Eva Pasco's Blog, page 49
August 5, 2016
My WRITE Instinct
Itsy bitsy teenie weenie like a skimpy yellow polka dot bikini!
A writer with the proclivity to parlay 562words into my upcoming Women’s Fiction novel, AN ENLIGHTENING QUICHE, I’ve put my shoe on the other foot when it comes to marketing and promoting. Let me invoke the KISS method – Keep it Skimpy, Stupid!
According to “Attention Span Statistics”- http://www.statisticbrain.com/attenti...
The average attention span is 8.25 seconds.
The percentage of words read on an average 593-word web page is 28%
Point of Fact: I put much thought into creating engaging daily posts for my Facebook Author Page. Checking Insights for 08/02, my post had a 306-reach with only 13 post clicks and 23 reactions.
By and large, no one gives a rat’s patootie!
Hopefully, potential readers will be more responsive when my novel is published and I’m able to conduct a Book Launch Giveaway Event. When I actually begin the process of promoting at pertinent sites, I’ll practice the KISS method. And, you can be sure my official book trailer will be scantily clad of words.
Citing the 8.25-second rule in exercising my penchant for brutal honesty:
I rarely read stories or articles posted at Authors Den exhibiting words crammed together without paragraphing due to a formatting issue. I am not keen on scrolling through literature with miles and miles of words. Therefore, I will never post Chapter 1 of AN ENLIGHTENING QUICHE in its 17-page entirety. Nor do I expect to post it in segments either. If what I’ve alluded to thus far hasn’t interested anyone by now, so be it.
While I highly respect kindred authors in my social circles at Facebook, I shy away from watching any author interview videos I’ve noticed are twenty minutes or more in length, no matter how revealing. On the other hand, I enjoy perusing question & answer interviews because one can ingest them in under five minutes.
Yet, I won’t pander to anyone’s attention deficit by churning trending “shorts” in the guise of novels. I intend to follow my WRITE instinct when acquainting the public with my upcoming release because most people, like myself, don’t care to drown in a sea of words.
A writer with the proclivity to parlay 562words into my upcoming Women’s Fiction novel, AN ENLIGHTENING QUICHE, I’ve put my shoe on the other foot when it comes to marketing and promoting. Let me invoke the KISS method – Keep it Skimpy, Stupid!
According to “Attention Span Statistics”- http://www.statisticbrain.com/attenti...
The average attention span is 8.25 seconds.
The percentage of words read on an average 593-word web page is 28%
Point of Fact: I put much thought into creating engaging daily posts for my Facebook Author Page. Checking Insights for 08/02, my post had a 306-reach with only 13 post clicks and 23 reactions.
By and large, no one gives a rat’s patootie!
Hopefully, potential readers will be more responsive when my novel is published and I’m able to conduct a Book Launch Giveaway Event. When I actually begin the process of promoting at pertinent sites, I’ll practice the KISS method. And, you can be sure my official book trailer will be scantily clad of words.
Citing the 8.25-second rule in exercising my penchant for brutal honesty:
I rarely read stories or articles posted at Authors Den exhibiting words crammed together without paragraphing due to a formatting issue. I am not keen on scrolling through literature with miles and miles of words. Therefore, I will never post Chapter 1 of AN ENLIGHTENING QUICHE in its 17-page entirety. Nor do I expect to post it in segments either. If what I’ve alluded to thus far hasn’t interested anyone by now, so be it.
While I highly respect kindred authors in my social circles at Facebook, I shy away from watching any author interview videos I’ve noticed are twenty minutes or more in length, no matter how revealing. On the other hand, I enjoy perusing question & answer interviews because one can ingest them in under five minutes.
Yet, I won’t pander to anyone’s attention deficit by churning trending “shorts” in the guise of novels. I intend to follow my WRITE instinct when acquainting the public with my upcoming release because most people, like myself, don’t care to drown in a sea of words.
July 29, 2016
One Step Further along the WRITE Direction
Having previously alluded to the 8-plus-year journey of writing my second novel in the genre of Women’s Fiction, I’m one step further along the WRITE direction in 2016:
March 31st - Submitted AN ENLIGHTENING QUICHE for publication.
May 13th – Received the first electronic galley proof to read, revise, and edit.
May 31st - Submitted the first proof along with an accompanying master correction list of 93 edits.
June 24th - Received the second electronic galley proof to pour through.
June 27th – Submitted the second proof along with an accompanying master correction list of 9 edits.
July 27th – Received the third electronic galley proof, and thus far, have come across 5 minor “hyphen” bugaboos.
Mind you, all of my edits are minor and more than likely unnoticeable.
Yet, to the exclusion of much else, I intend to hunker down until I read the entire document with the magnifying lens of an editor’s third eye. Far from perfect, I’m undaunted in affecting the obsessive compulsiveness of Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth, exorcising my pangs of conscience:
“Out, damn'd spot! Out, I say!”
March 31st - Submitted AN ENLIGHTENING QUICHE for publication.
May 13th – Received the first electronic galley proof to read, revise, and edit.
May 31st - Submitted the first proof along with an accompanying master correction list of 93 edits.
June 24th - Received the second electronic galley proof to pour through.
June 27th – Submitted the second proof along with an accompanying master correction list of 9 edits.
July 27th – Received the third electronic galley proof, and thus far, have come across 5 minor “hyphen” bugaboos.
Mind you, all of my edits are minor and more than likely unnoticeable.
Yet, to the exclusion of much else, I intend to hunker down until I read the entire document with the magnifying lens of an editor’s third eye. Far from perfect, I’m undaunted in affecting the obsessive compulsiveness of Shakespeare’s Lady Macbeth, exorcising my pangs of conscience:
“Out, damn'd spot! Out, I say!”
July 22, 2016
The WRITE Decision
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe,
Which is the WRITE way for me to go?
Having submitted the second electronic galley proof for my upcoming Women’s Fiction novel to my publisher, I anxiously await the final proof—forthcoming in a matter of days. While moonlighting many a night by the light o’ the moon, I’ve been pondering important decisions as to marketing and promoting ‘An Enlightening Quiche.’ Several judgement calls later, I hope I’ve made the WRITE decisions.
One such quandary for me: To go or forego Amazon’s KDP Select, whereby in exchange for giving Amazon exclusive 90-day use of your digital content, you receive 5 days of your choosing to make your digital content free, while getting paid for your eBook loaned through the Amazon Prime library—roughly $2.50 per lend.
That seemingly would cast a bright light on the program, especially if you price your digitally formatted book at $.99.
Now, casting dark shadows over the deal when making the WRITE decision for me:
1. I intend to price my Kindle Edition at $3.99, so $2.50 is less than what I’d earn from a 70 % royalty—assuming I’ll sell some!
2. You can’t offer your Kindle Edition anywhere else, paid or free, during the 90 days it’s enrolled in KDP Select. Not the worst deterrent for me, a virtually unknown indie author.
The real deal breakers for me?
Those who snare a book for FREE may just add it to their TBR list and never get to it in the slush pile of freebies.
Those who scoop up my eBook may not comprise my target market, so my book may not appeal to them. Uh oh! That portends lousy reviews based on reading preference. I’d rather take my chances with those who make a conscious decision to purchase my book.
The FREE feed frenzy for each 90-day KDP Select round has the potential to make it much harder to sell my book at its more-than-fair price of $3.99 for a 562-page novel when I’m not enrolled.
$3.99 for the Kindle Edition of a novel where the characters are sure to dwell within the reader’s heart long after the last page has been turned, sounds like a great deal to me, no matter how you slice a quiche!
Which is the WRITE way for me to go?
Having submitted the second electronic galley proof for my upcoming Women’s Fiction novel to my publisher, I anxiously await the final proof—forthcoming in a matter of days. While moonlighting many a night by the light o’ the moon, I’ve been pondering important decisions as to marketing and promoting ‘An Enlightening Quiche.’ Several judgement calls later, I hope I’ve made the WRITE decisions.
One such quandary for me: To go or forego Amazon’s KDP Select, whereby in exchange for giving Amazon exclusive 90-day use of your digital content, you receive 5 days of your choosing to make your digital content free, while getting paid for your eBook loaned through the Amazon Prime library—roughly $2.50 per lend.
That seemingly would cast a bright light on the program, especially if you price your digitally formatted book at $.99.
Now, casting dark shadows over the deal when making the WRITE decision for me:
1. I intend to price my Kindle Edition at $3.99, so $2.50 is less than what I’d earn from a 70 % royalty—assuming I’ll sell some!
2. You can’t offer your Kindle Edition anywhere else, paid or free, during the 90 days it’s enrolled in KDP Select. Not the worst deterrent for me, a virtually unknown indie author.
The real deal breakers for me?
Those who snare a book for FREE may just add it to their TBR list and never get to it in the slush pile of freebies.
Those who scoop up my eBook may not comprise my target market, so my book may not appeal to them. Uh oh! That portends lousy reviews based on reading preference. I’d rather take my chances with those who make a conscious decision to purchase my book.
The FREE feed frenzy for each 90-day KDP Select round has the potential to make it much harder to sell my book at its more-than-fair price of $3.99 for a 562-page novel when I’m not enrolled.
$3.99 for the Kindle Edition of a novel where the characters are sure to dwell within the reader’s heart long after the last page has been turned, sounds like a great deal to me, no matter how you slice a quiche!
July 15, 2016
A Rhode Island State of Mind
Some folks like to get away
Take a holiday from the neighborhood
Hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood
But I'm takin' a cruise along the Blackstone River line
I'm in a Rhode Island state of mind
(Twisted out of context: Lyrics to Billy Joel’s, “New York State of Mind,” from his
‘Turnstile’ album, 1976)
For the most part, this native Rhode Islander’s state of mind has resided in the setting for my upcoming Women’s Fiction novel, ‘An Enlightening Quiche.’ Underway with efforts to promote my book, I’ve begun posting daily “Behind-the-Scene” notes on my Facebook Author Page pertaining to northern Rhode Island’s geographic entities, notable landmarks, historic references, and French-Canadian regional cuisine which are interwoven throughout the story.
Thus far:
No. 1 – Fabricating my fictitious mill, “Brulé Bookbinding Co.,” I envisioned it by the minor Falls of the Blackstone River as its historical predecessor, “American Tourister Luggage,” now “Highland Falls”—a condo complex. I researched the founding of Albion, Rhode Island and the construction of the mill, substituting facts with fiction.
No. 2 – In construing the day-to-day operations of Brulé Bookbinding Co., I resurrected memories from my own college summer employment at Sidney-Higgins Bookbinding Co. which I vividly describe in my latest Memoir—“In a Bind!” http://tinyurl.com/zo2tyub
No. 3 – A longtime resident of Lincoln, Rhode Island, I loosely based my fictitious, French-Canadian mill town of Beauchemins on the village of Manville where I taught, infusing its charm, warmth, and folksiness.
No. 4 - I’m heading to Woonsocket’s Castle Luncheonette, famous for its French-Canadian “dynamite”! Read my previously published essay on this explosive subject which relates to the novel, “Rhode Read: Northern RI’s Dynamite!” http://tinyurl.com/zpxrlny
Occasionally, I detour from my Rhode Island state of mind to read and comment on what other writers from all over the world have posted at Authors Den. Out of admiration and respect for the kindred authors on my Friends list at Facebook, I’ve their shared posts on my wall.
Now, to quench my thirsty state of mind in this high heat and humidity, I’ll “Stop at the Sign of the Lemon”—“Rhode Read: Del’s Lemonade – a RI Original!” http://tinyurl.com/hc7vt9a
Take a holiday from the neighborhood
Hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood
But I'm takin' a cruise along the Blackstone River line
I'm in a Rhode Island state of mind
(Twisted out of context: Lyrics to Billy Joel’s, “New York State of Mind,” from his
‘Turnstile’ album, 1976)
For the most part, this native Rhode Islander’s state of mind has resided in the setting for my upcoming Women’s Fiction novel, ‘An Enlightening Quiche.’ Underway with efforts to promote my book, I’ve begun posting daily “Behind-the-Scene” notes on my Facebook Author Page pertaining to northern Rhode Island’s geographic entities, notable landmarks, historic references, and French-Canadian regional cuisine which are interwoven throughout the story.
Thus far:
No. 1 – Fabricating my fictitious mill, “Brulé Bookbinding Co.,” I envisioned it by the minor Falls of the Blackstone River as its historical predecessor, “American Tourister Luggage,” now “Highland Falls”—a condo complex. I researched the founding of Albion, Rhode Island and the construction of the mill, substituting facts with fiction.
No. 2 – In construing the day-to-day operations of Brulé Bookbinding Co., I resurrected memories from my own college summer employment at Sidney-Higgins Bookbinding Co. which I vividly describe in my latest Memoir—“In a Bind!” http://tinyurl.com/zo2tyub
No. 3 – A longtime resident of Lincoln, Rhode Island, I loosely based my fictitious, French-Canadian mill town of Beauchemins on the village of Manville where I taught, infusing its charm, warmth, and folksiness.
No. 4 - I’m heading to Woonsocket’s Castle Luncheonette, famous for its French-Canadian “dynamite”! Read my previously published essay on this explosive subject which relates to the novel, “Rhode Read: Northern RI’s Dynamite!” http://tinyurl.com/zpxrlny
Occasionally, I detour from my Rhode Island state of mind to read and comment on what other writers from all over the world have posted at Authors Den. Out of admiration and respect for the kindred authors on my Friends list at Facebook, I’ve their shared posts on my wall.
Now, to quench my thirsty state of mind in this high heat and humidity, I’ll “Stop at the Sign of the Lemon”—“Rhode Read: Del’s Lemonade – a RI Original!” http://tinyurl.com/hc7vt9a
July 8, 2016
RSVP (REVIEW, if You Please)
For an author, "Répondez, s'il vous plaît" is synonymous with "REVIEW, if you please."
A book symbolizes the intrinsic bond in the symbiotic relationship between a reader and author. One cannot thrive without the other!
Since Amazon is the author’s virtual amphitheater flooded with thousands upon thousands of books for sale, reader reviews provide greater visibility for the published author’s books to rise above the ashes of obscurity. It’d be grand if my book popped up in the window, “You might enjoy this” suggestion.” Pipe dream aside, there’s no doubt about it—books with more and better reviews sell more.
Hence, when my upcoming novel is released for distribution, I will launch Giveaway events and offer free Advanced Reader Copies through various venues in exchange for an honest book review at Amazon.
“Review, if you please.” Since social etiquette nudges gift recipients to compose a thank you note, a book review is the sincerest form of flattery to an author, when it’s honestly earned. That’s all we ask.
Reader Reviews need not be lengthy in dispensing one’s opinion. Most are quite brief, rarely exceeding 800-1000 words, with shorter reviews from 250-450 words or far less.
Among friends and family, I often toss around the expression, “Talk is cheap!”
Not so for an author who spends countless hours, days, weeks, and even years perfecting the landscape of prose in their work of fiction or non-fiction. Not so for a reader who absorbs every word and honors an author’s request by writing a review from the heart.
A book symbolizes the intrinsic bond in the symbiotic relationship between a reader and author. One cannot thrive without the other!
Since Amazon is the author’s virtual amphitheater flooded with thousands upon thousands of books for sale, reader reviews provide greater visibility for the published author’s books to rise above the ashes of obscurity. It’d be grand if my book popped up in the window, “You might enjoy this” suggestion.” Pipe dream aside, there’s no doubt about it—books with more and better reviews sell more.
Hence, when my upcoming novel is released for distribution, I will launch Giveaway events and offer free Advanced Reader Copies through various venues in exchange for an honest book review at Amazon.
“Review, if you please.” Since social etiquette nudges gift recipients to compose a thank you note, a book review is the sincerest form of flattery to an author, when it’s honestly earned. That’s all we ask.
Reader Reviews need not be lengthy in dispensing one’s opinion. Most are quite brief, rarely exceeding 800-1000 words, with shorter reviews from 250-450 words or far less.
Among friends and family, I often toss around the expression, “Talk is cheap!”
Not so for an author who spends countless hours, days, weeks, and even years perfecting the landscape of prose in their work of fiction or non-fiction. Not so for a reader who absorbs every word and honors an author’s request by writing a review from the heart.
July 4, 2016
Write of Way
Augmenting what I previously revealed about my proclivity for “extracting pulp fiction from the enchanted forest of my wild imagination” since the age of nine, as told in a previous memoir, “Write of Passage,” I’ll now forge ahead along my journey in “Write of Way.”
Resuming where I left off during adolescence, composing chapter stories in the genre of mystery and spy thrillers, I tunneled my way through teen angst by whipping up a romance novella. Comprised of 50 type-written pages on orange paper, I bound the tome with brass, round-head paper fasteners, and showed off a cover layout using magazine cutouts. ‘Stoker’ earned its place on a shelf in the high school library. Due to its popularity, the copy took on a dog-eared appearance, much to my delight.
The rigors of college and the demands of a 29-yr. teaching career in elementary education imposed a stay of elocution from storytelling. Soon after retirement, I underwent a midlife renaissance which paved the “write of way” to fabricate my debut Women’s Fiction novel, ‘Underlying Notes,’ whose protagonist parlays a fragrance addiction to confront her troubled past and redefine life after the age of 40.
A newbie published author, I prioritized increasing my visibility while adding to my credibility by binge writing my way out of obscurity. Having grown up in the Sixties, I drew upon those experiences to write my first Memoir, “A Mini Tribute” (to Twiggy), and submitted it for publication at ‘The Sixties Official Site.’
When the webmaster graciously invited me to write more, and offered to set up my own page there, I eagerly accepted and turned out a Memoir every week for approximately two years, totalling100. I then composed over two dozen “Retro 60s Flashbacks” to add to my repertoire at “The Sixties with Eva Pasco” –Far out! Celebrating nine years on the web, earning the accolade, “Baby Boomer’s Top Choice Sixties Website,” I’m proud to be an integral part.
In conjunction with the setting of Rhode Island in my first novel as well as the upcoming second, ‘An Enlightening Quiche,’ it inspired me to write ezine articles on glorifying my state’s classic foods, historic landmarks, tourist attractions, and cultural idiosyncrasies. Each essay posted for posterity at Authors Den is prefaced with “Rhode Read.”
Cruising along my “write of way,” I’ve developed the habit of blogging, and have faithfully published “Eva’s Byte” each week at Authors Den, proceeding to no. 63 this week.
It behooves the unsung author to diversify above and beyond the scope of his/her genre, and to network with other authors who embark on their own arduous journey beset with detours and obstacles along the “write of way.”
Reference Links:
Write of Passage:
http://www.authorsden.com/visit/views...
A Mini Tribute:
http://www.authorsden.com/visit/views...
Resuming where I left off during adolescence, composing chapter stories in the genre of mystery and spy thrillers, I tunneled my way through teen angst by whipping up a romance novella. Comprised of 50 type-written pages on orange paper, I bound the tome with brass, round-head paper fasteners, and showed off a cover layout using magazine cutouts. ‘Stoker’ earned its place on a shelf in the high school library. Due to its popularity, the copy took on a dog-eared appearance, much to my delight.
The rigors of college and the demands of a 29-yr. teaching career in elementary education imposed a stay of elocution from storytelling. Soon after retirement, I underwent a midlife renaissance which paved the “write of way” to fabricate my debut Women’s Fiction novel, ‘Underlying Notes,’ whose protagonist parlays a fragrance addiction to confront her troubled past and redefine life after the age of 40.
A newbie published author, I prioritized increasing my visibility while adding to my credibility by binge writing my way out of obscurity. Having grown up in the Sixties, I drew upon those experiences to write my first Memoir, “A Mini Tribute” (to Twiggy), and submitted it for publication at ‘The Sixties Official Site.’
When the webmaster graciously invited me to write more, and offered to set up my own page there, I eagerly accepted and turned out a Memoir every week for approximately two years, totalling100. I then composed over two dozen “Retro 60s Flashbacks” to add to my repertoire at “The Sixties with Eva Pasco” –Far out! Celebrating nine years on the web, earning the accolade, “Baby Boomer’s Top Choice Sixties Website,” I’m proud to be an integral part.
In conjunction with the setting of Rhode Island in my first novel as well as the upcoming second, ‘An Enlightening Quiche,’ it inspired me to write ezine articles on glorifying my state’s classic foods, historic landmarks, tourist attractions, and cultural idiosyncrasies. Each essay posted for posterity at Authors Den is prefaced with “Rhode Read.”
Cruising along my “write of way,” I’ve developed the habit of blogging, and have faithfully published “Eva’s Byte” each week at Authors Den, proceeding to no. 63 this week.
It behooves the unsung author to diversify above and beyond the scope of his/her genre, and to network with other authors who embark on their own arduous journey beset with detours and obstacles along the “write of way.”
Reference Links:
Write of Passage:
http://www.authorsden.com/visit/views...
A Mini Tribute:
http://www.authorsden.com/visit/views...
July 1, 2016
Fourth Coming (Celebrating the American Dream)
Born in the U.S.A., I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A., born in the U.S.A.
(Lyrics from “Born in the USA,” a 1984 song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen, an American musician, singer, songwriter, and humanitarian whose songs find grandeur in the struggles of daily American life for the working class)
With the Fourth soon coming forth, Americans will celebrate Independence Day commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, by the Continental Congress. That 240-yr.-old document, particularly its second sentence, makes a profound statement about human rights:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Proud to have been born in the USA, I am ever grateful to members of the armed forces who’ve dedicated their lives, made family sacrifices, and put themselves in harm’s way so Americans on US soil can celebrate our freedom from tyranny with fireworks, parades, barbecues, picnics, and the like.
Born in the USA, a second-generation American, I want to also express thanks to my maternal grandfather who emigrated from Italy to this country and fought for it during WWI. Attaining citizenship, he paved the way for his wife—my grandmother, and his two young children—my aunts, to make their pilgrimage to Rhode Island. Eventually, my mother, the second youngest of their six children was born, and became a US citizen by virtue of “jus soli” or right of birthplace.
Part of America’s working class, my grandparents found grandeur in overcoming struggles during the Depression, and highly valued education as a means to achieve the American Dream by attaining those unalienable rights of Life, Liberty, and Happiness. My grandparents would swell with pride knowing so many forthcoming descendants furthered our education to pursue careers in business, cosmetology, engineering, construction, state and federal government, teaching, law enforcement, the military, and medicine—each of us striving to make our mark on American soil as they did.
I was born in the U.S.A., born in the U.S.A.
(Lyrics from “Born in the USA,” a 1984 song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen, an American musician, singer, songwriter, and humanitarian whose songs find grandeur in the struggles of daily American life for the working class)
With the Fourth soon coming forth, Americans will celebrate Independence Day commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, by the Continental Congress. That 240-yr.-old document, particularly its second sentence, makes a profound statement about human rights:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Proud to have been born in the USA, I am ever grateful to members of the armed forces who’ve dedicated their lives, made family sacrifices, and put themselves in harm’s way so Americans on US soil can celebrate our freedom from tyranny with fireworks, parades, barbecues, picnics, and the like.
Born in the USA, a second-generation American, I want to also express thanks to my maternal grandfather who emigrated from Italy to this country and fought for it during WWI. Attaining citizenship, he paved the way for his wife—my grandmother, and his two young children—my aunts, to make their pilgrimage to Rhode Island. Eventually, my mother, the second youngest of their six children was born, and became a US citizen by virtue of “jus soli” or right of birthplace.
Part of America’s working class, my grandparents found grandeur in overcoming struggles during the Depression, and highly valued education as a means to achieve the American Dream by attaining those unalienable rights of Life, Liberty, and Happiness. My grandparents would swell with pride knowing so many forthcoming descendants furthered our education to pursue careers in business, cosmetology, engineering, construction, state and federal government, teaching, law enforcement, the military, and medicine—each of us striving to make our mark on American soil as they did.
June 24, 2016
“Like” Me! (An Unsung Author’s Rise from Obscurity)
Run the extra mile
So they “like” me on Facebook, do they “like” me?
I don't have to try so hard
I don't have to bend until I break
(My own exploitation of the lyrics to “Try,” Colbie Caillat’s lead single from the album, ‘Gypsy Heart,’ released in 2014).
As Facebook “likes” are important to raise author visibility by gaining exposure, cultivating relationships, and increasing the means to communicate with a targeted audience, I’ve been running the extra mile to get them. Ever since I created my Facebook Author Page about a month ago, I’ve gone from 0 to 93 likes. The brass ring of attaining 100 “likes,” feasibly within reach, encourages me to try even harder.
How did I get from 0 – 93 on the Facebook tachometer? Every which way but loose!
Sprinting along the yellow brick road on Goodreads pertaining to Facebook “like” threads posted in my groups.
Participating in Facebook’s “Share the Love” program at World Literary Café where I’m No. 2127 on a list of 2133. Thus far I’ve climbed the love ladder to rung no. 1529. And, no—for all the love I spread around on a daily basis, the “likes” aren’t easily forthcoming. But, I’m very grateful for those who’ve reciprocated.
A shout-out to my Facebook groups: Marketing for Creatives and Scribes & Bibliophiles for the comradery and supportive exchange. My thanks to the hearts and minds I’ve won at the BookAholic Café for stopping by to “like” my page.
Last, but not least by any means: Authors Den. While I’ve no idea if any, many, some, a few, or even one silent benefactor has “liked” my Facebook Author page, I’ve asked. However, most endearing to me are the members who take the time to read my posts on any given day, and leave encouraging comments. In particular, recent posts pertaining to my upcoming Women’s Fiction novel, ‘An Enlightening Quiche’: Book Promo Trailer, Prologue, and Pre-Pub Book Review.
Although I may try hard to the point of bending until I break, I want everyone to know that while one of my ambitions is accruing Facebook “likes” to increase my reach—I don’t view each “like” as a number, especially if you “engage my page” by leaving a comment. In my eyes, you’ve then elevated your status from an invited guest to a valued friend.
If you’re so inclined, stop by and “like” me. Within the comfort of your own home, grab a chair, sip a cup of coffee, and enjoy a slice of quiche while you check out the top post which will acquaint you with a novel baked-to-perfection, and soon rising to the occasion for reader consumption.
Leave a footprint in the form of a comment before you go.
ENTER HERE: https://www.facebook.com/author.evapa...
So they “like” me on Facebook, do they “like” me?
I don't have to try so hard
I don't have to bend until I break
(My own exploitation of the lyrics to “Try,” Colbie Caillat’s lead single from the album, ‘Gypsy Heart,’ released in 2014).
As Facebook “likes” are important to raise author visibility by gaining exposure, cultivating relationships, and increasing the means to communicate with a targeted audience, I’ve been running the extra mile to get them. Ever since I created my Facebook Author Page about a month ago, I’ve gone from 0 to 93 likes. The brass ring of attaining 100 “likes,” feasibly within reach, encourages me to try even harder.
How did I get from 0 – 93 on the Facebook tachometer? Every which way but loose!
Sprinting along the yellow brick road on Goodreads pertaining to Facebook “like” threads posted in my groups.
Participating in Facebook’s “Share the Love” program at World Literary Café where I’m No. 2127 on a list of 2133. Thus far I’ve climbed the love ladder to rung no. 1529. And, no—for all the love I spread around on a daily basis, the “likes” aren’t easily forthcoming. But, I’m very grateful for those who’ve reciprocated.
A shout-out to my Facebook groups: Marketing for Creatives and Scribes & Bibliophiles for the comradery and supportive exchange. My thanks to the hearts and minds I’ve won at the BookAholic Café for stopping by to “like” my page.
Last, but not least by any means: Authors Den. While I’ve no idea if any, many, some, a few, or even one silent benefactor has “liked” my Facebook Author page, I’ve asked. However, most endearing to me are the members who take the time to read my posts on any given day, and leave encouraging comments. In particular, recent posts pertaining to my upcoming Women’s Fiction novel, ‘An Enlightening Quiche’: Book Promo Trailer, Prologue, and Pre-Pub Book Review.
Although I may try hard to the point of bending until I break, I want everyone to know that while one of my ambitions is accruing Facebook “likes” to increase my reach—I don’t view each “like” as a number, especially if you “engage my page” by leaving a comment. In my eyes, you’ve then elevated your status from an invited guest to a valued friend.
If you’re so inclined, stop by and “like” me. Within the comfort of your own home, grab a chair, sip a cup of coffee, and enjoy a slice of quiche while you check out the top post which will acquaint you with a novel baked-to-perfection, and soon rising to the occasion for reader consumption.
Leave a footprint in the form of a comment before you go.
ENTER HERE: https://www.facebook.com/author.evapa...
June 17, 2016
Truth of the Matter (A Writer’s Confession)
(Lyrics from “If We’re Honest” - 2014, by singer/ song writer Francesca Battistelli):
Truth is harder than a lie
The dark seems safer than the light
And everyone has a heart that loves to hide
But, I shall confide …
Truth of the matter:
I used to be a voracious book reader. Ever since I was a toddler and my mother sat me on her lap to read aloud to me, I had become hooked on books. Looking back to third grade, I recall signing out Frank Baum’s 'Wizard of Oz' from the library several weeks in a row so I could skip, skip, skip to my lou along the yellow brick road over and over again, even if the wizard failed to live up to my expectations. In junior high, I’d already embraced the heady novels of 'Jane Eyre,' 'Rebecca,' 'Gone with the Wind,' and 'The Time Machine.'
As an adult, I remember staying up past midnight, having fallen under the spell of Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, a United States writer who pioneered the historical romance genre with the 1972 publication of her novel 'The Flame and the Flower.'
Moving forward, my reading preference detoured to true crime novels. For the longest time I adhered to a steady diet of Stephen King’s novels of contemporary horror and supernatural fiction.
Truth of the matter:
I literally stopped reading for enjoyment in 2007 after finishing 'Blue Shoe' by Ann Lamott, a beloved author of mine who incidentally happens to share my birthday. You see, by then I had retired from teaching. Undergoing a midlife renaissance, I itched to revive my dormant flair for writing. Ann Lamott tapped into my creative reservoir by encouraging me to spin my own cocoon in the genre of Women’s Fiction.
Consequently, I tap into significant issues affecting the lives of ordinary/ extraordinary, flawed women who grapple with, confront, and overcome their personal dilemmas to become empowered in making profound life changes for the better. Secrets, idiosyncrasies, and sardonic humor prevail throughout my writing: 'Underlying Notes' (2007) and 'An Enlightening Quiche' (Coming Soon).
Truth of the matter:
Then, as now, and futuristically, all of my spare time will be devoted to conducting research, along with marketing and promoting on social media which involves the etiquette of reading and commenting on what other scribes and bibliophiles present on a daily basis. That mentioned, I also intend to write short pieces in the category of Memoir. Therefore, I am not keen on opening a book at the end of the day.
Truth of the matter:
I can no longer relax with a book, especially in the genre I write. Because of constantly critiquing my own work, I’ve developed a third eye for subconsciously editing what others have written despite realizing I am far from perfect. I also do not want to become unduly influenced by the author’s voice or storylines.
Truth of the matter:
When I do unwind, I sift through my pile of crossword puzzle books, and usually opt for those which present a challenge. While those who write books advising writers what to do often prescribe genre “reading” to develop one’s creative acumen through aspiration or emulation, I disagree. Writers are born with a special gift God gave us to heed our inner voice, mandating we must wield it at our own expense so someone else can curl up with a good book—preferably one of ours!
Truth is harder than a lie
The dark seems safer than the light
And everyone has a heart that loves to hide
But, I shall confide …
Truth of the matter:
I used to be a voracious book reader. Ever since I was a toddler and my mother sat me on her lap to read aloud to me, I had become hooked on books. Looking back to third grade, I recall signing out Frank Baum’s 'Wizard of Oz' from the library several weeks in a row so I could skip, skip, skip to my lou along the yellow brick road over and over again, even if the wizard failed to live up to my expectations. In junior high, I’d already embraced the heady novels of 'Jane Eyre,' 'Rebecca,' 'Gone with the Wind,' and 'The Time Machine.'
As an adult, I remember staying up past midnight, having fallen under the spell of Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, a United States writer who pioneered the historical romance genre with the 1972 publication of her novel 'The Flame and the Flower.'
Moving forward, my reading preference detoured to true crime novels. For the longest time I adhered to a steady diet of Stephen King’s novels of contemporary horror and supernatural fiction.
Truth of the matter:
I literally stopped reading for enjoyment in 2007 after finishing 'Blue Shoe' by Ann Lamott, a beloved author of mine who incidentally happens to share my birthday. You see, by then I had retired from teaching. Undergoing a midlife renaissance, I itched to revive my dormant flair for writing. Ann Lamott tapped into my creative reservoir by encouraging me to spin my own cocoon in the genre of Women’s Fiction.
Consequently, I tap into significant issues affecting the lives of ordinary/ extraordinary, flawed women who grapple with, confront, and overcome their personal dilemmas to become empowered in making profound life changes for the better. Secrets, idiosyncrasies, and sardonic humor prevail throughout my writing: 'Underlying Notes' (2007) and 'An Enlightening Quiche' (Coming Soon).
Truth of the matter:
Then, as now, and futuristically, all of my spare time will be devoted to conducting research, along with marketing and promoting on social media which involves the etiquette of reading and commenting on what other scribes and bibliophiles present on a daily basis. That mentioned, I also intend to write short pieces in the category of Memoir. Therefore, I am not keen on opening a book at the end of the day.
Truth of the matter:
I can no longer relax with a book, especially in the genre I write. Because of constantly critiquing my own work, I’ve developed a third eye for subconsciously editing what others have written despite realizing I am far from perfect. I also do not want to become unduly influenced by the author’s voice or storylines.
Truth of the matter:
When I do unwind, I sift through my pile of crossword puzzle books, and usually opt for those which present a challenge. While those who write books advising writers what to do often prescribe genre “reading” to develop one’s creative acumen through aspiration or emulation, I disagree. Writers are born with a special gift God gave us to heed our inner voice, mandating we must wield it at our own expense so someone else can curl up with a good book—preferably one of ours!
June 10, 2016
Back in the Saddle (Writin' High)
Her long blonde hair
Falling down across her arms
Hiding all the lady's charms
Lady Godiva
She found fame and made her name
(Lyrics from “Lady Godiva," a hit single recorded by Peter and Gordon in 1966)
Ever since I submitted the manuscript for my upcoming Women’s Fiction novel, 'An Enlightening Quiche,' I’ve been rounding up potential promotion sites and promising book reviewers—riding bareback—my steed, not me!
For starters, this week I got rid of the old to make way for the new by offering a Goodreads giveaway of the last four print copies from the Second Edition of my debut novel, 'Underlying Notes.' Now extinct, those of you who acquired a copy of the First or Second Edition, are in possession of a rare collector’s item, if I must say so. Henceforth, it is only available as an Amazon Kindle Edition for $3.99
http://www.amazon.com/author/evapasco
A-hey-hey-hey!
Hot-to-trot on the Facebook range, I’ve joined groups affiliated with writers and readers: The Hungry Bookworms, Promote Your Book, Unsung Authors, Marketing for Creatives, and BookAholic Café. I find it both comforting and exhilarating to interact with other published authors striving for recognition. I am in awe of what they have to offer as evidenced by their book covers, trailers, and well-honed synopses.
Each day at Facebook I look forward to posting my “Enlightening Elements” pertinent to 'An Enlightening Quiche.' Thus far, I’ve composed six of them. I’ve slowly been accruing “likes” on my new Facebook Author Page, courtesy of a Facebook Ladder thread on Goodreads, and “Share the Facebook Love” program at World Literary Café.
https://www.facebook.com/author.evapa...
I’ve amassed many views for my Book Promo Trailer on You Tube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKyakvIl3Aw
As for Lady Godiva fame and making a name, my valiant efforts are “all or nothing,” and hopefully not “all for nothing.” Back in the saddle, on my high horse, one thing’s for sure: you’ll never see my long blonde hair lyin’ on the barber’s floor!
Falling down across her arms
Hiding all the lady's charms
Lady Godiva
She found fame and made her name
(Lyrics from “Lady Godiva," a hit single recorded by Peter and Gordon in 1966)
Ever since I submitted the manuscript for my upcoming Women’s Fiction novel, 'An Enlightening Quiche,' I’ve been rounding up potential promotion sites and promising book reviewers—riding bareback—my steed, not me!
For starters, this week I got rid of the old to make way for the new by offering a Goodreads giveaway of the last four print copies from the Second Edition of my debut novel, 'Underlying Notes.' Now extinct, those of you who acquired a copy of the First or Second Edition, are in possession of a rare collector’s item, if I must say so. Henceforth, it is only available as an Amazon Kindle Edition for $3.99
http://www.amazon.com/author/evapasco
A-hey-hey-hey!
Hot-to-trot on the Facebook range, I’ve joined groups affiliated with writers and readers: The Hungry Bookworms, Promote Your Book, Unsung Authors, Marketing for Creatives, and BookAholic Café. I find it both comforting and exhilarating to interact with other published authors striving for recognition. I am in awe of what they have to offer as evidenced by their book covers, trailers, and well-honed synopses.
Each day at Facebook I look forward to posting my “Enlightening Elements” pertinent to 'An Enlightening Quiche.' Thus far, I’ve composed six of them. I’ve slowly been accruing “likes” on my new Facebook Author Page, courtesy of a Facebook Ladder thread on Goodreads, and “Share the Facebook Love” program at World Literary Café.
https://www.facebook.com/author.evapa...
I’ve amassed many views for my Book Promo Trailer on You Tube:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKyakvIl3Aw
As for Lady Godiva fame and making a name, my valiant efforts are “all or nothing,” and hopefully not “all for nothing.” Back in the saddle, on my high horse, one thing’s for sure: you’ll never see my long blonde hair lyin’ on the barber’s floor!
