Lynn Hallbrooks's Blog, page 18

What's Going On Here!

First I just wanted to say a huge Thank You to everyone who helped out with the July Free Book Event.  Charity Parkerson said that the special link that she set up had over 7000 hits total.  That is really great to hear.  I can't speak for any of the other authors' books, but I do know that Call Sign: Wrecking Crew (Storm Warning) had 27 total downloads during the event.  I hope those who "purchased" it, love the book enough to tell others about it either my word of mouth or reviews on Smashwords. 

During this past week it came to my attention that our Book Trailer was no longer available to be seen by the public.  This has now been corrected.  If you haven't had the opportunity to view it, please take a couple moments to look it over.





There is a somewhat delicate matter, I'd like to present to our followers. What in the world is going on with those darn twitter imps.  They seem to "unfollow" tweeps without rhyme or reason.  Having reached the twitter limits of 2000, I quickly discovered that CSWCLynn was following over 500 tweeps who were not following back. Many of these are loyal followers, so how does one say "hey you aren't following me anymore" to all the loyal followers without unfollowing them?  Seriously does anyone know the answer?




Coming up on 26 July 2012, I will be assisting with another Book Push for fellow authors.  Would you all be dears and help me help these authors out.  It looks to be a really great sale! I also hear tell there are even some nice incentives. The post should be available soon after midnight EST. So look it over either before you go to sleep or when you wake up. If you can then purchase one, two or even all nine books. Then tell a friend or two about your great bargains. However, if your budget won't allow you to purchase books maybe you can take a moment or two on that day to help spread the word (no pun intended). 


  
Have a great one!


Lynn Hallbrooks
co-author to David McKoy
co-owners of Call Sign Wrecking Crew, LLC
co-members of RABMAD and #amwriting

Being Part of a Whole

Call Sign: Wrecking Crew (Storm Warning)
When we first started out writing our book, Call Sign: Wrecking Crew (Storm Warning) we were basically alone.  We had no idea of the actual steps that needed to be taken. No platform set up or even an inkling of an idea what was really needed in the marketing world. 
As I began taking our book to the virtual streets, I met a myriad of kind and generous fellow authors. Many of whom I call friends, because we share with and care about one another. We support each other using whatever means we have at our disposal.  It may be technical knowledge, writing experience or just simply getting the word out about the latest book, blog or whatever is needed to help out. 
Operation E-Book Drop Recently, my friend, Charity Parkerson, and I did a little brainstorming. The result was her sponsoring the July Free Book Event.  Usually this means free through Amazon KDP Select program. I saw one major problem for us, we're part of Operation E-Book Drop via Smashwords.  Meaning we don't wish to put our book into the Amazon KDP Select program. Charity had the solution. She is allowing us the opportunity to use our Smashwords discount code to offer our book for free.  The catch is that you have to visit Charity's page any time between July 12th through 16th 2012 to find the code to download our book. While you are their you'll discover other great books of different genres available via Amazon.   Smashwords
The advantage to those who visit our Smashwords site is they won't have to only download to a Kindle app. They can also pick from Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Diesel, Apple iTunes, or Sony devices...all in one place. 
If you don't have an account, might I suggest getting one. As I recall, it was pretty simple to set up a Smashwords account. Smashwords is home to many Independent authors plus they have some really great sales throughout the year.  Right now it's the Summer/Winter Sale where some books are discounted, anywhere from 25 to 100% off the normal price. 
Thought for the day: As anyone who has read our book knows, the 'Wrecking Crew' is more than a team, they are family. Members of a team and/or family know, life is so much better when you work together as part of the whole. Otherwise you are like a solitary person in a small boat out in the big ocean...you go nowhere very fast while getting very tired in the process.
Have a great one!
Lynn Hallbrooksco-author to David McKoyco-owners Call Sign Wrecking Crew, LLCmembers of RABMAD

Independence Day

Declaration Two hundred thirty-six years ago, men constructed a written document that stood up to a government that they felt restricted the rights of the people.  


Call Sign: Wrecking Crew (Storm Warning) was written because David McKoy felt that our rights as individuals were being diminished.  The book is set in the very near future and is a work of fiction. Even so, to a degree some of the events are unfolding before our eyes. Some prime examples, that David just mentioned to me, are the latest Supreme Court rulings regarding Healthcare as well as recent actions by Congress and our current President. 


Our fictional band of brothers and sisters in arms, fight against a government that seemed to become tyrannical overnight.  Then again, looks can be deceiving. As you read further into the book, you'll see quotations by the Founding Fathers, such as Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. Both are signers of the document that we celebrate every Fourth of July. 

I highly doubt that one individual alone would have had the power to create our great nation.  Looking at the signatures on this great document proves to me that when a group of individuals who have a like-minded goal get together...great things can happen. Our Founding Fathers worked and fought hard to make a statement with the Declaration of Independence. Many have fought and died for this document plus the ones that followed it. Together they made the United States of America, what it is today. 


I'd also like to express my gratitude the Independent Authors' community for their ongoing support.  More importantly, a big thanks for those that blazed the path ahead of us. If there weren't programs already in place, our book may never have been born. One could consider our book controversial and definitely not for the main stream market.  Then again, I feel sure Patriots of yesteryear were considered to be upstarts who didn't know what they were talking about either.  If they had taken that guff, where would we be today?


Thanks for taking the time to 'listen' to my thoughts. Hope you have had an enjoyable Fourth of July holiday.


Lynn Hallbrooks
co-author to David McKoy
co-owners of Call Sign Wrecking Crew, LLC
Recent members of RABMAD

Book Push 4 Authors

I think everyone knows that I'm all about helping other authors. Whether they be new ones coming up the ranks or those that are a little more seasoned than I am.  It doesn't really matter because we are all in this together.  Today's post is to help my friend Shannon Mayer from Wringing Out Words. As I mentioned in my Beautiful Blogger post, she generally presents with me with challenges.  Today is no different.  Here is what she has to say:
Cassidy Jones and Vulcan's Gift
This is a one day only BOOK PUSH for June 6th 2012. Yup, four authors DETERMINED to bring their books to the world AND to see them climb high in Amazon’s Ranks.  We have a Zombie-ish apocalypse with a splash of romance, a romantic suspense with a dash of humour, a Thriller with a huge helping of action and a YA Paranormal with a mystery blended in. Red is an Attitude
And you, my friends, can help. How? Easy peasy. Not only can you help, you can WIN BIG while you’re at it.
Here’s the run down. Purchase any ONE (1) of the books, and send your receipt to us and you’ll be entered in for a grand prize of $50.00 in Amazon Gift Cards! PLUS if you purchase all FOUR (4) books, not only will you have 4 entries, you’ll also be in for an additional SECRET DRAW.
Allegiance The Second Cruz Marquez Thriller Now, we can’t tell you what the draw is, because that would ruin the whole SECRET thing. But we will give you a hint. IT’S FABULOUS!
Okay, you want another hint? Hmm. How about DOUBLING THE GIFT CARDS?! Oh, right. Secret’s out.
What are you waiting for? A Zombie-ish Apocalypse: Book 1 Sundered More stuff?
Well, If you insist.
 4 randomly drawn entrants will win back their purchases. FREE BOOKS. Crickey!
Send all purchase receipts to shannonjmayer@yahoo.ca 
Winners will be drawn randomly, announced on June 8th at http://shannonmayer.blogspot.com
For additional information regarding this contest contact shannonjmayer@yahoo.ca
Thanks Shannon for yet another challenge. Please help me help Shannon, Derek, Kathy, and Elise get the word out about their books.  If you haven't already figured it out...if you click on the name under the picture it will take you to Amazon. It might help too if you clicked the Twitter or Facebook button on the right side under Share It.  That should get all this information out to several people within a minute. I just love technology...when it works right...don't you?
Have a great one!
Lynn Hallbrooks
http://www.callsignwreckingcrew.com

Sad to Say

[image error] It is sad to say that not one person purchased one of our Create Space books during May.  Not even to support Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). I'd like to think it is because Create Space is a relative new venue for purchasing printed books. 


Have no fear though, WWP will be sent some monies from Call Sign Wrecking Crew, LLC but not as much as we would had hoped.


Should we forget the idea of donating 10% of our sales. No, that is not how we "roll".  We just wanted to give others an opportunity to help us out. Maybe, will try again another time. 


Have a great one!


Lynn Hallbrooks
co-author to David McKoy
co-owners of Call Sign Wrecking Crew, LLC

http://www.callsignwreckingcrew.com

Memorial Day 2012

I met Marie Elaina Gordon on Amazon this week.  She happened into the Doug DePew (Military history/memoir) discussion board.  Doug and I were talking about some great news concerning his first book, SAT & BAF!: Memories of a Tower Rat.  After congratulating Doug, Marie shared a little bit about herself then asked if she could share a poem from when her first son joined the military. After Doug gave his seal of approval, Marie also shared some of her writing journey.  
"...I can only tell you how excited I was when a SCHOOL purchased "MY Grand-Mom Told Me.." for their earlier grades! A little girl posted a comment on Amazon thanking the author for helping her achieve her highest reading score of 104!!! That was ME Doug!! I kept writing and had a 2nd book in the series published!! A teacher had me come to her 90 students (grades 6 -8) and give a presentation on iambic pentameter - the format in which my stories are written. To be honest Doug, I never gave it any thought until then! She held up my book in front of all those young students and said:This is an excellent model for writing"!!!! I almost fell over Doug. Am I known?? NO - but my books are being read IN SCHOOLS!! My 3rd book (same format) is all about World War II - my best yet! Well Doug here goes... PLEASE ENJOY "MY TURN"

MY TURN

You're proud of your soldier, he's your son.
You can remember him on your knee.
You can remember the smiles - those moments of fun
As you held him and he giggled with glee.

You remember the very first step he took
You remember when he read his very first book.
You remember when you wiped his tears away
And how you tucked him in bed at the end of the day.

And of course you remember those days of fun
Halloween - Christmas - you remember every one.
The way his eyes opened wide from a present or two
The way he rushed to your arms saying, "I LOVE YOU!"

Then there were the days he would run to you
Shouting and crying, "I have a 'boo-boo'."
Softly, you'd say, "Don't be afraid,
This will help you heal, we'll use a band-aid."

And through out the years, you were always there
You offered support, you gave him care.
And no one would ever dare to try and harm him
Because they knew - if they did, with YOU they would reckon!

And today, it is you - who runs to him and cries. It is YOUR SON who is wiping the tears from your eyes.
He is dressed in a uniform and holding you tight,
Whispering words of comfort, "It will be alright."

Then he turns and walks away - it is time for him to depart.
His words and this moment FOREVER SEALED IN YOUR HEART.
One last time he stops and waves; saying, "Remember I'll love and miss you too.
But, NOW, you see, it's my turn, MY TURN TO PROTECT YOU!"


Marie Elaina Gordon
www.feelingsinc.com copyright 2003
I felt Marie's poem was very appropriate for Memorial Day, in part because of the "remember" theme. Not only that but Marie comes from a Military family. Her father was in World War II.  Marie and I bonded over the fact that we both have sons who started out to serve but had medical encounters that prevented them from staying in the military. 
I believe that Marie's experience with her first book might be inspirational to those just starting out on their writing journey. The main thing that I took away from it was that she has a poetic soul that "sings" to others. If you'd like to learn more about Marie Elaina Gordon, her work, and the things she cares about, then please feel free to visit Feelings Inc.  
I hope that you all have a safe and Happy Memorial Day. Don't forget what Billy Ray Cyrus shared with us, "All Gave Some, Some Gave All!"  So please thank those that have served, are serving, and the family of those that gave everything for your freedom.

Lynn Hallbrooksco-author to David McKoyco-owners of Call Sign Wrecking Crew, LLC http://www.callsignwreckingcrew.com

Beautiful Blogger Award

In gratitude to those that came before!I was a bonus Beautiful Blogger awardee on  Tracy James Jones' blog.  This is what Tracy said about me:  "...Indie Author Lynn Hallbrooks is one of those people who will go the extra miles to help anyone with anything and totally deserves to be mentioned for all of her wonderful deeds.  :o)"


Tracy is a fellow author that is only a few steps behind me on this publishing/writing journey. Tracy is a beautiful to me because she challenges me all the time with her quest to learn more about our common field.  I don't always know the answers but eventually we figure things out. 


Apparently these are the things that I have share as an awardee: 


• I must write seven facts about myself (see below)
• Link to the blog of the person who nominated you (see above)
• Link to seven bloggers who you think deserves the award (see below)
• Let those bloggers know they have been nominated! (that'll take some time)


Facts
1) I love chocolate
2) I love to music
3) I love art
4) I have two grown children
5) I have two Godchildren
6) I was in the U.S. Air Force
7) I'm basically an introvert in a business where I need to be an extrovert




Blogs and Bloggers
1) Blood Turbine by Mark Wilcox - Mark is beautiful to me because he was very helpful when I was first learning about Social Media. I have referenced his blogs on many occasions and I feel certain that I will on many more.  


2) Siggy's Omnibus by Siggy Buckley - Siggy is beautiful to me because she came into my life from out of the blue and has been a tried and true friend ever since.  Siggy's Omnibus is a collection of all the blogs that Siggy has created most since I've known her. 


3) Tim Greaton Forum by Tim Greaton - Tim is beautiful to me because he challenges me as a writer.  Tim and I have exchanged author interviews where we have learned so much about one another.  On Tim's forum I learn new things about fellow authors. 


4) Glenn Starkey - Glenn is beautiful to me because he is a fellow veteran and he encourages the love of reading.  At the moment, I can't recall a blog post of his that hasn't stirred up some kind of emotion.  A great example is his Memorial Day post. 


5) Wringing Out Words by Shannon Mayer - Shannon is beautiful to me because she gave me opportunities to help fellow authors shine. Many times Shannon has asked me to help out with a project and I've done my best. After all, authors should help authors whenever possible.


6) Musings of Mistress of the Dark Path by Susan A. - Susan is beautiful to me because she challenges fellow authors to be better.  On her blog, she has writing contests and shares ways to learn more about our mutual craft. In other posts, she allows authors to share the locations of their bodies of work. 


7) Shagging the Muse by Jonathan D. Allen - Jonathan is beautiful to me because he shares pieces of himself in his blog.  He tells things like he sees them.  I admire that because he does it in a way that isn't about hurting others but showing that this business is not always easy. 


I have read so many blogs since I started over a year ago, that I'm sure I could name so many more.  I hope you have enjoyed the beautiful bloggers that I've shared. If you haven't met this wonderful people before then please give their blogs a little look-see.


Thanks Tracy for tagging me as a Beautiful Blogger. "Bestsellers" to my fellow authors and hope everyone has a great one.  


By the way, I've scheduled out a post for Memorial Day that I hope everyone will enjoy.


Lynn Hallbrooks
co-author of Call Sign: Wrecking Crew (Storm Warning)

http://www.callsignwreckingcrew.com

Military Helping Military

David and I came to an executive decision tonight. You see we've been wanting to help out the Wounded Warrior Project for some time.  We weren't sure the best way to go. So after some debating, we are going to give this idea a try:  


For each sale of our book via our Create Space store, we will donate 10% to the Wounded Warrior Project*.  We will begin it at 0001 hours on 10 May 2012 until 2359 hours on 31 May 2012 Central time. This is so we'll have a traceable date and time.


I'm sweetly asking everyone reading this, if you can help in any way, be it tweet outs or purchases, we'd appreciate it. Even more importantly, military members with seen and unseen injuries will benefit from your kind actions.


After we get our tally of sales, I'll come back to report on how we did and if we will continue this venture into the future. 


Remember 19 May 2012 is Armed Forces Day and of course Memorial Day is being celebrated on 28 May 2012 so we can honor those that "Gave All" for our Freedom! 


Freedom isn't Free!


Lynn Hallbrooks
co-author to David McKoy
co-owners of Call Sign Wrecking Crew, LLC



Website: http://www.callsignwreckingcrew.comCreate Space store:   https://www.createspace.com/3635438 
Twitter name: @CSWCLynn 
Twitter link:  https://twitter.com/CSWCLynn
Book trailer: http://youtu.be/7zcyAjBdpY0
Book Buzzer: http://www.freado.com/book/12618/call-sign-wrecking-crew-storm-warning

*Monies will go to them after we receive our money from Create Space.

Taking Add-vantage

I've been doing a lot of tweeting out from Amazon lately helping out fellow authors. I've noticed that not too many have their twitter accounts attached to their Author Central page.  That is if they even have an Author page via Author Central.  Yes, I realize all the social media stuff takes up time from things like writing your next great novel.  If you are out there marketing your book anyway then why not take advantage of the tools available to you already. 


One advantage to having your twitter account on Amazon is that if a clever tweeter wishes to add your name to their tweet out then you're able to see what's being said.  Another possible side-effect is that a reader might contact you to say, "Hello, just saw your book on Amazon and thought I'd take a chance just because you look like a great person." It could happen.  Besides, what can it hurt to add a professional type twitter account where people can find you. 


Some may say, "why bother with social media at all."  The biggest reason is Search Engines.  The more your name is out there...the more chance people can find you/your body of work via a Google Search. They can read your twitter posts, your Facebook posts, and even your Goodreads posts.  So remember be as professional as possible at all times.

This is just my personal opinion but I hope it is helpful to you just the same.

Have a great one!


Lynn Hallbrooks
co-author to David McKoy
co-owner of Call Sign Wrecking Crew, LLC

Quick Thoughts

An important thing that I've learned and not sure that everyone thinks about is keeping a listing of helpful website links, this includes your own. If you start a word document that includes information like your own Website, Facebook, and Twitter links for starters. Then add on all the locations where your book is located (featured or ready for purchase). Make sure to label each thing as you go. This all comes in handy when you are trying to market or find new locations to be featured.  In my experience though, as much as you think you are prepared for any possible question, there is always something you didn't think of...so when that happens...look it up...then add it to your list.  You can also keep a list of sites that you want to remember to check out later or that you think others might enjoy.

Book two of the Call Sign: Wrecking Crew series is pending a face-to-face meeting between the co-authors. In the meantime, when I'm not marketing book one, Call Sign: Wrecking Crew (Storm Warning), I'm taking advantage of other writing opportunities.  Currently, I've posted a Short Story on Mistress Suzie's March Writing Contest. I hope you take the opportunity to read my post as well as several fellow authors.  Who knows you may feel inspired...if so, be sure to read the rules and stipulations carefully then come join in on the fun.

That's about it for today. Hope y'all have a great one!

Lynn Hallbrooks
co-author to David McKoy
co-owners of Call Sign Wrecking Crew, LLC