Republishing short stories

So the other day while I was emailing Heather some information, I got the idea to republish all my previous stories as ebooks. I'm waiting to hear from Heather to see if she can do up some covers for four of my previously published stories so I can get them out there and have a poster, or several posters really, done up before the end of October using the coupon I have for Walmart for a free poster (I believe they measure 16 x 22). I am totally stoked about getting more stories out there.

Stay tuned for more info about The Tulip Kiss (romantic paranormal), Butterfly Halves (a children's fantasy story), The Proposal (an April Fool's Day humorous romance) and Bride-and-Seek (a past lives romance). Maybe I'll have covers for these four stories in October - E :)

Finally Home cover

I have a cover for Finally Home - my YA paranormal mystery - let me know what you think - I think it's just right - the back cover will have the mirror with grandma's reflection and it's the perfect mirror - Thank you, Heather, for such a great job -

So without further ado - here is the cover:

What do you think? Leave a comment - E :)

WOTM workshop after package

For those of you who didn't have a chance to register for the "self-publishing using createspace" workshop that Nancy Famolari and I copresented last Friday, the handout and transcript are now available here. There are several other packages from previous workshops available as well and you never know when something will be a right fit for your needs. See you all in the postings - E :)

Writers On The Move: We're Looking for New Members!

Writers On The Move: We're Looking for New Members!: Writers on the Move has under-gone a number of changes over the last several months and now we seem to have a very effective marketing grou...

One Day of Peace (Global Truce Day 2012)

I just watched a fascinating video by actor Jeremy Gilley that had been posted on my Plurk network about an idea for global peace day - one day of no fighting, no violence, living in harmony and I am totally in support of this - the day is September 21 - the goal is to have 2012 the Global Truce Day - so the whole world has a cease fire and experiences peace. What a novel idea - to have peace throughout the world, if even for one day.



I encourage all my readers to check it out and support One Day of Peace and who knows, maybe we can change the world one day at a time but in the long run, we will have made a difference.

Come visit me at WOTM

I've posted an article about self-publishing on the Writers on the Move blog. Stop by and leave a comment.

Don't forget this Friday is the free workshop that I'm copresenting with Nancy Famolari about self-publishing using createspace. If interested, please register by sending an email to eeldering at gmail dot com with the subject "Createspace Workshop" so that I can put you on the email to receive the instructions and handout. See you all in the postings - E :)

9-11 Remembering

Since I went to bed at 5 PM yesterday and got up about 1:30 AM this morning, I've had a very somber feeling. I turned on the TV between 4 and 5 AM and nothing was really on any of the channels I have marked in my favorites listing. I turned off the TV. Read emails, plurked, and just kind of didn't do anything on the computer work-related or writing-related. Turned the TV back on about 7:10 and watched the movie - Flight 93 - about the plane that was thwarted from hitting its target, probably the White House or some other place of importance on this tragic day. Right after that was "102 minutes that Changed America". The images captured and put together for that documentary of what occurred between 8:46 AM and 10:28 AM, Tuesday, September 11, 2001, are so tragic, devastating and even more unbelievable now than they were ten years ago.

I was working at home at the time, so had no TV or radio on. I was very oblivious to what was going on outside our house in another part of the country. My mother called me about probably between 10:30 and noon to ask if I had seen what was happening. I got very little information and trned the TV on to see the horrific pictures being shown on almost every channel. Those images weren't as real to me as watching the show today because they were so far away (in my mind, it was surreal and couldn't be happening). The show today was up close and personal taken from personal videos/phones recording the images/and folks who were as close to it as they could get, and they truly were devastating.

We will never forget where we were and what we were doing when the news came about the plane hijackings and the three buildings hit - WTC1 and 2 and the Pentagon, nor will we ever forget those brave folks who stood up to the hijackers of Flight 93.

What were you doing when you heard the news about the planes flying into the towers?

Writers on the Move free workshop

On Friday, September 16, Nancy and I will be copresenting a workshop on self-publishing through createspace - looking at the different ways to go about using this free service. But is it really free? For info on registering for the workshop, check out the Writers on the Move blog.

Hope to see you all in the workshop. We will be using everywherechat again for the workshop. Registration confirmation email will include instructions on how to access the workshop. E :)

Great Sisters in Crime meeting with a new connection

Tonight we had a 70-year-old judge come speak to us. The man has stories upon stories upon stories and we probably could have sat there all night listening to him.

One of our member's daughter was there as a guest, who actually is the judge's neighbor and whose husband is an attorney who has spoken to our group before. I've not met her or don't remember meeting her at the meeting her husband was the guest speaker. She is a math teacher at one of the high schools in our area (I don't have the details in my mind clearly). While we were going around introducing ourselves and what we write or read (not all our members are writers but that's okay - we need the readers too), I made the announcement that Finally Home would probably be published in the next month or so (at least by the end part of October so I will be prepared for the three events in November with a new story) and she was like, "I'd like to talk to you after the meeting." Apparently some students under the guidance of the English teacher at her school have started a paranormal club and they are looking for some guidance about paranormal stories, et cetera. The story is that the high school is haunted and so they are going to do some after school activities as well as plan to sleep in the school one night with the lights all off so they can explore whether the school is haunted or not. I'd love to be a part of that since I believe in haunted places and Finally Home is sort of a haunted house story. I gave her my contact information and she is going to pass it on to the English teacher, so who knows, I may be speaking to high schoolers at one of their after school activities - Like I said before - you never know when the right connection is going to come along. Thank you, Barbara, for having your daughter come to the meeting tonight

I'm anxiously awaiting the cover choices from Heather for Finally Home. If nothing else happens this long weekend, I will more than likely be buckling down and revising/editing the ms so to get it fixed up and back to editor for a once over to get to Heather but only after I have a confirmed cover for the book. So come on, Heather, hurry up and show me a cover. Yeah, I know she is busy with school and all but I've been waiting now for several weeks and with this being a long weekend, I'm pretty confident she should have time to finish it up and get to me. See you all in the postings - E :)

Earthquake in eastern part of US

We've been watching and tracking Hurricane Irene since it is expected to hit either SC or NC coastline this weekend. What we weren't expecting was an earthquake. It looks to have originated just north of Richmond, Virginia, but quakes were felt all the way up and down the eastern seaboard from Norcross, Georgia, to about 2 hours north of Toronto, Canada. Here in my small town, the librarian said she felt it, the post office which is almost right next door to the library did not feel it and several people reported feeling it in different parts of the town. Neither Hailie nor myself felt it on our property. Students at Anderson University felt it while in their rooms. The fault line is widespread as reports from another town in South Carolina (Spartanburg) have reported feeling it and folks all over North Carolina (mostly around the Charlotte area northward) have felt it. From looking at a map showing reported "feels" of the quake - it runs from Georgia to New York, Ohio to New Jersey and every point between upper state South Carolina to Pennsylvania. I understood when it occurred in or around Richmond, Virginia this afternoon that they evacuated the Pentagon and the nuclear plant shut itself down. This is a good thing but we have a plant in South Carolina that isn't too far from where I live and we hadn't heard whether they shut down automatically or if any quakes were even felt in that area.

Pray that Irene doesn't hit land by the weekend and turns to go back out to sea. Cooler weather I'm all for but you see Ma America and the JGDS have an event outside of Charlotte Sunday and if Irene hits between Myrtle Beach and Outer Banks then Charlotte will likely get hit pretty heavy with the rain and all, which means the event possibly could be cancelled. If it hits down in the Charleston area, the Charlotte area should be okay but then again, one never can really tell with Mother Nature.

Keeping an eye out for after shocks from the earthquake as well as Irene - E :)

kindlegraph

I mentioned earlier about the kindlegraph and anxiously awaiting the publication of my YA paranormal mystery so I can start doing kindlegraphs. Well, I didn't read the whole way through on the author sign up page - kindlegraphs are not just for ebooks but for all paperback and hardback and ebooks - so I've added my books and now anyone can receive an electronic signature for any title available, just pop over to my author page on the kindlegraph site and request your signature. You can have the kindlegraphs sent to your kindle even though the books are not available as ebooks or your email. They come as a PDF file with a personalized message from me and a signature. So anyone who has purchased a copy of any of my titles from other venues (not direct sales) and would like to have a signature, please request your kindlegraph. Thanks - see you all in the postings - E :)

Finally Home, a YA paranormal mystery

I've not talked much about this story but I think it's time to bring it out of the closet and get it published. This is the story I wrote for NaNo (National Novel Writing Month) in 2008, although I didn't really write it during the month of November (I started late, about the middle of November and wrote through the middle of December, so it was still in that 30-day period that I wrote over 50,000 words on a novel; Finally Home came in at about 56,000 words.). I've already done some behind the scenes things like sending it out to several readers to get some feedback, and supplying Heather with info for cover and layout (although the ms is not in final draft yet). I also sent a copy of the document to my kindle to make notes and do some basic editing as well. So far I've received one person's comments back. Jess, who helps me sometimes during the summer with events, is reading but with her starting school this coming week, I'm afraid she won't have time to finish editing it. She did verbally give me some feedback this weekend, so I hope to at least get a partial back from her so that I can use the info to edit the story. Heather is working on a cover for Finally Home as we speak, but she too will be starting college soon and so I know her time will be limited as far as being able to work on my stories and all. I'm anxiously awaiting the cover so I can share with all of you. For more info on other stories previously published or in the works, please visit my website. I will be self-publishing and the book will be available in print via amazon, createspace and directly from me, as well as an ebook through smashwords, Kindle and Nook. I'm looking for a publication date of about the middle of October so that I will have copies on hand for events in November, namely the Savannah Children's book festival.

Stay tuned for some upcoming contests and giveaways with the release of Finally Home.

Check out Writers on the Move blog

Tomorrow I'm posting an article on the Writers on the Move blog about "Preparing for Presentations". Stop by and leave a comment about how you prepare for an upcoming presentation or how you create a new one. - E :)

Ma America, The Travelin' Maven (Elysabeth Eldering)
Author of the JGDS, 50-state, mystery, trivia series
http://jgdsseries.blogspot.com
http://jgdsseries.weebly.com

Author of "Finally Home", a YA paranormal mystery (coming soon)
http://elysabethsstories.blogspot.com
http://eeldering.weebly.com

Kindlegraph

I love my kindle but still like paperback books too. I subscribe to Jen Wylie's blog, author of the Ever series that I've been following (can't wait for the next installment - lol). Anyway, her posting today is about kindlegraph, a place where authors can do "electronic signatures for ebooks" - Makes me excited to put my upcoming YA paranormal mystery (Finally Home) out as an ebook. I'm passing this on to a few of my writer buddies who do have ebooks available so that I can get their "kindlegraph" on the books I've already purchased. Hope all you writers take advantage of this (all you need is a twitter account to sign up). Happy writing and signing, ya'll - E :)

Paypal buttons - WOTM August free workshop

On August 16, 2011, at 7 PM EST (U.S.), Maggie Ball will present How to Create PayPal and Other Buy Buttons on Your Own Site.

Description: Have you ever wanted to take payments on your blog or website? Do you want to create PayPal buttons or learn about other ways to accept one or recurrent payments, small or large?

This free course provides an inside perspective on turning your booklets, e-books, and documents into sellable items, with no cost, and very little effort. You'll learn about setting up "buy it now" buttons, creating options for shopping carts, installment plans, donations, gift vouchers, and subscriptions, managing payments by email, and even how to send out refunds.

To register, email Maggie at: maggieball@compulsivereader.com. Please put "August Workshop" in the subject box.

Registered attendees will receive instructions for attending. While the Writers on the Move Workshops are FREE, your email address will be added to the presenter's mailing list upon registration.

Registered attendees will also be provided a transcript of the chat, if requested.

Shopping for an eReader

Free article by Susan Black

While it remains unlikely that the day will ever come when traditional books become an entirely redundant concept, more and more modern consumers and professionals across the board are turning to eReaders for the lion’s share of their literary pursuits. Thankfully, the demand has resulted in more choices coming onto the market than ever before and with enormous value for money, though for those approaching the subject for the very first time, a little apprehension and confusion is inevitable.

However, the market can be immediately narrowed down to the three key players of the moment to ease the matter somewhat – those being Amazon, Barnes & Noble and somewhat trailing in the rear Sony. That being said, for every high quality eReader there is also a tablet PC alternative, all of which now feature eReading functions as standard.

So, the question therefore is not only which eReader to choose, but whether to choose an eReader in the first play or go for a fully functional tablet PC. There are hundreds of guides available for each and every option online, though the following is a brief look into some of the most important considerations to help those who really have no idea where to start.

1 – Are you looking for reading alone or something entirely more versatile?

Once this particular question has been answered it is effectively simple to cut the available options in half right down the middle. Ask and establish in all honesty exactly what is to be got out of the purchase as a whole, whether it be the reading of books alone, the inclusion of magazines and newspapers, internet browsing capabilities, multimedia options and so on.

If the answer comes out as reading alone which includes magazines and newspapers than an eReader would indeed prove the most sensible option. This would essentially mean a price somewhere around the $120 mark rather than $500 – with each additional feature translating as a higher purchase cost. Of course, there is always something of a middle ground option provided by Barnes & Noble by way of the Nook Color, which sports a touch-screen and a number of tablet style features for around the $250 mark. Establish what the primary function of the device should be and the decision as to which end of the market to look into is made naturally.
2 – Screen Type

There are two primary screen types to choose from in the world of the standard eReader, both of which offer their own unique merits:

E-ink – This is the option that comes about as close to the standard printed page as is ever likely to prove possible on a digital device. Models of the Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook and countless others all feature an e-ink screen, which do a truly stunning job of recreating the traditional reading experience. Furthermore, an e-ink screen can be read even in direct sunlight with little to no glare or reflection. The main drawback for e-ink comes by the way of purely black and white content, along with fairly restricted versatility and page-load speeds.

LCD – The alternative option is the bright, backlit and endlessly versatile color LCD display which undoubtedly has the e-ink option licked by way of beauty. However, the downside is that the reflective nature of the screen makes it prone to glare and reflection, with the backlight being known as tiresome to eyes over extended periods.
The rest of the bell and whistles featured really come down to personal preference, but for those looking for a little further push in the right direction, here are some specific suggestions.

The very best overall e-ink option is undoubtedly that of the latest Nook, which offers a truly wonderful reading experience for a modest $139. Those willing to bear the odd ad popping up on their Kindle are handsomely with a stunning device for little more than $110 which makes the perfect choice for relaxing on any leather reclining sofa.

With regard to color screen options, the Barnes & Noble Nook Color takes the prize, weighing in at less than $250 and offering many of the features and functions that would be expected from a tablet at twice such a price.

Last but by no means least, the very best fully functional tablet PC that also doubles as a stunning eReader has to be the Apple iPad 2, which starts at around the $500 mark but is essentially one of the best fully portable computer systems ever devised with a range of functions too infinite to comprehend.

(Of note, the author of this blog is partial to her Kindle, although she only has the basic WiFi model. She is awaiting the Kindle tablet to see how it compares to the iPad or other such tablets. Rumor has it that the Kindle tablet will start at $399 but could be less since Kindle just had a huge sponsorship from AT&T - all the Kindles will see a price decrease (the cheapest one will start at $99 and go up from there; amazon.com just decreased the price of the Kindle 3G + WiFi to $139 which is what the basic WiFi model without the ads and stuff cost previously. Hoping to see more news on the Kindle Tablet soon - knowing it will be in color and all - E :))

New website, new books

I've just released my website where I will house my other books. Currently being critiqued by two young folks and another friend is my YA paranormal (still not really sure it fits in this paranormal genre but is definitely a YA) novel is "Finally Home." The other day while on plurk, after seeing another post by Kevin about his missing bowling shirt, I had an idea for a picture book about "The Missing Shirt" that kind of travels around the states before finding its way home to Kevin. Covers will be posted as soon as I have them. So please check out my new website and let me know what you think - E :)

H. C. Paye featured today

If you are looking for a little more insight into my illustrator, H.C. Paye, please drop by the Writers on the Move blog and find out about her graphic design. One of the covers featured on the article is my friend's, Ms. Faye Tollison, "To Tell the Truth" and I must say it is still gorgeous. I have three copies for sale if anyone is interested in getting a signed copy from the author; just drop me an email or you can go to her website and order from any of the places listed there. You can also order directly from Faye who will be happy to personalize your copy. Happy readings, ya'll - E :)

Book Review: Tales of Ever by Jen Wylie

Tales of Ever series by Jen Wylie is another in the electric short series from Quake Me, a division of Echelon Press.

Jen Wylie had this reader hooked from the first story. She takes you into a world of danger and foreverness that one cannot escape no matter what. I so love this series and cannot wait for the next three installments.

We follow "Fire Girl" through her adventures in the land of Ever and meet many interesting characters along the way. The three available stories in the series are Banished, Fire Girl and Shadow Boy. I'm not much of a fantasy/sci-fi reader but I must say that Ms. Wylie absolutely drew me in and in such a way that I really forgot I was reading fantasy/sci-fi or whatever the genre is.

RATINGS: 5 stars (for the series and each book)

Book Info:
Banished
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 168 KB
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Echelon Press (March 1, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004Q9TX4A
Lending: Enabled


Fire Girl
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 146 KB
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Echelon Press LLC (April 5, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004VFN5SO
Lending: Enabled


Shadow Boy
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 225 KB
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Echelon Press LLC (May 4, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004ZFVSBG
Lending: Enabled


I definitely want the rest of this series - keep up the great job, Jen.

Book Review: Delbert Dallas and the Dragon Diaries series

Delbert Dallas and the Dragon Diaries series by J. R. Turner is part of the electric shorts from Quake Me, an Echelon Press subsidiary, for kids. These short stories can be read in a short amount of time. They are only available as ebooks but for only 99 cents, they are just right.

The three in the series available so far are Voyage to Viking Island, The Civil War Skirmish and Viva La Francine!. There are three more in the series, scheduled to come out once a month (not sure of exact release dates as the third installment was late as they are supposed to be released the fourth Tuesday of the month). This historical fiction stories are written in conjunction with J.R.'s son. I believe it was his idea to turn the guitar into the dragon and do some time traveling.

They are fun and easy reads. J.R. does put a little glossary at the end of each story so you don't have to worry about tripping up on the words. I like that she brings some history to life in such a quick manner. Ms. Turner has taken a small date in history and given us a glimpse of what might have occurred at that moment.

This reader is enjoying the series and will continue reading it until it is finished. I do hope that Ms. Turner will take some of these short stories and make them longer stories as I see a lot of potential for more story there.

Keep up the great job, J.R..


RATING: 4-1/2 stars (for the series and each story)

BOOK INFO:
Voyage to Viking Island
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 169 KB
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Echelon Press (March 21, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004TAECNS
Lending: Enabled


Civil War Skirmish
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 211 KB
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Echelon Press LLC (May 4, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B004ZFVCXA
Lending: Enabled

Viva La Francine!
Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 214 KB
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Echelon Press (June 26, 2011)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Language: English
ASIN: B0058EAT86
Lending: Enabled