NEWS & EVENTS

This is the place where we will celebrate, commiserate and converse (not conversate, lol). There are so many steps to this author thing that sometimes I'm just bursting to tell someone all about it. That's where you guys come in! I'll keep you posted on my progress, and hopefully on my triumphs in my battle to become a bestselling author. Keep checking back for updates on giveaways and contests.

I'm A Winner! No, Really.

I won second prize in Brenda1257's contest on Valentchamber.com. She was generous enough to share a part of the proceeds from the sale of her books to benefit up and coming authors on the site. This means that during the month of May, I will spend two weeks on a virtual book tour, where I will give interviews, be featured on blogs and hopefully get at least one spot on the radio. Wish me well! I am incredibly excited about the opportunity.

I'm starting a blog. Ideas, Please!

It's always been a dream of mine to write a blog. After all, anyone who knows me understands that I have opinions, and they are strong! However, I just never got around to it. Now that I am pushing forward with following my writer's dream, I believe it's time to combine my two passions: Writing and venting my opinions on current events. Whether it's in the author's world, the way that characters are portrayed or something in the news, I want to hear from you! Tell me what you want to hear about on my contact page, under Bio.

There Can Be Only One. Not!

My greatest supporters, outside of my family, have been other authors who feel my pain, my struggle and my elation. Getting a book published is like giving birth (or so I've heard). You have a moment of epiphany where everything seems all shiny and new, and you sit down to commit this grand idea to paper. Next, after a few pages, you start to think, "This is going to be a breeze." Then, bam! You can't get out of bed (because you wrote all night), You have swelling in your feet (because you sat at the desk for ten hours) and you gain weight (because you sat at the desk for ten hours).

Finally you finish, and the book is ready to be "born" online. You struggle and you revise and you type angrily at the Customer Service Specialist who cannot seem to tell you why your book cover has not been updated since you uploaded the new one last week! Then, (breathe) you make your first sale, and the angels sing, Hallelujah! Suddenly, none of that pain and anguish matters at all. It was all worth it. You would do it again, and often, you do it right away. After all, the book hasn't turned two yet, and you have no idea what you're in for. Otherwise, who would ever write a sequel?

That's why, if you're a writer, you should look for support within a writer's community. After all, who understands you better than another "Mom?" Who else will listen to your woes about manually indenting 300+ pages of prose to pass the Smashwords censors? Just google your city, county or nearby Metropolitan area. You're sure to find a few like-minded individuals who will brainstorm with you over a cup of coffee in your local bookstore or coffee spot. In the meantime, good luck!

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We Are Live On Smashwords!

Getting set up on Smashwords was not simple, but the Amazon process did teach me patience and perseverence. I hope that my publication is immediately accepted for their premium catalog so that it will be distributed to other retailers, but if not, try, try again!

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We Are Live On Amazon!

Getting started has not been easy, and everything is a learning process along the way. To copyright or not to copyright? To ISBN or not to ISBN and a million other quandaries have my head about to explode! However, it will all be worth it to see my book professionally presented on my reader.

Noelle Vonham Paling