Vicki Wilkerson's Blog, page 4

Book Signing is Fun (and a lot of work)!

Book Signing is Fun (and a lot of work)!
So…what’s it like to do a book signing? In a single word—fun! Oh, don’t get me wrong. It’s not like…going to the movies fun. It’s more like going to a picnic with all your friends fun.
At the movies, you just show up. They have all the entertainment lined up. They have the seating, the popcorn, the soft drinks—everything. At a picnic, YOU create the fun. You bring the tablecloth, the picnic basket, the wine, the food. You think of the games and entertainment. Heck…you ARE the entertainment—you bring the balls, or the horseshoes, and the Frisbees. You set it all up and then have fun with your friends. It’s a lot of work.
Book signings are like that. They are a lot of work—before you ever sign one book! Yeah, your host will probably have the desk and the chair (but I’d always ask—just to be sure). They may even order the books ahead of time. But again, you need to touch base to make sure this is true and talk about just how many fans you expect might show up. You wouldn’t want to be caught with too few books—or too many.
To make your book signing organized, think ahead about what you may need. If the book store is going to collect the money, you may not need to worry about the moola; however, many book signings today are held in libraries, specialty stores, restaurants, clubs, book fairs, etc. If a signing is held in such a venue, you will need a box or zippered bag to hold the bills, and you will need change…lots of it. Oh, and BTW, I like to bring my gorgeous niece along to collect the cash, so that I’ll have more time to talk to my readers.
 You’ll need several pens—and try them out before you begin your signing. Many authors like to use colors other than black to make their messages and signatures stand out. Personally, I prefer black. It’s just hard to mistake a signature from type.
If your book is available digitally, try ordering some rack cards to sign for e-book customers. It’s a way for them to participate in the signing, as well. For myself, I no longer buy print books if digital books are available. I’m a bibliophile, but I love reading at night from my Kindle that much! I also bring stands for my rack cards, my business cards and one for a book (to display). Your table will look better if everything isn’t resting “dead” flat on the table.
I also purchase “Local Author” stickers and “Autographed Copy” stickers. To me, they are dimensional decorations for the covers and make them pop to the customer—especially if you are leaving stock in the store for sale. It’s totally unnecessary, but I also like to have a very small, short vase with a few live flowers in it—just because that’s how I roll.
I also have a really nice sign that I display on an easel that says, “Book Signing Today!” You can put it outside the shop to draw customers. My sign has my name and a tag that says, “Authentic Southern Fiction” to let customers know what I write so they’ll know whether or not the book might be their cup of tea.
Finally, when you sign, try to keep your message as personal as possible. It’s very interesting to talk to fans, so chat them up if there’s time and try to use something you discussed in your conversation in your message to them—personalize it. Even if there’s not time to get to know your fan, you can say something like, “It was great meeting a fellow reader at “Random Shop Here,” and I wish you many smiles as you turn the pages of “Your Book Here.”
Book signings are fun in general—all the excitement and anticipation—and sometimes even the wine and cheese. But the most special part of the signing will be meeting your readers. They are extraordinary people who are committing their money and time to you. Though book signings are fun, they should also fill authors’ hearts with gratitude. Mine is bursting.

From Writing Break to Breakneck Writing

 From Writing Break to Breakneck Writing

Sometimes a writer just has to take a break. And I did over the Christmas holidays. Sort of. Life has been a whirlwind since the release of Bikers and Pearls with all the promotions and blog tours. And then I had another book due right after the big push for Bikers and Pearls, so I also had to work on that. In the middle of it all, my readers wanted to hear more about two of the secondary characters in Bikers and Pearls, so, of course, I’m going to make my readers happy, so I started writing Jenna’s and Hogan’s story. What fun that has been.
I worked on it until the week before Christmas and then realized I’d fallen behind in the “life” stuff, so I closed my laptop and started doing the Christmas thing, baking cookies and treats, wrapping gifts, decorating, going to parties and visiting friends and family. You know, Christmas stuff.
Every night, however, when the whole house was quiet, and nothing was stirring, not even a mouse, I hopped into the heads of my characters and plotted what they were going to do and say when I opened up that file on the new Summerbrook novel. I came up with some really great ideas and plot points and hoped I wouldn’t lose them in the interim before I started writing again. I was worried.
This morning my worries were alleviated. I opened up that file I had not touched since the week before Christmas, read the previous whole chapter where I’d left off, and started typing. And you know what? It was all there. All the voices, thoughts, and actions I had imagined for my characters were still there, waiting to be typed.
The break had invigorated me, given me time to choose the correct moves and plot twists for my new book. And I had had sufficient time to think about those things, so there was no concern or trepidation about writing myself into a corner. The book was plotted and finished in that break. All I have to do now is get it on paper (or really, on my computer screen). This morning when I opened the file, the words came faster than I could hardly type. I went from a writing break to writing at breakneck speeds!
So, for you writers out there, if deadlines allow, you can take a short break with little or no consequences if you keep actively making decisions about your plot and characters during the break. And for you readers, I cannot wait for you to read about the laughs and perils that await Jenna and Hogan!
I hope you all had a marvelous Christmas break! Now, let’s get back to what we love—stories that inspire and entertain!

What photography taught me about life and writing...

Look for different perspectives.A few years ago I taught journalism and yearbook in a local high school. Photography was an important part of my instruction in both courses. One has to develop an eye to be able to take in and tell a story—visual and otherwise. I had been thinking about that concept all this week and was trying to distill the thoughts into a cohesive whole. As life would have it, I had lunch with a former teaching colleague today, and do you know what he brought up? That we should look at life with perspective (through a photographer’s lens—in so many words). Our conversation crystalized my thoughts. So, here goes.

One must know when to pull back—take a wide angle shot—to get the big picture of what is going on. This is true in life and in writing, as well. Look at a situation or scene in a general sense. Get a feel for place and time, the major players, and what might be lost or gained. And would it be worth the effort?
One must also know when to get close to a subject—to zoom in and get a “head shot” of sorts. A closer inspection or more involvement is sometimes required in life and in writing, too. In a personal way, this may be concentrating on a relationship or a problem. In writing, it may be focusing in on a conversation between two characters. It is about the perspective of the here and now.
And then sometimes we need a macro or a more detailed shot of something. Minute details are important and nothing is too small. In life this is might be about doing something yourself, like making your daughter’s prom dress by choosing the fabric, the pattern and sewing and fitting it specifically to her. In writing, it may require detailed text about how a character who had just lost her beloved dog picked at chipping nail polish until all her fingernails were jagged red and partially bare—half exposed, vulnerable, perhaps like her heart.
Knowing which angle to choose at what time makes all the difference. I remember once I supervised a group of students at the school’s beauty pageant. During the “big numbers” when all the girls were singing and dancing, my journalism/yearbook students had no problem standing back and taking wide-angle shots, but when it came to capturing the emotion on individual faces, they became uncomfortable and wouldn’t walk close to the stage. I had to grab my personal camera and stand by the stage to capture the anxiety and joy on each face. It is that way sometimes in life and in writing. We become uncomfortable and don’t want to get too involved. And at other times in life—with our families and our jobs—we lose perspective of the big picture because we don’t want to stand back and let go of the details.
So I said all this to impart my wisdom about perspective. Consciously think about which is best for each situation. You could end up with more understanding about your community, your job, your life and the people in it. By adjusting the zoom, you could also end up with a better-told story. And ultimately, you could end up with great photographs!
 

Winner of the Bikers and Pearls Stop on the All Entangled Eve Halloween Hop!

 
 
 
 
 









Thanks to everyone who joined in on the fun at the All Entangled Eve Halloween Hop! For my leg of the tour, I wrote about my love of Gothic fiction during the season, and I had a number of readers make a comment on the post to enter my giveaway for a set of pearl earrings as a tribute to Bikers and Pearls, my Bliss novel with Entangled Publishing!
It was exciting to place all the entrants into a basket for an old-school random drawing. After much mixing of the entries, I pulled a slip of paper. Michelle Willms is the winner of a set of pearl earrings! Congratulations, Michelle!
Check out the pics of the drawing basket beside my seasonal decorations!
Bikers and Pearlsis the first in the series of Summerbrook novels, and more are on the way.
 

Entangled Publishing's Halloween Hop

Since it’s October, and Halloween is upon us, I thought I’d let you in on a little-known secret of mine. I love Gothic romances. Give me some Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, or Frankenstein, and I’m a happy camper, although a slightly on-edge camper.

My Gothic romance fetish might seem a little odd to some because I write sweet romances with a lot of humor thrown in, for good measure. But it’s all about the season and a mood for me. Just as I enjoy a good holiday book for Christmas, and I enjoy a relaxing beach read in the summer, when the weather turns cool, and reminders of ghouls are everywhere, I’m in the mood to be a little dark and brooding.
I see writers’ websites and blogs devoted to the darker side, as well as promotions and giveaways aligned to the season. Even students get in on the dark mayhem at school, enjoying a bit of Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne. When I was a high school English teacher and taught American literature, I’d plan my schedule around teaching Poe in October. When I taught British literature, I’d schedule Frankensteinto coincide with Halloween. I’d also throw in a few ghost stories for good measure. But my Gothic romance fetish didn’t simply end with reading the literature; I also love to write it. Which is not such an easy task. Writing the kinds of convoluted stories that are inherent in Gothic fiction takes some planning. Things have double meanings and secret significances and symbolism oozing from their intricate cores. People in Gothic romances are broken and there are few happy endings to be had, and if a happy ending is found, it is hard-fought and paid for with a great price. The stakes—as it were—are much higher in a Gothic romance. And, for me, the rewards of such a journey are great—no matter the work to get to the conclusions.Writing Gothic romances, however, takes a huge amount of planning. I’ve always been a plotter, but that kind of writing takes far more effort to plot than a contemporary romance. First of all, having a meaningful theme is essential. The characters cannot be put through all the hullaballoo if the reader cannot learn some kind of valuable lesson from the ordeal. Many Gothic stories are filled with allegory, and the reader must search for the double meanings in the plots. And then there is the symbolism—ah, the symbolism. Do not even attempt to begin to write a Gothic novel without huge doses of symbolism. A crack in a wall may stand for a fissured family. Icy mountains may represent the barren interior of a man’s soul, and a silver tea service may stand for the wealth of a family. Let that silver get tarnished, and the family is affected, too. Damage or sell the symbolic silver and the family is destroyed.
One of the most important things in a Gothic romance, however, is setting. Don’t even try to set a Gothic story on a sunny Caribbean island—though it’s possible, it’s way more difficult and not a likely setting. Try a dilapidated castle or an old church or an ancient forest—or the frozen tundra. Throw in some bad weather, and you’re off to a good start. In fact, it is tempting—though never a good idea—to start Gothic stories off with “It was a dark and stormy night.”

No matter the difficulty, though, I’ll be tempted during the month of October to conjure stories of a more intense nature, to look beyond the blank gazes of strangers on the street to try to figure out their secrets and sins, and to imagine characters for future novels. October is my prime time to take notes and file them away in my “melodramatic file” because my little secret love of Gothic fiction needs to breathe—at least for a season. And then I’ll get back to writing sweet romances like Bikers and Pearls, my last release with Bliss through Entangled Publishing. Until then, Happy Halloween!If you’d like a chance to win a set of pearl earrings, comment on this blog (comment about Bikers and Pearls, Gothic romances, Halloween—or just say “Hi”) and your name will be entered into a random drawing. The winner will be announced on this blog and on Twitter!

Vicki WilkersonBikers and PearlsAvailable at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo

  
 

Release Day!

Release Day!
So, it’s release day. You’ve worked tirelessly FOREVER on your book. You’ve submitted it, waited YEARS for a response, and signed a contract. Then you’ve worked on edits. Lots of them, and even some that were WAY beyond your pay grade. And then you’ve waited. And waited. And waited. And then it’s Release Day.
So, what do you do? Well, after the gauntlet you’ve been through, you’d think it would be all champagne and partying. But, no, sister. That’s not so. Now it’s time to REALLY get to work. To pimp your wares.
I thought the hard part was over—all the writing and editing and re-writing. But no. When all the work in the trenches was over, I had to come OUT of the trenches and actually interact with more than my computer (and editor).
This is my story. I woke up on Release Day and ran downstairs (like a little girl on Christmas morning), and I checked to see that the book was actually live. And you know what? It was! Then I checked the stats and rankings to see where it was. And you know what? I actually HAD stats and rankings. OMG! I was a REAL author.
Then it was time to hit the “social” scene. I opened up on facebook and Twitter and my blog—and with email—and I let everyone know how excited I was. But the big secret here was—that I was still in my pajamas—with no make-up—or shoes—or friends to help me celebrate. I was alone in all my “glory” and so happy to have been blessed with this experience I’d dreamed of for years.
And you know what? It didn’t matter that it wasn’t glamorous. It was my Release Day!
I was also secretly buoyed, knowing that at the end of the day, I would have this “hunk” I know come pick me up for dinner and take me to some super nice restaurant in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, to celebrate my big occasion. And that was priceless. The lovely staff at Oak knew about my special day and made me feel like I was a princess. The food was amazing. The wine (a ’10 Klinker Brick  red Zinfandel) suggested by the sommelier was to die for. And when I ordered the layered chocolate cake with spicy candied peanuts and salted butterscotch, caramel-banana ice cream to end the meal (I NEVER order dessert), it was brought out with “Congratulations” written in chocolate on the plate. And on the house.
You see, the best thing about Release Day was not all the personal satisfaction and gratification I received alone. It was the interaction with people—people I knew and people I didn’t. I had accomplished what I had set out to do as a writer—to connect with people. What a lovely Release Day it was!

Sharing Mushrooms Charleston

There are two kinds of cooks in the South--those who share their favorite family recipes. And those who don't. I am of the former variety. I always feel honored when someone asks me for a recipe. And even more honored when I hear it has become a family favorite of theirs, as well. Below is my recipe for Mushrooms Charleston...and my homage to my dear friend Margarite Carpenter. You may also find the recipe on my website at http://vickiwilkerson.com/Resources.html .
 Mushrooms Charleston (an appetizer)
1 lb container of medium mushrooms (washed and dried)
4-5 TBS butter (divided)
¼ cup chopped bell pepper (very small dice)
¼ cup chopped yellow onion (very small dice)
1 ½ cups soft bread crumbs
½ tsp salt
½ tsp thyme
¼ rounded tsp turmeric
¼ tsp pepper

Remove stems from all mushrooms and finely chop enough stems to measure 1/3 cup. Melt 3 TBS butter in skillet and sauté chopped stems, bell pepper and onion approximately 5 minutes until tender and turn off heat. Stir in remaining ingredients (except the 1 TBS butter). If mixture is too dry, add 1 more TBS butter. Melt an additional 1 TBS butter in shallow baking pan. Fill mushroom caps with stuffing mixture and place filled side up in baking dish. Bake 15 minutes. I always serve these on the pictured pheasant platter that my dear friend Margarite Carpenter gave me years ago. And it had been in her family for many years before that. Though she is gone, I remember her fondly and everything she taught me as a cook each time I use the lovely tray. She and the platter remain very special to me
Bon appetite, y’all!
 
 
 
 

The BIKERS AND PEARLS TourInterviews, Chats, Blog Appeara...

The BIKERS AND PEARLS Tour
Interviews, Chats, Blog Appearances, Giveaways, Promotions, Book Signings
At the end of the Blog Tour, Sizzling PR will have a drawing for a pearl necklace!
August 6, 2013 New Authors' Chat at Writers Space 6 pm PST August 7, 2013 The Bliss Anniversary Celebration, Twitter Party, #BlissBall, 9 pm EST (lots of giveaways)August 15, 2013 Meagan-Inside The World of Books-Review August 16, 2013 Kelly Mueller, Books-n-Kisses InterviewAugust 16, 2013 "Why We Read" GIVEAWAY of Pearl Earrings! at The Reading Addict BlogSpot* August 19, 2013 Romancing Rakes for the Love of Romance, Excerpt August 23, 2013 Reading Until I Fall Asleep, Guest Post, Topic: "Why do women fall for hot, dangerous guys?" August 26, 2013, Carlene-Spotlight  August 28, 2013 Must Read Faster, Guest Post and ReviewAugust 29, 2013 "Moved by Reviews" on Reviews by Crystal Blog * GIVEAWAY of Pearl Earrings! * August 30, 2013 Kayla's Place InterviewSeptember 2, 2013 Laurie-Reader Girls-Guest Post and Review September 3, 2013 Daryl-My Erotic Notions-Spotlight September 4, 2013You Gotta Read This-Spotlight September 6, 2013 Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews InterviewSeptember 10, 2013 Kari-From the TBR Pile-Spotlight September13, 2013 Kendra-Reader’s Edyn-Spotlight September 15, 2013 For the Love of Reading-Review September 16, 2013 Ramblings from This Chick Guest PostSeptember 17, 2013 Harlie’s Books-InterviewSeptember 18, 2013 Kami-Indie Authors Books and More-Spotlight September 19, 2013 As The Pages Turn Guest Post & Spotlight September 20, 2013 Books and Needlepoint Interview September 23, 2013 Layna-Lunar Haven-ReviewSeptember 24, 2013 Lori-Lusty Penguin-Spotlight and ReviewSeptember 25, 2013 Krisit Ames-Spotlight and ReviewSeptember 26, 2013 Book Reviews and More by Kathy-Spotlight September 27, 2013 Harlie’s Books-ReviewSeptember 28, 2013 April-Literal Hotties Naughty Book reviews-Spotlight October 1, 2013 In Shadows-Review



Debbie Suzuki, Publicity Director, Entangled Publishing, LLC
Melissa Caldwell, Sizzling PR, Publicity Tour


* Tour stops marked with an asterisk are not a part of the Sizzling PR tour and are not a part of the pearl necklace giveaway. They may, however, have their own giveaways as noted.

I Am Braveheart!

I am Braveheart!

Yes, right now I feel like Mel Gibson a scene in his 1995 film, Braveheart. Writing for me is not a pastime; it is a conviction. Yes, like Mel, I’m passionate about what I do and want to share that passion with readers. But in this one scene in Braveheart—where Mel and his men are waiting to advance and strike at the best possible moment—Mel cries, “Hold…hold…hold!” I identify with him because I am restrained in that “hold” moment at present with my new novel, Bikers and Pearls , which is to release from Bliss at Entangled Publishing on August 12, 2013.

I am SUPER excited about sharing this story about a Southern belle’s attempts to resist a bad-boy biker while still helping him on a charity event to raise money for the sick little boy they both love. I even have tons of plans to share and promote the book, however, I am positioned like Mel. I even wake in the mornings with his battle cry resounding in my head. “Hold…hold…hold,” I tell myself.    
What am I holding back on? Well, I—at first—had to keep the cover under wraps until Amazon, Barnes & Noble, KOBO, etc., revealed it for presale. And then, Bam! It was out! But some readers wait until the book is actually live, so now I must hold back on Twitter, Facebook and other social media because if readers are driven to look at the book too early, they may lose interest on Release Day. I have giveaways planned and a blog tour and lots of Southern recipes to share, but I must wait. Release Day is the moment that writers look forward to the entire time they are writing their books. It’s the culmination of all the preparation—like with Mel (or rather William Wallace)!  
Upon their Release Days, writers are unleashed to spray the world with their excitement and enthusiasm. Their babies (books) are unveiled and readers can acknowledge their hard work, learn, laugh and cry because of the stories. It is my sincerest wish that all writers experience the joy and excitement that I’m experiencing in my “hold” pattern right now and that all readers get lost in the worlds that writers create for them.
Yes, I am Braveheart! Happy writing and happy reading! 
BIKERS AND PEARLS Who said tempting a sweet, Southern belle would be easy?