Monday, October 20, 2008

Don't Wait For Your Ship to Come in Swim out to it!



In my morning reading today I came across this quote by Jonathan Winters: "If your ship doesn't come in, swim out to meet it."
There was another a day or too earlier that said something, "Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle." Abraham Lincoln.

In other words, the only thing that will create success, or create that book you've been waiting to write, or create some other printed words you dream to have written, is ACTION. There is no way around it if you don't put your butt in a chair and write - you will never publish a word. You need to banish all fear of failing, of making a mistake -- mistakes are the lessons of life.

This Frank and Ernest cartoon strip says it all. Frank is at the counter at an employment office he has a long long sheet of paper he is apparently reading from to the guy who is taking his application. The caption says--"I don't have any formal education so I brought you a list of the mistakes I've learned from."

Feel the fear and do it anyway is almost a buzz word nowadays, but it's absolute truth. Do not be afraid of mistakes, no one is perfect. Perfectionism will stall you in your tracks. Not that you should adopt a careless, reckless, not-give-a-darn attitude. You should do the best that you can do with what you have at this very moment and let the rest happen.

"You can never learn less; you can only learn more. The reason I know so much is because I have made so many mistakes," says Buckminster Fuller (a mathematician and philosopher who never graduated from college but received 46 honorary doctorates.

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Sunday, October 12, 2008

EPICon Seeking Workshop Presenters

EPICon is now accepting proposal submissions for consideration for the 2009 conference to be held in Las Vegas City, NV March 5-8, 2009.

All workshops/panels must be geared toward the creation, production, and sale of eBooks. Workshops presented last year should not be submitted. We are looking for original presentations.

We are looking for specific topics which include, but are not limited to:

**Educational: (should include handouts - hard copy and electronic)
Craft of Writing
Editorial Process
Genre Writing
Effective Researching
Professional Etiquette for eBook Authors

**Promotional:
Writing Effective Copy for Promotion
Marketing/Promoting eBooks
Developing Effective Marketing Strategies
Successful Events for eBooks
Niche Marketing/ Targeting Readers

**General:
Knowing your eBook Formats and Devices
Creating Unique Promotional Materials
Finding eBook Enthusiasts
Converting eBook Interest into Sales
Overcoming Creative Insecurity
Managing Life as an eBook Author

**Young Readers: (this is for the Saturday Young Author Track)
Writing eBooks for Young Readers
Developing Creativity
Self-Editing
Finding Your Voice as a New Writer
What to Expect as a Writer

Please be creative in your topic submissions, but stay on course with what the EPICon attendees will find value in. If you have an idea for a workshop that you don't think fits into any of these categories or you are not sure, please send them anyway with a comment to that affect.

Your workshop proposal should include:

Legal Name:
Pseudonym:
E-Mail Address:
Web Site Address:
Workshop Title:
Workshop Synopsis: 150 word max
3-Bullet point list of benefits to attendees:
1-3 relevant credentials for presenting
Author Bio: 150 word max
Author Head Shot (jpg file 72 dpi) Optional, but preferred.

If your information is incomplete, your submission will be deleted without consideration.

Publishers interested in participating in panels should send:

Company Name:
Web Address:
Participating Editor/publisher Name:
Genres Published:
Company Bio: 150 word max
Do you wish to conduct editor/author interviews? ___Yes ___No

Please note: All workshops will be chosen according to the highest quality of value to the attendees. Not all submissions will be accepted. All proposals submitted will be considered equally, but the decision of the Board of Directors and the program coordinator will be final, without question.

Proposal submissions should be sent to Karen Syed at erevolution.epic@gmail.com no later than November 1, 2008 to be considered.

Visit EPIC at http://www.epicauthors.com/

Thursday, October 9, 2008

JoAnn Smith Ainsworth

Epic eRevolution Welcomes Author JoAnn Smith Ainsworth: www.joannsmithainsworth.com

Bio:
When JoAnn carried wood as a pre-teen so her Great Aunt Martha could stoke up the iron stove to prepare dinner, she wasn't thinking, "I could use this in a novel someday." Yet, the skills she learned from her horse-and-buggy ancestors translate into backdrops for her historical romance and paranormal suspense novels.
Believing it's never too late to create your dream, she resurrected a life-long desire to write as she started retirement. She made her first sale to Samhain, published and is now proud to call herself a Samhain author.
When she's not writing, JoAnn is a volunteer for various community nonprofits—maintaining websites, writing press releases, and holding volunteer offices.


MATILDA'S SONG
At the time, pretending marriage to her middle-aged widower cousin seemed like the best way to escape a politically motivated betrothal to a brutal knight. Now, her journey toward a new life has landed her in hot water—she's been waylaid by a local Norman baron who's mistaken her for a real bride. And he demands First Night rights.

Hot water turns to steam in a scalding night of passion…passion she has never known. And now must live without.

Lord Geoffrey is entranced at first sight of the Anglo-Saxon beauty and finds that one night in her arms is not nearly enough. But all he can offer the low-born Matilda is a life in the shadows—as his mistress.

Her head warring with her heart, Matilda resigns herself to her duty in a masquerade of a marriage. It's a choice that could cost her life.

For the knight who first sought her hand is back with murder on his mind. Now it's Geoff who's faced with the ultimate choice: which is more precious…his estates or the love of the one woman who can heal his soul?
Link to excerpt: http://samhainpublishing.com/excerpt/matildas-song

Review: http://www.paranormalromance.org/reviews/review.php?id=29221

********************************************************************
This book follows MATILDA'S SONG in story timeline, although it sold first:

OUT OF THE DARK
As a blind woman seen as a flawed commodity, Lady Lynett is used to the idea that she's unlovable. But her parents' plan to force her into a loveless marriage is too much. Wandering, upset and lost in the cellars of the King's castle, the darkness doesn't frighten her, but the murder plot she overhears chills her to the bone. Worse, no one believes her, and the only one she can turn to is a Norman sheriff whose voice sounds disturbingly like one of the conspirators.

Basil, Sheriff of Ipswitch, is battle-hardened, fiercely loyal—and torn apart. He's falling in love with the Saxon beauty, and he longs to show her she is worthy of love despite her physical limitation.

But the very corruption she is helping him root out may implicate his own half brother. How can he turn his back on family—for an Anglo-Saxon woman?


Link to excerpt: http://samhainpublishing.com/excerpt/out-of-the-dark

Reviews: http://www.joannsmithainsworth.com/reviews.shtml

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

EPIC Spotlights Author J.K. Coi

eRevolution Welcomes Romance Author, J.K. Coi: www.jkcoi.com

J.K. Coi lives in Ontario with her amazingly supportive husband and son. She graduated university with a degree in history and in law, and has worked for many years in the legal field, with a current focus in intellectual property law. Writing has always been an important part of her life, and when she leaves the office, she leaves it all behind to immerse herself in a world of fantasy—of demons and magic, fascinating warriors and the women strong enough to love them. When not writing, you can usually find her in the garage working her magic with stained glass, out by the soccer field watching her son play, or in the stands at the hockey arena, watching her husband play.

The Trouble With Destiny

Mild-mannered Sarah McInnes just wants to be left alone. She's looking forward to finishing graduate school and then working a nice, normal nine-to-five job as an accountant. But when fate interferes with her carefully laid plans in the form of the mysterious and sexy Dorian, her life takes an unexpected detour.

Dorian is a take-no-prisoners kind of guy. For him, duty comes first. So when he intervenes one night to save Sarah from the murderous hands of a daemon and discovers she has the innate ability to fight them, he of course steps in and offers to train her.

Daemons notwithstanding, the job would be much easier and their relationship less complicated if Dorian didn't also happen to be the hottest thing this side of hell. Now instead of spending her nights in the library Sarah spends them with Dorian, keeping the city safe from monsters and sending them back where they belong. Whether she wants to or not, Sarah has to face the facts: daemons exist, she possesses the power to kill them, and she may never make it to Calculus on time again.

That's the Trouble with Destiny...

Link to excerpt: http://www.jkcoi.com/Pages/TheTroubleWithDestiny.html

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

FREE eBooks from All Romance eBooks

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All Romance eBooks

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