Thursday, June 30, 2011

Reinventing Leona

Ever wished YOU could REINVENT yourself?


Available for immediate download at www.amazon.com
Check out Reinventing Leona, a Tyndale House Publishers Digital First 2011 new release at:  Amazon orMobipocket.
Politicians and actors regularly transform their lives. Embarrassing situations are not career enders for them but rather opportunities to regroup, write a book, and come back even stronger.
Starting over seems simple enough … until the need to start over happens to us.
Why? Because radical change is difficult. We don’t like it when unforeseen circumstances alter our plans. So we’re tempted to take the route of least resistance and live safe, stagnant lives.
But despite all of our precautions, sooner or later something will rock our world. Whether it is the death of a loved one, the divorce of a spouse or the divorce of our parents, the loss of our job, a move, a betrayal, strained family relations, or a major illness … forced course redirections can cause a great deal of pain and suffering.
How we handle these stressful situations is as unique and individual as the characters in our books.
Lynne Gentry watched three of her best friends suffer the loss of their husbands. "Two of them regrouped, rebuilt, and reinvented their lives. One shriveled up and died in a nursing home. Observing these three different women handle the same situation caused me to ask one of the questions that always sparks a good story: what would I do if tragedy struck me? Do I have the spiritual chops to pick myself up and start over? Could I trust God to lead me through a dark valley?"
Lynne's debut novel, Reinventing Leona, is a study in the resilience of the human spirit. "People do get back on their feet … I’m living proof of that."
Lynne's asks, "I invite you to consider what you’re made of. If you had to reinvent yourself, would you curl up or get up?
"Check out Reinventing Leona at Amazon or Mobipocket and let me know how God has used hard times to remake you."

Find out more about Leona Harper on Lynne Gentry's first skype interview with author Lisa Harris.


Interview with Lynne Gentry-Reinventing Leona from Lisa Harris on Vimeo.

Fliterary gives, Reinventing Leona, five stars and the Fliterary High Swing!

Awesome book, Lynne! Loved your characters, storyline, and wonderful ending!

Visit Amazon.com to download Lynne's wonderful book, Reinventing Leona.

Build it Before They Come | The Steve Laube Agency


Build it Before They Come

by Tamela Hancock Murray
If you want to be a published writer, realize that someone will look for you on the web. Agents will Google your name. I guarantee that editors and marketing folks will visit your web site to find out more about you.
Thus your web site needs to be both professional and effective. It is a bit like putting on your “Sunday Best” before going to an interview. That first impression is critical.


Stay True to Yourself in Publishing

Stay True to Yourself in Publishing

I don’t know Wade Rouse other than from the article he wrote for Writer’s Digest‘s Top 10 edition (which, since that edition came out in September 2010, shows you how far behind I am in my WD reading). From what I can determine, Rouse is a humorist who made WD’s Top Ten “Writers, Dead or Alive, We’d Love to Have a Drinks With” list.
I wouldn’t mind lifting a wine goblet in toast to him myself, because for me, he’s one of the top ten contributors to this edition who sparked my blogger muse. His article, “Top Ten Ways to Stay True to Yourself in Publishing,” struck a chord with me, so I’m going to share the music with you:
Rouse-Yezak’s Top Five Ways to Stay True to Yourself in Publishing:
5. Install a Lithium drip in your home
Okay, with my illness, I’m on enough drugs, so let’s substitute “chocolate stash” for “Lithium drip” 


Wednesday, June 29, 2011

The Care and Feeding of … WORDS! | The Steve Laube Agency


The Care and Feeding of … 

WORDS!

by Karen Ball
“Handle them carefully, for words have more power than atom bombs.”
Pearl Strachan
“By words the mind is winged.”
Aristophanes

Copyright or CopyWRONG?



copyrightistock6-11
One of the loops I follow had a recent conversation about copyright law, and I realized I'd never written about it. So that's what we'll talk about today.

First, the disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer and I've never even played one on TV! But through the years I've learned that much of what I initially believed about copyright law was incorrect. You need to know the truth.
1. You do not have to register your work with the U.S. Copyright Office in order for your project to be copyright-protected. Once you create your work in a tangle, fixed form, it is automatically protected.
2. Contrary to what many think, registering with the U.S. Copyright Office does not prevent the bad guys from copying your stuff. If they're going to do it, they will.
To read the rest please link to...Copyright or CopyWRONG?

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

What If Those Pesky Agents Don't Bite by Randy Ingermanson

What If Those Pesky Agents Don’t Bite?


What do you do when you’ve got a decent manuscript but the agents just aren’t biting?

Stephannie posted this question on my “Ask A Question For My Blog” page:
I have a manuscript for which I am seeking representation. I have been told by editors of major publishing houses, during conference critiques, that it is “intriguing, well written, and very good”. I’ve been shopping it around to agents and can’t seem to get anywhere. I get great comments from them but no ‘bites’. How do I determine if the book is unsellable or I haven’t connected with the right agent for it?

Randy sez: Publishing is a subjective business, so there isn’t any infallible way to to know if your book is unsellable.

To read the rest.... http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/blog/2011/06/22/what-if-those-pesky-agents-dont-bite/


Monday, June 27, 2011

Pentalk Community: What Goes Into a Media Kit by Raquel Byrnes

Pentalk Community: What Goes Into a Media Kit by Raquel Byrnes: "Thanks to Raquel Byrnes for stopping by and helping all of us with media kits! What Goes Into A Media Kit? 

Please link to...http://networkedblogs.com/jIvtX

Many Happy(?) Returns! | The Steve Laube Agency


Many Happy(?) Returns!

by Steve Laube
Every first-time author is confronted by the reality of “Reserves Against Returns” as part of publishing economics. It is usually a shock and elicits a phone call to their agent crying “What happened to my money?”
Did you realize that book publishing is the only “hard goods” industry where the product sold by the supplier to a vendor can be returned? This does not happen with electronics, clothing, shoes, handbags, cars, tires…you name it. If it is a durable good the vendor who buys it, owns it (which is why there are Outlet Malls – to sell the remaining inventory). Except for books. Somewhere along the line the publishers agreed to allow stores to return unsold inventory for credit. In one sense, publishers are selling their books on consignment. Bargain books are actually resold by the publisher (after getting returns or to reduce overprinted inventory) to a new specialty bargain bookseller or division of a chain (which buys the bargain books non-returnable).

Letting Go of Your Babies | The Steve Laube Agency


Letting Go of Your Babies

by Tamela Hancock Murray
One of the worst mistakes writers can make is being too possessive of their words. They fight for each adjective, adverb, and conversation tag.

Monday, June 20, 2011

The Fear of Rejection


The Fear of Rejection

Randy Ingermanson recently interviewed author Mary DeMuth in his “Advanced Fiction Writing E-Zine” and the topic of rejection surfaced. I thought it was very insightful and, with permission, am posting their conversation.
To read the rest please link to Steve Laube's blog and read... The Fear of Rejection

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Fun Fridays | The Steve Laube Agency

Fun Fridays

“29 Ways to Stay Creative”
Enjoy the short two minute video below.
I particularly liked #18 and #25.
Which ones work for you? Do you have any you would add?
To watch the video, please link to... Fun Fridays | The Steve Laube Agency