‘TIS THE SEASON: Gifts for Readers and Writers
December 15, 2021 by Rebecca Forster in category The Write Life by Rebecca Forster, Writing tagged as #amreading, #amwriting, #Holiday, #HolidayHomeRun, gifts
I adore the holidays. Trees. Decorations. Carols. Searching for the perfect gifts. Okay, maybe I’m not so crazy about the last one. Finding the perfect gift can be crazy-making—until now. Here are a few of my favorite out-of-the-ordinary ideas that will please the readers and writers in your life.
THE ASPIRING WRITER
What better way to say “I believe in your dream” than a gift certificate for a writing class or conference, or a no-cost-to-you offer to read their manuscript for typos?
THE SUPER FAN
Scan the cover of their favorite book, photoshop them into it, print, and frame. (Make sure this is personal use only because covers are copyrighted). How about genre bling? I give thriller-loving fans and friends a Morse Code bead bracelet that spells out Partners in Crime.
THE TRAVEL-READING-WRITING FANATIC
If money’s no object, send your reader/writer to a favorite literary destination. Include a map with places mentioned in the book and marked them with a big heart. You will be the best Santa ever.
THE BEST GIFT OF ALL
Contact your reader/writer’s favorite author for a signed copy of a book, request a personalized Christmas card, or invite the author to have a cup of coffee with their fan if the author is local. (If you’re asking for a book or coffee make sure you offer to pay). They can only say no, and if they say yes you will have hit the gift ball out of the park.
So ’tis the season to think outside the box because there’s nothing a reader/writer loves more than a happy ending.
Happy Virtual Holiday! by Carol L. Wright
December 13, 2021 by Bethlehem Writers Group in category Writing
Each year, until 2020, our writers’ group has enjoyed getting together toward the end of every year to simply enjoy food, games, and each other’s company. But of course, that hasn’t been possible during the pandemic. What’s more, several of our members have moved to be closer to family in other parts of the country since Covid-19 made it harder to travel.
Fortunately, technology has allowed our group to continue to hold our regular meetings virtually. There’s very little we cannot do on Zoom that we could do in person. We still read each other’s work and offer critiques. We still root for each other as we submit our work. We still plan group projects and publish our quarterly literary journal, Bethlehem Writers Roundtable. We still run our annual Short Story Award competition. (In fact, our 2022 contest opens on January 1 with the theme “An Element of Mystery.” Get your stories of 2000 words or fewer ready to win cash and publication.)
But these are all things we can do from our separate locations without having to be face-to-face. Can we really have a fun holiday party that way? How would we play games? How could we exchange gifts?
There’s a reason holiday parties are so popular. Neighbors, businesses, and yes, writers’ groups have them for much the same reasons. They are a way of marking the progress of time. Another year has passed, and we can take a moment to sit back and relax, socialize, and reflect on all we have accomplished over the past twelve months. Friendship, loyalty, and trust are important for productive and fruitful relationships, and each is enhanced by having social relationships—not just work relationships. We rejoice with each other when things go well, help each other where we can, and care for each other during the tougher days when just being there is all we can do.
So, this year, we’re going to have our holiday party again—despite being spread over eight states and four time zones. How? you ask. Well, we’ve figured out a way.
We will meet on Zoom, but each wear our party clothes—or ugly sweaters—and instead of bringing food to share, we’ll bring snacks to enjoy.
We have traditionally had a game or two at our parties. One has usually been a trivia game, but that’s hard in a virtual setting. Fortunately, I found a PowerPoint or Google Slides template for a Jeopardy-style game at: https://www.slidescarnival.com/jeopardy-free-presentation-template/11277. You can easily create the categories that are right for your group. A reading group might want questions about literature—or even the books read over the previous year. A writers’ group might have columns such as Grammar Goofs or Copyeditor’s Marks. A knitters’ group could include Tell Me a Yarn. (Actually, a storytellers’ group could do that, too.) For a group with members who observe many different holidays this time of year, there can be a category for each one. All the emcee needs to do is run an internet search for trivia about needlework or grammar or Shakespeare or Kwanzaa and write the questions. Then, with a shared screen, everyone should have a chance to play along. No buzzers—especially for a large group, but each person who comes up with the right “question” can credit themselves with the appropriate number of points. Then whoever amasses the most points can win the honor of going first in the gift exchange. (Here’s where that mutual trust thing kicks in.)
The most problematic aspect of a virtual party, of course is a long-distance gift exchange. In other years we did a round-robin exchange where each memer drew a number from a hat. The one with #1 selects a gift from the pile and opens it. Then #2 goes next and has the option of taking the gift #1 opened or opening a new one. If #2 takes the first gift, #1 gets to open a new gift. Then #3 can steal either of the opened gifts or unwrap one that is still in the pile. And so on. Then, after everyone has a gift, #1 has a last chance to swap with anyone they choose. It’s nice being #1.
Well, with no central location, no pile of gifts, this year we’re not only randomly handing out numbers, each gift is assigned a letter. This year, we lowered the total value of the gifts for the exchange to allow us to ship items to each other without it all costing more than previous years.
Our party is tomorrow, and we hope it will be a worthy substitute for our prior celebrations—just as we hope, whether you’re able to come together in person or just virtually with your friends, colleagues, and family, that you and yours have a festive and healthy holiday season and a productive and happy new year.
Carol L. Wright escaped a career in law and academia for one in writing. She loves creating her Gracie McIntyre mysteries where, unlike in life, justice always prevails. The first in the series, DEATH IN GLENVILLE FALLS, was a finalist for both a 2018 Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award and a 2018 Next Generation Indie Book Award. She also writes short stories in many genres that have been published in a variety of literary journals and award-winning anthologies. She has compiled some of her favorites in A CHRISTMAS ON NANTUCKET and other stories, published in 2019. To find out more , visit her website at: http://CarolLWright.com.
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Step Back in Time Podcast with The Lost Girl in Paris by Jina Bacarr
December 11, 2021 by Jina Bacarr in category Jina’s Book Chat, WritingMadame de Cadieux has stepped back in time!
THE LOST GIRL IN PARIS is now available across all platforms.
Available in e-book, print and audio
The Lost Girl in Paris universal link: https://books2read.com/u/3LyrdN
It’s the story of woman who survived both Auschwitz and Dachau, but never spoke about it until she meets a young reporter named Emma Keane who touches a nerve in her that now is the time to speak about those times. Her memories are as vivid to this eighty-year-old as if she were the seventeen-year-old girl who ran away to Paris to become a parfumier after losing her mother to the Nazi war machine.
I was privileged to be on a panel with Boldwood BHooks authors Lizzie Lane and Rosie Clarke — we talk about all things historical!
I wrote THE LOST GIRL IN PARIS to pay tribute to the strong women who survived the Holocaust and willingly shared their stories with us. The horror of Nazi brutality, the loss of family, their dignity… but also about their strength just to ‘survive another day’. And the strong bonds with their sisters-in-arms they formed with fellow prisoners. How they learned to trust each other and stood up against the enemy to save each other.
We must never forget.
——————-
Here is a short excerpt from THE LOST GIRL IN PARIS:
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Into the Lair of Paranormal Author, Lisa Kessler
December 2, 2021 by Jann Ryan in category Writing tagged as Paranormal Romance
Lisa Kessler is a Best Selling author of passionate, page-turning paranormal fiction. She’s a two-time San Diego Book Award winner for Best Published Fantasy-Sci-fi-Horror and Best Published Romance. Her books have also won the PRISM award, the Award of Excellence, the National Excellence in Romantic Fiction Award, the Award of Merit from the Holt Medallion, and an International Digital Award for Best Paranormal.
Her short stories have been published in print anthologies and magazines, and her vampire story, Immortal Beloved, was a finalist for a Bram Stoker award.
When she’s not writing, Lisa is a professional vocalist, and has performed with San Diego Opera as well as other musical theater companies in San Diego.
You can learn more at http://Lisa-Kessler.com
Were here today with the fabulous, multi-talented author Lisa Kessler. Her award winning paranormal books have received wonderful reviews and are highly recommended by her readers. Let’s get a look into her lair!!
Jann: When did you decide to be a writer? Why paranormal romance?
Lisa: Music was my first love. I actually performed in operas and musicals and had a few callbacks to sing Disney voices, but I always wrote every night just for fun. During a trip to New Orleans for work, I got a palm reading and at the end, she asked me if I was a writer. I was quick to say no, but then I added that I did enjoy writing, but it was just for fun.
She smiled and told me I was going to be a famous writer someday. I was boggled to say the least, but I also couldn’t stop thinking about it and wondered if I really could write a book… Six months later my first draft of Night Walker was finished! She changed my life that day!
I’ve always written paranormal and horror because those are the genres I love to read.
Jann: A Winters Wish, your holiday fantasy romance novella made its debut in November as a part of the Tinsel, Wings and Fur: A Fae Worlds Holiday Storybook, with authors Linda Thomas-Sundstrom and PJ Mellor and now it’s a solo release with a never-before published epilogue. How did the anthology come about?
Lisa: My friend, Linda Thomas-Sundstrom invited me to be a part of the fae holiday anthology and I was eager to get back into my Summerland Stories so I was happy to team up with Linda and PJ.
Jann: Which character did you develop first in A Winters Wish—Darren Slater or Abriette? Tell us about their story and how they get their HEA?
Lisa: Abriette was first. My previous Summerland Stories novellas featured fae princesses and this time I wanted a warrior. So Abriette is a warrior elf for the Winter Realm. Since it was happening at Christmastime, I figured an elf that crossed the veil would be assumed to be one of Santa’s Elves.
That led me to Darren, a down and out songwriter in Los Angeles. He doesn’t have enough money to make his rent and he’s forced to make some extra money by being a mall Santa.
Seeing him fall for a real elf was magical, and I hope their story brings a little magic into the reader’s holiday season too.
Jann: Your Sedona Pack series is fabulous!! Book 8 in the series, Sedona Sanctuary, came out in October of this year. You write such amazing characters. What major conflicts do you have your leading characters, Miller Sloan and Rayne Lowry work through?
Lisa: Thanks so much! The Sedona Pack series evolved in an unexpected direction. Sedona Sanctuary hadn’t been on the series list, and I hadn’t been planning to give Miller Sloan a book! Book 8 was going to be Sedona Sentinel (Deacon’s book) but in Book 5 (Sedona Sacrifice) Miller Sloan was a side character and during one scene his backstory started to unfold. I realized this retired general had a story to tell. So suddenly I was writing my first silver fox werewolf!
Miller had to work through a lot of self-loathing for his past decisions and his road to redemption was rocky, plus I paired him up with a more free-spirited, newly retired FBI profiler made for lots of sparks and tension. Sedona Sanctuary was really a pleasure to write. I loved giving an older, battered hero a happily ever after!
Jann: How many books do you have planned for the Sedona Pack series?
Lisa: There will be 9 books. I’m working on the final installment, Sedona Salvation, right now. It’ll wrap up the series when it debuts in February 2022.
Jann: Do you find yourself returning to certain themes in your stories? What? Why?
Lisa: Most of my series involve “found family”. Characters who have been loners or lost or abandoned find a circle of friends who become family. I’m pretty sure I can trace that back to being an “only child”. We lived in the country too, so no playing on a cul-de-sac with friends for me. I spent lots of time playing make-believe all alone and I often imagined being from a large family that would have my back no matter what. I find many of my books carry that theme. Belonging, being loved, and even when they disagree, there’s always someone ready to stand at your side no matter what.
Jann: When did you develop an interest in tarot and oracle cards? I understand that you do readings.
Lisa: I’ve been interested I them since I was a teen, but I didn’t really connect with reading them until about 15 years ago. I’ve been reading tarot professionally for about 8 years. It’s a huge passion for me!
Jann: I see you have an upcoming Tarot for Writers online class available next year. What can you tell us about the class?
Lisa: It’s a four-week online class through zoom on Tuesday nights. I take everyone through all 78 cards with a focus on ways each card could impact characters and scenes. At the end, I share some different card spreads for character building and scenes. The cards work for both plotters and pantsers and you don’t have to know anything about tarot either. It’s very interactive, and inspiring for creative ideas. I love working with writers to teach them to use tarot cards to help them connect with their writer intuition. It brings my two passions together! 😊
You can find out more on my website: http://www.authorlisakessler.com/online-classes-book-coaching/
Jann: Are you still doing your Book Lights podcasts?
Lisa: Yes! Book Lights is live on Mondays at 1pm eastern/10am pacific every week. I get to chat with writers from all genres and backgrounds. You can find the podcast under the Readers Entertainment Radio umbrella on all podcasting sites.
Jann: You’re a professional vocalist. Are you still performing?
Lisa: I am! I actually recorded two audio CDs before I ever got my first book published! I gave up being in operas and musicals once I started signing book contracts. The rehearsal time took too many hours away from writing, but I still had my church job singing every week until the COVID lock down. Since then, things have been virtual, so I haven’t performed live since March of 2020.
Jann: Do you have a website, blog, twitter where fans might read more about you and your books?
Yes! I’m just about everywhere and I love to talk books!
Website – http://Lisa-Kessler.com
Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Lisa-Kessler/e/B003V5RYVO/
Facebook – http://facebook.com/LisaKesslerWriter
Twitter – http://twitter.com/LdyDisney
TikTok – https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPd2F3oLk/
Goodreads – http://goodreads.com/LisaKessler
Instagram – http://instagram.com/LdyDisney
Pinterest – http://pinterest.com/LdyDisney
Author Newsletter – https://goo.gl/56lDla
Follow Me on BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lisa-kessler
Facebook Reader Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/LisaKesslerNightAngels
Jann: What’s your favorite movie?
Lisa: Rocky! It was the first movie I ever saw that the hero didn’t win the battle/fight and it didn’t matter. Going the distance, getting up after being knocked down, that was the message, and I was hooked. Life didn’t have to be a competition. It was the journey. It takes heart and lots of it.
I have a signed movie poster of Rocky in my writing space. The tagline: His whole life was a million-to-one shot… has always reflected how I felt about my writing career. I’m so lucky and so blessed to get to share stories with readers from all over the world. I haven’t hit a list…yet, but someday? I’m definitely going the distance! Okay I promise no more lines from Rocky… for now!
Lisa, thank you for sharing with us a bit of your world. Wishing you the best for this holiday season!!
1 0 Read moreGive Writers a Gift They’ll Love by Kitty Bucholtz
November 16, 2021 by Kitty Bucholtz in category It's Worth It by Kitty Bucholtz, Writing tagged as gifts, gifts for writers, It's Worth It, Kitty Bucholtz, online writing class, writing coachIf there’s one thing I love to hear, it’s someone telling me that they’re a writer. I immediately go into instant-friend mode and ask them about what they’re writing. It may not be something I’m interested in, but nonetheless we have a connection.
And if there’s one thing I love even more, it’s someone telling me that they just published their book. Traditional or indie publishing, I’m thrilled for them. I know the feeling of accomplishment and nerves coming together to form a potent cocktail!
That’s why I became a writing coach. To help people get through the valleys of self-doubt and procrastination, over the mountains of rewriting and learning new things, into the bright land of accomplishment – now they have finished their book.
While I like the idea of a Black Friday sale, and have done my share of shopping that day over the years, I don’t like the feeling of the pressure to BUY NOW. So I’m offering a special from now through the end of 2021 – a full seven weeks to decide and act. If you or a friend has a book they’re stuck on, or someone you know has always wanted to write a book but only has false starts so far, how about the gift of a book coach this year?
My rates will go up in January, but for the rest of this year I’m actually going to discount my rate. My most popular six-month Finish Your Book 1:1 Coaching package includes a live-on-Zoom recorded 60-minute call twice a month, helping the writer through the plotting or the writers block or the brainstorming – whatever the writer needs that week, plus feedback on 20 manuscript pages of work each month, and membership in our twice weekly writing sprint group. Normally $2750, and increasing to $3000 in January, this package is $2500 when paid in full by December 31 (or six monthly payments of $500).
I know that the cost is only half of the question we ask ourselves when deciding whether to do something – the other half of the “should I” question is time. To help you feel more comfortable that your friend will actually use this gift, I’m giving the recipient a full year to begin their six-month coaching program. We can book our first session together anytime between now and December 31, 2022.
There are only two things that I have to limit – I have a limited number of spots open since this is one-on-one time together, not group coaching, and it’s best that I meet with people first to make sure we have a connection and they’re writing something I can help them with.
If you’d like to talk to me about a friend you’d like to gift this to, or if you’d like to send your friend to me directly, you can book a 30-minute call with me here on my scheduler. (If the times look a little weird to you, I live in Sweden now, so I’m 6 hours ahead of Eastern time, 9 hours ahead of Pacific time.)
Remember, if you or your friends don’t need a writing coach, there are plenty of other things you might want to ask for or give to the writers in your life this year! There’s the MasterClass group of courses, wonderful for inspiration and tips from the writers there, but also fantastic for research for your next protagonist. They also have a 2-for-1 membership special as of the day this posts.
Bryan Cohen has a Kickstarter for his new book Self-Publishing with Amazon Ads through December 3, which includes lots of rewards at higher levels.
Mark Dawson has lots of video-based courses on his Self Publishing Formula website on writing craft, production, and marketing.
And then there’s the gift of time. Give your writer friend an hour of time every month to encourage or help them. Get a group of friends together for weekly writing sprints, or join my Finish Your Book Membership Group and join us twice a week (email me for details — kitty at kittybucholtz dot com).
Ask for a two-hour monthly or weekly block from your family and keep it like a doctor’s appointment, no rescheduling, no interruptions. Maybe even give that two-hour block back to them to do something they’ve been wanting to do more of (golfing, hiking, playing a video game together). You can even send the link to this post to people who are wondering what they can give you this year. 😉
Do you have other favorite gift ideas for writers? Share them in the comments!
Whatever you decide to do, for yourself or for a friend, I hope it leads to the joy of creation and, eventually, the even greater joy of having a(nother) published book. Happy Writing!
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