Tuesday, June 26, 2012

"The Good Dr. Grant" Book Trailer


I like to try new things and I have been checking out other's book trailers, so I thought, "Why not!"
 I can do that and...Wa La! Here is my book trailer for 
"The Good Dr. Grant"
I had a lot of fun making this. 
I purchased pictures from

Which I found after checking out 
Where you can pick up some great photos for free.
And then I also picked up some photos from
And you can buy "The Good Dr. Grant" on Amazon




  

You can also watch the video on YouTube here http://youtu.be/v9b2TeEIYyY

First, I want to thank Doug Adair for writing the music for me.

You can find more of Doug's music here on Reverbnation


And Stop by his Facebook page here


And I found him on YouTube too! And I really like this one!

And then I put a shout out on Facebook once again.
 I still needed a picture to use for, The Good Dr. Grant
And Joshua Merrick, author of "Wrong Way Street" answered my call.
You can find Joshua's website here
Wow Joshua is everywhere! :-)





You can find "Wrong Way Street"
On Amazon

Paperback

E-Book

And Barnes & Noble

Saturday, June 23, 2012

"Wrong Way Street" by Joshua Merrick

Today I want to share "Wrong Way Street" By Joshua Merrick


I love this cover!



In the aftermath of this country's darkest hour, the attacks on the World Trade Center Twin Towers, DIA specialists stumble across a vital intelligence transmission that could lead to one of the masterminds behind the attacks. A team of ARMY Rangers is sent behind foreign lines to find and extract this mysterious man, but before they can reach the landing site their C-130 transport is targeted by a roving team with surface to air missiles - a team placed by CIA assets to protect the Rangers' target. With his chute damaged and the mission compromised, Lt. Jason Callaway (known as JC to his friends), faces the biggest challenge of his military career: to bring in one his nation's greatest enemies, one of her own turned traitor. After JC overcomes impossible odds to escape the intelligence assets who try to turn him for their own purposes, he finds himself court-martialed and the rest of his team imprisoned. The organization behind it all target JC's wife in an attempt to bring him in again. A failed midnight attack leads to JC being injured and on the run while his wife Karen, is hospitalized for GSW to the chest. With time running out, and his wife's life on the line, JC brings the fight to them, employing all his skill and training (and all the favors he can call in) to find the men who want him dead. When other means prove ineffective, JC's unknown enemies turn one of their best agents loose after him, a woman named Lori who has never failed. With rogue agents and intelligence turf wars, bitter secrets and desperate men with too many names; the only chance for success will come down to what one man is willing to do for the people (and country) that he loves. This whirlwind adventure is a must read for all.



You can find "Wrong Way Street"
On Amazon


Paperback
http://www.amazon.com/Wrong-Way-Street-Joshua-Merrick/dp/143278353X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340464887&sr=8-1&keywords=wrong+way+street

E-Book
http://www.amazon.com/Wrong-Way-Street-ebook/dp/B00881O3VU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1340464887&sr=8-2&keywords=wrong+way+street

And Barnes & Noble

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

A Snippet of "Chris' Journey Turning Different Corners"


If you've picked up and read, "The Good Dr. Grant" You would have seen a snippet of Chris' Journey Turning Different Corners" at the end of the book, but what you don't know, is that I have been editing and revising it since "The Good Dr. Grant" was published in April, 2012. I am working on a release date of July 4th. 2012 for the first book in the series,


CHRIS’ JOURNEY
TURNING DIFFERENT CORNERS
Her Journey Begins


                                      By Karen Einsel, 



This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author‘s vivid imagination or are used fictitiously.  Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead is coincidental.
Copyright © 2011 Karen Einsel
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form whatsoever without written permission from the author.


DEDICATION
This first book in Chris’ Journey is dedicated to one of my Best Friends
Cindy Cotter
Who has always believed in me
Love you Cindy!

CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1
CHRIS
CHAPTER 2
BRANDON
CHAPTER 3
HER DOWNWARD SPIRAL
CHAPTER 4
SAVED BY SUE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

A BIG HUG AND THANK YOU TO

JARROD

FOR HELPING ME DESIGN MY COVER.


CHRIS

   Sitting there staring at the cake, Chris watches the flames flicker on the candles as the colored wax drips down onto the chocolate frosting. Her eyes blur with the hot tears that spill over and roll down her cheeks. Barb puts her arm around Chris’ shoulder,
   “Chris, honey, what’s wrong?”
¨
   A few hours earlier….
   Chris changes the one year olds diaper and laying him down in his crib she hands him his bottle. Picking up the sleepy eyed two year old Chris hugs her.
   “Are you ready for your nap too?” The little girl lays her head on Chris’ shoulder and Chris smiles. “Okay, give me an Eskimo kiss.” The little girl giggles and rubs noses with Chris. Carrying her over to the crib, Chris lifts her up and over the rail and the little girl holds her hand out.
   “Uh, uh.” Picking up the doll from the floor Chris holds it out to her.
   “You can say, dolly please.” The little girl holds out her hand.
   “Dau-eee, pease.” Chris smiles at her.
   “Now go to sleep, pease.”
Going in search of Jason, Chris finds him sitting on the floor in her bedroom playing with his two cars. Chris ruffles his curly black hair and holds her hand out to him.
   “Come on Jason, let’s go make us a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You can spread the peanut butter for us.”  Jason grins up at her and Chris sees the delight in his eyes.
Trying to be quiet as they walk through the living room Chris hears a thump and the one year old starts to cry. Chris glances at her foster mom who is lying on the couch.
   “Dammit Chris, I told you to keep those brats quiet. You know I have a pounding headache.” Chris flinches as Jason squeezes her hand tighter. Chris whispers down to him.
   “It’s okay Jason. Let’s go see why he’s crying and then we can eat lunch.”
¨
   Pouring Jason a glass of milk Chris hears someone knocking on the front door. She tilts her head listening to see if her foster mom will get her fat butt off the couch.
   “Chris!”
   “Guess not.”  Chris sighs. “Eat your lunch Jason and I’ll be right back, okay?”
Opening the door, Chris looks at the lady standing there.
   “May I help you?”
   “Hi, are you Chris?” Chris nods her head. “Hi Chris, my name is Miss Vetro. I am your new social worker. Is your foster mom here?”
Chris looks over at her foster mom who is getting up off the couch muttering. “Shit, what does she want? Well don’t just stand there, let her in.” 
Chris smiles and opens the door wider, “Please come in.” Miss Vetro thanks her and steps inside. Jason comes looking for Chris and clutches her hand as their foster mom gives Chris the look that says, Go in the other room, I’ll take care of her. Chris tugs on Jason’s hand.
   “Come on Jason, we will go finish our lunch.”
   “Chris, I need you to stay. I have some questions for you also. May I sit down?” Picking up the magazines from the chair, Chris cringes as her foster mom snaps at her.
   “I told you to pick those up earlier.”
Chris lowers her eyes wishing she could disappear as Jason tugs at her hand.
   “Chris, I’m hungry.”
Still looking down, Chris shuffles her feet.
   “May I?”
   “Yes, but please come right back, okay?”
¨
    Coming back into the living room Chris sees Miss Vetro writing in her notebook and Chris sits down on the foot stool across from her. Clasping her hands in her lap, Chris looks down at her big toe that’s peeking out from her shoe.
   “Chris, why haven’t you been in school?” Chris looks up and looks over at her foster mom. “No. Chris I’ve already asked her, now I’m asking you.” Clenching and unclenching her hands Chris looks back at her shoe and shrugs her shoulders. Miss Vetro reaches over and pats her on the knee. “Chris, do you like school?” Chris nods her head. “Do you have friends at school?”
  Chris whispers. “A couple.”
   “Don’t you miss your friends?” Chris doesn’t answer. “Okay, let me ask you this, are you a good student?”
   “I don’t know. I guess I am.”
   “Chris, I talked to your teacher, Miss Bailey, this morning and she tells me that you are a very good student. She says you are sweet and kind and that you are very helpful. She also told me that you are a very bright young lady.” Still looking at Chris, Miss Vetro takes a breath. Her mind is spinning in every different direction. This is the first case she has been assigned and she was told, First rule, don’t get emotionally involved. Go in, assess the situation and see if the child should be removed from the home. How can she not get emotionally involved? Looking at Chris she feels sorry for her. Not only are Chris’ clothes stained with holes in them, but Miss Vetro can clearly see that Chris’ shoes are too small, making her wonder, What do these people do with the money they receive to take care of these kids?
   “Chris, I am going to take you and place you in a different foster home. While I sit here and go over paperwork with your foster mom, I need you to go pack up your stuff. Chris stares at her. Miss Vetro pats her on the leg again, “Chris, please?” Grudgingly Chris gets up and goes into her room grabbing the few things she owns and puts them in a grocery bag. Coming back into the living room, Jason walks over and grabs Chris’ hand.
   “Chris, where you going?” Getting down on her knees, Chris looks into his eyes.
   “I have to go Jason. They are going to put me in a different home.”
   “No Chris, I don‘t want you to go.” Chris sees his bottom lip start to quiver.
   “It’ll be okay Jason. I want you to do me a favor though, okay?” He nods. “I want you to be good. Don’t get into trouble and help take care of the little ones, okay?” Jason nods and with tears in her eyes Chris hugs him before standing up. “I love you Jason.”  Not wanting Jason to see her cry Chris quickly walks out the door with Miss Vetro right behind her. After opening the car door for Chris, Miss Vetro walks around and gets in the other side assuring Chris it’s going to be alright. Still fighting back the tears that threaten to fall and with a trembling voice, Chris lashes out at her.
   “How can you say it’s going to be alright? Who’s going to take care of them if I’m not here? I can’t just leave them! Why are you taking me away? Why not take them and place them in a new home?”
Miss Vetro sighs, “I can’t because I’m not their social worker, but as soon as we get back to my office, I will talk to my supervisor and try to have them placed elsewhere, okay?”
   Chris looks over at the house and sees Jason watching her through the steamed up window. Seeing the tears run down his cheeks, she whispers. “I’m sorry.”
It has been cloudy all morning. Chris watches the first few drops of rain splash onto the sidewalk and she shivers.
   “Are you cold? Did you bring a jacket?”
Still staring out the window, Chris sadly shakes her head, “I don’t have a jacket.”

Monday, June 18, 2012

Mondays Are Me Days

Happy Monday everyone! I have decided to dedicate Monday as "Me" day. 
I have blogged, tweeted, read emails, and responded to all.
I had a healthy lunch; wild caught salmon, half of a baked sweet potato, and fresh cooked broccoli.
No fats or oils, but there was fresh ground black pepper, a sprinkle of iodized sea salt, ground ginger, fresh basil and lemon from my backyard. And to wash it all down, a glass of carrot juice served in a wine goblet!
I have always looked at Mondays as a new beginning. A start day, so to speak. 
It's a brand new day to a brand new week. Time to start eating healthy.
Get into an exercise routine. Just do something good for you. 
I like to clean house, catch up on laundry, and start new projects on Mondays.
And when I say clean house, I mean clean house. Scrubbing floors, (On hands and knees of course)
toilets, and bathtubs. Polishing and dusting furniture and running the vacuum. Yes, you can call me crazy,
but I like a clean fresh smelling house (Especially after cooking fish and broccoli) and crawling into bed at night with fresh, crisp, clean sheets. Sweet!
I also like to do yard work. There isn't any better way to get some fresh air and exercise then pulling weeds, trimming around planters, and mowing.

So I will leave you all with some good thoughts and make your Monday a "Me" day!
And if you get a chance stop by my other blog and read my review of "Catch Her in the Rye"

I am headed to the jungle in my back yard!

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Sneak Peek of "Awake In The Mad World"




"Awake In The Mad World" by Damon Ferrell Marbut


Damon's novel, "Awake in the Mad World", is his debut novel and is tentatively set for a late June, early July release in print.
But you can get your copy right now at Kobo.
http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=%22Awake+in+the+Mad+World%22

Find it for your Nook here
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/awake-in-a-mad-world?keyword=awake+in+a+mad+world&store=nookstore
And the Kindle version will be out a couple weeks after the print, which is also exclusive through Amazon and Createspace. 

A Pre-Release Book Discussion in Damon's own words.

Elements of my novel "Awake in the Mad World" are, inarguably, “coming of age, identity and self-discovery”. But also, it’s about place, and asks, Where do the dreamers fit in? Where, in the modern American conversation that’s been changed by technology and is continuing to be changed by the political landscape? How we communicate and what we’re communicating about is managing some sort of odd relevance and mindlessness simultaneously. That said, is the importance, then, of one’s search for Self in this country being put on the backburner as greed and distraction take precedent by governing how we define our survival as artistic, creative thinkers? This is not an often nor heavily vocalized concern among those of my novel, not this particular topic, but they are on the edge of its weight and worry, and are therefore living in the early part of the new millennium where this conversation is developing as an imperative. And though the novel’s characters representing this search are post-graduates in their mid-twenties, the disillusioned and disenfranchised in our culture are of all demographics, ages, income ranges, genders and ethnicities. My novel is about human relationships, also, and how the growth and purity of our ambitions are shaped and altered by the friends and family we include on our paths to not perfection, but wholeness.

Damon's Blog  has plenty of information about it and readers can connect with him there at http://damonferrellmarbut.com/ 
Damon has set up his blog to be a forum to discuss anything that pertains to the craft and process of writing and publishing,  He hopes it becomes a location for fans to become friends as well. So make sure you stop by and wish him well with his new book and keep up to date with everything he has going on!
You can also find Damon on Goodreads

 http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6234255.Damon_Ferrell_Marbut

And Facebook

About this author

Damon lives and works in New Orleans, LA. He self-published his debut novel through Createspace, a novel entitled Awake in the Mad World, which is set for release near July 1. He currently is working on a new novel largely based in the French Quarter of New Orleans, and has a non-fiction book proposal under consideration with a publisher.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Catch Me If You Can!


Just want to let everyone know what I have been up to and what to look forward to over the next couple of weeks, but first my horoscopes, which by the way, are right on today!


Aquarius Today June 14, 2012
1/20 – 2/18
If you want some alone time today, that's fine -- but don't just drop off the face of the earth and leave people guessing about what happened to you. You owe it to your friends, family and coworkers to let them know what and where you are -- both emotionally and physically. If you want to have the freedom to come and go as you please, you need to provide the respect that other people deserve. Plus, they will worry about you if they don't know what's going on. Save them from that. "Okay, will do!"
Rooster Daily Overview 
Although you may not be fortunate in the love and wealth department, you might see yourself becoming successful career-wise. This, however, does not come without significant hard work from your end. With that said, make sure that you enjoy whatever leisure time you might have.
Dog Daily Overview
Be patient as you might experience a lot of problems today. You need to go through this in order to better appreciate the things to come when your own work brings about success. Don't get distracted by a blooming romance, as you need to iron things out around you before you indulge in some 'me' time.

So to catch up, I have been interviewing other authors on my other blog and you can find them here;
Sara Flower- I love her pen name. Did you know Flower is her middle name?
http://karensdifferentcorners.wordpress.com/2012/06/13/wednesday-wonders-interview-with-sara-flower-2/
And Victoria Limbert. I love her cover for Lilith! It goes great on my blog!
http://karensdifferentcorners.wordpress.com/2012/05/27/wednesday-wonders-interview-with-victoria-limbert/
On June 20th Sydney Aaliyah will be visiting us from Australia!
I've also been trying to help promote other author's books here on this blog.
"Ransom" by Emily Guido is her second book in her series, "The Light-Bearer"
http://differentcornersinmylife.blogspot.com/2012/06/light-bearer-series-by-emily-guido.html
"Immortal Relations" by G.D. Ogan
And coming up on June 18th, I'll have a peek at 
Damon Ferrell Marbut's  "Awake in the Mad World"
Which brings us to: I have been interviewed myself 3 times over the past couple of weeks. I had a great time doing Eden's interview here http://edenbaylee.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/inside-the-authors-mind-karen-einsel/
And then I was interviewed here on Writers Block Admin Services 
And Tomorrow you can find me here http://sharkbaitwrites.com/
I had a great time visiting with Sharky! I should have ordered the Pina Colada though, it would have been great while I was stranded on that deserted island surfing the web!
Last but not least "The Good Dr. Grant" will be promo'd on July 8th here 

PHEW! Wait! I haven't told you about yesterday and today!
Yesterday I had breakfast with my dad and step mom and my step sister, Val. It was great visiting with Val, since I don't get to see her too often, because she lives up in OR. Then I came home and spent the rest of the day reformatting the print version of "The Good Dr. Grant" Why? Because when I first published it, I wanted a photo of my son's dog inside the book in color. Little did I know at the time that, that one picture would jack the price of my novel way up. So instead of the average $15.00 I can't list it for less than $41.55 on Amazon. Lesson learned and I won't go into the details of reformatting, but let's just say it involves 2 laptops, MS Word, MS Works Word Processor, pdf. rtf. doc. two trusty memory sticks And a trip to the hair dresser to get all the gray hair colored!
So today is more reformatting and then some editing and revising of, 
"Chris' Journey Turning Different Corners" 
Because I am looking at a tentative release date of July 4th! Well that's it for now. Well there is more but I'll spare you the details. (smile)
Oops! I forgot to tell you I was awarded a blogger award for my other blog this morning from Zen Scribbles. Thank you Zen! Stop by her blog you'll be glad you did! http://zenscribbles.wordpress.com/2012/06/14/thank-you-for-the-awards/
Okay Gotta go! Catch me if you can!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

"Ransom" by Emily Guido




I met Emily through twitter and my other blog Karens Different Corners When she answered my call out for author interviews and she was telling me about her second book "Ransom" in  “The Light-Bearer series" And since I couldn't get her interviewed until July 25th, I told her let's promote the series here and then the interview on my other blog in July, so mark your calenders because I know Emily is going to surprise us with her answers!
Now I have to tell you, I have not read the books, yet, but from the snippet and the book trailers, she has piqued my interest. So enjoy the snippet and make sure you check out the trailers and don't forget to stop by her links and say hi!



“RANSOM” 
the Second Novel in “The Light-Bearer Series”    


Title: Ransom
Author: Emily Guido
Series: The Light-Bearer Series
Genre(s): Paranormal Romance>Angels and Vampires
Published: 2012
Format: Ebook
Synopsis:
"Ransom" is the Second Novel in "The Light-Bearer Series" which is the continuation of Tabbruis and Charmeine's romantic and turbulent love story and mission on Earth to battle Lucifer's minions!

Tabbruis and Charmeine’s life at the ‘Castle Charmeine’ is blissful until the reality of ruling the Hellish Blood-Hunters through the assuming the Elder Council responsibilities hit them in the face. Then, as a one-two punch, Lord Cromwell, one of the most deadly and powerful Blood-Hunters on Earth has escaped the Elder Council Prison! Lord Cromwell sends a beautiful agent to cause trouble for Tabbruis and Charmeine! He also wants something that Tabbruis has desperately! Will these two star-crossed lovers ever be at rest?

There are more surprises in store for the inhabitants of the 'Castle Charmeine'. Could this mean the end of harmony for Tabbruis and Charmeine’s family?

A must read for all who have read “Charmeine” the First Novel in “The Light-Bearer Series”. This can be a stand-alone novel, “Ransom” is action packed and thoroughly enjoyable in its own right!


BOOK TRAILER FOR “RANSOM”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiRUz_dxwnw&feature=relmfu

And if you haven't read "Charmeine" yet, Check out the snippet below! You're going to love it!



“Charmeine” the First Novel in “The Light-Bearer Series”     

Title: Charmeine
Author: Emily Guido
Series: The Light-Bearer Series
Genre(s): Paranormal Romance>Angels and Vampires
Published: 2012
Format: Ebook
Book Synopsis:  Can romance develop between a heavenly Light-Bearer and a hellish vampire Blood-Hunter?
Tabbruis is a Blood-Hunter, he drinks blood to survive. Over millennia Tabbruis has wondered the Earth alone aimlessly living through many historical events.
Charmeine just came to the Earth in 1997. Little did she know her destiny was to be Queen of all the Light-Bearers?
When Tabbruis meets Charmeine the attraction is immediate and passionate. They are polar opposites and clash together in a strongly romantic and dramatic way. When she meets Tabbruis, Charmeine’s powers as a Light-Bearer, one who throws lightning, is triggered and grows exponentially.
Charmeine and Tabbruis soon find out they were made by God for each other; however, on the day God cast Lucifer out of Heaven, they were split up by some mistake. Charmeine sacrificed herself to save her Tabbruis but they were sent to Earth as total opposites and in different times. Tabbruis never remembered Heaven, Charmeine or their child. Until he met Charmeine, he did not know he was the King of Darkness and destined to be her Husband on Earth as he was in Heaven.
Once Tabbruis and Charmeine proclaim their love for one another, they have to battle their way to freedom from the evil forces on Earth.


“Blood to save Tabbruis” snippet of “Charmeine” the First Novel in “The Light-Bearer Series”



Charmeine said, “No way will you die on me Tabbruis!” she ran across to the desk and got the letter opener and came to the bed cutting open a hole in the blood pack and held it up to his lips, he didn’t respond.
Angrily, she threw the blood pack in the bathroom sink. The tears were pouring out of her eyes clouding her vision. Then she came over to the bed and Tabbruis’ pallor was almost white.
Helplessness enveloped her. Charmeine yelled, “DAMN IT TO HELL!”
In desperation, she cut her finger with the letter opener. She pushed her bleeding finger through Tabbruis’ lips and rested it on his tongue and he rolled his eyes.
Urgently Charmeine said, “Taste my blood, you need to drink now Tabbruis!”
There was no response from him. Charmeine was not going to give up! Still with her bathing top on, she unzipped her hoodie and took it off.
While dripping her blood on her neck, Charmeine pulled Tabbruis up into a sitting position and leaned his mouth against her neck rubbing her bloody finger against her jugular vein and his lips.
Tears were rolling down her face and she said in his ear. “Hold on to me Tabbruis; don’t leave me now. I’ve been searching for you my whole life. Semper…tua…ero…Tabbruis.”
Finally, Charmeine felt a puncture in her neck.
Charmeine gasped at the pain but was relieved he was going to have the blood he needed to survive.
When Tabbruis began to pull on her blood, a rush of warmth ran through her body. When he pulled again, a shock of pleasure ran up and down her body.

Charmeine lay back on the bed too weak to hold up his weight up anymore. Going on his basic instincts, Tabbruis rested across the top of her with his mouth buried in her neck.
Tabbruis pulled on her blood again and an electric, sexual heat filled all her senses. Charmeine did not know what was going on. She had never felt like this before.
Charmeine pulled him closer pressing him against her and said, “Hold me Tabbruis, hold me closer.” With a low growl, he began to wrap his arms around her tightly and she moaned with pleasure.
Suddenly, Tabbruis’ senses came back to him. He turned his head from her neck ashamed of what he had done. Tabbruis’ desire was too great to be this close to her and he did not want to harm her.
Charmeine took his chin in her hands and he slowly turned his head. His eyes were green in middle but the iris was circled with black desire. Looking into his eyes she brought his head to her neck and said, “Believe.”
Tabbruis backed away and said very weakly, “I cannot; I may hurt you.”
Softly, Charmeine said looking into his eyes, “You won’t. I know you won’t.”
Charmeine kissed Tabbruis’ mouth. His fangs were exposed and she felt the fangs. Tabbruis was trying to control his needs but he could not help growling as she did this. She lowered herself on the bed and guided his mouth to her neck.
Charmeine whispered in his ear breathlessly, “Believe.”

Tabbruis could not hold back any longer, he bent down and began to pull blood from her neck again. He held her even closer now and she pulsated with white light. The warmth and tingle of her white light made him run his hands through her hair and up and down her arms.
Charmeine held him close burning with passion saying, “Always Tabbruis… Always.”
With one last pull of her blood which made her shiver, he licked her neck healing it instantly saying breathlessly, “Always.” Tabbruis lay back next to her.

BOOK TRAILER FOR “CHARMEINE” 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JI1YlLgjSI&list=PL574BDFDF896F2E5C&index=1&feature=plpp_video





Where to find/buy the Books:


Amazon:
Charmeine: http://www.amazon.com/Charmeine-The-Light-Bearer-Series-ebook/dp/B007E4S2IM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1330816867&sr=8-1

Ransom: http://www.amazon.com/Ransom-The-Light-Bearer-Series-ebook/dp/B0087M96TO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1339004698&sr=8-2

Barnes & Noble:
Charmeine: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/charmeine-the-light-bearer-series-emily-guido/1111340807?ean=2940013923232




About the Author:Emily Guido is a new Paranormal Romance Author. She was inspired to start writing "Charmeine" because one day she got an idea of two characters that needed to have their story told. Not ever dreaming a week later she would have over a 100,000 words written. When Emily writes, it is similar to you or I watching a movie. She pictures the characters in her head going through vivid descriptions of each scene. There are so many nuances going through her mind that she cannot type fast enough.  Emily is currently editing the second novel, in     
 "The Light-Bearer Series," Ransom, soon to be published in May 2012.     
She is currently working at a College full time, and pursuing her Master      
of Business Administration.  
                                                                 


Where to find/follow Emily:


Website: http://emilyguido.com/


Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5764521.Emily_Guido


Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Emily__Guido


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thelightbearernovelist


Monday, June 4, 2012

Personal Struggles, Need to Vent!

I just posted on my other blog about struggling when it comes to writing, or what do you struggle with when it comes to writing, editing, and revising and one of the comments was not having enough time and of course that comment triggered this blog post. Here's that blog post
http://karensdifferentcorners.wordpress.com/2012/06/04/struggling/ And now for this one. A personal side of struggling!

Tomorrow it will be 13 years since my mom passed away. My parents divorced when I was about 5 and I grew up with my mom. During the last two years of her life my mom relied on me to make the right decisions when it came to her healthcare. Now this is where the struggling comes in. I have lived for years wondering did I make the right decisions, which brings on guilt, sorrow and second guessing, which isn't good, but on the positive note, I have learned how to deal with those feelings.

Now, my dad is 88 years old and he is actually in excellent health, except for hearing problems and my step mom has suffered numerous strokes over the past few years which have affected her speech and it is hard to understand her because of slurring and garbling her words, not to mention she speaks in a whisper. Okay that's the scene but add to it the fact that my dad wants to remain completely independent, doing everything himself, until he runs into a problem. Then he calls me to sort out the mess. And that's fine, but certain companies won't talk to me on the phone. I know there are privacy laws and that some things can't be discussed, but I am not asking for his personal information, I'm just trying to straighten out the problem.

What I have found is;

  •  If you are not on the account, they can't talk to you.
  • Some representatives listen and understand and will talk to you. A big thank you to them.
With all the different accounts that people have, no matter what age you are, should you put someone else on your account to represent you. You might say, No, why should I have someone else listed on my phone bill or my gas bill or...? I have never thought about it, till now.
I called one company about a bill my dad had and the lady was wonderful, she explained everything to me, she understood what I was going through and was extremely helpful. Then when I asked her about a different problem with my dads account, she said that tech would have to help me with that and she'd gladly transfer me. And when I got to tech, I ran into a brick wall, they wouldn't talk to me. Sorry, you are not listed on that account. It was the same company just different people. They can go over everything about the bill with me, payments, charges, etc. and yet tech support can't talk to me? Go figure. 


My dad likes to get on the internet and has various sites and accounts, but when he's in a hurry he tends to push the wrong buttons. Case in point, one account he got locked out of because he kept putting in the wrong password, (something that happens quite often) so he had to call and then he couldn't hear or understand what they guy was telling him, so dad told me to call. I told my dad they won't talk to me, but he insisted, so I called and no they wouldn't talk to me but suggested a 3 way call, fine, okay. They get my dad on the phone and ask him if they can talk to me and dad get's frustrated, "I can't hear you! Who is this? What do you want?" and then he hangs up. So the guy said he would send out a paper to put me on the account, my dad signed it and my step mom refused to sign it. Long story short, I ended up being put on the account.


I spent an hour on hold with two different accounts this morning before actually talking to someone.
 The first company, no problem
The second company, even after explaining everything to her, telling her who I was, that my step mom wasn't here with me, my dad wasn't here with me, etc. I get, I can't talk to you. is your step mom there? no, well then is your dad there? Oh come on weren't you listening? I don't want any personal info on the account I just want to know if you received their check? A simple yes or no would work.


So besides writing, what do you struggle with? 


Sorry to bend your ear, but I feel better now. And a big thank you for listening.
Hugs for a wonderful Monday!



Sunday, June 3, 2012

A Peek at "Immortal Relations" by G.D. Ogan

I love promoting other authors and wanted to share with you a novel written by one of my car club buddies!
His name is Guy Ogan and he writes as G.D. Ogan and "Immortal Relations" is his first published novel. Now I haven't read it yet, but I do have it in my kindle and once I read it I will share a review, but for now, check it out and if you've read it, please leave G.D. a review on Amazon.







http://www.amazon.com/Immortal-Relations-ebook/dp/B006ZCBT6G/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1338580908&sr=1-1


"Immortal Relations" is my first foray into the field of fiction and I'm working on the second in the series now. Since I'm a "new author" and my book has many new concepts about vampires (for example, my good vampires don't get their blood from the living, human or other animals, they own funeral homes and the law requires that blood be replace with preservative in the body of the deceased before burial. The funeral homes follow funerary procedures in removal of the blood, but rather than dump it down the drain, it is mixed with an anti-coagulant and then delivered to "the Residency" for the good vampires to sustain themselves). The good vampires are guardians of humans from criminals and the vampires who they call "out-of-control"). There is a bit of erotica in this book as vampires don't have the hang-ups humans have and four combat situations. The first is a direct attack from the out-of-control vampires against the good vampires, but the military knowledge of Gary (which is basically my own character) thwarts their attack. The second is where the bad vampires, under a new leader, plan to attack Czech Military Units, change them and then use them and their heavy tanks and aircraft to attach the Residency, where the good vampires are. Again, military technology and tactical planning thwart their plans. Next, the bad vampire gang plan to attack and steal nuclear weapons to use against the good vampires and to blackmail human governments, but the gang runs up against a prepared group from the British Army and Royal Marines, who were warned by the good vampires. Finally, the leader of the gang, travels with the remainder of his gang to try and steal chemical and biological weapons from a poorly guarded old Soviet facility, but warned by the good vampires with the help of the British, Troops of the Russian Federation wipe the gang out.

Friday, June 1, 2012

Don't Promote to Promote. Offline Marketing

Good Morning and Happy Friday! I was supposed to post this post on Monday (past) but with it being Memorial day, I decided to do it Tuesday, Then Tuesday came and... Well...You know, so here it is now  Friday. So are you ready to finish up "Don't Promote to Promote?"

The past couple of weeks I have been telling you about how overwhelmed I've been with all the social media and that I need to cut back and find just the right ones that work for me. And many of you have agreed that the internet social media can be quite overwhelming.
Today I want to talk about OFFLINE Marketing.
We all get on twitter, FB, Goodreads, etc. but how do you market your book, your brand, to the people right here in your own city?
I live in a city with approximately 250,000 people and probably could count on my hands, how many know that I've written a book.

I hear a lot of people say, "If you want people to know, have a book signing"
Now that, that right there, is scary to me, because,

What if no one comes to my book signing?

 I owned a gift shop and when I was in school, I was told the key to a successful business is, Location, Location, Location! Well I thought I had the perfect location. On the main drag, a mile up from the freeway and the hospital. Boy was I wrong. I was right smack dab in the middle of a long block. Once the cars took off from the signal light south of me, by the time they reached my shop, they were pushing 40 MPH, staring straight ahead, hoping to catch the green at the signal light half a block north of me. And with city ordinances, stipulations, and all the rules concerning signage, most people didn't even know I existed, so I had to be creative when it came to marketing. 

So here's what I'd like to do
                               Let's put our heads together
 and come up with
 some ideas to market offline, so that when we have that anticipated book signing, we won't be disappointed in the number of people standing in that line waiting for our autograph!

Here are a few of my ideas;
  1. Give a copy of your book to your mail man/lady.
  2. Give a copy to your favorite teller at your bank.
  3. Leave a copy in the waiting room at your doctor or dentist office, or give the copy to the receptionist.
With all of these, write a note inside the book asking people to please share with others.

  1. Have business cards made up with a picture of the cover of your book. (I like the magnetic business cards. And I'll tell you why in a minute.)
  2. Someone suggested to me Car door magnets with the picture of your book and a link to wherever it is sold or your website/blog link.
  3. Make up fliers to hand out. These can be done on your own computer.
  4. Send out postcards. 

Where I live, people put advertisements under the wiper of your car while you are parked in the grocery store parking lot, at the bank, post office, etc. Some places don't allow this, so check or look for posted signs prior to doing this. 

You don't have to spend a lot of money to get the word out. I use Vista Print for a lot of my offline marketing products. 

With just the cost of shipping and uploading your photo, you can get quality products at a reasonable price.
I buy the business card magnets to place on car doors just above the door handle where people won't miss it. With regular business cards a lot of times they just end up on the ground, more people will keep the magnets and put them on their fridge or their filing cabinet at work. And they are even better if they have a calender printed on them!

Now how about a press release? There are three major newspapers that cover my county, but I'm not talking about them, I'm talking about that small town newspaper just for your local area. Put a copy of your book in an envelope, write up a short bio with links, and send it off. If you were born and raised in this town, your headline could be something like; "Lifelong resident publishes her first book"

And last but not least, donate a copy of your book to the library, school, senior center, etc.
Of course you have to make sure that the book you're donating is appropriate. I mean you don't want to donate your erotica novel to the elementary school library.

Oh wait! One more idea and then I'll shut up. 
attended a local car show in his area. He took some great photos and wrote a short article about the car show and submitted it to the newspaper and they published it!
So if there is something that is going on in your area, a car show, a flower show, or maybe the yearly fair, and you have a small town newspaper, write a short piece on it and submit it, you never know.

Okay your turn. Do you have any ideas on how you can market offline? I'd love to hear your suggestions!