Monthly Archive for April, 2011

Spring Blog Carnival Stop/ Giveaway for 2 Copies of Kate George’s California Schemin’

Published on April 30, 2011 in Sink or Swim Reality Show. 100 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , .

Thanks to everyone for entering! The winners were Lora and Betty!

Welcome to the Spring Blog Carnival, sponsored by Pure Imagination, Reading Angel, Candace’s Book Blog, and The Book Swarm. During this giveaway hop, different blogs are hosting booths. Each booth has a fun challenge for you to do to enter their giveaway. More than 200 blogs are hosting giveaways for this fun event. (you can access the other giveaways via clicking any of the above links.)

While you’re here, please feel welcome to download my brand new, hot off the press, short mystery story Laundry Day for free on Smashwords, about marriage gone awry. Then at my stop, you’re invited to attend a “taping” of the mock reality show Sink or Swim, which is a regular feature on my blog. For newcomers, this on-line “game show” is inspired by my mystery novel Sink or Swim. In the on-line version, authors can enter their characters as contestants. Today’s contestant is Bree MacGowan, 30, of South Royalton, VT, the protagonist of Kate George’s mystery novels Moonlighting in Vermont and the brand new California Schemin’. Two lucky commenters will win paperback copies of California Schemin’. This giveaway is open in the U.S. Deadline is midnight on May 8th.

Here is how to enter. Please note that you must leave a separate comment for each entry.
1. Leave your name and email address in the comments.
Bonus Points:
2 Follow this blog via Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs +1 for each.
3. Subscribe to Kate George’s blog. +1 (and check out her Spring Blog Carnival Contest!)
4. Follow Kate on Twitter. +1
5. Follow me on Twitter. +1
6. Tweet this post or share on Facebook. +1 for each share. (Share links in upper right sidebar)

Remember, leave a separate comment for each entry and leave your email address at least once. But first, I hope you’ll stay for a few minutes to enjoy Bree MacGowan’s contestant interview for the fictional reality show Sink or Swim, coming at you live from the Spring Carnival.

1. Tell us about yourself and the book or series you’re from. My name is Bree MacGowan, and I’m featured in a series about some wild incidents in my life. The two currently available are Moonlighting in Vermont and California Schemin’ by Kate George. I don’t think Kate would be writing about my life at all, except that dead bodies keep dropping into my life. Without the bodies who would want to read about a small town Vermont girl who can’t keep a boyfriend? You can find both books at Mainly Murder Press or Kate’s Amazon.com author page: http://tinyurl.com/4fh33v7 .

2. What is something about yourself that no one else knows?
When I was in high school, I used to skinny dip in the White River. I take it back, one other person knows that; Beau Maverick used to follow me down there hoping to catch a peak. So what does no one know? Sometimes I let my dogs sleep in bed with me because I’m still afraid of the dark.

3. Tell us about an unusual job or hobby that you’ve had?
When I was in college, I used to drive Mercedes cars from Canada into the United States for an auto importer, That was until one of the other couriers was caught with a trunk full of drugs. She swore she didn’t know about it, and I believed her. After that my dad made me quit.

4. What is the strangest or most exciting thing that has ever happened to you? Besides the dead bodies? A skunk once took up residence in one of my dog beds on the porch.

5. What would you do if you won a million dollars?
Remodel the farm. Build a new horse barn. Get another dog.

6. Please tell us briefly about your author and list web sites.
www.kategeorge.com is Kate George’s web site and blog. You can also find her on Amazon.com and Goodreads.com and a couple of other places.

Click the picture to download this short story free on Smashwords as a PDF or in the ebook format of your choice.

12 of the Most Well-Known Gods and Goddesses of Greek Mythology

Published on April 28, 2011 in 25 Years Ago Today. 3 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Since my adult mystery novel Twenty-Five Years Ago Today features a subplot revolving around Greek Mythology, I was thrilled when talented writer Alexis Bonari offered to write a guest post about the most well-known Greek gods and goddesses. Many of the below gods are mentioned in my book and I can attest that this article is a wonderful primer about “Who’s Who” on Mount Olympus. Enjoy the article below. Interspersed with the text, you’ll also find some images from the Twenty-Five Years Ago Today book trailer.

Although the worshipping of Greek Gods and Goddesses was more common thousands of years ago, the fascination of Greek Mythology is still popular in today’s culture. In ancient Greek Mythology the Greek Gods were responsible for both creating and ruling the world, and not only did each God and Goddess come with their own name, they also had their own characteristic and purpose as well.

Alexis Bonari

Here is a list of the 12 most well-known Greek Gods and Goddesses in ancient Greek mythology:

1. Zeus (King of the Gods)
Zeus was considered to be the most powerful of all of the Gods in Greek mythology. Although his sole purpose was to control the weather, he was also known to hold power over the sky and was the God to look to as “the arbiter of justice.”

2. Hera (Goddess of love and heaven)
Hera is historically known as being the wife of Zeus, however she was also responsible for not only the heavens and the earth, but also nearly every aspect of existence as well, such as the seasons and the weather.

3. Poseidon (God of the sea)
Poseidon typically had a negative connotation in Greek mythology because he was always associated with raping women or harshly punishing his enemies, however he was also responsible for making the land fertile and helping sailors who were lost at sea.

4. Demeter (Goddess of the bountiful harvest and the nurturing spirit)
Demeter was considered to be the most generous of the Goddesses, and was known for her kind service of giving the gift of harvest and making the soil fertile.

5. Ares (God of war)
Ares is the son of Zeus and Hera, and was commonly associated with civil order and manly courage.

6. Hermes (God of the roads)
Hermes was another son of Zeus and usually served as his personal assistant and even messenger, and was also known for not only being an excellent communicator but also being very persuasive as a negotiator as well.

7. Hephaestus (God of fire)
Hephaestus was another son of Hera and Zeus, but was known as being the “lame God” because he was born a cripple. (Legend has it that Hera threw him from Mount Olympus when he was born and fell for nine days before landing in the ocean).

8. Aphrodite (Goddess of love and beauty)
Aphrodite is often depicted in art as a perfect, eternally young woman, and was also known as being very vain because of her sexual attractiveness.

9. Athena (Goddess of wisdom)
Athena is the daughter of Zeus and Metis, and thanks to her kind and modest character she was loved by nearly everyone. She was also known for being a peacemaker as well as being watchful, intelligent, and rational.

10. Apollo (God of music)
Apollo is the son of Zeus and Leto, and although he was known as being intellectual and prophetic he is also known as representing the sun (even though he is not originally a sun god).

11. Artemis (Goddess of hunting)
Not only was Artemis considered to be the goddess of hunting, wilderness and wild animals, she was also the goddess of childbirth and was known for protecting young girls before they became old enough to marry. (Similarly Apollon, her twin brother, was known to be the protector of young boys)

12. Hestia (Goddess of home and hearth)
Although Hestia is considered to be the first born of the Olympian gods, she is also often called the last born because legend has it that her father swallowed all of his children and then “regurgitated” them in reverse order. Hestia had originally asked Zeus to be the goddess of the hearth, and was known for keeping Mount Olympus hearth lit at all times.

Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and researcher for College Scholarships, where recently she’s been researching scholarship thank you letters and writing about saving money for college. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

Sink or Swim 6: Meet Death on Delivery’s Hannah Clare

Published on April 26, 2011 in Sink or Swim Reality Show. 4 Comments Tags: , , , .

Today’s contestant on the fictional game show Sink or Swim is Hannah Clare, age 56, from Penn Crossing, PA, a small town a little west of Philadelphia. Hannah Clare is from Anne K. Edwards’ book Death On Delivery.

Here’s a recap of the rules: the three literary characters with the highest number of unique commenters to their post will be chosen as winners at the end of the year. Be sure to leave Hannah your comments to help her advance to the finals.

Here are Hannah Clare’s answers to the Sink or Swim 6.
1. Tell us about the book or series you’re from. My first adventure is in Death On Delivery where I run across a murder-for-hire ring that seeks business through ads for a gift service. It seems a simple enough case until my boss becomes a victim and things get dangerous for me. Death on Delivery is by Anne K. Edwards.

2. What is something about yourself that no one else knows?
I hate housework. It is the most boring job there is. I prefer chasing after criminals to sweeping and dusting. My cooking is horrible. I can burn boiling water.

3. Tell us about an unusual job or hobby that you’ve had.
My unusual job would be catching killers. Take the death of Jania Yewbanks, an apparently healthy woman. Her sister hired me to find out why she died. I take great satisfaction in solving such cases. In this case, I was nearly a victim myself.

4. What is the strangest or most exciting thing that has ever happened to you?
I’d have to say the day my husband let me work him him on a murder case. It was a high I never quite came down from. I still get a real buzz from putting the bad guys away.

5. What would you do if you won a million dollars?
I’d give it to my family and certain charities like The Humane Society since I have more than I need now. Wealth doesn’t buy happiness. If it did, then all the rich people would be satisfied with what they had and not keep seeking more and more.

6. Please tell us briefly about your author and list web sites.
My author, Anne K. Edwards is servant to a bunch of cats. She likes people and enjoys writing in multiple genres such as childrens, futuristic sci-fi, nonfiction and suspense. She reviews books and does some editing. She does enjoy seeing good writers’ succeed. Her website is http://www.annekedwards.com and http://www.voice-in-the-dark.com for ezine. Both are promotion sites for her own work and that of other authors.

For more information on the mock online season of Sink or Swim, inspired by the mystery novel of the same name, you can view the rules and application form here.

My New Coffee Corner, Radio Interview, Chat Night And 99 Cent Kindle Sale

Published on April 19, 2011 in General News. Closed Tags: , , , , , , .

I’ve had a lot happening in cyberspace lately, including a live chat at The Romance Studio this Wednesday, April 20 at 9 pm. EST. This will be my first live chat, so if you’re surfing the Internet on Wednesday night, stop by and say hi! It’s a fun place for fans of romance novels, full of reviews, contests, giveaways and discussions.

I’ve also launched my own Coffee Corner message board on the Coffee Time Romance & More boards. Basically, they gave me my own personal space on their impressive site to have a Stacy Juba message board forum devoted to my books and news as well as to some discussion about good books in general. Anyone is welcome to drop by and check it out or leave comments and questions. First, you’ll need to register with the site. This is a great site for romance authors and readers. If you put me down as the referral person, I’ve been told that extra good things may come my way! You’ll also notice the coffee cup in my left sidebar, another way to access my Coffee Corner space if you don’t get a chance to pay a visit today.

Chat with Stacy in her Coffee Corner group

I was also interviewed this week on the Blog Talk Radio show Writing Strong Women. For 30 minutes, host Sylvia Dickey Smith and I discussed Cassidy Novak from Sink or Swim and Kris Langley from Twenty-Five Years Ago Today and what makes them strong, feisty women. You can listen to the show at any time on the archives.

In case you missed it, I’m hosting a big 99 cent e-book sale extravaganza on my blog – a link is in the right sidebar or you can follow this one. All four of my titles are 99 cents on Kindle, and a few are also on sale on Nook. I’ve also been inviting authors to leave their 99 cent specials in the comments and to date, there are more than 100 blurbs and clickable links listed. All of the sales are guaranteed through at least May 8, though some may go longer. I’ve decided to extend mine through May 30, then my adult books will return to $2.99.

Speaking personally, I can tell you that putting a full-length novel on sale for 99 cents, even temporarily, is a difficult decision! That might be a good price for a short story, but obviously a novel is worth much more than that. After all, you can buy a chocolate bunny for a dollar in the Dollar Store, and if you’re like me, it’ll be gone in two minutes!

Having this sale for my books was a decision that I wrestled with, but the reason authors do it is to reach new readers who are looking to find good books at bargain bin prices. On Amazon, the more customers who buy a book, the more visible it will become on Amazon and therefore this increases the chances that new potential readers will stumble across it.

So that’s why authors offer a novel for 99 cents, as a steppingstone to increased exposure for the long haul. All of the authors who have been adding to this post are working hard to build their readership so please help to support their efforts. Even if you don’t read e-books, sharing the post on Facebook, Twitter or other avenues can get the word out to people who are seeking digital books for their collection.

Happy reading, and to those who celebrate Easter, I hope the Easter Bunny fills your basket (or your e-reader!) with lots of books!

25 Years Ago Today & Giveaway: Book Marketing Guru Lillian Brummet

Published on April 11, 2011 in 25 Years Ago Today. 5 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

Today we have Lillian Brummet joining us with an inspiring story about writing against all odds. Lillian is an award-winning author, book marketing guru, owner of the award winning Brummet’s Conscious Blog, and both the host and executive producer of the Conscious Discussions Talk Radio show. Lillian and her husband Dave are the authors of Purple Snowflake Marketing, a reference guide for self-marketing authors who want to be noticed in a snowstorm of writers. Lillian says that with the proper knowledge, authors can develop the ability to market their books based on their budget limitations and their personal strengths. The appendix section offers more than 900 direct links to places where writers can network or query for promotion opportunities.

Lillian will be giving away a copy of Jump Start for Writers, a 20 page e-book which offers introductory information on how to prepare for a book’s release. Topics include accelerated publicity efforts, working with other writers, time management skills, a list of common new writer questions, and recommended resources. Deadline for the giveaway is April 16 at 11:59 EST. To enter, leave a comment with your email address below. Here is what Lillian was doing 25 years ago:

LILLIAN: At 16, I had already been on my own for three years and was still shaken from the experiences in taking one of my stepfathers to court. I was living with a beautiful and daring boy (think Tom Cruise, but blonde) – my first love. We met in the park where my high school was located through a mutual friend. She saw the sparks and pushed us together, and together we stayed for three tumultuous years. I clung to his love like nothing else – Somebody Loved Me!

Then, one day I just realized this wasn’t a healthy relationship and that the only way to go about this new life was to be alone, with myself, for a while – that “while” ended up being a year. I began to see that there was a way to let go of the pain of my childhood, the shame and self-loathing from the abuse and neglect I experienced.

Self-help books became my life-blood – I read every free book I could find, from private or library shelves, trying to find a way out of the pain and confusion. Just when I began feeling a bit lonely for a relationship, Dave came into my life – he was the drummer for a house-band at night and a supervisor of a warehouse at night, while I was juggling school and work – so the first couple years of our dating was kind of like high-fiving at the door. (She laughs)

Today I have the honor of living a life that makes a difference – that helps accelerate this conscious living movement we are seeing grow and spread across the planet. The joy this brings me is indescribable – but when my feet hit the floor in the morning, I’m eager to head to my office.

Thank you for joining us, Lillian! For more information on Lillian, visit her web site: www.brummet.ca or drop by her daily blog: http://www.consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com. There you can learn about titles including Purple Snowflake Marketing – How to Make Your Book Stand Out In A Crowd; Trash Talk, where readers will learn how they can impact the planet; and Towards Understanding, a collection of 120 poems on society, the environment and overcoming trauma. You can also purchase the books at her store.

Writers, remember to leave a comment and your email address to enter for the ebook copy of Jump Start for Writers.

Spring E-Book Sale! 99 Cent Kindle, Nook & More

Published on April 6, 2011 in General News. 106 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

In celebration of spring and to get the word out about my books, I’m having a 99 cent Kindle sale for ALL FOUR of my Kindle titles! I’m also inviting other authors to post their 99 cent Kindle, Nook or Smashwords sales (or free downloads) in the comments – authors, please carefully read the instructions at the bottom of this post. Readers, be sure to check the comments of this post frequently for more 99 cent bargains and free ebooks as they may be added throughout the month. You’ll be able to easily access it from my right sidebar.

As for my books, I have two new children’s picture books on Kindle for 99 cents. While exploring Amazon customer forums, I noticed that there seems to be many parents who are seeking Kindle titles for their younger children – inexpensive titles (cheaper than a physical book) to share with their child at bedtime. To help fill this niche, I decided to put my two picture books, The Flag Keeper and Victoria Rose and the Big Bad Noise, into multiple ebook formats. My adult mystery/romantic suspense novels Twenty-Five Years Ago Today and Sink or Swim are also on sale this month for 99 cents on Kindle. Each of these four Kindle editions contains bonus content such as excerpts, interviews and essays. All of the books except Victoria Rose are also available in gift quality paperback. You can visit the Store for links to discounted paperbacks and more bargain ebook editions.

Here are my 99 cent Kindle titles, with a few Nook sales included also, and don’t forget to subscribe to the comments or check back in during the month for more 99 cent bargains and free books.

The Flag Keeper - Available in paperback and multiple e-book editions. Elizabeth may be a little bear, but she treats the American flag with big respect. After Dad leaves for a trip, Elizabeth pledges to raise the flag all by herself and create her own Independence Day. This illustrated picture book teaches children about U.S. flag etiquette through a fiction story, flag facts, activity idea, and discussion questions. Also 99 cents
on Nook, the Apple store and Smashwords.

Victoria Rose and the Big Bad Noise – This illustrated picture book is exclusively available in multiple 99 cent e-book formats including Nook, the Apple store, and on Smashwords. Victoria loves her home and family, but boy does she hate the noises that invade her daily life. Her imagination transforms the blender into a growling bear, the vacuum cleaner into a lion and the lawnmower into a spaceship filled with monsters. With the help of a CD player, she decides that maybe a nasty noise like the blender is just music that doesn’t know how to sing.

Twenty-Five Years Ago Today – Kris Langley has always been obsessed with murder. She blames herself for the violent death of her cousin when they were kids and has let guilt invade every corner of her existence. Now an editorial assistant and obit writer for a Massachusetts newspaper, Kris stumbles across an unsolved murder while compiling “25 Years Ago Today” items from the microfilm. She grows fascinated with the case of a young cocktail waitress who was bludgeoned to death and dumped in the woods. Determined to solve the case and atone for the death of her cousin, Kris immerses herself in the mystery of what happened to Diana Ferguson, a talented artist who expressed herself through haunting paintings of Greek mythology. Not only does Kris face resistance from her family and her managing editor, she also clashes with Diana’s suspicious nephew, Eric Soares – until neither she nor Eric can deny the chemistry flaring between them. Kris soon learns that old news never leaves the morgue and that yesterday’s headline is tomorrow’s danger, for finding out the truth about that night twenty-five years ago may shatter Kris’s present, costing her love, her career, and ultimately, her life.

Sink or Swim – Ambitious personal trainer Cassidy Novak has gained national fame for starring on Sink or Swim, nicknamed SOS, a hit reality game show set aboard a Tall Ship. She hopes the prize money will help to launch her dream of owning a chain of fitness centers. Not only does she lose the competition and have to walk the plank in the finale, after the game show ends, the terror begins. Upon returning to her small Massachusetts hometown, Cassidy discovers she has attracted a stalker masterminding his own twisted game. She struggles to focus on her health club job and celebrity endorsement opportunities, but her stalker has other plans. As her former competitors get knocked off one-by-one, Cassidy refuses to play by his bizarre rules. She’s also being shadowed by hunky photographer Zach Gallagher, who has been assigned to capture her personal moments for a spread in the local newspaper. She wants to trust Zach, but fears he may not be the nice guy that he seems. With or without Zach’s help, when the stalker forces a showdown by threatening her family, Cassidy must once again walk the plank – this time for her life. Also on sale for 99 cents on Nook.

I also have three free books for you to download - the First Annual BestsellerBound.com Sample Anthologies, put together by author Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick. This consists of three separate volumes of sample chapters from books written by various author-members of BestsellerBound. You’ll find a wide variety of writing styles and genres to sample. You can download all three volumes and hopefully find new authors whose work you just have to read. You can find various options for downloading them on the Quiet Fury Books web site.

Authors, if you have a 99 cent sale on Kindle, Nook or Smashwords, (or a free download somewhere) I’d love to have you list it in the comments. Here’s how:
1. Your sale must last through at least May 8 as I will be featuring this post in my sidebar until after the Spring Blog Carnival Giveaway Blog Hop which ends on the 8th.
2. Please leave a one paragraph description and no more than two links in your comment.
3. You can leave multiple books, but my spam filter only allows two links per comment so please leave additional comments if necessary. If you have several titles and formats on sale, it may be easier to steer visitors toward your web site or Amazon author page rather than to individual retail links.
4. Please use the Share icons for Facebook and Twitter if you leave a link to help spread the word to readers about this post.

How To Become A Personal Trainer

Published on April 4, 2011 in Something in Common. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Since the main character of my mystery-suspense novel Sink or Swim, Cassidy Novak, is a personal trainer and my college major was exercise physiology, I was thrilled to be able to publish the below original article. If you’re thinking about becoming a personal trainer, or are considering visiting one and want to know more about what they do, then you won’t want to miss this informative post!

Despite the current state of the economy, personal trainers are very high in demand because more and more people, (specifically the baby boomer population) are looking for new ways to live a healthier and ultimately more fulfilling lifestyle. The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that there will be a 50% growth rate in the personal training industry over the next ten years.

Personal trainers are responsible for studying a client’s individual lifestyle habits, and must advise their clients on how to eat properly, how to use gym equipment properly and efficiently, or how to rehabilitate an injury. Some personal trainers may even have to design a specialized exercise program for a client which touches on nutrition, cardiovascular training, and weight training.

But essentially the ultimate role of a personal trainer is to help a client achieve his or her goals. Some clients may need to rehabilitate an injury or will be looking for new ways to add more nutrition to their diet, while other clients may simply want to lose weight or build their body mass.

Credentials & training
Unless you have the proper credentials, it can be extremely difficult to get hired as a personal trainer. There are various ways in which one could become an accredited personal trainer, but most employers require that you have some form of certificate or training in CPR and First Aid, as well as a high school diploma. If you’re interested in becoming properly certified as a personal trainer, however, there are programs available which offer certifications to become a Certified Athletic Trainer, a Group Fitness Instructor, or a Certified Health Education Specialist.

The American Council on Exercise and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) may be the best options in terms of credentials, but it may be a good idea to research into other organizations that offer personal trainer exams, workshops and classes in your area, (just make sure they are nationally recognized and properly accredited). Some companies may even offer training or classes in the hopes of hiring personal trainers for their business, so try contacting any clubs or gyms in your area.

Salary information
The average salary for a personal trainer varies greatly depending on the type and size of organization you work for. Personal trainers who work for gyms or franchises tend to make more than personal trainers who work for non-profit organizations, while personal trainers who work for school districts make the most amount of money, and personal trainers who are self-employed make the least amount of money. Personal trainers with one to four years of experience could make $20,446 to $35,811 a year while personal trainers with 20 years or more experience could make anywhere from $24,585 to $32,556 a year.

There is also the option for starting your own business as a personal trainer, however this can be quite expensive as you will need the funds to purchase any gym equipment if you plan on training your clients indoors.

Lisa Shoreland is currently a resident blogger at Go College, where recently she’s been researching physical therapy scholarships as well as the ins and outs of attending vocational schools. In her spare time, she enjoys creative writing, taking weekend trips, and practicing martial arts.

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