Life Perspective: Reviews & More

I had hoped to have "How to Promote Your Book on a Shoestring Budget" out by September 1. I have not posted a blog recently because I am just waiting for my books now. I have signed off on the proof, we agreed upon a price, and I ordered my first batch. Now I just have to wait for them to get here! I will post when they are here and when NovelMaker has them up on their site -- until then, I am just enduring the wait! I hope everyone has a happy Labor Day! Use this link to shop Amazon.com and support Christian Activities

Those of you who have gotten used to me having a long braid running down my back will have to get used to me with short hair as I donated another braid to Locks of Love this week. I traditionally have done this around my December birthday, but I have some book signings coming up at an out-door festival soon, so I decided now was the time to cut my hair! I wrote an article around Christmas several years ago on the subject of donating hair which was published in the Westview and in Christian Activities . If you'd like to know more, read "The Gift of the Magi." Use this link to shop Amazon.com and support Christian Activities

I signed a publishing deal today! How to Promote Your Book on a Shoestring Budget, will be published by Darden & Associates through NovelMaker, and printed and distributed by NovelMaker. The reason Darden & Associates will show up as publisher is... I already had everything, including the ISBN number and bar code. Since the ISBN and bar code are registered to Darden & Associates, we remain the technical publishers. However, NovelMaker will do everything for me from printing to distribution, getting me on Amazon.com, and putting the book in their own book store, doing fulfillment, etc. I am not having to pay a fee for a "publishing plan" where the publishing company charges me an arm and a leg for doing things I can do or already have done myself at a fraction of the cost, but I am getting the support, placement, and fulfillment I could not easily do on my own! And my books will cost slightly less per book to print, since they are a smaller size, so I will be able...

Christian Activities Publications is accepting submissions for the 2008 edition of The Mayberry Poem - A Tribute to Mayberry. Send your poem of 28 lines or less about any character or theme from "The Andy Griffith Show" to: books@christianactivities.com. The deadline for submissions is August 21. Visit The Mayberry Poem - A Tribute to Mayberry for more information. Use this link to shop Amazon.com and support Christian Activities

My new book, How to Promote Your Book on a Shoestring Budget, better be out by the end of September because I have set up some book signings in Mt. Airy, North Carolina for both the Mayberry Poetry books and How to Promote Your Book . I will blog more later when the details are all firmed up, but this is what I have so far: Book Signings at Mayberry on Main, Mt. Airy, NC 126 N. Main Street (across from Snappy Lunch) Mount Airy, NC 27030 Phone: 336-719-0405 Thursday, September 25: 7 to 8 PM Friday, September 26: 11 AM to noon; 6 PM to 7 PM Saturday, September 27: After the parade to noon; 5:30 PM to 7 PM. If you live in the area, why not come by and say hi??? Use this link to shop Amazon.com and support Christian Activities

A couple of years ago when my precious Papillon turned 11, I began to think about adding another Pap to the family. Miss Katy has been the BEST little companion I could ever have hoped for, and I don't want to wait until she's gone to try to "replace" her. She can NEVER be replaced. But it would be nice to grow to love another dog who will already be here on the sad day I loose my Katy, and it would be nice for Miss Katy to have a friend her size. There is enough love in our home to make sure a new papillon never lacks for loving care or companionship. Due to financial constraints, purchasing a Papillon is out of the question right now. I have to work a second job as it is to support Christian Activities, so a couple of years ago someone suggested I look into finding a rescue dog. I began to Google "Papillon rescue," and I found several organizations devoted to helping these lovely small dogs find good homes. Wonderful, right? Not so much. Adopting a...

My friend Dan Meyer is a sword swallower. That's not all he is; he's a juggler, fire eater, writer, musician, horse lover, social networker, husband, friend, and Christian. You can read a devotional Dan wrote at "Swallowing My Pride." Dan has one of the best online social networks I have ever seen, so I asked him to send in his top-ten list of tips to include in my book How to Promote Your Book on a Shoestring Budget which he graciously did. His tips are excellent! Now Dan is competing on this summer's "America's Got Talent," and he was just selected as one of eight Wildcard Acts, to be voted on by America during the next week! Here's the link to vote for Sword Swallower Dan Meyer on America's Got Talent... http://www.nbc.com/Americas_Got_Talent/vote/register.shtml Online voting: Out of eight Wildcard Acts, you can vote for the one you feel should be included in the top 40 going to the finals of "America's Got Talent". To vote...

It is like being back at square one again! Well, not really, but still.... I am still in the process of negotiating with a new publisher, but things are taking a bit longer than I anticipated, because I am having to reformat my text, side bars, and graphics in hopes of going with a slightly-smaller, less expensive book size. And since I am having to go back in to reformat, why, of course I am going back in to the text as well, adding, tweaking and updating! I am not making any big changes, but if I can save a little on the cost per book, and make some small improvements to the text, I might as well take advantage of it! Reformatting it myself saves me the cost of hiring someone else to do my layout. If I have done all this reformatting and decide NOT to go with the new publisher, I will be VERY ticked with myself. I am still not even sure I am going with them, because they need to see the book in its new, improved, tighter, reformatted state to tell me what the cost per book will be. I...

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