Who Doesn’t Love to Read Accolades?

I mean, really? You don’t? 

I get it. Maybe you don’t like to read accolades about other people’s books.

I do. They let me know what a reader (at least one reader) thinks — and they usually prompt me to zip over to Amazon to see for myself what all the hoopla is about.

I hope that this reviewer’s words will have that affect on you. (Of course, I do. I wouldn’t be human if I didn’t hope that.)

Here’s what the blogger with this delightful signature had to say

Empress-DJ-signatureon Books and Bindings.  She read my book for a blog tour (with TLC Book Tours). Et voilá!

“Five Stars is not a high enough rating for this marvelous book – quality writing of this caliber calls for at least a double rating of 10.  It was breathtaking.  I adored every sentence of this meticulously crafted story, and there was not a wasted word on the 403 superbly written pages.  The narrative was so descriptive and enthralling, I could hear the dog’s bark, see and feel the lightning in the sky, and smell the water in the bay…”

She picked out her favorite quotes and just kept on going. I savor her choices and am so very grateful that my words touched her enough that she could speak of it so. Thank you, thank you.

Click here to read the Full Review on Books and Bindings

Heavy Weather 2

GOODREADS GIVEAWAY: Enter to win one of five copies

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Goodreads Book Giveaway

Heavy Weather by Normandie Fischer

Heavy Weather

by Normandie Fischer

Giveaway ends April 02, 2015.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Learning about Landing Pages

All of you website gurus have this trick already in your bag. I, instead, am at the beginning of this particular learning curve.

But I just read some interesting tidbits from a man whose blog I follow. I really enjoy Joel Friedlander’s words of wisdom and encouragement on The Book Designer, and recently Joel talked about landing pages.

What, I wondered, were these? (You see how far behind I lag?) Joel and his guest proceeded to tell me.

And being a hands-on learner, I decided to see if I could create one that worked.

Would you take a look and let me know what you think? All you have to do is click HERE.

Or click on the Page Tab above that’s called HOME.

Will you do that and let me know? After all, that’s how I’ll learn and get it right!

 

Gulls in San Carlos Dec 2009Coming in for a landing–and aiming at Sea Venture (taken San Carlos, MX) 2010

HAVING FUN AGAIN–ASPEN GOLD FINALIST!

Y’all know how much fun contests are. Well, this has been a delightful week for my books.

Today, I learned that Sailing out of Darkness is one of three finalists in the Single Title Category (for romantic as opposed to romance fiction) of the Aspen Gold Contest from the Heart of Denver Romance Writers!

Readers in Denver, thank you!

Aspen Gold Medallionsod small

 

For one more day, the Kindle version remains at 99 cents.

Click HERE to buy.

 

 

 

 

Learning a new skill: The Trailer Revisited

(Or, it’s back to school for me.)

Editor Linda Yezak donned a flak jacket before writing to tell me what was wrong with the Sailing out of Darkness trailer. When I said that I LOVE constructive criticism, she breathed a sigh and shed the jacket. “I was sweating in there.”

I don’t know about you, but when someone I respect makes suggestions, I’m going to listen. Why? Because I want to learn to be the best “me” possible. I knew I wouldn’t be sending my work to Hollywood, and I also knew professionals could have done a better job than I, but I can’t afford the professionals and thus am grateful for all the help someone offers.

Now, it’s time to move on. Get back to my rewrites. Get the house cleaned for my daughter’s visit. In other words, stop tinkering with Animoto and get to work.

But before I do that, here’s the shortened, updated, edited version. What do you think?

 

 

Marketing, Stage 2: Becalmed’s Book Trailer

 

Some authors and social media experts have suggested that book trailers aren’t worth the effort in terms of sales. Maybe not, but I love watching them. And I’ve wanted one for my books. Only, I hadn’t a clue how to make one. Until today.

I’ve been studying trailers, and I really love the ones that use live action and actors. But I don’t have that capability myself, nor do I have the money to pay an expert to do it for me.

So. I looked at several how-to videos and picked the method that seemed most user friendly for a novice videographer. Yes, I upgraded from free to not-as-free-but-still-shy-of-the-pro-version of Animoto. And I paid for a couple of videos from istockphoto. But we’re not talking big bucks. And this, my friends, is what I produced. I do hope you like it, because I’m feeling like a proud mama.

 

 

 

Becalmed