Crafting Your Craft

Just like cheese, wine, and crazy friends who encourage you to act like an idiot, writing gets better with time. 

Perusing my website's stats revealed that my most viewed posts were published in 2015. Weird, right? In 2014, I worried about proving myself as a writer and making a splash when my book was released in November. Conversely, in 2015 I had to relax and accept my limits as a writer, blogger, and author because I began teaching at a new school and had to blog less frequently.

That's right. Less. 

I'd just released a book. On top of online marketing, I had to do the traditional high-heels-hit-the-pavement variety of marketing too. (Don't judge. I like to be pretty when I hit the pavement.) And stress hit an all-time high when I moved from the elementary school I'd been teaching at for 8 years to a charter school. 

The only plausible reason I could find for those pesky numbers was this: 

Practice Makes Perfect. 

(Or in my case, practice makes better.) 

Writing: In 2015, I went from crafting one-point-to-be-made posts to integrating other's posts, websites, books, themes, and links into my own posts. And I began to write about writing. I tackled topics like Indie vs Traditional Publishing and full-time vs part-time writing, the Waiting Game of writers and publishers, dealing with deadlines, the importance of keeping promises we make to readers, the ins and outs of world building, and how to break writing rules effectively. 

Connection: In 2015, I learned the value of connecting with other authors and writers as well as readers both online and in real life. I found a commonality with them and began discussing the struggles all writers face. I posted about other authors and their books more than ever before.  Also, I cracked the code on Twitter. Seriously. And finally, I understood the Power of the Share, which is something I plan to harness more in 2016. (If you want to be part of that process and be featured on my website, please leave me a comment below.)

Promotion: In 2015, I took advantage of #MondayBlogs and #ArchiveDay regularly, which boosted my readership drastically. Also, I learned to play the numbers game and promote my posts on all forums (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc) in their own unique way and repeatedly post (not spam) for higher interaction. And I learned a bit more about marketing and online etiquette. (Because let's be honest, what does a kindergarten teacher know about marketing? Unlike buyers, the kids come to you! But hey, we know plenty about the pleases and thank yous of etiquette.)

Like years of piano lessons that refine musical ability, I refined my writing and consequently my website through weekly practice. I'm still not there yet. But I'm much closer than I was in 2014 and today I'm more excited than I was 2015.

Tally ho! Onward and upward in 2016, my friends!

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I'd love to hear about your 2015 discoveries and how they effect your perception of the future. Leave me a comment below!

You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch

Sometimes I identify with the Grinch a little too well. Like when the Whos are making noise, noise, noise, noise, NOISE! Oh the joys of holidays crowds full of crazy-eyed individuals. There's nothing that can make me lose faith in humanity (i.e. make my heart shrink two sizes) than visiting Walmart in December.

There's plenty of nonsense, garbage, and despair in the world that can put me off the last can of Who Hash. But in the midst of all of the holiday madness, there are moments when I feel the spirit of the season. 

The excitement of little children. Giving anonymously to those in need. Delicious secrets and perfect surprises. Beautifully sung carols. Joyful Christmas music. Twinkle lights. The coziness of firelight. 

It's enough to make my heart grow three sizes.

Along with enduring holiday events (parties, dinners, etc.) and Christmas shopping, we must leave time to Find the Love. Fabulous books, holiday movies (anything from cheesy to inspiring), uplifting music, and conversations with friends and loved ones help me to feel the love and share it with others.

My Favorite Holiday Music: Jessica Simpson's Rejoice: The Christmas Album, Mannheim Steamroller's A Fresh Aire Christmas, Elvis Christmas, The Best of the Jackson Five: The Christmas Collection, Michael Buble's Christmas, and Glee Christmas (go ahead, pick one of the many Glee Christmas Albums, I have them all). Basically, I listen to holiday music religiously all December (and won't tolerate it before Thanksgiving or after December 25th.)

My Favorite Holiday Movies: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (obviously the cartoon is my favorite, but Jim Carrey is pretty amazing as well), The Muppet's Christmas Carol (it's the best Christmas Carol ever and all the brilliant lines come straight from Dickens), The Holiday (feel pathetic during the holidays with friends!), Twelve Dates of Christmas (feel-good RomCom that can be found on Netflix), A Christmas Story (do you really need a reason to watch it again?), White Christmas, Holiday Inn, Miracle on 34th Street (I prefer the original), and It's a Wonderful Life. So many awesome holiday movies to chase away the winter blues! I discover new (good and bad) ones every year! (But can you tell I love the classics?)

My Favorite Holiday Books: The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson, Again, there are more, but these are the top three that I always come back to. Also, there's my little Christmas Short...

My Faith and Beliefs: Participating in service, teaching others, sharing my talents through music and the written word, and learning about the REAL reason for the season keep my heart centered during this special time of year. Religion has shaped who I am and brings true happiness to my life.

It is easy to become embittered toward the whole holiday season. But instead of letting our feet grow ice cold in the snow, we can embrace the beautiful spirit of the season and share the joy, laughter, and love with others who are struggling. And believe me, even single and in my late 30's, I find many reasons to be joyful and many souls to uplift with my laughter and love.

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I'd love to hear about the holiday traditions that keep your heart centered this time of year. Leave me a comment below!

The Masculine Mystique

Dates. Romantic movies. Innocent flirtations at the library. All those ridiculous getting-to-know-you singleton games. No matter what the outcome, girls are always left wondering, What was he really thinking?
I'll admit it, women are confusing. It's part of our feminine mystique. However, no matter how perplexing men might find women, I refuse to believe that it comes close to the torture girls inflict on themselves after an interaction with the opposite sex. Behold the mental aerobics of the average female:

• What did he mean when he said he had a good time? 
• Did he just mean that it was a nice time or is he interested in something more? 
• If he is interested in something more, maybe he just wants to be good friends. 
• Maybe he just wants to be bowling buddies...
• Or lifelong buddies...
• Or lifelong partners? 
• Ohmigosh! Could he be The One?

No one can go from zero to marriage quicker than a girl. It's embarrassing really.

I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure guys don't do that. With few exceptions, they tend to be more pragmatic about life. Sex. Food. Sleep. Life's essentials. What else would you really need?

Everything! reply the women of the world. An emotional connection. An intellectual connection. Financial stability. A freaking sense of humor! (I'm slightly passionate about that last one. And yes, I did overuse the italics. On purpose.) 

As I sink ever deeper into singledom, I appreciate any glimpse into the male psyche I'm afforded. I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy's perspective (until contemporary authors decided that what was missing from Miss Austen's works was a healthy dose of sex). A new addition, Heir to Edenbrooke, opens the door on the workings of another hero's mind.

Philip Wyndham is dishy. There's really no other word for it. When he and Marianne Daventry connect, the sparks fly. It doesn't hurt that he's gentlemanly and flirtatious. Marianne can't help but fall for him. The only thing that was missing wasn't a healthy dose of sex, but Philip's take on things.

Either Julianne Donaldson sensed this or, like me, she falls as much in love with her characters as her readers, because Heir to Edenbrooke provides that missing glimpse into Philip's thoughts and feelings during the meet-cute with Marianne, as well as the details of his life before the events in Edenbrooke take place.

My reaction? *Insert girlie sigh* I loved it. And like everyone who's read it, I only wish it was longer. (However, I can respect Donaldson's choice to keep it at novelette length. After all, retelling the entire story from Philip's perspective would add little new information to the tale and that is what good writers strive to do. We want to add value not just word count.)

For detailed reviews of Donaldson's other books, visit A Proper Romance. There's a little something for the lady in all of us.

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FYI I might have penned a novel from the Dude's perspective. It was a pretty interesting process and hopefully all my hard work won't be wasted. But for now, here's Interlude in the Rose Garden to give you a taste of the direction Jonas Selkirk took me in.

By the way, I'd love to hear about your favorite Dude's Perspective Romances. Leave me a comment! And as always, thanks for dropping in!

The Power of the Share

This summer I was trying to grow my number of followers on Facebook. The fabulous Raylynn Sleight (i.e. Marketing Guru Extraordinaire) connected me with some fabulous business sharing pages. However, it didn't take long before I noticed a pattern. No matter how many people I followed or how hard I tried to connect with people, I would only garner a minimal number of followers, and it was almost always on a follow-for-follow basis. However, when Raylynn shared my page, it was much more successful.

“What's that all about?” I asked her.

“The magic of the share,” she replied sagely. 

Photo courtesy of  Unsplash.com

Someone else brought up a related topic recently. (Okay, so they were trying to get me involved in one of those sales scams, you know, refer your friends and have your friends refer more friends and everyone makes tons of money. But probably the only ones making money are the people who started it.) They claimed that anyone can be a salesperson. And, we do it all the time. We recommend books, movies, restaurants, etc. to our friends and they buy, view, and visit those places. Crazy, right? 

The reason they follow through on our recommendations is because we have a personal connection with them. Our friends trust our word. And the better the products are that we recommend, the more they appreciate our good taste.

So, how do we bank on the Power of the Share to garner more followers, better shares, and more connectivity? We open the door to others sharing by doing it ourselves. As an author, I will always share high quality content from other writers. That includes amazing authors, bloggers, and fabulous books.

But I'd like to take it one step further. I'd love to open up my website to amazing writers who have something to say. Warning: I don't read erotica, horror, or anything with excessive profanity or sex and I won't promote with a personal recommendation. However, if you inspire and uplift others, I'd love to let you take the platform. 

This isn't Sarah Does Reviews, but it is share what you love and connect with some new readers.

So here we go! If you'd love to be featured on my website, here's your chance. Leave me a comment below! And as I come up with topics of conversation, I'll send out invitations to authors, writers, and bloggers who I'd love to feature.

Karma is always a good thing, my friends. And helping one another in the crazy world of marketing is always welcome.

Here are some amazing folks who've been featured on my website already:
Misty Dawn Pulsipher
Jo Ann Schneider
Claudia Y. Burgoa
Lisa McKendrick

And here are the newest features on Humor and Inspiration in Writing:
Lydia Thomas: No, I Won't Write Your Memoirs 
Prairie Wife in Heels, 
Anne Goodwin: When Words Behave Like Toddlers 
Terry Tyler: Art Inspires Life

Three-Six-Five

There are times in life when you say, What? It's been how long? Being an author is like that.
I can't believe my book has been out for a three-hundred-sixty-five days. And yet, I can't believe it's only been a year. It's perfect that Becoming Beauty was published in November, the month of gratitude, because I'm overwhelmingly grateful.

I'm grateful that I took a chance on myself and the story that rattled around in my soul for years. It desperately wanted to be told.

I'm grateful that Cedar Fort Publishing took a chance on me. Becoming Beauty may not be wildly successful, but it continues to move. I appreciate that the publishing house took me in hand and made so much more of Becoming Beauty than I could have done alone. Much of the good press has originated with Cedar Fort, their team of professionals, and their connections. A huge thank you to them!

I'm grateful to friends, new and old, online and in my community who have supported me. Countless individuals have created blog posts, bought books, recommended Becoming Beauty to friends, invited me to visit their school, book clubs, libraries, and coffee shops. I love that. And I love all of you who have taken time out of your life to help a girl out. I love you all. As they say, it takes a village to raise a child, it also takes a village to publish a book.

I'm grateful to my family for being so proud, so impressed, and so supportive. It's true that they are my biggest fans. And yes, they keep thinking this is soooo cool and asking when my next book will be published. How awesome is that?

I'm grateful that stories keep whispering to my heart. It is not the end of the road and I refuse to be another one hit wonder. Even on my hardest teaching days, I know that there is another life waiting in the wings, an impatient muse tapping her toe until her chance to breathe life into another story arrives.

One year later, here's what I know: Don't abandon your dreams. Don't abandon that bit of more that is struggling to take center stage. It is more marvelous than you can ever guess.

Also, want in on a secret? Since Becoming Beauty can't have cupcakes for her birthday, she's shelling out the gifts! 99 cents all week! Just in time to gift it to a friend or secure your own holiday read!
Amazon Kindle
Barnes & Noble Nook
books&things ebook
iTunes ebook

A Proper Romance

There's something magical about a premiere novel, through it a writer's voice and style is introduced to the world. 

Along with her premiere novel, Julianne Donaldson created a new genre, the Proper Romance. Donaldson is apparently a girl like me, who enjoys a clean read without all the religious mumbo jumbo. Don't get me wrong, religion and romance have their place in life, but reading about them can become preachy and, well icky.

A Proper Romance strikes the happy medium between Christian Romance and Adult Romance. Donaldson's first book, Edenbrooke, is a perfect example. It's chock full of exuberance, humor, and first love. 

Marianne Daventry isn't your run-of-the-mill debutante. She's fond of twirling, meandering through the great outdoors, and singing ridiculous songs about cows. (Seriously.) How can she ever hope to become the type of lady worthy of a great fortune and marrying well? However, when the situation arises, Marianne must rise to the occasion, and with her sparkling sense of humor, wonderful heart, and innate clumsiness, hilarity and heartbreak are sure to be in ample supply.  

Edenbrooke is the favorite of my niece, Amy, who probably identifies a little too well with nutty/adorable/genuine Marianne. Amy's real-life romance, riddled with many a ridiculous moment, rivals Marianne's. If you enjoy a healthy dose of awkward giggle with your romance, Edenbrooke is the Proper Romance for you.

Just as the premiere novel tells a lot about a new writer, the sophomore novel reveals even more. Sophomore novels show how much the writer has grown and what storytelling skills they have refined. More than anything, seeing the direction an author takes after the first novel is fascinating. 

The entire tenor of Blackmoore is darker, more serious, and more suspenseful than Edenbrooke. Kate Worthington (not Kitty as she has been called since girlhood) faces prejudice based on her less-than-proper family relations, her past, and her friendship with a titled young man. Unraveling the threads of Kate's past alongside Henry Delafield, her best friend, is an absolute delight. And untangling her growing feelings for Henry is both delicious and heartbreaking. 

The depth and romance of Blackmoore makes it my favorite of Donaldson's novels. It's like the friend who is more interesting and solid because of the hell they've been through. Don't get me wrong, those happy-go-lucky folks are lovely and they bring the laughter, but they may not be the ones you want at your side when the crap hits the fan. 

Discovering clean books that are clever, humorous, and full of heart is the best. I can recommend them to others with a clear conscience, which is my absolute favorite. I like to think of Becoming Beauty as a Proper Romance (even though Donaldson's publisher didn't pick it up). There's just enough flirty/snarky romance to keep things interesting, but not enough to reach the ick zone. 

Find Donaldson's books on Amazon: Edenbrooke, Blackmoore, and just arriving on the scene Heir to Edenbrooke, the prequel to Edenbrooke. Oh, it's gonna be good!

I'd love to hear about your Proper Romance favorites...for instance, anything Jane Austen will do! Leave me a comment!

Coloring Contests & Captain America

Maneuvering through today's marketing world requires finesse, creativity, and maybe a collection of dorky tee shirts. Luckily, I have kind friends who've helped me to set up a website, arrange author events, and connect with readers both on- and off-line. (Thanks, friends!)

I've learned something from those much more wise friends of mine. The key to marketing is keeping everything fresh. Blog posts, status updates, traditional book signings and other author events, etc. 

After arranging a couple of book signings, my marketing guru Raylynn Sleight suggested holding a coloring contest at the same time. My kindergarten teacher brain flipped into high gear, visualizing unsupervised children graphitti-ing every possible surface. 

“They have a kids area," she reminded me calmly. “But we don't have to do it if you don't want to.”

My teacher brain shut up for a second. My inner problem-solver filled the void. “Maybe we could do an online contest too?”

That did it. We located free Beauty & the Beast coloring pages online, nabbed crayons from my classroom, and gathered all my regular book signing paraphernalia. Raylynn designed custom posters and graphics to promote the signings online and at the various locations. (Have I mentioned how awesome she is?)

The technique worked beautifully at the signing, which was held during Friday Night Art Stroll in Ogden. Engaging kids in an activity while chatting up their parents--which was exactly what Raylynn had envisioned--was more fun than I could have anticipated. (And no, there were no crayon mishaps.) In addition to a successful sales event, involving social media in choosing the winner was a fabulous plan. I haven't had so much interaction and discussion in a long time! So much fun!

The next author event was a signing at Salt Lake Comic Con with several other Cedar Fort authors. We needed something to encourage super fans to stop long enough to chat with them about our books. After much deliberation, we settled on a prize wheel. It gave us a reason to call people over and offer freebies, but what really kept them chatting with us was the fact that all of us were friendly published authors. Some sales were made based on that alone. (Seriously thought, if you can't find any talking points at Comic Con, you need to watch more movies and read more books/comics. Because Captain America!)

These two events went quite well, but sometimes things won't work as well. Stay positive and learn from the experience. Spend more time thinking about the people who will be attending and cater to them for the next event. Just because you don't sell many books doesn't mean you are a crap author with nothing to offer. (That last bit was for me. *hangs head in shame*) At the last author event Raylynn and I set up, I sold very few books, but I made some fabulous connections. 

Here's my nugget of wisdom: the only time an author endeavor is a failure is when we give up. So, carry on and keep writing and schmoozing! It's good for you.