Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson's Blog, page 24

Pandora Poikilos - Peace from Pieces: Let's Set the World on Fire

I don't often go so far as to share an entire post from someones blog, but in this case, I think it bears sharing....please take a moment to read what it really takes to be a writer, self-published or otherwise.



Pandora Poikilos - Peace from Pieces: Let's Set the World on Fire: What and who are the true measures of Indie publishing success? By Pandora Poikilos  Deep within each of us, there is a burning de...

A Commonplace Book - Weekend

Many things that artists create are blocked by people or circumstances, not by God. For two and a half years I screamed at God because nobody wanted my book A Wrinkle in Time. It almost never got published. I kept saying, "It's a good book, a good book, I wrote it for You. Why all these rejection slips?" But we have to trust God's timing. A Wrinkle in Time came out at exactly the right moment, by publishers who did not expect it to be a success.



- Madeleine L'Engle



from Inspired: The Breath of God

I Am A Reader, Not A Writer: Happy Mother's Day Kindle Fire Giveaway!

I Am A Reader, Not A Writer: Happy Mother's Day Kindle Fire Giveaway!: Orangeberry Book Tours Happy Mother's Day Kindle Fire Giveaway May 10th to 17th A swirl of recipes from around the world, a love...

Orangeberry Book Tour for Mrs. Tuesday's Departure

For the next six weeks I will be on a blog tour for Mrs. Tuesday's Departure, hosted by Pandora Poikilos of Orangeberry Virtual Book Tours. Pandora is an absolute profession and a pleasure to work with, so I know this month will be exciting. We kicked it off this past weekend with two days of KDP Freebies and had a terrific response.



Now we're going to slow things down a bit and take a tour of some friendly blogs and give away a lot of books. If you'd like to join us, please take a look at the schedule below, click on a link, and visit one of our new friends.



Looking forward to seeing you there!









Connect with Suzanne Anderson on
Twitter & Facebook & Pinterest

Check out where this author will be talking about her latest release!



8th May - She's being featured at Peace from Pieces
(Book Feature)
9th May - She's having a Twitter Blast with Pandora Poikilos

10th May - She's being featured at Writers & Authors 
(A World Without Books)
11th May - She's having a Twitter View with Pandora Poikilos


12th May - She's being featured at Rachel Cotterill Book Reviews
(Book Review)
13th May - She's being featured at Mommy Adventures
(Guest Post)


14th May  - She's having a Twitter Blast with Pandora Poikilos
15th May- She's having a Twitter View with Pandora Poikilos

16th May - She's being featured at Another Author
(Guest Post & Author Interview)
17th May - She's being featured at Book Lovers Paradise
(Guest Post)

18th May - She's being featured at Mommy Adventures
(Book Review)
19th May  - She's having a Twitter Blast with Pandora Poikilos

20th May - She's being featured at Books Are Magic
(Guest Post & Book Feature & Author Interview)
21st May - She's being featured at We Fancy Books 
(Book Feature)

22nd May - She's having a Twitter Blast with Pandora Poikilos
23rd May - She's having a Twitter View with Pandora Poikilos

24th May - She's being featured at Mommy's Reading Too
(Guest Post, Author Interview & Book Review)
25th May - She's being featured at John Zunski's blog
(Guest Post)

26th May - She's being featured at Book Spark
(Guest Post)
27th May - She's being featured at Cora Parks' blog
(Guest Post)

28th May - She's being featured at Smartypants Teacher
(Author Interview)
29th May - She's being featured at Libby's Book Blog
(Book Review)

30th May- She's being featured at Dee's White
(Guest Post)
31st May - She's having a Twitter View with Pandora Poikilos

1st June - She's being featured at Super Single Mom & Her Kids
(Guest Post, Author Interview & Book Review)
2nd June - She's having a Twitter Blast with We Fancy Books

3rd June - She's being featured at Gimme the Scoop Reviews
(Guest Post & Book Feature)
4th June - She's being featured at Heather Huffman's blog
(Guest Post)

5th June- She's having a Twitter View with Pandora Poikilos
6th June - She's being featured at Pandora Poikilos' site

Five Minute Super Simple Chocolate Walnut Fudge

You will love how easy this recipe is to assemble and 'cook'. The most difficult part will be waiting two hours while it cools and sets in the refrigerator.







Line a glass square dish with wax paper, leaving generous overhang on all sides, so that fudge is easily removed from pan.







In a medium pan, melt together two cups of chocolate chips and one can of sweetened condensed milk. Stir constantly to keep the mixture from burning. Once the chocolate has melted and has reached a smooth consistency, add the vanilla. Stir to incorporate. Fold in one cup of chopped walnuts. 







Quickly transfer contents of pan to the glass square. Top with remaining half cup of chopped walnuts. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt.

Cool in the refrigerator for two hours.

Cut into small squares and enjoy!




Ingredients:



2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips



1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (fat free)



2 teaspoons espresso powder



2 teaspoons vanilla



1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts



pinch sea salt



Pans and Paper:



8 X 8 square pan



wax paper

A Commonplace Book - Weekend

I worked in the physics of elementary particles. And I actually lived through a very interesting phase in that subject, when one saw, for the first time, a new pattern of structure in the world that was very beautiful, and concise, and that could be expressed in mathematics. All of us who were a part of this enterprise were left with a sene of wonder at the beautiful structure of the world. It seemed to me that it was the mind of God that was being discerned.



- John Polkinghorne

in Inspired: The Breath of God

by Joanna Lauger and Kenneth S. Lewis

Why I Write - Today at The Divining Wand

Larramie has done it again!



I am being featured again over at The Divining Wand, this time sharing my thoughts on a topic every writer has contemplated at one time or another: "Why I Write".



Departing from the pithy one liner: 'because I have to', my answer to this statement took me back to my days as an investment bank in New York and a decision I made to pursue a different life...one inspired by my mother, my brother John, and my sister-in-law Kathy.



And like all good books, it has a happy ending.



So, please take a moment to click on one of the links above and jump over to Larramie's blog. If you leave a comment, you also have a chance to win a book!



Thank you!

Commonplace Book - Weekend

I am a practicing Catholic, but I find myself hesitant to label myself that way. I have a feeling that God leads people to that place where they can find Him, and this is where I have been led. I think the real point is to be obedient to the powerful encouragement and inspiration that you feel, from time to time. 




I have learned to recognize and pay attention to the promptings I feel, because there is a history now of what happens when I do that, and when I ignore them. And in such ways you come to recognize the presence of God in your life.




- Tobias Wolff




from: INSPIRED: The Breath of God

Introducing Pandora Poikilos - Indie Author and Book Marketing Guru

Note from Suzanne:




Today, I'm thrilled to introduce you to Pandora Poikilos, author of novels and non-fiction, and founder of Orangeberry Book Tours. I first met Pandora when I hired her firm to do my first foray into marketing Mrs. Tuesday's Departure. The event went so well that I will be working with her again in May on another book marketing project. 




I was very happy when Pandora agreed to an interview. As indie-authors, we have a wonderful opportunity to network, learn from one another, and share our contacts. Which is why I'm so pleased to introduce Pandora to you. I believe Pandora has lots of wisdom, book marketing and otherwise, to share.




Today we are featuring her novel: FREQUENT TRAVELLER and including an interview that will provides a unique perspective into her journey as an indie-author and her views on what it takes to succeed in marketing your book.
























Frequent Traveller - Synopsis







Catherine Dixon is everyone's dreamgirl. Girls want to be her. Men want to be with her. From her charming smile to her gentle voice, one always turns to take a second look at Cathy. Wherever she goes there isn't an ill word spoken about her. Her job as Vice President of Communications at MoonStar, one of the world's top hotel chains is to make sure guests are happy to the point of perfection.








From the blue oceans of Antigua to the bustling streets of Vietnam, the racing adrenaline at the Green Hell, the devastating natural disaster in Japan and the stunning architecture in Germany, Cathy finds herself in a whirlwind of fine dining, plush clothes and sheer extravagance. But is perfection only a mask for untold disaster? In a job that deals so much with people, Cathy goes home to an empty bed. There are no pictures on her wall, no doting phone calls from a tongue tied lover and no family holidays to boast about.








What is Cathy's secret and how will her world change when the world knows? What is the significance of the blue pendant round her neck? Who is the mysterious man she is seen with every three months? What are the contents of the brown envelope delivered to her on the fifteenth of every month? Will her secrets ever catch up with her or will Cathy continue to sail alongside perfection in the world she has created for herself as a Frequent Traveller? 











Buy Now @ Amazon



Genre - Women's Fiction 

Rating - PG13

View the Book Trailer for Frequent Traveller

Connect with Pandora Poikilos on Twitter & Facebook




Website http://pandorapoikilos.com/

Blog http://peacefrompieces.blogspot.com/






















Pandora, how long have you been writing?




Oh wow, my first article appeared in a local paper when I
was 13. I’m 30 plus now so you do the math. I did stop creative writing for a
few years in between when I worked as a Communications Executive for a hotel
chain. Between press releases and media kits, I didn’t have much time to think
of writing much else. Then in 2010, as we planned for my VP Shunt (brain)
surgery, writing seemed to fit as my recovery plan and here I am.




















How many books have you written, what
types of books do you write, what are your writing goals?




I have written two novels, a short story collection and a
non-fiction series (Dora’s Essentials). My first novel was published in April
2011 and I have since become a paid writer which makes me think I’m definitely
on the right track. (Here's a link to a complete list of Pandora's books on Amazon.com)




I would like to write a full-length novel of about 100,000
words. Since my surgery, one of the significant changes I have noticed is my
tendency to jumble up words when I write. For instance, handsome becomes
husband and blogger becomes booger. This makes it extremely challenging when I
write and it is a hurdle I would like to overcome.



























Why did you create Orangeberry Book Tours?




OBT was created in October 2010. A few writers and I were
working on a three month long book launch festival, book tours were my
contribution to the festival. The demand was increasingly high and I spent
quite a bit of time adjusting the tours to meet the requirements of participating
authors and bloggers to what it is today. 





How does Orangeberry Book Tours work
and what have the results been for authors who've used it?




The main goal of OBT is to raise awareness for the author
and his/her book via social media. This means OBT offers more than blog stops.
Hence, the name - BOOK tours not blog tours. I run Twitter Blasts, blog stops
and other types of smaller social awareness campaigns which focus on both
author and the book.




I understand that a big budget is not something we all
have when starting our writing careers, hence, there is a free book tour
package (Orangeberry Basic) which allows authors to have a free book tour but
they have to host other authors in return.




For those who pay for book tours, the money is then used
to finance the Orangeberry Goodie Bag which distributes gifts to blog hosts and
the site’s visitors.




Results wise, most authors have experienced increased
sales although the exact quantities vary. Some have experienced sales as low as
20 books a day and others have had more than 200 total sales during an
Orangeberry Phoenix book tour which lasts for 30 days.




I do want to stress that results differ for each book, and
I do point out glaring formatting errors or content issues to authors.




What's the most important thing a
self-published author needs to do to help their books gain traction in the
marketplace?




First and foremost, pay attention to what others have done -
the mistakes they’ve made, the things that have worked for authors such as
Amanda Hocking, John Locke and JA Konrath.




Your journey will not be the exact same one as theirs, but
work on something that works for you. Be it a writing project, a marketing
programme or an advertising campaign, we’re all not going to achieve the same
results.




Set your own trail. Be consistent. Keep away from
negativity. And then work even harder.




If you’ve started out and you’re still not sure where you’re
heading, join up Facebook author support groups such as the Indie Author Group,
Author Central and the Indie Exchange. Each have their own “governing” rules
but you’ll find loads of support be it from book covers to editing within these
groups.

Most importantly, don’t expect overnight success. Rome wasn’t
built in a day and people who tell you overnight success is achievable are
lying because it just doesn’t exist. 





What are your goals going forward?




Personally, I would like to spend more time writing, even
if it’s not to sell my books I would like to just sit in a corner and write. I
would like to stay focused on my health and I look forward to helping others
with rare diseases similar to mine. 





Work wise – I would like to see OBT grow into a community
but I expect that this would take another few years. For my books, as minimal
as the target readers may seem, I would like to think that I am able to reach
more readers.




Sorry, no ice cream
questions...unless of course you'd like to answer them. In which case:







Do you have any pets?




No but I’m seriously considering a dog. We’ll see.







Children?




Nope, Peas and I are in a long-term relationship but this
hasn’t really come up.







Favorite place to holiday?




Anywhere by the beach.




One thing you'd like to do before you
die?




See, I’ve had brain surgery and pretty much covered my
bucket list before the surgery but if I had to pick one, it would be starting a
family, I guess.







What do you think of when you see a
rainbow?




I’m still here and there’s more to be done.

Mrs. Tuesday Today at The Divining Wand

Today at The Divining Wand, where Larramie works her magic for authors and readers alike, she's featuring Mrs. Tuesday's Departure. In her article, she discusses why I chose to re-launch Mrs. Tuesday and re-introduces the book to new readers.



I hope you'll stop by to read her wonderful article. I believe it's the best presentation of Mrs. Tuesday that I've read!



Thank you, Larramie!