Lane Morris Buckman's Blog, page 26

Top Hits of a Desk Jockey

I must have saved this fortune months ago because I think Panda Express is disgusting, and only go through there when I have no other options. I was moving a notepad, and this fell out of the back of it, reminding me of why I kept it. I have another fortune taped to my phone, “Keep up the good work. You will soon be rewarded.” Never hurts to remind yourself of the endgame. I like rewards.

I also like reminders, which reminds me (oops) that I never got around to putting up my usual mental trigg...

Interview with the Author: Swinging by a Silk with Barbara Jean Coast

I want you to read everything that follows with a mental martini in hand, your most fabulous frock or dinner jacket, and some Dean Martin playing in the background. This post is to introduce you to Barbara Jean Coast, author of the Poppy Cove Mysteries, rather, to introduce you toAndrea Taylor & Heather Shkuratoff, the best-friends-since-childhood writing team behind Barbara Jean Coast and Poppy Cove’s silky style.

I was hoping to have STRANGLED BY SILK finished in time to add a review to this...

How to Write a Press Release for Your New Novel

I have written a lot of press releases in my time. They take about 30 minutes tops, but can have a great, lasting effect for your new release.

Think of your press release as a birth announcement. It needs to be short and sweet, letting the reader know what kind of baby you had, how much it weighed, how long it was, what you named it, where it was born… You get the idea. It should be one page, unless you’re introducing Pottermore, and then you can do whatever you like.

Following is a sample base...

How to Get a Book Signing

Okay, you are marketing your new novel. You are an author with an independent publishing house, using POD press. You want to get a book signing at your local bookstore. What do you do?

Before you do anything, you need to be prepared. You’re going to be having conversations with decision makers, and you need to be ready to answer all kinds of questions. Before you start calling bookstores do the following:

Gather reviews. Send your book to readers and beg for reviews–honest reviews.
Write a press...

Please Sign my Book

I am adding new dates to the TIARA TROUBLE book signing tour.

Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 12, when I will be at the Lewisville, TX Barnes & Noble from 1–2pm. BARNES & NOBLE, y’all! That’s like a real bookstore and stuff!

I just got official word back on it yesterday, but I spent most of last night daydreaming about what I would wear, how I would do my hair, wondering if I should try to match my outfit to my book cover, or just go all black so that the book cover stood out against...

Destination Unknown

I tend to write like this: Writewritewritewritewritecollapse.

Then, I go back into my document the next day and delete the last two pieces of writewrite, pick up from writewritewrite, and start all over again. I find that I can usually get out about 5,000 good words, with 2,000 or 3,000 that either don’t belong right in that spot, or don’t fit at all.

I hit a really good streak last night, getting Destinee out of some physical peril, only to have her wake up to social peril. Then, I wrote her o...

The Poetry of Math: Roses are Red, Violets are 4

School was pretty straight forward when I was a student. You went to school, you sat down at your (individual) desk, your teacher lectured, you practiced running drills based on the lecture, you got food and playtime, heard some more lectures, read a book, went home and practiced running drills based on the lectures of the day. At the end of the week, you took a test to see how well you understood the lectures. At the end of six weeks, you tried to explain to your parents that you did really...

I’ll Be Home For Christmas

My father was stationed in Okinawa when I was small. My mother tells a story of finding me in my room, packing. I was going to go see him. I didn’t know how I was going to get there, or where exactly it was, but I was packed and ready to go. I think the best part about the whole Little Miss Phenix City pageant for me, was that it coincided with Dad’s leave time, so he was there for all the hoopla. I was young enough that I believed the Marine Corps had let him come home just to see me, and I...

Interview with the Author: Everybody Wants to be a Cat

So it’s not an interview today, but a whole slew of authors to get to know. My new friend and fellow author under the Cozy Cat Press umbrella, Blanche Day Manos, did all us kittens a solid by putting together a listing of our blogs and book links on her own truly delightful blog. Since she did all the heavy lifting, I am simply stealing her work and pasting it below for you. Check out these cats. Cats are cool.

First, there is the editor and publisher of Cozy Cat Press,Patricia Rockwell.Patri...

Destinee’s Feet in the Sand

Is it obvious yet that I am very, very, very excited? Click to find out where I’ll be on this tour, and how to read my interviews, excerpts, and reviews.

I really want you all to like Destinee. I think she’s the kind of girl you could take on a road trip. If you’re going to be stuck in a book with a character for a few hours, it ought to be someone whose feet you wouldn’t mind seeing on the dash. Destinee is that girl for me. She would share the driving, the gas money, and tips on how to get t...