Parker Sinclair's Blog, page 3

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Published on January 01, 2017 09:02

Upcoming New Release: Eve of the Exceptionals

Hello family, friends, and fans!! This is an exciting day. I have just revealed the amazing cover by artist Kerrie Joyce for my new YA Epic Fantasy novel, "Eve of the Exceptionals". Don't miss this spell-binding journey full of magical beings, epic adventure, and two young hearts destined to save a kingdom. You can pre-order your copy today on Amazon in both Kindle and Paperback format (see links below). The official release date is January 20th, 2017 & the official book release party will be February 3rd, 2017 in Virginia Beach at Tapped Gastro Pub at Redmill..

I'm overjoyed with this book and have loved reading it to my daughter, age 7, and to my friends of all ages. I know this will truly be a magical book for everyone.

Thank you everyone for you support on this journey and I hope you enjoy reading my newest book. Reviews are always welcome as they help me in my rankings on Amazon and Goodreads. Whether you've read my Alex Conner Chronicles series or will be reading "Eve of the Exceptionals", I would truly appreciate even the shortest of reviews or rating. Speaking of Alex, her next book, and official third book in the series, will be out spring 2017. If you've already ready book one and two, check out the Novella for Sandra called "Forbidden" it will lead into Book three and is a wicked fun ride!

I wish each and every one of you a wonderful holiday season. Pre-order links are below as well as my events for 2017 (more to be added) and my social media information.

Love and Best Wishes,

Parker

When fate brings the young Prince Ryzyn and the rover girl Gem together, not only do their lives become forever entwined, their meeting also ignites the power within an ancient object—the Heart of Cyan.

With the mystical Heart discovered, the wielder must prepare for an epic b

Kindle Pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N9HRNW9?ref_=pe_2427780_160035660
Paperback Pre-order: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0998405302
attle against a vicious, pervasive darkness that threatens all of Parlethis. Magical forces unite for the good of the land, but will that be enough to stop the Shadowland creatures from destroying them all?

Join the incredible journey full of magical beings, terrifying and majestic creatures, and the two young hearts destined to save a kingdom.

Parker Sinclair

Founder, Owner & Author

Rawlings Books, LLC

http://www.RawlingsBooks.com

Author of Trust: The Alex Conner Chronicles Book One, Truth: The Alex Conner Chronicles Book Two, Forbidden: An Alex Conner Chronicles Novella, & upcoming YA Fantasy novel Eve of the Exceptionals and Jake the Growling Dog

Webpage: http://www.parkersinclair.net

Sample/Purchase my books: http://www.parkersinclair.net/buy-a-good-book

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1XIDwzO

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/ParkerSinclairbooks/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/parker.sinclair.73

Instagram: @ParkerSinclairauthor Twitter: @Parker_Sinclair

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9860680.Parker_Sinclair

Blog: http://www.parkersinclair.net/blog

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWQE3qvMyB5DEZ9wwdz8rOQ

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Published on January 01, 2017 08:30

The Alex Conner Chronicles Street Team Is Coming!

As promised, here is part two of the adventures of a newbie author, and it's all about--Street Teams.

What is a Street Team?:

You may already have your team set-up and you don't even know it.
Your team is comprised of your die-hard fans who like and share all of your social media posts.
They pass out info to people about you, and your books.
They've read everything you have written, some of them may have been your beta readers, and they write awesome reviews!
They attend your events passing out swag, wearing your gear (t-shirts, buttons, stickers), and talking to future fans.
They get lots of free stuff! Books and other cool swag.
They truly go above and beyond to help spread the word about you and your books.

How do I make my Street Team Legit?

I'm so glad you asked! That is what I am doing, right now!
First: Come up with a catchy name! Mine is PSST! The Alex Conner Chornicles Crew
The name should reflect your books or a certain series. Since I am going to write a wide range of books, I made this one Alex Conner Specific under the larger umbrella of PSST (Parker Sinclair Street Team). My new book, The Eve of the Exceptionals will have the Eve's Ryzing Stars.
It's all in the name! These are the loyal fans who help you get to the top, don't the deserve a sweet name? Exactly!
Once you have the name and you've spoken to some members, blog about the new Team so you can get even more members.
Share the blog with everyone and to everyone.

What to send your team:

I am currently working on a lot of cool swag for me team: t-shirts, I've had buttons made, and I plan on making stickers and buttons to provide each member.
I have lots of cards to pass out, and codes for discounted books.
Before a major event that they will be attending with you, stock them up on all of the swag items. Maybe you pre-make goody bags for them to hand out, or let them do their thing.
Free books! Whether its eBooks or paperback, your team gets them when they first come out, sometimes even earlier!

So there it is, in a nutshell. I love my Street Team! You know who you are, and if anyone would like to join The Alex Conner Chronicles Crew, please comment below or message me.

Parker

Author of Trust: The Alex Conner Chronicles Book One, Truth: The Alex Conner Chronicles Book Two, &Forbidden: An Alex Conner Chronicles Novella adult contemporary fantasy under the name Parker Sinclair.

My Webpage: http://www.parkersinclair.net

Purchase &Sample my books: http://www.parkersinclair.net/buy-a-good-book

Like me on Facebook: ParkerSinclairbooks

Instagram: @parkersinclairauthor

Twitter: Parker_Sinclair

My Goodreads Profile

My Sm ashwords Profile

Blog: https://parkersinclairbooks.wordpress.com

Links/where to buy/ social media

Available now on Amazon, iBooks, Kindle, Nook, & Barnes & Noble

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Published on May 19, 2016 08:27

PSST…The Alex Conner Chronicles Crew Is Coming

As promised, here is part two of the adventures of a newbie author, and it’s all about–Street Teams.

What is a Street Team?:

You may already have your team set-up and you don’t even know it.
Your team is comprised of your die-hard fans who like and share all of your social media posts.
They pass out info to people about you, and your books.
They’ve read everything you have written, some of them may have been your beta readers, and they write awesome reviews!
They attend your events passing out swag, wearing your gear (t-shirts, buttons, stickers), and talking to future fans.
They get lots of free stuff! Books and other cool swag.
They truly go above and beyond to help spread the word about you and your books.

How do I make my Street Team Legit?

I’m so glad you asked! That is what I am doing, right now!
First: Come up with a catchy name! Mine is PSST! The Alex Conner Chornicles Crew
The name should reflect your books or a certain series. Since I am going to write a wide range of books, I made this one Alex Conner Specific under the larger umbrella of PSST (Parker Sinclair Street Team). My new book, The Eve of the Exceptionals will have the Eve’s Ryzing Stars.
It’s all in the name! These are the loyal fans who help you get to the top, don’t the deserve a sweet name? Exactly!
Once you have the name and you’ve spoken to some members, blog about the new Team so you can get even more members.
Share the blog with everyone and to everyone.

What to send your team:

I am currently working on a lot of cool swag for me team: t-shirts, I’ve had buttons made, and I plan on making stickers and buttons to provide each member.
I have lots of cards to pass out, and codes for discounted books.
Before a major event that they will be attending with you, stock them up on all of the swag items. Maybe you pre-make goody bags for them to hand out, or let them do their thing.
Free books! Whether its eBooks or paperback, your team gets them when they first come out, sometimes even earlier!

So there it is, in a nutshell. I love my Street Team! You know who you are, and if anyone would like to join The Alex Conner Chronicles Crew, please comment below or message me.

Parker

Author of Trust: The Alex Conner Chronicles Book One, Truth: The Alex Conner Chronicles Book Two, &Forbidden: An Alex Conner Chronicles Novella adult contemporary fantasy under the name Parker Sinclair.

My Webpage: http://www.parkersinclair.net

Purchase &Sample my books: http://www.parkersinclair.net/buy-a-good-book

Like me on Facebook: ParkerSinclairbooks

Instagram: @parkersinclairauthor

Twitter: Parker_Sinclair

My Goodreads Profile

My Sm ashwords Profile

Blog: https://parkersinclairbooks.wordpress.com

Links/where to buy/ social media

Available now on Amazon, iBooks, Kindle, Nook, & Barnes & Noble

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Published on May 19, 2016 08:08

The Author Takeover

Parker Sinclair
19m ago
fantasy

Becoming an author with aspirations to make it my life’s work comes with a quite a bit of internal drive, research skills, social media savvy, networking, time, and a lot of patience. In the last month I have realize how new I am to all of this by researching how to do an author takeover, what a street team is, and unfortunately being one of many authors and sponsors scammed by the hopes of a author signing event in Richmond, Virginia. I am happy to report that the event was thankfully raised from the ashes by some determined, and heart broken authors.

If you are anything like the me from last month, you may be asking what in the world an author takeovers or a street teams are anyhow. Well you are in luck! I finally feel educated enough to share my knowledge in hopes of helping other budding authors, and to spread the word about the awesome Parker Sinclair Street Team (PSST), The Alex Conner Crew.

This will be a two part blog, so let’s start with the Author Takeover. What is this exactly? Where are these events that you are being invited to, asked to do, and how do you do them? I promise to cover all of these questions and more.

The Author Takeover

What is it:

When an author posts information about themselves and their written works of art on a Facebook page. Most authors post excerpts from their books, where readers can buy, their social links, inspirational quotes, games, images, and giveaways. Be sure to add links to your images, book titles, and your name.

Where:

An author takeover occurs virtually on a Facebook page of a book promoter, signing event attendees, publicist, another author, blogger, or your own. It may be one day with multiple authors in time slots, or over a certain period of time leading up to a major book event. The goal is to highlight each attending author to help them gain exposure, get their books into hands of readers, and to meet new fans.

How long:

Most time slots designated for each author are 1/2 to 1 hour in length. Authors can expect to provide 5-10 posts during the takeover.

Essentials with examples:

Author photo & introduction of your work

Greet your guests and host, include genre(s), story about how you started to write, anecdotal/funny stories, etc.

Hi everyone! My name is Parker Sinclair & I’m excited for this awesome author takeover! I find myself genre confused since lovers of paranormal romance, adult contemporary fantasy, & adult urban fantasy enjoy my books. I am a scientist turned counselor turned writer who now believes I was the writer first, but I had lost her path. The great thing about destiny is that you’ll always find your way back to where you’re meant to be, and you pick up cool experience and lessons that make you even all the better for it all.

Social media, preorder forms (if you have an upcoming event) & how/where to buy links.

My Webpage: www.ParkerSinclair.net

Google doc preorder form for RVA Romance Readers Event: http://goo.gl/forms/CJZl9Xe6pL

Purchase &Sample my books: http://www.parkersinclair.net/buy-a-good-book

Like me on Facebook: ParkerSinclairbooks

Instagram: @parkersinclairauthor

Twitter: Parker_Sinclair

Trust: The Alex Conner Chronicles Book One

** Pre-order forms were new to me as well. Many signing events encourage posting them for authors to get a good idea of how many books to bring. Google forms has tons of templates to choose from. https://www.google.com/forms/about/

Cover photos and description of book(s)

Book cover posts give you a good jumping off point to list giveaways & the rules.
Giveaway verbiage example: Tonight I am delighted to giveaway one ebook of Trust. Change your profile picture to the book cover of Trust, and comment on this post with a sentence including the word Trust. Winner based on creativity. Contest ends 11:59pm/date and the winner will be notified via PM.

Alex Conner’s nights of event planning and partying in San Diego, California have taken a turn for the worse as nightmares invade her mind on a daily basis. The memories of the vile man she exiled using the powers inherited from her mother and grandmother are all but breaking into her living hours, and nothing is working to keep her nightmares at bay. Will she ultimately be the one responsible for bringing this horror back into her life? Who can she trust and how is she to deal with the draw she has towards a new man in her life – a man who is definitely more than meets the eye? Visit www.ParkerSinclair.net for a sample and where to buy!

Excerpts from book(s):

Images are shown to be more popular than lengthy excerpts.
Try small excerpts on an image, and perhaps more within the post.

13051546_861968497262151_551044393854392148_n

13095904_864298957029105_6733930308238447470_n

Excerpt from Trust: The Alex Conner Chronicles Book One

I couldn’t find her at first as my eyes followed the trunk of the tree all the way up its thickness. Legs began to form, followed by a waist, breast, and her head. The branches and leaves above became a beautifully, horrifying sight as they flowed from her head creating a mesmerizing image of gorgeously intertwining curls of hair. She looked at me, her eyes glowing emerald green for the first time. They were an exact reflection of my own, and I stumbled back a step sensing the power in them, knowing her power was a part of me.

Games

Get your audience engaged with games
I enjoy posting a quote or image, and then giving instructions.

~ Share one brave and daring thing you’ve done in your life that you are super proud of.

Close out the Author Takeover Event:

Close the event with thank you’s to your host, fans, supporters, and other authors. A collage of your books, all of your social media links, and asking for any questions or comments are fantastics additions to your final post. Poster_NoDate

I want to thank Vicki Drane for setting up todays author takeover. Winners: I will notify each winner by private Facebook message as well as post on my FB fan page ParkerSinclairbooks . Your ebook prizes will be gifted through Amazon and the paper back of Trust via snail mail—good luck to all of my awesome new fans.

Before I go, here are my links one more time:

My Webpage: www.ParkerSinclair.net

Google doc preorder form for RVA Romance Readers Event: http://goo.gl/forms/CJZl9Xe6pL

Purchase &Sample my books: http://www.parkersinclair.net/buy-a-good-book

Like me on Facebook: ParkerSinclairbooks

Instagram: @parkersinclairauthor

Twitter: Parker_Sinclair

So there you have it! The basics of what an author takeover is folks. I hope my experiences and research aid you in your own takeovers. Don’t be afraid of them, and check out other author’s takeover events from time to time to get lots of great ideas, and a chance to win free books and swag. This blog is only the tip of the iceberg, so keep creating and writing! Next up, The Street Team.

Please follow my blog by adding your email to the right on your desktop computer, or by scrolling to the bottom on your device.

Have a wonderful day, evening, life! Stay positive, stay focused, and keep loving what you do each and every day.

Parker

www.ParkerSinclair.net

2 likes · Like • 2 comments • flag

Published on April 26, 2016 19:59

The Author Takeover

Becoming an author with aspirations to make it my life’s work comes with a quite a bit of internal drive, research skills, social media savvy, networking, time, and a lot of patience. In the last month I have realize how new I am to all of this by researching how to do an author takeover, what a street team is, and unfortunately being one of many authors and sponsors scammed by the hopes of a author signing event in Richmond, Virginia. I am happy to report that the event was thankfully raised from the ashes by some determined, and heart broken authors.

If you are anything like the me from last month, you may be asking what in the world an author takeovers or a street teams are anyhow. Well you are in luck! I finally feel educated enough to share my knowledge in hopes of helping other budding authors, and to spread the word about the awesome Parker Sinclair Street Team (PSST), The Alex Conner Crew.

This will be a two part blog, so let’s start with the Author Takeover. What is this exactly? Where are these events that you are being invited to, asked to do, and how do you do them? I promise to cover all of these questions and more.

The Author Takeover

What is it:

When an author posts information about themselves and their written works of art on a Facebook page. Most authors post excerpts from their books, where readers can buy, their social links, inspirational quotes, games, images, and giveaways. Be sure to add links to your images, book titles, and your name.

Where:

An author takeover occurs virtually on a Facebook page of a book promoter, signing event attendees, publicist, another author, blogger, or your own. It may be one day with multiple authors in time slots, or over a certain period of time leading up to a major book event. The goal is to highlight each attending author to help them gain exposure, get their books into hands of readers, and to meet new fans.

How long:

Most time slots designated for each author are 1/2 to 1 hour in length. Authors can expect to provide 5-10 posts during the takeover.

Essentials with examples:

Author photo & introduction of your work

Greet your guests and host, include genre(s), story about how you started to write, anecdotal/funny stories, etc.

[image error]

Hi everyone! My name is Parker Sinclair & I’m excited for this awesome author takeover! I find myself genre confused since lovers of paranormal romance, adult contemporary fantasy, & adult urban fantasy enjoy my books. I am a scientist turned counselor turned writer who now believes I was the writer first, but I had lost her path. The great thing about destiny is that you’ll always find your way back to where you’re meant to be, and you pick up cool experience and lessons that make you even all the better for it all.

Social media, preorder forms (if you have an upcoming event) & how/where to buy links.

My Webpage: www.ParkerSinclair.net

Google doc preorder form for RVA Romance Readers Event: http://goo.gl/forms/CJZl9Xe6pL

Purchase &Sample my books: http://www.parkersinclair.net/buy-a-good-book

Like me on Facebook: ParkerSinclairbooks

Instagram: @parkersinclairauthor

Twitter: Parker_Sinclair

Trust: The Alex Conner Chronicles Book One

** Pre-order forms were new to me as well. Many signing events encourage posting them for authors to get a good idea of how many books to bring. Google forms has tons of templates to choose from. https://www.google.com/forms/about/

Cover photos and description of book(s)

Book cover posts give you a good jumping off point to list giveaways & the rules.
Giveaway verbiage example: Tonight I am delighted to giveaway one ebook of Trust. Change your profile picture to the book cover of Trust, and comment on this post with a sentence including the word Trust. Winner based on creativity. Contest ends 11:59pm/date and the winner will be notified via PM.

Alex Conner’s nights of event planning and partying in San Diego, California have taken a turn for the worse as nightmares invade her mind on a daily basis. The memories of the vile man she exiled using the powers inherited from her mother and grandmother are all but breaking into her living hours, and nothing is working to keep her nightmares at bay. Will she ultimately be the one responsible for bringing this horror back into her life? Who can she trust and how is she to deal with the draw she has towards a new man in her life – a man who is definitely more than meets the eye? Visit www.ParkerSinclair.net for a sample and where to buy!

Excerpts from book(s):

Images are shown to be more popular than lengthy excerpts.
Try small excerpts on an image, and perhaps more within the post.

Excerpt from Trust: The Alex Conner Chronicles Book One

I couldn’t find her at first as my eyes followed the trunk of the tree all the way up its thickness. Legs began to form, followed by a waist, breast, and her head. The branches and leaves above became a beautifully, horrifying sight as they flowed from her head creating a mesmerizing image of gorgeously intertwining curls of hair. She looked at me, her eyes glowing emerald green for the first time. They were an exact reflection of my own, and I stumbled back a step sensing the power in them, knowing her power was a part of me.

Games

Get your audience engaged with games
I enjoy posting a quote or image, and then giving instructions.
[image error]

~ Share one brave and daring thing you’ve done in your life that you are super proud of.

Close out the Author Takeover Event:

Close the event with thank you’s to your host, fans, supporters, and other authors. A collage of your books, all of your social media links, and asking for any questions or comments are fantastics additions to your final post. [image error]

I want to thank Vicki Drane for setting up todays author takeover. Winners: I will notify each winner by private Facebook message as well as post on my FB fan page ParkerSinclairbooks . Your ebook prizes will be gifted through Amazon and the paper back of Trust via snail mail—good luck to all of my awesome new fans.

Before I go, here are my links one more time:

My Webpage: www.ParkerSinclair.net

Google doc preorder form for RVA Romance Readers Event: http://goo.gl/forms/CJZl9Xe6pL

Purchase &Sample my books: http://www.parkersinclair.net/buy-a-good-book

Like me on Facebook: ParkerSinclairbooks

Instagram: @parkersinclairauthor

Twitter: Parker_Sinclair

So there you have it! The basics of what an author takeover is folks. I hope my experiences and research aid you in your own takeovers. Don’t be afraid of them, and check out other author’s takeover events from time to time to get lots of great ideas, and a chance to win free books and swag. This blog is only the tip of the iceberg, so keep creating and writing! Next up, The Street Team.

Please follow my blog by adding your email to the right on your desktop computer, or by scrolling to the bottom on your device.

Have a wonderful day, evening, life! Stay positive, stay focused, and keep loving what you do each and every day.

Parker

www.ParkerSinclair.net

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Published on April 26, 2016 19:40

Gratitude, Positive Thinking, & the Law of Attraction

Alex is my magnet. I’ve been drawn to her character before the 1900’s were no more and the 2000’s stepped in. I didn’t know what she was going to do, but what I did know is that I was going to write a book with a main character that would be powerful, damaged, skittish, funny, and sexy. I remember waking from dreams that forced me to jot ideas down onto the closest scrap of paper my fingers could find. The dam that I thought my life plan was beginning to chip away during that time, but the little cracks took fourteen years to burst open.

Some might question how in the world I held onto a goal for so long without giving up. One thing that I know for sure is that my thoughts of the book never left me. Some pages were completed, secure on a disk that moved with me from California to two different cities in Virginia, up to New York, and then back to Virginia. Those years, the time ticking by, were dominated by thoughts of a family and of my school counselor job. Those were powerful thoughts at the time in my life. They were stronger than the book that buzzed in the background of my mind. The persistent thoughts stayed with me though, lingering in the abyss, not ready—not yet.

Now that I look back, I was part of the reason the books didn’t come to life till now. I didn’t see my finished products as good enough, something people would enjoy, or to be taken seriously. And the books I loved, the books I consumed, seemed to overshadow the words I had written. My thoughts of the how amazing J.K Rowling is, Patrick Rothfuss’ intensity, Terry Brooks’ magic, not measuring up pushed my confidence into the background. When I felt I wasn’t good enough—I wasn’t. The doubt attracted nothing to me but more doubt and gave me the life I feared—one where I wasn’t a writer. I feared a life where I never prove to be good enough. Now, as I read The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne, I see exactly what I was doing and what part of me still sometimes does.

For most of my life I actually thought, and maybe this is the superstitious Irish parts of me, that if I thought something was going to be good, or that something was currently awesome, I was jinxing myself immensely. I would actually stop my positive thoughts for fear of the opposite happening. I shake my head now after learning about the Law of Attraction. All that focus on my fears, on worry, doubt, thinking how much better other writers were than me, about how hard it will be to break into the book industry, all the negativity was giving me what I was worried about and not what I wanted. George Lucas knew of this phenomenon as he wrote Anakin as his own personal antagonist and creator of his worst fears and nightmares. Anakin’s dread brought about that which he feared the most. George Lucas is a creative genius and it shows in his characters and his stories. The universe is abundant with creative genius and I am allowing myself to envision joining as a writer.

Just like Alex, I am a magnet. We are all magnets actually and our thoughts attract other like thoughts. The Secret asks the reader to organize and direct their thoughts by figuring out what they want and then believe they are receiving it already. This task pushed me to type what I really wanted in my life. This was something I hadn’t done and in some cases, I had been afraid to totally commit to. When I hashed things out with myself what happened next brought a rush through my body and invoked powerful feelings like I was sealing the deal. She tells the reader to change the wording from “I want” to “I am so grateful and happy that I am/have.” It was a powerful task and soon dreams and visualizations of my desired future came to me with ease. My goals didn’t seem like pipe dreams any longer, instead they were happening right now. Of course, some of this may sound easy enough, but it took and continues to take work and devotion. I do a great deal of visualizing each day, sometimes multiple times a day, about my future and the future of those I love. Mindfulness practices have nearly been a daily occurrence, and trust me, I still have my meh days. Scathing thoughts drip into my awareness every now and again. The negative thoughts that tell me I’m not a great writer, my grammar needs work, there were issues in the book I should have caught, my book isn’t selling, I don’t have enough reviews, I’m not writing enough, blogging enough, or marketing enough. The good news is, the happy and positive thoughts are stronger and can easily tip the scales! Once you put out into the world, into the universe, what you want you see it and believe it to be true. Then, it will all come to fruition.

What’s been incredible about my practice and teachings through The Secret is that I catch these negative thoughts quicker and find it easier to refocus. It’s not that I don’t allow myself to be tired, angry, sad, tired, or scared. On the contrary, I am a firm believer that all emotions have a purpose and we need them to see and experience great joys. No, I don’t push them away, instead, I focus on the good, the things that make me happy, the love for my children, the jokes with friends and my husband, and the hobbies and exercise I enjoy. My friend, who is reading Rhonda’s second book, The Power, showed me a section where Rhonda explains the refocusing of feelings as an addition of happiness and not the removal of negative feelings. She relates being in a bad mood to a glass of water. This glass contains a small about of water that is our happiness and the negative feelings are the air in the glass that cannot be removed. Instead, we fill the glass with more water, aka happiness, and we feel better. We then continue to see the good, to be happy, and to move towards a future that has been put into motion by our own belief that we are already receiving what we really want. Happiness comes from being grateful for what we have now and not dwelling on what we don’t, or what is not going our way, what someone did to us, or what others have and we don’t. It’s recognizing the amazing things in your life loving yourself, believing in yourself, lightening up, loving others, and removing stress.

As I read through the pages of The Secret with my friend, one who is also smacking the “duh” hand upside her own head, I have found clarity for my goals and dreams. I see visions of my future and I feel confident in the fact that I will get there. My stress has reduced, I show love and affection to my loved ones even more than I thought possible, and I am grateful for what I have now and for all that I am working towards in the future.

So, yes I am a good writer, yes people enjoy my books, and more people will start to enjoy Alex and her band of misfits along with all of the other books and characters I breathe to life in my future novels. Once I believed all of this for myself, I realize that I will achieve my goals put into motion by positive feelings about myself, my vision for the future, hard work and dedication, and believing with unwavering faith that I am obtaining my goal right now.

Thank you for reading my blog, for supporting me, for caring about my words, and for being wonderful and amazing.

Parker

http://www.parkersinclair.net/rawlingsbooks.html

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Published on January 26, 2016 18:45

Gratitude, Positive Thinking, & the Law of Attraction

Alex is my magnet. I've been drawn to her character before the 1900's were no more and the 2000's stepped in. I didn't know what she was going to do, but what I did know is that I was going to write a book with a main character that would be powerful, damaged, skittish, funny, and sexy. I remember waking from dreams that forced me to jot ideas down onto the closest scrap of paper my fingers could find. The dam that I thought my life plan was beginning to chip away during that time, but the little cracks took fourteen years to burst open.

Some might question how in the world I held onto a goal for so long without giving up. One thing that I know for sure is that my thoughts of the book never left me. Some pages were completed, secure on a disk that moved with me from California to two different cities in Virginia, up to New York, and then back to Virginia. Those years, the time ticking by, were dominated by thoughts of a family and of my school counselor job. Those were powerful thoughts at the time in my life. They were stronger than the book that buzzed in the background of my mind. The persistent thoughts stayed with me though, lingering in the abyss, not ready—not yet.

Now that I look back, I was part of the reason the books didn’t come to life till now. I didn’t see my finished products as good enough, something people would enjoy, or to be taken seriously. And the books I loved, the books I consumed, seemed to overshadow the words I had written. My thoughts of the how amazing J.K Rowling is, Patrick Rothfuss’ intensity, Terry Brooks’ magic, not measuring up pushed my confidence into the background. When I felt I wasn’t good enough—I wasn’t. The doubt attracted nothing to me but more doubt and gave me the life I feared—one where I wasn’t a writer. I feared a life where I never prove to be good enough. Now, as I read The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne, I see exactly what I was doing and what part of me still sometimes does.

For most of my life I actually thought, and maybe this is the superstitious Irish parts of me, that if I thought something was going to be good, or that something was currently awesome, I was jinxing myself immensely. I would actually stop my positive thoughts for fear of the opposite happening. I shake my head now after learning about the Law of Attraction. All that focus on my fears, on worry, doubt, thinking how much better other writers were than me, about how hard it will be to break into the book industry, all the negativity was giving me what I was worried about and not what I wanted. George Lucas knew of this phenomenon as he wrote Anakin as his own personal antagonist and creator of his worst fears and nightmares. Anakin’s dread brought about that which he feared the most. George Lucas is a creative genius and it shows in his characters and his stories. The universe is abundant with creative genius and I am allowing myself to envision joining as a writer.

Just like Alex, I am a magnet. We are all magnets actually and our thoughts attract other like thoughts. The Secret asks the reader to organize and direct their thoughts by figuring out what they want and then believe they are receiving it already. This task pushed me to type what I really wanted in my life. This was something I hadn’t done and in some cases, I had been afraid to totally commit to. When I hashed things out with myself what happened next brought a rush through my body and invoked powerful feelings like I was sealing the deal. She tells the reader to change the wording from “I want” to “I am so grateful and happy that I am/have.” It was a powerful task and soon dreams and visualizations of my desired future came to me with ease. My goals didn’t seem like pipe dreams any longer, instead they were happening right now. Of course, some of this may sound easy enough, but it took and continues to take work and devotion. I do a great deal of visualizing each day, sometimes multiple times a day, about my future and the future of those I love. Mindfulness practices have nearly been a daily occurrence, and trust me, I still have my meh days. Scathing thoughts drip into my awareness every now and again. The negative thoughts that tell me I'm not a great writer, my grammar needs work, there were issues in the book I should have caught, my book isn’t selling, I don’t have enough reviews, I’m not writing enough, blogging enough, or marketing enough. The good news is, the happy and positive thoughts are stronger and can easily tip the scales! Once you put out into the world, into the universe, what you want you see it and believe it to be true. Then, it will all come to fruition.

What’s been incredible about my practice and teachings through The Secret is that I catch these negative thoughts quicker and find it easier to refocus. It’s not that I don’t allow myself to be tired, angry, sad, tired, or scared. On the contrary, I am a firm believer that all emotions have a purpose and we need them to see and experience great joys. No, I don’t push them away, instead, I focus on the good, the things that make me happy, the love for my children, the jokes with friends and my husband, and the hobbies and exercise I enjoy. My friend, who is reading Rhonda’s second book, The Power, showed me a section where Rhonda explains the refocusing of feelings as an addition of happiness and not the removal of negative feelings. She relates being in a bad mood to a glass of water. This glass contains a small about of water that is our happiness and the negative feelings are the air in the glass that cannot be removed. Instead, we fill the glass with more water, aka happiness, and we feel better. We then continue to see the good, to be happy, and to move towards a future that has been put into motion by our own belief that we are already receiving what we really want. Happiness comes from being grateful for what we have now and not dwelling on what we don’t, or what is not going our way, what someone did to us, or what others have and we don’t. It’s recognizing the amazing things in your life loving yourself, believing in yourself, lightening up, loving others, and removing stress.

As I read through the pages of The Secret with my friend, one who is also smacking the “duh” hand upside her own head, I have found clarity for my goals and dreams. I see visions of my future and I feel confident in the fact that I will get there. My stress has reduced, I show love and affection to my loved ones even more than I thought possible, and I am grateful for what I have now and for all that I am working towards in the future.

So, yes I am a good writer, yes people enjoy my books, and more people will start to enjoy Alex and her band of misfits along with all of the other books and characters I breathe to life in my future novels. Once I believed all of this for myself, I realize that I will achieve my goals put into motion by positive feelings about myself, my vision for the future, hard work and dedication, and believing with unwavering faith that I am obtaining my goal right now.

Thank you for reading my blog, for supporting me, for caring about my words, and for being wonderful and amazing.

Parker

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Published on January 26, 2016 18:27

How To Find The Time

As I near the end of writing my second novel, I am reminded of what I frequently tell my students. They are encouraged to prioritize their activities, homework, and social life while also reminding them to stay positive as they reach for your dreams. In my life, there are countless days that these two war against each other. I constantly make time to write, despite the odds of ever becoming a professional writer, while the other aspects of my life beg for and need, attention.

Being a mother of two young children, an independent author, and a full-time high school counselor, I struggle to balance my time. I always want to spend quality time with my family, helping the students on my large caseload, and chasing my dream. Oh, and there’s taking care of myself by getting sleep, exercising, and eating well. Is there ever enough time in our day? Does anyone ever get enough sleep?

I hear “how do you do it?” many times a week and sometimes I have a hard time answering that question. To be honest, I am not always sure of how I do it. Especially when my 3-year-old bangs on my computer, the clock reads 12:30 am and I have to get up in less than 5 hours, or when I have blood shot eyes, a crick in my neck, and I still have to take a shower and make lunches. Not to mention the time I haven’t been able to spend promoting and marketing the book the way I really want and need to. I should be hitting the streets and passing out cards. I am supposed to be dropping into bookstores and calling reporters but I’m instead rushing home to get my oldest off the bus after a full day of work, getting in a quick run so that I can continue to stay mentally and physically healthy and strong, and all the other life responsibilities that I know we all have.

So, like I tell my students, I have set goals, and I have to get creative. I know what I am capable of now, and I am willing to keep working hard by putting out quality books. Trips are essential to market, and I will dedicate at least two times out of the year to travel and market. It is important to be inventive when trying to keep yourself healthy and some things I am really good at doing, and others, well those I stink at.

So here are the ways I have tried to make it all work. Some days I feel like I am owning it, and others, well don’t judge when I am spazzing and close to tears.

How do you take the time to care for yourself?:

Exercise: Gone are the days I spend an hour or even more in the gym or at classes. I run or do a quick 15-20-minute workout on my non-running days. 8fit is an awesome app that I have been using for the past two months, and they have high intensity and diverse workouts, fitness coach and meal ideas. Plus, my girls love to try to do the exercises with me or at least enjoy pushing the “next” button. A small caution for all of you with small, expert device wielding or button pushing little ones. They have skipped my rest many a times, and boy does that make the workout much harder ☺ On my run days, I try to take them with me when I can. My oldest can ride her bike with me on over 3-mile runs while the little one still loves the jogging stroller. I feel I am still getting quality time with them and taking care of my body and mind.

Sleep: Yes, even with my second child who trained me to survive on little sleep, I still need it. We all do! Some of my compromises with her, now 3 and still hard to get to sleep and keep asleep self, are that I will stay in her room, but I will work on my computer as I sing her to sleep and be there when she wakes- up afraid. Yes, I fall asleep in there and wake confused about where I am, but hey it’s sleep! She has also become ninja-like for those times I make it to my bed, and I find her cuddled up with me at 5 am. No, I don’t think it’s the best sleep for either of us. I mean who sleeps well with little feet or a tiny toosh in their face at all hours, but we are doing the best we can and for now- and that’s okay.

Eat: This part I admit I am not the best at and typically consult my older, and MD wielding, sister. She does a fantastic job at planning meals for the week while my family does not. I do, however, have two little helpers now, and I have been putting them to work on smaller, and safer tasks. Ones such as making/packing lunches (beware of the double dosing on the sweeter treats. Mine are sneaky sometimes), mixing ingredients, making a salad, and my oldest can even make scrambled eggs. I also make a ton of hard boiled eggs, chops veggies for the week and divvy them up for lunches, and ask for help more when I need it. I was the one always going to the store and started to get annoyed with my husband, but then all I had to do was ask. Now he goes a lot after work or in the morning after dropping off the girls. Communication is key, and although we are all super mothers, fathers, girl, and boyfriends, or single moms and dads, we need to ask for help sometimes.

Leave it!: Sometimes the best way to take care of yourself is to NOT work on your project at all. That’s right, close or don’t even pick up that laptop, notebook, or palette. Push the stress aside for a day, days, or even a week as long as you can still meet your goal or deadline. Sometimes the break unlocks a floodgate, and your creativity will come rushing out tenfold; more so than if you forced it out piece by piece instead of taking a much-needed break. This is incredibly useful for writers block, but more importantly for those of us that have a ton of other hats and need to prioritize or just rest. As long as you keep your focus while you take a break, never fully letting your dream escape the track you out it on, I’m sure you will see amazing results.

All in all, if you don’t take care of yourself you won’t be happy, those around you won’t be happy, and it will make it harder actually to reach your goal. Reaching your goal beaten down can lead to never wanting to repeat what you have worked so hard for, and if it’s a writing career you are aiming for –cranking multiple works is key!

2. How do you find time to write?

Into the night : Being a night owl helps, well it helps my writing but not the dark circles the next day. It also helps that I have a goal, four books in 4 years that I will keep cranking out and market the best I can. If I hit wall after wall and don’t find my niche to keep going, then I will reevaluate. No, I won’t quit, but I may need to realign my goals, and I also may not be able to keep up the pace and the late nights. I did invest in a laptop with a backlighted keyboard as well to be able to type quietly in bed next to my little one. For those of you who are early risers and don’t have to be at work at 7 am like I do, you can reverse this and sneak your writing in early.

During the kids’ activities: Thankfully my girls like at least one thing in common so I looked around for class times that were the same or close to each other at the same facility. My laptop goes with me, and I sit and type while they enjoy their class once a week. I bring my ear buds so I can focus and get a good hour in. The girls do well when I am there now, whereas before I was in the car that was not the most comfortable of experiences. There aren’t any coffee shops, libraries, etc. close enough, but you all may have one nearby that you can pop into during their class as well so be on the lookout.

Mommy isn’t here: When the kids know I am home it is “mommy, mommy, mommy!!!” So, yes sometimes I have to pretend I am not home, and my husband takes care of things when I am really trying to get something done. These don’t have to be major chunks of time when you can focus, so an hour or so is usually enough. This act of hiding myself away is also a good plan during your lunch break. You can eat and write a little for yourself on your break!

Banning Perfectionism: So, I’ve been telling you over and over again to use those little chunks of hours, and some of you may be thinking I am crazy. I know it can be very difficult for some of us to just write, to get it all down, no hold’s barred, balls out, and without fear. My husband, in fact, struggles to let an email for work flow without having all the right words and those perfectly worded sentences and structure. There are times I have felt the same. I pull out my hair out and chew on my nails as I searching for a word, a way to lead into a scene, or one of the hardest things-closing a chapter or ending a book. Now if I can’t find a word I write a simple one, highlight, and come back. If I can’t lead into a new scene seamlessly, I write a note to myself in that spot, highlight it, and move on to the next scene. It will come later, I promise.

Free writing is essential to get your thoughts out, to move through the ideas of your story, email, speech-whatever it may be. So, try to remind your anxious mind that you will go back and fix all those crummy overused words, those commas in the wrong place, or that ending and just write!!

I hope the tips I have learned throughout my process of writing my first two books are helpful for those of you chasing down your dream. For some of you, it may be to become a writer as well, or an artist, maybe you are a student in college or working on a report, article or dissertation. Whatever the case, I hope I have helped you find the time.

Parker

Parker Sinclair

Founder and Owner

Rawlings Books, LLC

Author of Trust: The Alex Conner Chronicles Book One, an adult, urban fantasy.

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