Heather Manning's Blog, page 19
January 17, 2014
Saturday: Swept to Sea is on the Amazon Bestseller List
Hello, everyone!
I am absolutely ecstatic telling you this. You may have heard on Facebook or Twitter that my debut novel, Swept to Sea, has been on the Amazon Bestseller List.
It fluctuates throughout the day, but as I am writing this, it is number 44 on the list!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Needless to say, I am sooooo thrilled.
You can view Swept to Sea by clicking here.
Now, I would love for you to help me promote. I would absolutely love it if you could do anything to help me. (Tweets, Facebook posts, Pinterest, etc.) You could create posts of your own or just like or share mine.
Just talking to your friends will help me.
If you want to do anything special like on a blog or anything else, you may contact me here.
For more information, you can see my press kit.
Thanks for everything you've done so far. You are amazing.
I am absolutely ecstatic telling you this. You may have heard on Facebook or Twitter that my debut novel, Swept to Sea, has been on the Amazon Bestseller List.
It fluctuates throughout the day, but as I am writing this, it is number 44 on the list!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Needless to say, I am sooooo thrilled.
You can view Swept to Sea by clicking here.
Now, I would love for you to help me promote. I would absolutely love it if you could do anything to help me. (Tweets, Facebook posts, Pinterest, etc.) You could create posts of your own or just like or share mine.
Just talking to your friends will help me.
If you want to do anything special like on a blog or anything else, you may contact me here.
For more information, you can see my press kit.
Thanks for everything you've done so far. You are amazing.
January 16, 2014
Writing Friday: Writing Book Reviews
Have you ever written a book review?
Book reviews really help both authors and readers. The numbers look good and can even help your favorite author get his or her next book contract.
How do you write a review?You don't have to write anything long. It can just be a sentence or two, even. All you have to do is say what you thought about the book. It's as simple as that.
If you want to go for a longer review, you can mention what the book is about, and specific things you liked or made you think. Some people break it down into sections like the plot, the characters, the setting, and the writing.
I personally recommend not reviewing a book if you did not like it.
So, what do you do once you have a review written?
Post it everywhere. Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, and any other cite you can think of. If you have a blog, post it there. Post the link to your review on all social media sites.
Now what?
Read another book! :)
On a side note, I ask that if you have read (and hopefully enjoyed) Swept to Sea, that you would please post a review of it. Thank you! :)
Have you written a book review before? Do you plan to?
Book reviews really help both authors and readers. The numbers look good and can even help your favorite author get his or her next book contract.
How do you write a review?You don't have to write anything long. It can just be a sentence or two, even. All you have to do is say what you thought about the book. It's as simple as that.
If you want to go for a longer review, you can mention what the book is about, and specific things you liked or made you think. Some people break it down into sections like the plot, the characters, the setting, and the writing.
I personally recommend not reviewing a book if you did not like it.
So, what do you do once you have a review written?
Post it everywhere. Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, and any other cite you can think of. If you have a blog, post it there. Post the link to your review on all social media sites.
Now what?
Read another book! :)
On a side note, I ask that if you have read (and hopefully enjoyed) Swept to Sea, that you would please post a review of it. Thank you! :)
Have you written a book review before? Do you plan to?
January 15, 2014
Music Thursday: South Pacific
I really, really love South Pacific. It has a gorgeous setting, strong characters, and a gripping plot. It is fantastic! So, enjoy a Tony Awards performance from the talented cast of South Pacific. Have a great Thursday!January 14, 2014
Bible Verse Wednesday: A New Heart
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.Ezekiel 36:26
January 13, 2014
Broadway Tuesday: Do You Want to Build a Snowman?
Hello, everyone! Because I really, really love Frozen, and most everyone who has seen it so far also does, I thought I'd share another song from it with you. This one is really cute.
Do you want to build a snowman?
January 12, 2014
Book Review Monday: The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet
Hello, my friends!
I have a review of a different kind of book for you today. I have known this author for a long time from her Go Teen Writers blog and Facebook group. Then, I happened to find out that we live pretty close to each other, and we are in the same local writer's group. I finally got to meet her at a book signing last month.
I finished reading The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet by Stephanie Morrill a couple days ago and absolutely loved it. Here's a little about it:
"Ellie Sweet is a lot of things—good girl, novelist, silent adorer of the new boy at school, Palmer. But when “outcast” gets added to the list, she decides it’s time to take reality into her own hands … and tweak it as needed.
In the pages of her book, she’s Lady Gabrielle, favorite of the medieval Italian court. Her once-friends are reduced to catty ladies-in-waiting, and the too-charming Palmer—who in real life never spares her a second word—gets to be nothing more than a rake wracked by unrequited love for her. She even has a perfect real-life villain in the brooding Chase, who hails from the wrong side of town.
But just when she’s getting along great in her fictional world, the real one throws her a few curves. With Chase pursuing her, Palmer wanting to date her—but in secret—and the details of her manuscript going public, Ellie suddenly receives more attention than she ever really wanted. And when her former-friends discover what she’s been writing, they’re determined to teach Ellie a lesson about the severe consequences of using her pen as her sword."My Thoughts:The Characters:I absolutely adored these characters. Ellie Sweet is just like me, so I really connected to her. I'm also a teenage author who got published at age sixteen! So many details in her life were exactly like mine. The author did an excellent job letting the reader understand the mind of a young author.Chase was a very well-written character. He was the "bad-boy" type, and yet he had many edges like a real person does. I liked him throughout the book, even if I didn't agree with some of the choices he made.Palmer was very sweet, and I liked reading about him. However, he faced real issues that real people do, making him very believable.
The Plot:I literally could not put this book down. I kept turning the pages, and one night I told myself I would only read one chapter because I had work to do. I ended up reading four. This book had an excellent plot that left me craving the sequel.
The Setting:
I normally never read books in this setting. I am used to reading historical novels. However, this book was so good, and the setting was executed so perfectly, that it left me wanting to read more modern YA books. I really enjoyed this novel.
Overall:I adored this book and recommend it. I loved every single page, never got bored, and adored the characters.
About the Author:Stephanie Morrill lives in Overland Park, Kansas with her husband and two kids. Her only talents are reading, writing, and drinking coffee, so career options were somewhat limited. Fortunately she discovered a passion for young adult novels and has been writing them ever since.
Stephanie is the author of The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series and The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet. She enjoys encouraging and teaching teen writers on her blog, www.GoTeenWriters.com.
You can buy The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet on Amazon.
I have a review of a different kind of book for you today. I have known this author for a long time from her Go Teen Writers blog and Facebook group. Then, I happened to find out that we live pretty close to each other, and we are in the same local writer's group. I finally got to meet her at a book signing last month.
I finished reading The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet by Stephanie Morrill a couple days ago and absolutely loved it. Here's a little about it:
"Ellie Sweet is a lot of things—good girl, novelist, silent adorer of the new boy at school, Palmer. But when “outcast” gets added to the list, she decides it’s time to take reality into her own hands … and tweak it as needed.
In the pages of her book, she’s Lady Gabrielle, favorite of the medieval Italian court. Her once-friends are reduced to catty ladies-in-waiting, and the too-charming Palmer—who in real life never spares her a second word—gets to be nothing more than a rake wracked by unrequited love for her. She even has a perfect real-life villain in the brooding Chase, who hails from the wrong side of town.
But just when she’s getting along great in her fictional world, the real one throws her a few curves. With Chase pursuing her, Palmer wanting to date her—but in secret—and the details of her manuscript going public, Ellie suddenly receives more attention than she ever really wanted. And when her former-friends discover what she’s been writing, they’re determined to teach Ellie a lesson about the severe consequences of using her pen as her sword."My Thoughts:The Characters:I absolutely adored these characters. Ellie Sweet is just like me, so I really connected to her. I'm also a teenage author who got published at age sixteen! So many details in her life were exactly like mine. The author did an excellent job letting the reader understand the mind of a young author.Chase was a very well-written character. He was the "bad-boy" type, and yet he had many edges like a real person does. I liked him throughout the book, even if I didn't agree with some of the choices he made.Palmer was very sweet, and I liked reading about him. However, he faced real issues that real people do, making him very believable.
The Plot:I literally could not put this book down. I kept turning the pages, and one night I told myself I would only read one chapter because I had work to do. I ended up reading four. This book had an excellent plot that left me craving the sequel.
The Setting:
I normally never read books in this setting. I am used to reading historical novels. However, this book was so good, and the setting was executed so perfectly, that it left me wanting to read more modern YA books. I really enjoyed this novel.
Overall:I adored this book and recommend it. I loved every single page, never got bored, and adored the characters.
About the Author:Stephanie Morrill lives in Overland Park, Kansas with her husband and two kids. Her only talents are reading, writing, and drinking coffee, so career options were somewhat limited. Fortunately she discovered a passion for young adult novels and has been writing them ever since.
Stephanie is the author of The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series and The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet. She enjoys encouraging and teaching teen writers on her blog, www.GoTeenWriters.com.
You can buy The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet on Amazon.
Bible Verse Sunday: Good
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
January 9, 2014
Writing Friday: Marketing
Hello, friends!
Usually on Fridays I talk about writing, but today I'm going to talk about something that usually goes along with it...marketing.
Most authors, whether traditionally published by a large or small press, or self-published, have to deal with marketing.
And as-of-yet-unpublished authors get to look forward to it in the future of their writing career, so it may be useful to start paying attention to marketing now.
Now, are you here to just read up on your marketing strategies? That may not be a great idea. Because just a few months ago, before my novel was published, I had no idea about how to market. I used Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads, and may have thought I knew what I was doing, but I did not.
And to tell you the truth, I am still not sure what I am doing.
My advice to writers: research, research, research marketing over time. I tried to cram a lot of info about marketing in at once and that resulted in a horrible headache. I don't recommend it. Sometimes, when I think about all the marketing things I need to prepare, I stress out. It can be pretty scary! But if I look at everything in little bits, it is much less overwhelming.
Some things I have done so far:
1. Ordered some pens, magnets, postcards, and business cards from Vistaprint. These are awesome for in-person events.
2. Sent out press releases to local media.
3. Put together a list of local schools and libraries I want to speak at.
4. Scheduled some guest blog posts/interviews.
5. Scheduled reviewers to review my novel and put their review on their blog.
6. Created a press kit and put it on my blog. (Find it here)
Now, I plan to do more to market Swept to Sea, but this is what I have done so far.
Have you tried your hand at marketing? What worked, and what didn't? If you haven't done any marketing, what part sounds like the most fun/least fun to you?
Usually on Fridays I talk about writing, but today I'm going to talk about something that usually goes along with it...marketing.
Most authors, whether traditionally published by a large or small press, or self-published, have to deal with marketing.
And as-of-yet-unpublished authors get to look forward to it in the future of their writing career, so it may be useful to start paying attention to marketing now.
Now, are you here to just read up on your marketing strategies? That may not be a great idea. Because just a few months ago, before my novel was published, I had no idea about how to market. I used Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads, and may have thought I knew what I was doing, but I did not.
And to tell you the truth, I am still not sure what I am doing.
My advice to writers: research, research, research marketing over time. I tried to cram a lot of info about marketing in at once and that resulted in a horrible headache. I don't recommend it. Sometimes, when I think about all the marketing things I need to prepare, I stress out. It can be pretty scary! But if I look at everything in little bits, it is much less overwhelming.
Some things I have done so far:
1. Ordered some pens, magnets, postcards, and business cards from Vistaprint. These are awesome for in-person events.
2. Sent out press releases to local media.
3. Put together a list of local schools and libraries I want to speak at.
4. Scheduled some guest blog posts/interviews.
5. Scheduled reviewers to review my novel and put their review on their blog.
6. Created a press kit and put it on my blog. (Find it here)
Now, I plan to do more to market Swept to Sea, but this is what I have done so far.
Have you tried your hand at marketing? What worked, and what didn't? If you haven't done any marketing, what part sounds like the most fun/least fun to you?
January 8, 2014
Music Thursday: Colored Women
Hello, everyone!Today I will share a song from Memphis with you.
Enjoy "Colored Women" performed by the talented Montego Glover.
January 7, 2014
Bible Verse Wednesday: Do Not Dwell On the Past
Isaiah 43:18-19 “Forget the former things;do not dwell on the past.See, I am doing a new thing!Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?I am making a way in the wildernessand streams in the wasteland."
