is winter and the weather can be anything from sunny to cold and rainy.  Lee and I enjoy going to the fair every two years or so. It is one of the best I have ever attended.  If you are in the area, I hope you will stop by at her bookstall and say hello. As a matter of fact, I better find out what that stall is called. When I do, I will post it here. 

I also have a couple of other book signings and craft events I plan to attend in the next few months which include Hastings Books and The Book Exchange. The dates will posted here as usual and I hope to see you if you are in the area. Be safe and keep warm this winter. 

Now I need to get back to my sewing!

Year End Book Event

Greetings and Merry Christmas to all my blog readers and friends! I hope you are all enjoying the holidays whichever way you celebrate this special time of year.  I have been decorating and shopping these past few weeks myself, but tomorrow I will be at The Book Exchange here in Lake Havasu City. They are holding another Author's Party and I was invited to participate.

The Book Exchange is located at 1761 Mcculloch Blvd N Ste B, Lake Havasu City. Members of the Lake Havasu City Writers Group will be there to promote and sign their latest books. There will goodies to sample and lots of great gift ideas.  If you are in the area, stop by and visit with us!

Trying out Booktango.com

I removed this post as my experience with Booktango proved to be negative. If you want to know what happened, read the other post here. Beware Booktango

Realmwalkers Book Signing - Kingman

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

The holiday season is upon us but as many of you know, our work still continues in our daily lives. And that includes us wordsmiths who eek out a living doing what we enjoy so much.  Thanksgiving turkey and Christmas shopping will have to defer for my need to work on my next big thing which my newest ebook that is currently going through the final stages of production. I am eager to get it ready as a Kindle and PDF file.

I hope you'll find this interesting and happy holidays to you all!

1. What is the working title of your book?
The Priestess and the Ravenknight

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
I wanted to write about two of the characters you meet in my last co-written novel "Realmwalkers."

3. What genre does your book fall under?
Medieval Fantasy Romance

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
That's hard to say. My guess would be Alex Pettyfer for Krymson and Amanda Seyfriend for Azurene. 

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Two dark elves make a bold attempt to defy an evil deity in order to save hundreds from death.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Self published as an ebook only.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
A few weeks. It's not a novel but a novelette. I also did the artwork and formatted the pages myself.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Realmwalkers which is featured at this blog.

9. Who or What inspired you to write this book?
I like these two characters a lot and wanted to write their story.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
I tend to add artwork to my stories that I hope my readers will enjoy and find interesting. Here below is the graphic I created for the cover of the ebook.

 

 

 

If you enjoyed this post you are invited to visit other writers who write similar works. Get to know them and leave comments for a chance to ask any questions you might have and perhaps win free copy of one of their books. 

kelleysrealm.blogspot.com

www.susanroebuck.com

heatherhambelcurley.wordpress.com

portaloflight.wordpress.com

www.sharonpoppen.com

 

The Book Exchange - Local Authors Party

Time is passing so fast. Here we are in the second week of November and Christmas decorations are appearing all over town.  I thought about that as I sat at my table with several books of Realmwalkers to sell. The Christmas music reminded me of how close we are getting to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now's the time to sell my books as the snowbirds who come to Lake Havasu shop and enjoy our warmer weather.

The bookstore was small, but it was filled with lots of wonderful books and gifts for book lovers. It was The Book Exchange here in Lake Havasu City and it held its first ever Local Authors Party.  Authors from all over this city were invited to bring their books to sign and sell.  They served refreshments and our club, The Lake Havasu City Writers Group, came to participate in the event.

The Book Exchange - 1761 Mcculloch Blvd N, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403 (520) 453-4043

People came and some bought our books so it was a good event. I met some new authors and hugged some of the returning writer friends I have come to know for years. Everyone was in good spirits and I managed to sell a few books.  I can't complain as I wasn't sure I would even sell one.

The staff was friendly and very motivated to do business with us local writers. There is talk about having this book event every month from now on. We'll see. I intent to come back next month for certain as it will take place just before Christmas. And copies of Realmwalkers will be available there as well at the Local Authors section of the store. So if you missed the event, my book will still be available for purchase!

Next Saturday, I also have a book signing event up at the Kingman City Hastings Books, Music & Video store,  Nov. 17th at 11 - 3. 

Busy... busy... busy!  Be safe out there when you're shopping or going to holiday events.  God bless you all. Take care and keep warm!

The Hastings Book Signing Event

Well, I am pleased to say this was quite an experience. My first official book signing was a success. All my work and crafting paid off. I got to Hastings an hour early and brought the staff some fresh baked cookies. I went to each of them and introduced myself. Sadly, the table for my event was placed in front of a bunch of misc. gifts and toys as part of a display. It was distracting, but I didn't complain, just got to work decorating the table with my homemade garland. To my right, my good friend, Linda, came all the way from Parker to assist me. She was in charge of setup and having the buyers sign a raffle ticket and dropping part of it in a little card treasure chest. The raffle was for a decorated black tote bag with book cover artwork on it I had made the night before.

Although my marketing efforts (flyers, invitations, newspaper, radio, blogs, Facebook) didn't seem to do much good, the pedestrian traffic into Hasting's Book Store was plentiful. So as the customers entered, I stuck out my hand and introduced myself... rather aggressively. This was no time or place to be timid. The daydream of customers lining up at my table, waiting to buy my book was dismissed from my mind. I had work to do. Many allowed me to shake their hands and tell them about my book, but many also just rushed past my table like I was infected with the plague. To those people, I accepted their departure with a forced smile and tight stomach. I understood they weren't there to buy my book and tried not to let it affect me. Rejection, however is still rejection, something I had to accept with grace. They did what they had to do while others, at least, stopped long enough to hear what I had to say. I tried everything I could think of to make buying the book appealing, even handed copies to them to look over while they continued their shopping. Many resisted my sales pitch and politely moved on, but fourteen of them did not. =) When they bought the book and brought it to me, I signed each one with my purple feather pen.

A couple of friends came to visit and see how I was doing. I was so happy they came to show their support. When the first hour came and went without a sale, I felt nauseous. But when zero sales became two, I was relieved. When two became six sales, I was happy. But when six became ten, I was thrilled, too thrilled to stop and get something to eat or drink when lunch time came around. Then at around 3PM, an hour longer than advertised, I made my fourteenth sale to a small patient woman who was accompanied by four active kids. My perseverance paid off.

When it was all over, and Linda had packed up everything, I met with store rep to receive my cut from the sales. After I got my payment, Linda and I drove home to relax and have dinner with my husband, Lee. I felt proud and grateful over the success of my first book signing. It was hard, emotional, and stressful work and I was exhausted afterwards. I wasn't cut out to be a tough saleswoman, just an artistic and sensitive writer.  =)

Final Preparations

It's amazing how much effort can go into preparing for a book signing. It's a one woman event, but it has taken a lot of work publicizing this to the locals and on the Internet. Well, it looks like everything is coming together. I have spent the last two days working on my garland. I printed, cut, pasted and and coated a nice Realmwalkers garland to hang around the table for the book signing. I have made 80 more book markers and postcards. The books are here. Createspace got them all here on time. I also purchased some small pirate decorations and going to have a raffle for a free "Realmwalkers" tote bag. I will be decorating three of those with the book design on them later today. It's been a lot of work talking to many nice strangers for several weeks, trying to tell them about my book and event. Ironically, I have sold some books in doing so.

I know a lot of writers don't go through this much work, some are lucky enough to have an agent or publisher to assist with marketing materials or publicity. I guess you can say I am paying my dues and I am learning a lot. This is nothing special or unique. Authors have been going through this for ages.

The book industry has changed and times are hard with many Americans out of work so I am truly grateful whenever I am able to sell a book. My friends and family have been so supportive and faithful. And I can feel God's support in this also in the way things are all coming together. I often ask if this is what he wants for me. It seems his answer is yes, but I guess what will truly convince me will be the turn-out tomorrow morning at 11AM and the number of books I sell.

And I have only been doing this marketing/selling for 3 months and two weeks. And if I don't lose heart or health this may only be the beginning.

"Realmwalkers" is now at Hastings Book Store!

It's been a busy August and September. Between selling books, I went on vacation for two weeks and then I went on a four day retreat to a guest ranch. But now I am back home again and ready to continue promoting and selling Realmwalkers. I hope you all have been enjoying a terrific summer!

Last Monday, I went to my local Hastings Book Store and made a deal there to sell Realmwalkers. So many people have asked me if the book was at Hastings that I made it a point to take several copies there and sign a contract. These copies are only available at the Lake Havasu City branch but later this month, I will be driving up to Bullhead City with more books to sell at the Hastings branch there. Kingman is a bit of a drive, but if sales go well in Bullhead City and in Lake Havasu, I may expand.

And more good news! On November 12th (from 10 - 2pm), I will be at the Lake Havasu City Hastings for my very first Book Signing! I am already working on making flyers and postcards to promote the event and I will be giving away free Realmwalkers bookmarkers and candy to everyone who comes to say hello. Another shipment of books is on its way so I have plenty on hand to sell and autograph to those who can make it. I know many of you won't be in the area, but keep me your thoughts and prayers for a successful event anyway. If you have any advice on how to prepare for a book signing, please leave me comments here. I would really appreciate it.

Response to the book has been limited so far, but positive! Marketing takes a lot of time and work but someone has to do it. Thank you all for your support and encouragment. I welcome any helpful feedback to improve my writing for any future stories whether they be in book form or online.

Marketing and Future Plans

The books have been selling nicely as many friends and fellow writers have stepped up to buy a book. Such support has been very touching and exciting as I continue to promote wherever I can.  Most of my marketing supplies are homemade, but effective in getting the word out locally. I also found out that some online book sellers like Amazon.com are now selling Realmwalkers. I can't sign those, but they are fast and in a few cases even less expensive than I can sell here at my blog.

One day soon, I hope to get back to writing my short stories featuring some of the characters in the book which I will post here. There will be more maps here soon, as well as a glossary to help out with some of the archaic words used in the book. I also plan to draw some more illustrations to post here along with the stories. Stop by and subscribe here for future updates.

Book Piracy and Realmwalkers

The World of Tiaera