News, Updates and a little Excitement

It's been a couple of weeks since I've posted here and haven't been a regular blogger in a while.  I have some updates for all of you.

First, my youngest son is getting married February 18 with a baby due around the end of May.  My soon to be daughter-in-law is just as sweet as she can be.  I'm excited to get to know her more.

Both my sons now officially live in Greenville which is much closer to me than when they lived in Hickory. 

My daughter lives around the corner and has just recently purchased a car and we are fighting the contract because she got scammed and bullied into taking this vehicle at $450/month payments.  What's being financed is almost 3 vehicles which is totally outrageous.

I had all the kids and significant others together for Christmas dinner the day after Christmas.  I got called grandma by the oldest son's girlfriend's 3yo son, which came as natural as you please.  My heart swelled and I felt accepted at that moment. 

On the writing agenda, there is a lot going on this year with some exciting news for my JGDS series.  For the update on that drop over here to see what's happening. 

 

 (This is my mock up attempt at cover which will be done soon by Chasity Nicole from fiverr.com).

 

The Ties of Time has been print published since the middle of December and ebook published since the first part of November and sales have been very slim on that book but hopefully once the third one in the series is out the sales will take off.  But Dark Truths will be the last in the series and my heart is still and has been with the JGDS series (as you can see from the linked posting above). 

Publications this year will include Dark Truths, the third and final in the Kelly Watson YA paranormal mystery series, Imogene: Innocence Lost, and a children's picture book, A Moose in the Shower, along with republishing several in the JGDS series. 

 

Once these projects are off the table, I'm going to concentrate on the children's state mystery series for a while and see how long before I can have all 50 books published.  Hope you all keep following me through this busy, chaotic, fun time.  See you all in the postings.  Mrs. E :)

Holiday Wishes

As the holidays are upon us, I want to wish all my readers and followers and their families a wonderfully blessed holiday. 

I know I haven't posted much this year but it's been a whirlwind year as I have gotten back into doing events and writing books.  In case you missed it, The Ties of Time, the second in the Kelly Watson YA Paranormal mystery series, finally published in print.  I'm awaiting my small order that I placed last week.  No fretting though the books will get here when they get here.  If you are still in need of a gift, remember books do make great gifts.  No guarantees as to when they will ship but ebooks are always available and if you purchase The Ties of Time ebook and send me a copy of your receipt, you will receive a free ebook of Finally Home. 

I've also been busy crocheting and creating items for all the events I've been doing including my market bags or library book tote bags or whatever you decide to use them for and have added several new colors to the bookworm colors for a total of 24 colors available now.  I found an angel ornament pattern I like and have been busy with the angels until recently. 

I have started Dark Truths, the third in the Kelly Watson YA paranormal mystery series, but haven't worked on it much of late but that will be one of my first projects in the new year to get that series completed.  I will also be working on Imogene:  Innocence Lost in the upcoming year.  Those are my two goals for next year, writing wise that is.  I'm also making a resolution to post more on my blog and I'm starting a mailchimp campaign so that my followers will get updates as I post them.  A few changes, hopefully in the right direction. 

I've also become a member of the YA Author Rendezvous group and have started following several of those folks (more to come, I'm sure) and have found that the group is such a wonderful supportive group with loads of information available.  There will be more from this group too as I'll share postings and other information as available.  If you haven't read Kimberly Readnour's series, I recommend it even though as of now I've only read the first one - Visions.  There are almost 80 authors in this group and we are all about promoting YA authors.  If you get a chance to check out the website, I highly recommend that you just pop over for a browse.  You never know what new author you will discover. 

My biggest announcement is that I'm going to be a first-time grandmother next year.  My youngest son and his fiancée are expecting in May and they are planning on tying the knot in February.  So I'm gaining a daughter and new grandbaby within the first part of the year. 

Below are the covers and other items I've been working on. 

 

Notice I've added the series to the cover of Finally Home

 

The cover is so fitting for this story.

 

 

 

When I saw this cover, I knew this was the third story as Anita Fricks and I had already brainstormed a bit on where the story is going. 

 

 

This cover also spoke to me, portraying exactly what I want it to.

 

Since taking this picture of the bookworms, I have added several colors and sold out of a couple with one or two being replaced.  I will have to do an updated picture of all the colors on my board (after I do a new display board for my samples to showcase all my new colors).

 

This is one of the market bags - all are 100% cotton and machine washable - all measure about the same size as a plastic grocery bag.  They are very sturdy and several have sold.  If interested in purchasing these bags, please inquire as to other colors or check out my facebook page, photos, albums to see what is available.

 

These were my latest addition to my crochet collection.  Again, this is only one color of about 15, so if interested in these, please inquire or check out my facebook page for all colors available.

 

 

 

Again, I wish you all a happy holiday season and a blessed new year.  See you all in the postings - Mrs. E :)

Special Deal Through the End of December

For my readers, I am offering a free copy of Finally Home ebook with the purchase of The Ties of Time - the second in the Kelly Watson series.

The Ties of Time has been out for 4 weeks now and I have only had one sale across the board.  If you haven't read Finally Home yet, now is your chance to get it for free.  Purchase a copy of The Ties of Time (available on all ereaders), send me an email (eeldering@gmail.com) of the proof of purchase, put - Redeem Coupon - in the subject line and I'll send you a copy of Finally Home for free.  Both are stand alone stories in the series - different mysteries being solved but are tied together by recurring characters, Kelly and Emma. 

I'm awaiting finalization on the full cover to send to createspace for review so I can order my proof copy and hope to have The Ties of Time in print within the next week or so.  Orders are being taken - $14.50 (includes shipping cost); if wanting a print copy, just email me with Ties of Time order in the subject line and include your mailing address and to whom I should make the book out to and I'll send out as soon as I have copies on hand. 

Here is the almost final full cover for Ties of Time -

I think Chasity_Nicole on www.fiverr.com has done a great job - working with a premade front cover (purchased a while back from one site) in order to come up with a full cover.   She will be designing some covers for me (for only $5 for ebook covers and $10 for full covers - you can't beat that price) in the near future. 

See you all in the postings - E :)

HOLIDAY SHOPPING

Now is the time to start your holiday shopping.  How about a nice warm afghan on those cold nights?  Check out my "Curl Up With A Good Book" afghans in my Square store.  Perhaps you need a scarf to go out for the evening, check out the "out on the town" scarves in my store.

If you are wanting a new book to read, pick up your copy of Finally Home, the first in the Kelly Watson, YA paranormal mystery series.  And while there, select the perfect little bookworm bookmark to keep track of your place. 

Don't forget the tote bags to carry your books or groceries.  Seven colors available.  All market bags are 100% cotton and are machine washable. 

When purchasing books, please indicate to whom to sign it to.  Also, there is a free bookworm for each book purchase.  Use the promo code FREEBOOKWORM on checkout.  From October 11 through October 31, I will have a 10% discount promotion going on (use promo code TENPERCENT).  Supplies are limited, so place your order soon. 

To check out all the items available, click Order Online and peruse my Square store. 

See you all in the postings.   Mrs. E :)

Ten Percent Sale

This weekend, once again, I'm running a 10% sale on all items in my inventory (crochet book tote bags or market bags, crochet angel ornaments, bookworm bookmarks, books, curl up with a good book afghans, and crocheted scarves).  I've just opened my Square online market. 

Check it out and feel free to place an order.  Need to sell quite a bit as the event I was expecting to do this weekend got cancelled and there are bills to be paid and groceries needed.  :)

Order Online

Special September Sale -

I've been working on getting The Ties of Time revised and hope to have it ready by the end of this month and be able to publish it by the middle of October at least as an ebook.  I've also been busy making market bags/book tote bags/beach bags or whatever you desire to carry in them to have enough inventory for my upcoming events - the Due West Fall Festival (September 26 from 8 to 1) and the Pendleton Fall Festival (October 24 from 10 to 4).

If anyone would like to order a signed copy of Finally Home, the first in the Kelly Watson YA paranormal mystery series, and/or bags and/or bookworms, I'm running a 10% off entire order for one week only.  This special will run from Tuesday, September 1, 2015, through midnight Monday, September 7, 2015.  

Large bags are $20 each; small bags are $12 each; books are $10; bookworms are $2 each.  There are 21 colors available of bookworms with a good number of each available so please inquire about colors.  I also offer bookworms at $1.50 for orders of 25 or more and will still offer the 10% off total this week only.  

For colors of bookworms and market bags, please visit my facebook page http://www.facebook.com/elysabeth.eldering and check out my albums.  Below are two samples of the market bags - the large sized and the small sized. 

Book Club Discussion Questions

I was informed today at the brown bag lunch book club that Finally Home would be the April read for the Reluctant YA Readers book club.  I don't have any discussion questions for my book.  So I'm posing this to anyone who has read the book to please send me some possible discussion questions.  I need between 10 and 15 questions.  Any help is much appreciated.  Either leave your questions in the comment boxes or email me at eeldering@gmail.com with suggestions for discussion questions.  Thanks to all in advance for helping me out with this.  E :)

Author Showcase - December 13, 2014

I will be at the Richland County main library on December 13, 2014, from 11 to 1.  Check out the list of over 100 authors who will be there. 

If you follow me on facebook, you know I not only sell books but am selling bookworms and "market bags" (sold as a book carrying bag for all your goodies or to carry your library books).  It's the time of year to place your order for bookworms or other crocheted gift items.  Bookworms are $2 each and there are (at the writing of this posting) 23 colors available but some of them are in very limited supply as they are colors that can't be picked up at any store nor can they be ordered from Red Heart or other places.  Market bags/book carrying bags (or purses if you would like to line one yourself) are two sizes, small and medium, and they are $12 and $20; I'm doing these in the cotton more so than the acrylic yarn and like them better.

If interested in obtaining class gifts, stocking stuffers or other gifts, please email me at eeldering @ gmail (dot) com (eeldering@gmail.com) and let me know what you are interested in and I'll discuss payments and shipping with you. 

Hope to see many of my South Carolina friends at the event in December; have a blessed holiday everyone - see you in the postings - E :)

Book Club Discussions, Screenplay Writing, and a General Update

Greetings to my One Hundred Plus follows out there.  I know it's been a while since I've posted but I've been going through a very rough patch in my life right now.  I'm trying to stay positive and take it one day at a time, but some days are harder to do just that. 

Last month, I had to go out of town due to my father being in the hospital.  He ended up being in the hospital for about two weeks (had back surgery a week and a half after being admitted) before being transferred to the rehab facility.  He has been there for a little over 3 weeks and I just found out Monday afternoon, via his church email/blog/google+ group that he developed pneumonia over the weekend.  They do have him on antibiotics and hopefully he will recover as quickly as possible to not be set back too much from his therapy.  He may be at the rehab facility through the middle of August or maybe the end of August; it's all dependent on how well he progresses.  He admits his muscle strength is very weak and that is one of the things they are working on - strengthening. 

In March, I started another transcription position with Nuance Transcription Services after having been unemployed for six months.  My primary accounts are rehab facilities across the United States in the Select group of facilities.  Every day I'm typing reports on patients who are in rehab for various illnesses or injuries.  Some back injuries or surgeries, some fractures of the hips/knees/wrists/shoulders, and some from strokes or other neurological/brain problems - subarachnoid hemorrhages or closed head injuries, et cetera.  Every day I type one of these reports I think of my father and how he's doing and I think I need to call him but then forget.  My feeling on that is that I don't want to be a pest checking on him every day and I need to be working rather than making phone calls during work hours.

My friend, Anita Fricks, asked me a few months ago to join her in the Reluctant YA readers book club and then I started going to the Wednesday Brown Bag Lunch book club after that.  The problem with the book club reads are that the choices, of late, are books I wouldn't normal read and probably still don't read them.  I hate going to a discussion having not read a book but if I can't get past a few pages, I really find it difficult to read the whole book.  Today's reading was "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury.  Now, I understand it was written in the 1940s; it's not really sci-fi but is futuristic, and all that and I know this has been touted as a great book but I didn't see it that way.  I guess because now that I'm a writer and knowing our mantra in this day and age is to "show, don't tell" and I felt that these stories were just telling us everything, no leaving us to imagine anything really.  I found the first few pages rather boring.  Last month's selection was "Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Café" and I didn't even get to attend the book club due to being out of town for my family.  I did try to read as much as I could before turning it in but after seeing the movie before reading the book, I couldn't follow along with the book.  The movie and book are two different things.  In the movie, I got the impression that Mrs. Threadgoode (Jessica Tandy's character) was Idgie telling the story.  In the book, Mrs. Threadgoode is telling the story, but she introduces herself as being the wife of one of Idgie's brothers.  The only brother mentioned in the movie was Buddy who got hit by a train.  I understand that things have to be done differently for the movie to work and there were some elements that were kept from the book in the movie (the lake freezing with the ducks and the ducks flying off with the frozen lake so there was no more water in the lake - just an empty space where the lake used to be; giving the drunk a drink to steady his nerves). 

So that leads up to my next point.  Making a movie out of a novel.  Screenplay writing.  I've not done it but when I wrote Finally Home several years ago, I could picture it as a made-for-TV movie - but have yet to actually write the screenplay for it.  I'm thinking of it. 

For those who have read the book, have you been able to picture the story as a made-for-TV movie?  Do you think it is worth trying to write the screenplay?  Do you think I could get someone to produce a movie from the story?  I look forward to hearing your opinions on this matter.  E :)

Finally Home Now Available on Nook, iBooks, and Kobo

Finally Home is now available on Nook. You can pick up your copy here

If you are Kobo user, you can pick up your copy here

If you are an iTunes or ibooks reader, you can pick up your copy here

Of course, if you are a kindle user, you can still get your copy here


We are waiting word from draft2digital for the Scribd (a book subscription site) and that link will be posted as soon as I have it.

 

Finally Home is also still available in print through amazon.com and bn.com as well as an audio book through audible.com, iTunes, and amazon's pages. 

Looking for a New Avenue to Promote Your Books?

Are you looking for a place to promote your books? 

A couple of weeks ago, my friend, Anita Fricks, texted me stating there was a "Reluctant YA Readers'" book club at the local library the next evening and did I want to go with her.  I responded sure.  I took my book Finally Home with me, participated in the group discussion, even though I hadn't read the selected book for the month since I only found out about it the day before, and then talked about my book a little bit.  After the book club dissipated, I stopped at the circulation desk on the floor and chatted more with the librarian who is in charge of the book clubs, and Finally Home will be either the selected read for October or I'll have my own event, maybe on a Saturday, where I will be able to promote and sell my books. 

If you haven't checked out your local library's book clubs, do so.  If you can find one where your book possibly would fit the types of books they are reading, I suggest attending the book clubs, read the selected books and bring your books in to let the person in charge know about them and maybe get some of your books in the monthly selected reads. 

If nothing else, you are learning some new to you authors and reading other books that are on a similar line to yours.  But on the chance the librarian is stoked to have an author in the book club and would like your books or one of your books to be a selected month's read, then you have just gained a new audience. 

Good luck and remember book clubs are our friends because those readers will spread the word about your books.  E :)

Quick Audible/ACX Update

As most of you know, Finally Home went up as an audio book the end of June.  The first week it went up, 5 copies were downloaded (Yay!!!).  This evening I went to do laundry and having not checked my mail all week, I went to the post office first.  Upon opening there was a large, oversized but thin envelope from Audible.com and I was thinking it was more paperwork that I might not have filled out, but no my first royalty check from audible for 5 downloads of Finally Home and 1 download of State of Successes.  Royalties are paid monthly as long as you have earned at least $10.  Since the first of July, I have had 2 more downloads of Finally Home and 2 of State of Successes, one of which I believe occurred today or yesterday as I haven't checked my ACX dashboard in a couple of days and the last time I looked there were only 3 total for State of Successes. 

For those of you who have downloaded the audio books, I thank you very much.  I hope you all enjoy listening to Sienna narrate the story.  Just a reminder too that there will be a second in Kelly Watson mysteries.  I'm workig on The Ties of Time and hope it meets your expectations.  E :)

Upcoming Free Download Days All Books

Since I've moved all my books off Smashwords and Nook and I haven't done any free days in a while, it's time to do some more free download days.  I tried to space everything out so that nothing is really running the same day but there ended up being two back-to-back (see below), which may or may not work to my advantage - lol.

Here is the lineup:

"Bride-and-Seek" - July 18-20 (3 days); September 24-25 (2 days)
"The Proposal" - July 23-25 (3 days), September 27-28 (2 days)
"The Tulip Kiss" - August 13-17 (5 days)
Finally Home - August 29-September 2 (5 days - this will run the Thursday before Labor Day through Labor Day)

Remember the free promotional days run midnight PST through midnight PST (3 AM to 3 AM EST).  If you are eastern time and look for the books at midnight the day it starts,  you won't see them listed as free. 

Also posted on the JGDS blog that "Train of Clues" would go free next week and then again in August.  The schedule will be July 11-12 and August 27-29 (which will overlap one day with Finally Home, but it will be okay since they are not related and shouldn't have any bearing on the other).  Check out my posting and let me know if you have any thoughts on gaining sponsors for the state series.  Thanks all - see you in the postings - Mrs. E :)

One Week ACX Report

Finally Home has been live for 1 week now and there have been 4 downloads not including my own from using my credits.  Remember this is available on amazon.com as well as audible.com and itunes.  Hope those of you who have downloaded the audio book have enjoyed hearing Sienna reading.  Drop me a line if you have gotten an audio copy and let me know what you think. 

Just to let you know that when there is a second book, hopefully Sienna will be available to do the reading again.  Right now, I'm leaning towards The Mysterious Bookshoppe: A Kelly Watson Mystery and go from there.  This, of course, is a work in progress and may end up changing as I  progress, but I do know that the bookstore holds many mysteries, not of the book type though, perhaps of the ghostly type or some otherly world type.  See you all in the postings - E :)

Finally Home is Available on audible.com

A week earlier than expected, but Finally Home is now available on audible.com.  The email stated that it would go up on itunes and amazon.com in the next few days. 

If you are a new member to audible.com and make Finally Home one of your first three purchases, I get a little bonus.  If you are not new to audible.com and have the credits and/or would like to purchase your copy of Finally Home, it is retailing for $13.96 or 1 credit. 

It looks like I will have to use my credits to get my own books, which is fine, as I will then have them in my library and can play the sample file which is clearer than the download I did from the ACX site.  Please pass the word that my books are starting to go out as audio books. 

As stated last week, I have started a second Kelly Watson mystery, tentatively calling it The Mysterious Bookshop,  so hopefully by the spring of next year it will be available in all formats - ebook will probably be the first format and then print and audiobook.  When I have a title and cover, I'll share with you all; of course, I have to write the story before I can really think of having a cover made up.  See you all in the postings - E :)

Price Reduction

I just decided to lower the price on all the print books available.  State books are now $8.50 across the board (Wilderness, Successes, Heights and Nature) as this is the price I sell them when I do in-person events.  Finally Home is now $9.99 and "Train of Clues" has been reduced to $5.99.  Hopefully sales will pick up with these price reductions across the board.

I've been thinking about this for a while now because I do generally well at in-person events with these prices and should be able to do well through Amazon with the same prices.  See you all in the postings - E :)

Finally Home Audio

I've approved everything, gotten the cover for the audio books and now it is in the hands of ACX to finalize everything.  Here is what the audio cover looks like:

I'm trying to figure out how to add the sample audio file so that I can start promoting the audio version, but have yet to figure that out.  As soon as I do, the audio file will be on the sidebar of my blog.  Once you hear the sample file, how about dropping by Sienna Beckman's website and leaving her a note on what a great job she has done.

Audio books are available through amazon.com, audible.com and itunes.  So hopefully within the next day or two this will go live.  See you all in the postings - E :)

End-of-School Year Freebie

So here it is the end of the month and summer is upon us, although everyone is saying the beginning of Summer was last weekend.  If you haven't picked up your copy of Finally Home for you Kindle yet and would like a copy, this weekend (today, tomorrow and Sunday) you can download a copy for free.  If you like Nancy Drew mysteries and would like to try a new story on the lines of a Nancy Drew mystery or know a middle grade/young adult reader who is into mysteries and Nancy Drew, please direct them here for their free copy.  Hope you all will get your copy and enjoy the read.

The audio book should be up on amazon, audible,com and through itunes within a week or so.  See you all in the postings - E :)

Just Call Me Slack

It has been 3 weeks since my last post and I have no excuse for it other than to say that I have been slack all around.  I got a new computer in April and about 2-1/2 weeks later had to return it due to the fact that the scroll on the touchpad didn't work and the system was slow, albeit faster than what is in my dinosaur of a computer now, and apparently had the wrong operating system as nothing really seemed to work like it was supposed to.  I did notice there were some Windows 7 files on what was supposed to be a Windows 8 based computer.  Even wor tech support guys said the system wasn't operating properly and that I should take it back.  Now I'm back on my old laptop again and can't take it with me anywhere due to the monitor being broken at the hinges and the slightest movement causes me to lose my ability to see anything on the screen other than a bunch of lines, meaning I have to hibernate the old thing and then turn it back on to get my screen back.

So slack days should be over and I hope to get back to posting on a more regular basis.

UPDATE ON AUDIO BOOKS:  Finally Home has had the once over listen through (and yes, I was very slack when it came to going through the narrations) and I've sent some suggested changes to the narrator.  Sienna did a great job for the most part and as stated previously, if I were to pick a person to play Kelly or how I pictured Kelly, she would be the perfect fit.

State of Successes has been completed and I'm waiting on Heather to get the final cover to me to  upload that so I can finalize the production of that book.  It looks like the state books will be published audio wise before Finally Home but that's okay - all in due time.

I will probably submit the contract to Francene in June to work on State of Wilderness  next.  August will be State of Heights and September or October will be State of Nature.  I'm also looking into a sponsor for the state series to hopefully get them back on track, but more on that when I find a sponsor and the money is flowing in to pay the bills (Heather, printing, et cetera), which will p robably be posted on the JGDS blog when I have updates.

FAMILY NEWS:  Youngest son, who is now living with my parents and my oldest son, got his GED and has finally gotten a job, working in the same plant oldest son is but on opposite days (when oldest is working, youngest is off and vice versa).  The last I heard was when they get established a bit more they plan on moving out on their own.  I don't think it is a good idea due to the fact that my parents' aren't in any condition to really be left taking care of themselves; more or less, my father would have to take care of my mother (she is pretty much in an Alzheimer state) and himself (he has back problems and is having to use a walker to get around and possibly heading to wheelchair or some sort of hoveround craft to get around among many other illnesses).  I would prefer that my parents have someone around to help out but who am I to say what the boys will do in the next few months.  I guess when I go up there for the High Country Festival of the book next month (June 21 at Watagua High School in Boone, NC) I'll find out everything.  Daughter who had moved to West Virginia in November and back home in February finally got a job. She starts next Thursday for training and then goes directly to work at the store she will be working (training is in one town and store she will be working is in our county seat town).  So that is the best news for her since she has been without a job since moving back home and has been driving me nuts - constantly on the go and begging her  father and me for money all the time; I just hope she will be saving her money and not be on the go as much (working second or third shift, she won't have time to go galavanting all the time). 

School is out in Utah and I've not had any classroom visits with them in over a month and I miss them.  Taught my POV sessions and then they had state testing and worked on a project for the town and then end of year reviews and studying.  I look forward to working with the next group of students in the fall.  Just to let teachers and librarians know, I am available for school visits as per my website and I will do virtual classroom visits as well. 

Bring on the Summer and hopefully lots of good news to report and more books being published.  See you all in the postings - E :)

Finally Home ACX Update

I was supposed to have my final copy of the audio book of Finally Home last week but Sienna has been having some technical issues.  She assured me today it would be to me soon - within the next day or two.  Once I get the file, I will go through it to approve or make corrections and send to her.  If there are no corrections to be made, then I will approve it and release the audio version as soon as I can.  Waiting on the updated cover from Heather as well since there are some changes to be made for ACX so right now things are in limbo.

For the release of the audio book of Finally Home, I'll be offering the ebook for free on Kindle next week, April 15-16.  If you haven't already read it or purchased a copy, now is the time to get it for free.  Be sure to tell all your friends so they can get their copies.

Also, Anita and I brainstormed a bit after our Sisters in Crime meeting last week about some situations or stories for Kelly and Emma Louise and there are some things brewing, so I may have a few more stories to make them a series.  I'll add a tagline of "A Kelly Watson Mystery" to the new titles, and I guess I'll have to go back and eventually add that to Finally Home  but right now I'll leave it as is.  see you all in thep ostings - E :)