R. Frederick Riddle's Blog, page 12

What Do We Know About Christmas?

What do we know about Christmas? You might be surprised by such a question, but the truth is that some factors we tend to accept about Christmas are not really true. Traditions have grown up that have replaced facts. I am not talking about Santa Claus which is a fiction we all understand as fictional. But there are some traditions that obscure our understanding of the real meaning of Christmas and what it is all about.

So, what’s true about Christmas?

That question became the title of my latest book, What’s True About Christmas? This is a short (less than 150 pages) nonfiction book that examines Christmas and the traditions associated with it. It is a book that takes a closeup view of the traditional Nativity scene, examining the various aspects of that scene.

When you do that, you discover that while some of the factors are biblically based, others are traditional. But uncovering the truth brings the Nativity alive!

We will explore these factors more on the other side of the break.

TR-WritingServices.com brings you this blog post or podcast to keep you informed on the issues of today. Authors need to stay informed so that they can relate to their readers facts as well as entertain them with their imagination.

 TR-WritingServices.com is a service dedicated to help authors reach their potential as independent writers. Knowing the world you live in and work in is essential to being a good writer, thus the need for the free flow of information.

To discover how we can help you be the writer you want to be, write to us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We will respond with a free copy of our Guide to Writing plus a brochure detailing our plans. We won’t ask for your credit card or any money, but we will send you these items for free.

Check us out and get your career moving.

Now back to the article.

If you are like us, you like the bright lights of Christmas as well as the various Christmas displays. But in the world that we live in we tend to accept as fact certain ideas and/or beliefs about Christmas that may not be true.

In writing the book I have tried to research both biblical and secular sources to address the Nativity scene and its various components, plus additional factors. Here are some of the topics covered:

Birth of JesusGiftsMagiMangerShepherds

It was an interesting and exciting book for me to research. One topic, the birth of Jesus, was particularly interesting to me. I have known for some time, and you probably have also known, that Jesus was not born on December 25th. That date is more associated with pagan celebrations than anything having to do with His birth. But that leaves another question, when was He born? Do we know? Does the Bible tell us or at least hint at it?

The answer may surprise you.

The result of the research was a deeper understanding and appreciation for our Christmas celebration. In this day and age of commercialism, it is refreshing to learn the truths associated with this holiday. Truths

The book is now available as an eBook and a print book on Amazon.com, plus the print book is available at a discounted price at our bookstore T&R Independent Books.

If you would like to comment on this article, please do.

If there is the slightest chance that you might write a book, whether many or just one, visit us and take advantage of our knowledge. The information is free and helpful, and our plans are designed for your budget. Periodically, I will either upgrade the videos or add additional ones for your perusal.

We are proud to be able to offer you the best possible experience at TR Independent Bookstore. Whether you are living in Southwest Florida or elsewhere in the United States, we want to be your local bookstore. We are located on the internet at tr-writingservices.com. Drop in and check us out.

Oh, and if you email us inquiring about our services, we will provide you a free copy of our book on writing plus a brochure about our business.

The post What Do We Know About Christmas? first appeared on T&R Independent Bookstore.

What Are You Thankful For?

What are you thankful for as we celebrate Thanksgiving? This is a day that we as a nation have set aside to express our thanks to God for our blessings. There are a lot of things that we can thank God for. I have prepared a list of 50 items that you might be able to find at least one, but probably several that you are grateful you have or have done. Let’s see how many you can select.

The list is alphabetical.

America

aunt

bank account

bible

bills paid

boss

boy friend

brother

car

children

church

clothes

congressman/woman

customers

deacon

doctor

education

employee(s)

eternal life

fall

father

flag

food

freedom

friends

girl friend

government

health

home

improving health

IRA

Jesus Christ

job

medicine

mother

pastor

pet

president

restaurant

retirement

salvation

savings

sister

spouse

spring

summer

teacher

uncle

winter

We will explore this topic more on the other side of the break.

TR-WritingServices.com brings you this blog post or podcast to keep you informed on the issues of today. Authors need to stay informed so that they can relate to their readers facts as well as entertain them with their imagination.

 TR-WritingServices.com is a service dedicated to help authors reach their potential as independent writers. Knowing the world you live in and work in is essential to being a good writer, thus the need for the free flow of information.

To discover how we can help you be the writer you want to be, write to us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We will respond with a free copy of our Guide to Writing plus a brochure detailing our plans. We won’t ask for your credit card or any money, but we will send you these items for free.

Check us out and get your career moving.

Now back to the article.

That was a list of 50, but I bet that as you scanned the list you thought of other things that you can be thankful for having, knowing, or doing. The truth is that if we try we can double or maybe triple that list.

We have a creator God who created all things for us. He created the world, the fish, the animals, the birds, and the trees. He created the hills, the plains, the mountains, and the valleys. Everything we see in the natural world was created by God and for mankind.

You might think that the Bible doesn’t say that, but it does. When Adam and Eve were being tested in the Garden God said, Every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat (Genesis 2:16) except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it (Genesis 2:17). There are several other verses in the Bible that talk about our Creator as well.

Our forefathers thought it important to thank God for bringing them through the Revolutionary War and founding the United States of America. Our country has experienced the hand of God in both blessing and correction, and He hasn’t stopped loving us.

Unfortunately, many have turned from God. But even they continue to receive blessings. God loves America! And one writer in the past commented that America is great because America is good. But that is coming into increasing criticism.

America has turned its back on God and His Word, the Bible. And as America has been turning away the people have grown up without thanksgiving, without a moral base, and without a compass. Our institutions such as the home, church, school, and, yes, our government have determined they have a better way. But they are wrong, and we may soon, or maybe already are, experience the hand of correction.

We need revival! You need it and I need it. We need to fall to our knees and plead for mercy. If you have gotten saved, then you need to confess your sins and turn from your wicked ways. Revival will only come if we are repentant and truly want it to come.

All Americans need to turn to Jesus Christ. If you don’t know Him as your Savior, then you need to acknowledge you are a sinner, accept His death on the cross as payment for your sin, and ask Him into your heart. What a wonderful Savior we have!

If you are saved, then you still need to seek daily cleansing, to trust Him for all your needs. He loves you and wants to be number One in your life.

It is my prayer that everyone who reads this blog will stop for a moment and consider your life. And then thank Him for His love, mercy, protection, forgiveness of sin, and His abundant blessing upon our nation and our families.

One last comment: In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Have a great Thanksgiving!

If you would like to comment on this article, please do.

If there is the slightest chance that you might write a book, whether many or just one, visit us and take advantage of our knowledge. The information is free and helpful, and our plans are designed for your budget. Periodically, I will either upgrade the videos or add additional ones for your perusal.

We are proud to be able to offer you the best possible experience at TR Independent Bookstore. Whether you are living in Southwest Florida or elsewhere in the United States, we want to be your local bookstore. We are located on the internet at tr-writingservices.com. Drop in and check us out.

Oh, and if you email us inquiring about our services, we will provide you a free copy of our book on writing plus a brochure about our business.

The post What Are You Thankful For? first appeared on T&R Independent Bookstore.

Should I Write Nonfiction?

Here’s a question: should I write nonfiction? It’s a simple question but it raises a lot of additional questions that you might be wise to answer.

Question #1, I write fiction, what is needful to be done differently to write nonfiction?

Surprisingly, I have discovered that writing nonfiction is not a whole lot different than writing fiction as far as my work output is concerned. The biggest difference has been to make dry facts enjoyable to read.

In fiction, I employ my imagination to a high degree and have the freedom to create new characters, dialogs, etc. In nonfiction, I have to be fact oriented. It is not just a story; it is a document that relates facts in a manner that instructs and possibly entertains the readers. Like any writing, the more you do it the easier it becomes.

Question #2, If I write nonfiction do I need to stop writing fiction?

That is a personal question that only you can answer. There are authors who write both. Recently I have joined those ranks. I would recommend you try it before you arrive at a final conclusion.

You just might discover that you are good at it!

We will explore these and more on the other side of the break.

TR-WritingServices.com brings you this blog post or podcast to keep you informed on the issues of today. Authors need to stay informed so that they can relate to their readers facts as well as entertain them with their imagination.

 TR-WritingServices.com is a service dedicated to help authors reach their potential as independent writers. Knowing the world you live in and work in is essential to being a good writer, thus the need for the free flow of information.

To discover how we can help you be the writer you want to be, write to us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We will respond with a free copy of our Guide to Writing plus a brochure detailing our plans. We won’t ask for your credit card or any money, but we will send you these items for free.

Check us out and get your career moving.

Now back to the article.

Question #3, Do I have the skill level?

This is another question that requires effort on your own to discover the answer. I would say that many of the skills needed for fiction are needful for nonfiction.

You still need to do research, check your spelling and grammar, and perform other writing basics. One helpful thought might be to read nonfiction books, particularly on your chosen topic. This is not required, but it might help you see what skills you may need.

Question #4, What topics would I write about?

One of the rules I have followed in writing fiction is to ‘write what you know about’. That can change over time. In my case I love history so it was natural that I would write historical fiction. I also love the Bible, so it was natural to write about historical people, places, and events in the Bible.

Later, I developed an interest in science and exploration of space. I have read several science fiction books and didn’t care for the requisite alien life that dots the landscape. But when I started writing speculative fiction, which is science fiction from a more Christian point of view, I found I enjoyed it.

The same is true about nonfiction. Write what you know or what you are interested in. I am not talking about reporting. We live in an age where the average reporter simply echoes what someone else has said.

For examples of this, simply look at the Covid-19 coverage. Whether you are reading the New York Times, an Associated Press article, or most major television news, you get almost identical information. Not because those news sources are reporting the truth, but because they are either too lazy to the digging to verify the facts or because the ‘facts’ reported simply fall in line with their political agenda. In fact, sometimes you feel like you are reading an article written by the Democratic National Committee.

If you are going to write nonfiction, you should be willing to rock the boat a little. Dig down and find out what is true. Don’t accept so-called ‘fact checkers’ as, in my opinion. they are of little use. In general, report as old-time reporters use to report by digging deep for the truth.

Question #5, Does this require a lot more research?

Generally, my answer would be yes. For the simple reason that your entire book, article, or document is fact based. But that only means you include more of your research material.

If you’ve been following my blog for any time, then you know I believe in doing research. Fiction is more believable if soundly based on facts, and nonfiction literally requires facts. Basically, you still do the research and perhaps more depending on the subject.

Question #6, Am I willing to put the extra work in?

Again, this is a personal choice. I do not know how much time and effort you normally put into your work. If you invest hours and hours of time and effort in writing fiction, then the increase in work is probably minimal.

But if you toss off fiction with little work, then you can expect a dramatic increase in your work load.

Question #7, What’s my motive?

Motive is always important. I recently wrote about your motive for writing. That covers both fiction and nonfiction. You might want to review it. However, that primarily covered writing in general.

Writing nonfiction can be just as exciting as writing fiction. Most fiction has some truth involved and often requires research into people, places, and events. In science fiction and speculative fiction, you need research into tools, inventions, discoveries, and more. Nonfiction almost always involves research. Plus, in nonfiction you need to have references so your reader can check them out for accuracy and additional information.

In conclusion, take a look at what you know about yourself. You will likely discover that you have more skills than you thought, and that you know more than you think. Don’t let the unknown stop you. Give nonfiction a try and discover if that is a worthwhile writing career choice.

If you would like to comment on this article, please do.

If there is the slightest chance that you might write a book, whether many or just one, visit us and take advantage of our knowledge. The information is free and helpful, and our plans are designed for your budget. Periodically, I will either upgrade the videos or add additional ones for your perusal.

We are proud to be able to offer you the best possible experience at TR Independent Bookstore. Whether you are living in Southwest Florida or elsewhere in the United States, we want to be your local bookstore. We are located on the internet at tr-writingservices.com. Drop in and check us out.

Oh, and if you email us inquiring about our services, we will provide you a free copy of our book on writing plus a brochure about our business.

The post Should I Write Nonfiction? first appeared on T&R Independent Bookstore.

What’s Your Motive for Writing?

Why is it important to know what’s your motive for writing?

There are at least 3 reasons:

1 – Direction of Writing Career.

Your motive for writing provides you with the direction, like a weathervane, of your writing career.

2 – Inspiration for your books.

This is where your motive can and often does influence or inspire your writing. Initially it would be the genre, such as historical fiction, but eventually it can inspire who and what you are writing about to a much greater degree.

3 – Duration of your career.

Here, motive plays a major role in helping you survive or be sustained when your writing career runs into buffeting winds of adversity or road bumps that threaten to derail you.

We will explore these and more on the other side of the break.

TR-WritingServices.com brings you this blog post or podcast to keep you informed on the issues of today. Authors need to stay informed so that they can relate to their readers facts as well as entertain them with their imagination.

 TR-WritingServices.com is a service dedicated to help authors reach their potential as independent writers. Knowing the world you live in and work in is essential to being a good writer, thus the need for the free flow of information.

To discover how we can help you be the writer you want to be, write to us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We will respond with a free copy of our Guide to Writing plus a brochure detailing our plans. We won’t ask for your credit card or any money, but we will send you these items for free.

Check us out and get your career moving.

Now back to the article.

Let’s break these motives down further.

Direction of Your Writing Career

This overlaps to some degree the Inspiration for your books. However, whatever your motive is, it will play a major role in choices you make early on. For example, your motive could be a desire to make a lot of money.

If I was rating motives, money would come in as the least effective, and virtually the weakest. It is not bad to want to make money; all of us do. But I contend that if making money is your only motive, you will have a hard time.

Why, you might ask.

Because money is not durable. You might fall out of favor with your leaders, or you might lose readership. Whatever the cause, you do suddenly twice as much work for less than you were paid to do.

On the other hand, desiring to make money can lead to writing for magazines, copy writing, and other financially beneficial jobs. These are all good results. In fact, you can earn a lot of money writing stories for magazines.

So, if your motive is to make a lot of money, go for it. But remember that if and when you hit a wall or the money ceases for a time, the motive of making money is on shaky ground. You will need another motive to sustain you.

Inspiration for Your Writing

Inspiration is the lifeblood of writing. Whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction you need inspiration. I write in multiple genres, and I have multiple motives. One is making money, but another is to write stories that entertain and point people to Christ.

For example, I have one series, The World That Was that includes novels about creation, our forefathers such as Adam, Enoch, Abraham, and others. This series is based on factual people, places, and events, but like any historical novel, it fills the gaps with enough fictional narrative to bring the facts alive. In this way, readers are transported back (or forward) to the events the book is based upon.

Inspiration can also lead you to write stories about children, thus children’s fiction. My books, for example, tend to explore adult themes. My goal is to write stories that demonstrate the depravity of man and the grace of God. This sometimes requires me being on a balancing beam between being too explicit and being too bland. That is one reason I like people to review my books because it gives me an inkling of how I am doing and if I need to edit or not.

In short, inspiration covers almost every aspect of writing. It is also helpful in helping me when roadblocks, etc. get in my way. Before I got saved when I asked Jesus into my heart, I would attempt to write a book. Sometimes I would get about five chapters in and suddenly hit a roadblock. And I couldn’t get around it.

But after I got saved this changed; albeit 30 years later. I got inspiration direct from God while reading about Noah and the Ark in Genesis chapter 6. I saw that while God told us enough to display the depravity of man and the grace of God, it was still mostly skeleton. I realized that as a writer I could clothe the skeleton in fiction and bring the characters and events alive!

In addition, the Holy Spirit gave me Psalm 71:18: ‘Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shown thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.”

He not only gave me a major boost in my writing, but He also gave me a motive: to show His strength unto this generation!

That is my number one motive for writing and it sustains me no matter what.

Duration of your career

At the beginning of this blog I said, motive plays a major role in helping you survive or be sustained when your writing career runs into buffeting winds of adversity or road bumps that threaten to derail you.

In previous blogs I have discussed a variety of motives, such as:

MoneyFameCall of God

These are all excellent motives, but as a Christian the best is Call of God. At our physical birth we receive talents. It could be one or multiple talents. I believe I received the talent called imagination, which is crucial to fictional and, for that matter, nonfictional writing.

I don’t regard my writing skill as a talent. Rather, it is a result of hard work and study! But when I got saved, He gave me another gift which is the ability to tell a story that glorifies God.

Even so, it took another 30 years for the talent (my imagination) and the storytelling ability to unite. And that happened because God showed it to me as I described earlier. But all of that would not have taken place without my first getting saved and then allowing God to chip away the dead skin of sin in my life. He keeps purifying me and providing me insights into how we humans think and, more importantly, how He thinks.

I am not saying that you must have the same experiences I had. But if you are a Christian and you want to serve God through your writing, then we have something in common. More importantly, in Christ you have the most important motivation there can be. Nothing is more powerful than knowing that you are doing what He wants you to do.

Motives can change over time and thus it is always wise to reexamine your motives and how you are applying them. But God’s plan for your life while it may seem to change from your perspective, it remains unchanged. Your understanding of it can change, but God is fully aware of everything that you will experience and has already incorporated it into His plan for you. That is exciting!

In conclusion, being motivated is absolutely important. You can have multiple motivations, but I believe that one will dominate. Whichever one that is, it will influence how you write and whether to overcome obstacles or not. I encourage you to reexamine your motives. It might result in adding or subtracting, or reordering, but it will certainly result in you having a more balanced approach to your writing and the wherewithal to overcome the obstacles that will come.

If you would like to comment on this article, please do.

If there is the slightest chance that you might write a book, whether many or just one, visit us and take advantage of our knowledge. The information is free and helpful, and our plans are designed for your budget. Periodically, I will either upgrade the videos or add additional ones for your perusal.

We are proud to be able to offer you the best possible experience at TR Independent Bookstore. Whether you are living in Southwest Florida or elsewhere in the United States, we want to be your local bookstore. We are located on the internet at tr-writingservices.com. Drop in and check us out.

Oh, and if you email us inquiring about our services, we will provide you a free copy of our book on writing plus a brochure about our business.

The post What’s Your Motive for Writing? first appeared on T&R Independent Bookstore.

Temptation of Eve

Although I’ve titled this the temptation of Eve, at the time of her temptation she hadn’t been named Eve yet.

I love the Bible. It is filled with the story of the gospel, heroic men and women, and enough adventure to satisfy any appetite. I have read and studied the Bible for 48 years and I think I know a thing or two about it.

There are some passages in the Bible that I have heard pastors try to wiggle around. Sometimes to avoid offending anyone. One such passage is Genesis 3, verses 1 – 6, which covers the temptation of Eve.

Usually when people read verse 6, they insist that Adam was there at the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil with Woman. I will get to that in a moment, but we will first deal with verses 1 and 2.

Please understand this, I am not anti-women. And I don’t blame women for our sin condition; that wholly rests on Adam as I will explain.

But on the other side of this break, I want to clarify what I believe happened when Serpent tempted Woman.

TR-WritingServices.com brings you this blog post or podcast to keep you informed on the issues of today. Authors need to stay informed so that they can relate to their readers facts as well as entertain them with their imagination.

 TR-WritingServices.com is a service dedicated to help authors reach their potential as independent writers. Knowing the world you live in and work in is essential to being a good writer, thus the need for the free flow of information.

To discover how we can help you be the writer you want to be, write to us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We will respond with a free copy of our Guide to Writing plus a brochure detailing our plans. We won’t ask for your credit card or any money, but we will send you these items for free.

Check us out and get your career moving.

Now back to the article.

In Genesis 3:1-2 Serpent, who was a created creature but became possessed by Lucifer, challenged Eve by asking, “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”

Let’s give Eve her due. I think Eve loved God and immediately sought to defend His honor. She quickly realized that for some reason Serpent was attacking the goodness of God.

So, she responded with, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.”

Her statement was incorrect. God never said, “neither shall ye touch it.” If you doubt that check out Genesis 2:17 which happened before Eve’s creation, and Genesis 3:11 which occurred after Adam sinned.

Now I have heard pastors explain this as Eve must have been told by Adam that God said, “neither shall ye touch it.” But there is no scripture in the Bible that says such a thing. More importantly, God doesn’t rebuke Adam for such a misquote.

Eve said what popped into her mind probably to emphasize God’s command. It certainly wasn’t intentional. That being the case, why make an issue of it and shift the blame to Adam?

‘But that is a minor issue compared to Genesis 3:6: And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto here husband with her; and he did eat.’

Notice the part I highlighted. The common interpretation is that Adam was with her when she ate the fruit. If that argument is correct, then I contend that Adam was a terrible husband and was at least partly responsible for Eve eating the fruit.

You see, according to the Bible, Adam was not deceived (1 Timothy 2:14). So, here is my problem with that interpretation of Genesis 3:6.

That would mean that Adam was with her from verse 1 when Serpent cast doubt about God but didn’t offer any response. Instead, it was Eve who responded.

But when she misquoted God, Adam didn’t correct her. Now if he had told her God had said that then no correction would have been forthcoming. But it gets more interesting.

In verses 4 and 5 Serpent (actually Lucifer speaking through him) attacked God’s honesty and virtue. Yet, if Adam was there, he remained silent!

And then in verse 6, he didn’t warn Eve. Remember, he wasn’t deceived. So, he should have warned her and told Serpent to take a hike! But he didn’t!

If Adam was with her at the tree, then he was a terrible husband. One man, no matter his faith, would allow the woman they loved to stand alone against these lies and temptations. His silence would have been all the justification Eve needed.

But when God asked Eve for her reasoning in verse 13, she did not point a finger at Adam, only at Serpent. Despite the fact that Adam had just pointed a finger at her.

In the Old Testament there are many occasions when a single verse refers to multiple events or time periods. I believe that verse 6 can be broken into at least two parts. Part one relating to Eve’s sin, and part two meaning that Adam was with her in the garden not with her at the tree. When you look at the chapter in context then that understanding makes perfect sense.

Why do I make such an issue of it here? Because pastors make an issue of it in their sermons. As if to exonerate the woman. But I have heard it taught that if Adam had not eaten of the fruit, woman (Eve) would have died, and God would have replaced her. I don’t know if that is correct but given God’s command and the circumstances that took place, it sounds reasonable.

In addition, our sin nature stems from Adam not from Adam and Eve. She shared in the action and the consequences of that action. But it is, “…by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.” (Romans 5:12)

Eve doesn’t need to be exonerated. Adam was not deceived but chose to sin, perhaps because he loved Eve. But, if so, he put Eve above God in his heart. There is no excuse, and Adam’s only attempt at one was to point a finger at Eve, and ultimately at God.

When he ate of the fruit, the consequences of that sin fell upon both him and Eve, and all mankind. The great truth here is that God in His mercy provided a Redeemer Who took our place on the cross and provided forgiveness of sin and eternal life.

If you would like to comment on this article, please do.

If there is the slightest chance that you might write a book, whether many or just one, visit us and take advantage of our knowledge. The information is free and helpful, and our plans are designed for your budget. Periodically, I will either upgrade the videos or add additional ones for your perusal.

We are proud to be able to offer you the best possible experience at TR Independent Bookstore. Whether you are living in Southwest Florida or elsewhere in the United States, we want to be your local bookstore. We are located on the internet at tr-writingservices.com. Drop in and check us out.

Oh, and if you email us inquiring about our services, we will provide you a free copy of our book on writing plus a brochure about our business.

The post Temptation of Eve first appeared on T&R Independent Bookstore.

How Can I Create a Bookstore?

The big question is how can I create a Bookstore? The answer is that there are a number of ways to do so, but I will focus on how I did it.

In a previous blog I discussed A Business of My Own. That focused on the founding of T&R Independent Books by my wife Teresa (Tess) and myself (R. Frederick). Today, I take a deeper look into the website itself.

But before starting, let me say that there are professionals that will design your website for you. These are available online and the costs vary. I chose to build my website, but you might want to consider a professional. Even so, reading this blog may give you ideas that you can convey to that professional.

I love writing and in many ways creating a website involves writing. There was a time when I worked with BASIC engines to develop programs designed to help me do a job. I no longer do that since the coding has far outgrown my abilities. But it did provide me a foundation knowledge of what can be done. So, I have used the tools available to build my own website.

More about this on the other side of this break.

TR-WritingServices.com brings you this blog post or podcast to keep you informed on the issues of today. Authors need to stay informed so that they can relate to their readers facts as well as entertain them with their imagination.

 TR-WritingServices.com is a service dedicated to help authors reach their potential as independent writers. Knowing the world you live in and work in is essential to being a good writer, thus the need for the free flow of information.

To discover how we can help you be the writer you want to be, write to us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We will respond with a free copy of our Guide to Writing plus a brochure detailing our plans. We won’t ask for your credit card or any money, but we will send you these items for free.

Check us out and get your career moving.

Now back to the article.

There are a good number of fine website hosts which I believe I have previously discussed in some detail. Check the archives for more information.

I chose WordPress for my host because of the ease of use and because I was already using it for my blog. So, I moved to WordPress and began building my new site. This began a few years ago, but last year (2020) I really made a big upgrade!

Let’s take a look at some of the tools I used and still use.

Plan – WordPress offers four plans: Personal, Premium, Business, and eCommerce. Up until last year I was using Premium, but I upgraded to Business. One of the reasons was that I wanted to have an online bookstore providing visitors with a easy to view and use website. Someday, I may upgrade to eCommerce but to tell you the truth, I am very pleased with Business. If you read their descriptions, Business is considered best for small business, which I am, on the other hand, eCommerce is considered best for online stores, which I have. But I opted for the Business Plan, and I believe it was the best choice for me.

WooCommerce – Shortly after upgrading I got the WooCommerce plugin. This is a very popular plugin that is designed to work with either WordPress Business or WordPress eCommerce. I only began working with it this year and I have been very impressed with the ease of use. I am still in the learning curve, which might mean future changes to the website.

This tool enabled me to create a bookstore, but more on that later.

StoreFront – This is the theme. It is available for either Business or eCommerce. This is an important theme in that it enables you to create a site that looks and feels like a storefront. Products are categorized, priced, and displayed along with a Shopping Cart.

The Shopping Cart interfaces with my PayPal enabling me to receive, process, and fulfill orders.

All-in-One SEO (AiOSEO) – If you are building a website of any size that you need good SEO designs and tools. I downloaded and installed this tool and have seen my pages and posts improved dramatically in appearance and other factors.

Simple Banner – This is another plugin that enables me to let my customers know about a new deal, a discount, featured books, etc. It is easy to use and allows me flexibility in positioning and readability.

Products – This tool gives me complete control over my products. I can control the image, category, stock availability, price including discounted price, item number, whether a book is featured or not, date, stats, likes, and AiOSEO. Plus, I have control which of these are shown to me in a glance and I can change the view whenever I want.

Categories (under Products) – I can create new categories with a hierarchy. This can be important.

Discounts – All books in our bookstore are discounted. I want people to know that T&R Independent Bookstore is a discount store. Not only are all books discounted, but we have times when selected books or book have special discounts.

Shipping and Taxes – Being able to control shipping costs and taxes is something I value. It gives me greater latitude to offer customers special deals.

Obviously, I didn’t do this all-in-one day or even in a relatively short span. It took most of last year, plus there were upgrades previously from my original WordPress website. It involved dedication and hard work, but I am extremely pleased with the look and feel of my storefront.

Come on in and explore the site. We not only have a bookstore that features our books, but we also have a place where you can learn about writing, publishing, and marketing your book. It is called TR Services and it is aimed at the first-time author, the experienced author, and the struggling author. We believe that everyone has a book within them and deserves the chance to publish their book. Our motto is: We edit, proof, & publish the book within You! See you there!

If there is the slightest chance that you might write a book, whether many or just one, visit us and take advantage of our knowledge. The information is free and helpful, and our plans are designed for your budget. Periodically, I will either upgrade the videos or add additional ones for your perusal.

We are proud to be able to offer you the best possible experience at TR Independent Bookstore. Whether you are living in Southwest Florida or elsewhere in the United States, we want to be your local bookstore. We are located on the internet at tr-writingservices.com. Drop in and check us out.

Oh, and if you email us inquiring about our services, we will provide you a free copy of our book on writing plus a brochure about our business.

The post How Can I Create a Bookstore? first appeared on T&R Independent Bookstore.

A Business of My Own

I have wanted a business of my own for as long as I can remember. It is the American Dream! When we lived in Michigan my wife and I started an online bookstore that served all of the United States. Growth was slow, but it did grow until we moved down to Florida.

We moved down here to take care of my mother-in-law who had Alzheimers. And that quickly became a 24/7 job which eventually led us to closing the store. We simply couldn’t give it the time needed.

My mother-in-law was probably one of the sweetest mothers-in-law ever. A godly woman who was very smart. It was sad seeing her deteriorate and then in 2013 she died. She’s now in Heaven.

About a year and a half later (August 2014) Teresa and I decided to get back in business again. This time we launched T&R Independent Books as the publisher of our books. It was a business that brought us many opportunities, such as this blog.

More about this on the other side of this break.

TR-WritingServices.com brings you this blog post or podcast to keep you informed on the issues of today. Authors need to stay informed so that they can relate to their readers facts as well as entertain them with their imagination.

 TR-WritingServices.com is a service dedicated to help authors reach their potential as independent writers. Knowing the world you live in and work in is essential to being a good writer, thus the need for the free flow of information.

To discover how we can help you be the writer you want to be, write to us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We will respond with a free copy of our Guide to Writing plus a brochure detailing our plans. We won’t ask for your credit card or any money, but we will send you these items for free.

Check us out and get your career moving.

Now back to the article.

Starting our own publishing business was a good decision on our part. Back in 2003 when I had my first book published it cost me a hefty (for me) upfront cost of some $400 (in today’s market it is more like $800). The Self-Publisher I went with did a good job on the book, but it didn’t take me long to realize I was doing most of the work, but royalties were small.

I moved to another self-publisher, but the royalties were about the same. I got something like 5-8% for the first 2,000 or so books and then the percentage went up. Eventually reaching 35%. Again, it seemed to me I was doing most of the work yet getting very little royalties.

I had never heard about being an Independent businessman, but my wife and I decided that since we had to do most of the work anyway, we might as well start publishing our own books. So, in early August 2014, we launched. But later that month I had a heart attack. Not related to the business, but it sure impacted it.

The good news in all of that was that while my writing career was temporarily sidetracked, I had time to evaluate where we were and what needed to be done. And I quickly realized that I needed to either buy back book rights or retire the books published through other publishers. Some books I was able to buy back and some I simply retired and rewrote under a different title.

For the next five years I wrote new books, rewrote older books, and learned about publishing. During this time, I also learned that I am called an “Indie” or “an Independent businessman.” Our business is considered an Independent Publisher. So, in effect, we had become Indie authors, publishers, and marketers.

By the way, now I can start out with 35% or 70% royalties from the very first book sold! Plus, I can edit the books after they are published. This is huge, because self-publishers generally require you to purchase another package.

Now, as a graduate of the School of Hard Knocks, I have learned a great deal about writing and publishing. And I am learning about marketing, as well. This has led to our launching TR Services in 2019. The School of Hard Knocks is free to take but costs you in time, pain, and wasted money. But that experience inspired me to start TR Services which is aimed at help people to avoid the School of Hard Knocks.

Part of the Service’s outreach is a series of videos laying the basic foundation for men and women who want to be authors. In them I talk about the business itself and in the future will probably do more videos on writing. These videos are free to everyone.

These videos are very important for anyone aspiring to be an author. Why? Because they provide the nuts and bolts of getting started in business with very little cost. Located on our website they are easy to find and watch.

The very first video is both an introduction to the series and to the concept of why you should think of yourself as a businessperson. This is essential whether you publish your own books or not. You need to think of yourself as a businessperson from the moment you start thinking of becoming an author.

Do I have any regrets?

Yes. I wish I would have started this a long time ago. But then I would have missed the valuable lessons of the School of Hard Knocks. So, I guess you are the one who gets the benefits.

So, if there is the slightest chance that you might write a book, whether many or just one, visit us take advantage of our knowledge. It is free and helpful. Periodically I will either up the videos or add additional ones for your perusal.

We are proud to be able to offer you the best possible experience at TR Independent Bookstore. Whether you are living in Southwest Florida or elsewhere in the United States, we want to be your local bookstore. We are located on the internet at tr-writingservices.com. Drop in and check us out.

Oh, and if you email us inquiring about our services, we will provide you a free copy of our book on writing plus a brochure about our business.

The post A Business of My Own first appeared on T&R Independent Bookstore.

Reflections on Christmas

It seems a little early to be thinking about reflections on Christmas, but since I am writing a book about Christmas, I have found my mind exploring the subject rather thoroughly.

Having grown up in a ‘Christian’ country, I have many pleasant memories about this day. Not so much as a child. I do remember some of those. But as an adult I have had several important Christmas’s.

There was the first Christmas I was home from four years of serving my country in the Navy. It had been an eventful four years including spending time off Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

Although deep within the ship, I experienced war. At one time, our ship was used as a decoy to lure North Vietnamese artillery to shoot at us. When they did, our more powerful ships stationed just out of the range of the North Vietnamese lambasted them. We weren’t hit.

Coming home to civilian life and enjoying my first Christmas with family was special.

There was the first Christmas I had with my wife Teresa in 1981. To celebrate such an important holiday with the love of my life was not just special, it was one of the happiest of my life!

Over the years I have spent a lot of Christmas’s with Teresa. We have enjoyed that day wherever we were.

But there is one more wonderful than any of these.

More about this on the other side of this break.

TR-WritingServices.com brings you this blog post or podcast to keep you informed on the issues of today. Authors need to stay informed so that they can relate to their readers facts as well as entertain them with their imagination.

 TR-WritingServices.com is a service dedicated to help authors reach their potential as independent writers. Knowing the world you live in and work in is essential to being a good writer, thus the need for the free flow of information.

To discover how we can help you be the writer you want to be, write to us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We will respond with a free copy of our Guide to Writing plus a brochure detailing our plans. We won’t ask for your credit card or any money, but we will send you these items for free.

Check us out and get your career moving.

Now back to the article.

In 1973 I worked for Western Electric, which installed and removed telephone equipment from AT&T buildings or AT&T customer offices. I was an installer assigned to Kalamazoo, Michigan as part of a crew removing equipment.

When I arrived for my expected 13-week assignment, I found a motel room at Best Western in the city of Portage, south of Kalamazoo. Because I lived across the state in Pontiac, Michigan, I would drive home on Friday night or Saturday morning and then turn around and head back Sunday night.

In those days I attended a Baptist church in Pontiac called First Baptist Church. I attended regularly. So, I would go to my home in Pontiac, live there, go to church, and then head back for Kalamazoo.

You might think that odd, but I was young and able to do that.

Only a few years earlier I had been in a car wreck that severely damaged my car, but I survived. That accident made me realize how fragile life was and I began to doubt whether I was a Christian. I was born in America, had attended church as a child until our family dropped out, and was going to church at this time. I thought I was a Christian and resisted anything that said different. Still, there were doubts.

The church I attended always talked about salvation by grace. The preacher talked about knowing Jesus as your Savior, which I didn’t really understand. But when I started working in Kalamazoo, I decided to find a local Baptist church where I could worship on Wednesdays. And I found such a church in Mattawan, west of Kalamazoo and south of I-94.

I have forgotten the name of the church and it has undoubtedly changed over the years. It was then in a building phase, but most important it was independent and fundamental.

It was while talking to the Pastor of that church on what I thought was an unrelated matter that he quoted a verse that shook me to the core. When I got back to my motel room, I opened my Bible and started reading that verse. It completely wiped away my arguments on the other matter and opened my mind up to my own preacher, Pastor Bob Shelton and his preaching on salvation.

And then I remembered a phrase he often said, “Blessed is the man who can remember when he got saved.”

So, now I couldn’t even remember any time of my getting saved! The more Scripture I read, the more perturbed I got until I realized that although I attended church regularly, read my Bible regularly, and knew a lot of doctrine, I was not saved and, instead, headed for hell!

That night I fell upon my knees by my bedside. I didn’t know a lot of Scripture back then. I enjoyed reading the Bible and I loved history, but I didn’t know Romans 3:10, which says that, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one.” Nor did I know Romans 3:23, which says, ““For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Those two verses took care of any self-righteousness I felt. And then there was Romans 6:23, which says, “For the wages of sin is death…” There is more to that verse, but the first seven words stuck in my mind. I realized for the first time in my life that I was lost and heading to a devil’s hell!

As I knelt there, I asked Jesus into my life. I wish I had someone to guide me, but I was alone in my room with the only One I needed. Again, I didn’t have a great knowledge of Scripture. In Roman’s 10:9, it says, “That if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

But then came the clincher! In Roman’s 10:13, it says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” While I didn’t know that verse, I had heard the gospel Sunday after Sunday. My pastor was faithful in preaching the gospel and now while my knowledge and understanding was still weak, I asked Jesus into my heart.

And guess what?

He accepted my prayer and received me into His family!

That was in 1973 and believe me that Christmas meant something far beyond the traditions, the gifts, and the partying. It is Christ’s birthday even though he wasn’t born on the 25th! I know that December 25th is not really His birthday and I point that out in my book. But it is a time when I can reflect upon my Savior!

It is still three months away. But I am getting excited about it.

In a few weeks I will be publishing my book on Christmas. It is small being only 5×8 and around 130 pages. But it is loaded with facts from both secular and Biblical sources. And it marks a serious entry into nonfiction for me.

It is true that I’ve written nonfiction books before, but this time I intend to write at least two series and maybe more.

In the meantime, I wish you all a great time and though it is 3 months away, I hope you have a blessed Christmas!

We are proud to be able to offer you the best possible experience at TR Independent Bookstore. Whether you are living in Southwest Florida or elsewhere in the United States, we want to be your local bookstore. We are located on the internet at tr-writingservices.com. Drop in and check us out.

The post Reflections on Christmas first appeared on T&R Independent Bookstore.

An Ode to America

The following article, An Ode to America, crossed my desk on Facebook. Posted by a friend it is titled “Ode to America and written by Mr. Cornel Nistorescu. Since last Saturday was 9/11, I thought it appropriate for today’s blog. Here it is along  with the beginning of the article:

We rarely get a chance to see another country’s editorial about the USA

Read this excerpt from a Romanian Newspaper. The article was written by Mr. Cornel Nistorescu and published under the title ‘C’ntarea Americii, meaning ‘Ode ToAmerica ‘) in the Romanian newspaper Evenimentulzilei ‘The Daily Event’ or ‘News of the Day’.

~An Ode to America ~

Why are Americans so united? They would not resemble one another even if you painted them all one color! They speak all the languages of the world and form an astonishing mixture of civilizations and religious beliefs.

On 9/ll, the American tragedy turned three hundred million people into a hand put on the heart. Nobody rushed to accuse the White House, the Army, or the Secret Service that they are only a bunch of losers. Nobody rushed to empty their bank accounts. Nobody rushed out onto the streets nearby to gape about.

Instead, the Americans volunteered to donate blood and to give a helping hand.

After the first moments of panic, they raised their flag over the smoking ruins, putting on T-shirts, caps and ties in the colors of the national flag. They placed flags on buildings and cars as if in every place and on every car a government official or the president was passing. On every occasion, they started singing: ‘God Bless America!’

I watched the live broadcast and rerun after rerun for hours listening to the story of the guy who went down one hundred floors with a woman in a wheelchair without knowing who she was, or of the Californian hockey player, who gave his life fighting with the terrorists and prevented the plane from hitting a target that could have killed other hundreds or thousands of people.

How on earth were they able to respond united as one human being?

Imperceptibly, with every word and musical note, the memory of some turned into a modern myth of tragic heroes. And with every phone call, millions and millions of dollars were put into collection aimed at rewarding not a man or a family, but a spirit, which no money can buy. What on earth unites the Americans in such a way? Their land? Their history? Their economic Power? Money? I tried for hours to find an answer, humming songs and murmuring phrases with the risk of sounding commonplace, I thought things over, I reached but only one conclusion… Only freedom can work such miracles.

Cornel Nistorescu

More about this on the other side of this break.

TR-WritingServices.com brings you this blog post or podcast to keep you informed on the issues of today. Authors need to stay informed so that they can relate to their readers facts as well as entertain them with their imagination.

 TR-WritingServices.com is a service dedicated to help authors reach their potential as independent writers. Knowing the world you live in and work in is essential to being a good writer, thus the need for the free flow of information.

To discover how we can help you be the writer you want to be, write to us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We will respond with a free copy of our Guide to Writing plus a brochure detailing our plans. We won’t ask for your credit card or any money, but we will send you these items for free.

Check us out and get your career moving.

Now back to the article.

For a few moments in history America stood united inspiring men and women around the globe, and inspiring Mr. Nistorescu to write Ode to America. Sad, to say, but our unity has fallen into disrepair. Not because Republicans protest a stolen election; not because people have valid and reasonable doubts about a vaccine; not because of a riot on Capitol Hill, and not because churches refuse to stop worshiping God.

We have fallen because there are people who proclaim tolerance while being intolerant; proclaim love but hate America; proclaim freedom of religion but hate the one true religion, Christianity; and proclaim truth while they spread lies, a false narrative, and so-called Social Justice. We are also seeing a rise in socialism that is based on lies; a CRT (Critical Race Theory) that divides a country, and Mask mandates that claim science, but only tell part of the story.

Today there is an assault on freedom. Last year it was an assault on the freedom to worship God, but the Supreme Court nixed that. Today, there is another assault, this time against parental rights. People, again claiming science, are trying to use government to take away the right to mask or unmask.

And tomorrow it will be another attack against the fundamental beliefs of the American people. I don’t know what it will be, but they will claim it is scientific and they will disparage those who disagree.

By the way, they claim that the unmasked and unvaccinated are a threat to our nation, yet they have precious little evidence to support such a charge. And they ignore or belittle the fact that 20% or more of hospitalized patients for Covid have been previously vaccinated.

That last figure is only the tip of the iceberg. It is based on hospitalizations not on number of cases. We do know that the disease though deadly is not the monster proclaimed. Covid 19 reached 5.8% deaths based on cases. That was in May, 2020. Yes, thousands, no hundreds of thousands died, but millions got the disease. The 5.8% national death rate was its highest and dropped to below 1%. The new variant seems to be following a similar path but lower rates.

But our founders never inserted in the Constitution that portions of it could be ignored because national health demanded it. Our rights separate us from the rest of the world. They are not for sale.

Let’s get back to honoring our nation, and while at it, honoring the God who infused it with life!

I love reviews. Occasionally, as time permits, I review books by other authors. But reviews of my books are valuable. They not only tell potential readers what you think of the book, but they help me sharpen my craft and make me a better writer.

I plan on submitting more of my books to be reviewed on Booksprout, but you don’t have to wait. If you buy one of our books from Amazon, you can post a review. Or you can try Goodreads where I am listed as R. Riddle.

We are proud to be able to offer you the best possible experience at TR Independent Bookstore. Whether you are living in Southwest Florida or elsewhere in the United States, we want to be your local bookstore. We are located on the internet at tr-writingservices.com. Drop in and check us out.

The post An Ode to America first appeared on T&R Independent Bookstore.

What if My Book Doesn’t Sell?

What if my book doesn’t sell? I think that is a question all writers at least think about. It is a legitimate question, but is it the most important?

I have put my best efforts into my latest book. Am I concerned about sales? Of course, but there are other areas that are more important. In my case, I have a website to maintain, a blog to write articles for, plus reviews to get for my book.

The truth is all of these things affect sales, but I choose not to focus on how many books have been sold. Long term that is important, but I write because I love to write. But sales don’t occur if people don’t know about the book.

Going forward, I am more concerned about getting the word out there to the potential readers. And that is going to require work on my part!

More about this on the other side of this break.

TR-WritingServices.com brings you this blog post or podcast to keep you informed on the issues of today. Authors need to stay informed so that they can relate to their readers facts as well as entertain them with their imagination.

 TR-WritingServices.com is a service dedicated to help authors reach their potential as independent writers. Knowing the world you live in and work in is essential to being a good writer, thus the need for the free flow of information.

To discover how we can help you be the writer you want to be, write to us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We will respond with a free copy of our Guide to Writing plus a brochure detailing our plans. We won’t ask for your credit card or any money, but we will send you these items for free.

Check us out and get your career moving.

Now back to the article.

What should I do about marketing?

The truth is that the more money you have available, the more you can do. But since you may be on a strict budget, I will discuss those things that are either free or inexpensive.

PRE-PUBLISH

I have divided this int Pre-publication and Post-publication. In Pre-publication your primary goal is to get noticed.

One way to get noticed is through book reviews. I have recently discovered a book review resource called Booksprout. You can try it out for free or signup for the $10 a month program or the $20 a month program. The essential difference between the two paid programs is that the $10 gets you up to 50 reviewers per ARC (Advance Review Copy) while the $20 gets you unlimited reviewers.

That is a very reasonable price. There are no guarantees about whether you get a 1-star, 2-star, 3-star, 4-star, or 5-star review. Only that you have the opportunity to get reviews.

Booksprout is recommended for pre-publication but can also be used for books already published. Booksprout explains how it all works on their website.

One warning: If you have your book listed in Select (KDP Select), you cannot use Booksprout. To use Booksprout cancel your automatic renewal of Select and when it reaches the end of its term, then use Booksprout.

Another pre-publish strategy is to make use of your email list. This strategy can be free or come with a subscription price. Email is a long-term strategy. By that I mean you can grow your Email list over time. You may need to experiment with your content and how it links to your book. But it is something that almost all ‘experts’ recommend.

Then there are ads.

You will need to look at what type of ad is your best. For instance, do you use a Facebook ad or an Amazon ad or a YouTube ad. Depending on which you choose there are rules that you would be wise to learn.

If you choose to run an ad, make sure to establish the budgeting with firmness. Advertising without control can end up costing you a ton of money.

Pre-Orders

Pre-Orders of your eBooks can accomplish two things. The first is the sales build up and are accomplished all at the same time; thus, providing your book a surge right at the beginning which Amazon will notice. Secondly, potential buyers will notice the surge and be encouraged to buy.

Pre-Orders are only for eBooks on Amazon, but if you have a website and sell your books (see under Post-Publish Website for more information), then you could create your own Pre-Order for print books. I plan on experimenting with this for my next book.

There are additional strategies you can use, but these four ideas standout and can work for a small budget.

POST-PUBLISH

Three of the four strategies you used for Pre-Publish can be used also for post-publish. Obviously, Pre-Order is no longer available once the book is published.

Reviews

Booksprout can be used for published books. See Booksprout for more information. Make sure to include all your reviews. That means the bad ones as long as you have more good ones. It lets people know that you are providing them honest information and it gives you the opportunity to review the reviews.

Ads

Ads are recommended. No matter which platform you use it will probably be your most expensive item. But a successful ad can make a big difference.

Website

Your website can be an integral part of your advertising. If you have reviews, you can post them on your website. This can be very important, especially if you sell your books on your website. KDP allows you to buy and sell copies of your book through the Author Copies program. That is only true of print books, but it gives you a great advantage.

I mentioned in Pre-Publish the idea of selling your books on your own website and offering your readers a Pre-Order of the print book. As far as I know there are no restrictions on doing that.

Ads

All the options you have for ads in Pre-Publish are available in Post-Publish. You might want to remember that books sold by Amazon have a 60-day window. Meaning, that the proceeds from the sales are not paid out until 60-days have passed.

But if your ad directs buyers to your website, then you get instant payment.

These are just a few suggestions. The more money you have available, the more you can do.

But one last principle: Don’t focus on the sales. If you are writing with the idea of making big bucks you may or may not succeed. But if you fail in that endeavor you could become discouraged.

I suggest you focus on why you write. I write because I love writing. Whether I become rich or not is not my focus. I love writing and will continue to write as long as I continue to love doing it.

Do I want to make money? Of course! I have a vision that God has given me and money would make that vision a reality. But whether I write or not is not dependent on sales.

I love reviews. Occasionally, as time permits, I review books by other authors. But reviews of my books are valuable. They not only tell potential readers what you think of the book, but they help me sharpen my craft and make me a better writer.

I plan on submitting more of my books to be reviewed on Booksprout, but you don’t have to wait. If you buy one of our books from Amazon, you can post a review. Or you can try Goodreads where I am listed as R. Riddle.

We are proud to be able to offer you the best possible experience at TR Independent Bookstore. Whether you are living in Southwest Florida or elsewhere in the United States, we want to be your local bookstore. We are located on the internet at tr-writingservices.com. Drop in and check us out.

The post What if My Book Doesn’t Sell? first appeared on T&R Independent Bookstore.