Wednesday, December 26, 2012

E-books, Games, Squidoo, New Year's 2013


The week between Christmas and New Year's is kind of a let-down after all the preparations for the holidays. To fill your time I am sure you are downloading e-books to your new reading devices and taking time to enjoy a good book. I should add a shameless promotion for my e-books at this point--J.Q Rose Amazon page--Watch for my new cozy mystery/sweet romance, Coda to Murder, scheduled for release from Muse It Up Publishing in February. More information about that in 2013!

This week is a good time to settle in with the family and friends to play games. You may discover some for your New Year's Eve party too. I added the disc game in the right margin under the title, New Year's Fun. You can while away the hours (when you're not reading). Just grab the disc with your cursor and let it drop anywhere on the board. Warning! It's addictive..

Dominoes is a traditional favorite for youngsters and grown-ups alike. We especially like to play Mexican Train and Chicken Foot. Rules for Mexican Train here and rules for Chicken Foot here. Please remember there are as many variations of rules as there are players, so whoever supplies the game also makes the rules and lets the players know BEFORE the game begins what they are!!

So many card games. So little time. We enjoy playing Hand and Foot. Some folks say it reminds them of Canasta. You need a calculator to keep track of your points!!

Because we like to play games, I shared some of our favorites and included the rules and information on squidoo.com, a place filled with lenses on games, crafts, books, etc. 

Our neighbor taught us the Sticks Card Game. Making the game using popsicle sticks is part of the fun. AND there are no points to keep track of. Take a peek at the Sticks Card Game rules here.

Our all-time favorite game, hands down, is Pegs and Jokers. This game is full of strategy very similar to the rules of Sorry. There are a lot of variations and that's what makes it fun. Again, no scoring. Whoever gets all their pegs in home first wins. It can be played as partners or not. Pegs and Jokers game rules here.

Other games I have on Squidoo are the Hodge-Podge Card Game and Dice Games for Fun

What are some of your favorite games to play? Monopoly, Poker, Bridge??? Jenga, Scrabble, Clue, Checkers?

Whatever you choose, have a fantastic week and a Happy New Year 2013!!

Monday, December 24, 2012

Merry Christmas to the World!

The Nativity Scene at Disney World

The angel said, 
"Don't be afraid. 
I'm here to announce a great and joyful event 
that is meant for everybody, worldwide. 
A Savior has just been born in David's town, 
a Savior who is Messiah and Master."
--Luke 2:10 (The Message, the Bible in Contemporary Language)

Merry Christmas greetings to everyone around the world!
Feliz Navidad, 
Gledelig Jul, 
Mele Kalikimaka, 
Joyeux Noel, 
Buon Natale, 
Chook Sung Tan
Il-Milied it-Tajjeb

Jesus brought his message of peace and love to the whole world. Let's spread the word to transform this world into one filled with peace, love, joy, and hope.
God bless you.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Recipe: Cream of Broccoli Soup


Fresh broccoli

Here's a tummy warming recipe for Cream of Broccoli Soup for all the folks who are or will be experiencing blizzard and winter storm conditions. Since I can't be at your house to drop off the actual bowl of soup, the next best thing is to share the recipe. Enjoy!! Thinking of you.

Cream of Broccoli Soup Recipe

4 T. butter or margarine
1 1/2 c. chopped broccoli
1 1/2 c. chopped carrots
1 c. chopped celery--Add more if you like a lot of celery taste
1 medium diced onion
20 oz. chicken broth
1/3 c. flour
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
2 1/2 c. lowfat milk--you can replace evap milk with lowfat and use total 4 c. milk
salt and pepper to taste

Melt margarine in Dutch oven. Add vegetables and cook over medium heat about 10 minutes or till veggies are tender. Add chicken broth and allow to begin to boil. Stir in flour gradually, then slowly stir in milk. Salt and pepper to taste.

You can add more veggies to make a heartier soup and you may want to add ham and cheese too.

Enjoy this tummy warmer.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Another Five Star Review for Girls Succeed



Thrilled to share this 5 star Review on Amazon from Sue's Reviews below:

5.0 out of 5 stars Girls Succeed to become Successful WomenDecember 9, 2012
By 
This review is from: Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women (Kindle Edition)
This book is well written and very informative. If you have a dream you don't think you'll be able to attain I suggest you have a look at this book. It will certainly give you inspiration for your own goals.

The women in this book have all achieved their dreams and are to be applauded for their efforts. All worked hard to get to the level they desired, but some had to work harder than others when life put obstacles in their way. They're not all high flying professional women, their goals range from chef, to minister, to scientist to gold medallist. Do you have dreams? Get inspiration to achieve them from this book.

Smashwords Buy Link

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Decorating for Christmas

Our Christmas tree
Are you all decked out for Christmas yet? We went crazy this year. About a year ago, we bought a huge tub full of Christmas lights at a yard sale. Paying the whopping sum of $3. for the entire tub, we packed it away in our shed. This year we decided to get out the goodies and see how many of the strings worked. Happily only two of them were duds, so we unloaded the entire box and strung them up on our house. WOW! What a fun blaze of twinkling colors. If I get a really good picture of the sight, I'll add it here. It's hard to get the right lighting outdoors to take a picture. Anybody have a good hint as to time of day to take it or camera settings?
We have not put up outdoor decorations for years...probably since our kids were little. You see, we were in the floral/greenhouse business for twenty years in Michigan. One of the services we did was  put up outdoor decorations for folks and for businesses. Yes, my DH was not thrilled to do all those jobs  (remember the cold weather is always the coldest and windiest when putting up lights) then come home to decorate our house. 

This year he actually enjoyed putting up the lights and seeing the beautiful results. It was quite a different experience in Florida hanging strings of lights in 75 degree weather in the sunshine. Don't tell him, but I believe the lights twinkle brighter against a snowy background....shhhhh...But they are fun and festive.

What a special time of year. Wishing you all the peace, joy, hope, and love this season brings now and for the brand new year, 2013.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

FREE FREE FREE E-book: The Good Neighbors


For a fun read, pick up my holiday short story, The Good Neighbors. 
It's FREE on Amazon December 6-10.
The main characters are Jim and Gloria Hart whom you met in the mystery novella, Sunshine Boulevard. This snowbird couple from Michigan always help out the neighbors in their Florida retirement community when asked. 
Who knew being good could turn out to be so bad?


FREE on Amazon December 6-10

Amazon Review:

I disturbed the peace at Wendy's because I was laughing so hard reading this while I had lunch today. It's another great waiting room read--the kind of short-story you can devour along with a quick burger or while waiting to see the doctor. But try not to laugh too loudly unless you want to tell people what you're reading. On second thought, go ahead. Laugh out loud. Don't be afraid to let people know how much you're enjoying Ms. Rose's writing. Isn't a good hearty laugh in the middle of Wendy's a great recommendation for a book?  Rochelle Weber


All royalties will be donated to local food pantries.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Self-publishing or Traditional Publishing--It's Your Business.

BREAKING NEWS! Publishing your book is a business!

Whether you are submitting to traditional publishers (who take on all the cost of producing your book) or self-publishing (where you are responsible for ALL the costs), getting your book into the hands of readers is a business. You are the entrepreneur trying to sell your wares to the public.

A business person can set up a booth at a market, rent a downtown storefront, or even set up a lemonade stand in order to sell their wares. You, like the ancient marketers of old, are providing a product to a consumer when you write a story and have it published. 

I know it is difficult to wrap your brain around the fact that you are a business person no matter how your book is published. Even if your book is released by a traditional publisher, the advancement of book sales is squarely on how good you are at selling and distributing your story. You will have to market your stories to readers and that will create expenses which are considered the cost of doing business. You will have to keep records on revenue. Like it or not, you will be a business person in the publishing industry. 

My husband and I owned a floral shop and greenhouse business. We spent money to create the corporation and invested our lives, our fortune, our talents into making it a profitable venture for our family. 

That scenario is no different if a writer wants to open a business, hang out her shingle so-to-speak, and take on all the risks, the worries, and the JOY of publishing her own work.

Just as we learned the ins and outs as retailers in the floral industry, you will learn many lessons in the publishing world by joining in and experiencing it for yourself. IF you have the money to invest in the venture, then what is holding you back? You'll never know until you try. But first, do your home work just as if you were putting your nest egg into an actual storefront. Don't go in with stars in your eyes and pockets open to every scammer in the business. Be sure to publish your BEST effort for your readers.

So are you ready? Perhaps you will one day add author and entrepreneur to your resume. Best wishes!

Friday, November 30, 2012

Need a Break from the Holiday Madness??





The official holiday season is in full swing now. Time for decorating, shopping, cooking, partying, and sometimes stressing out. Take a break from the madness and retire to a quiet corner to read.

If you truly want to escape and just chill out for awhile, pick up my holiday short story, The Good Neighbors. The main characters are Jim and Gloria Hart whom you met in the mystery novella, Sunshine Boulevard. This snowbird couple from Michigan always help out the neighbors in their Florida retirement community when asked. Who knew being good could turn out to be so bad?



Amazon Review:

I disturbed the peace at Wendy's because I was laughing so hard reading this while I had lunch today. It's another great waiting room read--the kind of short-story you can devour along with a quick burger or while waiting to see the doctor. But try not to laugh too loudly unless you want to tell people what you're reading. On second thought, go ahead. Laugh out loud. Don't be afraid to let people know how much you're enjoying Ms. Rose's writing. Isn't a good hearty laugh in the middle of Wendy's a great recommendation for a book?  Rochelle Weber


All royalties will be donated to local food pantries.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Author Marva Dasef Visits Today

A big round of applause for my friend and author, Marva Dasef! Today she is sharing two of her paperback books with you. I bet there is someone on your Christmas list who would appreciate a good read. Write a comment on this post to win a free paperback copy of either of these books. 


Welcome, Marva, to the J.Q. Rose blog. Tell us about your books.


Books for Both Old and Young 
by Marva Dasef

When we give Christmas presents, it’s nice to have an actual wrapped present under the tree. Ebooks are great, but many older folks, especially in their 80’s don’t have ebook readers. My mom (age 89) has her laptop, but she doesn’t want to read a book on it! The computer is for email and checking her bank balance.

But kids all have ereaders and computers, right? Well, not necessarily, and certainly not if their families don’t have much money. A brand-new book to give to a needy child is much better than a toy.

I’m offering two books for Christmas good for both old and young. I’ll be putting them on a special price through Amazon via my magical powers as an Amazon vendor. If you buy from Texas Boy Publications, you’ll get a brand-new book signed by the author. Can’t beat that deal. Or you can take advantage of free shipping and the Buy 3, Get 1 Free offers on Amazon. If you do buy from Amazon, I’ll send you a signed bookplate you can stick on the title page. Just like a real signing.

Here are my books. I hope one or both looks like a nice present for somebody you know.

Tales of a Texas Boy



How do you handle a crazy jackass? Eddie knows. If you ask Eddie, he'll tell you pigs can fly and show you where to find real mammoth bones. Take his word for it when he tells you always to bet on the bear. These are things he learned while dreaming of becoming a cowboy in West Texas during the Depression. Through Eddie, the hero of "Tales of a Texas Boy," we find that growing up is less about maturity and more about roping your dreams. Hold on tight. It's a bumpy ride. A wonderful read for anyone who enjoys books like "Little House on the Prairie" or "Tom Sawyer."

Buy Links:

LARGE PRINT Tales of a Texas Boy (look at Other Sellers to buy from Texas Boy Publications):

Smashwords Ebook in multiple formats: 

Eagle Quest



Fiona, Hap, Billy, and Mitch make an odd set of friends, as different from the usual junior high school crowd as they are from each other. When Mitch, a half-breed Indian, decides to check out Bear Valley as a site for his Vision Quest, the other three accompany him. It turns out to be more than an overnight camping trip as the friends encounter a bear, an old man, and poachers.

Buy Links:

Amazon Paperback (look for Other Sellers to buy from Texas Boy Publications)

Smashwords Ebook in multiple formats

Write a comment on this post to win a free paperback copy of either of these books. See, part of your Christmas shopping could be finished.

About Marva:

Marva Dasef lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and a fat white cat. Retired from thirty-five years in the software industry, she has now turned her energies to writing fiction and finds it a much more satisfying occupation. Marva has published more than forty stories in a number of on-line and print magazines, with several included in Best of anthologies. She has several previously published books. Her latest pride and joy is the Witches of Galdorheim Series from her super duper publisher, MuseItUp.

Find Marva at:
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/?tab=wX#107073845875601488093/posts
Twitter Handle: @Gurina

Story from Tales of a Texas Boy

Out of the Chicken Coop


Most animals on the farm were there for a purpose, rarely as pets. 
That meant that animals were not allowed in the house like they are today. 
If they got in, however, it wasn't always easy to get them out again.

When I was just a little kid, no more'n seven if I remember rightly, I was down in the chicken yard tossin' grain like I was tol'. This one little red hen started followin' me around instead of peckin' up the grain like the other chickens. I thought it strange, but just went about my business.

When I opened up the gate to leave, the red hen just whooshed right through 'fore I could get it closed. I tol' her, "Now you get back in there," and opened the gate just a bit for her. She didn't pay any mind to the invite, but just headed on across the yard as fast as two feet could take her.

I latched up the gate and took off after her. I thought I'd better grab her before she got up to the porch. Ma doesn't like chickens on the porch 'cause of the mess they make. So, I was runnin' after the hen and she was makin' a bee-line for the house.

Well, she was faster 'n me, so she beat me handy and up on the porch she went. The kitchen door was open to let the heat out since Ma was bakin' pies. That hen just traipsed right in like she'd come to visit.

I caught up with her finally and she and me went round the kitchen table a time or two. I was glad Ma wasn't there 'cause I know that hen wouldn't of lasted two seconds if that were the case. I figured I'd better catch the chicken 'fore Ma turned her into supper.

It were a standoff. I'd go right around the table, and the hen'd go left. I'd go left, and she'd go right. When I stopped, she stopped. Mostly, chickens don't have much sense, which is why people don't take to them much. Except for eatin' and eggs, of course. But, I was beginnin' to think this was one smart chicken.

I'd left the kitchen door open so's I could chase the chicken out, but that just perked up Ol' Spot's curiosity as he come in to see what was up. Of course, Ma don't allow no dogs in the kitchen, neither, so I'd two strikes again' me already.

The hen didn't care for Spot bein' in the kitchen, neither. That's one thing Ma and the hen would agree on. So, she gave out a couple of clucks and jumped up on a chair, which was shoved under the table. I got down on my hands and knees and crawled under the table. Spot thought this was a good idea, so he come under, too.

The hen spied Spot and Spot spied the hen and there was a lot less room under there after that. Spot jumped at the hen and she jumped over to another chair and Spot just followed her under the table. He'd pretty much forgot I was there, too, so he scrunched his way right over the top of me, pushin' me flat to the floor. The hen's jumpin' from one chair to the next and Spot was runnin' around in circles trying to catch her.

Cluck, cluck, bark, bark. I was surprised Ma hadn't already showed up.

I decided there weren't enough room for me, Spot, and the chicken, so I started to crawl out. But, that didn't work so well, as Spot lunged at the chicken just as I was pushin' out from under the table.

Now, Spot wasn't a real big dog, but he weighed in about thirty pounds and was plenty strong. When he jumped up to catch the chicken, he knocked me over and I rolled up against the leg of the table. Yep, that's the same leg needing fixin' for the last month and Pa hadn't got to it. It's not surprisin' the leg pushed away when I rolled up against it. That end of the table fell on my back and all the pies slid off on the floor. It was pretty startlin', so I'll admit I yelped some. Course, Spot was barkin' and the hen was a-cluckin' so it was gettin' right noisy in there.

When the side of the table fell, I could see the hen kind of squirt out the other side and make for the door. Spot scrabbled out and hit the floor runnin' after her. I'd just crawled out from under the table and, wouldn't you know, Ma showed up and was standin' there like she does with her fists balled up on her hips. She'd got that look, I'm sorry to say. I 'spect you know the one I'm talkin' about. Her eyes were kind of narrowed down and her mouth wasn't smilin' at all.

I stood there in front of her tryin' to think of what to say, but nothin' good was comin' to mind. So, I just tol' the truth.

"Ma, it was the chicken. And Spot, he was chasin' the chicken. It weren't my fault."

"I don't see no chicken and I don't see no Spot, neither."

I looked around at the table all cockeyed and the door opened, and she was right. Spot and the hen headed for other parts, leavin' me with the blame. Even at the tender age of seven, I knew the next step was a trip to the woodshed and a switchin'.

Ma took hold of my suspenders and walked me out the door.

"But, Ma . . ." I thought maybe whinin' might help, but it didn't.

I thought I was doomed for sure, but then I saw Spot standin' by the chicken house barkin' to beat all. Ma noticed too, and her hand eased up on my suspenders just a bit.

"That red hen got outta the coop and went to the kitchen. I was just tryin' to get her out an' Spot come in and he made the table fall down."

Ma let go of my suspenders and stopped in the middle of the yard. She looked at Spot by the chicken coop and she spotted the red hen stuck between the coop and the pig pen.

"All right, you're let off this time, but don't you go chasin' the chickens into my kitchen no more," she said. She turned about and went back to the house. I headed to the chicken coop and pulled Spot's collar 'til he backed off. I opened the coop gate and the little red hen, waitin' for her chance, ran like a house afire back into the pen. I slammed the gate behind her. I guessed she'd had enough fun for one day.

"You don't be comin' outta the pen no more," I told her stern-like. It didn't do no good, though. The next week she got out again. And the week after that. I don't think there was any keepin' that little hen in the coop once she'd been to the house. Finally, Ma just let her stay since it was just too much trouble tryin' to keep her out.

I guess that's the way of any critter. They like to run around as they please. I could understand it, as that's what I liked, too.

Friday, November 23, 2012

5 Star Review for Girls Succeed!

Thrilled beyond measure to receive a FIVE STAR Review from Rochelle's Reviews for Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women.

Check it out at Smashwords.com!

Monday, November 19, 2012

And the Prizes Go To----

.
The Girls Succeed Book Tour is over. I am a bit sad about it. But thrilled I had the chance to visit so many wonderful places along the way and receive such encouraging words from commenters.

Today I announce the prize winners in the drawing. 

I am reaching into the glass candy dish and fumbling around to draw out the first winner. No, I did not keep the candy in the dish to mix up with all the tiny scraps of paper with names on them. I HAD to eat all the chocolate kisses first!




Here are the lucky folks--

Joylene --$10.00 Amazon Gift Certificate

Meradeth--Free copy of Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women

Saundra--Succeed bracelet kit

Susanne--Notepads and gel pens

Congratulations!!

I believe everyone who left a comment or visited anonymously are all winners because you love reading books. Thank you!



Saturday, November 17, 2012

Book Tour Winding Down--You Can Still Enter the Contest


The Girls Succeed Book Tour is drawing to a close. I want to thank my friends and authors who so graciously allowed me space to introduce readers to the e-book and the stories of the awesome women inside the pages.

Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women is a project close to my heart. Girls have so many circumstances to deal with in today's teen lives. In fact, life is different for them compared to my life as a teen. There was no Internet, cell phones, emails, Facebook, and hey, not even microwaves. The problems of body image, availability of huge amounts of fast food and snacks filled with sugar and salt, bullying (well, yes, we did have bullies, but not on the Internet too!), and a life so full of activities the girl never gets to come down to spend time just dreaming big dreams.




I hope this book encourages big dreams and guides a girl toward making a plan for her life and working hard to achieve it. 

There is still time to leave comments here and on the other blogs I visited so you will be entered into the drawings for a $10. amazon gift certificate, free Girls Succeed e-book with format of your choice, and inspirational notepads and gel pens. The link to the blogs are listed below. Winners will be announced at 9 pm Sunday evening.

Thanks for following. Best wishes!

Nov.
5 Barbara Ehrentreu
7 Pat McDermott
9 Marva Dasef
12 Conda Douglas
14 Lisa Haselton
15 I.B. Nosey
16 Penny Estelle
18 Announce winners

Friday, November 16, 2012

Penny Estelle's Short Story: At What Price?

Short story by P.A. Estelle
Today is a pretty special day. Author Penny Estelle is my guest and I stop at Penny's blog as I wrap up the Book Tour for Girls Succeed. After reading about Penny's intriguing story, hop on over to her Penny's Tales blog and discover the non-fiction e-book for girls, Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women. Be sure to enter the drawing by leaving a comment here and/or at Penny's blog to win prizes.

Welcome, Penny. 


Good morning J Q.  I want to thank you very much for inviting me to stop by and chat.

I would like to talk about my very first “adult” story - At What Price? 
The story is about a grandmother who steps up to take care of her granddaughter, who was abandoned by her own mother.  The little girl’s name is Rio. 

I actually have a granddaughter named Rio.  My Rio is six-years old, going on twenty-six.  The only similarities these two Rios have in common is the long, curly, wild hair.

* * * *

Katherine Gardner is awakened at 6:30 in the morning with a call from a strange woman who claims to have her granddaughter, Rio. This woman is calling the police if Katherine doesn’t make arrangements for somebody to pick this little girl up.

Katherine is a fifty-six years old woman and all alone, since her husband died over three years ago. Her life takes a dramatic turn when six-year old Rio comes to stay with her. Rio is a scared little girl whose life is filled with uncertainty and fear.

In her grandmother, Rio finds a safe haven and an unconditional love that she has never known in her six short years and Katherine has found a love to fill the void that has been absent for way too long.

Unfortunately Katherine’s daughter, who deserted Rio, has other ideas.


Excerpt:

Rio seemed excited about the prospect of going to school, but when it was time to take her to class, she was as pale as a hen’s egg and had a death grip on my hand. The fear in her eyes was heartbreaking. I gave some flimsy excuse about school already being in session for the day so we would start fresh tomorrow.
            The receptionist said, “It won’t be easier tomorrow. I can assure you, she will be perfectly fine if you allow us to take her to class now.”
            This bitch had no heart. “I’m aware and thank you for your concern. We will be back tomorrow.”
I took Rio to the store to buy school supplies and a few new dresses, but she seemed to retreat back to the scared little girl I found in the plane.
            At dinner, I talked about the new friends she would meet and all the stuff she would learn in first grade. I was babbling about riding the school bus when she interrupted me.
“Mimi?” she whispered, “Where will I go next time if nobody picks me up from school?” She bit her lip, as if to keep it from quivering, and her eyes seemed to fill her entire face.
I pulled my chair next to hers and ran my hand down her mass of tangled curls, physically hurting for my granddaughter. “Rio, as long as you are with me, I will pick you up – always! That’s a promise. I love you and you will always be safe with me.”

Download a sample or buy At What Price? at these online booksellers:






I have written three MG/tween stories and one non-fiction story about my and my hubby’s life living “off the grid.”

Hike Up Devil’s Mountain
Billy Cooper’s Awesome Nightmare
A Float Down the Canal
SOLAR – One Family’s Reality

I (and my books) can always be found at:
Twitter - @pennystales

Feel free to stop by anytime.  I love visitors!

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Ahoy, Gum Drop Island--I Visit with I.B. Nosey Today


Don't ask me why, but again I am being interviewed by I.B. Nosey, the official, unofficial reporter at Gum Drop Island. It's always a wild and zany place to go. What an island! Full of licorice trees and gum drop bushes. I can't wait to dive into the chocolate river. Come on over to "experience" all the fun at Gum Drop Island. 

Leave a comment here and/or at Gum Drop Island and you may be a winner in the drawing to be held this Sunday night!! See all the prizes!



Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Virtual Book Tour for Girls Succeed Continues


Today I am a guest at author Conda Douglas blog Conda has a delightful fantasy series for tweens, the Mall Fairies. Escape from the ordinary day with this fun book. You're invited to stop by today and leave a comment to be the winner in the lucky draw. See you there!!

Prizes:

                                                                                                                                           
 
and More

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Veteran's Day 2012


Veteran's Day 2012

A day to honor 
and thank veterans 
for their service to our country.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Jane Stroschin: Children's Author and Ilustrator

Author and Artist Jane Stroschin

Children's author and illustrator, Jane Stroschin is featured at Marva Dasef's blog, the Cellophane Queen. Jane is a talented artist with paintings enjoyed by art lovers around the country. You'll love how she wrote her Christmas picture book, Emma Lou and the Reindeer Flu, told in Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women.



Hop on over to find our more and to enter the drawing for prizes after the book tour. See you there!!

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Sue Chef Featured Today

Sue Chef cooks up a career.

Sue Chef shares recipes for girls on Pat McDermott's blog. Sue's career in culinary arts is featured in my new e-book on careers, Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women, Sue shares some easy recipes for girls to create.

Come on over and leave a comment to win prizes during the book tour!


Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Results of Self-Publishing on Smashwords and Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing


Part 3

Ta-dah! I present to you my first self-pubbed e-book, Girls Succeed: Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women. I never appreciated Lea Schizas, the formatter behind Muse It Up Publishing (and co-owner), my publisher for two mysteries, Sunshine Boulevard and a new release coming in February, Coda to Murder. Believe me. I really, really do appreciate her after going through this process!

I left you in Part 2 wondering if I made it into the Smashwords Premium Distribution Catalog. This catalog is very important because a self-pubbed book will not be made available to major online booksellers if the formatting and information is not correct. I made a major mistake by including links to amazon.com in this Smashwords version of my book. That is a no-no because Barnes and Noble and Kobo are included in the booksellers distribution list. <slapping my hand to my forehead for that big error>. So that ruined my chances for acceptance, but it was a pretty easy fix once I found all the links to amazon. However in the amazon version of the book, I kept the links in. I wonder if that will gain me some brownie points with Amazon.

The biggest hassle and problem was the long nightmare of figuring out how to correct the Table of Contents formatting.  Mark Coker's Smashwords Style Guide is excellent and he sets out the steps very well. I just messed up several times with the process. The huge problem is that in the Word doc, the links linking back to the T o C do work. I don't know what happens in the conversion process that corrupts the hyperlinks. 

The one thing I did learn and want to pass along to you is if you check the e-pub file of your book after uploading to the meatgrinder right away, you can catch errors and not wait for any word to come down from those reviewers in cyberspace. Smashwords suggests you use the adobe digital reader to check  it out. You can download this reader for FREE. I waited about four days to get an okay and I got antsy, so I re-read the Style Guide and discovered I could go ahead and upload another version since I knew something was wrong.

I'm sure there will always be things to tweak in the book and updating to be done, but I am proud to present the links to the e-book below. Download a sample so you can see the results of my labors.




Best wishes to all of you who are striving to achieve your dream of publishing a book!




Monday, November 5, 2012

Girls Succeed Book Tour Kicks Off Today


So excited to present the first stop on the Book Tour today at Barbara Ehrentreu's blog. Barbara penned a great YA story, If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor. Carolyn Samuels experiences so many situations young girls of today face. The book kept me reading, and I sure am not a young girl!! 

Since it's the first visit on the tour, I wanted to mention the ladies who achieved firsts in their careers e.g. firsts in athletics like Olympics and Paralympics gold medals, in dressage competition (horse riding), the first woman president of the Clowns of America International and the leader of the first People to People International Clown Delegation to China, and the first Athletic Director for both boys and girls in Illinois. I also included the first chapter of the book. Hurry over. Maybe you'll be the first to leave a comment!!

Please pop over to Barbara's and leave a comment to enter the drawing for prizes. Book Tour is November 5-17. The schedule is to the right of this post. See you there!!


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