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One day early, but it’s time for another edition of The Insecure Writer’s Support Group, founded by Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh.

In terms of your writing career, where do you see yourself five years from now, and what’s your plan to get there?

Five years from now, I intend to be 100% free from my other commitments so I can focus again on my own writing. I have a lot more I juggle outside of Dancing Lemur Press and I intend to eliminate all of it so I can just publish and write. Speaking, formatting, etc., it’s all fun, but I’m aiming for a time when I can focus on my two greatest passions - writing and publishing.

Because, I want more days like today - double release day!

The George Washington Chronicles
Edited by Jen Clymer
$7.95 USA, 6x9 Trade paperback, 110 pages, Middle Grade
Print ISBN 9781939844316
EBook ISBN 9781939844323
$2.99 EBook available in all formats


Purchase Links:
EBooks - Amazon / B&N /iTunes / Kobo
Print - Amazon / B&N /Dancing Lemur Press


CassaDawn
By Alex J. Cavanaugh
eBook ISBN 9781939844354 $0.99
Science Fiction-Space Opera/Adventure/Military


Purchase links: Amazon / B&N /iTunes / Kobo / Amazon UK



What are your five year plans?


On Wednesday, visit the The Insecure Writer’s Support Group site for your chance to win a copy of The Independent Author's Guide to Audiobook Production by Michael Burnette, narrator for all of Alex J. Cavanaugh’s books.

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I am so excited to announce this book!

This has been a special project for the past three years, involving local students and one dynamic teacher.

I offer characterization sessions and have visited numerous schools, walking students through the process of building a character.

A couple years ago, I partnered with a local teacher and we came up with an incredible opportunity for the students - inclusion in a published anthology. The kids responded with some amazing stories and the best ones were selected for Snapping Turtle Tales. The following year, we produced Snapping Turtle Tales Vol. II.

This year, it’s a new school, and a brand new anthology of middle grade stories written by kids for kids! And I am so proud of what they created. This is a great book for kids - those who love to read and those who love to write.

Starfish Tales
Vol. I
Edited by Michelle Rutledge

$7.95 USA, 6x9 Trade paperback, 94 pages
Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.
Print ISBN 9781939844330
EBook ISBN 9781939844347
$2.99 EBook available in all formats

Prepare for an ocean of tales!

Imagination comes alive in this collection of stories. From the struggles of everyday life to the far reaches of outer space, these tales are sure to delight.

So come aboard and share the adventure!

Purchase Links:
Ebook- Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iTunes / Kobo
Print- Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Dancing Lemur Press

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It’s time for another edition of The Insecure Writer’s Support Group, founded by Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh.


What goes into producing a book?

Recently I saw a self-published author, Sandra Almazan, post a list of what it takes for her to produce a book. You can read it HERE.

Now as a publisher, I’d like to add a few more layers to that list. At least twenty. Maybe more.

Can you make it as a self-published author? Yes. It’s just you, though. No, you won’t make a fortune. You’ll work your ass off. But everything you make will be yours.

What more could a publisher offer? Got an hour or so?

Formatting - professional, print and eBook, bar code, ISBN, CIP block
Cover art - professional, marketable
Professional editing
Review copies - both print and eBook; to pre-publication reviewers, periodicals, book bloggers, authors for blurbs, media, etc.
Marketing - large database, connections, experience, giveaways, funds, etc.
Extra - audio books, merchandise, foreign rights, etc.
All of the above - paid, researched, contacted, created, and risked by publisher

It’s a huge task.

But my team and I do it every day. I suppose it's now my favorite thing about writing. Because the results are amazing:



Release date - November 1, 2016
$18.95 USA, 6x9 trade paperback, 312 pages
Thriller/Psychological (FIC031080) and Mystery (FIC022020)
Print ISBN 9781939844231, eBook ISBN 9781939844248
$4.99 eBook available in all formats

Joylene, Métis, is the author of Dead Witness, Broken But Not Dead, and Break Time. She and her husband and their two cats reside in Canada for the summers and Nayarit for the winters. They believe life should be an adventure.


Follow her blog tour for reviews, excerpts, interviews, guest posts, and your chance to win a copy of Mâtowak: Woman Who Cries.

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Release date - November 1, 2016 from Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.
$18.95 USA, 6x9 trade paperback, 312 pages
Thriller/Psychological (FIC031080) and Mystery (FIC022020)
Print ISBN 9781939844231, eBook ISBN 9781939844248
$4.99 eBook available in all formats

Joylene, Métis, is the author of Dead Witness, Broken But Not Dead, and Break Time. She and her husband and their two cats reside in Canada for the summers and Nayarit for the winters. They believe life should be an adventure.

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Yes, I’m posting five times this month! It’s been a busy month with lots of book releases. Today I welcome the wit and wisdom of Roland Yeomans.

   Don’t Buy My Book? Am I kidding? All Indie Authors want their books bought, right?
   Yet, I bet you’ve often felt as I have: like the first slice of bread in the loaf; everyone touches you, but no one wants you.

  Rejected, Abandoned, Unwanted.
   It is a congested marketplace out there and only getting more crowded each month. In a crowded market, Brand stands out where individual titles may not.
   We need to build our books around a Brand:
   (Our style of spinning a story, the unique twist we give to each book that tells readers: “Oh, this is a Yeomans kind of Story: the zinging dialogue, the unpredictability of the plot, the epic scale to the action.)
   Know what 3 words are on the office wall facing the writers of the TV show, The Flash?
   HEART, HUMOR, ACTION.

So Don’t Buy My Book; Buy My Brand.
   What is my Brand?

A dichotomy of images –
   an Old West Texas Ranger fighting Sidhe in England and Dragons over the Eiffel Tower:

Inserting Fantastical Elements in historical tales –
   Warring Vampire Kingdoms interrupting the maiden voyage of the first Air/Steamship.

Startling Versions of Legendary People –
   11 year old Nicola Tesla; an insane Abraham Lincoln, white supremacist; a vampire, two-faced Benjamin Franklin; a mysterious Greek physician who turns out to be an immortal Saint Luke; and a mischievous young Mark Twain making passes at every pretty lady he meets – even unknowingly to a famous lesbian!

Reader Discussion Sections in the back of the Books –
   There are book clubs still out there and Goodreads as well. Why not encourage discussion of our books to spark further sales?

Distinct Twist to A Genre –
   It takes at least 3 books to gain traction to your Brand. I stumbled into Steampunk with my 1895 Egyptian Historical Fantasies (DEATH IN THE HOUSE OF LIFE & THE STARS BLEED AT MIDNIGHT).
   I purposely twisted the Steampunk genre with THE NOT-SO-INNOCENTS ABROAD and now with

Excerpt:
Chapter 20: RED WEDDING
   “I hate violence as only a man who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity.”- Samuel McCord
   The darkness beckoned. I stiffened. Children laughing. There were children down below. I went cold, my face turning to flint.
   Baptiste smiled like a mortician reading of a coming plague. “All know how the safety of children is paramount to The McCord.”
   Lucanus growled, “Sometimes when you stack the deck, werewolf, the cards do not play as you expect.”
   Baptiste laughed, “See? I go down the stairs before you to light the way.”
   He stepped down into the opening. I heard the striking of flint against stone. Then, the flickering light of a torch descended before us. I dropped the Whisper of the Winds I usually wore to conceal my Orenda and followed him.
   Meilori, my wife, whispered behind me, “Showing off is the fool’s idea of glory.”
   Ralph Waldo Emerson sighed further back, “To know and not to do is not to know at all.”
   Sammy grumbled up closer to me, “Thank you so much for sharing that round-robin with us, poet.”
   Nicola said, “Don’t worry, Mr. Clemens. We shall do the best we can with this situation. And if we are doing the best we can, worrying will not make it any better, will it?”
   Emerson said, “Why those could have been my words, lad.”
   Horace Greely snorted, “Do not worry, sir. In the fortnight, you will quote them as if they were. And cad that I am, I will print them.”
   High Fae Queen Oyggia said, “Mortals plan, the Universe laughs, and the survivors weep.”
   Benjamin Franklin sniped as we descended into near darkness. “Madame, remind me again who is wearing the Collar of Restraint from Elohim?”
   Nicola bent to pet his cat, Macak. “Do not growl so. You will not have to defend me. The good captain has things in hand.”
   General Sherman growled, “Oh, if my Colt had not been taken by that infernal Ningyo bodyguard, Ice.” Lincoln said, “A fact of which I am glad. Death by ricochet would just add insult to a mortal wound.”
   And with that bit of whimsy, all of us found ourselves in a huge chamber whose walls fluttered with scarlet silk hangings. Torches were but few that lined the walls. I could but barely make out robed shapes milling about. I flicked my eyes up. Small balconies with dark-faced archers, arrows notched and ready. I scowled. It was what generals called a “Kill Box.” Sherman’s beady eyes seemed just as pleased as I felt … which meant not at all.
   Baptiste called out to me from the far corner. “They who walk the night are not all men. Ka nama kaa lajerama!”
   Sammy snorted, “And a Gesundheit to you, too.”

What are you waiting for? Buy My Book! I know what the name of my tour is. But I changed my mind. I am a man, after all!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
   Roland Yeomans was born in Detroit, Michigan. But his last memories of that city are hub-caps and kneecaps since, at the age of seven, he followed the free food when his parents moved to Lafayette, Louisiana. The hitch-hiking after their speeding car from state to state was a real adventure. Once in Louisiana, Roland learned strange new ways of pronouncing David and Richard when they were last names. And it was not a pleasant sight when he pronounced Comeaux for the first time.
   He has a Bachelor’s degree in English Education and a Master’s degree in Psychology. He has been a teacher, counselor, book store owner, and even a pirate since he once worked at a tax preparation firm.
   So far he has written thirty-four books. You can find Roland at his web page or at his private table in Meilori’s. The web page is safer to visit. But if you insist on visiting Meilori’s, bring a friend who runs slower than you.

   Find The Not-So-Innocents at Large at Amazon in ebook and print. You can view all of Roland’s books on his Amazon Author Page.

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I’m participating in Chrys Fey’s If I Were a Mobster Blogfest. This is in celebration of her latest release, 30 Seconds Before: Prequel to 30 Seconds.

She offered a mobster profile to fill out and I decided to go back to my German roots, plus the time I lived in New Mexico.


My Mobster Name: Delmi Wittmeyer (That is my real maiden name. The Wittmeyers were kicked out of Germany in the 19th century. I’ve never heard why, but I can pretend we were involved in illegal dealings.)

Crime Zone: Alamogordo, NM (That city has a large population of Germans. Plus I lived in Albuquerque four years before moving to NC.)

My Look/Disguise: I have long dark hair, I’m pale and thin, and possess a beauty to die for. Disguise? No way! I’m flaunting my stuff.

Weapon of Choice: A German Pistole 8 handgun

Mobster Vehicle: Porsche 911 GTZ RS - black

What I’m Known For: Drug and booze trafficking - between the Indians, the Hispanics, and the Caucasian population, I have it made! No one delivers the goods like I do.

My Catch Phrase: “Bitteschon!” (Means “You’re welcome” in German. I say it often and always after killing someone. Those pathetic worm of a human beings should thank me!)

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The manchineel (Hippomane mancinella) is native to Florida, the Bahamas, the Caribbean, and Central America. The name comes from the Spanish word manzanilla which means, little apple, because the fruit and leaves resemble the apple tree and is has such a lovely, sweet, fruity smell.

But don’t be fooled.

The little death apple, or Columbus death apple -- because he recorded the first encounter with it when some of his men died after eating it -- is one of the most poisonous and deadly plants in the world. Every part of the tree is toxic. Rain water dripping off the leaves can cause blistering of the skin. The milky sap can cause permanent blindness if it makes contact with the eyes. Even smoke from burning the tree can cause blindness and respiratory problems.

The fierce Carib Indians were known to poison the water supply of their enemies with the leaves and for tying captives to a tree, ensuring a slow, painful death. They also used the milky sap to poison arrows and it was from one such arrow that the Spanish explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon, was killed in Florida during a battle with the Calusa Indians.

Let it here be known, the manchineel spears Sam and her best friend Nick use in The Bowl and The Stone: A Haunting Tale from the Virgin Islands, are purely imaginary though no less effective in driving off the invading Squalsh.

Diane wanted me to talk a little bit about promoting. Like most authors, this is the hardest part of the job, one that I can’t say I’m very good at. But here’s what I did. I asked for help. And my post here isn’t so much about promoting as it is about how I organized a tour.

First thing I did was go to Google forms and make up a form I posted to my blog and that people could fill out. They were in charge of deciding what they wanted to do. But that didn’t stop me from emailing other people to see if they’d help out. Everyone I asked said yes. This is a fabulous community!

Questions I asked on the form related to The Bowl and the Stone and included:
Would you like to read and review the book?
Would you like to send out tweets? (I provided some pre-written ones with links)
May I guest post on your blog? (I gave the month of October as the month I wanted to be on their blogs. I realize now I could have had a section for them to write in a date convenient for them, but I didn’t. So, I had to *manually* coordinate dates with those who responded.)
Then I listed a bunch of subjects I could write about that would relate back to the story. These included, but were not limited to, the following:
An interview with a character or question to me
St. John in 1962 (a magical time)
A brief history of slavery in the Virgin Islands
The St. John Slave revolt of 1733
Annaberg (a sugar plantation)
The dungeon at Annaberg
Jumbies (mischievous spirits)
Plants and animals mentioned in the story
The Mysterious Moving Grave (the real story)
Earliest known ghost stories

Even if several people picked the same subjects (jumbies was the most popular) I was be able to make each post different enough that visitors, if they saw a post on jumbies elsewhere, would learn something new.

After I’d collected all my data, which Google forms organized for me neatly, I realized the form, when printed out (I like me a hard copy) was too small to read and I couldn’t figure out how to enlarge the print. So, I took the data and it plugged into Excel. I organized my Excel sheet in this manner.

With hard copy in hand I was able to pencil in when I sent the info (which included the blog post, book blurb, author bio, and pictures of the book cover and moi.) And, I could do the same when I got a confirmation that the email was received at the other end. I started gathering data in July which gave me August and September to write and send posts for October. A person could certainly start earlier.

I don’t know how other people have done it, but this was my method and if it helps someone else along the journey, I’m happy to pass it on.



Thanks, Bish!


And Tuesday, October 18 is the release date for this wonderful book:


Freedom Fox Press - Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.
$17.95 Print ISBN 9781939844279, $3.99 eBook ISBN 9781939844286

Lynda R. Young, a Christian first, writes devotionals, articles, and speculative short stories. In her spare time she is also an editor, game developer, artist, and dabbles in photography and all things creative. She lives in Australia with her sweetheart of a husband.

Find Cling to God: Amazon / Kindle / Barnes & Noble / Nook / ITunes / Kobo / Goodreads

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It’s time for another edition of The Insecure Writer’s Support Group, founded by Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh.


September’s question of the month - When do you know your story is ready? 

When I’ve gone over it a hundred times and I’m just making little cosmetic changes, then I know it’s done.


When I began as a publisher, I knew one of the challenges would be selecting just the right stories to produce as books. It’s a crap shoot sometimes. Some of our titles have not done as well as expected.

I quickly discovered, that’s only half of the equation. It’s a crap shoot picking just the right authors to bring on board, too. Not all of them are willing to promote their books as whole-heartedly as needed. (Or find someone to help.) And it’s not just promoting, but ease of working with, their connections, etc.

When the two line up, it’s gold. We’ve had a couple best-sellers. And I’m banking on more. (Obviously, as we now have SIX releases between now and the end of the year.) Coming up soon is Cling to God: A Devotional by Lynda R. Young on October 17 and Mâtowak: Woman Who Cries by Joylene Nowell Butler on November 1. Three other books will follow.

But this week, our big release is...

Bloodwalker by L.X. Cain

Lightning flashes. Another child disappears...

Zorka Circus’s big top roars with laughter and cheers, but when it moves on, children vanish.

Circus Security Chief Rurik suspects a killer hides among the performers, but they close ranks—they’ve always viewed lightning-scarred Rurik as the monster. He must find the culprit before anyone else disappears and his home is destroyed by the murders.

Into Zorka Circus comes the Skomori clan, despised as gravedigging ghouls. A one-day truce allows bloodwalker Sylvie to marry. Instead, she finds a body. Alerting others will defy her clan’s strict code, break the truce, and leave her an outcast.

When more bodies turn up, the killer's trail becomes impossible to ignore. Rurik and Sylvie must follow the clues—even if they lead to something unimaginable…

“...captivating shocker... Cain immerses the reader in the working life of a struggling circus and in the daily chores of a fascinating, albeit fictional, Slavic folkway.” - Publishers Weekly

$18.95 USA, 6x9 trade paperback, 284 pages, Freedom Fox Press
Fantasy/Paranormal (FIC009050) and Horror (FIC015000)
Print ISBN 9781939844255, eBook ISBN 9781939844262
$4.99 eBook available in all formats

Purchase the print version at Barne & Noble / Amazon /BAM / Powell’s / Dancing Lemur Press LLC
Purchase the eBook version at Nook / Kindle /iTunes / Kobo / Dancing Lemur Press LLC - Mobi & ePub


The Insecure Writer’s Support Group 2016 Anthology Contest is open until November 1st. Don’t miss your chance to be in a royalty-paying anthology.




When do you know you’re done? Did you realize publishing as a business was such a crap shoot?

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$18.95 USA, 6x9 trade paperback, 284 pages, Freedom Fox Press
Fantasy/Paranormal (FIC009050) and Horror (FIC015000)
Print ISBN 9781939844255, eBook ISBN 9781939844262
$4.99 eBook available in all formats


L.X. Cain was born in the U.S. but now lives on the Red Sea and busily taps away at a laptop, coming up with stories to thrill and entertain readers.

Purchase the print version at Barnes & Noble / Amazon /BAM / Powell’s / Dancing Lemur Press LLC
Purchase the eBook version at Nook / Kindle /iTunes / Kobo / Dancing Lemur Press LLC - Mobi & ePub

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Many of you know Mason Canyon who runs a high-profile book blog, Thoughts in Progress.

After years of dealing with publishers, authors, publicists, and blog tour services, she has branched out on her own and now runs MC Book Tours.

She’s been working with one of Dancing Lemur Press’ authors and now has over 40 stops with reviews, interviews, and articles set this fall for Mâtowak: Woman Who Cries. I’ve recommended her to my other authors with releases coming out next spring.

Mason has been around the book blogging business for many years and she knows her stuff. I highly recommend you check out her services.



Dancing Lemur Press ventured into the world of audio books this past summer. We were very
fortunate to acquire the most amazing narrator for our first three titles - Michael Burnette. He and his wife Kerry, who puts it all together, make the best team.

Michael signed on right away to do all three of Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Cassa books. Not only did he deliver quickly, but he gave us a high quality product with many layers and special effects. I’ve listened to many audio books in the past (on cassette and CD) and I can’t recall any that were as captivating as what Michael produces.

CassaStar and CassaFire are available now.
(Dragon of the Stars by Alex J. Cavanaugh and Under a Purple Moon by Beverly Stowe McClure are currently in production. Bloodwalker by L.X. Cain will go into production in October.)

Listen to a sample of the Cassa books and you will be impressed!

Find by Michael Burnett on ACX and Facebook.


And to round out this post, the cicadas have been extra thick this year and we have hundreds of their shells on our pine trees:

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It’s time for another edition of The Insecure Writer’s Support Group, founded by Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh.


September’s question of the month - How do you find the time to write in your busy day?

Some days, I don’t. I have so many duties with Dancing Lemur Press, formatting, speaking, and other things I do to make money that usually my own writing is one of the last things on the list. Which means sometimes, I don’t get to it. Weekends I have a better shot at it though and can usually get in a couple hours. Which I did do this past weekend.

I also spent the weekend on a new page at Dancing Lemur Press - Merchandise! Our book covers featured on mugs, t-shirts, and playing cards - a great opportunity for our authors to market and their fans to show their support. Something for everyone, so please visit our Merchandise page sometime this week. (Since I know today is crazy.)



Eligibility: Any member of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group is encouraged to enter – blogging or Facebook member. The story must be previously unpublished. Entry is free.

Word count: 5000-6000

Genre: Fantasy

Theme: Hero Lost. It could be about a hero turned villain, a villain's redemption, a hero's lack of confidence, a hero's lack of smarts, etc. It can be about any kind of hero including superheroes, mythological heroes, unexpected or unlikely heroes, or a whole new kind of hero. This theme has plenty of scope and we’re open to pretty much anything along these lines. No erotica, R-rated language, or graphic violence.

Deadline: November 1st 2015

How to enter: Send your polished, formatted, previously unpublished story to admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline passes. Please include your contact details and if you are part of the Blogging or Facebook IWSG group.

Judging: The IWSG admins will create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official judges.

Prizes: The winning stories will be edited and published by Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology. Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title.

We’re excited to see the creativity and enthusiasm that’s such a part of this group put into action. So don your creative caps and start writing. And spread the word!


Elizabeth S. Craig writes cozy mystery series for Penguin Random House, Midnight Ink, and independently. She curates links on Twitter as @elizabethscraig that are later shared in the free search engine WritersKB.com.

Richard Harland finished his first novel in 1993 and resigned a university lectureship to become a full-time writer. With seventeen fantasy, SF and horror novels published since, he went international with his steampunk fantasies, Worldshaker, Liberator and Song of the Slums. He has won six Aurealis Awards and the A. Bertram Chandler Award in Australia, the Tam Tam Je Bouquine Award in France. Writing Tips

Laura Maisano has an MA in Technical writing and is a Senior Editor at Anaiah Press for their YA/NA Christian Fiction. She’s excited to release her debut YA Urban Fantasy SCHISM, and she’s finishing up the sequel UNITY.

Russell C. Connor has been writing horror since the age of 5, and has been in the self-publishing industry for a decade. He has published 8 novels and 4 novellas in both paperback and eBook, including the Box Office of Terror Trilogy and "Whitney," an epic horror novel about hurricane survivors fighting a washed-ashore sea monster. He also designs books for clients and assists them with self-publishing endeavors.

Dawn Frederick is the founder of Red Sofa Literary, previously of Sebastian Literary Agency, and she brings a broad knowledge of the book business to the table—with multiple years of experience as a bookseller in the independent, chain, and specialty stores; sales, marketing, & book development at a YA publisher, a published nonfiction author, and an agent associate literary agent at Sebastian Literary Agency.

Michelle L. Johnson is a literary agent, the founder of Inklings Literary Agency and has a business administration background in addition to a lifetime of working with books (sales, editing, and writing) and authors (marketing, promoting, event planning), and also has been a script/story consultant for an independent film.

Ion Newcombe is the editor and publisher of AntipodeanSF, Australia's longest running online speculative fiction magazine, regularly issued since January 1998. His qualifications and employment range from horticulture through electronics into literature and communications.

Author, Public Speaker, and Executive Producer, Lynn Tincher was born just outside of Louisville, Kentucky in the beautiful city of La Grange. She has written four books, with the fifth one currently in the making. Her first book, Afterthoughts was optioned for movie production by Kilted Pictures and Dancing Forward Productions in Los Angeles. It is currently in pre-production with plans to shoot in Louisville, Kentucky very soon.

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This post is for the August WEP Challenge, hosted by Denise Covey and Yolanda Renee.

Since I knew I wouldn't have time to write anything, I’ve decided to share some of my garden this year. Last year was met with minor success. I harvested just a few tomatoes, but rot claimed most of them. Basil was our biggest crop. So, I was determined this year would be different.








Our very first audiobook came out - CassaStar by Alex J. Cavanaugh.
Purchase the audio book on:
Amazon / ITunes / Audible

We have two more in production and two more scheduled to go into production.

Including Bloodwalker by L.X. Cain, which releases October 4.

Needless to say, I’m one busy puppy!

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It’s time for another edition of The Insecure Writer’s Support Group, founded by Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh.

This month's question:
What was your very first piece of writing as an aspiring writer? Where is it now? Collecting dust or has it been published?

Hopefully it’s turned to dust! It was awful. Inspired by all the angst that is 8th grade.

I wrote hundreds of short stories after that and still have all of my notebooks. They’re horrible, too, but there’s probably a couple good ideas in there. LOL Like I need any more right now!

What about you?


I’m also revealing two great covers today! (And yes, I’m biased.)


Cling to God
By Lynda Young
Print ISBN 9781939844279
eBook ISBN 9781939844286
Non-Fiction/Devotional

Cling to God is a book of devotionals for every day of the year. The aim is to encourage Christians in their faith, to help them think about their beliefs and learn more about God. The devotions are short and inspirational so that people with busy lifestyles will still able to spend time with the Lord each day. It will appeal to a wide Christian audience, to those new in their faith as well as those matured beyond milk and honey.

Release date - October 18, 2016 from Freedom Fox Press



The Remnant
By William Michael Davidson
Print ISBN 9781939844293
eBook ISBN 9781939844309
Science Fiction

Release date - February 7, 2017 from Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.

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The media has changed and expanded to fit our evolving world. News and information travel much faster now. A story can go from local to worldwide within minutes. Thanks to the Internet, news is exposed to a far wider audience than ever before.

Consider all the possibilities for author interviews or program discussions:

• Radio
• TV
• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Online versions of all of the above

Consider which of these options places you in front of your target audience. Those will garner you the greatest benefit.

Before we go any further, you need to understand media pitches. What is the media seeking? Let’s begin with what the media does not seek:

“I’m an author and this is my latest book.”

Here’s a tip: The media doesn’t care. You are just one of thousands of authors who have released a book today—big deal! Even if the program focuses on authors, or it’s your local newspaper or TV broadcast, you’ve got to come up with a more compelling reason for them to interview you.

Here’s what the media is looking for: experts. They want expert advice and information for their audience. Remember, you researched and wrote a book. You are an expert in one or more areas. The media wants to talk to you about those subjects—not about your book.

So how do you pitch yourself to the media? What’s your approach? Here are some suggested angles:

• Educate the audience on a hot topic
• Expose vital new information
• Provide expert advice by tying in with a current event
• Show people how to solve their problems
• Show people how to be healthier, younger, or sexier
• Show people how to make or save money
• Tie in with political or charitable organizations
• If applicable, provide any of the above with a dose of entertainment

The media is looking for ways to educate their audience. You give them what they want, focus on the topic, and you will be rewarded with an opportunity to mention your book. If it’s obvious promoting your book is your only agenda, the media will look elsewhere.

What’s your pitch to the media?



The drawing for my play cards was last week - congratulations to Alex Cavanaugh for being the lucky winner.

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It’s time for another edition of The Insecure Writer’s Support Group, founded by Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh.

What's the best thing someone has ever said about your writing?

Someone purchased one of my books at a book signing in Myrtle Beach. Later, she emailed me and said my book (The Circle of Friends: Book I...Lori) had inspired her to start writing again. She was so excited that she came to see me when I toured through her home state of Ohio. It was so amazing to see her again.

What’s really touching is that I posted her photo on my site and I received an email from a man who knew her from collage and wanted to get in contact with her. She gave the okay and passed on his email. They courted and he proposed - and she said yes!

The theme of my promo for The Circle of Friends is “Get inspired to achieve your dreams.” I think she did just that and more!

Don’t forget to vote on the genre for this year’s IWSG anthology contest. Go HERE to cast your vote.


Playing Cards Giveaway


I have a deck of playing cards featuring The Circle of Friends Series to give away to one lucky person.

The only requirement - you have purchased or read one of my The Circle of Friends Books (we’ll go on the honor system here) or you’ve marked them to read on Goodreads. Leave a comment if you have purchased or read any of the books in the series or you’ve marked them to read on Goodreads.

On Amazon : Book I...Lori, Book II...Sarah, Book III...James, Book IV...Mike, Book V...Heather, and the boxed set.


S.K. Anthony posted the latest installment of Writers After Dark: Awful Misguided Reviews.

And a review of one of my books was included:

The Thing That Turned Me from Stay Classy Publications comes out August 5. I’d like to present some short videos:

What’s the nicest thing someone ever said about your writing? Do you have any awful misguided reviews? Do you want to win a deck of cards? (I know everyone is busy with IWSG today, so just come back later to watch all the videos.)

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One aspect of book formatting most people don’t discuss is the initial cleanup. Whether you are formatting it yourself or someone else is doing the job, here are some things to look for that will make formatting easier.

Step one - Click button to show paragraph marks and formatting. Spaces are dots, paragraph returns are P’s.

Step two - Do a Find & Replace on all of the double spaces. There should be a single space between each sentence and word.

Step three - Remove any manual indents. Those will show as arrows.

Never use the tab key to indent. Open up the paragraph box and set the indent there. This is also where you control justification and line spacing.

Step four - Do a search and destroy for all spaces at the ends of sentences. These can cause a sentence to extend one line farther. In a print book, that might be what sends a lone line at the end of the chapter to a page all by itself.

These spaces come from the habit of hitting the space bar after every sentence. Sometimes we type another line, but sometimes we hit the return key and start a new paragraph, leaving that space (or two) at the end of the sentence. I can always tell when an author is on a roll - those spaces vanish.

Step five - Do a search and destroy for extra spaces at the beginning of a paragraph. This is even more critical, as those will indent the line just a little bit more than the rest, resulting in an unprofessional look.

Step six - Look for odd issues, like forgetting a space before or after * * * or too many asterisks.

These are simple, basic items that need attention before the manuscript is formatted for either print or eBook. But they will make a world of difference in how the book appears. (And your formatter will thank you!)

Did you know to look for those issues?

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It’s time for another edition of The Insecure Writer’s Support Group, founded by Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh.

I feel like I live a double life! And both author and publisher are very, very busy at the moment.

Still making progress on my own book. All five stories are in various stages of writing & editing. Once I have them ready, I will need to find some critique partners for this genre, which is new to me. I love reading paranormal romance, but this is my first time writing it.

If you’d like to get a feel for the stories, I have created boards for each one on Pinterest -

I confess I’m a Pinterest junkie! If you’re on Pinterest, please follow me or one of my boards here.

On the publishing side, I’ve been preparing books for review and sending out review copies like a mad woman. I’m very excited about our next two releases. I fell in love with both stories. If you like psychological thriller/mystery or paranormal/horror, then check them out at Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.




Two other books are slated for release, one this December and the other next March, plus I have a couple in the hopper than I might sign. One is a science fiction story that I’m really excited about.

This is what really gets me going! Seeing Dancing Lemur Press grow and all the new authors. So many great stories that need to find an audience.

(And if you’re wondering what we accept, please see our submission guidelines for Dancing Lemur Press and our imprint, Freedom Fox Press.)

I guess if I have an insecurity it’s that I’ve always worried I would be a better publisher than author...

Any paranormal romance writers out there looking for a critique partner?

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The Thing That Turned Me anthology from Stay Classy Publications is set to release on June 30.

In celebration, I posed the following two questions to some of the anthology authors:



From Randi Lee, owner of Stay Classy:

1 - My own personal turning point came when I gave birth to my daughter; I knew it wasn't just about me anymore. Her birth inspired the birth of Stay Classy Publications, a venture designed to help fellow authors pursue their dreams of publication.

2 - The best promotional advice I can give is to be honest with your message. Don't be too forceful or pushy; rather, allow the writing to speak for itself.


From Christine Rains:

1 - My turning point was my first acceptance. A drabble with which I was paid one dollar in cash. I still have that dollar framed on my desk. It gives me the strength to not give up on my dreams.

2 - Offer one story for free to tempt readers to buy more of your books.


From Roland Yeomans:

1 - When I was dragging my unconscious 150 pound German Shepherd/Newfoundland across the blazing floor of my burning home. I didn't think I would make it. I did. Sadly, Hercules did not (overcome by smoke). Losing him and my home with all my possessions taught me how fragile and precious life is -- material things can be replaced.

2 - Never give up. Think outside the box. And make any promotional effort fun for the reader.


From Alex J. Cavanaugh:

1 - My biggest turning point was of course when I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Other turning points include meeting my wife, receiving my first guitar, and my first published book.

2 - Best promotional advice - be willing to promote others.


From Harper Jameson:

1 - The death of my mother. It was the moment that forced me to stand on my own feet and make my life my own. She introduced me to the romance genre and taught me everything I needed, before I even knew I needed it.

2 - Be patient, be diligent and be kind. Make sure all your interactions are positive, whether they be with potential readers, bloggers and fellow authors. Making connections as an author is hard but, losing them is as easy as breathing.

From Imani Allen:

1 - My own personal turning point was realizing that if I wanted More in My Life, I would need to make the Efforts to Do & Give More.

2 - What’s your best book promotion advice? I would say Direct Promotions or at the very least one on one. I go further when I can spend that time with someone & make the most of it.


From Melissa Maygrove:

1 - I've had several in my life, but being pursued then betrayed by my first husband was definitely a big one.

2 - Create professional product, inside and out, and set some money aside for a few good book ads.


From Heather Gardner:

1 - Meeting the man who is now my husband. He changed everything about my life, for the better.

2 - Word of mouth is still the best. Ask your friends and family to talk about your books.


From Misha Gericke:

1 - One day, I realized I was going down a path that wasn't good for my emotional health, all for the sake of money. It made me re-evaluate my whole life, and now I measure everything I do according to whether or not I'll regret spending my life doing it later.

2 - Don't be afraid to do something different from the crowd.


From Crystal Collier

1 - I was 12. Because of my last name, I was teased relentlessly at school. At home, my older brother used me as his emotional punching bag, and at church, I was the youngest girl in my age group and therefore not good enough for the others. Then we moved. I started into a new school. Life changed entirely. Instead of being the victim of circumstances, I embraced my strange name and turned it into something cool. I found the clarity to understand my older brother who was also being bullied. We attended a new church, and the girls my age were welcoming and accepting of everyone. That’s the point at which the Crystal who is now emerged.

2 - Be yourself. Everywhere you go, everything you do—whether virtual or physical—be who you are. Make friends. Be genuine. Look for the good in others. All the good you put out in the world will come back your way eventually.

And from me:

1 - When we moved to NC over 20 years ago, I got involved with a business group that really focused on self-improvement. I’d struggled with a horrible self-image my whole life, but through countless seminars, tapes, books, and association with positive people, I grew more confident. I never could have become a speaker and an author otherwise.

2 - Be willing to go the extra mile - do more than anyone else.

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There are a lot of wrong things to say or do to a publisher. And it’s not always writers who are the culprits.

Publishing is a business. Correspondence and communication going both directions should be professional and polite.

Sometimes it’s just due to a lack of knowledge or understanding how the industry works.

While the list is endless, I’ve compiled a few key items that can garner a negative reaction or destroy a potential working relationship:

1 - The mass query letter. Nothing screams lazy like a mass query letter. And it’s very obvious. Always research the publisher and personalize the whole letter to fit their requirements.

2 - “These are all of my accomplishments and past books and success and...” - while leaving out half of the requested items in the query letter. Impress me with your current manuscript and how well you can follow our submission guidelines first.

3 - No response after a request to read the manuscript. If you’ve received other representation, tell us. Otherwise, that reaction says you either weren’t serious or your work isn’t ready. No response comes off as impolite and discourteous, and there’s a good chance you’ll be blacklisted.

4 - “This HAS to be my cover art - I don’t want anything else.” Most publishers have their own in-house illustrators and have years of experience with producing marketable covers. Often the author has little to no say in the process. Smaller publishers are more open to working with an author on the cover, but always discuss this issue ahead of time and keep an open mind. The final decision still rests with the publisher.

5 - “I don’t want to make these editorial changes!” No matter who you are or how good you are with writing - your publisher WILL request edits to the manuscript. It’s all to make the manuscript the best it can possibly be and fighting it only makes a writer look selfish and immature. There will be instances where you’ll want to stand by your work, but a refusal to make most of the suggested edits is not how you want to kick off the relationship with your publisher.

6 - “Can we change that...?” Constant requests to change the cover art, change the synopsis, change the genre, change the release date, etc. No publisher wants to work with a difficult or demanding author. There should be respect on both sides and mutual understanding that it’s all in the interest of producing a successful book. Besides, authors do not hire publishers to produce their book - the publisher “hires” the author to produce a marketable manuscript, and they are the ones in control.

7 - “Can I get a review copy mailed to me?” - of a book that came out several years ago. Reviews are important, especially when a book is released. And many publishers will honor requests that come in after a book’s release, especially if the reviewer is genuine and an ebook can be sent. But with older titles, it’s just not economical to send out print books.

There are many, many more of course. Some cross over to other areas of the book industry. Top PR consultant Paul Krupin from Direct Contact PR supplied a few things he’s heard over the years:

Finally, I’d like to end with some real-life examples:

The one that sticks out in my mind is the writer who was great in editing but once his book came out he was the opposite. He turned into a complete jerk, saying things to our marketing manager like, "What are you doing to sell my book?" No matter what suggestions she gave him or what she had done it was always the same thing, "so what are you doing to sell my book?"
Karen Gowen - WiDo Publishing

The owner of a website who had featured one of our authors but grew irate when he wasn’t compensated. We stepped in with a polite email and were told “I really was the first one to publish the book cover and the trailer,” which wasn’t true. The next email began with “Do you know who I am?” and went off on a rant. With less than 650 followers (and only 1000 Twitter followers) we do know who he is - someone with an over-inflated ego that we won’t ever deal with again.
Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.

Some of the saddest are the illiterate ones, especially when we can’t tell whether they’re wanting assistance with self publishing or it’s a royalty submission. Here’s an example; the gentleman sent us multiple similar emails on a daily basis until we succeeded in begging him to stop:
And here’s the beginning of a recent, lengthy submission that definitely fell on its own sword. The combination of dripping hubris and the fact that he didn’t view our guidelines to see what we’re looking for nixed him quickly from consideration. And of course we’d love to open ourselves to working with an obvious felon….
Cynthia at Cypress House, Lost Coast Press, QED Press

Actually the worst author (as far as relations with editors) I worked with was a professional! While I was at NASA (where I supervised contractor publishing staff), a “science writer-journalist” was hired to work with several NASA scientists (who had been the primary scientists for the Pioneer Missions to Venus) to do a “wrap up” of 20 years of work on the Pioneer-Venus project. (The primary scientists were about to retire.) The author was just short of openly hostile to the editors. It was quite frustrating...
Pete Masterson, former publishing consultant and owner of Aeonix Publishing Group


A manuscript was rejected based on the fact it didn’t fall into our genres and the query letter was very poor. A polite rejection email was sent, along with suggestions on how to improve the query letter, including links to query letter sites, so the individual might have better luck in the future. His one line response: “Just read the f___ing story!”
Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.


Know someone who is guilty of any of those things or have you heard of authors saying and doing much worse?

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It’s time for another edition of The Insecure Writer’s Support Group, founded by Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh.


Things have been hopping the past two months! We signed three new authors (two for Dancing Lemur Press and one for Freedom Fox Press), submissions are flooding in, and we had a book release on Tuesday. (More on that in a minute.)

Through all of the work - reading, editing, emailing, planning, etc. - I managed to get back on track with my own book. One story is edited, two are in the process of being edited, one is mostly done, and I started the fifth one. I usually only get 60-90 minutes a night, but it’s enough to transfer over 1000 words from notebook to computer. (I still hand write everything first.) And it feels really good to be back in the swing of things!

As for that book release on Tuesday, I’d like to present...


Science Fiction/Alternative History
Print ISBN 978-1-939844-19-4 eBook ISBN 978-1-939844-20-0
$14.95 USA 6x9 Trade paperback, 218 pages
$4.99 EBook available in all formats
Freedom Fox Press, a division of Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.

Buy it in print- Amazon / Barnes & Noble
Buy the ebook- Itunes / Kindle / Nook / Kobo
Add it on Goodreads
Visit the Parallels Blog

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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