MORE PRIZES FOR SUMMER OF LOVE GIVEAWAY

cj Sez: Check it out . . .

Special giveaways just for entering the Summer of Love Contest!

 

If you enter the Summer of Love print book giveaway by midnight April 30th, you’ll be entered into a special separate drawing for one of Jessica Lawler Kay’s glass creations! This lovely candleholder (called Raindrops) can also be used as a vase.

And don’t worry, if you’ve already entered the contest, you’ll be entered to win this prize, too!

Starting May 1, we’ll have two weeks of daily drawings that include Amazon gift cards, Kindle ebooks, and more, so check back!

Now, you-all guys keep on keeping on, and I'll try to do the same.

cj

Win a summer full of romance

The Summer of Love romance book giveaway is ongoing. Go to http://summeroflovebooks.com  to enter and win, and while you’re there, check out the author’s blog. A new one is posted regularly. The blogs come from authors of the books being given away.  PLUS most of these authors offer a way to get a second chance entry into the contest. Here’s an excerpt of this weeks’ blog:

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My Idea of Romance   Apr11

My husband, Jed, likes to take credit for the steamy scenes in my books. He tells people those are the only pages that are not fictitious, and then the corners of his mouth edge up into a grin.  –   Rena Koontz  (Author of THIEF OF THE HEART)

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cj Sez: By the way, Rena reveals that hubby has expertise as a federal agent and lawman, and that must make for authentic crime scenes in her novels, in addition to the authentic “steamy scenes.”  (Love, love, love authenticity.)

 

You know how, after filling a three-ring binder with rejections (as one writer I know did), we writers worry if our writing will ever be “good enough” to get published? Feelings of inadequacy can often overwhelm any confidence of competency and send us running for a big spoon and the nearest half-gallon of chocolate ice cream for comfort.  

But think about this: Bona fide professionals, those people we consider successful, do not, cannot rest on their laurels. Okay, that’s a cliché, but truly, professionals continually work to improve and perfect their skills. Every time Donald Maass, famed literary agent and author of WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL, leads a workshop on writing, I’d venture to guess he’s included something new since his last workshop. I know he keeps producing how-to books that incorporate new slants on writing. He’s a professional who keeps learning. Pro golfers take lessons to tweak their skills; powerhouse baseball hitters have trainers as do Olympic runners, swimmers, and skaters. 

 

The lesson is clear. The way for writers to improve their craft (and gain writing confidence) is to practice; i.e., they must read in their chosen genre(s), write, and network, and those tasks never cease.
 

I know I learn something new most every day, some tidbit that I can incorporate into a work-in-progress or add to my growing list of hints. I wish you the same success.

Okay, you-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same . . . and remember to check out the Summer of Love book giveaway.

cj
 

PS: The 'toon is one someone dropped onto my Facebook page a while back.

https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

DEADLY STAR (Publisher: Crimson Romance)  

    http://bit.ly/19QDQq3   (B&N.com)
    http://amzn.to/1LRRwC9  (Amazon.com)

 

Now is the time for all good readers . . .

cj Sez:  . . for a chance to win a whole summer of romance novels enter the contest at www.SummerOfLoveBooks.com       DEADLY STAR is one of them.

There will be more than one winner, and for an extra chance to win, "like" my Facebook author page at    http://on.fb.me/1xRVDej 

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE

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In May of last year, my Lyrical Pens post said this:

In addition to the usual writerly things (critiques, writing short stories, attending a conference or two, entering contests), my writing plans for 2014 include revising a romantic suspense/mystery, completing the first book in a detective series, and thinking through (is that called outlining?) a young adult fantasy. Several months into these projects, the dust is settling around me, and I wonder how much of this ambitious schedule is wishful thinking.

I accomplished only one item of that ambitious schedule. . . revising the romantic suspense novel. I did more than one edit cycle on the story, tweaked it a zillion times, and it's now ready for submission to someone somewhere. (I'm working on a back cover blurb and will post it in the near future.) The first story in my proposed female sleuth series has resurfaced, but the young adult fantasy is still on the proverbial back burner. I sometimes wish I wrote faster because there's so many stories I want to tell.

Attending a conference or two in 2014 never happened, but I've registered for the 2015 Southern Christian Writers Conference, June 5-6 in Tuscaloosa, AL. And I'll be at Killer Nashville in October (the Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise). Between registration fee and hotel rates, the first conference is very reasonably priced for the number of workshops and speakers, plus I'll have the opportunity to sell some books. By the same measure (mostly the hotel), the second is not so reasonably priced, but there are a great number of workshops and speakers, plus there's a possibility I may be selected to participate on a panel (maybe). Lot of experiences and networking possibilities there.

The thing is, I didn't get "everything" done during 2014 that I planned to do, but I'm not going to beat myself up over perceived failures. I'm okay with them. I took time to enjoy my family, my gardens, and my friends. I think that counts as success. 

Okay, that's all for today. Be sure to enter the contest and give my Facebook author page a "like" for a second chance to win 16 romance novels. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I'll try to do the same.

cj

Summer of Love Contest is LIVE TODAY

cj Sez:   SUMMER OF LOVE GIVEAWAY CONTEST IS OPEN !

Enter for a chance to win a whole summer of romance novels at www.SummerOfLoveBooks.com
DEADLY STAR is one of them.

There will be more than one winner, and FOR AN EXTRA CHANCE TO WIN, "like" my Facebook author page, https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

Send me an eMail at            cjpetterson@gmail.com          so I can make sure you get your second chance entry . . .

Thanks for liking the page, Debbie Oxier, and please send me your eMail. 


GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE. . . .

How to Support Your Local Author

Stop by the Summer of Love Books website on April 1 for a chance to win a whole summer of romance novels (mine is one of them). There will be more than one winner, so be sure to enter.

cj Sez: Haven’t been feeling up to snuff for the past few weeks, so this post is going to be short (but I’m hanging in there). What follows is a stream of consciousness blog about how to Support Your Local Writers, whether you’re a writer or a reader.

 If you’re a writer . . .

and have your own blog, invite guest bloggers. Lyrical Pens does do that, though we haven’t been graced with a guest for a few weeks. (Time for us to send out some more invitations.) When you have a guest, send out “Coming Attractions” promotions on Facebook, Twitter, et al. Giving your guest blogger space to say something about their own books is a nice touch.

Read and be willing to give your fellow authors’ work a fair critique. Be kind but be honest.

If they want to just sit and talk, grab a chair and listen. Writing is a lonely occupation, and most other people don't understand.

Encourage each other. Writing is not a competition; everyone can be successful.

If you’re a yet-to-be-published writer with a manuscript on the cusp of publication, but don’t have a business card, get one. Hand it out to agents, workshop instructors, fellow writers, wherever you have an opportunity to network. Get your name out there as early as possible so people can watch for your new release. Some variation of the business card that follows is my suggestion, and it would work even after your novels are published:

Name  Jane Doe, Author
Writer of XXX (literary fiction, historical fiction, non-fiction, YA, romance, whatever)
eMail address
website address

Now, if you’re a reader (and since writers are also readers, this applies to everyone) . . .

Like and comment on authors' posts on their Facebook pages. Facebook's algorithms only show posts that FB thinks other members would like to see. That means the more likes and comments a post gets, the more people will see it. By the by, after the Summer of Love contest opens on April 1, you can get an extra entry by liking my Facebook author page.

https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor

Go to book signings, even if you can’t afford to buy the book at that time. Your attendance is encouraging. I’ve been to book signings where the author and I were the only two people there. I've been the author at signings where . . . well, never mind. With a little thoughtful planning, you can keep that from happening to another author, and if you’re in Mobile, AL with a new book, I’ll come to your signing. Just let me know when and where.

 

You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

 

cj