Welcome to My Worlds: A Bipolar Christian Tells All

By Tricia Van Dockum

On my closing day of guest-blogging, I wanted to talk a little bit about the importance of a platform and whether it is helpful in launching a newly published book. The answer is YES, it can only help. A platform is anything you have already established that can help gain recognition or public exposure for your book. It can be anything from writing a weekly column in your local community newspaper to being a fill-in host on a local or regional radio show.

When I worked as an in-house publicist at Harcourt, this topic would come up whenever we were talking about a new title at our marketing meetings. Does this author have an existing platform? Do they already have a following due to another medium? Does this author belong to any organizations that would be interested in hosting him or her for a talk or book signing event. 

Having a platform already in place also makes you more alluring to publishers when you’re trying to get your book published.  A well-connected author is always appreciated. Just something to think about as you’re writing your book.

Okay, I guess that’s it for now.  It’s been fun blogging with you!  Thanks for the experience. I hope it’s been helpful.

As some of you may know after reading my bio, I have a 5-year-old daughter named Olivia who is the namesake of my business, Ollie Media, and the joy of my life. Last weekend we went to see the movie, Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, as I had read numerous positive reviews and I am familiar with the book series. This movie was delightful and my daughter was glued to the screen, watching every minute of it. One of the executive producers is Julia Roberts, and she has done a beautiful job with casting and with the look of this movie. The movie takes place in the ‘30s during the depression era and makes you realize how much people struggled to survive during that time. It’s a good movie for both adults and children as it serves as a reminder of what is available to us now versus then. We are such consumers now and really have so much more than we need…thanks to Costco and WalMart.

In my work, I have done a number of publicity campaigns with YA (young adult) novels that have gone quite well. For a writer, this seems to be a growing genre with lots of opportunity thanks to J.K. Rowling and Stephanie Meyer. It seems that more kids of this age are reading, which is great, and once they like what they read, they are waiting for the next book from that author. There are also more outside opportunities for YA authors, I’ve found. Once librarians and teachers know about your work and are a fan, there are speaking opportunities at schools as an “author in residence” or various conferences that pay very well as many times the library/school has received a grant for this sort of thing.

Something to keep in mind if you’re an aspiring YA author

In my profession, I have been blessed to work with a lot of interesting and talented authors.  There are two authors that I’m working with right now who have written books that I’m pleased to be working on as I think they’re both very good. The first one is a memoir by Boston based author, Joan Wickersham, titled, The Suicide Index: Putting my Father’s Death in Order (Harcourt, August 08). Joan has written a boldly moving account of her father’s 1991 suicide and how it affected her and the rest of her family in the aftermath. It’s not as sad as it might sound…rather it’s a loving elegy from a daughter to her father.

The second one is titled Mustang: The Saga of the Wild Horse in the American West (Houghton Mifflin, Jun 08) by author and journalist, Deanne Stillman.  Deanne is also the author of the critically acclaimed bestseller, Twentynine Palms, which is a cult classic about the brutal murders of two young girls by a Marine shortly after the Gulf War. In her current book, Mustang, Deanne illuminates the epic saga of the wild horse in the American West, from it’s origins in North America to its life today.

I highly recommend one or both of these great reads!

By Tricia Van Dockum

As a literary publicist, I have to read a lot of books. Sometimes I have two or three going at one time as I need to know how to best pitch the book I’m working on by reading it in full. With summer thankfully being a little slower time for me, I am currently reading something that I have wanted to personally read for a while and that appears to be a runaway bestseller, The Shack, by William P. Young. I am only on page 65 of this book but am so far very moved and very impressed by how well it reads.

My Pastor at the church I attend had been encouraging the congregation to read it but it wasn’t until the author came to speak at our church one evening that I was convinced I needed to read this book too. His personal story of pain and redemption and living out the rest of his life in God’s grace is a compelling one. Plus, I just found him to be so extremely real and honest about all that he had been through that it was very refreshing.

In my experience as a publicist, there’s nothing more awkward than watching an author at a bookselling event who can’t represent their own book very well. This happens more than you know as many times writers can be uncomfortable talking about their own work or are just plain shy about speaking in public. This was not the case with the author of The Shack and I think for his sake, this has helped to move his book along and make it a bestseller…beside it being just a great read!

Until next time…

Getting to Know You 

So, when Kelly first asked me if I wanted to be a guest-contributor on her blog, I was a little uncertain.  I’m very new at this but will do my best to be fascinating and share with you some insight and food for thought into what I do each day, which is literary publicity. I hope you find it helpful.

I have always been a reader from the time I was very young, so when I grew up and found I could make a living by combining my publicity experience with publishing, I knew I’d found my niche.

I’m in the business of helping authors obtain exposure for their newly published books.  There are lots of various ways to do this but first I ask the author what they are hoping to achieve from a book publicity campaign. What’s surprising is that many of them don’t have a clue…they just know they want people to read their book and have bookstores carry their book.  If there’s one thing I can’t emphasize enough it is think about who your reader is before you start writing your book by asking yourself the following questions:

1.)    Who is my audience for this book?

2.)    How can I stand out from other authors who write in my same genre?

3.)    Are there organizations who would be interested in the topic of my book?

4.)    Is my book a good book for book clubs?

By asking yourself these questions first, you have a much better chance of having a well-focused and successful publicity campaign because you’ve thought through your audience beforehand.

Until next time…

A teachable spirit is a major key to success in all areas of your life–family, work, any kind of relationship. You obtain wisdom when you become teachable. Giftedness is a dime a dozen, teachableness is a great treasure.

All through the book of Proverbs, we are admonished to learn. We can’t do that if we don’t have a teachable spirit. Pride, independence or rebellion, and insecurity lead to an unteachable spirit.

When we have a teachable spirit, we graciously accept correction. We seek wise counsel. We submit to authority and stay accountable. How does this apply to our writing lives?

Seeking wise counsel from the right people will help us grow in our craft. Critique partners can be a major asset as we grow. Use critique partners who understand the call of God on your life. They need to be honest in their assessment of what you wrote. Not someone who will flatter and not someone who will tear you down. Always filter what you’re told through the Lord. Just because you listen to the partner doesn’t mean you must accept every single thing they say. You need balance.

Others who will be wise counselors in your life are editors. Those you’re trying to sell to as well as those who have bought your book. Two things you need to understand about editors are:

It is an editor’s job to make books better.

Without authors, they wouldn’t have a job. You should form a mutually beneficial working partnership.

The key to your success as a writer is having a teachable spirit–but keep everything in perspective, in balance, and in Jesus.

                                              Copyright 2008 – Lena Nelson Dooley 

I host a critique group in my home and have for over 20 years. You’d be surprised to see how many people bring a very good story, filled with emotion and conflict, but completely bare of setting. That’s what I call “talking heads, bare stage.”

What is setting? It’s the description of the place surrounding characters. Many elements make up setting.

Time is part of the setting. In a contemporary novel, the time is present day, and in a historical novel, it denotes the time period. In the book, it could be winter, summer, autumn, or spring, or the book could span all the seasons. Each of these elements adds to the fabric of the story.

Place should be revealed early in each scene. Does the scene take place indoors or out? If inside, what kind of building, with what kind of furnishings? If outside, is it rural or urban? There are a lot of varying settings that paint your book.

Another important element is the weather. And weather can add to the tone of the book. We all know that stormy weather increases the darkness of a brooding mystery or gothic novel. Sunshine can add to the feeling of well-being.

Some authors use the setting almost as another character in the book. One that comes to mind immediately is my friend Colleen Coble. Study her work to see how she uses these elements.

Why do we need setting? It anchors the reader in a time and place. It enhances the story whether a dark mystery, a tender love story, a family tragedy, or a myriad of other scenarios.

How should you use setting? When I first started writing, I dumped large sections of description of setting into one place. Tracie Peterson, my editor at the time, told me that she didn’t want a laundry list description of the setting. Her words really revealed to me what I was doing. Thank you, Tracie.

Don’t overload the reader with unnecessary information. It’s best to include setting in snippets woven throughout the story. And reveal the snippets from the viewpoint of the POV character. How that person responds to the particular part of the setting will add to the overall feel of the story.

Setting should always be tied to the POV character’s perceptions. And that character will be affected by what is going on emotionally in his or her life. Depicting these emotions in a graphic way draws the readers deeper into the story and keeps them turning pages.

Another place to include elements of setting is in conversation beats. I hardly ever use a conversation tag (he said, she said). Instead I utilize the beats to describe setting and other characters in the scene as well as depict the emotions of the Point of View character.

If you’re an author, you should read multi-published authors and see how they include setting in their books. I will add this caveat. Many authors who write suspense don’t use as much setting, because it can slow down the pace of certain scenes – those edge-of-your-seat scenes. But they use setting snippets in other places.
                                                ©2008, Lena Nelson Dooley

The easy answer to this is: Because God created me to be a writer.

Let me explain. God created every person on earth to be unique, with the specific characteristics He wanted them to have. To many people, He gave the ability to put words together in a way that sounds pleasing to the ear and can express His message in unique ways. I’m one of those people. 

He also made me a storyteller. I like to weave together a good story that will keep the reader turning pages until the end. One that will stay in their minds and hearts for a time, continuing to bless them with how the characters interacted with our Almighty God. How they grew through the process and became more the people God wanted them to be. Because He also gave me the stories and the characters to live them out. 

When I first started speaking to other writers, I would tell them that I didn’t know that not everyone was a writer. I just figured that everyone was just like me. Then I married a man who didn’t read or write. He wasn’t illiterate; he just didn’t like to read or write. As he’s matured, he has started reading a lot more, but he still doesn’t like to write. And that’s okay, because God didn’t create him to be a writer. He has read almost all of my seventeen books.  

Did God create you to be a writer? If you have the ability to put words together in a pleasing manner, the answer is a resounding yes. 

That doesn’t mean you will be a published author. You will be if it’s in His plan for you.  

Some people who write are supposed to bless people by writing notes of encouragement to them in hard times. Other people minister to hurting persons either on their own blog or maybe in an Internet community such as Shoutlife, Facebook, or Myspace. 

Perhaps you’re supposed to be the family historian who makes sure the stories of your family don’t fade away. Or you’re supposed to write devotionals, lessons, or other things for your church. You could made a name for yourself as a writer of articles for newspapers or magazines. 

In addition to writing novels, I have written a Christmas short story almost every year since the Lord told me to become a professional writer. People around the world are blessed by these stories my husband and I send out instead of Christmas cards. 

What I’m trying to say to you is: Find out why God gave you the ability to write, then pursue His purpose for your words.

Copyright 2008, Lena Nelson Dooley

What happens when we compare ourselves to others? 

It gives the Enemy of Our Soul a foothold in our minds. He has a set of tapes ready to replay in our thoughts. Tapes from our past. He has a unique set of tapes for each of us. He doesn’t even have to work hard on it. I don’t know what your tapes say, but some of mine are: 

You’re not as good as they are. . .You’ll never be as good. . .They never have liked you. . .Why can’t I have what they have? . . .Why even bother trying? . . .Your other books were good, but this one isn’t. . .The editor won’t like this one. . .And on. . .and on. . .and on. 

I’ve had to learn to reject them when he tries to speak these curses into my mind. That’s what they are–word curses. 

Listening to the enemy’s tapes causes discouragement. Replace your discouragement with encouragement. First let’s look at the reasons he’s able to get us to listen to the tapes. 

A. Tiredness - He can really breach our defenses if we’re burning the candle at both ends. 

B. Frustration - This of often brought on by a series of unmet expectations. You have to learn to give your expectations to God and let Him give them back to you as privileges. . .in His timing. 

C. Failure - This is part of everyone’s journey. Anyone who experiences success also experiences  failure along the way. There won’t be any success if you don’t step out knowing you might fail. Soon though, there will be more successes and fewer failures. 

D. Fear - Whatever you’re afraid of will control you. Instead, cast out fear and trust the Lord to guide and protect you. 

Let’s look at discouragement. Here are some facts we need to face. 

A. It’s common - All people experience it, some more often than others. 

B. It’s chronic - You can’t build up immunity to it. You have to deal with it immediately, so it won’t get a foothold in your mind. 

C. It’s contagious - Satan targets people of influence because when they are discouraged, it filters down to all the people in their sphere of influence. Don’t pick up the discouragement from those who influence you.           

The best place to battle discouragement is in the Bible. One good place to go is Psalm 34. Here it is from The Message: 

1 I bless GOD every chance I get; my lungs expand with his praise.

 2 I live and breathe GOD; if things aren’t going well, hear this and be happy:

3 Join me in spreading the news; together let’s get the word out.

4 GOD met me more than halfway, he freed me from my anxious fears.

5 Look at him; give him your warmest smile. Never hide your feelings from him.

6 When I was desperate, I called out, and GOD got me out of a tight spot.

 7 GOD’s angel sets up a circle of protection around us while we pray.

8 Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see — how good GOD is. Blessed are you who run to him.

9 Worship GOD if you want the best; worship opens doors to all his goodness.

10 Young lions on the prowl get hungry, but GOD-seekers are full of God.

11 Come, children, listen closely; I’ll give you a lesson in GOD worship.

12 Who out there has a lust for life? Can’t wait each day to come upon beauty?

13 Guard your tongue from profanity, and no more lying through your teeth.

14 Turn your back on sin; do something good. Embrace peace — don’t let it get away!

15 GOD keeps an eye on his friends, his ears pick up every moan and groan.

16 GOD won’t put up with rebels; he’ll cull them from the pack.

17 Is anyone crying for help? GOD is listening, ready to rescue you.

18 If your heart is broken, you’ll find GOD right there; if you’re kicked in the gut, he’ll help you catch your breath.

19 Disciples so often get into trouble; still, GOD is there every time.

20 He’s your bodyguard, shielding every bone; not even a finger gets broken.

21 The wicked commit slow suicide; they waste their lives hating the good.

22 GOD pays for each slave’s freedom; no one who runs to him loses out. 

To break free from discouragement, use the two powerful P’s–Praise and Prayer. When you praise, you shift the focus from you to Him. Prayer shifts the burden from you to Him. 

Philippians 4:6-7 tells us:“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” The Message 

When you pray:

1. Worry leaves

2. Courage returns

3. The answers come

Copyright 2008, Lena Nelson Dooley

Lena Nelson Dooley is a multi-published author who has hosted a critique group in her home for over twenty years. She’s been a member of ACFW since a few months after its inception. She’s taught several online courses, and she hasn’t missed any of the regional or national conferences. In 2005, she helped establish the first Texas local chapter. This is her second year as vice president.

In addition, Lena has spoken to both Christian and secular writing groups in Texas and Oklahoma. Helping other authors grow in their walk with the Lord and in their craft is one of her favorite things to do. That brought her recognition when ACFW gave her the Mentor of the Year award in 2006. She’s had a number of books voted as top ten favorites in the Heartsong Readers Poll, and she was voted a top ten favorite author in 2005. His Brother’s Castoff took second place in the Book of the Year contest in 2004. She also had books final in that contest the last two years. In 2006, Pirate’s Prize went to #1 on the list in the UK, and two other books were in the top 25. Scraps of Love, The Spinster Brides of Cactus Corner, and Montana Mistletoe have been top 25 bestsellers on CBD.

www.lenanelsondooley.com http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com   

Lena is married to the love of her life, and they enjoy spending time with their family. Two daughters, two sons-in-law, two granddaughters, two grandsons, one granddaughter-in-law, and one great grandson. The Dooleys are members of Gateway Church, where Lena volunteers in the bookstore, with the Global ministry, and with the altar prayer ministry.

Comparisons Equal Discouragement, Part 1 

So, I’d love some questions on what worries you have about conference, and hopefully I can lessen the stress with my keen insight. Anybody out there?

I love the smell of fear in the morning. Just kiddin’. Conference time again. I gotta tell y’all, don’t be so worried about your appointments with agents and editors. I know it’s hard to believe, but we aren’t out to get ya. Some of us are even nice. Yes, there are a few pompous people. But being pompous, they don’t take appointments, so you won’t be meeting with them.

Here’s a tip for a stress-lessened (I’m not fool enough to write ‘stress-free’) experience.

Dress for the job ya want, not the one ya have. Don’t know about you, but when I write, I slap my rear in the chair wearing sweats or comfy shorts. When I meet prospective clients, I dress nicely. No, you don’t need an expensive suit. Just wear something up-to-date (newsflash: squeaky polyester is out). Slacks or a skirt, nice blouse, jacket optional. Stick to neutral tones and add a touch of pizzazz (always in style) by way of accessories to show your personality and some color.

Save your jeans (I don’t care if they’re a dark wash) and tennis shoes (I don’t wanna hear your feet hurt) for going to the movies. Don’t show up looking like a “hobby writer.” I took some flack for saying this (One person even wrote me that I was arrogant! Imagine … me … arrogant. Nope, I can’t imagine it.), but my intention is to help, not hurt. Sure, some industry professionals don’t care what you wear, but unless you know who they are, why chance it? People, there’s a line longer than my crow’s feet waitin’ behind you to snag your spot. Wanna give it to ‘em? Take every advantage you can.

I recently went to a small conference. A young lady (to me, young is early forties, but for clarification, she’s in her twenties) showed up in a nice suit, hair neatly swept back, and acted in a professional manner. When her partial came, I noted how clean it was (mechanics-wise). This was her first effort, and she blew me away with her level of competency in that area. Buuut, the story had no hook. Instead of an outright no, I asked her to find a hook and resubmit. I’m lookin’ for authors, not manuscripts. From the way she treated her appointment with me, to the clean manuscript, I knew she’d be a great self-promoter, which I look for. If you can’t look professional for a meeting with me, how will you look when you do a book signing?

The Romance Writers of America conference is at the end of this month. Unfortunately, they didn’t ask me to give my Bleak to Chic: How to Dress for Success workshop. Sigh. Even us agents get rejected. I will be giving what’s called a “late-nite chat” at the American Christian Fiction Writers conference in September, and I hope to see some of ya there.

Remember, it’s not only about impressing someone, but impressing yourself. When you look better, you feel better. When you feel better, you exude self-confidence. When you exude self-confidence, you tell me, “Hey, I’ll make a great addition to your family!” (Hope so!)

Today is the last day you’ll hear from me unless you subscribe to my blog to get the lastest book reviews and to find out what books I’m giving away each week. That url for that site is http://edgyinspirationalauthor.blogspot.com . So… on to the topic for today. Yeah, I’m a bookaholic. I need help. Honestly, it’s even worse when it’s autographed books. I have an addiction to them. At last count I had over 160 autographed books…and that was 6 months ago.
 
Some people collect ceramic frogs or spoons. I collect books. Tons of them. I’ve given away older ones and books I’ve already read (just gave away 20 this past month) and I STILL have a ton. Like my bookshelves are literally buckling under the weight. Just a few months ago we bought two more book cases so I could stack my existing stash neatly. Those are now double shelved!  

But I love to read and I HATE to say no. In fact for every two books I turn down (for review) I accept a few others. I need to say no to everyone, but can’t seem to do it. So I try to read and keep the books moving out as fast as I can, but it’s a true challenge. If you’ve been reading my blog all week you will see why it’s amazing I get even one book a month read. Did I mention I have book proposals out there all over the ABA and CBA? If I sell any more of my own books…then that means more editing and writing on my end, which means I read less. I would love to read full-time, but it’s just not doable.  

Meanwhile I collect books. Lots and lots of them. Some days I do little happy dances when the mailbox is empty. The postal service must wonder how I manage to get SO many packages. And my hubby, well, he just rolls his eyes and tells me I could read all day every day until I die and still not finish all the books I have on my shelf. I just checked and I’m up to over 600 books on my TBR pile. About 400 I already owned and 200+ were sent to me. I’m not counting the 100+ Heartsongs and Love Inspireds that are numerous, but older copies. At any rate, I still love it when a book I’ve been wanting to read shows up in the mail and I’ll exclaim, “Yay! I’ve been wanting to read this book!” Hubby will roll his eyes and say, “You say that about every book you get.” That’s not true, but then again I may be in denial, because after all…I am a bookaholic! 
 
It’s been fun blogging at you. Peace! 

Michelle here again. I’ve always been a bit of a marketing whiz. Ever since I was a kid I’d sold the most cookies for camp, the most newspaper subscriptions, the most greeting cards, etc. If there was a contest I’d take the bull by the horns, sell like crazy, and win it…every time! Seriously. I guess I’m competitive, eh?  

Well, now that I need to sell my debut novel and market the online magazine I’ve had to pull out all of those former skills and dust them off. I guess I’m doing okay because things are coming together very well and the word is getting out there even better than expected. I keep getting all of these great marketing ideas and they are working out very well, but like KFC’s special recipe, I ain’t sharing them all with you or it would spoil the fun.

I ‘ve even been granted the title of Marketing Director for Sheaf House (the new small press I’m published with) and Marketing Director for Christian Fiction Online Magazine. Crazy, huh? But it’s true. It just comes naturally for me. The funny thing is that you would think it would be a huge advantage for publishers to want to take me on as an author this day in age when authors have to work so hard to market themselves. You think they’d see that I’m not a wallflower who is meek and can write great books but not tell a soul about them. Well, that’s just not me. I guess Sheaf House benefits most from this. Sheaf House has majorly talented authors (more you don’t even know about yet) and the whole world is going to know about them very soon…once the books start selling like hotcakes.  

Even in these tough economic times it’s still possible to succeed in a sluggish market. What you need is enthusiastic people to represent the product who genuinely believe in it and want to tell the world what they are missing out on if they let the opportunity pass them by. That’s me. The manic marketer. I told you it describes me perfectly. What I’ve discovered about myself is that if I’m doing something in my area of giftedness and God is behind it, then whatever I’m doing gives me energy. I’m telling you, Sheaf House it’s the best thing to hit the edgy Christian fiction lovers market in a long time, and you’re all going to see that very soon. I am also very excited (and proud) of the online magazine. It’s going to be so hot people are going to slap their foreheads and ask themselves why they hadn’t thought of it first. Trust me, you don’t want to miss it! That’s it for today. Whew! I even tired myself out describing that aspect of my life. Peace!

Michelle here for the third day in a row. Are you tired of me guest blogging yet, or just tired after reading about my insane life? It’s all self-inflicted, I assure you.  

Anyway, I’m sharing today about my magazine venture. This mogul I’m referring to is not the snow bumps skiers pass over in the Olympics ski runs. This mogul word is a noun and defined it means a person of influence and wealth. Scrap the wealth part, but the influence definitely had to be there or I could never have pulled something this huge (like CFOM) off. Trust me there. With God’s help and plenty of ideas that He’d given me, I took off with a brainstorm of ideas for columns. In less than four weeks time I’d lined up almost 100 columnists and booked columns well into 2009. Now how did that happen?  

I believe God set me up to be in the right position at the right time to recruit all of the talent needed for the mag. Since I’ve been a member of ACFW for going on 5 years now and I’ve been a Board member for 18 months, I’ve come in contact with a lot of people. But even more than that are the contacts I’ve made with authors and publishers because of my blog and book reviews. So I had a vast amount of people I could tap into and influence to get enthused about the online magazine.    

I’m proud to say that I’ve not only received and edited over 30 columns for the July issue but have even processed some columns for August, Sept, Oct. and Nov. already. Tired yet? I couldn’t do any of this without a team of talented people behind me who want to promote Christian fiction as much as I do. And with Bonnie Calhoun setting up the site and Erin Brown doing technical edits, we’re operating like a smooth flowing machine…with no glitches or bumps so far. That’s how you know when something you are doing is a God-ordained thing.  So why did He choose me for this huge job? I don’t know. Maybe because I was willing and had a vision for Christian fiction. I’ve been promoting it for years now. I know that when you are doing something you love it gives you energy. This magazine is like my cup of coffee. It keeps my excitement and energy level up because this mag is going to be so great! The quality is amazing. And Kelly Mortimer(whose blog I’m blogging on) is one of our regular columnists. She’s got talent. You’ll see what I mean when you read her snarky take on the industry. So check us out at http://www.christianfictiononlinemagazine.com beginning July 1, 2008!

Michelle Sutton back again. Guess I survived yesterday. I knew I would. In fact I am reading like crazy right now. When I get the muse I edit. I’ve written so many edgy books that I’m not hurting for new material. I just need to make the existing ones sparkle for when that big publisher discovers me and wants to buy everything I’ve ever written. Yeah, huh? Well, I can dream.

  In the meanwhile I found a publisher, Sheaf House, who was not only willing to take on my edgy work, but told me I could spice it up even more. Huh? All righty, I said. And I did. So my first book, It’s Not About Me, really isn’t about me. I’m nothing like the main character. Good, you say? Does that mean you’ll now read it? Hehehe. Okay, enough of the self-deprecating barbs.

Seriously, the story is about a beautiful young woman (told you there was no resemblance)! She has everything going for her and in one hour her entire life is changed forever. NO, it’s not a sexual assault. That would be too cliche. What? Seriously, I didn’t want to do something predictable to her. So I came up with something else that will grab by the throat. I guess it’s worked so far because all of my endorsers read the book in one or two sittings. Some said they never read a book straight through.

Suffice to say I do believe It’s Not About Me will hold your attention. I’m not going to tip you off about any of the juicy stuff, but for romance lovers, what is more exciting that two good looking men competing for the same woman? Make them brothers and it’s even more fun because brothers can beat on each other and usually no one is arrested. Okay, no more tidbits for you. If you like an action-packed, sizzling romance you’ll like my book. If you enjoy books with virtually no romance and one kiss at the end, find something else to read. My story will offend you.

That’s it for now. Peace!