A huge part of publishing a book is promotion. If researching a story is a rabbit hole, creating promo material is a black hole. There is an entire universe of options, and it is far too easy to get sucked into each one and lose hours, sometimes days. Here is my latest creation. I made many versions in Canva* before settling on this one. For those of you doing your own promo (which falls on most writers nowadays, independently and traditionally published), I highly recommend Deposit Photos* for your photos. They have great sale packages, so keep an eye on their site, or sign up for notifications. (*These referrals are based on my experience. I do not benefit from recommending them.)
Thursday, 22 June 2023
Thursday, 1 June 2023
When you chase your dreams, you begin to live your dreams. —Scot McKnight
Monday, 22 May 2023
One Starfish at a Time
My latest YA novel, Spotlight, is not remotely about me, yet has so much of me in it. It is definitely more connected to who I was, who I am, and my life experiences than my other three YA novels.
I had two teachers who made such a difference in my sense of self that I am convinced they changed the trajectory of my life. Autumn, the main character in Spotlight, is also fortunate to have one of those special educators. I had such great pleasure writing that teacher through Autumn’s lens.
Those in the educational field do not often get to see the impact they have on the future of their students. And some days it’s tough for them to believe that what they do is worth the sleepless nights. But, it is the faith that they can somehow make a difference that drives the great ones. I always thought this short adaptation, called The Starfish, captured that perfectly. The boy’s words became my mantra as a teacher and as a principal, so it’s not entirely surprising that the concept has found its way into my writing.
I look forward to you meeting Autumn and seeing her special relationship with her music teacher. Here’s to all the educators who pick up starfish every day.
Monday, 8 May 2023
Available for Preorder!
A sexy rock star, a determined songwriter, and a shared dream—
Seventeen-year-old Autumn can craft killer songs. It's an amazing feat considering she can't read or write. It's not that she doesn't understand how to, it's that the words won't sit still. Literally. They dance and swirl across the page. Mislabeled ADD and self-defined as stupid, she's managed to keep most people from knowing about her illiteracy with help from her mom and her best friend.
When Logan, the lead singer of Midknight, falls for both Autumn and her lyrics, he encourages her to hitch onto his rising star. It's a dream come true, but she's convinced he'll dump her when he finds out the truth. She wants to pursue song writing and hold on to Logan, but figuring out how to keep the guy, and her secret, may prove an even bigger challenge than making it through senior year.
Coming June 1st. Available for preorder now.
US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C3Z47XGZ
CA: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0C3Z47XGZ
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0C3Z47XGZ
DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0C3Z47XGZ
Sunday, 23 April 2023
Gonna be a time...
It’s gonna be a time. It’s a Newfoundland expression you say when adventure lies ahead—especially if it involves a gathering of your besties, booze, and good downhome music. I’ve heard the saying in my head so much this last year or so. But, while the voice in my imagination is laden with the familiar Newfie accent, I haven’t drawn any comfort from it. Mostly, because the voice has altered the words, instead, repeatedly saying: It’s been a time. And, it has.
Life has been weighted with loss, health issues, and stress. Just when I thought the world would soon tip upright, it tilted again. It has also been a year of hard work and reward. Writing under contract was new to me, and being an overachiever, I took it seriously, delivering my manuscripts polished and well ahead of deadlines. I’ve always functioned that way. But I’ve never had to do it while my personal life was reeling. The publication of my first historical romance series (a dream come true) was both joyous and bittersweet.
So, why the Newfoundland expression? I don’t know. Perhaps, during the harder days, I was drawn to memories of my life growing up in an outport there. Some of the happiest—innocence, youth, blind belief that life would be uneventfully eventful. Or is that what growing old does? Colour the past into comfortable pastel shades to ease the dark that splashes across one’s aging canvas?
My world is still askew, but less so. Maybe another aspect of getting older is that it never returns to its original position? Maybe we’re meant to look at our lives from each new angle? I’m not sure, but I do know, I am growing more productive. I’m also pushing myself back out into the world at large. A bit unnerving, but so far, I have been rewarded with the company of wonderful people.
So, it’s been a time. But more and more, I believe, that once again, the voice from my youth is going to cheer me on, and I will genuinely be looking forward to new adventures. Yes, some day soon, it’s gonna be a time.
Monday, 10 April 2023
Booksweeps Giveaway!
😍 Love is in the air! If you haven’t read LOVE DENIED, you can enter to win it on BookSweeps today — plus 40+ exciting Historical Romances from a great collection of authors AND a brand new eReader!💖
Here’s the link 👉 https://bit.ly/historical-romance-apr23
When you’re done, comment to let me know you’ve entered!
A huge part of publishing a book is promotion. If researching a story is a rabbit hole, creating promo material is a black hole. There is an...
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I know many of you have seen this already, but I’m not sure that everyone who follows the blog also follows me on other social media forma...