Goodreads

Are you on Goodreads? I am! I hope you come over and join me. 
Tonya Kappes Goodreads 

But I want to know exactly how you use Goodreads. Do you only mark the books you want to read? Do you actually go to the author's pages and look around? Do you take advantage of the 'ASK THE AUTHOR' feature? 

I truly want to know how to connect with you on Goodreads!

Real READERS Always Find Time To Read!

Happy Monday! Happy READER MONDAY! 
Today I'm excited to introduce you to an amazing reader, Lori Cimino! I met Lori on Facebook through another reader friend of mine, Dru Ann Love. Lori is such a great friend to authors. She is an avid reader and gives her favorite authors a little time of each day through social networking. AND she always finds time to read. . .

I have never understood it when I hear people say, "I love to read but I never have the time." Don't get me wrong, I do understand that everyone has obligations-- kids, jobs, relationships. But if you really love to do something, really enjoy it, you find the time to do it.

My favorite pastime has been reading and I have had a love of books for as long as I can remember. My mother has a passion for the written word and I am so grateful that she shared it with me. My earliest memory of books is around the age of 4 when we would walk to the bookmobile and pick out books. And it was around age 10 that I discovered my love of mysteries in the local library. I will always cherish the memory of the first time mom took me to a bookstore and I bought my very first book, I was 12.
 
I have always found ways to steal moments of time to read. Where ever I am, where ever I go, I ALWAYS carry a book or E-reader with me. I read during lunch breaks, while waiting for appointments or in lines. I even read during long road construction stops and in the car while my husband runs errands. In fact, I often go early to appointments or the movies just so I can have some quiet time to indulge in my latest armchair adventure. I used to read while my kids took naps or while watching them at play.

Of course, now that I am an "empty nester" I have more time than ever to read. My bedtime ritual is to read an hour or so before I go to sleep. I ride my recumbent bicycle and read or when my husband commandeers the tv for video games. When I am deeply invested in a story I have been known to read during commercial breaks while watching television.

My point is, if you love to read allow yourself to find the time. If your life seems to busy or hectic it is even more important to find the stolen snippets of time for yourself. And this is true of any pleasure you enjoy. You need those moments, whether it is 10 minutes or 2 hours to unplug from real life.

Treat yourself well and blessed be.

How do you find time to read?

Chat With Your Favorite Author On Kindle!

After the release of A Charming Crime, the first novel in the Magical Cures Mystery Series, I wanted to connect with my readers on a deeper level. 

I already have a very active STREET TEAM where my readers and I connect on a very personal level and I LOVE it! But what about you guys that don't have a Facebook or aren't on my STREET TEAM that do read my novels? 

I want to reach every single reader. And this means thinking outside of the box. I already belong to online book clubs, Skype book club, Google Plus book clubs, and in person book clubs. 

My last KINDLE chat was only open to my STREET TEAM, but now I'm opening it up to everyone! I want you to join us! I want you to see how you can connect to your favorite authors. I might not be your favorite author or you might not have read my novels, but that's okay! I want you to see how it works! 

On Tuesday, December 4 at 9pm EST, I will be on my KINDLE FIRE in A Charming Cure novel (YES....you have to own the novel in order to participate. It's only 2.99 for a best seller.)

When you tap on the menu at the bottom, you will see a little chat bubble. The bubble is where you can leave a comment about the book anytime you are reading and the comment will stay there forever. Sometimes I go in my novels and see what readers write and sometimes I write back to them. I want my readers to know that I'm just like them. I put my pants on one leg at a time too.

The Kindle chat isn't just about A Charming Cure, you have free reign to ask me any questions you want about anything! 

Here is a blog post I did about the Kindle Chat in August. We had so much fun! 

So come on over and join us on Tuesday!! We'd love to have you! And if you  haven't had time to read Monday's post on the Thanksgiving that WASN'T, you still have time to go over and leave a comment for an opportunity to win a free copy of my Christmas short story, A NEW TRADITION!

If you can't come to the chat. . .how would you like to meet up with me and discuss?

Author + One Published eBook Per Year = SLACKER?

In today's society it seems that everything is better FASTER!

And if we don't keep up, we feel like we are left behind. Or at least I do...

Especially today in the Ereader age!

Just think about it. In the "old days" (two years ago...) the average reader had to get dressed, put on shoes, get into the car, drive to the book store, find a parking spot, walk into the store, spend hours browsing shelves, and then buy a $10.99 book or even higher price.

Fast forward to today.

Now the average reader (One in six Americans have an Ereader.) has to get their Ereader from the kitchen counter, click a couple of times, and have an ebook of the new release of their favorite author in a second for DOLLARS cheaper than going to the book store.

Ereaders readers have given a jolt of caffeine to the world! It has made non-reader become avid readers. I know because I hear from my readers all the time that tell me I have created a reader in them! LOVE IT!

But as an author, I've found this little shot of adrenaline a BIG shot of panic/fear in my soul. What happened to the day when we could publish a book every six months even one a year?

Readers are getting use to having the luxury at their finger tips and aren't so willing to wait a year. I know because my readers are always sending me emails, Facebook messaging me "hurry with the next book."
I know it's all in good fun, but there is always some truth to joking....right?

With that comes fear....if I wait longer than four-six months between novels, am I going to be forgotten? Are the little short stories, prequels, or mini-mysteries I publish between novels enough to wet their pallet?

One thing I know for sure. . .

The excited readers has lit a fire under me! It's given me a new ambition. Put a little more oomph in my muse. Not only has it gotten me writing more, my writing is getting stronger and stronger with each word typed. Staying motivated to please my readers had taken my novels to a whole new level.

What about you? Do you feel the pressure of getting more books out there?

To Book Or Not To Book...that is the question.

Now that I have five novels out, and working on six short stories plus three NEW novels for 2012, I'm having to make some business decisions.

These decisions aren't easy for me, and I won't bore you with all of them but ONE!

When I left my publisher and began my indie journey, I knew that I wanted a career as closest to being with a big six publisher that I could get.

That didn't mean I wanted a big six publisher, I don't, what I wanted was the publicity and a chance to compete with what a big six publisher might be able to get you. More marketing, more promo, yada-yada. . .But most of all I wanted a BOOK. A book to hold, a book with my name on the cover.

And I've done that! I realized I was my best marketer/promoter not some big company. I had the book signings, the copies to my friends, parents, and whoever else wanted one.

Here are the stats. I've been published for FIVE months, and in that five months I've sold over 10k ebooks and 500 print books. I'm not complaining. It's fantastic! Trust me when I say that my heart is so grateful that one book sold much less over 10k!

And the 500 print books are from signings. BUT it does cost me to have Print On Demand with Amazon. I promise I'm not in this writing gig for the money, but I don't want to go in the hole either. NOT THAT I AM, but it's a business decision that needs to be made. I hate when readers ask me why the ebook version is only .99 when the paperback is $10.99. I can control the ebook version price, but Createspace makes the final decision on the paperbacks. I would love to make my paperbacks less and gain more readers.

I hear readers all the time that are not embracing the ereaders because they LOVE the smell of a book, the feel of it, etc. And I get it. I too was hesitant until I got my Kindle. I've read more since I've had my Kindle then I have in years! Plus I'm not lugging all my paper backs everywhere. I'm not ever buying paperbacks anymore.

With in the next two weeks, the next novel in my Grandberry Falls series, HAPPY NEW LIFE, is coming out. I've made the decision to release the novel in ebook only. I'm not saying it will be like that forever, but the initial release will only be in ebook.

Don't forget that you can download Kindle for PC for FREE!! You can read on your laptop, phone, PC and get those great prices!!

Are you a ebook reader? OR do you still want that book?