Today, I’m celebrating the launch day of my latest book (with Sandy Silverthorne), Thank God for Cats! How God Speaks to Us Through Our Feline Furbabies! I’m sure plenty of readers really hope for their own book’s acceptance, contract and publication. Writing Tip for Today: Read on for tips on launching a book. Know Your […]
Tag Archives: book events
Forget Bookmarks, Give Away a Puppet!
Miss Crankypants has a dear friend whose life work is puppets. Yep. Who knew you could get a master’s in puppetry? This friend has proved that you can make a living hiding behind a puppet theater and talking in silly voices. Her puppets imitate real life, and Miss CP means that in the best possible […]
Buy a Book and Grab the Fire Extinguisher
For years Miss Crankypants hasn’t been able to figure out why her book sales are below prime. She writes this blog, claims to have a couple thousand friends on Facebook and mentions her good works everywhere she goes. Then, wham! Just this morning she learns the truth: She’d have book sales up the yin-yang (as […]
Daughters Who Manage My Underwear
I have a beautiful young adult daughter who loves to help me get ready for classes I teach, book-related appearances and conferences. I so wish she’d been helping me that first disastrous book event. But sometimes her “new generation” sensibilities make my teeth ache. I know I’m not alone here. Other writers and editors have […]
Writing Event Disasters: Are You Cool?
Like most writers, I dreamed about my first book’s publication for years. I also daydreamed about my media appearances–including Oprah, of course. This is one of those things that are great fodder for wool-gathering, but that hardly ever turn out as cool as you imagined. The first event I had was a bookstore signing, where […]
Why Freeze Your Buns Off on a Saturday?
Yesterday, I was among many other local authors at Lane County fairgrounds for the annual Author’s Faire. Part Local Author Spotlight, part Lane Library League fundraiser, I was privileged to sit with other authors and freeze my patootie off for seven straight hours. All for the sale of eleven books–less the 25% for the fundraiser. […]
Writer’s Sacrifice
Yesterday I was in Portland, Oregon to speak to a women’s group about my novel, The Fence My Father Built. It’s only 100 miles from where I live, but it makes for a long day trip. Today I’m paying physically, even though I had a great time with the women of Christ United Methodist.Writing Tip […]
Anatomy of a Book Event
Saturday, I joined my prolific and bestselling YA author friend, Melody Carlson at Costco while she signed her books. If you’ve been to an author’s event lately, chances are you know that it’s a on-off type thing: mobbed one minute, lonely the next. I decided to observe her event and try to learn from it.Writing […]