Gathering Thoughts

Hi, friends.

It probably comes as no surprise that I find myself very scatterbrained at the moment.  I’m trying my best to concentrate on what needs to be done, but you know, there’s just so much that needs to be done that instead of concentrating on one thing, I end up trying to do three or four things at once, resulting in… nothing, really.  Just a lot of crazy.

As you probably know by now, when I find my brain muddled and cluttered, I sort everything out with a list.  I find it very therapeutic to literally separate my thoughts.  That way, the don’t get all mixed up, kind of the way they are now.  It really permits me to focus on one thing at a time.  So, here are the things rattling around in my huge head.

* NORTH TEXAS BOOK FESTIVAL THIS SATURDAY!  I need to get everything organized.  I need to make sure I have everything.  I need to set everything out that I need to take.  I need to figure out what I’m going to wear (this is a big one)!  Get organized, brain!  Get organized!

* Keep working on Cemetery Tours 3!  Since I’m doing a bit of early revising, I’m going to have to go back and work even harder than I would have had I stayed on track.  The good thing about being an independent author and publisher, however, is that I make my own deadlines.  And if, for some reason, I miss a deadline, I can choose not to fire myself.  Granted, it is very unprofessional to miss deadlines and all the official ones, I work like crazy to keep, but that’s another story.

* Don’t forget other events!  Not only my upcoming events, like Authorfest in Denison, but friends’ events!  For example, a couple of my friends are speaking at the Melissa Library.  My dear friend, Paula, has a couple of book signings coming up that I want to attend!  You can check out her blog and her new children’s book, Jack Learns to Grill, here: https://paulawalkerbaker.wordpress.com

* Boy Band is out in less than two weeks.  It’s okay.  Don’t panic.  Breathe.  Breathe.  You’re excited for this!  It’s an awesome book!  You love it!  Just make sure everything is okay for formatting for Nook and Kindle.

* Don’t forget about you GoodReads Giveaway!  You have to have FIVE copies to send to people!  https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/129034-boy-band

* BOOK SIGNING AT HALF PRICE!  Yay!  This is exciting!  If you’re in the DFW area, stop by and see me on June 24! https://www.facebook.com/events/1114004495292639/permalink/1114004941959261/

* I am WAY behind on blog posts!  I need to post some more Character Interviews as well as an interview featuring Steve Lund, author of Loving Grammar: Mr. Lund’s Guide to Professional Clamdigging. http://lovinggrammar.com

* Oh!  And I really need to step up my advertising for Lurking in the Deep!  This is a big deal and after everything that’s been going on, I’ve really been neglecting the new anthology.  It’s going to be AMAZING, y’all.

* This isn’t really something that I need to be doing or thinking about, but my sister totally got to meet Country Musician Wade Bowen this morning.  So jealous.

I think that’s about it.  I pray that all your brains be far less messy and cluttered than mine.

Busy Busy Busy

As an indie author, I’ve found that there are two kinds of busy.  There’s the kind that all indie authors are all the time.  The kind that is not very active, but it is constant.  Indie authors always have something that they can be doing.  That doesn’t necessarily mean that we always do what we’re supposed to do (I personally spend way too much time on Pinterest…), but there is always something there.

Then there is the active kind of busy.  That’s the knd where we actually have engagements lined up, specific things to be working on, to be honest, it’s kind of like being back in college.  Those weeks are a lot of fun, but they don’t occur as often.  This is going to be one of those weeks, and I am so, so, so excited about it.

Friday and Saturday, I’m participating in an event I attended last year as a fan, not as an author.  It’s called IndieVengeance Day and you can read all about it here: http://indievengeanceday.com

I’m really excited about the two-day event, but before I can get to it, I still have a lot to do.

I was lucky enough to have been asked to read through my friend Jeanne Skartsiaris’ new book, Snow Globe.  I’ve been going through and making notes (I’m going to write a small blurb for her! Neat!), but I really need to finish that up.

You can find Jeanne on GoodReads here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7425985.Jeanne_Skartsiaris

I’ve also mentioned before that I was asked to give a presentation on ghost stories at the Colony Public Library on October 25.  I was so honored and excited to be asked, and I’ve been putting a lot of thought and research into figuring out exactly what I want that presentation to be.  Well, around 5 AM on Saturday morning, it finally came to me.  I am so excited about this presentation.  It’s going to be awesome.  Now that I know what I want to do, it’s time to buckle down and get to work on that as well.  I’ll tell you more about it after I actually give it.  I want it to be a surprise!

So yeah, lots of good, fun things are happening.  Cemetery Tours has been selling really well this month.  I have a lot of people signing up for my GoodReads giveaway.  Speaking of, don’t forget to enter! https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/109579-between-worlds

And of course, on top of all of that, I’m still hard at work on my two current WIPs.  Cemetery Tours 3 is a lot of fun.  It’s a little more complex and complicated than the first two, but it’s also very colorful and I think it’s going to be good.  It better be good, or I’ll have to keep rewriting it until it is!  My goal is to release BOTH books in 2015.  That will mean a lot more hard work, but it’s so completely worth it.

I hope y’all have a splendid Monday!

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AuthorFest in Denison

This will be my second post of the day, but I simply have to tell you all about my weekend in Denison.  It was incredible.  Absolutely one of the best experiences of my life.  

It started out on Friday night with a book reading at Devolli’s Italian Restaurant and Homestead Winery. 

Simply being at a winery and Italian restaurant, I knew it was going to be a great evening.  Fettuccine Alfredo might be the best dish ever created by man and come on, I’m Episcopalian.  We love wine.  We’d probably baptize with wine if we could.  

It just so happens that this Homestead Winery has the absolute best wine I’ve ever tasted in my life.  

Move over, California.  Texas wine is officially where it’s at.  This particular bottle is called Rose of Ivanhoe, and oh my goodness, it is delicious.  It’s a sweet red, even sweeter than Merlot.  I know some people might not like very sweet wine, but I love it.  My friend and I had originally intended to go and order food, but of course, we both ended up with bottles of wine instead.  Hey, I needed a souvenir from my first public reading, right?  

After making my purchase, we ordered our food and the book readings began.  I was so, so nervous.  Despite my history in musical theater, I’m not a very good public speaker, especially when I’m reading words that I’ve written.  Fortunately, I had Fettuccine to help calm my nerves.  

I actually ended up doing pretty okay.  I used my “theater voice.”  It’s a lot lower and calmer than my usual tone, which pretty much sounds like a Southern version of a Valley Girl.  I’m not kidding, I have the dumbest sounding voice.  

Right were I belong… amidst all the wine barrels.

After everyone had read, we had the opportunity to meet with readers and even sell a book or two.  I also did a book swap with one of my friends, James Peercy (also the organizer of the event) for a copy of his third book and the sequel to The Wall Outside. 

You can find James on GoodReads here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5822062.James_William_Peercy?from_search=true

More pictures of inside Devolli’s :

And the evening outside :

  

The next day was a bit busier.  We all met at 8 AM at James’ office before splitting up.  AuthorFest coincided with Free Comic Book Day and an event called Bark and Paws, for all the dogs of Denison.  

My first destination was a sports ticket store called Box Seats, also a participant in Free Comic Book Day.  

I was partnered up with Debbie Reece author of the incredible children’s story, The Christmas Pumpkin, so we each set up our books and waited for customers! 

I’m thrilled to announce that I sold all my books for that designated area.  Two of my friends, however, stopped by to help me.  My dear former co-workers and friends, Terri and Shannon, stopped by, not only to buy a copy of the book, but to bring me flowers and lavender bath soap!  How sweet is that? 

Love these ladies.

After our time at Box Seats, we packed up and walked over the the Book Rack, and independent used bookstore, where I actually dropped off ten copies of my book for the wonderful ladies who work there to sell.  

The Local Authors section of the Book Rack.

 

Linda and Carol, two of the ladies who work/volunteer there, are just two of the kindest and sweetest souls I’ve ever met.  I feel like I’ve known both of them for ages, and I hope that Cemetery Tours will bring them some business!  

After the Book Rack, Debbie, James, and I headed over to the Denison Library to have our book readings recorded and to donate books to the drawing and the library.  That was pretty cool, though I was even more nervous reading for a camera than I was fora  live audience.  At least if I mess up in front of an audience, they’ll hopefully forget it.  Recordings don’t forget!  Fortunately, though, I think I did okay.  Of course, I didn’t see the footage, but I’m going to hope it turned out alright.  

After the reading, I was starving, so I ran down to the local coffee shop for a sandwich, a drink of water, and a strawberry smoothie for my dad who was there helping me out.  I am sad to say that that strawberry smoothie never made it back, as I tripped and fell not once, but twice, thanks to the stupid heels I so stupidly chose to wear that day.  The sandwich was the only thing that made it back in one piece, but of course, once I sad down, I dropped that too.  It was in a plastic container, and when I dropped it, I was surprised to see tan, yellowish mush leaking out of the side.  I thought, What the heck did they put on this sandwich?!  Fortunately, it turned out to be a side of applesauce.  Unfortunately, that applesauce got everywhere, including my shoes, so everyone was running around and handing me napkins and making “spill” jokes for the rest of the day.  

But hey, it makes for a good story. 

The event really wound down after that, but I ended up selling/donating all but nine of the books that I brought!  I also gave away dozens of postcards and business cards, and was even able to spread the word a little about Between Worlds!  All in all, I couldn’t have asked for a better first experience at a reading/signing event, except perhaps the applesauce on my shoes.

Alan J. Martin, Scott Morgan, Jackie Smith, Amber Norrgard, Debbie Reece, John Morgan and James Peercy. Photograph courtesy of Claudette Peercy.

 

Thank you all for everything!  I can’t wait until next year!