Bloggin' It Up With The Writersville Gang

Prayers for the Families of the Student/Faculty Body of VA Tech

2007-04-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

My sympathies goes to the family and student/faculty body of VA Tech and hope that they can heal after the horrid massacre that happened yesterday at VA Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. Peace, prayers and white light goes to them.

Follow this link to learn more.

Tags: VA Tech

John Kremer's FREE BOOKS FOR ALL

2007-02-16T11:34:00.001-08:00

I found this a couple nights ago. John Kremer is putting nonfiction ebooks up on his site and is inviting anyone with a free nonfiction ebook to send it to him and he'll put it up for you. I emailed him last night, and today, both my free ebooks, A Complete Guide to Promoting & Selling Your Self-Published eBook (A Sampler) and 101 Facts You Never Knew About Soul Mates are both up. Pretty darn fast to me.

The site is called Free Books for All, a website devoted to giving away free nonfiction books, including business books, cookbooks, memoirs, how-to books, travel books, gardening books, mind/body/spirit books, social issues books, and more.

John is being so gracious to do this because he believes (as do I) that word of mouth is the best promotion. According to his website at www.freebooksforall.com, he states, "The toughest challenge for a newbie or an unknown author is to get readers to sample your book. The best way to get people to sample your book is by giving it away as a free PDF download. Most people won't read an entire novel on their computer, but they will sample it. And, if they like it, they will go to Amazon.com or their favorite local bookseller and buy it. Then they will read your book. And, if your book is any good, they'll begin to tell other people about your book."

Hey, hey, John's the man!

If you have a free nonfiction ebook, click here to find out how you can end up on John Kremer's Free Books For All!

Tags: Free Books For All, John Kremer, nonfiction books, A Complete Guide to Promoting & Selling Your Self-Published eBook, free nonfiction books, business books

LOVE IS IN THE AIR - FREE VALENTINE'S DAY EBOOK AVAILABLE NOW!

2007-02-13T00:27:00.001-08:00

It's official!

LOVE IS IN THE AIR, a free Valentine's Day ebook is available!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Give the Gift of Love: LOVE IS IN THE AIR - Free Valentine’s Day eBook!

February 13, 2007 - Just in time for Valentine’s Day, The Writer’s Life Publications announces the release of “Love is in the Air,” a free 65-page downloadable eBook, filled with love stories and love advice for the romantic in you!

“Love is in the Air,” is written by the members of The Writersville Gang, an online Yahoo! writing group, which includes Rebecca Camarena, Sandy Lender, Gale Sparks, Dorothy Thompson, Michael Witherspoon and Jamieson Wolf.

“I’m really excited about this eBook,” says Dorothy Thompson, editor of The Writer’s Life and moderator of the online writing group. “Not only are we giving back to our faithful readers, but we are also learning the ins and outs of self-publishing. It’s been a great learning experience for all of us and has helped us find out what it takes to pump up our own online book promotion by using our free eBooks as guinea pigs. We learn what works and what doesn’t which is highly important because it eliminates the time wasters and shows us how to market our books effectively.”

The Writer’s Life Publications is run and operated by Dorothy Thompson and publishes several free eBooks throughout the year.

To download your free Valentine’s Day eBook, LOVE IS IN THE AIR, visit www.thewriterslife.net/loveisintheair.html.

Press Contact:
Dorothy Thompson
Editor, The Writer’s Life Magazine
P.O. Box 313
Temperanceville, Virginia 23442
thewriterslife@yahoo.com
http://www.thewriterslife.net/

Tags: free Valentine's Day ebook, online book promotion, free ebook, marketing your book, self-publishing, downloadable ebook, love stories, love advice, pump up your online book promotion, The Writer's Life, The Writersville Gang

Announcement: Dorothy Thompson to Appear on Radio Talk Show "Marketing with Fran" Tomorrow!

2007-01-29T09:38:00.000-08:00

Just letting you guys know, for what it’s worth, I’M GOING TO BE ON THE RADIO TOMORROW!!!

Yep, the show is called “Book Marketing with Fran” with Fran Silverman on the Achieve Radio Network. The show airs Tuesday, January 30, 2007, at noon to 1 p.m. (MST); 11 a.m. (CST) and 2 p.m. (EST). The archives are available 10 minutes after the show ends.

The first guest, Ted Demopoulos, author of BLOGGING AND PODCASTING (2007) and BLOGGING FOR BUSINESS (2006) will begin at 2:00 and my segment will air right after his at 2:30.

To listen to the show, go to http://www.achieveradio.com/ and click on the left side under “Shows and Schedules,” then scroll down to Book Marketing with Fran. Click on “Info and Archives.” Once there, click on the appropriate “Listen Live” button on the right (Windows Media Player, Flash or Real Player).

To talk to Fran or her guest, call toll free 800-920-3717 (Phoenix area—623-772-9379). Or to email them, on left side of main page, click “In-Quick Message or Call-In” (In-Quick only works during live shows).

Wish me luck!

THE SEARCH FOR THE MILLION $$$ GHOST Book Trailer at YouTube!

2007-01-05T06:53:00.000-08:00

A new and improved version of THE SEARCH FOR THE MILLION $$$ GHOST book trailer at YouTube:

The Search for the Million $$$ Ghost Book Trailer!

2007-01-01T19:48:00.000-08:00

Six women. One eccentric millionaire. And a ghost that refuses to be found....

Check out my new book trailer at www.milliondollarghost.homestead.com/trailer.html!

Dorothy

Happy New Year & A New ROMANCING THE SOUL Book Trailer!

2006-12-31T19:47:00.000-08:00

To all our blog readers, I'd like to wish every one of you the happiest new year! Although it's not officially 2007 for another couple of hours, let's take the time to reflect on what we have accomplished in the past year. Did we meet our goals? Did we try to be the best we can be?

I hope every one of you found your dreams; and if not, let's work even harder at finding what we are looking for and becoming who we want to be in the upcoming year. But, no matter what kind of resolutions you have lined up, the main key is to be happy.

With that in mind, I wish you a Happy New Year and may all your dreams come true!

Also, I'd like to show you a new video I made of my book, ROMANCING THE SOUL. Enjoy!

Authors Chat Lounge 2 Tonight!

2006-12-04T08:30:00.000-08:00

Hi guys, just want to let you know that I'll be a guest at Lea Schizas' online conference chat room at the Authors Chat Lounge 2 tonight at 7 p.m. eastern time. Come on out and find out all about my new eBook, "A Complete Guide to Promoting & Selling Your Self-Published eBook," and how you, too, can write, publish and promote your own eBook. To get into the chatroom, click here and sign in!

FREE CHRISTMAS EBOOK!!!

2006-12-01T09:22:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

On behalf of my writing group and myself, I am pleased to announce the release of our holiday ebook, "Season's Greetings from The Writersville Gang"! This 70-page downloadable ebook is absolutely free with no strings attached. This is our way of showing gratitude to the writing community. To get your free e-copy, visit http://www.writersville.homestead.com/seasonsgreetings.html.

Happy holidays to all of you!

New Zumaya Romance Imprint & Poll!

2006-11-21T11:20:00.000-08:00

Hi readers,

I've just been passed the news that Zumaya Publications is planning to open a romance imprint, but they have so many wonderful names to choose from, they can't decide which one to pick!

That's where you come in!

Here are the details:

This past July Zumaya Publications moved business operations from its long-time home in British Columbia to the warmer climes of Austin, Texas. In the coming year, we plan to implement a number of exciting changes, and we want to invite booklovers to join us and qualify for prizes in three special contests.

In January 2007, Zumaya will establish a new romance imprint. Our authors have come up with ten excellent ideas for a name for the imprint, and we're interested in finding out which of them appeals the most to readers. So, we've set up a poll on Yahoogroups at Name That Imprint. To vote for your favorites (yes, you can vote for more than one) just send an email to http://us.f509.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=name_that_imprint-subscribe%40yahoogroups.com.

If you're already registered with Yahoo Groups, you can just ask to add the group to your roster. Or go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/name_that_imprint/ and sign up directly.

When the poll ends on 15 December, we will enter the email addresses of the voters into a contest. Three will win a gift card worth $100, $50 or $25 provided by Zumaya authors, as well as some special personal gifts the authors are lining up as we speak; a complete list will be provided in a week or so. Not only that, we're offering five holiday-themed ebooks—three for adults and two for kids—free for the duration of the poll.

So, even if you don't read romance, come to Name That Imprint and let us know which of the names tickles your fancy.

____

So, help us out, won't you? Lots of prized (MONEY!) and if you click on the files there, you'll have access on two freebie Christmas books! Thanks muchly!

Dorothy Thompson
Editor, The Writer's Life
www.thewriterslife.net

Virtual Book Tour - Stop # 4 - Nutter's Gang!

2006-11-06T07:15:00.000-08:00

Omg...I have my very first review!

Everyone...hop over to Michelle E. Ellis' blog at http://www.meellis.blogspot.com/ where she's hosting me today and read my very first review! I'm about to have a boomer chick conniption!

What I found really neat is that my eBook, A Complete Guide to Promoting & Selling Your Self-Published eBook, has given Michelle ideas for promoting her already-published eBooks which has given her the confidence to query RT Magazine! Woo-hoo! Go Michelle! Let us know what you find out!

Everyone...pleeeeze, go over to Michelle's blog and leave a comment!

Virtual Book Tour

2006-11-01T08:23:00.000-08:00

Good morning everyone!

I'm happy to announce that I will be touring blogs this month in my first ever virtual book tour for my eBook "A Complete Guide to Promoting & Selling Your Self-Published eBook"!

I will be stopping off at blogs all over the country and talking about promoting your own eBooks (really it's not as hard as you think) in case you wanted to generate some Christmas spending money, or just in case you might want to do this yourself in the near future.

If you would like to follow along with me, you can visit my promoting eBooks blog at eBook Promotion for Self-Published Authors to find out where I'll be going next.

My first stop is today at Kathy Holmes' blog, "Women's Fiction With Attitude"! So, follow that link, and if you have any questions about self-publishing or promoting eBooks, or promoting in general, leave a comment in her blog and I'll answer it there for you.

Happy promoting to you and see you there!

FREE HALLOWEEN EBOOK

2006-10-30T13:49:00.000-08:00

The Writersville Gang is at it again!

On behalf of The Writersville Gang, I am pleased as punch to announce the release of our free Halloween eBook, HAUNTED HAPPENINGS!

If you would like a free copy of our eBook, visit www.writersville.homestead.com/hauntedhappenings.html.

Enjoy and have a safe Halloween!

Booooooooooooooooooooo......

A Complete Guide to Promoting & Selling Your Self-Published eBook

2006-09-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

Okay, gang, it's here! A COMPLETE GUIDE TO PROMOTING & SELLING YOUR SELF-PUBLISHED EBOOK has arrived. If you would like to make money from the comfort of your home with no overhead and 100% profit, it's time to start thinking about writing your own eBook and selling it yourself. Why yourself and not an e-publisher?

Glad you asked.

YOU can do everything they can do, and all the profits are yours alone.

And don't think you can't do it, either. I've done it, and I will continue doing it because while I'm waiting for the royalty checks to come in from my other books and while I'm waiting for a NY contract for yet other books, I'm making money.

How do you make money from a book others have to read over the Internet?

You are so inquisitive!

But, that's what I'm here for. My eBook, A COMPLETE GUIDE TO PROMOTING & SELLING YOUR SELF-PUBLISHED EBOOK, explains it all. It's a 120-page PDF-formatted guide to show you how to promote your ebooks better than an e-publisher can. How?

By implementing the steps I've outlined in the eBook, you are guaranteed sales. While it may take time to complete, you'll be able to sit back and enjoy that added revenue you didn't have before.

I mean, think about it. It's a win-win situation. You can't go wrong.

My eBook, priced at $19.99, is comparable to others selling for hundreds. You read that right. HUNDREDS. And people are buying them.

People love information they can't get over the Internet or other places, and people are buying them because this priceless information is condensed into one easy-to-read and easy-to-follow location. By opening up my ebook and following the directions in each section, you'll find ideas of where to promote your eBook you never thought of before.

Oh, how I wish this information would have been available when my first eBook was published by an e-publisher. The money I have lost can never be regained, but the knowledge I have accumulated since has enabled me to promote my own eBooks with guaranteed sales.

Dan Poynter, marketing guru and author of over 100 self-published eBooks says,
“It does not matter if you sell out to a large (NY) publisher or publish yourself, the author must do the promotion. It does not matter if you publish a pBook (paper) or an eBook, the book must be promoted. Promotion methods are not the same for pBooks and eBooks. You can promote your eBook for little or no cost. A COMPLETE GUIDE TO PROMOTING & SELLING YOUR SELF-PUBLISHED EBOOK shows you how to promote your electronic book.”

If you'd like to find out more about A COMPLETE GUIDE TO PROMOTING & SELLING YOUR SELF-PUBLISHED EBOOK, visit www.thewriterslife.net/promoteebook.html. For more tips on how to sell your eBook, visit my new promoting blog "eBook Promotion for Self-Published Authors" at www.selfpublishedebookpromotion.blogspot.com.

Happy sales to you!

Romancing the Soul - # 2 Bestselling Book at Zumaya Publications

2006-09-12T18:14:00.000-07:00

Wonderful news...I just found out (thanks to Kathy Holmes!) that Romancing the Soul, my soul mate anthology, is # 2 bestselling book at Zumaya Publications! Can I get a woop-woop????

Check it out at http://www.zumayapublications.html/!

Literary Agent Kristin Nelson in TWL Author Talks!

2006-06-09T18:48:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to announce that literary agent Kristin Nelson will be fielding questions in TWL Author Talks on Monday, June 12, 2006 for the entire week! Last week, as you know, we had the talented Jenny Bent and the response was overwhelming! Fifty people signed up overnight, so now's your chance to get in on finding the agent of your dreams!

Now, here's the coolest news....Kristin has agreed to a pitch slam on Friday, June 16th!

So, what's a pitch slam?

A pitch slam is summing up your entire book in one sentence, in this case, and having one of our literary agent guests tell you if it's something they would be looking for or not. Not as easy as you think.

Last week, we had Jenny Bent giving her input on the pitches and you'd be amazed at how hard it is. While some of us walked away with out tails tucked between our legs, we learned just what it is that makes a pitch stand out and was an invaluable lesson!

Kirsten Mortenson, one of the members of TWL Author Talks, explains some of the things that Jenny didn't like in the pitches people submitted while she was a guest (thank you, Kirsten!): 1. Not original enough/has been "done to death."Takeaway: Make sure your pitch shows that you have the twist/color that makes your concept stand out from similar novels. 2. Pitch confusing. Couldn't tell who was doing what.Takeaway: Edit out extraneous information. Make sure its clear to what/whom the pronouns of your sentences are referring. Maybe follow a fairly simple setup/conflict/resolution structure in your sentence to make sure it's easy to follow . . . 3. Missing story "arc."Don't just list the characters and setting. Make sure you've also set up the main conflict and resolution. 4. Conflict not compelling.Make sure the conflict you've presented is "big" enough to show that you've got a strong plot. 5. Bland title.
Jenny got me on #2. I totally confused her and I'm revising before the next pitch slam with Kristin Nelson.

Another member of TWL Author Talks, China, explains just what it might take to gain an agent's interest in a pitch slam:

"There are a few different ways, that I know of, to do a one sentence pitch. I'm not saying these are the only or best ways, or guaranteed to work, or anything like that. These are just a few of the ways we learned to do them at the creative writing program from which I graduated.

**Note--my examples are not real, and shouldn't be held against me. ;)

The first technique: Character, Conflict, Hook

Describe your character, why we should care about him or her (ie the conflict), and what makes this book different from any other with a similar theme or storyline.

A lot of times the different parts of your pitch blur--your conflict can also be a hook, or your hook can also be a conflict.

Example: A struggling single mother (character and conflict al lwrapped into one) loses her job (conflict) and finds the only way to support her family is to become a stripper (hook, conflict). That's a little low concept and a whole lot rough, but I hope itillustrates the technique.

**********

The second technique: GMC (Goal, motivation, conflict)

This is pretty similar to character, conflict, hook. It's simple--your one sentence should introduce your character, explain his or her motivation, his or her goal, and his or her conflict.

Example: When a waitress (character) is inadvertently sucked into another dimension (conflict), she must battle not only the forces of darkness but her own inner demons (conflict AND motivation) in order to find her way home (goal and motivation). As with the CCH style pitch, sometimes the goal, motivation and conflict can intertwine.

************

Third technique: The high concept pitch.

In this one, you mostly introduce the concept of your story.

Example: Martians and vampires fight for world domination, leaving astring of human bodies in their wake.

There are many other techniques, but I want to add in some general tips.

1. You don't need to give very much detail about your character, plot or world. This should be your story boiled down to its absolute barest bone structure.

2. Using a character archetype is more effective than using character specifics, and also cuts down on length. Use "a washed up musician," rather than, "Lenny Diamond, a struggling singer-songwriter in his 50s..."

3. Your pitch--even a single sentence pitch--should have a little bit of the flavor and tone of your story. If you write light and frothy, your pitch should be light and frothy. If you write with a quick wit, your pitch should display some of that. If you're writing humor, your pitch should be at least a little funny/witty."

Thank you, China!

I can't imagine doing this in person. I know many authors who have gotten book deals this way, but who knows, maybe there's a book deal or two that will be result out of our virtual book slams with our agent guests. If nothing else, it gives you invaluable input by professionals in the field. See you there!

Dorothy, moderator TWL Author Talks

Dorothy Thompson “The Soul Mate Queen’s” Virtual Blog Tour

2006-04-17T08:38:00.000-07:00

Dorothy Thompson, also known as The Soul Mate Queen, announces her first virtual blog tour stop at Lisa Renee Jones’ blog at http://lisareneejonesjournal.blogspot.com/ to announce her new relationship e-class “The Soul Mate Triangle – Unlocking the Mysteries of the Soul Mate Relationship” which will begin taking students on May 1, 2006.

“The Soul Mate Triangle – Unlocking the Mysteries of the Soul Mate Relationship” is a one-on-one personalized relationship e-class that is guaranteed to find your soul mate(s) by the end of the class or your money back. This is an ongoing relationship e-class – sign up whenever it’s convenient for YOU – that is delivered to your e-mail box. This is to provide for you total anonymity and so that Dorothy can evaluate your situation and help you in areas that need attention without anyone else knowing who you are or interfering with the process.

Hurry over to Lisa’s blog today because the virtual blog tour ends on Wednesday!

If you would like to learn more about this e-class, you can visit www.soulmatequeen.homestead.com/eclass101.html.

If you have any questions, you can email Dorothy at thewriterslife(at)yahoo.com.

May all your soul mate dreams come true!

Dorothy

FREE E-book for Writers

2006-03-14T18:34:00.000-08:00

The Writersville Gang is pleased to announce the publication of their first e-book, A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to Getting Published, and it's absolutely FREE.

Fifteen authors show you what it's really like trying to get the proverbial foot in the door. This 71-page e-book can yours, free, by clicking here.

Enjoy!

Dorothy's TimeWarp

2005-10-04T17:56:00.000-07:00

Saw an interesting blog post over on Cheryl's blog that I thought would be fun to carry over in here being as there hasn't been many blog posts lately. It's called TimeWarp. What you do is take this and do your own time warp, making a new blog post and putting your name on it. Sound like fun? Here it goes:

TIMEWARP

TEN YEARS AGO - Ten years ago, I moved into this house I'm living now. I had just started working at a pizza joint (miraculously I'm still there part-time) and also the same year, I met my current BF. I say current because he's on my shit list right now * see post *. I didn't own a computer and actually did things like enjoy life, shoot the breeze, watched TV, played with my then cocker, Chelsea. Son was still living here, along with my Daughter's BF (why I did that was beyond me).

FIVE YEARS AGO - Five years ago, I learned how to use the computer and made my first website, The Writer's Life. I also became a published author for the first time in the ebook format. It was a children's book called NO MORE GOOSEBERRY PIE.

ONE YEAR AGO - One year ago, my second book is published. ROMANCING THE SOUL became my book available in both print and ebook format. Cool thing that was. I also became a syndicated relationship columnist and SOUL MATE EXPERT. Tres cool.

YESTERDAY - Yesterday was the day from hell. I had off and all I did was sulk because BF (why I'm still mad at him) and Daughter can't go to a booksigning with me that's five hours away and I'm going to have to cancel it.

5 SNACKS I ENJOY - Hm...definitely cheez whiz sandwiches, steamed shrimp (yeah, I do snack on this!), Caramel Popcorn, Cake-Like Cookies (forget the name of them) and rice (I know, I'm weird).

5 THINGS I'D DO WITH 100 MILLION DOLLARS - Buy a house in California and another in Tennessee (oops, that's two), stand on the street and hand out dollars to those who need it, buy a laptop, and put the rest away so my kids will never have to work another day in their lives.

5 PLACES I'D RUN AWAY TO - Pigeon Hole, Tennessee (I told you I'm weird), Bahamas, Burbank, California, Paris, France and anywhere in the mountains as long as it was a little cabin in the woods away from everything!

5 THINGS I'D NEVER WEAR - tongue rings, thongs (ouch!), granny drawers, see-through blouses, and bridal dresses (a little inside humor there with everything going on).

5 FAVORITE TV SHOWS - I love Lucy, The Golden Girls, America's Funniest Videos, Blind Date, Cheater.

5 BIGGEST JOYS - to see my son get better, to see my daughter graduate nursing school, a publishing contract from a NY house, fan mail and to get BF to put the cover up when he uses the bathroom.

5 FAVORITE TOYS - my computer, my porcelain Shirley Temple Doll, Fart Machine (okay, it's not mine, it's BF's, but it's real cool to play with at work and watch the customer's expressions. Come on, you know you want to do it, too), Trivial Pursuit and my digital camera.

5 FINE FOLKS WHO CAN NOW CONSIDER THEMSELVES TAGGED! - The Writersville Gang and anyone else who would like to play!

Dorothy Thompson to Appear on Single Talk Radio Show Today!

2005-09-24T03:58:00.000-07:00

I will be on the Single Talk Radio Show today which you can hear live on the web at http://www.worldtalkradio.com/show.asp?sid=191. If you are the first to email Eliza at SingleTalk@adelphia.net with a soul mate question, you will receive a free autographed copy of my book,Romancing the Soul!

If you do miss the show, it will be archived. I believe I'm the last segment at 4:40 EST (adjust to your geographical location), but you might want to tune in earlier to catch the other guests who are talking about soul mates, also. So, join me as we explore the secrets of why you need soul mates in order to find your higher self!

Are You a Reader or a Collector?

2005-08-01T17:37:00.000-07:00

I love books.

I love buying them, admiring them, and then...they sit. On shelves. In bookcases. In boxes.

I've even put a couple beside the bed hoping I'd take one and read one before I went to sleep. No such luck. By the time I got to bed, I was exhausted and would go to sleep right away. I've even taken them to the bathroom, hoping I'd pick one up. No such luck there either because I'm a fast bathroom user, if you knowwhattamean. I only get through three sentences before I'm flying outta there and back on the computer or running off to work. Always running somewhere.

And then it dawned on me that I'm a collector and not a reader and there's a big difference.

I believe people buy books because they plan to read them but that's when the readers/collectors are suddenly identified. The readers can't wait to read them and will dive right in. The collectors admire the cover, open to the first page and go "Wow. I can't wait to read this." And that's as far as it goes.

Oh, the collectors try. They'll throw one in the car if they go on vacation, but does it get read? Hardly. There's too many new things to do besides do something they could do at home.

They'll take them to work, hoping to catch in a few words during break/lunchtime, but does it get read? Hardly. They don't want to mess up the pretty cover with stains from their double cheeseburger and fries.

The collector feels guilty, but proud. "Look at my library," they'll boast.

"Ah...this is fantastic," people say. "Have you read all these?"

"Hell no. Don't have time."

Now that I've classified the two, which one are you?

Dorothy Thompson to Appear on Cuzin Eddie Show Tomorrow!

2005-07-18T09:46:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

Just a note to let you know that if you're going to be in the Illinois area, I will be appearing on the Cuzin Eddie Radio Show with co-host Penny Sansevieri tomorrow morning at 9:30 Central Time. I will be discussing my book, Romancing the Soul, and how you can find the soul mates in your life. Hope to see you there!

Dorothy ThompsonEditor/Co-Author of "Romancing the Soul"
www.dorothythompson.net
Don't forget to check out my new advice column blog at:
www.soulmateadvice.blogspot.com

Another Member of the Gang - Intro

2005-07-15T11:42:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Fort Worth Texas. I have been a part of this group for a while and can tell you they have all helped me in my quest for the best in publishing and promoting my works. I have two books in print: Sabbath's Room, a supernatural mystery, and Once a Brat, the story of my world travels with my army officer father from my birth in 1938 (yes, you read that correctly -- I'm really old!) until his (our) retirement in 1958. I will soon have another book out, this one about my three-year, five doctor struggle to find a diagnosis and treatment for my painful and baffling symptoms. I have other projects in the works and hope to have another novel out soon. I also do copy editing at reasonable rates and quick turn-around. I intend to be an active part of this blog, sharing my experiences in the wacky world of writing and publishing, with an occasional detour to a rant about world events. Supposed to keep this kind of brief, so if you would like more information about me or read excerpts from my books:
go to: http://www.freewebs.com/graceworksproductions/
Marilyn Celeste Morris

virtual book tour

2005-07-13T08:48:00.000-07:00

Today is my first book tour via the web. I visited quite a few places which was sad. I bookmarked the blogs I like. I already had a reply.

I appreciate your comments. You are correct, no one, who has not experienced death, can understand it. Death of loved ones has been a trademark of my life. My mother passed away unexpectedly when I was 11. My father passed away after a ten-month battle with cancer in 2001. I've had two high school classmates pass away, a friend commit suicide, and lost all my aunts and uncles through the course of my 38 years. Each one of these people represented an eternal soul. The prevalence of death in my life has made me realize the importance of living a life of reconciliation and rescue.

Thanks for you comments, and your support by posting on the site. You will be in my prayers today.

John

Growing Pains

2005-07-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

I have discovered some parallels between one of my hobbies (beading) and writing.

They are actually quite humorous to me. Right now, in regards to this hobby and being involved in Bead Artist Trading Cards, I feel ... paranoid/full of self-doubt and convinced I'm doing it wrong.

I feel the same way when I write (and then read at the writers' group) something racy or very different from anything else I've written. Especially when said writing is a pending novel.

Since this is just a sort of growing pains, if I'm going to get over it, I have to work through it. I know this, but it doesn't make it any easier. I don't know why/how the parallels between the two occurred to me today, but seeing as it is (at least) marginally writing-related, I thought I would share it.

I'm one of the Writersville Gang

2005-06-26T07:11:00.000-07:00

Hi, Dorothy! Yup, I made it--on the first try, even! For those of you who don't know me, I am the author of 14 published books and writer for a dozen magazines (some ezines and some print). I take my writing very seriously, but I never write anything too serious. My books cover a wide range of genres. You can find them all at the "My Books" page at www.janetelainesmith.com . I'd love to have you stop by for a visit. To say that I am living my dream is a vast understatement. My latest book review just went up at www.armchairinterviews.com. Just go to the Great Reviews then down to the Young Adults and find My Dear Phebe. They have asked me for an interview too! Yeehaw! Oh, and I live in North Dakota; I'm not really a redneck!

Sunday Morning Coming Down

2005-06-26T06:57:00.000-07:00

Well I really like this idea. It is fun to think that as a first post everyone would introduce self and share some dreams.

My name is Myriam Maytorena. I live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with my husband and fur family. I consider myself to be blessed by living in a world that is so inspiring and peaceful. I have been writing since way back when and I sold my first column in the early 70s to Dell Horoscope. I limped along for years doing this writing stuff and I actually wrote and published 4 books in the 70s about magic. My husband then, who is deceased now, and I owned a desktop publishing company. (http://www.leejacobsproductions.com/) I have written a lot of different stuff including the accreditation for the College of Business of the Ohio University to a weekly astrological column. I have been kicked into gear lately and have a new book coming out in September called Life with Mother (http://lifewithmother.com) which is a book in the inspiration/support for end-of-life caregivers genre (if there is such a genre - if not I just invented it).

My blogs are http://manifestreality.blogspot.com http://myriamsmuse.blogspot.com http://possibilitypeople.blogspot.com and my oldest one is http://manifest.pitas.com

I look forward to learning more about all our new members in this journey to becoming more successful as writers and as people.

All About....

2005-06-25T19:33:00.000-07:00

No, not all about. We don't have room for that.

I'm Jen (Jenifer Nipps, truth to tell, but I prefer Jen). I'm a former Vice-President for the Oklahoma Writers' Federation, Inc. I'm also current president for the McAlester McSherry Writers.

I can't (yet) claim any publication credits. I'm working on a series of articles/possible book tentatively titled "Blue Jeans & Tennis Shoes: Working from Home." I'm also working on a couple short stories and thinking about starting up one of the novels-in-progress I have languishing on the hard drive.

I have started my own rejection collection. *s*

Introduction - Dorothy Thompson

2005-06-25T18:38:00.000-07:00

Hi, I'm Dorothy Thompson, one of the team members of The Writersville Gang blog. I'm the compiler/editor/contributing author of ROMANCING THE SOUL and a syndicated relationship columnist. I write almost anything but mainly on the subject of soul mates. I also offer a free service on my website where you can ask me anything about the soul mate experience and I will try to help you understand it. I'm also the author of the ebook, HOW TO FIND AND KEEP YOUR SOUL MATE, which is a primer on soul mates and is THE book to read before reading the true soul mate stories in my other book, ROMANCING THE SOUL.

I live on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and you can find me 24/7 right here on this dang computer. Shoot me an email whenever...I love receiving mail!

You can visit my website at www.dorothythompson.net or my writing site at www.thewriterslife.net.

Welcome to The Writersville Gang Blog!

2005-06-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome to The Writersville Gang Blog featuring the many talents of the members of The Writer's Life e-group! Stick around and see what it's REALLY like to be an aspiring or published author. The ups and downs, highs and lows. Please use the comment feature when you feel the need to interact with the members...they welcome comments!

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