Miro the Dragon, by Teresa Berg

I got to thinking that a lot of you have children and might appreciate a recommendation on books for them to read, so I decided to include a "Recommended Reading for Children" tab on my blog. I have grandchildren that enjoy reading and I happily buy or suggest books for them too.

Most of these books will be by writers that I have a personal (or at least an Internet) acquaintance with. As a writer myself, I am always interested in what other writers are doing, even if it isn't the type of book I am normally drawn to. I enjoy children's books and have even considered trying my hand at them, so who knows, you might see me posting one of my own here.. 

This little book caught my eye, so it will be the first of many! How cute is this cover?

Miro the Dragon by Theresa Berg

Miro the Dragon lives in a place called Drakonia, the land of dragons. He is a tiny little creature who is frightened by everything around him. Miro wants most of all to be a "real" dragon and sets out to accomplish that. He meets some unusual friends along his journey and learns many valuable lessons.

You can buy this book in paperback or as a digital download if your child has an e-reader. Just click on the blue link above the picture and it will take you to Amazon where you can read more about the book or the author. Be sure to stop back by and let me know how your child liked Miro the Dragon. I'll gladly pass the information on to the author!

Til next time...happy reading!

Let’s Go to the (Blog) Hop…

I can’t say often enough how great writers and bloggers are about helping each other out. It might be advice, proofreading for each other, sharing each other’s work or spreading the word about great promo opportunities.  When fellow writer, Langley Watts Cornwall, posted in a group on facebook about a Blog Hop, I was intrigued and quickly jumped on board.

So what is a Blog Hop, you might be wondering? Well, it kind of reminds me of an “old fashioned” chain letter type thing. Okay, now you are probably thinking “Oh no way,” but some of those chain letters were really cool, remember? I have done the recipe ones, where you add your name to a list and then send a recipe to the next three people, and then you end up getting several recipes mailed to you.  Ever done one of those?

Anyway, a Blog Hop just helps you to find really cool blogs that you may not otherwise know about. You will find great writers and see what they are up to. You will find other creative and interesting people who have decided to join us as well. So what do you have to do?

Technically, (and trust me, I am NOT a technical type person) all you have to do is read my blog, learn a little about what I am working on, and then follow the links I will provide to check out a few of my awesome friends. Their blog will have links to other blogs, and you can just keep blog hopping at your own leisure and enjoyment. Sounds cool, doesn’t it?

My Blog Hop post is scheduled to post on March 6^th, so be sure to Follow or Join my blog so you can keep up with all the neat stuff that writers, bloggers and creative types alike are up to! You can also click on Langley’s name up above and see what she is up to, and who is on her list for you to blog hop around to.

I have some very interesting people lined up to link you to when I post, and they in turn have found some more interesting people to introduce you to. You’ll learn about writing books, running websites and even a bit about herbs and natural treatments!

Tell your friends to stop by my blog and join in on the fun! Y’all can grab a cup of coffee, or whatever your preferred drink is, and hop around and meet some interesting people!

Until next time…write on! Donna

Silly Tree Anthologies Name that Title!

As I said in my last post, writers and authors are great about helping each other out. Silly Tree Anthologies is a brand new publication, organized by several writer friends. There goal is to help people get published. No, they don't pay money, right now, but that is not always the goal. Remember that writers have to get their name out there and need help with promotion!

Silly Tree Anthologies recently ran a contest to name their first book. The group had already chosen a theme for the first book and sent out a call for submissions. Which, by the way, I have already answered! The theme is "Love Gone Wrong." Anyway, they announced this contest to name the title of the book.

I submitted what I thought fit really well, and guess what? I won! The group at Silly Tree Anthologies thought my little old title was a great fit. By being selected as the winner, I will recieve a free digital copy of the book when it comes out. I am thrilled with that, but really I did it to help them out, and because I enjoy coming up with titles and such....at least for everyone else!

Anyway, the cover is fantastic and I wanted to give you guys a sneek peek! If you want to know more about Silly Tree Anthologies, you should check out their site HERE

The Self-Published Writer's Juggle...

I, along with many others, have chosen to be a self-published author. You will hear varied opinions about Indie authors versus traditionally published authors. Some writers have been traditionally published and changed to being an Indie author, or even Indie authors have been "discovered" by a great publishing company and decided to work with them. It really is a matter of what you are comfortable with.

Me, I am kind of a control freak, so I prefer full control over what I write, where it is published and what kind of cover goes on it. Sometimes, it can even be a financial decision that makes someone choose self-publishing. Most Indie authors are extremely talented writers, but they just don't have the money to pay editors, proofreaders, PR people and graphic artists. They need to make money from their writing now, not months or years in the future.

So, the only way to write and get published is to do it their self, and by that, I mean  Indie authors do nearly everything. It is not just a matter of writing the story and then waiting on royalties while writing another great story.

Before the first story is ever published, it must be perfectly formatted, proofread, edited and a brilliant cover added. Some Indie authors are able to pay for help with some of these things. Many rely on friends and other writers to help them. Some even barter to get services....I'll read yours if you read mine, or I'll edit for you, you design a cover for me. It works!

Self-published authors do not have a huge PR firm backing them either, so we must advertise and promote our own books. Deciding how and when to promote your latest work of art, can be a juggle in itself. Too much promotion and people will think you are just spamming them and won't bother to read the book, no matter how great it might be.

Too little promotion and the book will just sit there. Hmmm, where is the happy middle ground? It is a juggle for every author to figure out of they are doing enough, not enough, or way too much. It can be especially confusing for a new Indie author like me, just learning the ropes.

But, it can be a fun and rewarding experience. You will be so thrilled when that very first story goes live on Amazon, Smashwords or Barnes and Noble. Yes, it is a lot of hard work, but as the saying goes, "No pain, no gain."

Unitl next time...Happy writing and happy reading!