Mayhem, Mystery & Murder!

You asked and I delivered! YAY!

I'm so excited to announce a fun get together weekend with you! I hope you check it out and decide to come. I already feel like I know you, but I want to see your face! We are going to have a lot of fun by starting off with a murder mystery train luncheon on the Old Road Dinner Train in Blissfield, Michigan, just over the border from Toledo, Ohio. That night we will have a fun pizza get together where my publisher HarperCollins/Witness Impulse has sponsored goodie bags full of swag from the Ghostly Southern Mystery Series! In the morning, we will be having breakfast together before venturing off to Barnes and Noble for a book signing of the newly released A GHOSTLY MURDER!
I hope you sign up today. Space is limited to only 40! 

Check out the train here! 

All the details are on my website. Click here to see accommodations and how to reserve your spot!

Is Self Publishing Still A Stigma?

Literary Karaoke? Really??

I read the Huffington Post article going around the past couple of days and it made me pause. Sort of dumbfounded really.

It's no secret that I want a traditional publishing contract. It's a dream of mine to be on the shelf at Target. BUT I absolutely LOVE having my indie career. I will NEVER EVER stop self-publishing. So when another author sent me the article, I about choked on my RED HOTS!

I'm assuming I have had my head buried in the sand over the past few months because I was under the assumption that agents (or at least the agents I'm working with) are really embracing the indie author. AND a lot of traditional authors are either publishing both ways or dumping their agents and going indie.
And hearing that some authors have an all out campaign against indie authors, it made me sick.

Indie authors work much, much harder than traditional authors. I'm NO WAY putting down traditional authors, but I know a ton of them and I can tell you that hands down I do WAY more for my career than they do.

1) I attend conferences just like them.
2) I have book marks, tote bags, business cards, author swag just like them.
3) I have print books just like them. And I get the final decision on my COVER, not like them!
4) I have ebooks just like them. Though I get to set my price to the market, not like them!
5) I tweet just like them. Only I'm on several tweet teams to get my name out there!
6) I'm on Goodreads just like them. I connect with my readers on a personal level!
7) I blog just like them. Only I pay it forward without expecting anything in return!
8) I'm on Facebook just like them. Only I'm on Facebook a lot more working on my marketing!
9) I write one word at a time to make a novel just like them. And PUBLISH four-five novels a year $, not like them!
10) I have book signings just like them.

What I have that they don't:
1) A STREET TEAM of readers that would do anything for me!
2) A GREAT group of blog followers.
3) I market way more than them!
4) I promote way more than them!
5) I keep my title!
6) I'm hungry! I want to connect with my readers.
7) I set my own deadlines.
8) I control my career. Plan and simple.

Will all the things I do stop once I have a traditional novel? NO! I know the value of hard work on the marketing and promotional side of this business and will only make me stronger!

At the end of the day, there are so many readers out there and with the world of ereaders, reading has gotten so popular! There is enough for everyone! Oh. . .a little secret. . .readers have NO clue if you are traditional published or self-published. They just want a great book and great prices.

What's your thoughts? Still a stigma?

The Gifted Writer

Putting together a marketing and promotional plan for you novel is one of the hardest things you will do. Many of us would rather have a root canal instead of asking people to buy your novel.

There are several ways to get your novel in the hands of readers that will help spread the word. But you can't just start when the novel comes out. You have to start when you begin writing the novel.

WHAT? GASP

YES! There is nothing better than giving back to your readers before they give back to you! We need the reader, and the reader needs to be respected by us. After all, it's the reader that keeps our drive going to write the next book.

I'm talking about simple things.

1) Street Team.
How many times can I stress the STREET TEAM concept? I have over 100 people on my STREET TEAM and it's only been up and running for one month. In that month, I have connected with my readers. We have discussed books, other than mine, what author swag they like to receive, and what is going on in their life.

I have truly invested in them. I host a give-away each month and it was so much fun sending the first one in the mail. But I know that when A Charming Crime is released next month, I can count on them to help me spread the word.

2) Author Swag.
I came up with author swag a few years ago before I had a novel out! I made blog swag to give out to commenters on the site or different holiday contests. Readers love to feel value and I VALUE THEM...A LOT!!!

It can be simple and inexpensive. Vistaprint.com has a lot of great deals and some of them are free!!
Or what about The Dollar Tree? YES! I'm not kidding!! I recently purchased large, nylon beach bags in four different colors for $1 each!! They are huge and I ironed on my STREET TEAM LOGO!! The iron-on paper was the most expensive item for $20 from Hobby Lobby! I will use those for reader swag give-away.

Oriental Trading has great items too! For my novel, Splitsville.com, I purchased mini-magnifying glasses and hot-glued them a postcard (I got the postcards from Vistaprint for FREE!!)

3) Thank you!
A simple thank you is always appreciated! I get a lot of reader mail. I make sure to take the time to read each one and write a personal note to them. It's so important to let them know how much we value their time.

Think about that! TIME! Do you have any?? The reader gets up in the morning, goes to work (or stays at home with kids, etc...), does their daily duties like we do, get their kids to extra-curricular activities, cook, laundry, cleaning, etc....They take the time to sit down, open their e-reader/book, and invest their precious time in your words. WOW! I'm so honored they spend any time on me...and so should you.

What do you do to give back to your readers? I'm always looking for new ideas.

REMEMBER: You can find more marketing tips and tricks, plus great websites for reader swag in my craft book THE TRICKED OUT TOOLBOX!

Great articles:
The Top 7-ways Authors Mess Up Marketing
To My Wonderful, All-Knowing Readers

2012 Reader and Writer Get Together

The annual Reader and Writer Get Together is now open for registration!!!
June 1st!!

Everyone is welcome! The Get Together is possible because everyone pulls together. For only $50, you get an entire weekend of fun with authors, readers, publishers, editors and agents. But our focus is to make this FUN for the readers. LOTS of giveaways, terrific raffles, plenty of face time with your favorite author, a multi-author book fair, photos, meals, games, parties... join us, and I promise you won't regret it.

Here is a list of all the amazing authors that are participating this year!


Lori Foster aka L.L. Foster
Duffy Brown aka Dianne Castell
Sherrilyn Kenyon 
Lora Leigh 
C. H. Admirand
Marcia Anderson
D. Renee Bagby 
Becky Barker
Jules Bennett
Toni Blake 
Monica Burns
Mary Burton
Ann Christopher
Lisa Cooke
Virna DePaul
Monette Draper
Jacquelyn Frank
Viola Grace
Leanna Renee Hieber 
Brenda Jackson

Tonya Kappes
Kimberly Killion 
Donna MacMeans  
Janice Maynard
Erin McCarthy
Sarah McCarty
Patricia Sargeant 
Jill Shalvis
Kay Stockham 
Shiloh Walker
Tianna Xander Stephanie Burke

Last year was so much fun getting to meet and greet that readers upfront and personal! I loved every second of it and can't wait to do it again!

 Author book signing!

 Always giving away some swag!

Me and reader/friend Melissa!

Hope to see you there!!