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The Postcard & Other Short Stories Earns Finalist Award in 13th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards
Finalist | Short Stories | 2019 National Indie Excellence Awards YOU GUYS!!!! Am I allowed to be a little excited for a moment? I was thrilled to learn on Friday that The Postcard and Other Short Stories & Poetry received recognition as a FINALIST in the 13th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards! This is the fourth time my books have placed in this contest, and on behalf of all indie authors out there, I want to thank organizations such as NIEA for hosting contests where our writing can be reviewed and showcased. Indie authors are tireless little bunnies out here writing and publishing our own stories, and I couldn’t be…
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The Postcard Gets 5-Star Review from Readers’ Favorite
Honestly, it’s been a pretty rough 2019 for so many reasons, but seeing this review this morning from READERS’ FAVORITE put a big smile on my face. It’s when I read something like this that I know that despite all the work and effort it takes to be an independent author, it is all worth it in the end. Thank you also to my former student, now PR pro, Grace Clark, for the amazing cover photo, which helped earn us a perfect 5 score for the collection, from writing, storytelling, to cover design. Cheers! THE BOOK REVIEW Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers’ Favorite A postcard is more than just…
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What Matters Most: Reflecting
When you’re about to launch another book into the universe, you have to keep yourself grounded. You can’t set your expectations too high, and you can’t set them too low. You have to keep your feet firmly planted where they are and do the best that you can to spread the word about your books and your writing because it is all about choices: you have chosen this path of self-publishing. When I begin to become frenzied and nervous, I remind myself over and over again why I do this type of challenging work on the side and why I invest so much time in it. I have to remember…
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Inn Significant Named Finalist in National Indie Excellence Awards
*** It’s what every writer dreams of — a little recognition for the work you slaved over for a year and a half. Just a little nod to let you know your work was not done in vain. As I have chosen my own path of writing and publishing as an independent author, whereby I do all the work on the book myself—from writing it to editing it to designing the cover and laying it out for print and for digital media to uploading it and publishing it via my hub Mimosa Publishing—being a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards really means something to me. I am so grateful…
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Writing About Places in Fiction – Maryland’s Eastern Shore in Inn Significant
As a writer, it’s important to research the places you may feature in your writing. I spent a ton of time walking around Annapolis, Maryland, for my first novel, Beneath the Mimosa Tree, and I did the same with the novel I launched yesterday, Inn Significant. It’s part of the fun, really. As my students in travel writing class can attest from last semester, it’s envigorating to write about a place, but there’s a trick. You have to allow yourself to be completely immersed in the place. Your writing won’t be as vibrant if you’re just a spectator. You have to become one with the place…become a local while you…
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My Third Novel, Inn Significant, Is Now Available !!!
B I G N E W S T O D A Y ! ! ! INN SIGNIFICANT IS NOW AVAILABLE ! *** A few weeks ago I likened birthing a novel to birthing a baby, except without the physical pain and need for drugs. I still think it’s true. I’m happy to report that my third novel, Inn Significant, is now available via Amazon and Barnes & Noble in both paperback and for the e-readers. As those of us who are independent authors know, this is when the marketing work begins, and it ain’t easy. Plus, it requires me to do something that I’m not used to doing, and that’s…
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Book Promotion for Inn Significant
It’s looking like my new novel will be available in two weeks. I am down to the last few changes, and soon, my friends, it will be in your hands. I wish the process could be a quicker one (for all of us, believe me!), but producing a novel takes time, especially when you write, edit, design, and market it yourself. That’s why it’s called independent or/or self-publishing. We are jack of all trades when it comes to this hobby. So today, I’m sharing a promo piece I put together for the book that I’ll be using to help promote it. I got the idea from an advertisement for a…
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Snow, Spring and The Dad in Baseball Girl
* * * This picture above was taken minutes ago in my backyard in Maryland. It’s the first day of spring, and Maryland is “supposedly” in the South. Sometimes you wouldn’t know it. Like today, when the birds should be chirping and tulips should be starting to come to life. This weather is for the birds. And by “the birds,” I mean the Bay City Blackbirds in Baseball Girl. Won’t you consider hunkering down with a book written by a struggling independent author and see what happens in the love triangle among a ballplayer, a sports writer, and a woman who works in baseball before the official start of this…
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Readers Share Baseball Girl on Social Media
I said this earlier in the week, and I mean every bit of it: I am touched by my friends and supporters. Thank you so much for helping a little independent author like me get the word out there. It’s word of mouth, sharing on social media, pinning, and talking it up that are seriously the best promotional tools for any indie author. Please know how much I value your support, encouragement, and kind words. As a quick tribute to those who have helped promote the news of Baseball Girl, I thought I would share some of the photos they have been sharing on social media. I’m truly tickled by…
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A Letter from A (Male) Reader
I was so flattered last night by an email my husband received from his friend, Bob Cusack. An old college friend, Bob is the managing editor of The Hill, which makes his comments to me even more special, because he is a successful writer, editor, and a member of the Screen Actors Guild. His words to my husband last night were touching, and he has permitted me to share them with you today. Thanks, Bob. When I read something like this, it makes me happy that I decided to self-publish “Beneath the Mimosa Tree,” and it encourages me to persevere and finish writing “Baseball Girl.” Thank you for taking the…
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Book ‘Em Danno: Making New Friends Through Book Club Visits
The support I’ve received for “Beneath the Mimosa Tree” has been overwhelming. From former students writing and publishing articles about the novel in local newspapers, to friends emailing me about how much they enjoyed it, to people recommending the book on Facebook or Goodreads, to book clubs asking me to attend their meetings, it’s been heartwarming. Truly. Then, add on top of it that “Beneath the Mimosa Tree” has been awarded a Finalist Award for Contemporary Fiction in Readers Favorite’s annual contest, and I’ve got a whole lot of warm and fuzziness going on right now. The Annapolis Book Bag Ladies and Cover Girls meetings, along with my colleague Leeanne’s…
