T.K. Rapp's Blog, page 14

Nothing Short of Thankful…

HEY!!

I hope you have been good since I last checked in. I’m patting myself on the back right now for being consistent with posting. …No really, I am!

I try really hard to make sure there is something of interest in these posts. How am I doing with that?? I have quite a bit to post today, so please be patient with me.

Goodreads Winners – Thank you to everyone who entered to win a signed copy of Being There. Three winners were selected and their books were mailed out today….so keep a look out ladies! ——-> However…since so many were interested in winning a copy of Being There, it’s now ON SALE!! The price has been dropped from $1.99 to $0.99 for the eBook!! Go to Amazon now to get your copy while the sale lasts…and please don’t forget to leave a review when you have finished.
Facebook Author Giveaways – If you aren’t currently on my Facebook page, you should be! There are some awesome authors who do random giveaways, All. The. Time! Actually, several of us combine our books and do one giant rafflecopter giveaway. The most recent one just ended on yesterday, but there are always more popping up. The best place to hear about them is on my Facebook page, because as soon as it goes live, our respective pages are where we post everything. There are some great books, swag and ARCs up for grabs, so check it out!!

St. Louis, September 2014 See you there!!

Penned Con 2014 - As I have already mentioned, I will be attending the Penned Con event September 2014. They have room for 700 bloggers/fans to attend, so if you want to go, I suggest that you purchase your tickets. There are a limited number of early bird tickets to purchase, and I’m not sure there are any of those left….so go HERE to get your tickets for this AWESOME event! Action for Autism receives a portion of ticket and merchandise sales!
Books 2 & 3 – Okay…so I have two books that I am currently working on and I can’t wait to tell you about them. I’m falling in love with one story more than the other, so it’s getting more love and attention…hopefully the other book isn’t jealous, because I love it, too. Book 2 is a love story and I hope yall will like it as much as I do. Book 3 is completely different, and a little dark, but hey, that’s life! (These babies need names, I feel mean calling them 2 & 3) Anyway… can’t wait to share, and as soon as I have more, I will. My hope is to have Book 2 published by the end of November, so we’ll see. Keeping my fingers crossed. ALSO… I have been asked a few times about whether there will be a follow-up to Being There and here is my answer:

“I honestly think that the whole story has been told. I don’t see anything left to expand upon.”

(They say they still disagree with me, so I told them to send me questions and I’ll see if there is more to add.)

Well, I think that about covers it for this week. Thank you to each and every one of you for taking the time to read this. I love to hear from you and hope that you continue sharing Being There with family and friends. Drop me an email @ t.k.rapp@live.com or chat with me on Facebook! Thank you again for reading…you’re awesome!

Later!

T.K.

- “Nothing Short of Thankful – Because The Avett Brothers are so awesome, and they have a new album coming out October 15! (YAY!!!)

Filed under: Books, Exciting, Giveaway, New Books, PennedCon2014, Ramblings, Writing Tagged: .99, 2013, amazon, AmWriting, Author Event, Being There, Book Sale, books, Cass, Drew, Giveaway, happy dance, Inspiration, Penned Con 2014, T.K. Rapp, TKAM78, writing

In The Meantime…

I guess I know what they hear alot.

Hello World!

It’s my first week back from vacay…but thanks to my wonderful friend, I came home sick! She’s just lucky I still love her.  Today is pretty much the first day that I am doing anything besides sitting on the couch moping. It’s not a pretty sight…trust me. In fact, my kids made signs so that I wouldn’t talk, because I sound really bad. I think they would prefer I use signs all of the time instead of actually talking, but to such luck.

I feel a little behind, outta the loop or whatever, but I’m trying.

So, last week, I kept tabs on what was happening, and tried to get some writing done, but between white water rafting, bike riding and horseback riding…I didn’t get much writing done. (But I had a BLAST!!!) However, thanks to some fabulous author friends, I was alerted to an author signing that I was encouraged to attend. So, guess where I’ll be September 12 next year?!?!? If you guessed St. Louis, you would be correct! I have never been there and I’m really excited!! Check out Penned Con 2014 for details, including the list of authors, where to stay, what’s going on, etc.!

I have myself a little nervous because August could be a great month. Hold up, August IS a great month, and it could be better…we’ll see. As I was saying, I’m terribly nervous because the list of bloggers who have consented to read and possibly review Being There has grown. Initially there were two, and I was so appreciative of their time and feedback. That list has grown to include three others, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed for good things. It’s terrifying to put so much of yourself into something you love, and realize that not everyone is going to love, or even like it. But I suppose that’s all part of the journey. Regardless of what they have to say, good or bad, I’m sincerely grateful that they are up for reading it, and if nothing else, hopefully I can hear something to make the next books better. (BTW…if you have read Being There, please take a moment to rate/review it on Amazon and/or Goodreads….Thank you!)

There are several giveaways going on right now:

Goodreads – There are 3 Paperback copies of Being There up for grabs. Go to this link, HERE and enter for your chance to win. This giveaway ends on August 18.
Rafflecopter –  Over 2 DOZEN authors contributed to this giveaway! Up for grabs?? 7….S.E.V.E.N $20 Amazon or B&N Giftcards. Click HERE to enter this giveaway! Ends August 24.

In case you were wondering what else I’ve been up to….I do have 2 more books that I am currently working on. I don’t have titles yet, and only a few people know what they are about. But as soon as I have more to share, I will. Promise!

Thanks for reading. Share if you like it….or if you think someone else might. Have a great week

~T

In The Meantime by Spacehog…My sister and I would drive up and down the seawall jamming to this song!

Filed under: Books, Exciting, Friends, Giveaway, Nervous, Writing Tagged: 2013, amazon, AmWriting, Being There, Book Review, Cass, creativity, Drew, Free Book, Giveaway, Goodreads, Jumping, Rafflecopter, T.K. Rapp, TKAM78, writing

Same Dress New Day…

There are a million different things running in my head this week and trying to pinpoint which one to write about it driving me nuts! Since I’m on vacation, I decided to just get all my thoughts out…I apologize now for the absolute randomness.

1. Friends/Fans/Followers – Over the last week, thanks to my BFF Vicki Green, I have gained so many new people to tell about my book and everything else that I have going on. I have discovered that the Indie Author Community is an amazing bunch of people. I don’t know many places where people promote and encourage each other so much. I feel so honored to have met such great people. And…Vicki also has an awesome giveaway, featuring books, swag and other goodies from her and so many other fabulous writers! Go to her page and enter!!

2. Reviews – Being There has 11 reviews on Amazon and 7 on Goodreads, which is awesome, and I THANK YOU so much for taking the time to review. If you liked my book, and haven’t left a review yet, I would love to hear your thoughts via a review on either of those sites. Word-of-mouth is a wonderful tool.

3. iBooks – OMG!!! This should have been first, but it’s all good! Finally, FINALLY, Being There is available in the iBooks Store! It took almost 4 weeks, but better late than never, right? So this means that Being There is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks & Diesel!

4. Reading – My reading list, as of late, has consisted of some great stories!! Kim Stedronsky, who is so awesome, has The Roam Series. Book 1, Roam, is currently a new fave of mine. I plan on purchasing Book 2 soon…after I continue through the remainder of my TBR list. My next is Clementine by new author R. Jean Wilson…this chick is super sweet. If you are looking for something to read, besides my book , check out both of these super fab ladies Kim & R. jean!

5. Writing – Okay, so even though Being There just came out, and I’m still working my tail off trying to get it in front of people, I have started on my second book and third book. I’m not ready to talk about them yet, but as soon as I am, this blog, or my Facebook page, will be the place to hear about it. In the meantime, I am putting together a group on Facebook for people who can help me with my book through either reading and offering feedback, checking for errors and consistency and overall flow of my book. I plan on sending all, or parts, to those who I have in this group. So this means that I need some keen eyes, trustworthy and honest people with me. If you are interested, mesage me on Facebook for the details. It will be a very small group, and there are only a few openings left.

So, I suppose that’s all for now! Like I said, random things, but now I can breathe because I think I covered all my bases. Again, if you haven’t followed me on Twitter or Facebook, or haven’t read Being There yet….I’m not above begging. Lol!

Until next week….

Hasta!

~TK

Same Dress New Day….Love me some Tripping Daisy

Filed under: Books, Exciting, Feedback, Giveaway, Insight, Ramblings, Thoughts, Writing Tagged: Being There, book, Cass, Drew, New Book, Reviews, Street Team, writing

With a Little Help from My Friends…

Crazy things!

I started this blog post yesterday, thinking about everything that’s happened in the last 4 weeks. Scratch that, everything that has happened in the last five months. I was writing about friends, and how amazing people are. Well, here…. this I what I had started (sorry, it’s a rambling mess):

Friends come in all shapes, sizes, background and distances. I have some amazing people in my life and I feel incredibly blessed to have them. I have never been one to seek out friendship, I prefer it come organically.

I’m sure you are asking, “What is with this random train of thought?” Allow me to explain….

There are few people who know me as well as some of my closest friends, and even fewer who know me as well as my family. I do believe that my husband knows me (good and bad…and there’s a lot!)  better than almost anyone…which is nice, since I plan on keeping him around forever. Admittedly, there were only a few people who knew I was writing a book. I had my own little cheering section behind me – words, title and synopsis, unseen. They were simply excited to see me do something I always wanted to do.

Jeez, I still haven’t gotten to the point….

I love each and every one of those people who were so inspiring. Super awesome people!

In the last 4 weeks, I have had the pleasure of meeting some other equally awesome people, and by “meeting” them, I mean chatting, emailing, texting. These are other writers and readers. Some have read my book and have encouraged me on. Others haven’t read, but understand the anxiety, excitement and time that goes into the writing. I get to share pieces of myself with people I have never met in person, and there is something pretty cool about that. My newest friend, is a fellow writer Kimberly Stedronsky. OMG….so happy to be able to chat with this chick! She has more experience in the writing world than I do, but she shares the same fears and enthusiasm as me.

This is where I left off for the day. Then, the strangest (awesome) thing happened…writer, Madeline Sheehan, saw a need to create a space by writers/for writers. A place to cheer, commiserate and rally…and just listen to each other. Kimberly send me the invite and I’m so glad she did! ( Nice looking out chica!) It’s a relief to know that you are not the only one(s) who are terrified to put yourself out there. I know that’s a “duh” comment, but seriously, we are talking seasoned pros with numerous titles to their name, who still get nervous! I stayed up WAY longer than I should have just reading, laughing and thinking about everything that people said. (I think my eyes are puffy today.)

So I guess, in the end, my point was this: If there is something you want to do, do it. The unknown is scary and exciting, but you’ll never know you can do it if you never try. And if you’re lucky, you’ll have people standing beside you, who love you, pushing you forward to help you succeed. And maybe, just maybe you’ll make some wonderful friends/mentors along the way who can show you the ropes.

Hasta!

~T

Guess you can tell what I was listening to when I wrote this. I feel like I should be singing in a bar with a bunch of friends. (The Beetles)

Filed under: Dreams, Embarrassment, Exciting, Friends, Insight, Milestones, Nervous, Ramblings, Thoughts, Writing Tagged: 2013, Being There, Cass, creativity, Drew, happy dance, Inspiration, Jumping, Kool Kids, Rambling, T.K. Rapp, Thankful, TKAM78, writing

You Give Me Something…

These last three weeks have been crazy, fun and exhausting. I doubt I’ll do 3 blog posts in a week again, but last week, there was so much that kept happening, that I had to post. So my new goal is to post 1/week. (We’ll see how that goes.)

Since last week, my new book, Being There, has gone live on Smashwords, AND gone live on Amazon in paperback! I was so excited about both, but especially the last. I love my book cover, and seeing it up close and personal is so awesome. Since it’s been listed on Smashwords, is has now appeared on other online book stores (Click any of the stores to see it!!): KOBO,  DIESEL,  and of course you can see it on AMAZON for both Kindle & Paperback.

Paperback Cover

Okay….now, moving on. If you didn’t see my post from the other day, there is also a giveaway on GOODREADS. You can enter for a chance to win one of 3 paperback copies of Being There. The giveaway ends on August 18, so enter now…good luck!!

The last thing I have for this post is that there are two bloggers who have agreed to read and review Being There. Just because they accepted it doesn’t mean they’ll like it, or post a review, but I am so appreciative that they are taking the time to do this. Both have great blogs and I love the same books they do, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed. When and IF they review and post it, I will be sure to link it here for everyone to check out. I’m so nervous about what they might say, but really excited too!

In the coming week(s), Being There should be available on Barnes & Noble, iBooks and Sony Reader, and when it is, I will post it here and on Facebook. FYI…I don’t post constantly on Facebook, but when there is something to share, I will share it there first. So follow me on FACEBOOK or TWITTER to keep up with whatever is happening.

Thank you so so much for reading this…and if you feel like sharing with others, that is awesome. And, if you have read Being There, which many of you have, I would love for you to leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads to let others know what you think about it. I promise…I have thick skin. You’re awesome and I appreciate you so much!!!

Until next week…

~

Listening to James Morrison (Freakin’ LOVE him!) – You Give Me Something

Filed under: Books, Dreams, Exciting, Giveaway, Nervous, Writing Tagged: 2013, Appreciation, atria books, Being There, Blog Review, Book Cover, Cass, Drew, Feedback, Free Book, Giveaway, happy dance, Rambling, T.K. Rapp, TKAM78, writing

Shine…

Goodreads
Book Giveaway
Being There
by T.K. Rapp




Giveaway ends - August 18, 2013.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Laura Izibor’s song “Shine” is making me smile right now!

Filed under: Books, Exciting, Giveaway, Writing Tagged: 2013, Being There, book giveaway, books, Cass, Drew, First Book, Free Book, Giveaway, rapp, T.K. Rapp, writing

The Distance…

I’m super jittery right now!

This morning, I was with my mom and she and my daughter happen to mention that my book, “Being There” is now on Amazon in PAPERBACK. I was more than a little shocker, because I figured I’d receive some sort of notification from Amazon, but nope, not a word. However, I’m really happy that they were the one who told me. I proceeded to text a few friends, one of which, already knew it was live. WTF!? Was I the last to know???

(I know I wasn’t….)

I then decided to check out Smashwords, and guess what??? It’s now LIVE on Smashwords as well! WOO-HOO! This means that it’s available for just about every other reader out there. (BRB…I might be sick) Only kidding!

It’s been 2 weeks since I clicked the button to make my first book live, and I think I’m still as nervous today as I was then…actually, I think I’m a little more nervous today. The initial feedback has been really positive from both people I know and love, as well as from some I have never met. I know that some people won’t like the story, my writing style or something else, and that’s okay. I didn’t set out to please the world, I only set out to make my dream come true. And it has. If other people like it, that’s just icing.

XO

~T

P.S. Cake!

Filed under: Books, Dreams, Exciting, Feedback, Nervous, Thoughts, Writing Tagged: 2013, Being There, books, Cass, Debut, Drew, Houston, New Years Goal, Paperback, T.K. Rapp, Thankful, TKAM78, writing

Call and Answer…

I think this post will be pretty short…if it’s not, sorry for lying!

I went out with my girlfriends the other night for dinner & wine and we had a blast! We talked for hours about kids, books and whatever else we could think of…but mostly books. I think after the first two hours, I might have divulged more than I intended, but it’s all good.

These ladies were great, because they know about my book, and what was really cool was that I got to show them the paperback! They had no idea that I had a proof with me, so when I pulled it out of my purse, the freaked out…and I loved it! They were happy for me, and proud of me, and I loved them for that.

I think that is something that seems to be lacking in some people these days….genuine happiness for others. If you are lucky to have a person(s) in your life who cheer you on, push you to do better and celebrate your victories, hold tight to them. And be sure to return that favor, because they are the true friends who will likely be there 5, 10, 15 years down the road.

Ok…getting off my soapbox now. See….It wasn’t so bad…not so great, but it’ll do. (In my head….that totally came out in the voice of James Cromwell from Babe)

My Proof!!
Available on Amazon for Kindle…coming soon in paperback and via Smashwords for Nook, Sony Reader, etc…

Filed under: Exciting, Friends, Girls Night Out, GNO, Milestones, Thoughts, Writing Tagged: 2013, Being There, books, Friends, genuine happiness, GNO, Inspiration, T.K. Rapp, Thankful, writing

It’s Been 1 Week…

It’s been 1 week since I hit the “publish” button on Amazon and I’m exhausted! I really thought I’d get to relax and take a small break, but then I needed to format my book to upload on Smashwords. (Not sure when that will go live, but I’ll post it when it does.) That was so insanely tedious that I swear, last night, I thought I was going to fall asleep sitting here at my computer. Hopefully I’ll get decent sleep tonight.

It’s been 1 week since I jumped and decided to let the chips fall where they may. There has been wonderful feedback from people I know and love, as well as from some people I have never met. I appreciate what everyone has said. When I decided to write a book, the first scary part was writing. The second scary part was editing. The third scary part…letting someone else edit! I wanted honesty. I wanted someone to tell me where the holes were, what was weak and what I could improve upon. I loved the constructive criticism I received, because I don’t want someone to tell me what I want to hear, I want them to tell me what I need to hear.

It’s been 1 week, and I feel less sure today than I did then. The one thing I am sure of, I am so happy that I did it. Regardless of what comes from any of it, I did it! I had the pleasure of meeting Molly McAdams back in April (freakin’ love her!! Amazing person!!), and she knew I was working on something and she was so wonderful to me. A week or two before I hit the “publish” button, I asked her if she gets nervous…”every time.” But she also told me that I needed to jump…which we know I did. It’s funny, she’s a good 10 years younger than me, but if I were to consider anyone my mentor in this writing journey….it would be Molly. (Seriously…LOVE her!)

So now, it’s been 1 week and I have no idea what the future holds, and I am so okay with that. I’m going to move forward and see what happens…and hopefully get some sleep along the way.

BTW….if you happened to have read my book, Being There, please take a moment to review it on Amazon or Goodreads! You can also “like” me on Facebook. (FYI…I feel like a complete tool for “asking” for followers!! LOL)

Thanks for stopping by!!

T.K.

Filed under: Books, Dreams, Insight, Nervous, Ramblings, Thoughts, Writing Tagged: 1st book, amazon, Being There, Book Review, books, Cass, constructive criticism, Drew, honesty, Jumping, writing

Yesterday…

Just writing that word makes me want to sing the Beatles song…

Yesterday was an incredibly strange day!

After months of working on achieving a goal, I did it. My debut book went live on Amazon. (I’m working on getting to smashwords next.) I sent Facebook messages to a few friends to let them know that I had done this. Some knew I was working on a book, others were surprised, but very supportive. Battle #1 – uploading and telling those closest to me (done)

I was a mess all day long. Just worried what people may or may not say or think. But it was my husband that reminded me that I was already successful, and not by conventional standards. Since this was a dream, my just writing the book, not even publishing it, made me successful. My goal was to write. That’s all. Nothing else. So he was right, I succeeded in doing what I set out to do. Those who read the book encouraged me to go a step further and self-publish, which I have obviously done. Telling those who know me…easy-er (Yes, I know that’s not correct)…telling everyone else…so. hard! Battle #2 – telling my entire FB world what I did. (done) I didn’t want to do it, but my mom encouraged me.

Putting myself out there was a NIGHTMARE! Not because I got terrible feedback, in fact the opposite. People were so excited that I accomplished my goal. But the rest of the day I was a mess just waiting and waiting and waiting. I cleaned my house. I napped. I talked to friends on the phone. I hung out with people. Anything to take my mind off everything that transpired throughout the day. Battle #3 – Walking away. (done)

So it’s a new day and I have a little less anxiety. In fact, it’s the 4th of July…so I’m going to celebrate the holiday with my family and have a wonderful time and try not to stress. I hope you have a relaxing day! That’s my plan

~T

P.S. Here is the link for my book, if you or anyone else wants to read it

Being There