Karen L. Syed's Blog, page 14

The Games People Play

Some days you just get off to a funky start. Someone posted a link to my book on Freado and I ended up playing a game of Hangman (Ten most romantic movies) and then ended up creating a Hangman game on my own. Check it out.

http://www.freado.com/hangman/game/746/the-best-of-steampunk

While you're at it, I am the guest interviewee at the Blog of Michael Ventrella. You can check it out at:

http://michaelaventrella.wordpress.com/2011/10/14/interview-with-author-and-publisher-karen-syed/

And then you can have a super duper day!

Ah, and buy my books so I can have a super duper day.

 

 

 

Tagged: freado, hangman, Michael Ventrella [image error] [image error]

Who Wants to be a Brain Surgeon? (Guest Blog: Ella Grey)

When I was little I wanted to be a brain surgeon, or a gardener. Only when I turned fifteen did I start thinking about being a writer.

The author, Christopher Pike, inspired me. I remember reading his Last Vampire series and falling in love with the character he created. It was the first time I'd read a vampire story and it wasn't all doom and gloom. Sati is content about being a vampire, she kills to survive and she doesn't really let it bother her, and she's funny. Not funny ha-ha, but witty.

I want my characters to be like that. Even if I write a supernatural character like Molly O'Brien, giving her a sense of humour makes her more human. Easier to identify with.

Click Cover to Buy

My character Rachel is human (mostly) who's caught up in a supernatural situation.

A Difficult Decision (Rachel's story) is available in multiple eBook formats from Quake's Electric Shorts line. The first five of six installments are currently online for sale.

She came to London to find her brother. She ended up finding trouble.

Rachel Valentine isn't the world's most conventional girl. She ran away from a boarding school run by nuns to find her missing brother. The daughter to a government spy, she's learnt a few of the tricks of the trade, but even she isn't prepared for the story she's about to hear.

It seems Rachel has a secret she didn't even know she had and her brother has been dragged into a turf war. The only person she can trust is someone she doesn't even know

Thanks to Karen for hosting me.

You can read my first post on this tour at http://authorthomasamo.blogspot.com/

Tagged: A Difficult Decision, author, authors, books, ebooks, Echelon Press, Ella Grey, readers, writers, Writing

Editorial Superheros (Guest Blog: Heather Cashman)

I would like to compare the editorial process to X-men's Wolverine. I know it's a strange leap, but my mind often makes obscure analogies. I have learned to run with it rather than fight with myself. And now for the question you're all asking: Wolverine?

I don't know if all of you have seen the X-men movies, so I will enlighten you.

Wolverine was a boy born with mutations. He could heal himself, and when he needed protection, spikes of bone would grow out of his knuckles. He used them to defend himself through wars as well as small incidences of violence, and was soon noticed by the government, who (to our great surprise) took him and experimented on him. In the most painful transformation of his life, his bones were plated with Adamantium (the strongest metal fiction can buy), and he became indestructible.

Perhaps you are seeing a correlation with editing a manuscript, but I will amuse myself by expounding the details.

Every manuscript created is immortal. For me, writing is god-like, the art of creating worlds and people, something as unique as a child (and just as time-consuming). Do not take that for granted. Cherish the fact that you finished it. Also realize that a little bit of cutting and dicing and even a shot to the head now and then is not going to completely destroy it.

Every manuscript is also born with mutations. Some of these mutations are what make the book as unique as Wolverine's super-powers. Others are like moles and sixth toes. Every manuscript should be taken to the book doctor—the editor(s). You might be tempted to say that your novel looks perfect from the outside, but I guarantee that you would be sorry if you avoided seeing the doctor only to have your book die a miserable death and then discover in the autopsy report that there were internal maladies of the acutest kind.

The first step to getting rid of that sixth toe or mending the hole in your book's heart is to accept the fact that book doctors know more about surgery than you do. This isn't to say that you don't know your own child, but sometimes we can be in denial about the seriousness of the imperfections. Even small defects are best taken care of rather than left alone.

The super-powers of your book, the aspects that set it apart, are what lay the foundation. My first trilogy, The Tigers' Eye Trilogy, is set in a world where animals can communicate with their human counterparts. That is something I would never allow my editor to change. The integrity of your characters is also something worth protecting. As the author-creator, you should know your characters well enough to avoid shifting personality traits or inconsistencies in behavior. But beware, your own mood while writing can rub off. This happened during my first draft of Perception. Toward the end, my protagonist became whiny. My editor picked up on it, and I rewrote the scene when I was at a better place personally. I would also make one careful comment about being an author: sometimes gut instinct about certain aspects of your novel must be taken into account. This does not give us license to shun any editorial comment we do not like, but must take careful consideration about how each particular edit will affect the entire outcome.

While it is a terrible thing to be experimented on, Wolverine was made indestructible in the process. As authors writing on our own, we can be great; we start out with the bone that can be covered in metal and polished by others. The unique aspects of your novel, that foundation on which you build, can help you fight the wars and small skirmishes of the editing process. Make no mistake, the editor will poke and prod, but as long as the integrity of your novel remains in tact, you can rest assured that the product will be better once you stitch it back up. The process is painful. Sometimes it makes you question your abilities. It can make you angry and frustrated. You may disagree with what they are saying entirely. In these cases, consider the source. Is it the suggestion of a thirteen-year-old, your ninety-year-old grandmother, or an editor who has read thousands of manuscripts and knows the industry?

I hope I didn't take the X-men analogy too far, but I wanted to have fun as I illustrated my point, because taking constructive criticism (that wasn't always constructive) was one of the most difficult aspects for me as an emerging writer. Every comment made me feel like a failure when, in reality, I was just inexperienced. As we study the craft of writing, we can use the experiences of having our work edited to make us better writers. It's always difficult to accept change, but give it time and look at the suggestions of your editor objectively. I did, and it made all the difference.

$.99 at Kindle

Perception by Heather Cashman

Your perception will sharpen once you see through a tiger's eyes.

More than five hundred years after the apocalypse, the survivors of off-grid genetic experimentation have refined their mixed DNA to the point that humans and their animal counterparts share physical and mental links. Varying species have divided into districts, living in a tenuous peace under the President of Calem.

Ardana and her tiger ingenium Rijan leave their life of exile and abuse in the Outskirts, setting out with their twin brothers to redeem themselves and become citizens of the Center. But shedding their past isn't as easy as they had hoped. When the system that shunned them becomes embroiled in political conflict and treachery, their unique abilities and experiences from the Outskirts make them invaluable to every faction. The runaways become pawns to friends as well as enemies, and with every step it becomes more difficult to tell which is which.

Heather Cashman graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry but has always loved to write, winning her first contest in the second grade. Married since 1992, she has three unique children and has moved from Arizona to New York to Kansas. She loves to kayak and canoe down the windiest rivers she can find. She welcomes opportunities to visit schools, libraries, and book groups in person or via Skype. Born in Tucson, Arizona, Heather currently lives near Wichita, Kansas with her husband and three children.

You can find Heather at:

Web Site

Twitter

Facebook

GoodReads

LinkedIn

Email Heather

Heather Cashman © 2011

Same Feeling of Being Right at Home (Bookstore Spotlight by Carolyn J. Rose)

Readers and writers in and around Cover to Cover Books in Vancouver, Washington, are so fond of the store that many of them pitched in to help owner Mel Sanders unpack, reshelve, and alphabetize 450 boxes of books rescued from a fire in the fall of 2010.

They turned out to pay back favors given. Over the years Mel has gone the extra mile to support area authors, providing a venue for the Vancouver Writers Mixers and the Ghost Town Poetry Open Microphone evenings.

 They turned out because so many small businesses—and so many bookstores—are closing and they wanted to insure that Cover to Cover would have a good start in its post-fire location. (6300 NE Saint James Road, Suite 104B, Vancouver, WA, 98663)

They turned out in solidarity because Mel is also a writer. She's been published in Under the Rose, a Norilana Books anthology of the fantastic, and in various e-books.

They turned out because Mel brews up some terrific espresso, because Smedley the bookstore cat loves company, and because Cover to Cover has comfortable chairs, and a cheerful ambiance, even on cold and rainy days.

Finally, they turned out because it was another opportunity to get together and talk about books, to browse through books, to breathe in the scent of books.

Cover to Cover has about 20,000 books—new and used—on the shelves. Every time I visit I find books I haven't seen before—books Mel bought at estate sales, books brought in by book scouts, books taken in trade from customers. Every time I visit, no matter how high my to-be-read pile, I buy books.

Mel displays books by area authors, including all nine of mine. She also provides opportunities for writers to discuss writing craft and launch their latest projects. I plan to be there soon with copies of my tenth work, a suspense novel called An Uncertain Refuge, and the eleventh, a love story set in 1966 called A Place of Forgetting, and due out this fall.

Website: www.covertocoverbooks.net

Twitter: www.twitter.com/C2Cbooks

Phone: 360-993-7777

E-mail: mail@covertocoverbooks.net

Carolyn J. Rose is the author of ten novels. She grew up in New York's Catskill Mountains, graduated from the University of Arizona, logged two years in Arkansas with Volunteers in Service to America, and spent 25 years as a television news researcher, writer, producer, and assignment editor in Arkansas, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington. She lives in Vancouver, Washington, and her hobbies are reading, gardening, and not cooking. Surf to www.deadlyduomysteries.com to learn more.

 

Tagged: books, bookstores, Carolyn J. Rose, Cover to Cover Bookstore, readers, reading

A Funny Thing Happened…

Well, okay it wasn't very funny, but I thought I worth mentioning. Recently, I have had a lot of people wanting me to tell them how wonderful being a publisher is. They want to know all about the glamorous trips to meet authors, the cocktail parties, the dinners with agents, etc. What I want to know is, where the hell do they get these ideas?

I've been trying for a couple days to to figure out how to explain this to people without whining or bitching or insulting people without using their names. I fear I may do a little bit of all. An average day for me, as a publisher, can be all manner of things. There are so many high points and so many low points, I usually don't know if I am coming or going.

I can tell you that every single day I thank God for giving me the chance to do what I love. I will say without any arrogance that I am good what I do. I feel good about every story I contract, I feel great about finding new authors and introducing them to readers, and I feel good about giving established authors a venue to showcase their works. It is a blessing to be able to read and publish and know that I am playing a large role in triggering a whole crapload of emotions in people I don't even know.

Now, that doesn't mean I don't have absolutely shitty days. Recently I woke u to a barrage of emails that had my head spinning and sent me running hysterical in tears to Dunkin' Donuts for comfort. I'll give you the top five highlights.

1. Three (3) authors contacted me to let me know they wanted their rights back (less than a year into their contracts) so they could self publish. They simply feel they can promote their work better that way. WTF? Why does who your book is published by make any difference to how you market it? Don't get me wrong, not against self-publishing, just do it before you sign with a publisher and they make investments of time and money on your behalf.

2. Got word from two agents that the contracts I sent to them were unacceptable because I would not pay the author 20% of retail, let them keep all their rights except print, and do not offer a solid marketing budget. Oh, and one wanted me to give the author 250 author copies. Really? I am guessing they did not do their research and have no idea what size publisher they are dealing with. One even called my contract "Childishly designed." What the hell does that mean? Anyone? Bueller?

3. I discovered that I have lost 3 editors.

4. I sent 60,000 books to be remaindered. These are books that I printed for authors who either did nothing to help me sell them or left Echelon to go self-publish.

So there's a bad day, and yes that was one day (okay one and a half).

Now, far be it from me to leave you feeling sorry for me. Let me tell you about a good day. This is actually two days, but you get the point.

1. I finished a submission that I had NO IDEA I would like so much because the author wrote on a topic that was of no interest to me and she did things in this book that will curl hair in some cultures. It was an awesome book and she made an unthinkable situation make sense and work for me. I loved the book and I will be offering a contract.

2. I sent revisions to an author who I had met at a conference and I was pretty harsh (it needed some work) and the author has sent me several emails thanking me and letting me know she is revising and will be resubmitting soon. I was expecting a quick kiss off and perhaps some snarky tweeets. The writer is a real doll, though. Hoping we can work together.

3. I learned from one of my short story authors that she wants me to consider a novel by her. this is especially cool since so many are jumping ship to self-publish. I do have a place in my heart for loyalty. LOL

4. Our Echelon Press site had higher than usual views for three days in a row.

5. I finished initial edits on a book by an author who I have adored for years, who has signed on with Echelon to reissue her previous titles and to publish her new works. This is especially thrilling for me as she has been a mentor to me as an author for a very long time.

As you can see, the ride is wild and it can be trying, but for those people out there who think we have lots of expensive lunches and attend cocktail parties and schmooze. Here's a little secret. Most days I eat alone and it's usually Dunkin' Donuts or Chipotle, the last cocktail party I went to was eight years ago and I paid $1000 in conference and travel fees to be there, and I drive a Toyota Corolla. Glamor? Not so much. Excitement, depends on what day it is. Schmoozing? I'm the one doing all the schmoozing, so I'm not sure if that counts.

I love what I do and I plan to do it for the rest of my life.

Success by Default?

Okay, I am going to take a moment and speak out against the masses. This is more for writers, but has bearing on readers as well.

I recently (and very quietly) read the success book by John Locke (How I Sold 1 Million eBooks in 5 Months!) Let me start by saying, I am not bashing this book. It was okay. It offered some good advice that may or may not work for the masses. I am guessing he has sold a buttload of copies of it, and good for him! I mean that.

What I'm worried about is all the authors out there who have made this their new bible of sorts. Nowhere in his book does he promise that if the author does everything he did and exactly like he did it, they will find the success he has. NOWHERE! I went into the book expecting a little more and was a little disappointed. Not because it didn't offer good advice, in fact I agree with a good portion of it and have been using his principles for some time and preaching them to the authors and writers I have met along the way. No, I'm not looking for credit, I am trying to make a point.

I blog. Actually I think I blog pretty well. I've never had complaints. I get plenty of praise, and I'm confident that I have a pretty good following. But how many of you have actually bought any of my books or short stories? You like me, right? So why not invest in my career?
I interact with people. Probably more than I should. I am a social networking whore. I admit. My name is Karen, and I am addicted to social networking. I don't talk at people, I talk to them, and you talk back.
I write well. One difference between Locke and I is that I do care what people think about my writing as well as my stories. Of course I want my words to move you, but I don't want you to get a headache trying to sift through crappy punctuation, grammar, and spelling. I will read one of his books (probably one of the westerns) and I'm sure I'll be entertained, but I'm already prepared for writing that may or may not be good.
I invest in people. When I was going through some horrible times, years back, I turned to books as my refuge. You've heard people say that, but it's true. Authors like Caroline Bourne, Jill Barnett, Rebecca Paisley, and all manner of others took me through some pretty dark days. Days that I readily admit could have ended in my death, were it not for the hope and inspiration their stories and their writing offered me. When I came through all of that, I decided I wanted to give back. I knew I wanted to write as well as them, and I wanted to tell stories that touched and affected the lives of others. I've spent the last 15 years offering to others what I took back in those days. I offer it with my writing and I offer it with my publishing.

 

Now, here's my point. After reading Locke's book, I was disappointed. I have done the things he spoke of and I have done them for years. Yet, I have sold nowhere near a million of anything. Why is that? Am I not working hard enough? Smart enough? Am I more confident in myself than others are in me? Whatever the reason, I would like to offer a bit of my own wisdom with regard to this matter.

Read books by people like Locke, and learn from them, but don't put them on pedestals because they accomplished something. They are people just like us, and no matter how much you pay for a book like his, it will never guarantee the success he found. There is no secret to successful bookselling. It is something you simply must strive to do every day. EVERY DAY you must go out and tell people who you have written something that is so important to you that you are confident that in some way it will affect them. You must give readers a reason to make the investment in you. Will it work every time? Obviously not, or people would be interviewing me and not John Locke or Amanda Hocking.

They deserve the praise, they have both worked very hard and obviously very smart. Am I jealous? Yes, but not for the reasons you may think. I don't envy their success. I envy their ability to convey to others the value of buying their books and remaining loyal readers. I envy their ability to show others their personal value, because that is a huge part of their success. Readers believe in them. I want that.

Authors, there is no secret for selling millions of books. No book is ever going to give you that. People like Locke can offer you insight into how they did it, but facts are, you are not him. Your situation, life, and abilities are very different. It is the wonder of diversity. Read the books, pay attention, and then go out and find your own success. It's out there for all of us, we just have to embrace it and nurture it to its full capacity.

Readers, embrace the authors you love. Continue to buy their books and help them find their success, but I urge you to keep your minds open and embrace what you don't know with the expectation of great things. There are new authors exploding onto the scene with books and stories that will blow you away. Don't be caught in the he said, she said trap of the industry. Things are always changing in the book world. Formats, styles, themes, everything. Don't be afraid that if you set aside a paperback novel and try reading something on a Kindle that it will be the ruination of you and the paperback industry. It won't. We live in a vast world that offers so much potential for growth and only if we explore and embrace all of our choices will we find what we are truly seeking.

Tagged: authors, books, karen syed, motivation, readers, sales, success, Writing

The Test of Time (Bookstore spotlight by Nancy Lynn Jarvis)

I live in Santa Cruz, a small county with arguably the greatest per-capita number of independent bookstores in California. We take our indies seriously here, so seriously we have no chain bookstores in the county.

The brightest jewel of all our indies is Bookshop Santa Cruz. Bookshop, as it is affectionately known by locals, opened in 1966. It stayed open after the Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989 destroyed its brick and mortar building by operating out of a gigantic tent while rebuilding. Bookshop thrived even after Borders opened a death-star of a store a block away. In the economic downturn, Bookshop Santa Cruz innovated; Borders closed last year. There are over twenty full time employees working for Bookshop and the store hosts over a dozen active book clubs. "Let's meet at Bookshop," is an often heard refrain throughout Santa Cruz County.

Big names like Jonathan Franzen, Amy and David Sedaris, and Jane Fonda have had book signings sponsored by Bookshop Santa Cruz. If the name is really big, Bookshop rents the civic auditorium for them–crowds over a thousand strong don't fit into Bookshop Santa Cruz.

I've always been a fan of Bookshop Santa Cruz so you can imagine how excited I am that I'll be introducing my latest book, The Widow's Walk League on July 26th at their Local Authors Night. Giving local writers a chance to interact with their community in another of the things Bookshop Santa Cruz is known for doing right.

Website: http://www.bookshopsantacruz.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BookshopSantaCruz

Twitter: @BookshopSC

Nancy Lynn Jarvis has been a Santa Cruz, California, Realtor® for more than twenty years. She owns a real estate company with her husband, Craig. 

After earning a BA in behavioral science from San Jose State University, she worked in the advertising department of the San Jose Mercury News. A move to Santa Cruz meant a new job as a librarian and later a stint as the business manager of Shakespeare/Santa Cruz. 

Nancy's work history reflects her philosophy: people should try something radically different every few years. Writing is her newest adventure. 

She invites you to take a peek into the real estate world through the stories that form the backdrop of her Regan McHenry mysteries. Details and ideas come from Nancy's own experiences.

Once Upon a Crime (Bookstore Spotlight by Carl Brookins)

Just down the street from Nicollet Avenue on Sixth Street, is an unremarkable three-story brick building of apartments. Its back door faces a poorly lit, unevenly paved alley, with a couple of narrow parking spaces. The basement houses two retail establishments with neon advertising in the half-windows. Over one flight of stone steps is a dark canopy covering steps that lead down half-a flight to a room filled with floor to ceiling shelves. The wooden shelves are crowded with books.

Nearly all of the 60,000+ books are works of crime fiction. This is the home of Once Upon A Crime, Minneapolis's award winning premier mystery book store. It has been so for twenty-four years. Present owners are Gary Shulz and Pat Frovarp, two of the most knowledgeable people in the field. If you need a specific book, chances are they'll have it. If they don't have it they can usually get it for you.

If you're looking for something in the field to read, Pat or Gary will ask you some leading questions and promptly point you to authors/books that are almost guaranteed to fill your needs.

I asked why they would invest in a bookstore of all things and Gary said he needed a change after 30 years and Pat suggested that the former owner, Steve Stilwell was ready to retire. The store filled an important need, therefore should be rescued. So, for nine blissful (their word, not mine) years P & G have done just that, admirably filling the mission and meanwhile, picking up a few important awards along the way.

The mission of Once Upon a Crime, along with breaking even financially, is to promote local mystery writers and to maintain as comprehensive a backlist as humanly possible. Along the way they love exposing great midlist authors that readers might miss.

Awards? Yes, they've managed to collect a few, in 2009 CrimeSpree Magazine's favorite bookstore award and "Best Hole in the Wall," from Metro Magazine. Then just this year, Mystery Writers of America awarded Once Upon a Crime a Raven.

Among the many crime fiction writers who have commented:

Author PETER MAY said: "Pat and Gary are two of the nicest and most knowledgeable folk on the subject of mysteries that you are ever likely to meet!

Along the way, Pat and Gary have experienced some interesting events. They got married at the store a few years ago, and more recently acquired Shamus, a three-year old Store Dog.

Author WILLIAM KENT KRUEGER said: "I think OUAC is a really good bookstore because they usually know what I want to read even before I walk into the store. And even if they aren't exactly on target, by the time I walk out, I'm always happy with what they've convinced me I should have wanted when I came in."

Next year the store will celebrate 25 years in business and the tenth anniversary of WRITE OF SPRING, a massive annual one-day gathering of local authors, readers and assorted hangers-on. WRITE OF SPRING is a terrific event and lots of fun besides. An anthology of short crime fiction will debut at about the time of the tenth. The stories are all written by past attendees with profits from sale of the anthology to be donated to local Memorial Blood Centers.

Author ELLEN HART said: " All indie bookstores have a specific character. OUAC is no different. It's cozy, funky in a Minnesota kind of way, comfortable, and always welcoming. It's not only a good bookstore, it's a great one because the people who run it (Pat & Gary) love books and share that passion with their customers."

Although, because Pat was already working there and Gary was a frequent customer, the store lost two good customers when they bought the place, their dedication, hard work, and expertise has made the store a warm and welcoming place for authors and readers alike.

Along with WOS, of course, Pat and Gary host many book events for visiting and local authors. The schedule can be found at their website, http://www.onceuponacrimebooks.com/.

Their phone number is 612-870-3785, and their email address is onceuponacrime@earthlink.net. Next time you are up our way, drop by and join the thousands who find warm and welcoming hosts behind that door under the canopy.

Carl Brookins:

Before he became a mystery writer and reviewer, Brookins was a faculty member at Metropolitan State University in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He has reviewed mystery fiction for the Saint Paul Pioneer Press and for Mystery Scene Magazine. His reviews appear on his own blog and on several other Crime Fiction blogs and Internet sites. Brookins is an avid sailor and has sailed in many locations across the world. He is a member of Sisters in Crime, and Private Eye Writers of America. He can be found touring bookstores and libraries with his companions-in-crime, The Minnesota Crime Wave. He writes the sailing series featuring Michael Tanner and Mary Whitney,(Devils Island)  the Sean Sean private investigator detective series,(The Case of the Great Train Robbery), and the Jack Marston academic series. (Reunion) Several short stories published by Echelon Press are available for download.

 

Tagged: author, authors, books, bookstores, crimespree magazine, Echelon Press, mystery writers of america, once upon a crime, readers, reading, sales, trends, writers, Writing

Above and Beyond (Bookstore Spotlight by J.A. Campbell)

Calico Books is a new and used bookstore in Broomfield, Colorado. It is owned by the same people who own Booklovers in Fort Collins, Colorado and their daughter, Becky, runs the store. I first met Becky through a mutual friend. As soon as Becky found out I was a soon to be published Author, she started talking about trying to help promote my writing. We hit it off right away and chat regularly. 

Calico Books' services include accepting used books in trade for store credit, new and used books, and promoting local authors. They also order hard to find, out of print and new books for customers, have a watch and reserve list and provide free coffee. They are dog friendly, and even have treats on hand. Becky also tries to have events regularly for customers and authors, so watch the store calendar. 

One of the things that we put together and are still experimenting with is our Remote Author events.  "The Remote Author Event was conceived when I was discussing with a couple friends, via twitter, how I'd love to be able to support them and their writing. The catch was, that their books were either in eBook format… or they didn't live in Colorado," says Becky. 

So we chatted via twitter and gtalk and came up with a way to have local authors and remote authors visit the store. 

"In this way, Calico Books can host eBook authors as "Host Authors" and sponsor their novels (although we cannot sell them, ourselves) while also being able to sell a not-so-local author's books and have them visit the shop without airfare, hotels, or food bills to worry about. Granted, I've focused on Local Authors for my new-book section in the shop, but with the digital age… I'm more than happy to help support others who are further away along with getting to support our locals whose books are in digital format." 

It's a great opportunity to find ways to keep independent bookstores in the loop during the push towards eBooks. 

"Why bother with this Remote Author Event over a traditional signing? Because the traditional methods are very quickly going to become out-dated. Digital books are being published far more readily than print-books. This isn't to say that print-books are going by the wayside, but there has been a huge surge in the sheer amount of published books through the availability of eBooks. A publisher can far more easily "take a chance" on an eBook than a print-book and the initial release of the eBook may very well lead to a print-contract." 

So stop on by for some free coffee and good reads. Becky's vast knowledge of books will be sure to assist you in finding just the right book, even if it happens to be digital.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CalicoBooks

Twitter: @CalicoBooks

Web site/Blog: http://blog.calicobooks.com/

J.A. Campbell (Julie) writes fantasy novels. When she's not out riding her horse, she can usually be found sitting in front of her computer with a cat on her lap and her dog at her side. Her first young adult novel, Senior Year Bites, is now available at a number of retailers, including Kindle.

Tagged: authors, books, bookstores, Colorado, ebooks, fiction, Fort Collins, Marketing, publishing, readers, reading, sales, writers

Me and Mary Kay…sorta

Our 10th Anniversary

Today I am celebrating my tenth wedding anniversary. A milestone, yes, but for me it is even more important. You see, I'm not the easiest person in the world to get along with or tolerate. Okay, in all fairness, I'm a much better person than I was 15 years ago.

Back in the day I was mean, stubborn, selfish, and all kinds of other nasty things. I have had countless friends come and go, with a very small number holding steady. I hae infuriated, pissed off, and offended more people than I can even count. I cared little about making connections with anyone. So why the glimpse into my sordid past?

As I said, today is my anniversary and my husband has earned a very special place in my heart. He is the one person who I have maintained a personal and positive relationship with for the longest consecutive period of time. I know that sounds weird, but I really have pissed off a lot of people.  It has not been easy for him, but hopefully he thinks it is worth it.

Over the last couple of weeks I've been thinking about other types of relationships. Being in business I'm tasked with finding ways to bring people close enough that they find value in me and my product. I don't think enough people give serious consideration to relationships when trying to build their business's reputation. For me it plays, and always has played, a very important, even crucial, role. After all, I am out there every day asking people to have faith in me and to spend their hard-earned money on my products. I really don't take that lightly. In fact, the idea that readers might not like our books torments me to no end.

Some of you may be wondering what happened to change me so dramatically. In truth it was a couple of things. First and foremost was meeting my (now) husband. The time we have spent together (15 years in total) has truly made me want to be a better person than I was. He has made a point to find the good in me from the moment we met. He did not change me, knowing him made me want to change.

Mary Kay Ash

The other major influence in my life was the late Mary Kay Ash. You all probably know her from her internationally renowned cosmetics company. Over the last few years I have investigated and studied her company and her life with great enthusiasm. This remarkable woman literally started Mary Kay with almost nothing after having lost her husband. Along with her son, she worked from the bottom up to make the company one of the most well-known and successful.

The most important element to her success as a person and an entrepeneur was her ability to connect with people, as far as I can tell, nearly all people. Every day in her life was filled with getting to know others and going out of her way to make them feel important and valued. Rumor has it that she treated her Mary Kay representatives with the same respect as she did her friends and family. It is said that when a Mary Kay representative had a birthday, an anniversary, or even a tragedy, Mary Kay Ash would pick up the phone and call them herself.

The character of Mary Kay Ash has been an inspiration to me for a very long time. I strive to make my life as worthy as hers and I hope that in some way I leave a positive impression on every person I meet or talk to. After all, you can't put a price or value on human life and happiness.