Goodreads Giveaway

Thanks to all the 419 readers who participated in the Goodreads giveaway for my latest novel, Darkness Beyond the Light.

I mailed books the day after Christmas to Meredith in Florida, Robert in California, Jennifer in Missouri, Toya in Tennessee, and Ronald in Utah.

During an Amazon.com promotion that prompted 145 requests in November, I awarded five ebooks to Diane, Tammy, Stephanie, Michelle, and Jennifer (states not revealed). 

While there are no strings attached to a giveaway, I do hope the recipients will take a few minutes to rate and review the novel in Goodreads, Amazon, or some other website(s). 

Indie authors need all the support they can get from readers and fellow authors. I do hope that every time you read a book, you'll show your appreciation with a review and/or rating. I do that with every book I read, even those I don't particularly like. Any review/rating is better than no review/rating.

Needless to say, the biggest boost you can give to all authors is to purchase books. And I thank every one of you who made a financial stake in buying my books and investing your precious time in reading them. 

If you're short on funds, I recommend you ask your library to purchase the books you want to read. And that's not just the ones I've authored. You have your favorite authors so show them some support (and love). Libraries have budgets to purchase books, and your tax dollars support them.

Until the next time. . . .  

Happy Holidays

A quick note to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Like every year, 2017 has had its up and downs and a few things all around. That's what life is all about. You simply try to adapt and adjust to the situations confronting you and try to make the best of them, if possible.

Maybe 2018 will have more ups than downs. At least some days when life is at an even keel. I must confess, that at my age, deaths to family members and friends throw me for a loop. My guess that most people feel the same way, and perhaps regardless of age.

I certainly hope that all the writers out there keep the muse in their lives as they venture into uncharted territory. I've always believed writing was an adventure and the rewards came during the process that also involves thoughts being transformed into words.   

And I hope readers find entertaining and edifying books to satisfy their emotional and intellectual needs. I always want to gain something after investing time in this worthwhile pursuit. Furthermore, that's one of the things I try to deliver as an author.  Time is a precious commodity that I don't take lightly.



Until the next time. . . .

Opioid Epidemic in U.S.

The opioid problem in the United States has reached epidemic proportions, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC reports that since 1999, deaths involving the use of opioids, including prescription drugs and heroin, has quadrupled. Figures reveal that more than 500,000 have died from overdoses since 2000. Ninety-one die each day from this scourge that has spread across America, filtering into all economic classes.

Every day when I pick up my daily newspaper, the State Journal in Frankfort, Ky., I read about drug arrests and overdoses, sometimes covering nearly a page in court news. Check out this story from last June about the increase in opioid deaths. Frankfort is the state capital, the fourth smallest in the nation with a population of about 28,000.

The CDC also notes that each day more than 1,000 people are treated in emergency departments nationally for misusing prescription opioids.

Kentucky has addressed the problem with legislative initiatives to curtail the abuse of opioids and use of heroin in recent years. The state Office of Drug Control Policy reports that more than 1,000 Kentuckians die each year from overdoses. Furthermore, Kentucky ranks in the top three, along with New Hampshire and West Virginia in opioid deaths.

My latest novel, "Darkness Beyond the Light," concerns drug addiction as it affects a family. I hope it brings more attention, more discussion, and more action to the problem as an increasing number of people are touched by this deadly disease.

To learn more about opioids and other drugs, read the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's fact sheets. 

Until the next time. . . .

No NaNoWriMo

I must admit that I didn't complete the National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo, in November.

On the first day, I wrote about 1,300 words. The next morning I sat down and couldn't find the file. I could have swore I saved the initial entry but it was nowhere to be found. 

I tried to start again, but faltered after 500 words or so. And then I flamed out.

My heart really wasn't in it this year because of the passing of a loved one and a prior commitment to judge entries in a writing contest. I couldn't get focused even though I had a rough outline, one that I will be using when I start the third installment in the "John Ross Boomer Lit" series. 

I plan to get moving on the next novel in a few weeks when I don't have any extraordinary distractions. 

This is the first time that I haven't completed a NaNoWriMo challenge. The previous efforts evolved into novels -- "Shooting Star," "The Bully List," "Old Ways and New Days," and the recently published "Darkness Beyond the Light."

I hope those who took the grueling challenge completed the 50,000-word goal. Any may you get published for all the hard work.

Until the next time. . . .

(P.S. While you're here, click on the Goodreads giveaway for "Darkness Beyond the Edge" at the upper right. And I would be honored if you'd follow the blog as well.) 

Third Promotion

My third promotion for "Darkness Beyond the Light" will begin on Nov. 26 and run until Dec. 24 on Goodreads.com.

The first promotion was an ebook giveaway on Amazon and the second was an advertisement in Facebook. I plan to announce other promotions in the coming weeks so stay tuned.

The latest giveaway is for five print copies of the novel. I've done three previous contests on Goodreads with positive responses from readers wanting to enter.

While the promotion involves some financial outlay on my part—five books and postage to the winners—it also attracts attention and exposure for the novel. Most of the readers will  since most click the "Want to Read" button, and perhaps a percentage of those will eventually purchase it.

So if you've like to enter, simply click on the button to the right of this post or go to Goodreads. By the way, Goodreads is a wonderful website that connects readers to authors and vice versa. I'd be honored if you decided to follow and/or friend me when you visit the page.

Until the next time. . . .

New Cover

Sometimes you have to take a step back in order to move forward. That's what the folks at Wings ePress have done with "Old Ways and New Days."

Since the novel is the first in the "John Ross Boomer Lit" series, the cover needed to redone to reflect the change. Digital artist Richard Stroud has designed the new cover, which I believe gives more of an idea of what is between the covers.

Old 

New

Besides the new artwork, Stroud has added the "John Ross Boomer Lit Novel" strip across the bottom and uses a similar font to the one used in "Darkness Beyond the Light." Those elements will continue forthcoming books in the series.

Coming up with a cover that says something about the book is as difficult as trying to say what a book is about in  30 words or less. Authors try to do that (most of us don't) since it is something that would fit nicely in a sound bite.

And if that's not the case, they want a back cover blurb (my publisher prefers 75 words or less)  that attracts potential readers. Just watch readers in a book store, library or some other place as they quickly scan blurbs to see which books they want to read—it's a quick process to capture their attention, or not.

So with the new cover, it's the hope that it will boost sales, especially from those who've read "Darkness Beyond the Light" but haven't read "Old Ways and New Days" because they will see the connection.

Until the next time. . . . 

Second Promotion

I began a second promotion today, using Facebook to spread the word about "Darkness Beyond the Light."

Since the coming-of-old-age novel focuses primarily on AARP-age folks, I targeted baby boomers in major cities in the United States. It will run for 14 days. I've used Facebook in the past to promote by author page, garnering a good degree of success. I hope that holds true for the novel. You can enter the first promotion, an ebook from Amazon, by clicking here. 


The ad will send folks to my author page on Amazon, where they will (hopefully) purchase the book. It will also expose them to my other novels and nonfiction books. I especially want them to consider "Old Ways and New Days" since it is the first book  in the series.

I considered using Twitter, and I may still do so, but I'm going to do more research before I spend allocate any funds. If any authors out there, have you had success using Twitter?

I'll do a Goodreads giveaway as well, when the Facebook promotion is about over. I want to promote the book through the holiday season. By the way, "Darkness Beyond the Light" is set during the Christmas season. 

I've looked into other places but have found them rather pricey, and a few simply come across as scams. 

As I've noted in previous posts, promotion and marketing is not my forte. I do as much research as possible. Networking helps as other authors tell me of their experiences.

Until the next time. . . .