This and That

Well, the week ending September 1 was filled with anxiety for me but we have gotten over that. I spent last Sunday at the Mint Hill Art in the Park event and sold one book and 8 bookworms - barely enough to put gas in my car to get home, but it was a sale. One copy of Finally Home sold on kindle last week (sometime between Sunday and Tuesday).

So the anxiety came over how I was going to get to Decatur this weekend with no money, no gas and not much to go on. Since I'm posting this on Sunday, you can see I didn't make it to Decatur. Sybil had to come out of her way to get the two boxes of books I've had in my car since the last event and her mother had to come down from North Carolina to meet up with her so she could go help Sybil out in the booth. I had no choice and I really hated it because Decatur is where I got my start. When State of Wilderness was first published, I fronted the cost of booth and hotel for the most part for Vivian and Jacque to come from Oklahoma to meet up in Decatur for the event. It is a huge event and the crowd is always there and this would have been a 5-year celebration for me. I hope that books start selling soon so I can start doing these very large events again but as it is livig paycheck to paycheck is all I can do right now.

School has started back and Thursday was my second time in class with Mr. Hughes' classes and hopefully this weekend he will get a more definite schedule down for me to be with the students. My preference is that I meet with each class on a different day instead of all of them on the same day since that pretty much takes about 3 or more hours of my work schedule in a pretty tight chunk. More when I get that down from him.

I'm going to start my WWYWWQ column this week, and the first question is spurred from a question from one of the students in Mr. Hughes' class and a posting Faye Tollison did on her blog last week. I'm also hoping to get back on schedule with my blog postings this week. I may only post once a week plus the WWYWWQ posting every Wednesday.

I had a guest blogger this past week, Sandra Parshall, a mystery suspense writer, and only one comment was left. That is sad that she is a pretty well known author and not even her readers came over to leave a comment. I hope you all will stop by and read the interview and leave some comment love for Sandra - she said she is okay with answerig questions about her books, her writing, or pretty much anything else the readers might have - so come on over, she won't bite. Spread the word.

For now, signing off - see you all in the postings - E :)

Blog tour time

Just a reminder that I'm featured on Martha Swirzinski's blog today with an interview by her daughter and a short review of the first two books. Stop by and leave a comment - E :)

Book trailer up for Books in Sync contest

Voting starts today and will run through the month of February. I have posted my JGDS book trailer here. I'm #11. Click the title of this posting and you should be taken to the voting page. See you all in the postings. - E :)

Follow the VBT-Writers on the Move tour (x-posted)

Today, I am being hosted by Margaret Fieland. Stop by and leave a comment. Remember if you leave a comment, you are eligible for a prize. There will be a drawing every day this month during the tour since it is our one year anniversary and we want you the readers to benefit. So stop by, leave a comment and maybe tomorrow your name will be drawn for a prize - E :)

Thank you Mr. Hughes

I now have a book trailer thanks to the efforts of Mr. Hughes. I really wasn't expecting him to do this so quickly but he took off and worked on it over the weekend. I think it turned out rather well. Please comment on what you think - E :)

Something fun regarding CPSIA

This video sums it up - CPSIA isn't about protecting the children but about saving the "fatcats" and large businesses. Enjoy and remember we need to continue fighting the battle, the little people will eventually be heard and make a difference. FATCAT fun

This is about right for CPSIA and I'm glad there is someone out there who realizes that we really need to fight this law, however we can - by whatever means we can. First amendment rights, save the small businesses, et cetera. For more check out this blog. Check his side bar because he has many articles and information there.

See you in the postings - E :)

And you thought CPSIA had really become a law?

According to Valerie Jacobsen, her posting on "First Amendment" rights over at The Bookroom blog hits it all on the head, wraps it up in a nutshell.

CPSIA is unconstitutional and violates first amendment rights big time. So even if CPSC says that CPSIA is a law and that it became effective February 10, it really doesn't exist as a law and the governing bodies cannot enforce it in any amount due to it being unlawful and a violation of our rights as given to us by our forefathers. So I think this will be the fight we now need to take, CPSIA - no worries, since it isn't a law based on the infringement of our first amendment rights.

For more read Valerie's blog. She has many good postings about CPSIA and fighting the good fight. She also has some cute sidebar pics and fun stuff about CPSIA.

See you all in the postings - don't worry about CPSIA any more since it isn't even a real law. - Keep you posted on more updates. E :)

Wordle - a different one

I had done the one for the JGDS series first (you can view on my other blog) and then decided to create one for this blog. Here is the Wordle for this blog and you can create your own wordle here.

This one looks pretty busy to me - lots of stuff going on here -

More CPSIA info

Seriously. This is to the point that every reader needs to listen and act upon. We have 18 days until this law becomes effective and the number of people it will affect is in the millions. We need all those millions of people to contact their representatives in Washington and make it known that CPSIA is more harmful to the children than it is protecting them.

My friend Holly Jahangiri posted her letter on her site. It's an excellent posting. I encourage you all to read her reply to Vivian's comment and understand that this is way deeper than just toys. It will hit everyone in the pockets in the long run.

Don't be a naysayer and say this doesn't affect you. This affects everyone. Please make those phone calls today. At this point, letters may not get there in time, and it seems the only way we can be heard is to be vocal. I would love to take a trip to Washington right now and sit on the front steps of the White House and in front of my representatives' offices and tell them what I think of CPSIA.

I hope the letter I sent to President Obama with a copy of my book inscribed to his daughters will get the message through. Someone has to have a light bulb go off soon and have one of those V-8 moments. If the libraries close their doors to children and/or even remove all the children's books, the schools will have to follow suit in that they won't be able to have textbooks. If all the toys and children's clothing and everything geared for that age group is removed from the places we shop most (like Wal-Mart, Target, K-Mart and the thrift stores and other places), what are all the families with kids going to do? Shrug and say, it doesn't affect me? If you can't even buy a pair of jeans for your kids, what then? Please don't say it doesn't affect you even if you have no kids in the home. If you are an aunt or uncle or a grandparent, it affects you. If you are a single person with no kid-ties in your family, it affects you because over time, you will find that the piece of jewelry you like so much and waiting for the right time to buy it will no longer be affordable to you. Those nice clothes you wear to work or to go out with your friends will be so costly, it won't be affordable to dress for work.

I know I sound like a broken record, but with only 18 days until doomsday, we need to be acting, not sitting back on our hunches and saying it doesn't affect me at all; I have no children in that age group. Call your representatives, remind them that they work for you and not the other way around. They have to listen to the voice of the people. They have to repeal CPSIA before it is too late.

T-minus 18 days and counting - E :)

Covey anyone?

Aidana submitted my cover for State of Wilderness back in August and received notification this past weekend that it was posted for the January awards. So pop on over to the Covey Awards blog and cast your vote. Be prepared that mine is the only children's cover nominated. See you all in the postings - E :)

Middle of month and so much going on

Here it is the 14th of January and I've not gotten myself organized for the upcoming tours (working on it, though). Tomorrow I am hosting Vivian Zabel, my publisher, for the Virtual Book Tours forum. I will post some introductory information later this evening and then an article pertaining to her new book, Prairie Dog Cowboy, which will be the topic of this tour.

Saturday I begin my actual blog tour for State of Wilderness and State of Quarries which may not get released until late February but I am still promoting it. We will begin by being on the Book Roast Blog and end up on my JGDS blog on Sunday the 25th. So come travel the states with us and see what's in store for you at each stop.

Stay tuned to see what fun things we can learn about being a Prairie cowboy all this week too.

(and as an aside to how busy I will be during the blog tours, I have to take my daughter to two appointments on the same day and have a writing group meeting that night, with another meeting the next night and then in class with the 6th graders on Thursday, the 22nd, and having a live book signing on the 24th at The Open Book in Greenville, SC - so if you are in the area and want to help launch the second book in the series, come out and visit and get a signed copy of book 1, State of Wilderness and preorder your copy of State of Quarries. (Hopefully CPSIA will be on its way out the door and publishing of books will be able to continue as before)). And on the 26th of January - ALA will be announcing it's winners and honors in each of their award categories - Newberry, Sibert, Caldecott among others - (State of Wilderness is entered in those three, so we'll see.

If you have read a copy of State of Wilderness, and I haven't contacted you, would you mind going to this site and nominating it for the Crown Award. We want to get books in the schools for kids to read and this may be my way in. Appreciate it - see you all in the postings - E :)

News and upcoming events

My first book has gone to the printers and is available for ordering now on Vivian's website for only $10.99. The book will be available just in time for school to start back so if you like a bit of trivia, a bit of geography and a bit of history all mixed in one, order your copy today.

If you want to wait until the book is actually out in print, come visit the 4RV group at Decatur Book Festival Labor Day weekend. We will have a book there with all the newly released books available. We will have games, readings, and prizes - lots of fun. Vivian will be doing a 20-minute presentation on "Writing for the Reluctant Reader". I am so looking forward to this trip. There is a lot to be done before the end of August so I guess I better get back on track so I can be ready - looking forward to seeing all you - E :)

State of Wilderness available for presales

Clicking the title of this post will take you directly to the publisher's store page on the website and you will see my book, State of Wilderness available for order, for only $10.99 plus shipping you can have your own copy of State of Wilderness. Hope you all are liking the cover.

Stop by my JGDS blog to leave a comment or sign up for the monthly newsletter to keep abreast of all the activities going on with the stories, 4RV Publishing and around various states - see you all in the postings E :)