Cheryl Rainfield's Blog, page 87
November 10, 2011
My short story ebook tie-in to HUNTED now on Amazon!
Whoo hoo! PinPoint: A HUNTED Bonus Short Story ebook (a tie-in to my upcoming HUNTED novel) is now on Amazon! (beaming) It's $0.99 right now, but I'm hoping it'll be free soon
If you've read my short story and enjoyed it, please "like" it on Amazon. It would help get the word out about it.
SugarSync–5GB free to back up and synch your important files
WOW! I just found out about SugarSync, which gives you 5GB free storage and synch of your files, as opposed to DropBox's 2GB (which I've been using). I just happily signed up for SugarSync, and wanted to let you all know about it. It's a great way to instantly back up your manuscripts or important files without having to remember to back them up.
November 9, 2011
Anonymous artist leaving book sculptures across Scotland
I love this! An anonymous artist is leaving book sculptures all around Scotland! And even though one librarian figured out who the artist was, since he'd bought a similar sculpture years ago, the newspaper asked readers if they wanted to know the artist's identity or allow her or him to remain anonymous–and the readers voted to leave the artist anonymous! How cool is that?
November 8, 2011
My It Gets Better video shared on IGBP FaceBook page today!
WOW! The It Gets Better Project shared my It Gets Better video on their FB page today! (beaming) And I've been getting people who watched the video writing to me, telling me that it helped. It's such a good feeling!
November 7, 2011
Cecil Castellucci writing workshop for teens in Toronto, Wed Nov 16
Are you in Toronto, and have a teen ages 13-17 interested in writing? Then you'll want to let her or him know about this workshop! Mabel's Fables bookstore, in the Mount Pleasant and Eglinton area of Toronto.
Acclaimed YA author Cecil Castellucci will be conducting a writing workshop next Wednesday, November 16th at Mable's Fables bookstore (Mount Pleasant & Eglington). This is a really cool opportunity to interact and share writing with a published author!
November 6, 2011
6 free ebooks on writing from Writer's Digest (and a few others)
Writers–there are six ebooks on writing technique from Writer's Digest that are currently free on Amazon. Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can still download them if you download the free Kindle for PC software. If these interest you at all, I would get them now while you can.
The free titles are:
How to Be a Writer: Building Your Creative Skills Through Practice and Play by Barbara Baig
Getting the Words Right by Theodore Cheney
Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schmidt
Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go by Les Edgerton
The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing by the editors of Writer's Digest
The Complete Guide To Self-Publishing by Marilyn Ross
You can also download this writing book for free:
Write Good or Die edited by Scott Nicholson
Telling Details, 2nd Edition by Kat Duncan
AND, literary agent Noah Lukeman's books How to Write a Great Query Letter: Insider Tips and Techniques for Success and Ask a Literary Agent (Year One), while not free, are still $0.99 each
and James Scott Bell's Writing Fiction for All You're Worth: Strategies and Techniques for Taking Your Fiction to the Next Level is $2.99
6 free ebooks on writing from Writer's Digest
Writers–there are six ebooks on writing technique from Writer's Digest that are currently free on Amazon. Even if you don't have a Kindle, you can still download them if you download the free Kindle for PC software. If these interest you at all, I would get them now while you can.
The free titles are:
How to Be a Writer: Building Your Creative Skills Through Practice and Play by Barbara Baig
Getting the Words Right by Theodore Cheney
Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schmidt
Hooked: Write Fiction That Grabs Readers at Page One & Never Lets Them Go by Les Edgerton
The Complete Handbook of Novel Writing by the editors of Writer's Digest
The Complete Guide To Self-Publishing by Marilyn Ross
November 5, 2011
Gifts for Book Lovers, Writers, & Editors: Part 7
I love finding book- and writing-related gifts for book lovers, writers, editors. It's such fun! And I enjoy them myself. I hope you'll find some of these items appealing for the book lover in your life.
Of course, one of my favorite gifts to receive (or give) is a bookstore gift card. And it's super easy to buy gift cards online, especially if your book lover has a Kindle Amazon Gift Cards
or a Nook (B&N Gift Card).
But there's so much else that is appealing for book lovers! Check out these finds:
Rory's Story Cubes
This looks like a fun writing game to play, as well as a possible tool for writers who are stuck. "Rory's Story Cubes is a pocket-sized creative story generator, providing hours of imaginative play for all ages."
Amazon, $6.71
BananaGrams
If you haven't tried BananaGrams yet, and you love word games, check it out! It's a lot of fun.
Amazon, $13.50
Stack of Books Book lover Necklace
This looks beautiful to me.
Etsy, $25
Book Lover's Calendar for 2012
Amazon, $12.99
Mary Engelbreit's Book Lover Bulletin Board Display Set
Amazon, $9.41
These are supposed to be for teachers, but I personally love the middle image (A Book Is a Present You Can Open Again and Again) so much that I'd buy this set for myself.
Library Cushion
Literary Gift Company, 14.95 pounds, about $23.96 US. A bit expensive, but will appeal to some book lovers.
Literary Rubber Duck
I think this little book loving rubber duckie is so cute I had to include it. It would be a nice gift for a child that loves books.
Literary Gift Company, 3.95 pounds, about $6.33 US
Big Boogle
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I absolutely love Boggle–it's one of my favorite words games; maybe THE favorite. So I'm excited to see that there's now Big Boggle, with 5 x 5 cubes rather than 4 x 4. More words, longer words, more fun!
Amazon, $13.75
Book Lover Bottle Cap Magnets
Etsy, $6.95
Autumn Leaf-It Sticky Notes
These are absolutely beautiful bookmarks, or ways to mark passages or pages you love.
Literary Gift Company, 4.95 pounds, about $7.93 US
Kindle Case Made from a real book
I think this is both really neat (aesthetically pleasing and a neat book-lover tie-in) and also almost ironic–a physical book housing a bunch of electronic ones). I love it!
Etsy, $20.
Stacked Book Bench Table
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Amazon, $80
Virginia Woolf typewriter pin
Probably more for writers and editors than book lovers, I love this Virginia Woolf typewriter pin. Books Are the Mirrors of the Soul
Literary Gift Company, 4.00 pounds, about $6.41 US
The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe Mini Book
This mini book has the complete poem. I think mini books are very cute.
Etsy, $12.95
Knock Knock Personal Library Kit
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Amazon, $19.80
Read Necklace
Etsy, $12.00
Origami Sticky Notes
Suck UK, 2.00 pounds
Careful, Or You'll End Up In My Novel t-shirt
More for writers, but so fun!
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Amazon, $22-27
Lined Paper Wallet
This wallet may appeal to some writers. It does to me. 
Amazon, $15.00
And then of course there are these wonderful book-themed picture books that I highly recommend for anyone, young or old, and especially book lovers, writers, librarians, and editors:
It's a Book by Lane Smith
Amazon, $7.64
The Incredible Book-Eating Boy by Oliver Jeffers
Amazon, $12.23
Library Lion by Michelle Knudson, Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes
The Incredible Book Eating Boy, Library Lion, It's a Book (highly recommend them all for anyone, and especially book lovers, writers, librarians)
Amazon, paperback, $6.99
We Are in a Book! (An Elephant and Piggie Book) by Mo Willems
Amazon, $8.99
For more book lover and writer gifts, see my posts:
Gifts for Book Lovers and Writers, Part 5
Gifts for Book Lovers, Editors, and Writers, Part 6
More Gifts for Readers and Writers
Even More Gifts for Book Lovers and Writers
signed Hunted comic strips for the online launch
I just signed 100 of my 5-panel HUNTED comic strips (printed on semi-gloss card paper) and I'm mailing them to the artist to sign as well–for the online launch for HUNTED (I might save some for the in-person launch, too). Who knows–maybe some day they'll become collector's items.
You can see the comic strip here if you haven't seen it yet.
November 4, 2011
School library petition – hope you'll sign
Here's a worthy petition that I think all of us book lovers can get behind: Ensure all (US) school libraries are properly staffed, open, & available to children every day
