Happy Labor Day Weekend, Seekerville
Seeker friends have an open invitation to join us for the last blow out beach party of the summer on Unpublished Island.
We Have Winners
Be sure to contact us if you are a winner (send an email to seekers@seekerville.net with your snail mail address unless email is specified). We don't have time to track you down. Do let us know if you don't receive your prize in 6-8 weeks. Rules are located here, on our legal page.
On Tuesday Montlake Romance and Indie author Sandra Leesmith talked about how a rejection letter can be a great thing. Yes, there are such things as wonderful rejection letters. Join us and lets discuss how that can happen.For comfort (and thanks to Walt's suggestion) she is offering a $25.00 gift certificate for Sees Candy to winner, Becke.
Multi-published author Pamela Tracy joined us on Wednesday with the suspenseful thriller, "Curious Case of the Rabid Reader." Winner of an ebook copy of Pursuit of Justice is Cindy Regnier. Elizabeth is the winner of a copy of A Broken Lullaby.
Thursday we talked setting with Love Inspired author, and 2014 Carol Award finalist, Mindy Obenhaus, in "More Than a Setting." Winner of her September release, Rescuing the Texan’s Heart, is Pamela Tracy.
Seeker and 2014 Carol Award finalist Tina Radcliffe was back in rehab on Friday. Writer Rehab. Her series continued with: "Salvation for the Plotless Wonder." Winner of The Hero's Two Journeys on DVD is Sherida Stewart. Winners of Stranded with the Rancher are Jackie Smith, Sandy Smith and Donna Phillips. Winner/sof the CD version of The Hero's Two Journey's will be emailed.
Next Week in Seekerville
Monday: Seekerville is closed for the Labor Day holiday.
Tuesday: Today, Mary Connealy will be continuing her series on emotions with "The Medium is the Message - Are Your Books Running Hot or Cold?" Mary will be giving away YOUR CHOICE of any of her books (that she has) and a second (and probably BETTER prize) a copy of Cheryl St. John's Writing with Emotion, Tension and Conflict. (This second prize is just in case Mary is making no sense and teaching you NOTHING. You still have a chance to learn from Cheryl.
Wednesday: Abingdon Press author Lisa Carter returns to Seekerville with her post, "Settings So Real You’ll Be Tempted to Pack a Suitcase." Two commenters will receive a copy of her latest release, Under a Turquoise Sky.
Thursday: 2014 ACFW Genesis Double Finalist Candee Fick will be talking about how to keep going when the writing journey feels like a never-ending story. Stop by for a much needed dose of encouragement.
Friday: Time for the September Contest Update and the crowning of our September Contest Diva/Divo! The prize vault is open!
Seeker Sightings
Tried and True---Kylie Wilde is the youngest sister--and the most civilized. Her older sisters might be happy dressing in trousers and posing as men, but Kylie has grown her hair long and wears skirts every chance she gets. It's a risk--they are homesteading using the special exemptions they earned serving in the Civil War as "boys"--but Kylie plans to make the most of the years before she can sell her property and return to the luxuries of life back East.
Local land agent Aaron Masterson is fascinated with Kylie from the moment her long hair falls from her cap. But now that he knows her secret, can he in good conscience defraud the U.S. government? And when someone tries to force Kylie off her land, does he have any hope of convincing her that marrying him and settling on the frontier is the better option for her future?
And...Catch Mary Connealy, on Lena Nelson Dooley's blog on Wednesday, September 3rd, to talk about Tried and True, and whatever other mad questions, Lena asks. (She's diabolical!)
On sale now at Amazon.com, Ruthy's 5-star rated "Try, Try Again", a beautiful, heartfelt and humorous marriage reunion story! .99 for your Kindle or Kindle app, stop over and grab a copy (if you don't already have one!) or gift it to a friend. Such a beautiful story was meant to be shared! And yes, here is your link! Try, Try Again - Kindle edition by Ruth Logan Herne. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.
Debby Giusti will attend the Writer's Police Academy, in North Carolina, from Sept 4-7, and promises to share information she learned in her September 17 blog.
Random News & Information
The September calender is up! Find it here, and check out our amazing line-up!
Going to a conference or retreat and need WiFi? If you have an iPhone you can turn your phone into a personal hotspot. Details here. (BTW, you can increase your provider data allowance for the time you are away. It will still end up cheaper than a daily room internet charge.)
Publishing Advice I'd Give My Younger Self (J.A. Konrath)
Amazon to Give Out Scholarships to Students (GalleyCat)
Can I Use That Picture?: INFOGRAPHIC (GalleyCat)
Pelican Book Group is seeking submissions of inspirational romance novellas for its Harbourlight Imprint. Pelican will publish three novellas for its Easter Lilies series, to be released at Easter in 2015. Stories should be between 15,000 and 25,000 words, and may be historical or contemporary romance. The heroes and heroines should be between ages 25 and 35, and Easter Lily symbolism must play a role in the story. In addition, each story must use as its basis the scripture verse Solomon 2:14. The deadline for submissions is September 30, 2014. For all the details, go here. (Cindi Myers Market New's Blog)
Guest Posting & Hosting Guest Bloggers: Strategy Or Time Suck? (Molly Greene:Writer)
An interesting blog post to revisit-Can You Plagiarize Yourself ?(Steve Laube Blog)
MH 370: When to Publish? | A Simple Case Study (the independent publishing magazine)
10 Words With Difficult-to-Remember Meanings (Mental_Floss via Shelf Awareness)
Top Ten List: What authors need to know before publishing. (LuLu Blog)
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| Details here. |
Have a wonderful Labor Day Holiday!
CONGRATULATIONS to ALL winners! Thanks for another great WE, Tina! And have yourselves a wonderful long weekend.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to the winners! I always love the weekend edition, Ms Tina.
ReplyDeleteMy new book is out! Woot!
ReplyDeleteA Bride in Store!
Do not compare my book's Amazon rankings with Mary Connealy's, it will depress you and force you to eat chocolate in sympathy for me, you shall gain lots of weight and blame it on me, and I already got enough problems.....j/k go look and see that Mary Connealy's characters don't only clobber each other, but her book characters clobber other book characters.....
And it's the last weekend that A Bride for Keeps is on sale for $2.99
I can do a drive by promo, right? I comment plenty to do that, yes? Please!!!
Oh, and before anyone gets onto me for looking at Amazon ranking, I was just having fun. :)
ReplyDeleteTHough if anybody felt bad for me and bought my book to make me feel better, I won't complain!
I love JA Konrath. he's so wise, even if he's a little bit of a hot head. But *ahem* I'm a bit of a hot-head myself so we get along.
ReplyDeleteI liked his "put more money away for taxes".
My brother runs a very successful computer software business. He told me 20% minimum. So, I saved 25% of my earnings last year, in cash, ready for taxes.
Huh. My brother is unmarried and has no kids, has multiple holdings in several companies. So, my personal earning taxes were just a wee bit different. That was some very good news! My accountant was grinning when he heard my ideas of a 25% tax rate. LOL. I love that man.
Melissa, what is this ranking you speak of?? We judge only on cover models an yours is the most beautiful around.
ReplyDeleteShe looks just like you. :)
Congrats on the book birthday!
P.S. the fact that you can sell an EBOOK at 9.99 is a miracle. Give yourself a cupcake for that. I'm very frustrated that my next Austen book is going to be selling at that price. I am no Melissa Jagears.
ReplyDeleteOkay, Melissa. You know the rules. Stay away from Author Central.
ReplyDeleteBut drive-by promos are okay from our friends. How can they not be. You are our friends. :)
I love a party! A party on the beach makes it even more fun! Gorgeous pictures, Tina! Want to check out several of those links. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to the winners!
Next week's line up looks great!
Have a wonderful holiday weekend Seekerville doing whatever makes you happy.
Janet
We are getting a family photo taken this weekend and trying to coordinate colors, which meant shopping and returning. One of us is sick and will have a red, runny nose. We'd like it taken outside but there's 40% chance of rain. This is turning out to be stressful!
ReplyDeleteJanet
YAY...so happy to be a winner of Tina's book!
ReplyDeleteCongrats Melissa!!
Happy weekend to all........
Mary Virginia, I'm laughing because yes, that's a very different scenario, LOL!
ReplyDeleteJagears, I went and clicked and shared and can't believe I'm getting SUCH A GOOD DEAL!!!!
#loveit !!!!!
Drive by promos rock.
ReplyDeleteAnd I do keep track of Author Central and where my books are (the indie ones, I have little control over the contracted ones) and I tweak accordingly, running sales, adjusting prices, and just keeping an eye on things while I write these fun novellas for our Seekers "Hope for the Holidays" collections!
How lovely is that, more fun for the indie market and a way to play in the sandbox with my buds!!!
SUHWEEEET.
And about $9.99 e-books.... There's a market for them, I believe. I believe that when a publisher puts in the time and effort, they'll get behind the book and then offset the cost with sales (like Bethany House is doing right now!!!! for Melissa) and they'll keep the book flowing...
Now that's what I believe, but I could be WRONG.
Still, you figure when there's a royalty paying publisher in the mix, that royalty and advance has got to come from somewhere!
And I just saw that Penguin/Random House had a great year last year (partially because of The Fault in our Stars) but I don't want a world where traditional publishing fades away... because I think we work so stinkin' well together!
I'm kind of laughing at the whole coordinated family picture scene, Janet!
ReplyDeleteI'm just grateful if they've got mostly clean faces!
But I'm sure this lovely picture will come out beautifully even is someone is wearing berry.... and not true red.
:)
Have fun! I can't wait to see this pic!
Ruthy
ReplyDeleteBest Summer Song Ever
KNEE DEEP
Lyrics to KNEE DEEP
Gonna put the the world away for a minute
Pretend I don't live in it
Sunshine gonna wash my blues away
Had sweet love but I lost it
She got too close so I fought her
Now I'm lost in the world trying to find me a better way
Wishing I was knee deep in the water somewhere
Got the blue sky breeze and it don't seem fair
Only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair
Sunrise there's a fire in the sky
Never been so happy
Never felt so high
And I think I might have found me my own kind of paradise
Wrote a note said be back in a minute
Bought a boat and I sailed off in it
Don't think anybody gonna miss me anyway
Mind on a permanent vacation
The ocean is my only medication
Wishing my condition ain't ever gonna go away
Cause now I'm knee deep in the water somewhere
Got the blue sky breeze blowing wind through my hair
Only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair
Sunrise there's a fire in the sky
Never been so happy
Never felt so high
And I think I might have found me my own kind of paradise
This champagne shore washing over me
It's a sweet sweet life living by the salty sea
One day you could be as lost as me
Change you're geography
Maybe you might be
Knee deep in the water somewhere
Got the blue sky breeze blowing wind through my hair
Only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair
Sunrise there's a fire in the sky
Never been so happy
Never felt so high
And I think I might have found me my own kind of paradise
Come on in the water it's nice
Find yourself a little slice
Grab a backpack of lies
You never know until you try
When you lose yourself
You find the key to paradise
Argh -- blogger ate my first post. Yawn...or maybe it was user ineptness. Will try again.
ReplyDeleteHoping there are hammocks on the beach because I need to do more snoozing than partying. Hope no one minds. My first week back at work and I'm tres fatigue. And before y'all think I'm a wuss I should mention that I am now in the process of unpacking my library. New carpet makes a huge difference (the old one was 49 years old and orange!) and the new shelves are gorgeous but I'm finding it's just as exhausting unpacking a library as it is to pack it up. But being a working girl again has totally messed with my blog hopping. I have a lot of catching up to do...starting now!!!
And in the spirit of that, I'm am spending the day boating!!!!
ReplyDeleteOnly worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair :)
So long Jimmy Buffet Connealy.
ReplyDeleteWelcome back, Kav.
ReplyDeleteYou were missed.
Thanks for a great WE, Tina! I look forward to checking out all these great links.
ReplyDeleteY'all have a fantastic weekend! We're going to have the whole family together (all our kids) for the first time in a while. I'm so excited!
Melissa, I'm glad you told us! I did go buy it. Can't wait to read it!
ReplyDeleteMELISSA, congrats on the book release! And we all drool in envy over Mary Connealy's rankings!
ReplyDeleteNOT THAT I WAS CHECKING, TINA!!!!
Still, I eat chocolate every day to console myself.
You remember what today is, right? Saturday. Weekly Johnson cleaning and bill-paying day. An excuse to eat a LOT more chocolate.
Think of me while you're OUT BOATING IN THE SUNSHINE, MARY CONNEALY!!!!
Good morning Seekerville! I'm in the home stretch of getting my latest Barbour novella sent off. Yay!!! :)
ReplyDeleteYou know, I have that mifi hotspot and it worked for me ONCE. Now when I connect my laptops, they are connected, but I can't actually DO anything. Very frustrating. Must figure out what the problem is. It could have just been lack of service where I was, but that's the one place I need it every week. Grrr!
Congrats on your release, Melissa. I, too, look at rankings sometimes. I'm a numbers gal. What can I say.
ReplyDeleteAdding a plug for the November Night Class. My good friend Dora Hiers and I will teach a 3-week class on characterization. It'll be a great intro for beginning writers and a helpful refresher for intermediate writers.
ReplyDeleteOr, if you're more experienced, join us to share your insights and suggestions for creating memorable characters!
Plus--we have some FUN EXTRAS planned that you won't want to miss!!!
Great WE, Miss T!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all the winners!
Have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend everyone! :)
Hugs, Patti Jo
Ruthy, I loved your family photo! I suspect ours will look too matchy. My daughters kid me about wearing outfits, instead of just clothes. :-) They'll probably hate the picture.
ReplyDeleteJanet
Congratulations on your release, Melissa J! Great price! Must check it out.
ReplyDeleteJanet
Nonsense, Janet. It will be wonderful!
ReplyDeleteHa! I think that Mary song was a version of playing the little whiny fiddle for me. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's right Myra, "we never look at reviews and rankings, Tina, never."
Aw, thanks Virginia, I actual had a blog interviewer that asked how I got Bethany to put me on there, I thought she was teasing, but when she got the interview back she was like "really, that's not you?" :) Though I don't know, Mary's cover model I think has me beat too. Mary's running away with that ranking, she is, she is!
And I've talked with Bethany ebook people, they watch it and as long as I'm selling so many at 9.99, they're keeping it there. I'm sure S&S will likely be doing that too.
And thanks for the sales, along with the chocolate covered strawberries Naomi sent me for my release week/Carol Award final, I might survive this week of being clobbered by Mary. ;P
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe links to articles look very interesting. Something to read over the holiday weekend!
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to win Tina's book. I look forward to reading it.
The "Tried and True" cover is stinkin' amazing.
ReplyDeleteI mean TO DIE FOR.
And I love Melissa's cover, but there's something about that saucy look on the heroine's very feminine trying to be a boy face that says "TRY SOMETHING AND I'LL WIPE THE GROUND WITH YOU. OR KISS YOU SENSELESS. EITHER WAY, I WIN."
That's what I see, LOL!
Janet, you send me the most beautiful family pics every Christmas. I HIDE them from my kids so they won't understand how sub-par we are....
ReplyDeleteYou go and smile and be gorgeous and don't let my green-eyed monster jealousy eat you alive AT ALL, HONEY!!!!!
:)
Mary's got her toes in the water...
ReplyDelete(grinning)
And her toes in the sand. :)
My grandsons have gone to visit Aunt Mandy and I have a two hour writing stint starting now.
#soexcited!!!!!
Janet, loved the story of your family photo. It can't be any worse than the last family photo in my family. My youngest nephew was a baby and there were three toddlers that were nearly impossible to corral. My niece who was 6 at the time was having allergy issues and her eyes were bothering her so it hurt to look at the camera. We could not get her to hold her head up straight for anything, so the final picture has her head tilted as she is squinting. We tried to do a new picture a few years ago, but the blizzard of the century blew in so we could not do it. That nephew who was the baby in the last picture is now 12. I'm not sure we are destined to have another.
ReplyDeleteHow can it be Labor Day weekend when it seems the summer just started?
ReplyDeleteWaving to Myra. I paid bills this morning. Should clean the house, but I'm checking Seekerville instead and then writing a few pages. Much more fun than cleaning.
In five days, I'll be heading to NC for the Writers' Police Academy. Oh my gosh! Guys in uniform, K-9 dogs, crime scene investigation, underwater investigation...be still my suspense writer heart!
Congrats, Melissa, on the release of your next book!!!
ReplyDeleteSaw the news on FB! YAY!
Don't know how you get pages done with a little one to care for...no doubt, you are a very organized lady!
PS, the end is near?
ReplyDeleteSuddenly Seekerville is turning apocalyptic?
Surprising Twist Alert!
Melissa you sweet thing, you're books are great. I'm hoping people buy mine quick before they find out about yours!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd then they buy yours, too!
Mary the Vanishing Author!
After a stressful day of heart testing ( not for me but my Grandma who is having a knee replacement) reading this made me feel like I'm in a 1950's musical. I have been listening to swing music all afternoon while writing. That is dangerous since it makes me tempted to start dancing and I'm not a dancer at all. Or even worse pretend my book is a musical. Although I don't know how you can write a musical. Have a great Labor day and eat lots of apple pie because you won't have any more until next summer.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, darling girl, come north and I will make you apple pie whenever you want! We consider ourselves Apple Country here, so I'll hook you up, dear one!
ReplyDeleteMary, I agree, we'll FOOL people into buying your books before they realize how stinkin' talented Melissa is, and then they'll be so excited to have BOTH they'll hardly know what to do!
That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!
Your friend,
The Yankee
I see you found those flip-flops I lost at the beach.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all winners. I read Melissa's new book. Such a sweet love story. It's worth the price.
Happy Labor Day everyone!
Maybe that's it, Ruthy. I know the whole Austen Takes the South Series will be featured in book festivals all over this fall... which means that although I'm a total introvert, I'll be leaaavviiinnnng on a jet plane. (I've already notified all my friends in those cities that they must show up to provide moral support or I shall... not sure what. Huddle under my bed and cry, probably.) I hope showing up and doing panels or signing or reading WHEREVER they tell me will make a different. I just look at that 9.99 price tag for a book you can't hold in your hands and shake my head.
ReplyDeleteGreat weekend edition again.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all the winners.
Sorry I've not read the comments as I'm packing for my cruise. You won't hear from me next week unless I happen to come upon some wifi as I will be on a cruise to Alaska. I'll catch up at the airport tomorrow.
Maybe.
Have a wonderful holiday weekend.
Virginia, how cool is that?????
ReplyDeleteI love that they're putting some muscle behind the books, the pricing and the work that's gone into them. That's wonderful!
When I study the flow charts from Amazon and traditional publishing, I see the advantage to putting things out at their "regular" price and then offering discounts. There are folks who will pay the offering price for a variety of reasons, and then there are folks who'll wait for the bargain and feel so good to get a bargain that they're happy dancing!
Both scenarios work! Dave's been in retail for over 40 years and when you go to the store, not everything is on sale.... so if you need chicken for a recipe and it's regularly priced, you still buy chicken.
Some folks (not me, of course because "SALE!!!!" is my middle name!) buy the first new season clothes off the rack because they've got the best selection....
I hunt the 70% off racks off-season and celebrate the savings.
I think the same holds true in publication, and we need to let the traditional publishers make their money (which we're part of, in their food chain) and then do "loss leaders" or sales to find us new readers.
I'm totally psyched that you're going TOURING!!!!!
Laughing and delighted for you!
Ruthy
Sandra may get eaten by a whale.
ReplyDelete:(
She is taking my dream trip, an Alaskan cruise.
Well, right there with going to Ireland. My daughter says that when you go to Ireland, it is filled with people like me
I'm taking that as a compliment. My choice!!!
She said they're all smiling and friendly and want to show you where to go and where to eat, etc.
#loveit!!!!
I could be happy there, surrounded by other smilers!!!
Virginia, I also noticed that Melissa modeled for her own cover! Amazing likeness. Both lovely ladies!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd Mz. Virginia...
Will you come south? Any signings scheduled in GA...maybe Atlanta?
Do let us know! We want to be your cheering squad.
We'll provide sweet tea and grits! That's a promise! LOL!
WOW! What a way to end the summer....winning The Hero's Two Journeys! There's HOPE for my "plotless wonder" ......thank you, Tina and Seekerville!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to all the winners!!!
Now to check the WE links, especially blogging values and what authors need to know. Thanks, Tina. Next week's lineup looks great as well!
Congrats to Melissa on her new book!
Hoping Sandra gets a story idea on her trip.....a virtual cruise would be good!
Now for time to sit on the beach....and worry about the water reaching my chair...while I read Stranded with the Rancher and eat salted caramels!
Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable long weekend!
Ruthy, if you knew me personally, you would not be laughing and delighted for me.
ReplyDeleteOr wait, maybe you would, you mean thing.
And come to think of it, if Howard Books knew me, they would not have thought this was a great idea. LOL
No seriously. It's the game face. I got one. I'll use it.
Debby, the little I've seen f the schedule (which is changing constantly, but hey, not like I have anything better to do, haha), there's Nashville in early October for the Southern Festival of Book for certain... but then, I haven't even seen tickets.
ReplyDeleteThey still do tickets, right? Or do they scan the passenger's retina now and cross-check with DNA?
Nashville. Boots, music, lights.
BUT FESTIVAL OF BOOKS cannot be bad. It just can't. Books, hundreds of authors... Kicking off with a bang. I'm going to be in heaven.
I think my older brother has promised to fly down from Ann Arbor to keep me company and away from the booze. (Kidding on the booze)
Sorry. Mid October.
ReplyDeleteSomething like that. And don't tell my husband. He doesn't know he's wrangling sic kids while I go party-party.
Melissa, congrats on the new release! Truly, you folks need to slow down just a bit so I can catch up in my reading :-)
ReplyDeleteBelated congratulations to all the winners!
That's a thought-provoking blog about plagiarizing yourself. Thanks for all the links, Tina. And for always giving us an interesting WE.
Have a safe holiday everyone.
Nancy C