Sara J. Henry's Blog, page 21

The First Sighting, on Store Bookshelves

Learning to Swim, now for sale.



(Okay, release date isn't until Feb. 22, but apparently stores are putting it on the shelves now.)



This one's at Barnes & Noble, Cool Springs, Brentwood, Tennessee.

Wherein Sara Blabs About her Debut Novel

Today I'm visiting EJ Knapp's website, who earlier did a crackerjack review of Learning to Swim. And I had a chat with my friend Cat Connor in New Zealand at I See You.



Coming soon: a chance to get signed bookplates (thank you, Katie at Crown!).



It's great for me if you"follow" my Facebook page.

My Friend Ben is Ever-so-slightly Crazy. Or Maybe Not. But He's Giving Away Books.

Ben Leroy is doing his free ebook thing again today. Seriously, free ebooks, and not those nasty illegal pirated ones. This is any ebook from his company, Tyrus Books, and you can get it free, all day today - just use the promo code "zero." (I tried this during a previous giveaway, being the inquiring-mind sort that I am, and discovered that you can read Kindle versions on your PC using the Kindle for PC software from Amazon.)



Maybe Ben is crazy, or maybe he's just a nice guy who wants peopl...

Today, Well, I'm All Over the Place

In the blogosphere, that is. I'm at

What Women Write, interviewed by Julie Kibler, who does an excellent interview.
Working Stiffs, hosted by Paula Matter.
The Thrill Begins, the ITW Debut Authors blog, interviewed by Joelle Charbonneau.
You can still enter contests for free copies of my novel, Learning to Swim- all you need do is leave a comment, at:

The Dog Lived (and so will I) - signed hardcover or Kindle, open to US
Women of Mystery - signed ARC, open to US and Canada
Hey! Teenager...

Of Kids, Lazy Parenting, Schooling, Polynomials and Insects of the Order Siphonaptera

Two of my friends have particularly delightful blog posts today, both revolving around parenting adventures - me with no kids, I can only post about exploits with my dogs - and I can't resist pointing them out.

One afternoon, Daughter was studying with her math tutor and I was doing what I do when she's being tutored, which is find horoscopes online and choose to believe the ones which tell me next month will be very profitable for Leos. After her hour was up, she walked out looking...

"Where People Do Not Habitually Blather Their Secrets" - a Clare Toohey Review & Giveaway

Clare Toohey
Over at Women of Mystery, writer Clare Toohey (president of the New York/Tri-State Sisters in Crime) has done a review of Learning to Swim - and she's giving away the advance copy. Just go comment on her post for a chance to win - and to read the rest of her review, which I think is a very cool one. Contest ends midnight Thursday.

Much of the story takes place in Canada, where people do not habitually blather their secrets and wear their hearts on their sleeves. Perhaps...

Teresa Rhyne Asks Probing Questions - and Offers a LEARNING TO SWIM Giveaway

Today I'm interviewed by the ever-delightful Teresa Rhyne over at The Dog Lived (and so will I) - here's an excerpt.



Sara & Teresa, LATFOB

T:  There is, as there must be, a dog in your novel. How important is the dog and why isn't it a beagle?



S: It's not a beagle because it is modeled after the best dog in the world, my now-deceased German Shepherd-golden retriever mix named Tiger. I still remember the ad I answered to find her: Mother pure-bred golden...

YA Author Steph Bowe Hosts a LEARNING TO SWIM Giveaway - for U.S. and Non-U.S.

Steph's first novel
Steph Bowe, a YA author in Australia, is hosting a giveaway at Hey! Teenager of the Year for two signed, personalized copied of Learning to Swim - one to readers in the U.S., and one to readers anywhere else - if we get enough entries, we may do three: Australia, U.S., and elsewhere. (Steph is the phenomenally talented young author whose book I beta-read, and steered her toward agents - but with Steph, you only have to mildly suggest, and she's off.) And she beta-read...

Writers and Marketing - the Necessary Evil

Today I'm visiting Do Some Damage, where I chat about writers and marketing, and how we kind of all have to do it, unless phenomenally lucky, very well established, or the possessor of a fat trust fund. An excerpt:

And you don't force yourself to do things that don't fit. T-shirts, bookmarks, gifts – not my thing. Amy King just ran a chainsaw haiku contest – not my thing. Blog tours and book giveaways, that I can do.

I do admire Amy greatly for carrying off a chainsaw haiku contest - her win...

When a Friend Can Use a Tiny Bit of Help ...

My friend VodkaMom is a recently single mom and a devoted kindergarten teacher and an absolutely wonderful and generous blogger and writer - and has no idea I'm doing this. With great urging, she finally posted a PayPal button on her blog if people feel inclined to donate, so I'm taking it one step further: let's help VodkaMom pull together a down payment for the little house she's renting and is in love with. Not many of us have much extra these days, but every little bit helps - and it does...