Black Friday - Cyber Monday Deals

From now until the end of Monday, I have a sale for you!  Available for this short amount of time is a Buy One, Get One Free deal on single books and their e-Book versions, and I have a deal going on for the entire Liz Baker series. Here are the details for you:



DEAL #1: Order any autographed paperback & receive the e-Book version for FREE.

DEAL #2:  Order all five Liz Baker books for the reduced price of $49.99 & receive the e-Book versions of each book for FREE.

Don't miss out!

Buy a book for a friend & keep the e-Book version for yourself. It is holiday shopping time, you know. :D

Halloween Giveaway 2013

My kids' pumpkin from 2011.

As promised, here's this year's Halloween Giveaway!

There are several goodies this time, with multiple winners to come. However, over the next two weeks I'll be adding to the big goodie box. By the time Halloween gets here there's no telling how much stuff will be in there.  :D

PRIZES:

 

* Halloween Goodie Box *

* 2 - $5.00 Amazon Gift Card *

* 3 - Liz Baker Bookmark Collection *

* Autographed copy of Time for Death (Liz Baker, bk 1) *
* Winner's choice of 1 Liz Baker book, e-Copy *

* 3 - Death Howls Twice Key Chain(s) *

* 1 - Halloween Nail Polish Collection *

To enter for your chance at one of these awesome goodies, use the Rafflecopter below and enter, enter, enter away. Some of the items on the list can even be done daily for more entries. Be sure to share with your friends while you're at it.

One of the entries below asks you to leave a blog comment answering a question. Here's your question:

 

What was your favorite Halloween costume from your childhood?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Why I Love September.

My girls:
11th grader, 8th grader, & 3rd grader.

September, September, how I love you so!
Other than the lower temperatures, apple season, and the start of changing leaf colors, September is when my kids go back to school. It's the month I regain my freedom from complaints, arguments, the phrase "There's nothing to eat," and the equivalent of nails on a chalkboard to a parent... "I'm bored."

My kids went back to school two weeks ago, and it has taken those two weeks for me to get my household back in order. Before anyone asks, yes, I do make my kids clean during their summer break, but I like things the way I like things, so I put my house back into MY order when they go back to school. Which, in the long run, isn't too bad considering they were home for three months and it only took me two weeks.

Sooooooo.....

Now it's time to get back to work on new projects and old ideas. And boy do I have the ideas. :)

Over the next few months I'll be writing book 6 in the Liz Baker series and the first book in a brand new series. I'm hoping to release both of them in the early months of 2014. In the meantime, I think Author Jennifer Malone Wright said it best in her blog post titled, September is an important month for authors.

I wish you all a great week!

Death Howls Twice Release Day Giveaway

(I used Grammarly to grammar check this post because I'd rather be giving stuff away!)

Happy Release Day!  Woot, Woot! Today's the day Death Howls Twice releases to the world. This fifth installment of Liz Baker's world finds Liz surrounded by werewolves ready to fight. And Monty doesn't help the situation any.

Here's the back cover description:

 

On the way to her Atlanta estate, the limo carrying Liz and her friends is slammed into by a random SUV on the interstate. During the aftermath of the crash, Monty whisks the injured group off to a nearby ranch run by some of his trusted friends.

While everyone is recovering from their injuries, Jake and Mary Matherson ask Liz for her help in rescuing their daughter from a nearby mad man who previously abducted her for his own twisted reasons. Liz reluctantly agrees after hearing there’s a vampire helping the enemy. Who could this vampire be? Is it Gregory trying to mastermind another attempt at swaying Liz to his side? But how could he even know she’d be at the Mathersons’ ranch?

After a destructive ambush directed by an unknown traitor, Jake Matherson is captured and the rest of his group looks to Liz and Monty to rescue not only him and his daughter, but to also destroy the enemy  and find out the spy’s identity. Will Liz be able to bring Jake and his daughter back safely, or will the unknown traitor and vampire trip her plans up before they even get started?

This book took longer than I expected, what with my kids being out of school for the summer and all, but in my usual celebratory fashion, here's the release day giveaway you've been waiting for!  There will be 8 winners this time and the prizes are as follows:

• $5 Amazon Gift Certificate
• 1 e-Book copy of any Liz Baker book of your choice
• Goodie Box w/ Mug, Necklace, Playing Cards, and a Bookmark Collection
• The 5-book Liz Baker series in paperback, autographed
• 4 Death Howls Twice Key Chains

 

 

All you have to do is join in on the Rafflecopter below. Most of you will be able to rack up some easy points because you're already Facebook fans and Twitter followers, etc. So go forth and enter!!  Be sure to share with all your friends and help me celebrate the completion of another book.  :)

Snag an e-copy today for only $3.99 everywhere and $3.19 on CTR!  (The paperback will be available as soon as a last minute cover issue is resolved.)

 

Amazon Kindle ~ Smashwords ~ CoffeeTimeRomance ~ B&N Nook ~ Kobo ~
~ Pre-Order Autographed Copies ~



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Just a little reminder...

It won't be long now!

Heads Up: I'm going on lock down.

Image by: Saavem on SXC.hu

As many of you already know, I'm in the finishing stages of the fifth Liz Baker book, Death Howls Twice. This book is scheduled for release on July 30th, so these next several weeks will require a lot of time, patience, and preparations to get everything in order for the big release.

Therefore....

I'm going on lock down.

Well, not 100% lock down. A girl needs her Facebook time, you know? I also have to deal with the numerous emails I get on a daily basis, or else I'm screwed. LOL.

My kids have been out of school for two weeks now (tomorrow starts week 3), and I gave them the first week of my undivided attention. Last week, I was pulled away from writing due to my landlord duties (Ugh!). That brings me down to three weeks left in June to get this book done.

The first of July will be dedicated to edits and rewrites, proofreaders, final cover updates/designs, getting all the edits from my editor put in, creating the different file types for all the e-book sites, and going over the paperback edition.  Oh, and I'll be putting the release day giveaway together during that time.

Lastly, the big day will be here on July 30th!  Woohoo! I'm excited and looking forward to it (like always), but I just gotta get to that point first.  LOL.

Anyway, I'll be around if anyone needs to contact me, but it might take me a few hours to get around to responding.  And don't you Page Peeps worry... Manly Monday will be posted right on schedule tomorrow morning, before I start my book work for the day.  ;)

Now I must go prepare the kids' weekly To-Do list to keep them busy while I'm locked away in my office/bedroom working. Thank goodness for earbuds, or else their arguing would be quite distracting.  *Sigh*

Cover Reveal: Death Howls Twice

I always love this time of the year. Yes, I love Spring, but I'm talking about........COVER REVEAL! Woohoo! I love seeing what my cover designer comes up with for each new Liz Baker book. She never fails to amaze me. I <3 you, Kelly!  :D

So here you go, Death Howls Twice (Liz Baker, book 5):

Expected Release: 7/30/2013

Soooo? What do you guys think of the new cover?

Earth Day & Free Books

Happy Earth Day, everyone! What better way to celebrate than by snagging your own copies of tree-free e-books?  Now's your chance to get lost in Liz Baker's crazy world. Time for Death (book 1) will be available for free all week, but the other three are only free today. So don't wait, grab your copies today!  :)

Time for Death (Liz Baker, book 1) 
Coupon Code:JR34D
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/125903

Kill Me Next Week (Liz Baker, book 2) 
Coupon Code: QJ75L
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/80544

Killer Intentions (Liz Baker, book 3) 
Coupon Code: US52T
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/115726

Haunted by Death (Liz Baker, book 4) 
Coupon Code: CP99Q
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/262654

Sunshine Award

A big thank you to P.M Terrell. She sent me this blog award a little while ago and I greatly appreciate it. Stop by and check her out at www.pmterrell.blogspot.com

As a recipient, I am required to answer the following questions for all of you:

Favorite Color - Depends on my mood and time of the year. Right now, it's red.

Favorite Animal - Cats (even though I don't have any right now).

Favorite Number - 25. I have no idea why.

Favorite Non-alcoholic Drink - Is there such a thing as a favorite non-alcoholic drink?! Geez, if I have to choose I guess it would be Diet Mountain Dew.

Facebook or Twitter - I have both, but I like Facebook better. I think it's easier to connect with other people on Facebook.

Your Passion - My passion is my children. I do everything in my power to make sure they will grow up to be happy, healthy, and twisted adults.  ;) You should see my teens bedroom. Eek! 

Giving or getting present - I love giving gifts! I find more joy in giving than receiving. Maybe it's because no on ever tries to surprise me when I get a gift. I like happy surprises.

Favorite Day - Friday

Favorite Flowers - Anything that smells good.

The Sunshine Award and it's given to "those who creatively and positively inspire others in the blogosphere." Next week (April 24th) check out these wonderful authors who inspire me:

Robin Renee Ray
Amy Brantley

Love Hurts

CMSeter on SXC

Authors love their books, almost as much as they love their children. Our books are our babies, in a sense. But sometimes the love we hold for our stories, characters, books can hurt when other people don't love our work as much as we do.

Reviews are a part of being a writer. You're going to have people who love your work and happily tell the world about it. And then you'll have the people who for some odd reason think your work belongs in the recycle bin.

Reviews are opinions, plain and simple.  Everyone has an opinion and we're not always going to agree. Opposing opinions are what makes the world go 'round. What do you do when someone disagrees with you in the real world? Do you scream and holler and cry? Or do you try your hardest to respect their opinion, yet hold true to your own beliefs?

I would hope that you'd understand that others have opinions they feel as strongly about as you do.  The goal as a writer is to take the good with the bad, while staying true to yourself and your characters.  Keep writing, moving forward, taking on the world with your unique style and gusto. And always remember that the world would be a very boring place if we were all the same.

How do I handle bad reviews?
I bitch and moan to one author friend and my sister. I might even tell my husband if it's really, really bad.  And after a day or two of being pissed and talking it out with my peeps, I move on. I jump back into whatever it was I was working on when the notion to check my books' reviews hit me and ruined my mood. I talk to my characters, especially Liz Baker (she has great insights), and then I get back to work.

So what if Sue Pissy Pants hates my writing and thinks anything I would ever write will be utter trash.  "Hey, you, don't read it if you don't like it!" Even the bests of the bests have haters.  It's up to us, as authors, to let the haters be haters without allowing them to distract us for too long.

Sure, it's hard to look past someone telling the world they hate you and everything you stand for, even though they know nothing about you personally.  But stand tall, be brave, pull those thorns from you heart, and get back to work.  You must be doing something right, after all, to garner that much attention from a complete stranger.

Have a great day & keep writing!

My Favorite Things: Electronics

http://www.roku.com/meet-roku

In the spirit of oversharing, today I want to talk about some of my favorite things in electronics.

We live in an electronic world; there's no getting around it. And in the spirit of that amazingly unique revelation (NOT!), here are a few things I don't think I could live without.

 

• Wi-Fi -- Though not really and electronic thing, a girl has to have Wi-Fi to run all the other good stuff.  Duh!
• Dell Inspiron Laptop -- Yep, it's my electronic drug of choice. My computer, my filing system, my database of useless knowledge, my friends from all over the world live inside of it. I go into panic fits at the thoughts of losing my computer and everything in it. Eek! My old Dell had to be sent back to Dell because it wouldn't come on and I attached a frantic note to it begging the tech department to NOT format my harddrive.  Nooooo!  At that point I had half  book written and stupidly didn't have it backed up anywhere else.  Trust me, I learned from that experience and now I back up everything in at least three locations.
• Kindle 2 -- Yes, it's older, bigger, heavier, and probably not as cool as the newer models, but my Kindle 2 has been with me for a few years now and it holds 99% of my library. On any given day I have the ability to pick it up and start reading a new book. Or even snag an old classic I enjoyed as a teen. If it weren't for Wi-Fi and my laptop, the Kindle 2 would be top on my list.
• Kindle Fire -- While I don't use it very often, I do enjoy my Kindle Fire. I take it along when I go out of town overnight (anything longer requires my laptop). I use it to entertain my kids at doctor appointments or other "boring" events/tasks in life. While I don't use it for reading (I don't like the glare), I appreciate that I can pull up any of my library at any time and pick up where I left off on the Kindle 2.
• Roku -- Some of you may not know what this is, so let me just say that it's the best thing for television since SyFy came into existence. LOL!  I'm just sayin'...  My family enjoys the ease of Roku that we actually have three boxes in the house. When given the choice between a cable box or a Roku box for her bedroom, my teenager chose the Roku. All of them are linked to my Netflix account and you can pretty much watch whatever you want at any time of day.
• Netflix -- Yep, I'm back into the "not an electronic" territory, but give a girl a break. I've been a Netflix subscriber for about 5 years now and have enjoyed it tremendously. Aside from getting movies in my mailbox all the time, I really love the streaming aspect of the service. If  get bored I can just turn it on (on my Roku box) and watch movies and tv shows I've never seen. Works for me!

 

What are some of your favorite electronic items?

My Favorite Things: Movies

Since I'm trying to get back into the flow of blogging regularly, I'm starting a new blog series titled My Favorite Things. These will be monthly and will range from today's topic of movies to books, nail polish, authors, electronics, and many more. There's no telling what I'll decide is a favorite thing to share with all of you.  ;)

Let's jump into today's post. Here is a list of my favorite movies (thus far), in no particular order or genre.

• Underworld series
• Queen of the Damned
• Skinwalkers (Not for the acting, but for the actor Jason Behr)
• Resident Evil series
• Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
• Wanderlust
• Fright Night
• The Adjustment Bureau
• Dogma
• Skyline
• Inception
• Lost Boys
• An American Werewolf in Paris
• Anything with Brenden Fraser ;)

Are we seeing a pattern here? Eek! :D  I do enjoy vampires, werewolves, ghosts, aliens, and any other monster. I'm also big on murder horrors: The Cabin in the Woods, Midnight Meat Train, A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Ferryman, and many more.

What movies on are your favorites list?

Characters: Getting to Know Adele Brickman

Adele Brickman may only live a short time in book 1 of the Liz Baker series, but she's an integral part of Liz's life. Hell, she's the person who introduced Liz's mother to the vampire Gregory (Liz's bio-dad).

Adele had a rough childhood, but you wouldn't have known that if you didn't know her personally. Once she was old enough to get a job she was out of her parents' strict religious house. She and Liz's mom, Annalise, were the best of friends. One night when the two ladies were out on the town, Adele met the love of her life and Annalise met a demon of the night. Liz never knew any of this until after Adele's death at the hands of a murderous vampire, and Adele's massive fortune was willed to Liz.

Adele loved Liz like a daughter, but after Annalise's passing Adele turned her world toward the bottle. She had lost her husband and her best friend; her parents long since buried. She had no one left so she spent all her lucid hours sitting at the counter of Liz's bar.

Adele had a hard life, but that didn't prevent her from making sure Liz was well taken care of long after her death. Adele had more secrets than Liz knows: demons, fortunes, witchcraft, gypsies, and many more. Will Liz ever discover everything about Adele? And if so, will she be able to survive knowing everything Adele went through to secure a future for Liz and her sister?

We honor Adele Brickman.
Daughter. Wife. Best Friend. Loving "Aunt". Wealthy Benefactor.

Fun Times at Book 'Em

Left to Right: P.M. Terrell, Christie Silvers,
Pamela J. Kimmell, Judy Walter

It's been over a week since I attended the Book 'Em NC 2013 conference and book fair, so I suppose it's time to finally write a blog entry about it. LOL. Can you tell I'm slacking on my blog lately? Oops!

Anyway, the trip from Georgia to North Carolina was fairly uneventful (thankfully). Especially considering how nasty the drive up was last year. Those darn rain storms can cause all sorts of havoc. Luckily, we left a little later this year and managed to arrive at the hotel on time for check-in instead of early like last year. No waiting around for our room to be cleaned this time. :)

 

We arrived in Lumberton, NC with a few hours to rest before having to head out to the Author Meet-n-Greet at The Village Station. I talked it up with a few new people and many that I knew from last year. I especially enjoyed talking to P.M. Terrell, Pamela J. Kimmell, and Bonnie Watson. All these ladies are wonderful people and authors. Not to mention Trish (P.M.) was our hostess and event coordinator (how she does it all, I'll never know!).

The next morning we were up early and went straight to Robeson Community College where Book 'Em is held. This year I shared a table at the event with Karen McCullough. We hadn't met last year, but after almost 7 hours together that day we certainly got to know each other. :) I had fun talking to her about our books, publishing, candies, and giveaway goodies.

Anyone who has seen me at an event like this knows that I'm a major candy pusher. This year was no different. Last year it was cinnamon disks; this year it was Dove milk chocolates. Talk about a great way to get people to your table! I begged, pleaded, guilted, and pretty much threw chocolate at everyone who walked by. And Karen has peppermint, so we were commenting on how well chocolate and peppermint goes together. LOL! It was a fun time. I ended up giving away almost three bags of chocolates, and still had one bag that I HAD to bring back home. Not that I'm complaining about my chocolate stash, or anything. ;)

The best part of the day happened about an hour before the event was over........

I SOLD OUT!!

Well, technically, I sold out of all my copies of Time for Death (Liz Baker, book 1). But hey, that's still a thrilling moment for me. I got listed in the Book 'Em newsletter as one of the four authors who sold out this year. And next year... I'll be seated on the Bestsellers Hall!  Woohoo!!

Here are a few more pictures from Book 'Em NC 2013. I look forward to this even in 2014!

 

Left: Karen McCullough & Christie Silvers
Right: Tim & Christie Silvers
 

Heading to Lumberton, NC

As many of you already know, I'll be an attending author at the Book 'Em NC Writers Conference & Book Fair on Saturday in Lumberton, North Carolina. Since I live in Georgia, it'll take almost 7 hours to get there. Sooooo, I'm leaving in the morning and will arrive at my hotel around 3pm - 4pm tomorrow afternoon.

Friday evening there will be an author meet and greet. They'll feed us, give us drinks, and in turn all of us (and our guests) will chat it up and have a good ole time seeing old friends and making new ones. At least that's how it was last year. ;)  I had a great time in a room full of like-minded folk.

Then on Saturday morning we'll head to the college hosting the conference to set up our tables, chit-chat some more, and wait for the doors to open to the public at 9:30am. For the next 6 1/2 hours I'll meet lots of old, new, and potential readers, while doing my best to ply them with chocolates, bookmarks, business cards, and autographed copies of the Liz Baker series.

Since I know many of my readers can't or aren't able to attend, be on the look out next week for one of my goodie giveaways. I don't like people to feel left out.  :D  *Smooches*

If you're able to visit us in Lumberton be sure to stop by my table and say hello. I'll be on the 1st floor. 

WHEN: SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2013
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
WHERE: ROBESON COMMUNITY COLLEGE
LUMBERTON, NORTH CAROLINA
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
http://www.bookemnc.org/

The Next Big Thing Blog Hop

What is a blog hop? Basically, it’s a way for readers to discover authors new to them.  I hope you'll find new-to-you authors whose works you enjoy.  On this stop on the blog hop, you'll find a bit of information on me and one of my books and links to four other authors you can explore!

My gratitude to fellow author P.M. Terrell for inviting me to participate in this event.  You can click the following link to learn more about her work.  Website:   http://www.pmterrell.com/

In this blog hop, I and my fellow authors, in their respective blogs, have answered ten questions about our book or work-in--progress (giving you a sneak peek).  We've also included some behind-the-scenes information about how and why we write what we write--the characters, inspirations, plotting and other choices we make. I hope you enjoy it!

Please feel free to comment and share your thoughts and questions. Here is my Next Big Thing!

1: What is the title of your book?   Haunted by Death (Liz Baker, book 4)

2: Where did the idea come from for the book? Well, it's a series, so book 4 had to come about at some time or another. ;)

3. What genre does your book come under? Urban Fantasy (with a touch of naughtiness)!

4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?  Hmm... that's a tough one. Gosh, I don't know...  I'll have to think on that one.

5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? Liz is screwed over once again by her paranormal heritage.  ;)

6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency? I'm an indie author all the way, baby!

7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? First draft was nine months. However, during those months I was also dealing with major family issues such as my FIL's illness and subsequent passing, holidays, and birthdays. All of which slowed me down tremendously.

8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?  The other three Liz Baker books. LOL!  :D

9: Who or what inspired you to write this book? I don't know about inspiration. I just really felt the need to tell the next chapter in Liz's life. Maybe that means Liz was my inspiration. :D

10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? This time Liz isn't just dealing with vampires and werewolves, but also with a haunted landmark, power-filled flashbacks, a new addition to her army, and the betrayal of an ex-lover.

11: Why are you so much better-looking in person than in your photo? LMAO! I'm not sure that's true, but it is an interesting question. Maybe it's my sparkling personality? Yeah, let's go with that one!

***NOTE: While I was planning to do this blog hop about the 5th Liz Baker book, I simply don't have about answers about it to fill out the questions. There's no working title yet, and I don't know where the characters will take me. Maybe I can talk about it at the next blog hop. :) ***

Who’s next on the NEXT BIG THING BLOG HOP?

So glad you asked!

Below you will find authors who will be joining me by blog, next Wednesday. Do be sure to bookmark and add them to your calendars for updates on Works in Progress and New Releases! Happy Writing and Reading!

RaeAnne Hadley's blog: http://raeannehadleyromance.wordpress.com/ 

Langley Watts Cornwell's blog: http://langley-writes.blogspot.com/ 

Angel Sharum's blog: http://www.angelsharum.com/apps/blog/

Starting the Next One: Book 5

Hi, guys. I just wanted to stop by and let everyone know that I have started on book 5 of the Liz Baker series. It doesn't have a title yet, but I have a good idea as to where the story will go. At least right now I do. Sometimes my ideas for a story and the characters' ideas are worlds apart when we get to the "The End."

I'm *hoping* 2013 will be kinder to my family than 2012 was, thus allowing me to write and release two Liz Baker books this year (plus a short or two). *Fingers Crossed* I know many of you would like the books to come out faster, but I'm a mom to three girls and they have to come first.

With the loss of my father-in-law a few months ago, and getting all of his affairs in order, plus some of my rental property issues...... Well, let's just say it has been rough. Throw in the holidays, kids' school stuff, and conferences, and I've been fairly frenzied for about 5 months now. It's a wonder I remember to eat on a daily basis, and even that's iffy from time to time.

Anyway, enough rambling for now. I just wanted to share this little bit of news, and be on the lookout in the coming weeks for a title, cover, and (hopefully) release date.  :)

Characters: Getting to Know Rick Curry

It's been a little while since I've done a "Getting to know..." I think the last one was about Chad.  Ahhh... Chad.  *Dreamy*

*Cough* Oh, sorry. Rick... yeah... let's get to Rick. Rick is a hottie himself, but as Liz shows him, he has nothing on Chad. We all feel bad for Rick, but he bounces back quite quickly.  Maybe a little too quickly.  Hmmm....

Rick Curry is the kind of blond hair, blue eyed cutie with a sparkly smile that can make you swoon, but you know it won't last, and one of Liz's oldest friends. They've known each other since grade school. He was a tag-along pest until be finally broke Liz's barriers down and she welcomed him into her confidence. They went through a lot as teenagers, but it wasn't until their 20's, and some terrible relationships for them both, that Liz saw Rick's boyfriend potential.

For years, Rick and Liz would play the on-again-off-again relationship game. Rick wanted more from her than she was willing to give. He finally realized that if he wanted to have any sort of relationship with Liz, he'd have to play it by her convoluted rules. At one point he even got a tattoo of Liz's zodiac sign because she'd mentioned to another woman that she liked guys with tattoos.  Yeah, that was a stupid move.

Rick is a small town factory worker. He's 100% country boy with his jeans, boots, and pickup truck. He likes small town living and can't imagine ever leaving Tremmel Crossing, Georgia. He wants to settle down with his love, in a nice house and yard, and have a brood of little ones. This is not in line with Liz's ideas of her future. And when Rick gets a little too clingy/bossy, she ends their many years of back and forth. But will it be forever?

Upcoming Event: Book 'Em NC 2013

Last year, I attended a conference-slash-book fair in Lumberton, North Carolina. I had a great time meeting other authors and trying my best to entice new readers. Not to mention, meeting a couple of online friends face-to-face for the first time. It was so much fun that I immediately agreed to come back in 2013.

And now it's 2013! Wow! Where did 2012 go? No biggie, though. Let's just move on and start enjoying 2013. :)

Back to Book 'Em NC 2013...

I will be in attendance at Book 'Em NC on February 23, 2013. The night before is the author meet-n-greet with the actual conference & book fair the next morning. It's an all-day event (9:30am - 4pm) that's open to the public free of charge. There will be author talks, books for sale, authors on hand to autograph your books (even when our hands cramp from signing so many)... I think they're even having food stations this year. 

Oh, and lest I forget, there's a big children's section upstairs. Last year, they had face painting and people dressed up as storybook characters. All the kids in attendance looked quite happy. Then again, that could have been all the candy I had on my table when they came by. LOL. For a moment I actually wished we'd brought our own kids to enjoy it... and then I came to my senses. ;)

This is such a big event and it benefits the local area there in Lumberton that I don't know anyone who would pass up the chance to help out, or even stop by to check it all out.  Here's the description of the Book 'Em purpose from the website:

"The purpose of The Book 'Em Foundation and this event is to raise public awareness of the link between high crime rates and high illiteracy rates. Proceeds from the Book 'Em North Carolina book fairs go directly to increasing literacy in Robeson County, North Carolina and to reducing crime in the area."

Last year, there were over 2,000 people in attendance, with 75 authors, and they raised over $9,000 in only 6 hours for the community.

If you're anywhere near Lumberton on Feb. 23rd please stop by, even just for a moment, to check it out. You might even find yourself leaving with dozens of new books. I know I saw many people walking around with arm loads that day... several even left with some of mine. :D

For more details and directions, visit http://www.bookemnc.org .  And hey, if you stop by be sure to find my table and say hello. I love conversation with fellow book lovers.