Meet “Reflections” on John 3:16 Blog Hop Tour

Posted by Elaine Marie Cooper

Welcome, Friends!

My usual post here every other Friday is my Revolutionary Faith column, as I discuss all things about book research as well as Colonial America, my particular area of interest. On the other Fridays, I post devotionals that will hopefully inspire my readers to draw closer to the Lord.

But this week a wonderful network of Christian writers and readers that I belong to is doing a Blog Hop Tour to spread the word about their wonderful books as well as their inspirational blogs. On top of that, John 3:16 (the network group) is also offering free books AND the chance to be in a drawing for two kindle giveaways!! Not a bad contest. But you must leave comments to be entered in the drawings.

Here is the link to all 50 plus blog tour participants:

http://reflectionsinhindsight.wordpress.com/wp-mepvo1a-1vm/

So go ahead…hop around and visit these wonderful websites, leave comments, and hopefully, you too will be a winner of one of these prizes!

Those who leave comments on my blog that I have linked to above, will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of both The Road to Deer Run and The Promise of Deer Run. Please leave your e-mail addy so I can contact you.

Have a Blessed Friday!

Now available on kindle and soon to be released in paperback:

The Legacy of Deer Run

The Legacy of Deer Run (The Deer Run Saga)

Colonial American Motels

Posted by Elaine Marie Cooper

Some kinds of research can be just plain fun.

For instance, who knew that in place of a chain of motels in the 1700’s, travelers stayed in taverns? Of course, there were no restaurant chains; folks stopped in designated homes called “ordinaries” for quick sustenance while on the road. These accommodations were usually strewn across the countryside every few miles—at least in the more settled areas. If it was frontier, well, better get out the musket to shoot some dinner.

While taverns provided alcoholic beverages, they were also licensed by law to serve not just suitable beds for travelers, but also feed for their horses or oxen.

Food such as roast beef, leg of mutton, ham and cabbage, or perhaps a “fat fowl” were some of the dinners available to guests. Drinks were ale, wine and cider, but drunkenness was frowned upon and cause for a fine.

Most colonials never drank water as it was usually not clean and was known to cause illness. Boiling would have cured that problem but knowledge of bacteria and other microscopic troublemakers was unknown. Folks just knew the water made them sick.

Tavern keepers were usually citizens of good character with a good reputation in their community. Many were magistrates, politicians, or officers in the militia.

Colonial taverns were typically two story buildings with one large main room on the first floor and several smaller rooms for lodgers on the second. Besides offering hospitality to travelers however, these establishments were the main social center of a town. Business meetings were conducted here as well as militia meetings to muster men for the army just in case (let us suppose) they wanted to fight for freedom from England. Just supposing, of course.

One such tavern (still in existence as a historical landmark) is the Keeler Tavern in Ridgefield, Connecticut. Owned by a well-known patriot in the 1770’s named Timothy Keeler, there was suspicion that musket balls for the Continental Army were being manufactured in the tavern basement. In 1777, the British decided to assault the building by firing a few cannon balls, one of which put a large hole in the north wall. Another shot barely missed a patron ascending the tavern stairs. It frightened the poor man so much that it is said he screamed, “I’m a dead man, I’m a dead man!” until his friends convinced him otherwise. The landlord’s son, Jeremiah Keeler joined the Continental Army at age 17, and the story goes that the young sergeant was the first to scale the British redoubt at Yorktown in that decided victory against England.

Colonial American history is so fascinating!

What is truly fun about researching for fiction, is then translating these historical facts into a story. Here is an excerpt from The Promise of Deer Run that developed from the information I gleaned about traveling in the 1700’s:

The afternoon sleigh ride seemed endless. Mile after mile, forests of chestnuts, oaks, and maples lined the roadway. Occasionally an open field widened the landscape and a few deer in the meadows would scurry away at the sound of their sleigh. Dusk was nearing, and Nathaniel prodded Babe to drive a little faster. They had already traveled a total of thirty miles or more and were trying tor each a town called Brookfield before dark. At last Nathaniel caught sight of a two-story house with a sign in front.
“There! There’s the tavern, Sarah.”
The exhausted young woman peeked out from beneath the quilts.
“It could not have come any too soon.” Sarah sat up, her face twisting in pain. “I feel so stiff and sore.”
They both read the wooden sign out front:

Drink for the thirsty
Food for the hungry
Lodging for the weary
And good keeping for horses

Nathaniel grinned at Sarah.
“I’m certain Babe will be relieved at the ‘keeping for horses.’” He jumped out of the sleigh, the prospect of warmth and rest invigorating his limbs. “Let us get you inside first.” He carefully helped her out of the sleigh and hurried her inside out of the cold. A blast of warmth and pulsating light from the large hearth inside greeted the travelers.
The tavern keeper was pouring ale for a customer. When he looked up and saw the couple a look of concern swept across his face.
“Needin’ a midwife, are ye?”
“No sir…not yet. But we do need lodging for the night.”
“That I can provide. But birthin’? Not part of my hospitality, sir.”

Photo above: Keeler Tavern, Ridgefield, CT

In celebration of The Promise of Deer Run winning Best Romance at the 2012 Los Angeles Book Festival, I will be offering a free book giveaway to one of today’s commenters! Leave a comment with your E-mail address and I will enter you in a drawing!

Why Give Away Your Book For Free?

A recent discussion on the John 316 marketing network workgroup was enlightening. I’ve been given permission to share some of it with you.

The Big Question:

Could someone please explain to me why giving books away for free at Smashwords or with the KDP program increases sales? Aren’t you losing money? I understand that the ratings go up because each click of a download is considered a sale essentially, but is it really worth it? I’m trying to decide if I should do that with my book with it being so close to Easter but I can’t get my head around the whole “Losing money” issue. Is it more profitable in the long run?

Laura Davis
http://www.laurajdavis.com

Enlightening Answer One:

The theory in giving away books is that you increase your exposure. That’s what a lot of (secular) authors say, and that’s why I tried doing it recently. There are millions of owners of Kindles and other e-book readers and you want as many of them as possible to know about your books. If they (books) are already doing well (sales-wise), then you might say that you are losing sales by giving the books away. But even if you were to give away tens of thousands of your books, there are still millions of people out there who don’t yet have your books, and it does seem that free book promotion is one way to get noticed. I’m told that it certainly helps to have more than one book available, so that if people like the giveaway title then they’ll come back for more. That’s why I waited until I had three novels finished before I started promotion activities.

It’s too early to say how my promotion went. I only started selling my novels on Amazon in January. But I can say that in the whole of January I sold just six books (including one to Lorilyn and two to a church friend), and a further four between February 1st – 9th. During my four-day promotion, from February 10th, I gave away nearly 800 copies of one novel. In the four days since then I have sold about a dozen books (mainly copies of the book that I was giving away).

Military Orders by Martin Roth
The compelling new thriller
www.military-orders.com

Enlightening Answer Two:

Laura,
Some authors won’t ever give away their books for free and I can understand that. The reason I’ve chosen to enroll in KDP select (Kindle Direct Publishing) and use their free promotion days is that every download counts as a “sale” with Amazon for rankings (even free downloads). Therefore, if I get 5,000 downloads on my free promotion day then those downloads count towards my overall ranking. A higher ranking means more people will see the book which then usually results in more sales (higher ranking meaning top 100 in your categories – but the best place to be is the first page which is the top 20).

Amazon also gives books that are ranked higher more free advertising. You’ll start seeing your book in “also-boughts” and recommended on other book pages. This should result in more sales as well.

Some authors use free promotions to promote the first book in a series to gather new readers. It’s like stores that give out samples of their food hoping you’ll get hooked and buy more! In this case, make sure to link to your other books in the back of your book and possibly in the front as well. That way you can get sales of your other books through promoting your free book.

The first month we tried KDP select our Kindle income increased 4x. I’ve heard other authors say that overall their income increases 25% using the KDP select program. I only recommend doing 1-2 days at the most at one time so you can maximize the exposure you get with the promotion but then also try to maximize sales afterwards. And realize that free promotion days will give your book a boost but you may not be able to stay at that higher ranking and sales forever (similar to a book launch). And some books do better than others. I recommend that you have a good cover, edited book, good formatting for Kindle users and at least 5 reviews before doing your promotion.

Being an author isn’t all about making money for me – my primary goal is to help others in any of the writing I do. However, my husband and I are trying to increase our income from our writing to help support our ministry.

Doing these free promotions has definitely been more profitable for us! Many of the people who downloaded our books would have never found it otherwise so I don’t consider it losing money for us. Your situation may be different. If your book is already doing well with rankings and sales then there is no need to do a free promotion. Just keep doing what you’re already doing.

Here’s an article that might help as well: http://phoenixsullivan.blogspot.com/2012/02/kdp-select-amazon-rank-and-secret-of.html

Thanks,
Shelley Hitz, Self-Publishing Author Coach

www.Self-Publishing-Coach.com
www.Youtube.com/SelfPublishingCoach

 

Information about the Kindle Direct Publishing Program can be found here: https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/signin

Kindle Direct directions begin here: https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/help

Kindle Forum is always good: http://forums.kindledirectpublishing.com/kdpforums/forumindex.jspa

Splickety Magazine is Launched!

Hello all. Late last week we finalized our first issue of Splickety Magazine, your premier destination for high-quality, compelling flash fiction. You can check it out here:

http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/324163

Right now it’s on sale, too. Not only can you get the electronic copy for free, but you can also get 25% off the print version if you order it before February 14th–just in time for Valentine’s Day. It normally retails for $5.50, but it’s on sale right now for $4.30. Buy a copy for a friend, a family member, or a loved one. Don’t forget to get a copy for yourself, too. Get it while it’s on sale!

If you’re interested in subscribing (we’ll put the magazine out quarterly, or so) message me at splickety.wwc@gmail.com and I’ll get you connected with our main office to set up a subscription for you.

And, as always, if you’re interested in submitting to Splickety, you can find our submission guidelines at the link below:

http://inthefray1.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/splickety-magazine-submission-guidelines/

Thanks for your support, and I hope you enjoy Splickety.

-Ben

My Fav Reads of 2011

April had a great idea last week…so I’m copying her. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, you know.

She was good with choosing her top ten reads. I couldn’t stop there…I tried, and it hurt to even stop here. But between two book clubs, reviews for several organizations and individuals who ask, and because I wanted to read fav authors, here are my enjoyable reads from the past year. And because great minds think alike, you’ll notice a couple of same titles as April.

Steven James, The Patrick Bowers series

Fell in love with Pat when doing a Revell book review, and it’s a good thing he’s fictional; sigh. Although I’d probably have to kill him if I spent any time with him because he’s pretty analytical and rather clueless about anything but murder clues and coffee. Still–Steven James invented a character to…sigh for. You won’t be able to read just one; the books are titled after chess pieces, and yes, start with the Pawn.

 

Jill Williamson, From Darkness Won

Jill asked me to preview book number one, which I was thrilled to do as soon as I started reading. Loved her characters and story world and rejoiced when she won numerous awards for it. Had to get the second book, To Darkness Fled, and honestly, waited and waited for this one, hoped the price would come down but it didn’t so I bought it for my birthday and it is the most expensive e-book I’ve purchased so far, Jeff Gerke.

 

Michelle Griep, Undercurrent

Michelle didn’t have to ask me to buy or review this book. I loved her first book, a time-travel adventure, Gallimore, and waited years for some other publisher to figure out what a good writer she is. Undercurrent is such a fun read, especially for those of us who get a kick out of mixing up fantasy and real history. Michelle is a woman after my own heart with medieval period and culture adoration.

 

Naomi Musch, The Red Fury

Ditto with Naomi. She asked me to review The Green Veil, and as a good Wisconsin sister writer, wasn’t about to refuse, and all I can say is, she made a fan out of me. Awesome tale of the early lumber baron era of our home state, and the Peshtigo fire, which took place the same night as the Great Chicago fire in 1871, but with much more devastating results. And my historic license plate reads 1871. Not that I’m biased or anything.

 

Serena Miller, The Measure of Katie Calloway

So, I usually avoid these types of sighing, looking in the distance, quasi-historical romances, but I agreed to review for Revell, and, despite the cover and the title, really enjoyed this book to the point of keeping it on my shelf in the hopes to read it again. Yes…another lumber baron story, but great details on the lumber camps and fantastic characters.

 

Anita Estes, Letters to God, on a Prodigal Son

Just to show you I don’t read all fiction, although it is my first choice, I have to give a high five and a bow and a thank you to Anita for this book. Everyone with children should read it and not be afraid. Anita honored me by asking me to proofread, and she truly blessed me at a time when I needed to read what she had to share.

 

Schaffer, Mary Ann and Annie Barrows, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society

I read this book last January in one of my book clubs. I had read the review in a newspaper but I’m not sure that I would have picked it up. The story behind the story is so attractive: Annie is Mary Ann’s neice, and a published author. Mary Ann spent years on this manuscript in her writing group, and passed away before it was published. Annie worked on it and got it published, and it truly is a gem about a little-known or heralded area of World War II history. I love the Channel Islands-a nation unto themselves, as I learned.

 

Catherine West, Yesterday’s Tomorrow

Cathy asked me to do a review for her. This story is so gripping. It takes place during the Vietnam war era and is gritty with realism, tragedy and triumph.

 

Christmas Campfire Companion, Chila Woychik, editor

I can’t bring myself to choose a favorite child–I just can’t. But I do love this anthology of short stories. From bust a gut laughing to poignant to frightening to just plain fun, this is a wonderful group of short stories by a great group of today’s best western authors, including Terry Burns. Just buy it. You’ll find somebody to give it to.

 

Klavan, Andrew, The Final Hour (Homelander Series)

Kind of hesitated over this one, but I keep thinking about it. A high school boy is asked to perform a highly dangerous mission for secret services – to infiltrate a terrorist organization. It’s also a series. Very well done, despite the questionable story line. Klavan will make you believe.

 

Rebecca Rasmussen, The Bird Sisters

I cyber-met Rebecca at SheWrites in the Wisconsin authors group. She was touting her debut novel long before its release date. I pre-ordered it and read it this year. I’ve shared it with friends. The Bird Sisters is an intriguing literary read about a pair of spinster sisters who grow up in Wisconsin – yes, I’m biased – and the unfolding of the summer that changed their lives.

 

Michael Perry, Coop

It’s hard to describe Michael Perry. He’s a Wisconsin-born author much like eastern Minnesota’s Garrison Keillor but a little more family friendly. Must be something about that part of the state. If I told you he writes about his life in a tiny little backwoods part of the midwest, you’d wonder why? Who cares? Apparently, quite a few people. And his popularity is growing. He not only has a knack for creating personal intimate relationships with his audience about everyday events, he’s a fantastic sought-after speaker and performer. Grab a copy from the library, then go buy his other books.

 

Eddie Jones, The Curse of Captain LaFoote

Anyone who loves pirates and time travel and weird events and action and a little romance (okay, so it’s teen angst but very cool) will love this book. I hope he does well with it, because I want to read more. It has the best cover (tied in my mind with Cathy’s), and it’s fun to read. And it doesn’t take place in Wisconsin.

Christmas Belles and Rose McCauley

Posted by Elaine Marie Cooper

While this is typically my Revolutionary Faith Friday, I am instead offering a chance to celebrate Black Friday in the comfort of your home. And at the same time introduce you to Rose McCauley, a sweet lady that has written a sparkling story in an anthology called Christmas Belles of Georgia. Rose is one of four authors in this romance novel and her writing draws you in to the story of Carol and Nick, the second tale in this celebration of love and hope.

Rose McCauley

Bio for Rose McCauley:

Rose has been writing for over ten years and has been published in several non-fiction anthologies and devotionals. She is happy for this to be her first fiction anthology because Christmas books are her favorites. A retired schoolteacher who has been happily married to her college sweetheart for 43 years, she is also mother to three grown children and their spouses and grandmother to three lovely, lively kids with one more on the way! You can reach her through her website www.rosemccauley.com or blogsite at www.rosemccauley.blogspot.com and also on Facebook as Rose McCauley.

Back cover blurb for the whole anthology Christmas Belles of Georgia:

Four letters are mailed from Monticello, a small antebellum town in Georgia. Sisters once, now heirs to a historic plantation, each young woman must come to terms with the circumstances of her birth…Will the sisters receive a traditional Christmas gift…of love?

Back cover blurb for Nick’s Christmas Carol in Christmas Belles of Georgia

Nick Powers worked hard to earn his college degree and his dream job. He doesn’t know what to expect when he finds out new owners will be taking over Bellingham Plantation soon. When Carol Peterson comes to town, she and Nick get off to a rocky start, but soon combine forces to make Christmas a happier time for others. Can they find their own Christmas happiness?

Rose’s Thanksgiving Week Giveaway!

Rose McCauley is so thankful to have her first fiction book pubbed—Christmas Belles of Georgia—that she is doing a giveaway of the e-cookbook Novel Morsels to anyone who orders Christmas Belles of Georgia from Amazon November 23-27.

Novel Morsels is a cookbook compiled by Nicole O’Dell with over 100 recipes from books written by 65 authors. This book will soon be listed on Amazon at $2.99 a copy. But this week you can receive it free by ordering a copy of Christmas Belles of Georgia on Amazon, then going to Rose’s blog at www.rosemccauley.blogspot.com where you will find out how to contact her by email to give her your amazon order code and receive the code for the free copy of Novel Morsels.

So go on over to Amazon.com and order a copy or two of Christmas Belles of Georgia  and then get a free gift for yourself. You will have lots of recipes to try out in the coming months.

Christmas Belles of Georgia (Romancing America)

 

Revolutionary Faith will return next Friday!

Lynn Rush is Back with Big News

Ben Erlichman (BE): Our very special guest today is a good friend of mine, writer/author Lynn Rush. In case you missed our last interview with Lynn, you can find it here. Since October, Lynn has made some significant progress in her career as an author. Lynn, would you tell us what’s going on?

Lynn Rush (LR): Wasteland officially released September 6th, so I’ve been on a whirlwind blog tour ever since. It’s great fun, though.

BE: So when you got the email from the publisher about Wasteland being published, how did you react?

LR: I read the email—three times—then ran to my sweet hubby and showed him. Later that night we went out and celebrated at our favorite restaurant! The toughest part was waiting until everything was signed so we could announce it!

BE: What is Wasteland about?

LR: A tormented four-hundred year-old half-demon J. The official blurb is:

Bound by the blood contract his human mother signed four centuries ago, half-demon, David Sadler, must obey his demonic Master’s order to capture fifteen-year-old Jessica Hanks. But as he learns more about her, he realizes she may be the key to freedom from his demonic enslavement.

The only obstacle—Jessica’s distractingly beautiful Guardian, Rebeka Abbott. He must not give in to their steamy chemistry, or he will lose his humanity. But fresh off a quarter millennia of sensory deprivation as punishment for not retrieving his last target, he may not be able to resist temptation long enough to save what’s left of his human soul.

I have a little YouTube trailer made, too, if you want to see that: http://youtu.be/k-KRE1yMiNk
And an excerpt on my publisher’s site: http://www.crescentmoonpress.com/books/Wasteland.html

BE: What kind of initial response have you had regarding Wasteland?

LR: So far so good. The reviews up on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads have been relatively positive.

BE: Have you had any bad reviews? How do you react to those as an author?

LR: Not yet, but I’m sure they’re coming! Can’t please everyone’s tastes, and it’s okay. I haven’t liked every book I’ve picked up, either, but doesn’t mean it was terrible or the author didn’t write well, just wasn’t my cup of tea.

BE: Who is the target audience for Wasteland?

LR: It’s technically called a New Adult novel. That’s mostly for those out of high school yet not quite ready for the steamy adult romance novels out there. I’ve loosely called it a twenty-something novel. But really, I’ve had teenagers all the way up to sixty-year olds read it and tell me they enjoyed it. So, I’m learning it has a fairly wide audience.

BE: What are you doing to market Wasteland to those readers?

LR: I’m having my book signing at a coffee shop near a Harkins Movie Theatre. That fits the target audience pretty well in my opinion. I’ve had some younger people read and review the book on their websites, too. We’re also having contests that include giving away a Kindle, having fun photo contests, things like that.

BE: Where can we get a copy?

LR: Barnes and Noble—online mostly, but you can go into your Barnes and Noble store and have them bring it into the store for you as well. The Nook version should be out shortly. Amazon.com has both the kindle and paperback versions. All Romance Ebook (ARe) has just the electronic version of the book. It’s a neat community where you can earn points for each book you buy and apply them toward future books. Really neat concept over at ARe.

BE: What can we expect from you next?

LR: Well, I have a few things in the works. Crescent Moon Press has purchased my Violet Night Trilogy, and my first round edits on book one have been turned in, so I hope to get an estimated release date soon. Wasteland II (I’m calling it Awaited) is done and in the critique process. Once that’s cleaned up I’ll present it to Crescent Moon Press to see if they’re interested. So, at a minimum, I have three more books coming out in 2012. Lots to keep me busy, huh? LOL

BE: Thanks so much for stopping by, Lynn. I’m so happy for you and I have nothing but the highest hopes for Wasteland and the rest of your writing career.

LR: Thanks, Ben. I’m glad to be here. I love talking writing, and I’m having a blast on this journey. Thanks for walking along side me!

BE: Lynn has graciously agreed to give away a free e-copy of Wasteland to one of our readers, but in order to win, you have to comment on this post. Comments will be accepted throughout the following week so lots of people have time to comment. The deadline for comments is 11:59pm on Wednesday September 28th, 2011.

***YOU MUST provide us with an email address or some other way to contact you in order to be eligible to win–in other words, anonymous posts aren’t eligible to win unless you identify yourself.***

We will announce the winner on Thursday the 29th in my next post, where I will reveal the new name and submission details for my short fiction magazine through Written World Communications, formerly known as Quicktales Quarterly. Tune in then to see if you won!

————————————————————————

Here’s a bit more about Lynn:

Short Bio:

Lynn Rush began her writing career in 2008. She has both an undergraduate and graduate degree in the mental health field and has enjoyed applying that unique knowledge to developing unique characters.

A former inline speed skater and mountain biker, Lynn has been known to test the limits of her athletic endurance. So, when she’s not writing, she spends time enjoying the Arizona sunshine by road biking nearly 100 miles per week with her husband of fifteen years and going on jogs with her loveable Shetland Sheep dogs.

Catch the Rush: www.lynnrush.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LynnRushWrites

Twitter: www.twitter.com/LynnRush

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/k6NAZa

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/pavzwE

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/pbigOg

All Romance Ebooks: http://bit.ly/nujjjp

YouTube Trailer:  http://youtu.be/k-KRE1yMiNk

Sunday Book Review: Microbusiness Tips for Teens

Starting a Micro Business for Teens

By Carol Topp

c. 2010

Ambassador Publishing

ISBN: 978-0-09829245-0-1
Retail price: $9.95 

 This nifty little book sets out to make a big difference in encouraging families with teens who are interested in more than setting up a lemonade stand or playing around with real dollars. Topp’s reason for adding this book to her collection of teen helps is that she wanted to create a useful and practical guide for teens, written by a mom who had teens, and include the inspiration reasons behind stewardship. 

 Each chapter, from the introduction of “What is a Micro Business” through the practical steps of figuring out suitable ideas to making them work and how to establish realistic goals, is filled with brief paragraphs of advice in easy-to-understand and follow tips, and ends with bullet-pointed Important Points. I loved her sample Business Plan, her encouragement, even the word-for-word advice for shy teens when they are encouraged to seek advice over the phone or in person from help desks or professionals.

 Topp doesn’t stop when the micro business is set up; she makes sure all accountable areas are covered, particularly with licensing and the all-important responsible government cut. Kudos to Topp for this wonderful and practical guide.

 Carol Topp is a CPA who advises teenage business owners. Visit her web site: microbusinessforteens.com/

Enter the drawing for a free package of Carol’s other books by leaving a comment here and other places on the tour.   GRAND PRIZE!

The Complete Set of Carol Topp’s Micro Business for Teens Series

(Winner will receive the four books shown below)

Starting a Micro Business

ISBN: 978-0-09829245-0-1
Retail price: $9.95

Running a Micro Business

ISBN: 978-0-09829245-1-8
Retail price: $9.95

Money and Taxes in a Micro Business

ISBN: 978-0-09829245-3-2
Retail price: $9.95

The Micro Business for Teens Workbook

ISBN: 978-0-09829245-2-5
Retail price: $14.95

Promotion in Motion – meet Tracy Krauss

Tracy Krauss, author of ‘edgy inspirational’ fiction, is launching her book MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER on Feb. 24 at amazon.com.  You can help Tracy achieve ‘best seller’ status by purchasing the book at amazon.com on Thursday!

About the book: Loaded with humor, action, intrigue and romance, My Mother the Man- Eater is the story of a woman whose search for meaning in life finds an unexpected outlet. Joleen Allen is on the hunt for a man. Unfortunately, every time the mother of five meets one, he falls for one of her daughters instead! At forty-four, Joleen has lived a tough life. She became a mother at 16, and her five daughters are now grown. Her ex-husband, Harold, is out of prison and back in the picture, looking for revenge. He’ll stop at nothing – even murder – to ruin Joleen’s reputation as well as her relationship with their daughters. My Mother the Man-Eater makes for some truly tempting and redemptive reading.

About the Author: Tracy Krauss is a prolific author, playwright, director and artist. Originally from a small prairie town, she now resides in Tumbler Ridge, BC, known for its scenic mountain vistas and many waterfalls. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon and currently teaches high school Art, Drama and English. 

 ~ the creative process from a Christian perspective. Visit her Blog

 

BONUS!

Buy MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER on February 24 and receive loads of FREE e-gifts from these generous supporters:

Sample chapters, short stories, children’s books, and magazines from acclaimed, best selling and debut Christian authors, such as April Gardner, Shawna Williams, Shellie Neumeier, Sana Edoja, Delia Latham, Ray Lincoln,  Stacy Padula, Elaine Cooper, Stacy Juba, Lisa Lickel, Joann Durgin … and more!

Plus – free manuscript critiques, manuscript editing, and marketing and promotional tips from journalists, editors, authors and speakers, Lorilyn Roberts, Linda Yezak and Bonnie Way.

And – beautiful downloadable art cards courtesy of artist and author Brenda Hendricks.

All if you buy your copy of MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER at amazon.com on Feb. 24!  These free gifts are valid on Feb. 24 only. All the links will be operational on the ‘Book Launch’ site at www.tracykrauss.com/  Click HERE for more details  link: http://mytinyurl.com/d3srfsw1f1/  

 

DISCLAIMER: This Best Seller book launch has been coordinated with the help of the ‘John 3:16 Marketing Network’ and many other generous supporters. The free gifts are deliverable electronically over the internet or by email by individual authors and supporters. They are not in any way associated with, nor deliverable by, amazon.com

Promotion in Motion Tuesday – Eddie Jones and Captain LaFoote!

Who can resist a pirate? I know I can’t. I am delighted to introduce Eddie Jones to you today. Follow along on his tour and don’t forget to enter for a free book.

Telling Tidal Tales

I’m a boat swab at heart, and a thief and liar when honest work proves unprofitable. This is why when my boys were little (and by this I mean we could still feed them without maxing-out our credit cards at the grocery store or causing a world-wide food shortage) I’d tell them pirate stories on our sailboat. I no longer have a sailboat. What I have instead are two boys in college. This is way better than a boat because unlike owning a boat, college tuition payments end—if not upon graduation then when the free frat parties stop. Boat alimony, on the other hand, goes on forever. I’m sure in some way, Noah is still paying on the Ark. B.O.A.T., by the way, means: “Break Out Another Thousand.” But if you’ve ever owned a boat you know this.

Anyway, at night, before I’d tuck my small boys into their bunks (a storage locker where we kept the anchor), we’d sit on the bow of our sailboat and I’d make up stuff. Today I do this as a writer but editors have shorter attention spans than my tiny tots. At least that’s what my agent says. So I’d tell these tidal tales and the hero of the story was this guy named Captain Stinky Foot. Captain Stinky Foot was named after my youngest son. If you’ve ever spent any time on a boat in August with a crew of unwashed young males then this needs no further explanation.

Telling pirate stories came naturally to me. I’ve always been fascinated by the stories of boys snatched away from London and Bristol and forced to serve before the mast. Seems to me life at sea was more fun than peeling potatoes. And more dangerous.

I’d use whatever props I could spy from the bow—a channel marker, boat fender, or crab pot—and I’d work it into the story. A few times every year my boy’s school would invite me in to tell pirate stories. My talks followed a predictable pattern. The teacher would ask everyone to sit quietly and listen, but know how it is with kids. There’s always some smart aleck who insists on cutting up. The teacher would interrupt, scowl and eventually nod for me to continue. Almost immediately, she’d have to stop me again: this time raising her voice. By the third time I knew she meant business. I also knew I’d get sent to the principle’s office if I didn’t straighten up.

Now, when I’m asked to describe The Curse of Captain LaFoote, I explain that it’s a pirate tale awash in buried treasure, romance and dead men’s bones. The truth is, this book and the ones that follow in the Caribbean Chronicle series are love stories. Ricky Bradshaw, the hero of the book, the story is a quest to find his soul mate and manhood. There are a lot of other deep and important themes explored in the book too.

There are a lot of other deep and important themes explored in The Curse of Captain LaFoote. Things like what the poop deck is and why cruise ships no longer use them, the secrets inside Davy Jones’ locker, and why you shouldn’t walk downwind of a pirate who’s just eaten turtle soup.

Seriously, my main goals in writing this book was to spur the imagination of young readers. Boys especially.

According to KidSay Market Researchers, teen and tween online video and virtual gaming increased from 65% in 2007 to 91% in 2010. I’m a writer, not a math whiz, so I have no idea what those numbers mean but they sound really scary. So part of my goal is to give boys a compelling story they can fall into. I want to create within them a desire to read and set sail for a life of adventure, wherever that journey may take them. Even now I can see Ricky standing on the sugar-white sands of that island just south of Hispaniola. I am that boy. And so are a lot of other boys.

As part of our Buy A Boy A Book! Campaign we are encouraging parents, grand parents, aunts, uncles, Oprah and the President of the United States to buy a book and give it to a boy. That’s right. We want you to give a book as a gift.

We’ve test marketed this concept and our research shows most boys, given the choice between reading a book and visiting the dentist, will run away from home. But as a responsible adult you know dental hygiene is key to a happy mouth. Think of this book as dental floss for the mind.

Reading is key to learning. Learning increases a young boy’s chances of gaining admission to college, earning a degree, landing a job and pursuing the American Dream.

Please, won’t you give a boy a chance to dream? Boy A Boy A Book On Valentine’s Day!
Print Edition $9.95
Kindle eBook $2.99

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Become a Facebook Fan of the Caribbean Chronicles series. Learn more about The Curse of Captain LaFoote at www.captainlafoote.com. If you’re a teacher, home school parent, or young lad or lass who loves adventure and romance, contact us. Maybe we can speak to your school or group.

Apply to be a pirate! We’re also lookin’ fer crew to sail aboard the Black Avenger in our next novel, Dead Calm, Bone Dry. No experience required. We’ll teach ya how ter talk like a pirate, sail like a crusty seaman and steal from the devil. We may even invite ya to go treasure hunting with us on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Join our crew for a chance to win prizes AND (maybe) be a lead character (or a dead one) in our next book.

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Read Eddie’s Blog Here you’ll read the “un-edited” thoughts and prose that prompt Eddie’s novels, devotions and humorous boating columns.

Send Eddie an email: aground@mindspring.com