Category: Signing

Publishing, Reading, Signing, Writing

Heart of Red, Blood of Blue

My newest novel is now available! I’m so excited for this one.

This project started years ago with a girl who popped into my mind and didn’t want to leave. Even as I worked on other stories, Gisela was never far away. She was looking for love, acceptance, some humor, and peace for her country—things most of us hope for in one form or another.

Heart of Red 400

Princess Gisela of Steinland was born without color. Albino. To add to this curse, her betrothal to Prince Jerrik of Kronga ends in his death and starts a ten-year-war her father is determined to win, even if it means bringing her out of hiding to do it. Now the savage Krongon war commander, Bloodless Kristoff, seeks the hearts of the entire royal family, especially Gisela’s.

Desperate, her father agrees to another alliance that involves her marrying an old brute of a king. Unwilling to be the sacrificial lamb, Gisela goes on the run. Thrown into the center of a battle between three kingdoms, she finds herself fighting for her life and the right to be truly loved.

Can the girl who started the war find a way to end it?

LOOK:

BUY:

EXTRAS:

 

Pinterest

​

THE MUSIC (PIANO SOLO ALBUM):

Header 500

As part of this project, I’ve combined my two great passions, music and books. The idea to compose a “soundtrack” for my novel came a while ago, but I credit my daughter with being the one to help me see that not only could I do it, but I should. It’s been a blast. So I’ve written 11 original piano solos to go along with the story. Songs include: “The Betrothal,” “Ryder,” “The Battlefield,” “Vengeance,” “The Village,” “Tranquility,” and more.

LISTEN:

BUY MUSIC:

​

 

I also need to give a quick shout out to five students at BYU. Four of them helped edit this book as part of their English language editing capstone course: Emily, Rachel, Erica, and Ashley. They have been awesome!

Along with them, Alyse Myers, provided the artwork at the beginning of the book. She did such a lovely job of envisioning Gisela!

Gisela the Red

 

Order Books

So check out the book and music and let me know what you think! And if you want to give a signed copy to your favorite readers for Christmas, order it here by Friday (US only).

Promo Order signed copies

 

Happy Holidays!

 

Advertisement
Signing, Writing

$0.99 Ebook: Citizens of Logan Pond: LIFE

The forsythias are blooming, my peas are planted (Carrie would be so proud!), and the geese are chasing each other across my pond, which means spring has officially sprung here in Michigan.

To celebrate, LIFE, book 1 in CITIZENS OF LOGAN POND is $0.99 on KINDLE right now. Cool, eh?

Get it for yourself or gift it to a mom.

99c Book

I love cheap books.

I love spring!!!

(PS, I have a book signing this Saturday at the Milford Public Library, from 2-4pm. Come say hi!)

Local Author Fair

.

PPS) And if you’re looking for another great Mother’s Day deal, my friend Teresa Hirst’s book is also $0.99 right now. It’s called Flowers of Grace, and it’s a lovely story (women’s fiction). 

Giving, Publishing, Signing

New Cover, Same Book: Citizens of Logan Pond LIFE

Happy April!

Yesterday was Carrie’s birthday. Who’s Carrie? Glad you asked. :) She’s the main character in my new trilogy, Citizens of Logan Pond.

But more importantly…

Yesterday, LIFE (Book 1 in my new adult dystopian trilogy), was re-released with a new imprint. Due to the upheaval in the book industry, my publisher closed its doors March 31st, so now the trilogy is back in my domain. I’m really excited about this because it means I can choose when, how, and where to place it on sale. I can do more promos and giveaways and all that fun stuff.

This new version is available for NOOK for the first time and includes discussion questions that are great for book clubs.

First things first:

.

New Cover:

Life 400

.

Purchase:

 …… Citizens of Logan Pond Trilogy

. 

Continue reading “New Cover, Same Book: Citizens of Logan Pond LIFE” →

Signing

Get Autographed Copy of SADIE or AUGUSTINA

Want an autographed copy of SADIE or AUGUSTINA?

Just in time for Christmas, I thought I’d try something new. Since I can’t always do book signings where my readers live, I’m offering autographed books through my website.

Just scroll down below the book covers, and you’ll see the option to “BUY AUTOGRAPHED COPY.”

Christmas
Get Autographed Copy for Christmas

You can get a copy of AUGUSTINA, SADIE, or BOTH (for a lower price). The price includes S/H.

If you want to give SADIE or AUGUSTINA to someone for Christmas (even if that someone is yourself), buy it through my website, and I’ll sign it, personalize it, and ship it right to you. Just make sure to write in who you want the BOOK AUTOGRAPHED TO under the Payment Method section.

And as always, if you already have a book, I’d be happy to sign that as well.

 

Marketing, Signing, Watching

I Geek Being an Author

(promoting)

The White Lake Library in Michigan hosted a local author event last weekend, and they were nice enough to let me join the other 17 authors from Southeast Michigan.

Like other events, I met some amazing people, both authors and readers.  I have to say, this is a perk of being an author I didn’t anticipate. I’ve have thoroughly enjoyed meeting new people and talking about books, books, and more books.

It’s awesome!

During the event, the library filmed each author talking about their book(s).

Here’s my video:

Let me just say, there’s a reason I’m an author, not an actress. Okay, there are several reasons, some more obvious than others. But one of the main reasons is I am a million times more comfortable behind a computer screen than a camera. Heck, it took me nine months to get comfortable explaining my books to complete strangers. Doing it on camera was like…well…like taking a final exam with people you respect, adore, and want to speak to you again watching you the whole time.

You think you can talk about your own book? Prove it. Under duress. 

I’m being a little silly. I wasn’t under duress. It’s the nerves talking.

A…n…y…w…a…y…

As part of the GEEK THE LIBRARY campaign, the library gave me two cool pictures to thank me for coming. They now hang on my fridge because I truly geek being an author. 

Love it!

Btw, THANKS!!!! friends and readers who came out to support me at the library. You guys are the best!

Side note: After hearing my stunning description of SADIE, I’m sure you want to give it to everyone you know for Christmas, right?  Well, you’re in luck!

SADIE is 50% off at Deseret Book right now!

While I might be the tiniest bit biased, it’s a great read for Christmas. It’s set over Christmas break and has fun stuff like skiing, roasting marshmallows, and cozy fires.  Get it 50% off here.

If you live anywhere near me, email me and I’d be happy to sign it for you or your friends. If you don’t live near me and don’t mind shipping it to me, the same thing applies. Just drop me a note. My email is on my bio page.

.

Have a good one!

Comment here

Signing, Writing

Local Author Event–White Lake Library

(signing)

I love libraries, don’t you?

I love the feel of a million words next to me. I love walking the aisles and knowing I’m passing the creative intellect of thousands.

My youngest and I go to library ‘preschool’ every week. It’s not really preschool. It’s storytime without the parents, and they do a craft afterward. But we call it preschool, because, well, he wants to. He loves it.

I do, too.

Though I struggled with reading as a child and teenager, something finally clicked for me as an adult. Now I never have enough time to read all the books I want. But I still make my piles. I still check them out from the library in hopes that maybe, just maybe, I’ll get some time.

I love libraries.

Because of this, I’m very excited to be part of a local author event at the White Lake Library this Saturday. This event features authors from southeast Michigan. I get to meet them. I get to sit by them. Not only that, I get to be one of them. :)

How. Cool. Is. That?

So if you’re a Michigander (or happen to be in the neighborhood), come stop by and see me.  

I’ll be the lady trying desperately to look mature and dignified, while secretly trying to meet all the cool people.

Here are the details:

Authors and illustrators from Southeastern Michigan will be available to discuss, sell, and sign books for children, teens and adults. No registration required, just drop in to shop locally for the holidays!

Date: 10/13/2012
Start Time: 10:00 AM
End Time: 1:00 PM

7527 E. Highland Rd, White Lake, MI

I’ll have copies of SADIE there to sign, or feel free to bring your own. Considering it has snow on the cover, and it’s set around Christmas and New Years, it’s definitely a great gift book for the holidays. :)

Hope to see you there!

Comment here

Signing, Writing

Pictures: LDStorymakers MW Conference

(traveling)

Last weekend was the LDStorymakers Midwest Conference, the first LDStorymakers Conference outside of Utah.

It was awesome!!! 

Barnes & Noble Authorpalooza Book Signing with Lynn Parsons, Steve Westover, Lisa Mangum, Karen Hoover, Heather Justesen, Don Carey, Laurie Lewis, Rebecca Belliston, Danyelle Ferguson, Tamara Heiner, Josi Kilpack, Traci Abramson

.

I’ll post later this week about all the great things I learned at the conference, but for now I wanted to post a few pictures with the people I met. Authors are so much fun, if I do say so myself. A bit quirky, too, but that’s what makes them/us so entertaining, right?

Though I’ve been a member of LDStorymakers for almost a year, and though I’d heard of and even chatted with many of the authors there, I’d only met one of them. Yet the whole group was quick to make me feel welcome and a part of their organization. I’m looking forward to being the secretary this next year.

We started off the weekend with a 13-author booksigning at the Barnes and Noble in the Oak Park Mall outside of Kansas City. (see picture above)

Can you tell I’m happy to be there? I had to fold my arms to keep them from shaking with excitement. :)

.

Hanging with the fabulous Heather Justesen. She was a lot of fun. When we weren’t signing books or talking to readers, we were chatting up a storm 

.

I posted this picture to show off Sadie’s beautiful cover. I can’t tell you how many comments I received at the conference (and the past year) about the cover. I wish I could take credit for it, but Deseret Book’s Heather Ward designed it. I’ve loved it since the moment I saw it. And no, I don’t know the lady on the cover. :)

The next day was the actual conference, held in Olathe, Kansas.

I attended six classes, plus heard keynote addresses from Lisa Mangum and Josi Kilpack. Oh, and it just so happened that my name was drawn to sit at the table of honor with Lisa and Josi. Yep. Pretty rockin’ awesome. They’re two accomplished, gracious women who speak as well as they write. 

However, I didn’t get my picture snapped with them. Bummer.

But the photo below is of me and Sharon, my good friend who let me drag her across the country to attend this conference. Though I really admired her before this trip, I am in awe of her now. Not only is she a great author, but she’s an amazing person. Plus she makes me laugh. And she didn’t make fun of me either. The whole trip. Even though I am a complete dork who couldn’t take the right exit even with Lady Garmin shouting the directions at me. See. Awesome friend.

Dinner with my friend and road-trip buddy, Sharon

.

Lisa Mangum gave several great addresses and classes. What a great presenter.

.

Attending Josi Kilpack’s class on Internal and External Conflict. It was awesome. The three great rules of writing are conflict, conflict, conflict

.

The picture below is our group.

The conference was set up in such a way that I felt like I was able to meet and converse with most of the people below. An excellent group of authors.

LDStorymakers Midwest Conference 2012 – Sharon and I are in the lower left corner

With luck, I’ll be able to attend again next year.

(thanks to Danyelle Ferguson for letting me use her pictures. My camera had issues. She was kind enough to allow me to post hers.)

Have a great one!

.

Comment here.

.

Asking, Signing, Writing

Answering SADIE Questions

(asking)

.

My church is having a SADIE night next week

Let me just say, I’m so excited!

I’ve been to another book club on Sadie, and I had so much fun. The ladies were so nice, and they remembered the characters so well, it was awesome. They even served college-guy refreshments like orange juice, cold cereal, and pizza. How cool is that?

At my book signings in Utah, I loved talking to everyone there, too. And e-mails I’ve received, and facebook messages. Wow. People have been so stinkin’ nice.

It’s been a blast.

One of my favorite things is hearing people’s questions and comments about the book. Things that stick out to them sometimes surprise me. I know I wrote all those words, but some have slipped through my memory, and others are interpreted in cool ways by some readers. It’s been fascinating to hear their/your comments.

  • Side note: If you live within a few hours of the Detroit Metro area and want me to come to your Sadie book club, or if you own a bookstore and want me to do a book signing, please ask! I love that kind of stuff. Just contact me via email here. (I probably should have mentioned this months ago, but hey, I’m a newbie.)

Anyway . . . Questions

Since I’ve been asked to talk about my book, and since I prefer to talk about what people want to hear, and not what makes me obsessively obnoxious, I’m opening the discussion up to all of you. Think about it as an online book club (of sorts). So . . .

  • What questions do you have about Sadie? 
  • What things did you wonder as you read?
  • Do you have questions about the writing process in general? 
  • The publishing process?

Pretty much anything you want to ask, ask. I’ll do my best to answer.

Just comment below (you can comment anonymously if you prefer). Or ask on facebook or twitter if those are your social mediums. I check all three regularly.

(You guys are so awesome.)

I’ll leave this post up for…well…forever, so even if you find this down the road, feel free to post your questions.

So are you ready?

Ask away!

.

.

.

PS) Here is the synopsis for Sadie in case you’re curious:

Sadie Dawson thinks she has the perfect life until one misunderstanding leads to a brutal event that changes everything. Terrified, she flees her boyfriend’s wrath, two FBI agents, and her “perfect life.” Lost in a Montana snowstorm and desperate for refuge, she’s rescued by four quirky guys on their annual holiday ski vacation. But even as her physical wounds heal, Sadie wonders is she will ever be able to escape the clutches of her wealthy and determined boyfriend.

While her heart tells her there is more to a perfect life than diamond necklaces and elegant dinner parties, Sadie doesn’t know who she can trust. And just when her heart settles, she finds herself abandoned by the one person who swore to protect her for a religion she doesn’t understand. Will she have the courage to follow her heart and find the life that is perfect for her?