Sara R. Turnquist's Blog, page 19
March 30, 2018
GUEST POST & GIVEAWAY: Author Greg L. Turnquist
by Greg L. Turnquist
In this day and age, launching a book isn’t something handled by your publisher. You the author are front and center a part of it. That is, unless you want your book to debut dead on arrival. So what can you do?
I’ve actually learned lots of tips and tricks from multiple experts, most notably Dave Chesson from Kindlepreneur.com as well as the Sell More Books Show hosted by Jim Kukral and Bryan Cohen.
The big thing we need on launch day is exposure. We want to get our hot new book in front of as many interested people as possible! Otherwise, it’s like giving a concert to an empty auditorium. There are many approaches. Let’s pick the four that I’m planning to use for my debut novel, Darklight.
Alert your email list
One of the most valuable things we can do it build an email list. It’s something you should have started yesterday, not the day after you launch. On the your book is released, reach out to your email list and let them know. Give them a call to action to get it while it’s hot! Not everyone is going to respond to your call to action, but if you have done things in the past like give your audience a free short story prequel or similar goodie, the odds increase that your audience will dash off to Amazon and snag a copy. (By the way, plan a follow up email, perhaps 1-2 weeks later, asking everyone that grabbed a copy to leave a review).
List your book on free newsletters
I’ve interacted with Virtual Book Tours in the past, and have mixed reactions on their cost vs. outcome. These book tours typically cost between $300-$500 in exchange for 15-30 “stops”. The conversion rate to book sales has not impressed me. But I recently learned that there are a whole fleet of “free” newsletters you can sign up and have your book listed. How is this possible? These newsletters all use “affiliate links” whereby ANY sale completed with Amazon within 24 hours yields them some cash. Their success is based on volume, so they are eager to get your book on the list. And guess what? For a small fee ($10-$15) you can purchase a premium slot. So I’m planning to do list Darklight on at four of these newsletters throughout the month of April. For a list of newsletter prospects, check out Dave Chesson’s list of free and almost-free promo sites. (https://kindlepreneur.com/list-sites-promote-free-amazon-books/)
Paid-For Ads
Another biggie I’ve also tinkered with are ads. Ads are everywhere. It’s the revenue model that has literally put Google into the Top 5 of biggest companies ever. So it goes to show, you can purchase Google ads, Facebook ads, Twitter ads, and more. A natural question is “where do I start?” Since I’m releasing purely on Amazon, I plan to use Amazon Market Services (AMS) ads. That’s because the people already roaming around Amazon are, shall we say, more likely to be in a buying mood than someone surfing Facebook. IMHO, people on FB are more likely looking for a funny cat meme.
With AMS, you do is pick your daily budget, your “cost-per-click” max, and a set of keywords. Pick how long you want this ad campaign to run and you’re set. (If you’re book is being released by someone else, they’ll have to set it up.) I asked my publisher if we could do a 2-week campaign, limited to $20/day. That translates to a maximum of $280, which is way cheaper than the last book tour I saw ($499). I am using AMS’s default rate of $0.25-per-click. (Anyone that clicks one of my ads will never cost me more than a quarter). And thanks to having purchased a copy of KDP Rocket (https://jvz7.com/c/990803/225041), it only took me maybe thirty minutes to put together a spreadsheet of over 1000 keywords. These keywords should connect my book’s ad with people that would enjoy my story
Social Media
Of course, never forget to let all your followers on social media. While social media has a much worse rate of sales, it doesn’t cost you anything.
That’s a lot of my strategy for launching a book. Do you have some ideas? Please post your own experiences and you could win a free e-book copy of Darklight.
Interview With Greg
Thanks for being on the blog, Greg. First, can you tell us a little about your novel?
Snitch, a young woman who grew up on the streets of Kelmar as a thief, has discovered something terrible. The regime’s evil military ruler has learned the hideout location of the resistance she joined and ordered an all out assault. Combined with the captain of the disbanded royal guard, a political prisoner, a duke’s daughter, and an old advisor, can her team survive and free Kelmar?
What an interesting premise. I am always intrigued by writers and that spark, that original idea. What was the inspiration for Darklight?
When I was a kid, I had this idea about an entire world below ground, underneath the manhole covers of the sewer system. Having read exciting books like Dune and Doctor Strange comic books, my mind started weaving tales of people overcoming a hostile environment while facing extinction.
So, did you always want to be a writer? If not, what did you want to be when you were a child?
Not really. I’d always been into computers, even at a very young age, which is why I became a software developer.
Computers, huh. I’m lucky if I can get my word processor program to work without crashing the whole system 
March 28, 2018
FIND BALANCE: Cut Out the Unnecessary Excess
There comes a time in anyone’s life when you just get overwhelmed. You know what I mean…overstressed, overtired, overwrought, overdone. It’s too much. Your TO DO list is longer at the end of the day than it was at the beginning.
You have tried prioritizing your TO DO list and “being okay” with checking off the top 3-4 things on the list.
You repeatedly talk yourself out of the perfectionist standard you fight against.
And you just. need. a. break.
You are not alone.
I have been there. I AM totally there.
I wear many hats: mom, wife, ministry leader, full time writer/author, marketing director, domestic engineer…
Last weekend, I had a come-to-Jesus meeting with myself. Let’s call it what it was…I had a mini-breakdown.
On Friday, we had a speaker at the moms’ group I work with. She posed a couple of “think about it” questions to us:
What do you think about when it gets quiet?
Well, I think about all the things I have to do. Which is always a list of 5 or 6 things at any given moment.
What do you really want?
A break. A real break.
Fast forward to a Writers Conference I went to the next day. The keynote was none other than Brandilyn Collins. She was talking about a manuscript she had to cut by 40%. And her approach was not to find things to cut, but instead to focus on what the story was about, then the rest was excess and could go.
A lightbulb went off. God was speaking.
That was the key for my situation!
Why didn’t I approach my life that way? Look at what fit my purpose, my goals…and let the rest go. Not that there weren’t good things in my calendar, but if they didn’t fit my purpose/goals, they didn’t feed my soul, they were just taking away necessary time and weighing down my schedule.
First, I had to know my purpose, my goals.
And then I could approach my week, my commitments this way: Does it fit my purpose/goals? Does it feed my soul or allow me to rest? If not, then it needs to go.
But as far as making new commitments, my default answer is: I will think about it. I am no longer allowing myself to say “yes” immediately. If they need an answer on the spot, it must be “no”. Because I need to consult my calendar thoughtfully. Saying “yes”, means giving up time elsewhere, saying “no” to something else, or perhaps other thingS. And my schedule is so busy, it usually means giving up multiple things.
My hope for you is that you, too, can find that balance, that focus, and let go of the excess. Because I have found peace in that. And you can too.
The post FIND BALANCE: Cut Out the Unnecessary Excess appeared first on Sara's Desk.
March 26, 2018
March 23, 2018
GIVEAWAY & GUEST POST: Author Brett Armstrong
Welcome all! I hope you are enjoying the arrival of Spring where you are in all it’s incarnations. As for me, it actually snowed here on the first day of Spring. Shouldn’t be surprised. We have a saying around here: “don’t like the weather? don’t worry, it’ll change in a minute”.
But I digress. I have another author for you to meet and some wonderful books to introduce you to. Author Brett Armstrong is with me today on the blog talking about writing Christian fiction. Such an interesting post. His books are also featured as well as…a GIVEAWAY!! So, I’ll step out of the way and let Brett take the stage for a bit.
Guest Post
by Brett Armstrong
The past couple weeks I’ve been hit with a heavy dose of introspection. It’s a conjunction of things that triggered it really and I mostly blame the internet. I have this uncanny ability to find the most awful battles on it and right in the crosshairs recently was a cherished element of my worldview, Christian fiction. As you may have seen from my bio, I’m a Christian and as a writer, invariably, that all-defining aspect of who I am filters into my work. Very early on in my writing career, I decided to not try to bury my faith or utterly ignore it as some writers seemingly do (you might be surprised which “secular” authors are Christians).
I tend to be a very logic driven person. I like for things to make sense, so if I get a whiff that something I’m convinced of doesn’t make sense, I kind of go into an internal huddle and start trying to sort things out. So, I set to work untangling things for myself. Most of all, I had to answer a question: Why do I write Christian fiction? I haven’t always done so intentionally. What makes me feel compelled to do so now? It certainly isn’t the favored genre of media, Western culture, or sales statistics. Those all make it very clear that Christian fiction and the faith that underpins it are marginal at best and illogical at worst.
I found myself fumbling a bit, because not only is my faith what guides my life, but it fuels my writing. I draw my purpose for writing out of my faith. You see, I believe that fiction writing, while entertaining and escapist as we may like it, ultimately owes the reader the opportunity to face aspects of reality within the world of the story, which seem too difficult to face in the real world. Stories should have a purpose, even if they seem to be fluff at first. It’s what keeps me writing after I get a wordless 2-star review and what keeps me from living for 5-star reviews. I thoroughly enjoy finding the latter, but it can’t be what defines a writer’s career nor a writer’s art nor a writer’s craft nor a writer’s purpose. As a writer, you’re going to have people picking at and disliking things that are very intrinsically tied to your being, as any artwork is, and when those storms hit, you have to be firmly grounded in the “why you write” to weather them.
I’ll try to spare the in-depth details of my inner monologue and hit the highpoints of my introspection. The first is, I decided I wasn’t going to give up on my faith. That’s huge. Never let anyone or anything diminish the significance of committing yourself to Christ. When you make that choice, everything else is defined in that context moving forward. Which means you have to be absolutely sure Christ is the real thing. It takes daily, purposeful seeking of the Truth. Like I said, I’m a logic-driven person so something arises as a challenge to my faith, I try to remember the Apostle Thomas, who initially doubted Christ’s resurrection. I seek help in Scripture and ask God to make sense of things for me. I’ve yet to find anything that can undo what God has done in me. Over time, I’ve also come to see things like Puddleglum from CS Lewis’s The Silver Chair, because logic and reason can be muddled and sometimes you must let the fog clear before committing or not committing to something: “I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia.”
The second major point of turning to keep me on the path to writing Christian fiction came from a post on the matter I read recently (see here). It references a study published in Psychology Today, which points out that the brain processes material read, much the same as it processes real experiences. Talk about validation. My writerly creed that fiction should prepare us to face the real world gained a biological backing! If what we read can shape who we are as readily as actual events, then it is of paramount importance that the stories I tend to write be told. My stories are about perseverance, standing strong in the faith even when it is difficult. So, if reading a story I’ve written encourages one person to “keep fighting the good fight of the faith”, then none of the tangential distractions should hinder me from doing the same.
If you stand where breakers roll into the coast for long enough, you’ll eventually get worn down. I think that is what happened to me recently. For a long time, I tried to stand on my own as I found attack after attack on not only Christian fiction, but the faith itself. I needed something to hold me up, something to refresh me. So now, you have the short of it. I found my place of rest on Christ Himself and the faith He sustains in me and in a not-so-subtle reminder that since the faith is true, telling the stories about it matters.
Interview
Thank you for those words. I found deep meaning in them as another writer of deep faith.
I like to start off asking fellow authors about their inspiration. It intrigues me. So, what was the inspiration for Day Moon?
My most recent book, Day Moon was initially inspired by a creative writing assignment that required us to go out and find people and events to fill a “writerly scavenger hunt”. It was raining that day so I was standing all alone under the portico of the English hall, looking out across the campus and I saw the library across the way. The English hall was built in classical Greco-Roman style on the outside, but the library was very modern with huge glass windows. Standing there in the dreariness and seeing its bright lights, I was struck by the contrasts I was experiencing. I started on the assignment’s completion, writing a story sketch about something we found in our hunt. Mine was a college student in the near-future, looking out on rainy day the library and waiting. The what, why, and all the questions that followed that moment became Day Moon.
It seems obvious now that many of the themes and motifs of the book are reflected in that single scene which eventually became the start to chapter one. Remnants of the past standing in conflict to progress, isolation…Most of my writing begins in the same way. A scene strikes me and if gripped tightly enough, I ask questions. Story-writing for me is exploring. Writers discover things I think and in writing act as guides so others can find the worlds they have uncovered. There’s a lot more that went into what became Day Moon, but it was that first glimpse of its world that got me to take the trek through it.
Interesting. I love this. Ted Dekker talks about writing as creating a “fictive bubble” in which the writer explores questions and thoughts about emotions and humanity in front of the reader. Your thoughts here remind me of that.
I always set the stage, if you will, for my writing sessions. Music is a big part of that as more often than not, I need some kind of instrumental music to help get my creative juices fired up. What kind of music, if any, do you listen to when you write?
I don’t always listen to music while writing, but when I do, I have a whole mixture of music that plays on shuffle, with certain songs tending to get me fired up to write different books. If I hear Clint Mansell’s “Lux Aeterna”, I think of book one in a fantasy series I’m writing. If I hear Toby Mac’s “Love Broke Through”, it’s book two of the same series. But if I hear Taylor Swift’s “Safe and Sound”, I jump right back into Day Moon’s world and series. The other music ranges in terms of effect on me, depending on whether the music is highlighting an underlying theme of each book. Music does a great job of taking big sentiments and putting them into very intensely focused experiences, which then fuels me to write about that same idea.
Overall, I tend to develop an affinity for a pretty wide range of songs and listen to them over and over again.
I agree. One art form fueling another…
Can you tell us something about your newest release that is NOT in the blurb.
Day Moon is a dystopian book and it’s written very much in the vein of older works like 1984 and Fahrenheit 451. It’s not so much an action-adventure in a post-apocalyptic world as a look at what our world seems to be becoming. A warning of sorts. The tech and socio-cultural trends of the present are leading to a sort of dark place.
The book deals extensively with philosophical questions of reality and how we relate to and the uncounted costs of advancing technology. It was less obvious when I started writing the book, but thanks to the Russian Facebook election scandal is becoming something we are all becoming more aware of: what we find in the digital world might not be real. The problem is, even if we guessed that as a possibility before, we’re kind of like a person who has been put on life support. The apparatus breathing air into us has become something we depend on so much to make it, that we can scarcely be taken off. People shared knowledge, learned, and taught and preserved knowledge before the internet. But the internet has made it so easy to propagate ideas (and to thereby manipulate them) that we’ve lost the ability to protect truth and knowledge from perversion. It’s been generally established that mass misinformation spreads faster than truth over social media. We’re facing a crisis of where to turn for the truth and with the general distrust that’s been building in government, technology, etc. there’s a tremendous vacuum of authority building in the West. Something is going to fill it. Day Moon, which does have chases fights, and the like, tries to show what that world just down the road looks like.
Again, this is interesting, your perspective. I do think there is a lack of absolute truth for so much of our generation and the next. Because it has been watered down and redirected by so much misinformation. Not to mention moral relativism. People wonder what is truth? Does it exist? Or is there only the truth from a certain point of view?
Do you have any current projects you’re working on? Care to share?
I’m working on a number of things. The first draft of the sequel to Day Moon is nearing completion. It really extends a lot of the themes of the book and applies them to other burgeoning technologies while increasing the stakes both personally and externally for Elliott. That book, Veiled Sun, has been on a bit of a hold though, because I have the first book in an epic fantasy series, Quest of Fire, due out this June. Book one is The Gathering Dark and features a pair of very different teens living hundreds of years apart. The more contemporary teen, Jason, listens to the story of the other teen, Anargen. As the story goes, Anargen and his friends are caught up into a quest to mediate peace talks between two rival kingdoms. But something more is going on beneath the surface and the order of knights to which Anargen belongs is despised by both parties. There is also an arcane evil, believed to be a myth, fighting to ensure Anargen and his friends don’t find a lost treasure meant for them. As Jason listens to the fairy tale/legend, he finds himself wondering how true it is and inevitably being pulled into it as well. The series is definitely for those who like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Chronicles of Narnia.
So many things to look forward to. A fan of those series myself, I am intrigued.
Thank you so much for being on the blog, for your post and for giving us some great insight into your process. I look forward to hearing more about your books. And, readers, more information about the giveaway can be found below as well.
Day Moon
A.D. 2039, a prodigious seventeen-year-old, Elliott, is assigned to work on a global software initiative his deceased grandfather helped found. Project Alexandria is intended to provide the entire world secure and equal access to all accumulated human knowledge. All forms of print are destroyed in good faith, to ensure everyone has equal footing, and Elliott knows he must soon part with his final treasure: a book of Shakespeare’s complete works gifted him by his grandfather. Before it is destroyed, Elliott notices something is amiss with the book, or rather Project Alexandria. The two do not match, including an extra sonnet titled “Day Moon”. When Elliott investigates, he uncovers far more than he bargained for. There are sinister forces backing Project Alexandria who have no intention of using it for its public purpose. Elliott soon finds himself on the run from federal authorities and facing betrayals and deceit from those closest to him. Following clues left by his grandfather, with agents close at hand, Elliott desperately hopes to find a way to stop Project Alexandria. All of history past and yet to be depend on it.
Book Trailer
Enjoy an Excerpt
Minutes later, John was out of sight and Elliott and Lara were almost to the library. Lara finally spoke up. “So, looks like we’re trusting him after all, huh?”
“As much as we can,” Elliott responded, feeling his chest tighten. This wasn’t a pleasant conversation from the tone of Lara’s voice.
“We just gave him my car,” she stated, her voice as sleek and blunt as a baseball bat.
“To be honest it’s better if we don’t have your car anymore. They know we’re in the area. Terrance couldn’t have found us and the authorities remain in the dark.”
“You don’t know that. Maybe John tipped Terrance off.”
“I tipped Terrance off when I checked your phone,” Elliott answered, his voice low.
“Why did you by the way?”
“I just felt like I needed to.”
“You don’t trust me either.”
“No, I trust you, but… I don’t know what to think anymore. Everywhere I look there’s some kind of trap or clue to a puzzle I never meant to try to solve.”
“I guess I can understand that,” Lara said, a grimace on her face.
“Are you sure?”
“No, but I like you enough to give myself time to figure it out.”
Buy Links
Amazon *Day Moon is currently $0.99!!!
Also from Brett Armstrong
For decades, Roman Senator Marcus Servius labored to become a wealthy and admired patrician man. But now, his world is shattered. After he is exposed as a Christian during a time of intense persecution, his home, wealth, and prestige are stripped from him. The most painful loss of all is that of his beloved wife, Cassandra. Destitute and wary, Marcus prays he will be delivered from his enemies’ hands as he struggles to realize a new path.
In desperate need of help, Marcus disguises himself and embarks on a dangerous journey to find Benjamin Truvias, the leader of a hidden church and the man responsible for Marcus’s conversion. After Benjamin offers aid, Marcus’s life finally finds needed direction. Yet, the more he helps the church through persecutions, the closer he comes to finding who betrayed him. Caught in a maelstrom of intrigue and deception, should Marcus discover the awful truth of who caused his fall, he must choose between vengeance and forgiveness–a decision that will affect the fate of all the believers in Rome.
Destitutio Quod Remissio is the timeless epic tale of a man’s struggle to rebuild his life amid ancient Rome after he loses everything he loves and his faith is tested in ways he never imagined.
More About the Author
Brett Armstrong, author of the award-winning novel, Destitutio Quod Remissio, started writing stories at age nine, penning a tale of revenge and ambition set in the last days of the Aztec Empire. Twenty years later, he still tells stories enriched by his Christian faith and a master’s degree in creative writing. His goal with every work is to be like a brush in the Master artist’s hand and his hope is the finished composition always reflects the design God had in mind. He writes to engage, immerse, and entertain with deep, thoughtful stories. Continually busy at work with one or more new novels to come, he also enjoys drawing, gardening, and playing with his beautiful wife and son.
Connect with Brett and his books
Website: https://BrettArmstrong.net
Facebook: https://facebook.com/BrettArmstrongWV
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BArmstrongWV
GIVEAWAY
Author Brett Armstrong is offering, for one (1) winner, a copy of either of his works (Day Moon OR Destitutio Quod Remissio) AND a $5 Amazon Gift Card. Please follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter below to enter.
The post GIVEAWAY & GUEST POST: Author Brett Armstrong appeared first on Sara's Desk.
March 16, 2018
SPOTLIGHT & GIVEAWAY: Author Melody Delgado’s “Royally Entitled”
When her family’s cider business is ruined and other local businesses are vandalized, Anika Pembrie wonders if the recent bout of unrest is merely a result of rivalry between local merchants and noblemen or if something more sinister is at the root of the recent crimes. Along her journey Anika befriends Prince Valdemar, future king of Brevalia but their relationship hits many twists and turns along the way. Lady Winifred Paxel Flemming pursues the prince relentlessly. His grandmother, Queen Marguerite, expects him to wed whoever she thinks is suitable, even if it means marrying a foreign princess he’s never met. Anika’s mother, Lady Sarah, wants Anika to help ease the family’s financial burdens by marrying Erland Riccats, National Chairman of the Merchants’ Guild. Lady Sarah also harbors secrets regarding Prince Valdemar’s mother, Princess Karin, who met an untimely death years before. In the end, will both Anika and Prince Valdemar be forced into loveless mar-riages, or will they be able to outwit their enemies?
Enjoy an Excerpt
Chapter One
Miss Anika Penning glanced down from the top of the mulberry tree she’d climbed and stole a glimpse of Prince Valdemar riding past her on his white stallion. She held her breath, hoping he wouldn’t look up and catch her spying on him.
“Anika, we’re leaving,” Mr. Penning hollered from the back porch.
Botheration! She’d told her parents she wasn’t going to the fair with them.
As Prince Valdemar spurred his horse and dashed back and forth along the palace grounds bordering Anika’s property, she realized she couldn’t possibly emerge from the tree without being seen by him. But maybe, if she was fast enough, she could climb halfway down and then scurry off while he rode away in the opposite direction.
She began making her descent from branch to branch, while Finn, their ten-year-old stable boy, gazed up at her from the ground below.
“Oh, there you are, Miss Penning,” he called out to her. His clothing was stained with jam and his hair was a mass of unruly blond curls that had probably not seen a brush in days. “Your father’s been searching for you.”
“Tell him to leave without me,” she whispered, putting a finger to her lips. “I’m not going.”
“What’s that?” Finn shouted just as Prince Valdemar rode by again. “You’ll have to speak up. I can’t hear what you’re saying if you whisper.”
Was the boy really so thickheaded, or was he purposely trying to thwart her?
“Tell my father not to wait for me,” she said.
“He is waiting for you,” Finn hollered. “But don’t worry. Your mother said she needed another minute or two.” He strode toward the house.
Drat! He’d misunderstood her. “Finn! Wait!”
“We are waiting,” he said, turning back. “But since you’re going, I’ll stay behind to help with the chores.”
Anika opened her mouth to correct him, but he ran off before she could utter another word. Now she’d really have to hurry. Her father would just keep sending people to search for her if she tarried.
While the prince’s horse galloped off toward the palace, she climbed down to the lower branches. When she jumped from the bottom branch to the ground, she landed in a large pile of sticky, wet mulberries. She slipped, tried desperately to keep her footing but fell face forward right into another huge mound of moist purple fruit.
“Botheration,” she muttered, leaning up on her elbows. Her hands were stained with purple juice and her dress looked no better. She raked a hand across her face and ripped a gooey purple mulberry from her cheek as a pair of gleaming black leather boots strode toward her, and a horse whinnied from a few feet away.
No, no, no!
Anika maneuvered herself into a sitting position and dared to look up.
A tall young man with long, straight, copper-colored hair stood over her. Prince Valdemar, obviously trying to stifle a laugh, but failing, extended a hand to help her up. “I’ve always found it difficult to climb trees while wearing a gown and silk slippers. Why don’t you try and stand? Then we can determine whether or not to fetch a doctor.”
She sat in the sludge, staring up at him, unable to speak. Good thing she hadn’t fallen far enough to be badly hurt. It was her pride that was wounded, that was all.
While he took hold of her hand, she pushed off the ground and stood up. She staggered forward a few steps, feeling slightly off balance at his touch. Maybe she had injured herself somehow.
He furrowed his brows as he watched her stumbling about. “Perhaps we should get help.”
Once she stepped away from the mulberries and was on firm, un-littered ground, her walking returned to normal. “No need,” she said, finally. “It was just the berries. They’re slippery when squished.”
A small laugh escaped from him. “Ah. That might be a good thing to keep in mind for future endeavors.” He looked up into the tall branches towering above him. “Do you often climb trees?”
Anika looked him over from the top of his blue velvet cap to his creamy white linen tunic and down to his polished leather boots. He was impeccably groomed. Several servants had probably helped him dress. He even smelled like limes.
If she were to admit that she did partake of such unfeminine activities as climbing trees, he might then correctly assume that she liked fishing and hunting as well. These pursuits certainly didn’t leave her smelling anything like fresh fruit. But, better to be honest, she decided.
“Well, uh, yes, I’m afraid I’ve not yet outgrown my desire for such pursuits.”
“How old are you?”
“Seventeen.”
The prince raised his eyebrows. “Interesting …” He glanced around at the flowers and plants surrounding them. “Well, it’s certainly a lovely day to be out of doors.”
Anika wondered if he was merely being kind by staying and chatting with her or if he was always so friendly. Perhaps he wanted to alleviate her embarrassment by making it seem as if falling out of a tree and landing in a pile of mulberries was a normal everyday occurrence.
He was quiet for a moment, squinting as he looked at her face. “I don’t believe we’ve met. Allow me to introduce myself. Valdemar Dresden, at your service.” The prince bowed elegantly. “And to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?”
“Oh, uh,” her hands began smoothing the old brown linen dress she’d worn to blend into the tree. When she realized there was nothing she could possibly do to improve her appearance, she stood tall and curtsied. “Miss Anika Penning. Thank you for your kind assistance. Perhaps one day I’ll be able to help you.”
Prince Valdemar snickered and looked down at the ground.
“Do you mock me because, in your ignorance, you think you won’t ever need anyone’s help,” Anika said, folding arms across her chest. “Or because you think that someone like me would never be able to assist you with something you might need assistance with?” Her voice grew faster and louder as she spoke.
He stared at her, eyes wide, as if she were a six-headed dragon.
“Anika!” Mr. Penning called again.
Prince Valdemar slowly backed away from her. “I do believe that’s my cue to depart.” He hopped back on his horse and rode off before she could utter another word. He hopped back on his white stallion and rode off before she could utter a word of thanks.
Anika realized it was time to make her prayers a bit more specific. “Dear Lord,” she said, looking up at the heavens. “If I ever get the chance to meet the prince again, may I please not be covered in mulberries?”
A light breeze blew a tuft of hair across her face. She tucked a wayward strand behind her ear and caught sight of the purple stains on her hand. What a fright she must look. And her father was waiting.
She rushed to the well in the back yard, buried her hands in a bucket of water, and cleaned up as best she could. Then she grabbed her hat from the ground and raced around the house to the front lawn.
Her father sat atop the box of their carriage, grasping the horses’ reins.
“I’m sorry, Father, but I won’t be able to join you,” Anika said in a rush.
“Are you sure? The agricultural fair comes but once a year.” The beige color of his farmer’s hat and tunic blended into his skin, making him look old and tired.
Anika knew he was in sore need of a day off. “Please go enjoy yourself,” she said, donning her felt hat and adjusting the brim to block out the early morning sun. “I’ll stay behind and tend to the animals.”
Her mother rushed out of the house wearing a crisp green linen dress. “Pray for our cider to win first place at the fair,” she said, hurrying past Anika and climbing into the waiting carriage. When she leaned out the window to wave goodbye, she caught sight of Anika’s stained dress and frowned. “What happened? Never mind. I don’t want to know. How on earth can we possibly trust you to stay home alone if this is how you’ve decided to start the day?”
Anika took a deep breath. “Please, Mother. Let me stay home. I fell, that was all. Westlowe is only a short distance away. You’ll be back well before supper. What could possibly go wrong before then?”
“Plenty, I’ll bet,” her mother uttered under her breath, though Anika still heard her. Aloud she said, “We’ll see you later this afternoon, then.”
Anika’s father whipped the horses into motion.
A horse-drawn wagon, carrying kegs of cider, rolled slowly behind. The farmhands, Bertram and Victor, sat on the perch, while Una, the housekeeper, and Inga, the cook, sat in the rear amidst the straw, keeping watch over the precious barrels of liquid.
“I didn’t have time to gather the eggs, Miss Penning.” Una whispered, picking hay off of her black linen dress, with her long thin hands.
“Do not fret,” Anika said. “Finn offered to stay behind and help with the chores. If he doesn’t get to it, I promise I will.”
“Where is that good-for-nothing, anyway?” Inga scolded. “I doubt you’ll get much help from him!” Her double chin shook and her gray hair tumbled out of her white cap. “He’s probably eating us out of house and home as we speak. Stable boy, my foot, lazy hanger-on more like.”
The wagon picked up speed. “We’ll have everything sorted out by the time you get back,” Anika said, waving.
Once the carriages rolled past the iron gates, Anika rushed to the barn. “Finn!” she shouted. “They’ve gone. Time to help with the chores.”
Finn strolled out slowly from one of the stalls, holding a biscuit in his grimy hands. “You’re here. What do you need my help for?” He bit into his biscuit and munched slowly.
Anika placed her hands on her hips. “Oh, no you don’t. I’m willing to help with the chores so Father and the servants can take the day off, but you’ve got to clean out the horses’ stalls like you always do. Then you’re to milk Blossom and gather the eggs.”
Finn swallowed the last bite of biscuit. “And what will you be doing?”
Insolent child! As if she was accountable to him. “I’ll tend to the animals, but I’ve got more than enough of my own work to do, thank you very much.”
“Oh, of course you do. Prince Valdemar’s going to the ball.” He made kissing sounds with his lips. “And look at you. Ha! You’re right. It’ll take loads of work to get yourself ready to be around any man, let alone a prince.” Finn laughed heartily, pointing at the purple stains all over Anika’s clothing. “Is that why you were spying on him? So you can see what he looks like all grown up and then run up to him and beg him for a dance?”
Anika glared at him. She had been spying on the prince so she would know what he looked like, but it was none of Finn’s business.
Finn folded his hands and held them beneath his chin. “Please, Prince Valdemar, dance with me, pick me,” he said in a high-pitched voice.
“Enough already, you’ve made your point,” Anika scolded.
Finn was right about one thing, though. She did need to use her free time to get ready for the upcoming ball. It was only a few short weeks away. She grabbed the shovel and handed it to him.
“At your service, Your Royal Highness,” he said, bowing elegantly and mocking her.
Anika took no heed. She hurried to feed the pigs and sheep, though dung littered the ground and maneuvering through it slowed her down. No matter how hard she tried, it seemed the stench of the barn — a mixture of hay and manure — was something she’d never get used to.
When she finished with the animals, she wiped her brow and saw that the shovel that Finn had been using was now resting against the wall. She trudged over to the horses and checked their stalls. Though Finn’s work was completed, there was no sign of him. Botheration! He couldn’t possibly have gathered the eggs and milked the cow already.
Anika had promised to collect the eggs, so she trudged to the small wooden chicken coop that sat next to the barn, quickly gathered a dozen and placed them in her basket.
She trudged back to the barn hoping to find Finn milking Blossom, their sturdy white cow, but once again, he was nowhere to be found. She sighed wearily upon discovering Blossom’s heavy udders and wandered off to gather a pail and a trusty wooden three-legged stool. No use hoping for Finn’s return. Her least favorite job would have to be done.
She placed some hay in front of Blossom, to distract her, and then gave her udders a quick wipe down with a wet cloth to wipe away any dirt. As she sat pulling and squeezing Blossom’s underbelly, she remembered her mother asking her to pray for their cider to win first place at the fair. So, she sent up a silent prayer for God to work on their behalf.
With a closet full of worn and faded dresses, Anika was well aware that her family only stayed afloat financially because of the tasty cider they made from the apples growing in their orchard. Her father entered it in various contests throughout the year, which provided the family with a bit of prize money now and again. Since they could then make the claim that their cider was “prize-winning”, they sold every last drop of it each season.
Anika was finally finished milking Blossom and rushed upstairs to her bedroom to wash and change. Then she pulled her mother’s sparkling pink satin dress from the wardrobe and gingerly placed it atop a basket of soiled clothes. She wasn’t one for wearing frilly gowns, but this frock was different. She loved the elegant creamy panels of lace in the sleeves and finely embroidered floral designs at the neckline and hem. It only needed minor adjustments to fit her, but since it had been hanging unused in her mother’s closet for some time, it needed a quick wash to freshen it up. So, she lugged the dress, and all her laundry down the long staircase.
Una, their housekeeper, had always done the wash, but Anika had recently taken to scrubbing her personal items herself, along with her sheets and coverlet. Una had enough to do already and Anika had the time. Besides, there was something disconcerting about Una touching her lace-trimmed knickers and scratchy petticoats one moment, and then calling her “Miss Penning” a few minutes later. Especially, since at thirty-four years of age, Una was twice as old as Anika. But formality was the order of the day, it seemed.
When Anika reached the kitchen, she grabbed a bar of goose grease soap, washed her dirty laundry in a large tub of water, then hung everything out to dry on the branches of some shrubs growing behind the barn.
Her back ached from her efforts, so she went for a lazy stroll, stretching her arms wide and weaving her way through the rows of sweet-smelling apple trees, which grew in the orchard. Bees buzzed near the fruit that had fallen onto the leaf-covered ground below. Birds whistled overhead. A warm breeze swept through the deep green leaves, while white puffy clouds floated above, along the powder blue sky. It was a perfect early autumn day.
Most of the apples had already been picked to make cider, but she found a green one hanging on a low branch, picked it, rubbed it against the folds of her blue linen dress and bit into it. The sour juice, which she’d grown used to over time, was a source of welcome refreshment after her labors, and she savored every bite.
There were still many hours left in the day, so she wondered what else she could do with her free time. Her fingers ached for a few rounds of target practice with her crossbow. Though her father allowed it, the use of weapons wasn’t considered a suitable pastime for females living in Brevalia. It wasn’t illegal, merely frowned upon. Still. What a nuisance it was to only be able to practice when no one else was about.
She ran upstairs to snatch her weapon from beneath her bed, then wandered back outside, grabbed some rotten apples from the ground and lined them up along the top of the wooden fence that ran along the side garden.
She loaded a bolt, raised her bow, aimed and pulled the trigger. The bolt pierced the center of the apple, sending it sailing several feet before it fell to the ground. All but three of the remaining apples met the same fate. She hadn’t had many chances to practice, but she hadn’t lost her touch.
The bolts that missed their marks landed near some rose bushes growing along the edge of the house. Anika inhaled the flowers’ fragrant scent while she bent down to collect the errant bolts. Once she’d gathered them, she loaded her crossbow again, aimed at an apple, but stopped before pulling the trigger. A small breeze had started to blow, carrying a foul odor with it. The air suddenly smelled like a blackened cake that had been left in the oven too long. Something was burning.
She threw down her weapon and ran around the perimeter of the house, searching frantically for the source of the smell. When she reached the orchard she stopped in her tracks. The trees growing along the outer edge were engulfed in red flames!
Buy Link
**ROYALLY ENTITLED IS FREE WITH AN AUDIBLE TRIAL**
More about the AuthorMelody Delgado is the author of Royally Entitled, a historical romance, available as an Ebook. It recently won a Readers’ Favorite award in the category of Historical Christian Romance. Oops-A-Daisy, a humorous novel for children, was published in the fall of 2017. It is available in print and as an Ebook. It is currently up for a Christian Indie Award. Take a peek and vote here: https://www.christianaward.com/
She is currently working on the sequel to Royally Entitled, which will be called Royally Scheming. It will include some of the characters from book one and continue the story line started there, but will feature Elkie Olafson as the new main character and will tell her story.
Connect with Melody and her books
https://twitter.com/Melody_Delgado_
GIVEAWAY!
Author Melody Delgado is offering a giveaway, an ecopy of Royally Entitled! Please follow the directions on the Rafflecopter below:
The post SPOTLIGHT & GIVEAWAY: Author Melody Delgado’s “Royally Entitled” appeared first on Sara's Desk.
March 14, 2018
DEADLINES FOR WRITERS: Why have them, How to set them, & How to keep them
Most all writers know about deadlines. Or at least we could benefit from learning about them. For those more seasoned writers out there already know the reason for deadlines. But those newbie writers out there, may need some thoughts from someone who is a few more steps down the road.
Why have them?
Bottom line, deadlines help writers produce work. As much as the creative process is unique, it can take a…unique amount of time. And for some…okay, for most writers, that can mean an unending amount of time. That is not because we are lazy. Well, some of may need some bum glue from time to time. But mostly it is because we are so intent on our art being perfect, and that goal is so difficult to attain, we would never be truly satisfied with a manuscript. We would always find things to tweak. A deadline pushes us to come to peace with a final draft and turn it in. Even if you are indie publishing, self-imposed deadlines are a good thing. Have them, use them, mark them down, and keep them.
“I have spent most of the day putting in a comma and the rest of the day taking it out.” ~ Oscar Wilde
How to set them?
As with any goal, you have to be realistic. And you have to know yourself. Know how fast you write and how many hours you will have to write (realistically). Then you will need to figure how long it takes to self-edit and how many hours you will have to devote to that. I would give yourself a conservative estimate. Then mark that deadline down and make a covenant with yourself. Make small, measurable goals along the way. Daily, weekly, monthly…depends on you. Set up a reward system for reaching your goals and staying on target.
Susan May Warren has a wonderful book that will help you in this planning process and gives you an idea of how to calculate your hours to deadline: My Book Therapy Dream Keeper & Planner 2018. It is available on Amazon and that link is HERE.
How to keep them?
So, you have set your deadline realistically. And you have made small, measurable steps along the way to meet your goal, even rewarding yourself along the way. These are key things to keeping your goal – the consistent work day to day. Keeping on task, using that bum glue, staying committed. If you said to yourself, I can do 4 hours a week, then do 4 hours a week, even if you have to say “no” to something else. And there will be times you might have to. Because the truth is, we all have the same 24 hours a day (minus the 6-8 we spend sleeping, leaving us with actually only 16-18 hours a day). You choose how you spend them and what you accomplish in that time you have.
“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.” ~ Jim Rohn
Will you be true to yourself and keep your goals?
The post DEADLINES FOR WRITERS: Why have them, How to set them, & How to keep them appeared first on Sara's Desk.
March 12, 2018
March 9, 2018
INTERVIEW & SPOTLIGHT: Author Tammy Kirby
Hello, readers! I am pleased to introduce you to another clean Historical Romance author – Tammy Kirby. Her latest release is set during the Victorian Era. Again, these are time periods I am eager to read more about. So, I am all too happy to have Tammy on the blog to introduce me and you all to her works!
Thanks for being on the blog today, Tammy. First, can you tell us a little about your novel.
In 19th century England, sexual slavery is rampant in London. An impoverished gentlewoman is mistaken for a doxy by an inebriated duke who believes he has purchased her for the night.
Miss Beth Darnley has always served God, but when her world is shattered, she wonders why. The battle to forgive is a long journey and she struggles with it every time she is in His Grace’s presence. Amidst her own private war of forgiveness and obedience to God, lives are changed and hope becomes a house of haven
Greyson Brennen, Duke of Briarcastle, is cynical were women are concerned. After ruining her, he offers Miss Elizabeth Darnley a position as his new mistress. He tells himself he is doing her a favor. Pity she won’t yield. It becomes a matter of pride to get her to submit. Funny how things have a way of coming back around.
Wow. Just wow. Care to share the more historically significant events behind your story?
Sex trafficking was a real problem in the Victorian era. Sadly, it is still a problem today. Not just in London but in many countries. Even in the USA I have promised to donate part of the proceeds from His Grace Forgiven to help rescue as many of these women and children as possible.
That’s amazing. What a great cause!
What was the inspiration for HIS GRACE FORGIVEN?
God dropped the seed for His Grace Forgiven in my heart with these words, ‘Can you forgive the unforgivable?’ I pondered the question for a while, then realized, yes, I already had. Maybe that’s why He gave the job to me.
I love that He has a purpose for each of us. He doesn’t waste a hurt. And He will bring good from tragedy.
Did you always want to be a writer? If not, what did you want to be when you were a child?
As a child, I always wanted to be a wife and mother. But I think because I learned to love reading at a young age it just grew into a desire to write my own stories
I, too, started off with a love of the written word. It grew into what it is today
March 7, 2018
INTERVIEW & SPOTLIGHT: Author Wendy May Andrews
Welcome, readers! I have another wonderful author for you to meet today. Clean Reads author Wendy May Andrews writes Historical Romance focused in the Regency era. And her newest release is no exception. As a great fan of clean Historical Romance myself, I am always excited to find a new author in that genre to check out. I love Jane Austen as much as the next girl, but can’t say as I’ve read a lot of Regency outside of Austen’s legendary books until the last few months. And I am finding that there are some real gems. So, I am pleased to have an author that writes in this period on the blog today.
Welcome to the blog, Wendy. First, can you tell us a little about your novel.
A Dangerous Debut is, in some ways, a Cinderella retelling. Daisy is in a tight spot, financially, but is a well-bred young woman. She has just lost her position as governess and needs a new job. The viscount offers to hire her to pretend to be his fiancé so that he can convince his parents that he has turned his life around and they’ll loosen their purse-strings. He really has turned his life around but his parents don’t have much confidence in him. He doesn’t want to raise expectations with any of the ladies of his acquaintance so this seems to be a reasonable solution (to him, at least). Daisy resists the idea but is tempted by the opportunity to see how the ton lives. Mayhem ensues
