Got Hope?

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Hi! Sherry Kyle, here, writing from my laptop in central California with a word of encouragement for you. Romans 15:13 says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (def) hope:  1. to have a wish to get or do something or for something to happen or be true, especially something that seems possible or likely. 2. To believe, desire, or trust. What is your hope today?

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Maximizing Marketing When Speaking

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Aloha from Karen Whiting. CAN treasurer I Love speaking to Moms, Women, Writers, and well, anyone who shares similar passions. I also find that there are many ways books get promoted when I speak, beyond the actual time I stand and talk. It starts the moment I get a speaking engagement with the meeting planner letting people know I’ll be coming and my posting the event to my website upcoming appearances. There are several ways to maximize the promotional possibilities.  

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Writing Short

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    Then God said: "Let there be light," and there was light. Genesis 1:1 Hello! Maureen Pratt here with my first CAN Blog post. I've been asked to write once a month about writing – one of my favorite topics! Today, I'm going to start off with a topic that sometimes confounds many writers – "writing short." As I'm the author of a 600-word syndicated, international column, I'm steeped in this style with each piece I file. And, more than ever before, we use this kind of writing, especially on the Internet. But it can be so difficult to adapt…

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My Journey to Publication & What I’ve Learned Along the Way

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Hello from Pamela Meyers I’ve been asked to write a series of blogs about how my debut novel came to be and what was entailed in its ultimate publication last November. Especially how the conceptualization relates to marketing the book once it was published. Like a proud mama, I’m always pleased to talk about the birth of my baby. Isn’t that how we authors come to think of our stories, be it your very first novel, or your hundredth? What better combination is there than a good romance coupled with a who-done-it mystery written cozy style? At least to my point…

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Special Delivery by Kathi Macias – A New Release

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Special Delivery   In book two of the “Freedom” series, readers find Mara fighting against her attraction to Bible college student Jonathan Flannery even while wrestling with risking her own precarious safety to become involved in the rescue of another girl who is pregnant and desperately wants to escape her captors and save her own life, as well as her child’s. Halfway around the world in a brothel in Thailand, a young girl is rescued with the promise of being reunited with her younger sister who was adopted by an interracial couple in the States, friends of Jonathan’s family. Meanwhile,…

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PUGS Pointers #7

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Hi! I’m Kathy Ide. In addition to being a published author, I’m a full-time professional freelance editor. For CAN, I’m blogging about “PUGS”–Punctuation, Usage, Grammar, and Spelling…tips for writers based on the most common mistakes I see in the manuscripts I edit. Each blog post will have one tip for each of the four categories, as well as a reason it’s important for authors to “polish their PUGS.” (For more PUGS tips, check out my website, www.KathyIde.com, or get a copy of my book “Polishing the PUGS” (available through the website or at the conferences where I teach). If you’re interested in…

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Intimate Storytelling – Part I Character Viewpoint

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Hi from Gail Gaymer Martin at www.gailmartin.com One of an authors goals is to have our characters connect with our readers. They begin to care about them and to relate to their joys and sorrows. They don't want to put down the book because it's like saying good bye to a good friend.  As writers, then, we try to use writing techniques that connect in an intimate way with our readers and this can happen by our storytelling style.  One thing that first person offers that third doesn’t is an intimacy between the POV character and the reader. In first person,…

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Tips from the Pros: Marion Stroud

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Hello from Sarah Sundin, who has a sudden longing for tea and crumpets. Why? Today’s guest, Marion Stroud, hails from my favourite country, England. Yes, I added the U for Marion’s sake. Marion is the prolific and bestselling author of 23 books, translated into many languages. This mother of five and grandmother of thirteen also serves as a British magistrate. So do not speed down her street. Marion, how did you get into writing? How many books do you have published? A bookworm since babyhood, I always wanted to write. When I “retired” from my profession as a physical therapist…

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Speaking Engagements – Finding Speaking Venues

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Hi.  Winnie Griggs here, with the next installment in my posts about speaking engagements.  So far we’ve covered why book speaking engagements, dealing with butterflies  selecting a topic and creating a speaker resume.  Today we’re going to talk about finding speaking opportunities. Whether you just want to build up your confidence or build up your resume, you can start by seeking out opportunities in your own back yard.  Local organizations are always looking for speakers.

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