Houston Author Bash, 2016

I made it back from Houston in the wind and rain, but I was grateful to avoid tornadoes and snow along the way. February is always a dicey time to travel and plan events. I'm really grateful that my time in Houston went wonderfully well and the Houston Author Bash was well attended, even with the last-minute change of venue.

We lived in Houston for a few years, so I know there are some things I must do when travelling there. I was sure to hit one of our favorite stops on any road trip. I think it's the law in Texas. You must stop at Buc-ee's at least once.

Buc-ee's in Madisonville, TX

First and most important, in case you didn't see it on Facebook, I was apparently followed by a special agent I don't know. She was waiting for me outside my window in Houston. Those agents are tricky, but I caught her. She wandered off once she knew I'd discovered her.

The Houston Author Bash event was one I highly recommend for other authors (and readers). Moving the event a few days ahead of time must have lost some traffic, and it was no longer at a school, which was appealing to me with my middle-grade books. But there were serious book shoppers there for most of the time, and they were ready to buy. I sold 27 books and a few toys. That's a good day for me!

It's a bit blurry. My phone doesn't always cooperate.
Houston Author Bash, 2016, at The Cellar Door Winery

The Houston Writers Guild was on one side of me with lots of books to share.

The lovely Vincetta was on the other side of me with her brand-new book.

Across the room was Romance Author Row.
Their hard-working assistant is diving out of my way so I can get a photo.
I was sure to include him. 

This group from Crimson Tree Publishing had beautiful books with fantastic covers.

Author friend from the area Kathryn Lane stopped by to visit and pick up "At the Corner of Magnetic and Main."
Her new book is coming out in just a couple of weeks.
I was her editor though Pen-L, so it was fantastic to get to meet her in person.

There was a separate room for the steamier books. If you had half-naked people on the cover, you were over in the winery. I said that the cats on my covers are naked, but that's not what they meant, I think.

If it works out in my 2017 schedule, I'll do this event again. I can't imagine how great it would be if everything had gone off smoothly as planned. They brought in lots of shoppers with advertising because it wasn't in a location to just happen upon. Very impressive.

The rest of my trip to Houston was great as well. I got to spend a few days with my mom and celebrate her birthday a few days early. I also got to visit with my sister and her husband from Michigan and my brother-in-law from Houston.

Steak for everyone at Texas Roadhouse!

I even added a new friend to the pack during my annual visit to the Disney Outlet Store.
 BB-8!!

The weather while I was there was fantastic. Maybe even a bit too hot for my expectation in February.

Almost 90. Whew. Glad I packed those sweatshirts!

But the day I headed home, the weather took a sharp turn. Chilly wind and pouring rain. Not a fun drive. I was trying to beat the snow they forecasted for Arkansas, but all we got was a dusting. A very blustery dusting.

The Snickers pick me up at my favorite Choctaw travel stop in Oklahoma summed it all up.

Home is always my favorite place. Today is all about laundry and tucking in the details from the book event and settling back in. Tomorrow it's back to editing for Pen-L and getting my final proof of "Slinky Steps Out" ready to download to CreateSpace. We just need a cover, and then we are off to the races! Very exciting.

And, just to make you smile, this is what goes on daily at my house.

Max: "Let me up. Let me up."
Chee: "Let me down! Let me down!"
She hates that divider more than anything in the world.

Houston Bound

Exciting News!! The BookBub promotion for Max's Wild Night was a huge success and led to enough sales for it to hit #1 in it's category for children's dog books. Yay, Max!! You now have a best-selling book!

That promotion and the sales/ranking boost have also lead to a huge increase in the "pages read" through Kindle Unlimited and some additional sales beyond the bargain price. Definitely a promotion that was well worth the cost and covered its costs. I hope to run one for Why Kimba Saved The World when Book 4 comes out in April.

After some quick packing this evening, I head to Houston to spend some time with my mom, visit other family, and attend the Houston Authors Bash, 2016. Scott is prepared to hold down the fort (aka clean all the litter boxes) until I get back.

Wednesday will involve around 12 hours of drive time alone in the car with nothing but my iPod and the scenery to entertain me. It's a drive I've made over a dozen times from when we lived in Houston and took our daughters to camp in Missouri, not to mention the trips back and forth before we moved to Arkansas. There's not a lot to look at most of the way, so I'm glad my iPod is fully loaded. Adele, Bruno Mars, Michael Jackson, and an assortment of '70s and '80s bands will keep me going. I have Twizzlers and Chex Mix, so I'm ready to roll.

I really don't know what to expect from the Houston Authors Bash. I think it would have been a large and well-attended event, but the school cancelled on the group a few days ago. Organizers managed to find a new venue, but not everyone will fit and it's a totally different atmosphere -- one I wouldn't have signed up for in the first place -- at a wine bar. It's sure to be a big party for the Houston authors who are friends. How many books will sell is a totally different matter. I'll have to get back to you on how a kid's book series does at an event at a wine bar. Let's hope the parents and grandparents there like to buy gifts for the kids in their lives. Maybe At the Corner of Magnetic and Main will do better.

Houston Authors Bash, 2016

The Cellar Door Winery

Katy, TX

Saturday, February 20

10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Hope to see you there!

We did have a great time at the Cocktails for a Cause event in support of the Eureka Springs Library. I sold several sets of books, including a set to my daughter's English teacher. Her daughter is already enjoying Max's Wild Night, which includes "Leia's" illustrations.

Kimba and Hiro were quite impressed by this bottle. The mojitos were not quite that large.

There was not as much success at the Kimberling Library Author Event. It's a wonderful place, and we love supporting it, but there wasn't much traffic. It was too nice a day, I guess.

When authors get bored, light saber bookmark battling goes on.
Okay, that was more Scott than me.

Kimba and I just want someone to talk to.

Library events are often like this. The one in Kimberling is the only one I will do this year because it's just such a great, volunteer-run place. I never heard a total, but I hope they raised some money.

March is free of actual book events. Between spring break bookings at the guest house and starting back up with docent work at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, there's enough going on. But I will be at the Northwest Arkansas Writers Workshop in Fayetteville on March 19th. I also start teaching a class for the Story Circle Network about self-editing on March 14th. That's a new venture for me, so I hope I get some students signed up. I'll be talking and promoting that more once I'm back from Houston.

Besides catching up with family, I'm sure there will be a stop at Bucees (because this is the law when traveling in Texas). I also need to wrangle a stop at the Disney Store Outlet around the corner from Mom's house. My mini-plush collection is missing several Star Wars characters. That makes all the other toys sad.

Have a great week, and I hope to see you on Saturday!

Kindle Sale and Interviews

Big news for this week is that Max's Wild Night is on sale for 99 cents on kindle until Jan. 27th. He earned a BookBub ad for today (which is hard to get and very exciting).

It was the only middle-grade book promo for today as well, which is outstanding. You never want to be offering up a 99 cent deal and then have another free deal on the same day. Sales are ticking up so far. Maybe he can earn best-seller status. He has to get past some big sellers so fingers crossed.

A couple of interviews ran recently. Dots Words and Whispers reviewed Why Kimba Saved The World and posted a nice interview.

I also did a really fun interview with author H. L. Burke that she calls "Random Questions" and is exactly that. It ended up involving discussions of killing off Stephen King characters with "death by house cat" and owning dragons. We both love cats and dragons, but Heidi writes more about dragons and I write more about cats -- for now. I just finished reading the first book in her The Dragon and the Scholar series, Dragon's Curse. It looks like it is on sale for 99 cents right now, so you should grab a copy. Highly recommend.

Last week didn't go exactly as planned. I was looking forward to meeting with the Fayetteville OLLI birthday group for a brief lunch talk on Thursday, but sleet and freezing rain left me stuck at home. Very disappointing. I'm hoping we can reschedule in the spring.

This week is quiet, so I'm wrapping up formatting on Slinky Steps Out. We need to pick a chapter icon, and all of the photos need to be changed to black and white for the paperback version. There's more proofreading once that is done, then it's time to move into cover design. Yay!

It already checks out in CreateSpace's formatting tools!

Many self-publishing authors work on their kindle version first, but I pay someone to format that based on my paperback. It costs to make changes, so I always want to make sure everything is perfect before I send it in. I also sell way more paperbacks than kindles, so I want that ready to go for spring events as soon as possible.

Coming up, I'll be attending the local monthly Cocktails for a Cause event that benefits the Eureka Springs Public Library on Thursday, Feb. 4th, from 5:00 - 7:00 pm. There will be lots of self-published and independent authors with their books available. Come on by the Basin Park Hotel Lucky 7 lounge and check it out. I'll also be at the Kimberling Library Author Event again this year on Feb. 6th.

Lots going on in February, so let's hope the weather swings toward spring quickly like it normally does in this neck of the woods.

If you are snowed in on the east coast, I hope you stay warm and have lots of good reading at hand. You should grab a copy of Max's Wild Night to keep you company!

Brrr...

Winter has certainly come to Arkansas with a mighty force. We rarely see temperatures get this far below freezing, and I hope it doesn't keep up for long.

Fortunately, my work doesn't require me to go out in the cold much. As long as the internet and power keep working, I'm in business. Editing projects with Pen-L keep me busy, and I'm working on final edits on my own middle-grade book, The Brave, Frail, and Delicate Princess. I need to get that one tucked in and submissions sent out before Slinky Steps Out comes back from the editor and is ready for formatting. Then it will be full speed ahead on Slinky to get it ready to publish before my spring events.

"Publish my book, already!"

On January 21st, I will be speaking about "Running With Inspiration" to the birthday luncheon group of OLLI in Fayetteville. This is a new group for me, but I have it on good authority that they are all wonderful and will be nice. Writers usually are!

On February 6th, I'll be participating in the Kimberling Library Author Event for the second time. It's not a big turnout, but those who come are very supportive and grateful we are there. Besides, all my author friends in the area will be there. It's like a big party with books!

And on February 20th, I'll be attending the Houston Authors Bash at the Harmony Science Academy in Katy, Texas. Normally, that would be a bit far for me to go for an event, but my mom and other family are still in the area. It's a chance to visit and sell some books along the way.

I'm sure I'll be blogging about these events as I go. And updates on Slinky Steps Out will be coming in the weeks ahead. Almost time to design the cover. That's when it gets real.

I should also give a shout-out to a wonderful book series I just started. After I read (and loved) Thaddeus Whiskers and the Dragon, I decided to check out her dragon series as well. Not disappointed, and you can get a copy for only 99 cents right now.

Click here to find the amazon buy page.

Try to stay warm, friends. Build a fire and enjoy a good book. Around here, at least, winter only lasts a few weeks.

Holiday Book Sale & Happy Wishes

With Kimba at my elbow purring up a storm, I send you wishes for a blessed and love-filled Christmas week.

Can you find a sleeping Kimba Baby?

If you are looking for some last-minute gifts, ALL of my books are on sale on kindle this week.

"Why Kimba Saved The World" is FREE until December 26th. And all the other books in the series are 99 cents until the 27th.

You can also get "At the Corner of Magnetic and Main" for only 99 cents on kindle until the 26th. Many thanks to my publisher for dropping the price for the holidays! I ran this ad with Ereader News Today and have already seen a spike in the rankings. I hope some new readers are finding it and me.

Merry Christmas, from our house to yours. I have a feeling that the normal Christmas movies will be replaced by a Star Wars marathon this year. We have plans to see the new one next week. As long as the girls are both here and everyone is happy and healthy, I don't much care what is on the TV. May the force be with you in 2016!

Hiro thinks the village smells amazing. And she says, "Meowy Christmas."

Purina Farms Pet-tacular Holiday Event

Our last event of 2015 was the Purina Farms Pet-tacular Holiday Bazaar at the Purina Farms Event Center outside St. Louis, Missouri, on December 12th & 13th.

This is only one of the buildings on the Purina Farms property. It was very impressive.

Can you spot the Kimba and Hiro travel reps? 

Obligatory booth photo.

We were fully prepared for the fact that it would be mostly dog people there (with their doggie friends). The event center is used for dog shows and the like all year long. What was interesting, though, was that we sold a bunch of cat toys (separate from any book sale) but not a single one of the cute dog toys. The border collie rescue place down the aisle had the same dog toys at the same price, so maybe folks got them there instead. I won't fuss about that one bit.

One whole side of the main room was devoted to rescue groups with animals up for adoption and/or fundraising goods and products to sell. I did not scoop up the crate full of six mewing gray tabby kittens, so I should get a gold star for the day.

I really loved the name of this cat rescue group. That little kitten has an orange spot on her head, just like our Cheetara.

There was another entire room with kid-friendly activities and crafts and bouncy houses.

A great dane rescue was at the end of our row, but they didn't bring any dogs.

The vendor next to us sold healthy dog treat "make at home" kits. You should check them out.

Across the aisle from us was JKL Wood Art. They don't have a web site to share, but we had many long talks with Leigh during the down time. She ended up going home with several of my books, including a copy of "At the Corner of Magnetic and Main" for herself and her daughter. She also got a whole set of my children's books to donate to her local school district: Lonedell R-XIV in Missouri. I hope they love them! I must say, the way Leigh asked me to sign her book copies may be my favorite ever.

There were events going on the whole time, but we were on the far side of a divider and couldn't see any of it. Local dance schools did "Nutcracker" performances, there was a choir and bells, and dogs tried their agility on a small course. Scott caught some of the duck herding, and he said it was really impressive to watch the way the border collies moved and obeyed commands.

Duck herding practice for a dog in training.

Then, of course, there were the dogs. Big ones and small ones and loud ones and super-obedient ones. I always love to watch dogs walk along with their owners and see them glance up, over and over, ready to jump at any command and with eyes totally full of love. Though, I must say, the deaf St. Bernard who refused to go home (just plopped down and wouldn't move) may have been the best entertainment of the day.

Clown poodle in a poodle parade.

This dog was also carrying around that stuffed alligator, but those photos were too blurry. She wasn't still for long.

Epic amounts of fluffiness!! These babies are destined for the show ring.

What we do when we get bored. Scott promised it wasn't blurry.

Overall, it was a fun way to spend the weekend. Saturday sales were decent, but Sunday was a total flop. I appreciated that the booth fees were reasonable, but since it was over a four hour drive to get there and a hotel stay was required, we lost money on the event. Scott and I did enjoy a nice weekend away from the guest house and litter boxes and such, which hasn't happened since I literally don't remember when. That helped to take the sting out of it.

If we were closer, I would do it again. But we are not. I did learn about the Kansas City Amazing Pet Expo in June, so that may be a better event for us. We can pull that off without a hotel.

Holiday book orders have shipped out, and we are settling in for the winter months ahead. There are no events in January. The weather is too unpredictable to plan much of anything. But I'll be back in the flow with two events in February, at least. "Slinky Steps Out" will be back from the editor in January, so the fun of formatting and cover design will keep me busy during the winter.

We are celebrating the wonderful news that "Leia" was accepted into the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) for her freshman year of college in 2016. If you've read "Max's Wild Night," you've seen her drawings that were used within the text. She is over the moon that she could get in, but she still has decisions to make. Other liberal arts schools are on the radar (and she's been accepted), and we haven't heard back from the Kansas City Art Institute yet. She did appreciate the welcome gift from SAIC of some fun and arty gloves. Does a full-ride scholarship come with them??

The weather is getting ready to take a much more winterly turn, and we have a few days of semester exams ahead before we can really relax for the holidays. I have some Christmas specials going next week, so you'll hear more from me on that on the 22nd. I'm supposed to be having a Facebook book party that day, but so far very few people have agreed to take part. Not sure I'll bother if no one cares. Click here if you like prizes and games and bookish fun.

Have a great week, and don't stress out too much. It's a season of joy!!

Bella Vista Writer's Group

On Wednesday, I had the great pleasure of meeting with the writer's group in Bella Vista, Arkansas. They have larger Saturday meetings once a month, but this Wednesday group is new. It was small, with six people attending, but some of them were there for the first time, so it's always fun to get in on the ground floor.

They meet at the beautiful Artist Retreat Center in Bella Vista. If you have not visited them, it is worth the trip. Artists of all kinds are supported and allowed to rent exhibit and concert spaces in this lovely and well-appointed building. I was very impressed.

I modified my talk about "Running With Inspiration" and shared ideas from the new book "Big Magic" by Elizabeth Gilbert and the more tenured "The War of Art" by Stephen Pressfield. My newest book, "At the Corner of Magnetic and Main," is a perfect example of running with the inspiration that comes because I had no plans at that time to write an adult book. The spark was there, and I ran with it. We also spent a long time just chatting about the publishing process, current trends, and the differences between self-publishing and going the more traditional route these days.

They let me set up a book table, and three members went home with copies of "At the Corner of Magnetic and Main." It was a delightful way to spend a few hours of the afternoon, and I was quite impressed with the works in progress that some members shared. Wonderful writing! There will be some new books out of that group shortly, I'm sure.

If you don't get my newsletter, you can check out the holiday edition here and get in on some December paperback sale prices. It is getting almost too late to guarantee Christmas delivery, so don't wait long.

Also upcoming is my Facebook party to celebrate the end of the official launch of my new book. There will be games and prizes and fun. Click here to find out more and join us! 

The weather here is ridiculously warm, something like 70 today, so I think Max will be getting a good bath in the yard. I hope each of you is staying sane and finding joy in each moment of this crazy holiday season. It will be over before you know it, so savor each concert, party, and family gathering. And enjoy a good book or two . . . or three . . . or four.