Join Us for a Conversation with Novelist Belinda Tors

Some of the best books tackle the toughest topics. In the case of Belinda Tors' new novel, Letting Go, it is the scourge of domestic violence. Letting Go is a moving and realistic account of what a woman goes through, not only during an abusive marriage, but after she leaves.  

Belinda Tors is a retired social worker and journalist who has published widely in newspapers and literary journals. Under the name Barbara Fifield, she is the author of two women’s novels, Photographs and Memories and Lucifer Rising, and a self-illustrated book of poetry, Passion’s Evidence. She is a member of several writing groups, including the Florida Writers’ Association, the Tomoka Poets, and the Ormond Beach Writers’ League. She resides in Port Orange, Florida. 

Tune into the WITS podcast this Friday to hear Belinda discuss her passion for writing, her creative process, and her own struggle to rebuild her life after leaving a violent relationship. 

Click here to read my review of Letting Go. 

Sell More Books with a Virtual Book Tour

by Dana Lynn Smith, The Savvy Book Marketer

Virtual book tours (also called blog tours) typically involve making guest appearances on book review sites or on blogs, websites, and/or forums that are related to your topic or audience. You can even do teleseminars, podcasts, or live interviews on Blog Talk Radio as part of your tour.

Virtual tours have several advantages over the traditional in-person book tour:

• It's free (unless you hire someone to organize the tour) and there's no time or money spent on travel.
• You can generally reach far more people and reach a more targeted audience.
• A virtual tour provides quality, lasting links to your own author website.

Look for tour hosts that are a good fit for your book and provide unique content to each host. Here are some suggestions for content:

• virtual interviews, where your host asks questions and you respond
• how-to articles in your area of expertise
• excerpts from your book
• articles about how you developed the plot or characters for a novel
• book reviews written by the tour host
• podcasts or teleseminars
• video or blog radio interviews with you
• book promotion videos
• articles about how you published the book or what you're doing to market it

Make the tour more interactive by encouraging readers to make comments or ask questions. Sometimes the host will ask readers for questions in advance.

You can create buzz by giving away a free copy of your book or a related item at some of the tour stops. For example, invite people to make a comment on your guest blog post, then hold a drawing to give away a free copy of your book to someone randomly selected from those who left comments. But the downside of giving away your book during the tour is that some people might wait to see if they win, instead of ordering the book. Instead, you might give away a copy of one of your other books or offer a free e-book to everyone.

Virtual book tours are ideal for launching a new book, but even if your book has been out for a while, a virtual tour can book create buzz and bring in sales.

Tours typically last 5 to 20 consecutive days, with a different tour stop each day or every other day. If you want to do a long tour, you might schedule a 10-day tour and then do a second tour a month or two later. It's never too late to promote your book with a virtual book tour!

About Dana Lynn Smith

Dana Lynn Smith, The Savvy Book Marketer, helps authors and indie publishers learn how to sell more books through her how-to guides, blog, newsletter, and private coaching. Get her free Top Book Marketing Tips e-books at www.BookMarketingNewsletter.com, visit her blog at www.TheSavvyBookMarketer.com, follow @BookMarketer on Twitter, and connect on Face-book at www.face-book.com/SavvyBookMarketer.

 

Editor's Corner February 2014

Hello everyone, and welcome to the February 2014 edition of the Writers in the Sky newsletter!

February is a very special, very exciting month, full of ancient wisdom and rich symbolism. It is also a month of transition— leaving the old behind and embracing the new. February’s flowers are primrose and violets, which signify resilience, inspiration, and the promise of Spring; the trees, Rowan and Ash, signify awareness and ascension. This is a time to let go of past disappointments, take what we’ve learned, and move to the next level of creativity.

So, what does this mean for writers? I believe it means stretching our literary muscles further than we ever have before; it’s time to take risks and put our work out there, even if it is uncomfortable or we feel as though we’re not ready. For some, this might mean taking a writing class where they present their stories for critique; for others, it may mean sending that first book out to bloggers for review.

I’m also encouraging all the fiction writers out there to enter the Seventh Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest. Contests are great vehicles to get your work seen by the experts; they also circumvent the lengthy agent-hunting process by awarding the winners a publishing deal and a generous advance.

Remember, though, that ultimately it’s not important how you choose to spread your wings, just that you do it.

Happy February, and happy writing!


Dana Micheli
Writer and editor, Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services
http://writersinthesky.com
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Writers in the Sky is a team of ghostwriters, editors, and book marketing specialists committed to the craft and business of writing. We work with our clients on all levels of the publishing process from editing and manuscript assessments to book formatting and marketing. So whether you are a first-time author or a veteran of the craft, let Writers in the Sky help you get your book out into the world. We also provide assistance with résumés, business documents, and academic essays. For more information, visit www.writersinthesky.com.

Join Us for a Conversation with Author and Animal Activist, Chris Hammer

They say it only takes one person to change the world. In Chris Hammer's case, it only took one animal, a beautiful, blind pit bull named Irving. When Chris, a lifelong animal lover, set about finding Irving a home, she discovered a lack of services for abandoned senior and special needs animals. That was the inspiration for Irving House Animal Sanctuary, the organization Chris founded four years ago to save these precious creatures from almost certain death.

Chris has another passion--writing--and she ties these two loves together in her wonderfully crafted books. Today, Chris joined the WITS podcast to discuss her latest, Family Can Be Murder. It is a fast-paced mystery with plenty of intrigue, humor, and of course, a dog. Fred, the smart, funny Chihuahua, steals so many scenes that he'll undoubtedly return in the next installment of the Dysorganized Crime Series.

Her first book, Bixby's Canine Capers, is a collection of short stories chronicling the adventures of an equally feisty beagle, including the internationally acclaimed, Bixby and the Wolf.

Click here to listen to the podcast


Like what you heard? Family Can Be Murder is available on Amazon, Goodreads, Kobo, and through the publisher, The Fine Line Editorial Consultancy. You can also order Chris' books and learn more about her work with animals at www.irvinghouse.org.

This Week's Podcast Guest: Author and Animal Activist Chris Hammer

It is not often we meet someone who really lives their passion, so you can imagine my       delight to meet a person who's devoted to two! This Friday, author and animal activist Chris Hammer discusses her new novel, Family Can Be Murder. It is a suspenseful,  fast-paced thriller that will have you laughing one minute and scratching your head the next. 

Jane Grotto, the star of the story, isn't looking for any trouble. She is content to run her car repo business, have Sunday dinners at her parents' house and hang out with Fred, her feisty but good-natured Chihuahua. But when Jane's favorite cousin is accused of murder, trouble finds her. As she races to prove his innocence, she stumbles into a closet full of family skeletons, one of which is definitely worth killing for. Jane isn't looking for romance either, but when sexy NYPD detective Lou Lotedo shows up on the scene...well, let's just say there's only so much temptation a good Catholic girl can resist. Like any book you can't put down, Family Can Be Murder is over far too soon. Luckily for us, it is only the first installment of the Dysorganized Crime Series. The second book will be released some time this fall. 

Family Can Be Murder is her first novel, but it is not her first book. Her debut short story, Bixby and the Wolf, won international acclaim and was ultimately developed into a short story collection, Bixby’s Canine Capers. 

Chris is also the Founding Director of Irving House Animal Sanctuary; a rescue organization she established four years ago for the care of abandoned senior and special needs animals.  The organization is named for her first "client", a blind pit bull named Irving.  Since she was a child, Chris wanted to do two things: write, and help animals, and she is living both dreams. A portion of the proceeds from all book sales will fund Irving House. 

To read more about Chris' incredible work with animals or to order her books, please visit http://www.irvinghouse.org/

And be sure to tune in to the WITS podcast on Friday!

Editor's Corner April 2013

Welcome to the April 2013 edition of the WITS newsletter. It’s officially spring, but in some parts of the country, winter has been reluctant to loosen its grip. This leaves us antsy and dreaming of travel to another state or country; even another world. It can also make it difficult to focus on our writing projects, which we have undoubtedly been slaving over during those gray, cold days.
 
This leads me to this month’s musing: remembering why we started writing in the first place. For many of us, myself included, it began with a love of reading. A good book can take us to another world as easily as a plane ride, with less expense and no chance of losing our luggage.
 From the time I was a small child and long before I ever considered being a writer, reading was a way to escape my own life. Books showed me new landscapes and allowed me to understand people, cultures, languages and religions I might never have come into contact with otherwise. John Le Carré taught me about the thrill--and the moral relativity--of espionage; an Alice Hoffman book always takes me out of the concrete jungle in which I live and into the lush, green woods of a small New England town.
And, by the way, reading will make you a better writer as well. As if by magic, it teaches you how to invite others into your world, share with them your truth, and allow them to escape their day-to-day for a while.

So if you find yourself staring out the window--or worse, in front of a blank screen—pick up a book and dive in. When you “return”, you might find you have a different perspective on your work, and your life.

Happy writing (and reading!)
Dana Micheli
Writer and editor, Writers in the Sky Creative Writing Services
http://writersinthesky.com
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Writers in the Sky is a team of ghostwriters, editors, and book marketing specialists committed to the craft and business of writing. We work with our clients on all levels of the publishing process, from editing and manuscript assessments to book formatting and marketing. So whether you are a first-time author or a veteran of the craft, let Writers in the Sky help you get your book out into the world. We also provide assistance with résumés, business documents, and academic essays. For more information, visit www.writersinthesky.com.