Happy 2011

I've been neglecting my blog due to some health issues and hospital stays for my husband, a nasty cold that I battled over the Christmas holiday, and just enjoying Christmas in general. I'm always blessed by the candlight service on Christmas Eve. The one thing I miss is having little children gathered around the tree on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning. But we were blessed with visits from our children and grandchildren over the days preceding Christmas.
We spent a quiet evening alone on New Year's Eve. Both hubby and I are still on medication, so we decided not to host our annual New Year's Eve gathering with some of our kids. I had downloaded a new book into my Kindle and spent most of the last two days reading while hubby watched football.
Now that a new year has arrived, it's time to get back in the swing of writing every day. That includes finishing the Say Goodbye manuscript and also using my blog as a daily journal.
I hope that everyone had a wonderful and blessed Christmas and a safe and happy transition from 2010 into 2011.
On Tuesday, I'll be posting a review of "Destiny's Dream", by Delia Latham. And on Wednesday, Delia will be joining us as a guest blogger.
Hope to see you then!

In the Mood for a Christmas Story?

Celebrate Christmas a little early by giving a present to yourself! LIGHTING THE TREE is available on Kindle for only $.99. If you don't have a Kindle, you can download a FREE Kindle application for your computer. Enjoy!

Go to Amazon to view.

Amazon Kindle - Hit and Run

Yesterday, I decided to work on putting my returned rights books on the Kindle platform at Amazon. A friend and fellow author, Becky Barker, gave a presentation on how to do this at one of my RWA chapter meetings. I'd been putting it off, worrying that it would be difficult to do.

BUT, much to my surprise, the whole experience took less than two hours. The book uploaded very fast, unlike my experience with Smashwords. What took the longest was finding the image I wanted to use for my bookcover. Searching through pages and pages of photos, especially when you have a very definite idea of what you want, is very time consuming. Finally, I opened my mind to other possibilities and found one that I really liked.

The advantage I have is that my books have already gone through a professional edit since they were published previously. Both books sold really well. I did some small edits to removing words I felt didn't match my current platform of being an inspirational author, but the plot and characters have not been changed in any way.

The book itself is not yet available on Amazon. The digital platform site requires 48 hours to complete the process. Next month, I plan to release FOXFIRE.

Perhaps I'd better start the photo search now!  How about you? Do you have a Kindle e-reader or have you thought about putting any of your books on the Kindle Store at Amazon?

Amazon's New 70% Royalty Option

Great news for those who publish their own works on Kindle. The announcement was made on June 30th that books meeting certain criteria, including a price between $2.99 and $9.99, will receive a higher royalty rate or 70%.

This new option will benefit authors, such as myself, who have the returned rights on previously published books.

I also read somewhere that Amazon's digital sales had surpassed print book sales. Another sign that e-books are here to stay.

While I love print books, as my bookshelves can attest, I've been purchasing all e-books since buying a Kindle. My husband is grateful.

Amazon's New 70% Royalty Option - Click Here to Read

Right Brain, Left Brain...Eeeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo...

Today, I'm going to tackle convering one of my "returned rights" books, HIT AND RUN, to be read on Kindle. Why? Because I can!

I excelled in math during my school years because logic problems stirred my brain. I loved the challenge of working my way through the formulas to get to the answer. I still love working logic puzzles or delving into something unknown. I love mysteries, mystical things, and creating things with my hands. There's something fulfilling in hooking up a new device to my computer and having it work, taking a rock and turning it into an animal with a paintbrush and ceramic paints, or creating a new world with words.

I've taken several of those "analyze your brain" tests, and I fall squarely in the middle. I'm not left or right brain dominant. I suppose that's why I lean toward many creative outlets.

So, today, I'm off on a new venture. I'll have the challenge of converting the book for Kindle and creating my own book cover. More to come...

Writing for Kindle

Thought for the Day: Friends are blessings

What I'm Reading: Cup of Joe, by Teri Wilson

Picture of the Day:

I'm working on revising my book, Hit and Run, and converting it to be read on a Kindle e-reader. One of the things I need to do is make my own book cover. Since the book is set in Tennessee, I'm planning on using one of many pictures I've taken over the years while vacationing in the Great Smoky Mountains.

Revising the book is fun. I haven't read any of my books after they were published. So, reading this one was my first experience. I found a few places that needed altered, but now I'm upping the tension and adding layers to make it an inspirational read. I'm hoping through this project, I'll learn to love revising manuscripts which haven't yet been sent to publishers.

I have another book, Foxfire, which I've also received the rights back on and it will be next. This one is deeply set in Tennessee, so finding the perfect picture for the cover will also be a lot of fun.

Browsing through old pictures brings back so many happy memories.

Thanks for stopping by!

I Am An E-book Author...and Proud of It

Sometimes I'm made to feel like a second class citizen because I am published in e-book format. Never mind that my books are also available in print. If I don't meet the standards of receiving an advance royalty, I'm not considered published by certain writing establishments. However, I'm considered published when it comes to entering any of their contests! Catch-22.

But, it doesn't matter. I write because I love to write. I love reading reviews and getting email from people telling me how I touched them with my stories. That's my goal. I don't do what I do to become the next NY Times Best-Selling author. I don't long to make tons of money and get world recognition for my books. I write because I can't NOT write. I enjoy telling stories. I love creating a book and the feeling it gives upon completion. Release day for me is exciting and scary. Just like it is for every "recognized" author.

However, with the economy changing and technology changing, the e-book is becoming more and more recognized, especially among the younger generation. I love reading e-books. They don't take up precious space in my house, and I can still hold my ereader in my hand and take it to bed and read. I can pack it when I travel without adding weight to my luggage.

Here's an interesting blog by Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Click to read