Tag: Author

QuickJAB

Author’s Goal 2019 – Publish Four Books and Earn One Award

JAB

My Author’s Goal in 2018 was to publish a book. I published two. Time to up my game in 2019, so I did.

Danger in the Clouds

Published January 2019

Florida Authors and Publishers Association President’s Award

 

I Always Wanted To Be A Spy

Published February 2019

New Apple Literary Award – Excellence in Publishing

Sweet Deal Concealed

Donut Lady Mystery Series Book 2

Published March 2019

Florida Writers Association Award

Sweet Deal Revealed

Donut Lady Mystery Series, Book 3

Published July 2019

In 2019, I published four books and won three awards. Time to up my game.

 

QuickJAB

No Coconut Trees in Georgia

JAB

Here’s a hack you won’t find anywhere else!

When you are at a school library in Georgia and you are discussing the differences in plants and trees between the Florida Everglades and South Georgia, NEVER dispute a second-grader. For example, coconut trees in Georgia? Pay attention to the seven-year-old expert.

Readers always win.

 

QuickJAB

Fall Festivals

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This fall, FarmerMan and I are attending nearby fall festivals. We haul our books, tables, and tent and set up in a field or in a parking lot.  Our most recent fall festival was the Elevate Artisan Market hosted at an alpaca farm. Some people go to their local chain bookstore to sell and sign books. My hat’s off to them, but I suspect I met more people, sold more books, and had more fun at the alpaca farm.

Elevate All Set Up

 

My booth neighbor

Elevate neighbor booth Donna

Notice that Donna Butler, a talented woodworker and carpenter, and my booth neighbor, is strategically placed across from the maisie daze fleecery.

 

My prime location

Alapacas.jpg

I had a corner booth. One side of my tent faced the fleecery shop’s alpaca petting pen, and the other side overlooked a field of beautiful alpacas.

All the volunteers at the event wore T-shirts with the tagline, “Spit Happens.” Alpaca humor. A little known fact is that when an alpaca mama is giving birth, she is said to be “unpacking.”

Art festivals are very educational.

QuickJAB

Book Table ~ I HEART Books

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The 2019 I HEART Books Sale was at the Gainesville Downtown Public Library.  I met new authors and awesome readers, including the members of a local book club that is considering recommending the books of the DONUT LADY MYSTERY SERIES for their club to read this summer.

Book Club: We had an author who came to speak to us once. Would you be willing to do that?

Me: That would be awesome! I would love to! <Wow! WooHoo!>

QuickJAB

CLOUDS – Same, But Different

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What’s the same? Both books have the word “CLOUDS” in their titles, and the colors on the covers are very similar. Aimee Louise is on the cover of both books. What else is the same? The story of the US grid going down, and the farm becoming a refuge for neighbors and friends. And the villain? No change there either!

What’s different? THE GIRL WHO SAW CLOUDS is a Young Adult Novel, with a focus on Aimee Louise and the other children.

The focus of DANGER IN THE CLOUDS is on Major Elliott and the other adults.

Same story; different perspectives.

Which should you read? Depends on which perspective appeals to you.

THE GIRL WHO SAW CLOUDS

DANGER IN THE CLOUDS

psst. if you read both, let me know which one you prefer. And why, of course.

QuickJAB

Author, Subspecies Independent

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Indie Author

I’m an Independent Author, a businesswoman, and an entrepreneur.  I’m surprised when I tell people, even other writers, that I’m an Indie Author their response is “What’s that?”

I want to say, “I write for Indiana Jones.” Wouldn’t that be the coolest answer ever? But instead, I stick with the mundane. “A free-agent author.” Then I worry I might appear on some fantasy football draft.

Their response, “Oh. Self-published.” Do they even realize how much disdain drips out of their mouths and onto their shirts? Ewwww.

My answer: I flip the book over and point at the publisher logo. And give them the dreaded Mom Stink Eye.

My publishers are indie businesses, not traditional publishers. More entrepreneurship. No advances, no agents, no on-staff editors, no hundreds of books published a month.  And I have complete control over the creative compositions, my novels, from start to finish.

My readers love what I write and read my books. And even review my books! I adore my readers.

Oh. If you see Indie, tell him I said Hi. Better yet, tell him to drop by the farm for a homemade brownie.

 

 

 

QuickJAB

Farmers Market Book Signing

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TSCFarmersMarket Sept 2018

Last weekend the Tractor Supply Company sponsored Farmers Markets at their stores across the US. Book signing at a Farmers Market? Made sense to me. My books take place in small towns and rural areas. Our store manager moved pallets so his vendors could set up in the air-conditioned store. He said he was worried about the 92° degree Florida heat. Nice people at the Tractor Supply Company.

We go to TSC at least once a week. FarmerMan wandered off and spent tons and tons of I Could Use Wish Money. You know, I could use this; I could use that.

I talked to people, sold books, and readers signed up to subscribe to my newsletter. Can’t beat that!

FlatRose

Pink Baby Alligator, Marketing Assistant

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#FlatRose took her new assignment as Marketing Assistant seriously at the I Heart Books signing event in Jacksonville, FL.

When folks stepped close enough to snitch a piece of candy, Rose directed them to the opportunity to be eligible for our drawing for a free book, Sweet Deal Sealed, and the opportunity to be among the first to know when The Girl Who Saw Clouds is published. Triple bonus!

She was a little embarrassed for the balloon creature that was supposed to be an alligator, according to the balloon guy. Rose was heard to whisper it looked more like an anteater.

 

QuickJAB

How Writing Is Like Making Jam

JAB

When I make jam, I pull out the Ball Blue Book of canning and check the recipe even though I’ve made jam dozens of time over the last several years. I crush the berries, dump in the sugar, turn up the gas, and stir. And stir and stir. I don’t use pectin to thicken the concoction, and I don’t have a jelly thermometer. I stir and after 30 or 45 minutes, it feels done. If I quit too early, I have berry soup. If I stir another two minutes, I have berry concrete. It’s all in the timing, and it all comes together—boom!

So this is my Writing blog, not my Farm blog, right?

I wrote a story on January 6, 2017. The story was 727 words. I added a few more words, and the name of my story became Novel Needs a Name. N3 became The Girl Who Saw Clouds last summer.  I have a total of 106 versions of Clouds. Different people have read different versions over the past year. One faithful reader has seen every single one! We’ll refer to her as Saint Rabbit. Writers have critiqued different sections, and I wrote and revised.

I read Don McNair’s Editor-Proof Your Writing and followed his twenty-one steps. Clouds was ready for a copy editor. Not too soon, not too late. Now I have to leave Clouds alone and let the copy editor do his work; otherwise, I’d have Cloud concrete, right?

Yesterday I read Guido Henkel’s Zen of eBook Formatting and made blackberry jam. Today I designed the book cover.  Only twenty more days before the copy editor’s work is due. Maybe I’ll make some more blackberry jam. Boom.