Author Kimberly T. Matthews

Sexting Leads to Spoonin'!

2012-02-25T00:53:00.000-05:00

"I know we r goin thru sum stuff rite now but you still look good :-)"

I rolled my eyes at Sydney's text and at the same time gleamed inside that he’d noticed. I mean what woman doesn’t want attention from the man she loves? Saying thank you didn’t seem appropriate, nor did any other response that came to mind, so I didn’t respond.

"Can we start dating again," - was his next text which made me crack a smile. I couldn’t say what had taken place in the past week that made him have a change of heart. All I know is I was desperate for him to love me. And my desperation made it so easy to find sincerity in his request, even it was only in my head.

"Dating?" - I didn’t want to seem too anxious.

"Yeah, u no, I come get u, take u out, we get to no each other all over again"

It did sound like fun, but we’re we beyond this?

"IDK"

"Y not. How else r we gonna bring r family back 2gether"

Our family? Did that include Carlos? I was too scared to ask.

"We’ll see"

"What kinda answer is dat?"

"That’s the best answer I can give right now"

He was silent for more than an hour but finally returned the text with:

"If I gotta fight 4 my family Im willing 2 do dat."

I was apprehensive at the notion that he wanted us to reconcile so quickly; what had changed over the past eight days that had him rethinking our break up? Tbut then again, maybe I was looking a gift horse in the mouth. I had been praying about our marriage, and regardless of what a great friend Yalisa had been, this wasn’t the best place for me to be with two babies – cramped up in a single bedroom with all of our belongings stuffed into a couple of trash bags. My mind flew back to the night before when I’d been randomly thumbing through my little pocket bible and read about Saul being converted to Paul. God had completely changed his life in a matter of minutes, so it was possible that Sydney had changed.

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Saturdays are Made for Spoonin'

2012-02-18T06:53:00.001-05:00

It's 6:30am on Saturday morning and I'm super sleepy, but excited because I'm on my way to Memphis, Tennessee for another book signing event!

I will be meeting with the ladies of R.A.R.E. Book Club for their 2nd Annual Tea and Social Networking Event.

This awesome book club entered my Spoonin' Book Club contest last year, helping me to celebrate the release of my novel Spoonin' (click here to read an excerpt!). As you can guess, their prize was . . . ME!

So off I go, laptop in tow! I'm looking forward to a great time with all who will attend and will keep you posted on my adventures via photos! In the mean time - you can pick up your own copy of Spoonin' right HERE or click the collage of book covers right here ------------>

Gotta go! My flight is boarding!

Spoonin' for Valentine's Day - Did You See the Size of that Rock??

2012-02-13T15:38:00.002-05:00

~

“Show me that rock girl,” Sydney grinned, then winked seductively. With a giggle I placed my hand into his; he kissed the backside then centered it on his crotch and I began fondling.

“Mmm,” he moaned. “Yeah, that’s it. Work that thing, baby.”

We’d played ‘show me the rock’ eight other times since he’d dressed my finger with his commitment. I’d show him the rock on my finger and he would show me the one in his pants. Once I got him to full attention, we would find somewhere to pull over and get our freak on. Didn’t matter where; sometimes it was right on the side of the road, as long as one of us kept our eyes open just in case a police cruiser rolled by. Other than that, every other driver on the highway was too busy trying to get to where they were going to pay much attention to us.

The first time we played, we made sure Casey was asleep then turned on a narrow little dirt road between some corn stalks, which was the perfect place for me to sit on the hood of the car, open my legs and show him how much I was looking forward to being his wife. For this round, I got on my knees turned towards the driver’s seat while he stood in the passenger door behind me, gripped my hips and laid his pipe. Woooo! I loved this game! It only took a couple of minutes per session but the risquéness made it so enjoyable. It was gonna be one of the things we did to keep our sex life hot and spicy once we tied the knot.
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Excerpt from the novel Spoonin'.
In stores NOW! Click to purchase.
Book and Kindle versions available.

Six-Diva Signing Saturday!

2012-02-11T10:43:00.003-05:00

~

Today I have the honor of sitting on a panel with five other writing divas as we reach out and connect with our readers. See the picture below? That's me with in the pink with the short hair!

What: Six Diva Signing!
Where: Mulberry Inn, Warwick Blvd, NN VA
When: 4pm
Date: Saturday, February 11, 2012

Only $15! There will be entertainment, door prizes, refreshments and of course Six Divas facilitating a discussion on love, relationships, books, and publishing!

Authors Attending:
Kimberly T. Matthews
Rachel Berry

Poncier Lynch

Rev. Gracie Jones

Stephanie C. Smith

Helen Noel

Can't make it? Just click the image below to check out my work!

Click this Image!

~

In the Spirit of KDP Select and Promos!

2012-02-06T11:39:00.002-05:00

~

In the spirit of KDP Select and free promo offers . . .

Don't just tell, but SHOW readers that YOUR ebook is available on their favorite ereader device with a Custom Ereader Image Display, showcasing YOUR book on the face of an Ipad, Kindle, Kindle Fire or Nook. Get an EReader Display Image for Your EBook!

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Note! - For KDP Select Authors, DON'T limit yourselves! Take advantage of this BOGO offer and get both a Kindle or Kindle Fire layout AND an Ipad layout, as the Kindle App can be downloaded onto the Ipad!

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You Never Forget Your First . . .

2012-02-05T09:19:00.005-05:00

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I try not to toot my own horn too much, but at the same time, let people know what it is I do . . . which is write books. I'm an author . . . with 13 published titles to date. Being an author, I always have to be on my marketing game, looking for and taking advantage of opportunities to increase my exposure and sales. That pretty much means tooting my own horn constantly but . . . (go back to the top of this post and start over).

Catch 22 right? Even so, I strive hard not to bombard people with constant self-promotion, and balance my blog posts and social network statuses with other stuff too. Maybe a point to ponder, something to generate a laugh, a promotion of someone else's work, or a post of complete and utter silliness. For an example - I posted yesterday:

If my name was Gretel, that witch would have been homeless (thoughts of a sugar addict).

One of the responses I got was:

[She'd be] sitting in the wood on a cardboard box holding fast to her last pack of Reese's Pieces.

That cracked me up for about an hour!

But back to my point . . . what I found is - when I take a break from saying "look at me and buy my stuff" and then return to it - someone always pops up and asks me something like:

Are you an author?
When does your first book come out
Is this your first book?
I just bought your first book. When does the next one come out?
I didn't know you had that many books out! I thought (book number x) was your only one!

Which always leads me back to . . . okay start reading this post from the top again!

Yesterday via Facebook, someone posted on my wall (paraphrased edition):

I saw your first book for sale in Citi Trends yesterday. I would have bought it but I already have your first book.

My response was:
Citi Trends??? (a fashion store for the younger generation)
Which book? (since I know my "first" book is currently out of print and pending its upcoming e-release).

Her response:
Your first one. It was $3.99

Hmmm . . . Now my first book - Promise You Won't Tell Nobody - is retail price is $11.95 - not to say that a retailer didn't find a case of them somewhere and mark them all down. But since that title was self published, there's no way they could be at a store like Citi Trends and I don't know about it. This led me to believe that she was referencing one of my six traditionally published mass market titles, which are priced at $6.99 retail, and could very well be discounted at $3.99. That's what makes sense to me . . . except by the time my first mass market title came along - I was already published three times.

So what "first book" was she talking about?? I have no idea because she didn't respond when I asked for more information.

So today's lesson is - it doesn't matter how many books you publish, readers always think that they first one they purchase was your first. I'm not complaining though. First, last, whatever. I appreciate anyone who purchases my work and they are welcomed to chronicle them in the order of their choosing.

And I guess I will be stopping by the two Citi Trends in my area to see which one of my first books they are selling . . . I am soooo excited about that! :-)

Click this Image!

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Who Needs Barnes and Noble Anyway? - Team Amazon!

2012-02-04T18:01:00.008-05:00

I've seen and read articles all over the place about Barnes and Noble's recent decision to no longer stock Amazon produced titles (or something like that). Some are saying that B&N is making a huge mistake, cutting of their nose to spite their face and/or committing business suicide. Personally, my feelings wouldn't be hurt if Team Amazon takes over and snuffs them out.

Clay and I at Borders

Sure, as an author and reader - thus lover of books, how can I resist a bookstore full of . . . well books! Then add on a cafe charging ridiculous prices for a cup of coffee and an over-sized cookie or cup of soup and ahhhh a book lover's heaven-on-earth for sure, right? I mean, after all - I actually got married at a bookstore!

Well as an author - my local Barnes and Noble has never shown much regard for me:

Despite me living right here in the area.
Despite me selling books hand over fist less than a block away at Borders
Despite me trying to book signings (while they did let me sign there ONE time . . . right beside another author)
Despite me providing bag stuffers for their customers to promote my signing (they sat on the Community Relations manager's desk until the day of my signing, then she handed them back to me.)

I could go on, but you get the picture. They just haven't really been key in my writing/publishing career. As a matter of fact - I can go in there right now and not find a single copy of anything I've been blessed to have in print (both self-published and traditionally published.)

Sooo . . . uh . . . if they want to jump off a proverbial bridge and meet their demise, my thoughts are "just say your prayers first."

With that said - I think Jeff Bezo and Team Amazon should open up (drum please) Kindle Cafes! (loud cheering from the crowd!) Now I will admit that I haven't thought this venture through - it just popped into my head earlier today, and I'm sure Mr. Jeff has a whole team of experts that could figure out the logistics.

In my mind - a Kindle Cafe would be like a bookstore with no books (well maybe just a few), but only super cushy chairs, and a coffee bar with pastries and snacks, discussion tables, and rooms for Book Club meetings, and auxiliary rooms where authors could hold book release parties and special author events. There would be a retail portion of the Kindle Cafe where patrons could get booky and writery stuff like journals, coffee mugs, pencils, and of course Kindles and wearables with Team Amazon printed on the front. And don't forget free wi-fi and a giant sized Kindle Fire for the Kid's Corner, where a Kindle Cafe staff member could touch-and-read books to kids.

Oh gosh! If there were a Kindle Cafe near me instead of a (rolling my eyes) Barnes and Noble, I'd surely camp out there in my Team Amazon hooded sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. And I might not ever go home.

I liked the idea so much, I found Jeff Bezo's email and pitched the idea. Of course I let him know that if he wanted to reward me with cash (or feature me on Amazon's home page - or put all of my books in the first 12 best seller slots - just in case he needed some reward options) for coming up with such a fantastic idea that I would not be offended. I left him my phone number so he could call at his leisure. I'm going to keep my cell phone near by just in case!

I'm Team Amazon Baby!

Click here to review (and purchase *wink) my titles at Amazon.

~

Have You Seen This? Another KDP Select Offer!

2012-02-03T08:21:00.003-05:00

Another great read brought to you for FREE thanks to Romance Author Chicki Brown and Amazon's KDP Select program.

Act fast because its only free today - February 3, 2012 through midnight!

Here the link - just click here!

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If you have an ebook, you can get a great looking image of an ereader showcasing your book just like the one you see here.

Take advantage of this buy one get one FREE offer and SHOW your readers that your book is available on their favorite ereader!

Kindle, Kindle Fire, Nook and Ipad layouts available. Just click here!

In the Spirit of KDP Select and Promos!

2012-02-02T05:42:00.013-05:00

~

In the spirit of KDP Select and free promo offers . . .

What an awesome way to promote your ebook!

Usually priced at $10ea, but for a limited time,
you can buy one image and get another for FREE!!

Limited time only.

Choose from Ipad, Kindle Fire, Kindle or Nook Layouts . . . Or Get a Combination of all Four!

What you will get:

- Super-fast turnaround (24-72 hours)

- a portion of all proceeds will be donated to http://www.kingsransomfoundation.org/

Buy one layout for just $10 and get the second one FREE!
Just complete the form below.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Share this BOGO offer with a friend -
Just click your favorite share button below.

Author's Tutorial - Writing Facial Descriptions

2012-01-30T00:44:00.001-05:00

Had to share Mark Nichols list! Good Stuff!

100 Words for Facial Expressions

by Mark Nichol @ marknichol.com

Face it — sometimes you must give your readers a countenance-based clue about what a character or a subject is feeling. First try conveying emotions indirectly or through dialogue, but if you must fall back on a descriptive term, try for precision:

1. Absent: preoccupied
2. Agonized: as if in pain or tormented
3. Alluring: attractive, in the sense of arousing desire
4. Appealing: attractive, in the sense of encouraging goodwill and/or interest
5. Beatific: see blissful
6. Bilious: ill-natured
7. Black: angry or sad, or see hostile
8. Bleak: see grim and hopeless
9. Blinking: surprise, or lack of concern
10. Blissful: showing a state of happiness or divine contentment
11. Blithe: carefree, lighthearted, or heedlessly indifferent
12. Brooding: see anxious and gloomy
13. Bug eyed: frightened or surprised
14. Chagrined: humiliated or disappointed
15. Cheeky: cocky, insolent
16. Cheerless: sad
17. Choleric: hot-tempered, irate
18. Coy: flirtily playful, or evasive
19. Crestfallen: see despondent
20. Darkly: with depressed or malevolent feelings
21. Deadpan: expressionless, to conceal emotion or heighten humor
22. Dejected: see despondent
23. Derisive: see sardonic
24. Despondent: depressed or discouraged
25. Doleful: sad or afflicted
26. Dour: stern or obstinate; see also despondent
27. Downcast: see despondent
28. Dreamy: distracted by daydreaming or fantasizing
29. Ecstatic: delighted or entranced
30. Etched: see fixed
31. Faint: cowardly, weak, or barely perceptible
32. Fixed: concentrated or immobile
33. Furtive: stealthy
34. Gazing: staring intently
35. Glancing: staring briefly as if curious but evasive
36. Glaring: see hostile
37. Glazed: expressionless due to fatigue or confusion
38. Gloomy: see despondent and sullen
39. Glowering: annoyed or angry
40. Glowing: see radiant
41. Grim: see despondent; also, fatalistic or pessimistic
42. Grave: serious, expressing emotion due to loss or sadness
43. Haunted: frightened, worried, or guilty
44. Hopeless: depressed by a lack of encouragement or optimism
45. Hostile: aggressively angry, intimidating, or resistant
46. Hunted: tense as if worried about pursuit
47. Impassive: see deadpan
48. Inscrutable: mysterious, unreadable
49. Jeering: insulting or mocking
50. Languid: lazy or weak
51. Leering: see meaningful; also, sexually suggestive
52. Meaningful: to convey an implicit connotation or shared secret
53. Mild: easygoing
54. Mischievous: annoyingly or maliciously playful
55. Moody: see sullen
56. Pained: affected with discomfort or pain
57. Pallid: see wan
58. Peering: with curiosity or suspicion
59. Peeved: annoyed
60. Petulant: see cheeky and peeved
61. Pitying: sympathetic
62. Pleading: seeking apology or assistance
63. Pouting: see sullen
64. Quizzical: questioning or confused
65. Radiant: bright, happy
66. Roguish: see mischievous
67. Sanguine: bloodthirsty, confident
68. Sardonic: mocking
69. Scornful: contemptuous or mocking
70. Scowling: displeased or threatening
71. Searching: curious or suspicious
72. Set: see fixed
73. Shamefaced: ashamed or bashful
74. Slack-jawed: dumbfounded or surprised
75. Sly: cunning; see also furtive and mischievous
76. Snarling: surly
77. Sneering: see scornful
78. Somber: see grave
79. Sour: unpleasant
80. Stolid: inexpressive
81. Straight-faced: see deadpan
82. Sulky: see sullen
83. Sullen: resentful
84. Taunting: see jeering
85. Taut: high-strung
86. Tense: see taut
87. Tight: see pained and taut
88. Unblinking: see fixed
89. Vacant: blank or stupid looking
90. Veiled: see inscrutable
91. Wan: pale, sickly; see also faint
92. Wary: cautious or cunning
93. Wide eyed: frightened or surprised
94. Wild eyed: excited, frightened, or stressful
95. Wistful: yearning or sadly thoughtful
96. Withering: devastating; see also wrathful
97. Woeful: full of grief or lamentation
98. Wolfish: see leering and mischievous
99. Wrathful: indignant or vengeful
100. Wry: twisted or crooked to express cleverness or a dark or ironic feeling

Get your custom ereader image featuring the cover of YOUR book as an Kindle, Kindle Fire, Nook and/or Ipad display and increase your marketing efforts! SHOW your readers that your book is available on their favorite reading device. Only $10 per image (discounts available for 3 or more images!) Just click HERE!

Ebooks - More Than a Passing Fancy

2012-01-30T00:34:00.001-05:00

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The results from the Book Industry Study Group’s “Consumer Attitudes Toward E-Book Reading” survey per Publishers Weekly:

Kindle and Nook are growing in popularity.

Even those who were reading e-books before on different platforms are jumping on the Kindle/Nook bandwagon. Yes, more e-book readers are now opting to use dedicated e-readers to read their e-books. Fewer people are reading e-books on a computer, and owners of e book devices by more books . . . but spend less money since e books are considerably less expensive than their physical counterparts.

Fans of the e-book are growing.

People who were e-book readers before are becoming even more devoted to the electronic versions of books. In fact, their purchases of e-books have only continued to rise, while their purchases of print books continue to fall. About 67% of e-book buyers said they increased their spending on e-books since last fall; 45% said they reduced spending on hardcovers.

Amazon Remains in the Lead.

Amazon is the leader in the book-selling industry, E-books included. More than 70% of e-book buyers report making their purchases through Amazon. Barnes and Noble remains a distant second (27%), with the iBookstore and iTunes remaining below 10%.

The Price Is Right!.

One of the greatest appeals of the e-book has always been the price. But e-book prices have actually risen over the last year (around 25%) which e-book readers claim has prevented them from purchasing more e-books. (Imagine what the stats would be if the prices had remained the same!)

Free Excerpts Sell Books.

According to e-book readers, having access to free chapters or samples had the biggest impact on getting them to buy an e-book. In fact, this seems to be more of a decision-maker than online reviews.

So, authors, keep those e-books coming. They just may be your path to the bestseller list!

Amazon Kindle: Publish or Perish!

2012-01-25T12:37:00.000-05:00

~

Originally Posted by Jim Edwards - http://www.igottatellyou.com/blog/amazon-kindle-publish-or-perish/

How important is it to publish your ebook for e-readers like Amazon Kindle and Nook, and tablets like iPad or Android devices?

According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, “tablet and e-book reader ownership nearly doubled over the holiday gift-giving period.” That means, almost 1 out of every 3 Americans now owns at least 1 tablet or e-reader device. With both Amazon and Barnes and Noble offering e-readers below the $100 mark, this upward ownership trend is expected to continue. What makes this even more exciting is that the group with the largest percentage of ownership also had the highest income level at $75,000+ per year.

In non-scientific terms, here’s what those stats mean for people who publish and sell ebooks (or those who want to).

Money To Spend On eBooks:
The people who own the highest percentage of e-readers and tablets also make the most money and, presumably, have the most disposable income. This means they have credit and can afford to buy virtually all the ebooks they want without hesitation. They bought their tablets and e-readers and now they want to use them, which means buying ebooks from Amazon Kindle Store, Barnes & Noble, and Apple iBooks (among others).

Ebooks Are Now Mainstream:
One in 3 people has an e-reader or tablet. Getting to one out of 2 shouldn’t take much time at all because everyone sees everyone else using one. It’s cool to use one and be seen as everything from “green” (no paper, tree-killing books for me) to high-tech (is that the latest iPad?) to cool (wow, neat Bluetooth keyboard with your iPad)! Reading an ebook is now just as “normal” as reading a paperback. This also means less resistance to never getting something physical in the mail and understanding that all you’ll every receive is a file on your e-reader or tablet (a real point of confusion and resistance for many consumers just a few short years ago).

Wider, More Diverse Audience:
“Everyone” means everyone! Heck, my mom even has an iPad now AND a Kindle e-reader. This means markets previously closed to most ebook authors (fiction in particular) are now ripe for the picking. If you’ve got a quality ebook aimed at a specific target audience, your chances of making consistent, significant sales rate better than ever (especially without a traditional publisher).

Consumption Will Increase:
More people with ebook readers means more demand for ebooks, which leads to more ebook consumption. Think about it! Devices like Amazon’s Kindle, Kindle Fire, Apple’s iPad, and the Barnes & Noble Nook are, at their core, content consumption devices. People buy them to read books, watch movies, download content and use apps. Some of the content will obviously be free, but much of it will cost from $.99 up to $14.99. And it doesn’t take long for the billions to pile up with millions of people spending a few bucks on digital goods every single day.

Less Resistance = Easier eBook Sales
It takes FAR less education or explanation to make the sale of an ebook now. People just log on to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Apple’s App Store, pick out what they want, click a couple of buttons, download, and start reading. It’s now as natural as buying a regular book, only without the drive, traffic, gas, or hassle at the counter. Ebooks now make for instant gratification and the ultimate impulse purchases.

So, let’s answer that question, shall we: How important is it to publish your ebook for e-readers like Kindle and Nook, and tablets like iPad or Android devices?

Bottom line: it’s now CRITICAL to publish your ebooks for all of these devices because they will shortly represent the majority of all ebook sales worldwide (if they don’t already). And the importance of using all of these ebook distribution channels to get your ebook (or a version of your ebook) out there into the ebook marketplace will only increase. The age of the ebook is upon us along with the age of the ebook megastore. So, if you want to make it in the world of ebooks, you’d better get your ebook onto the virtual bookstore shelves the majority of the world’s consumers are browsing.

By the way, here’s what the smartest authors do to get their Kindle ebooks written, formatted, published, and selling in less than 7 days. Check it out, but only if you’re serious about making money and building fame as a published ebook author: Click here for Ebook Secrets Exposed - How to Make Massive Amounts of Money in Record Time With Your Own eBook.

~

Ebook Publishing Tips - Join the Ranks of Successful Ebook Publishers

2012-01-25T09:38:00.001-05:00

Publishing an ebook on your own is not as hard as you may imagine. In fact, the self-publication of one or more ebooks a month is a very simple task. When you consider how to publish an ebook you should look into ebook publication software. There are numerous software companies that produce programs that you can use to properly format your written book into an ebook file. This includes chapter presentation and download protection.

You can then hire a freelance web designer or a major web design firm to build you a website wherein you will promote and sell your ebooks. You do not have to invest in costly credit card software but can instead use a company like PayPal to handle all your incoming payments and downloads. However, if you want to appear more professional you may wish to consider investing in a credit card merchant account.

The only major downside when you think about how to publish an ebook is the marketing end of the spectrum. If you are not completely immersed in the world of online publishing and don't have connections within the ebook community, you may find it nearly impossible to market your ebook on your own, unless you are able to invest a great deal of money. However, if you are creative and have a few extra bucks laying around to market your books, then you may be able to produce a substantial amount of income each month from your ebook publications.

Get a custom ereader image showcasing your ebook! SHOW your readers that your book is available on their favorite ereader device.
Available in Kindle, Kindle Fire, Nook and Ipad styles.

Just click here!

Click here for Ebook Secrets Exposed - How to Make Massive Amounts of Money in Record Time With Your Own eBook.

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Borders Bookstore Romance Section - Love Found

2012-01-24T08:59:00.000-05:00

No one could be more saddened to see the closing of the Borders Bookstore chain than Clay and I. Borders will always have a special place in my heart, because it's the place where we not only met (as I was signing copies of my novel The Perfect Shoe), but where we also married.

Yep - right in the middle of Borders Bookstore.

Kimberly and Clay's Wedding at Borders Bookstore

I've always had fantastic book signings at Borders, using my awesome creative talent mixed with a little salesmanship to quickly sign 100 books in a two hour period without even having to advertise the signing event. Because of this, my local Borders would let me do pretty much anything I wanted in their store...including have my wedding there. The full story of how we came to have our wedding at Borders, though unique and beautifully unorthodox, is actually quite sad and tragic. I'll keep it short. (Click below to enhance your reading experience.)

Clay and I had planned a beautiful church wedding, with all the white bells and whistles that any bride would have dreamed of, planning to wed on a cool Sunday evening. I'd stroll down the aisle to Chrisette Michelle's Golden, in a golden gown, with a bouquet, not of flowers, but a handmade bouquet of gold and clear beads and wire. We'd planned some pretty unique things - Clay was to put a toe ring on my toe, we'd do a sand mixing ceremony, and there was to be a six-minute portrait painting on a huge 8 x 5 canvas, while Fred Hammond sang "No Greater Love". (Yes, we had found an incredibly talented artist who had practiced dashing paint on the canvas and creating our images in just six minutes).

At the time that were planning our fabulous day, I had just completed writing my novel A Little Hurt Ain't Never Hurt Nobody, which captured every wedding detail perfectly, knowing that we'd be married before the book released, and had submitted it to the publisher. That was the closest I'd come to actually having that wedding. Tragically, with no advanced warning, and out of the clear blue sky, Clay's father suffered a heart attack and suddenly passed away on the eve of the wedding - just before the rehearsal dinner. As you can imagine, Clay, his mom, and his brothers were devastated.

Naturally, the wedding was postponed as Clay's family was consumed with shock, grief, and pain that I can't even imagine, as both my parents are still living today.

Anyway - fast forward to six months (and several thousand dollars, outdated invites, a stack of favors, a huge unpainted canvas, an unused limo, a lost reception, honeymoon cancellation fees, and so on and so on) later. We still wanted to get married but the thought of re-doing a huge day was overwhelming for Clay. I couldn't possibly force him to try to recreate an event that would surely bring back such painful memories, so . . .

I'd already nailed down a signing event at Borders, and as always - I was looking for that extra creative edge to make the signing explosive, so I said . . .

"You know what would be cool?"

"What?" Clay said.

"If we got married at the very place we met."

"At Borders?" he asked?

"Yep."

In our minds, we ran through the logistics, and gave Borders a call. They agreed to let me set up our 11 foot arch, decorate it with tulle and flowers, which I used as the backdrop for my signing event that day, then allowed me to use the manager's office as a dressing room where I got my make up done, changed into my gown, and glammed up. While I primped in the office, our friends showed up, having been invited via Evite and word-of-mouth only a few days before, gathered between rows of books and waited for my entrance.

Instead of Chrisette, Jamie Foxx serenaded my walk with When I First Saw You, (click below to enhance your reading experience).

Kimberly and Clay's Wedding at Border's Bookstore

I held my custom-made bead bouquet (which I still have by the way) and my son Drea escorted me down the aisle, with my train following. Clay, in his tuxedo, stood waiting under the decorated arch, flanked by Davion (serving as the best man I suppose), and our Pastor. No parents, no family, other than Drea and Davion - just whoever made their way out to Borders that evening. Every customer inside (and outside of Borders) watched us exchange vows, and we did get Fred to fly back out (via CD) to sing for the communion and sand mixing part of the service. Shortly after, was the big kiss, which included a large dip on the end, for which I had to hold on to my tiara, and we were introduced for the first time as Mr. and Mrs. Clay R. Hooker Jr. Wedding cake was then served to our guests in the cafe portion of the store, where they greeted and congratulated us. And when I least expected it, Clay got down on one knee and slid a beautiful gold toe ring on my toe...just like I'd wanted. How's that for African American Romance?

In the whole scope of things, it was as memorable a day as any wedding could be . . . and I sold A LOT of books that day too. *wink!*

Too bad Borders is gone now . . . but we have pictures to show that it DID exist!

Click HERE to purchase a copy of A Little Hurt Ain't Never Hurt Nobody
Click HERE to purchase a copy of Bubbling Brown Sugar
Click HERE to purchase a copy of my latest book Spoonin'

Click HERE to like me on Facebook.

I Got Caught Cheating!

2012-01-23T19:49:00.002-05:00

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To fully enjoy this post - click the play button below.

I hate cheating. I hate songs about cheaters. - Secret Lovers, As We Lay, any song that has to do with someone indulging in sexual pleasures with someone they ain't got no business laying up with just makes me shake my head in disgust (although I'll admit that musically, Me and Mrs. Jones is a hard one not to like). I am irritated by people who brag about cheating - like it's honorable and they should get some kind of award. As if what they are doing isn't hurting someone somewhere - wreaking emotional havoc on the lives of their families, or maybe just a husband or wife. Cheating is awful. Nothing good ever comes from it.

So it is with great shame that I make this public confession that I've cheated. Yep. I have. Multiple times. Sigh. (SMH at myself). Somehow, some way, I found myself caught up in a nasty, shackling, sordid affair. It's been an awful, unfulfilling, shameful and damaging experience. But it's nothing that I can't come back from.

Now before you throw rocks and start sharing my confession with all your friends - hear me out. I didn't do the oochie-coochie with some man who was not my husband, (the most compassionate, loving and romantic man in the world) or some woman for those of you who started the whole "Kimberly is now gay" rumor. I cheated on myself. Betrayed myself. Broke my own trust. Yeah. It's sad but true.

I knew better than to give those cookies the time of day. I mean, I already knew they were no good and just full of it (sugars and bad stuff that is). And yes, I knew the same thing about the ice cream and other processed foods. But stupidly, I thought I wouldn't, I couldn't get caught out there dealing with the ramifications that this type of affair brings.

I promised myself that I wouldn't get emotionally connected, and after the first time, I felt guilty and said it would never happen again, but I was only fooling myself. Before I knew it, I was cuddling up watching movies and late-night TV with sugary midnight snacks, instead of embracing the foods that truly loved me and my body. I pretended to find fault with the good stuff, the right stuff (fruits and veggies) - ignoring, ducking and hiding from them, hoping that they hadn't noticed that I'd come in the grocery store and had made a quick dash around a corner to the aisles where my guilty pleasures called out to me. Then I'd be scorned and angry when I couldn't find my favorites in the store, wondering why all of a sudden they were missing in action, making me chase them down all around the city. They were probably laid up with some other woman! The nerve!

Last week - I came to my senses when I opened up my cabinet and saw 5, FIVE bags of potato chips. Different varieties, and every single bag opened. There were plain chips, sour cream and onion chips, chili and cheese chips, cheddar cheese chips, and ridged chips. It didn't matter that I had produce in the fridge. Who was I kidding? The grapes, strawberries, watermelon, tomato, cucumber and a little salad mix that were there had all started to go bad and had to be thrown out. I tried to paint the picture of a healthy, wholesome and right relationship in the refrigerator, but lurking in the dark shadows of the pantry cabinet was the truth. I was a cheater. NO WONDER my old clothes decided to pack themselves away and leave me!

Busted, there was nothing else I could do but have a long conversation with myself - belly, butt and thighs included. I had to confess, repent and beg myself for forgiveness. I was reminded of how much I really do love real food, and what an incredible and loving relationship we' ve had over the years. Those foods really did do right by me and kept me pleased and satisfied. Some of my absolute favorite meals had been comprised of fresh fruits and vegetables, (Mediterranean Chicken Wraps for example). My straying away had been stupid, foolish and selfish as well as unnecessary.

In my efforts to restore a right relationship, I had to promise to avoid the aisles of the grocery store and shop the perimeters instead, where the REAL food is. I had to promise to eat fresh foods at EVERY meal. No more hot dogs with a side of chips and a glass of Hawaiin Punch as a meal. I had to promise that if I do have a craving for chips, or cookies, or ice cream that I will only buy a single serving - not a large bag, package or box, making it too easy to have some now AND have some more later.

A better choice over sugary processed foods.

Thankfully, with these promises in place, I was willing to give myself another chance. It's going to take some counseling and some work, but I'm going to prove to my body and my clothes that they can once again trust me. I look forward to reconciling with my size eights.

While I do that - I invite you to have a bit of
Bubblin' Brown Sugar. Just click the link. It's calorie free; I promise!

~

It's Almost Valentines Day - Where's Your Man?

2012-01-23T05:39:00.000-05:00

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and every store around the nation has filled at least one full aisle with flowers, cards, candy, teddy bears and balloons, knowing that every good man who has a woman is ready to spend money on the woman he loves.

My question to my lady friends is -
Will your Good Man still be around by then?

Are you making silly and down right crazy mistakes to chase your Good Man away, Making it easy for The Clean Up Woman?

Well there is help for you! And today, January 23, 2011, you don't even have to pay for this help - its FREE!
Download your copy of the Amazon Number 1 Best Seller:

101 Easy Ways to Lose a Good Man Without Cheating on Him
- a witty, humorous, easy-to-read and follow guide for KEEPING - instead of losing your man.

Now ladies, you can say what you want - but FIVE out of FIVE men agree that this guide is filled with things that would make any Good Man think twice about continuing in a relationship. Don't make (or continue to make) these same mistakes . . . unless you want to see your man on the arms of another woman.

Don't get your feelings hurt on Valentine's Day - download your copy TODAY and find out what you are doing to lose your Good Man! Just click here.

Should You Make Your EBook Free?

2012-01-09T09:10:00.003-05:00

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One author's take on making a title available for download at the price of FREE!
With permission from Stephanie Haddad

Why Free Was For Me - Stephanie Haddad

If you’ve been following my announcement over the past month, you might have caught on to the fact that I’ve made my novel, A Previous Engagement, free as an ebook. (Paperbacks aren’t free, sorry…LOL). You can download it just about anywhere: Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo, and iTunes. It was a risky move, just giving away my work, but it was one I felt I needed to make.

See, to be totally honest, before I made that novel free to download, sales weren’t going so great for me. I’d hand-sold about 100 paperback copies (of my two titles combined) and only about 30 of the ebooks. Sure, that’s a great start for an independent self-pubbed author like myself, but I knew I could be in better shape. After all, A Previous Engagement had been out for about five months in December and I hadn’t reached anywhere near the audience I knew I could. Ads, giveaways, and guest blogs were helping, but barely. And with a second title WAY under-performing the first after two months out, I was heading downhill. My self-publishing career was costing me more than it was earning me.

That’s when I knew it was time to take matters into my own hands.

I thought long and hard, made lots of lists, and consulted some of my friends in the Indie Author Group on Facebook. In the end, it was their advice that really got me leaning towards making one of my titles free. Many had shared their stories with me, especially how a free ebook had helped them to gain exposure, reach new readers, and ultimately, resulted in more sales of their other titles. With two books out, I knew making one free could help me sell the other. And since I plan to publish three more novels in 2012, I hoped reaching new readership would have a domino effect on all my titles’ sales.

So I did it. On December 9, 2011, one month ago today, I made A Previous Engagement free and lowered the price of Love Unlistedto just 99-cents. That was a big jump from my asking price of $2.99 for each title. I was risking quite a bit of potential profit, but I knew from experience in retail that you’ll sell more volume at a lower price. In the end, provided you reach as many new customers as you hoped, your sales dollars will be greater when selling at the lower price. But you’re not reading this for a basic consumerism lesson, you want to know what happened…

Well, a few things happened. First of all, I hit 1000 downloads of my free title in about 9 days. Today, one month later, I’m closing in quickly on 5,000 downloads. I’m averaging about 150-200 downloads every single day, and they’re coming from all outlets, iTunes especially. Here’s some other fun facts about what a free book will do for an indie author’s reach:

I’ve gathered 470 ratings and about 30 reviews on iTunes for my free title.
And about 20 ratings for my second novel (the 99-cent one).
I reached the #4 spot on the top free downloads for contemporary romance novels on iTunes.
The was listed on several popular sites as a free title, reaching lots of new readers. Check out GetFreeEbooks.com for one example.
I’ve gathered almost 50 reviews on Barnes & Noble (2 for Love Unlisted so far.)
My sales of Love Unlisted were multiplied 10 times over. I sold 4 copies in November, compared to over 40 copies in December alone!
I’ve added about 20 new fans to my Facebook page!
My blog went from averaging 8 hits per day to averaging over 40 hits per day!

So while it’s early days still, and I have new titles to publish and promote, I have to say that the first results of this freebie experiment are all positive. Not every rating is a 5-star one, not every review is glowing, but the point is that people are reading. And when they like what they read, they’re buying my next book. I’m not going to be a millionaire any time soon, but I’m just happy my books are being read.

At the end of the day, isn’t that why we write our books anyway?

Original post - http://www.stephaniehaddad.com/fiction/?p=487#comment-475

Click here for Ebook Secrets Exposed - How to Make Massive Amounts of Money in Record Time With Your Own eBook.

Free Offers for your Readers - The Power of the List!

2012-01-02T22:51:00.004-05:00

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Do you offer your readers and site visitors anything free?
A free ebook, newletter, list of helpful tips . . . anything?

I remember a song taught to me in elementary school that went like this . . . (eh, eh hem!)

Love is nothing 'til you give it away, give it away, give it away
Love is nothing 'til you give it away; you'll end up having more.

It's just like a magic penny
Hold it tight and you won't have any
Lend it, spend it and you'll have so many, they'll roll all over the floor - for

Love is nothing 'til you give it away, give it away, give it away
Love is nothing 'til you give it away; you'll end up having more.

So you might be thinking, okay, if I give something away, what is it that I'm going to have more of? That's easy! Simply ask for their email address so that you can build your list of contacts. A list is a powerful tool when it comes to marketing your book or business. To prove to you how powerful a list is, think about how every single time a site/service/organization offers you the convenience of setting up and account with them by simply using your Facebook information. If you choose to do this, that organization clearly tells you that they will have access to your wall AND YOUR FRIENDS LIST . . . they are after your friends, to build their lists.

They are offering you something for free (log in using your Facebook info)
Getting your information (your Facebook info, likes etc) and
Peeking at your friends (working on a larger customer base)

Pretty nifty huh?

So what do you do with a list? Keep your readers informed, let them know of your new book releases, special offers and the like. Just say hello, or Happy New Year! Bottom line - a list is invaluable for growing your business and increasing your sales/readership.

And since you are here - here's something free from me, just for dropping by! :-)

Click here for Ebook Secrets Exposed - How to Make Massive Amounts of Money in Record Time With Your Own eBook.

The Top Seven Mistakes eBook Authors Make

2011-12-31T06:06:00.002-05:00

Posted with permission from:

EBooks are the hottest thing going on the Web right now! Authors with the entrepreneurial instinct are making anywhere from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars per month - that's right, per month - by selling ebooks online. Why are some authors doing so much better than others? We've discovered seven key mistakes that most ebook authors make (and in doing so, hold themselves back from major success):

1. They don't write to a specific, target audience.

The biggest mistake most ebook authors make is they don't clearly define, identify and visualize who they are selling their ebook to. On the Web, to be successful, you must write to a specific group of people who have specific interests. Make sure that you know exactly who is going to buy your ebook, and where you can find them online.

2. They don't automate as many of their business activities as possible.

Selling ebooks, though it is highly profitable, is not a business where you make hundreds of dollars per sale. Automate everything you can - credit card processing, ebook delivery, as much technical support as possible. If you can't automate a function, delegate it to someone else.

3. They don't have a compelling title for their ebook.

Use words that convey the benefit of what's in the ebook, as well as words your audience is familiar with. A bad title for an ebook: "Online Marketing for Newbies." A good title for the same ebook: "97 Ways to Promote Your Website - No Experience Required."

4. They try to cover too much ground.

Many ebook authors convey a lot of information but don't cover anything in-depth. As a result, they never fully explain anything in enough detail to provide any useful value to their readers. This is a very bad mistake to make, especially when it comes to how-to ebooks, which happen to be the best type to write.

5. They are not proactive in their marketing.

It would be nice if marketing for your ebook simply happened on its own - but it doesn't. You have to do it yourself. After you've promoted your ebook to the people on your own mailing list (if you have one), then you have to contact other Website owners and persuade them to be your affiliates. You should do this continually.

6. They don't differentiate their ebook from its competitors.

When you choose your topic, even if there are a hundred other ebooks out there on same general subject, choose an

angle for yours that will make it easy for yours to be distinguished from the others. For example, right now job-hunting ebooks are very popular. There are dozens that are big sellers. "Secrets of Breaking Into Pharmaceutical Sales" has a very specific title that sets it apart from the competition, and is aimed at a clearly identified target audience. Incidentally, it's selling very well itself.

7. They write ebooks that nobody will pay for.

Many ebook authors write about information that either people can get for free, or that people are not actually interested in enough to pay for the information. Before you invest weeks or months into the writing of your ebook, invest a little time investigating whether other ebooks in the same subject area are selling on the Web.

So, there you have it - the seven big mistakes to avoid.

Remember, the opportunities are plentiful - and huge - right now for anyone who wants to become a best-selling ebook

author. Simply use common sense, follow our advice, and let your literary career flourish!

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Jim Edwards and David Garfinkel are co-authors of " Ebook Secrets Exposed : How to Make Massive Amounts of Money
in Record Time With Your Own eBook (whether you wrote it or not!)," the authoritative guide to publishing and marketing
ebooks on the Web.

Guerrilla Marketing author Jay Conrad Levinson says, "If there ever was a 'must-read' for this century, it's this book." For more information Click here ==> Ebook Secrets Exposed

Novel Writing Tips - Four Tips to Getting Started

2011-12-06T08:35:00.001-05:00

One of the most interesting endeavors that a person can probably undergo is novel writing. In fact if you are someone who has experience in fictional writing, switching to novel writing is quite easy. In writing a novel, keep in mind your reader's interest first. Here are some novel writing tips to help you have a good start.

Tip number one. Story plot and outline.
It is a very vital step to prepare a story plot and outline, actually one of the characteristics of a novel is its complicated plot and story. For this reason, outlining your work before even starting can greatly lend a hand in making your work run smoothly.

Tip number two. Genre selection.
Novels can tackle anything about romance, horror or mystery. Whatever genre you would want to write about, all of it requires meeting its challenges and demands. It also necessitates a little bit of research especially if the story involves cultural differences or traditions, as well as places in different countries. Romance types of novels may not entail as much researching as science fiction does or those that may require thorough research, but still, a vivid, almost real description and the idea that the characters do exist is very vital.

Tip number three. Make your plot unique as much as possible
Take note that readers are always hungry for something new, thus make it a point to write stories that are not too predictable. The element of surprise should be present since it will keep your reader's reading from chapter to chapter until the end of the book.

Tip number four. Submit your work for editing and proofreading.
Writers tend to write without much thinking about grammar, spelling and sentence construction; most often, ideas are just written directly on paper. Thus, another novel writing tips is to seek editor's help and proofread in order to help you achieve quality output and professional work.

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Click here for Ebook Secrets Exposed - How to Make Massive Amounts of Money in Record Time With Your Own eBook.

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10 Christmas Gift Ideas for Writers

2011-12-04T09:19:00.005-05:00

I just asked Clay what kind of Christmas gift would he think I'd want as a writer. He thought for a few minutes and said he would take a walk through a book store and just . . . look around. You know, peruse through in hopes that something would catch his eye as a good gift. In his imaginary walk, he ended up with a day planner.

Well, Clay (and others who are clueless as to what to get a writer) - any gift is a great gift, but let me help you out a little bit!

1 - Paper...mainly for the printer
We writers do lots of printing and editing and we always need paper to print on. There is nothing worse than trying to print out the latest version of a manuscript and there's not enough paper on hand to complete the job.

2 - Ink...in different forms
This might be the only thing worse than running out of paper! If there is not enough paper, we might be resourceful enough to print on the backs of something that was previously printed. However if we run out of ink - we have to stop our creative flow completely and run to the store. It's helpful to have ink at hand! Throw in a couple of ink pens too - multicolored pens are always nice! And if you really want to go big, a collection of Sharpies! Ooooo!

3 - Book Store Gift Cards
Writers love books. We love things that bookstores sell that are not books. Notepads, and coffee mugs, and pens and puzzles. Journals and calendars and letters carved from wood. Colorful pencils, and pencil pouches, and a cup for paperclips. You can't go wrong with a nice Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble gift card.

4 - Coffee Shop Gift Cards
Books and coffee go hand in hand. Who doesn't love a book and a Starbucks cup filled with something yummy? Even if the writer in your life doesn't like coffee, we like the authory look of that warm cup. If you don't want to go the Starbucks route (as they are waaaaaayyy overpriced), find a special mug - maybe one with our initial and over sized, and pair it with a selection of gourmet coffees, hot chocolates, flavored ciders, and/or teas. Mmmm!!

5 - A Portable USB External Storage Drive
Bigger than a flash drive, and holds a ton of material, an external storage drive makes a fantastic gift for holding ALL manuscripts, drafts, edits, book covers, random thoughts and other important things that a writer would have a breakdown over if they were ever lost via a tragic computer crash.

6 - A New Journal
Yes - we probably have 1,000 of these already, but we can never have enough of these. New journals spark new ideas, whether those ideas are story and plot oriented, task oriented, goal oriented, or a ton of other things. Sparks start flying when we see a new journal

7 - A Subscription to Writer's Digest
Help us keep up with what's going on in the world of writing by doing a simple subscription. It's not very costly and makes a great investment into our writing careers. If you do this, be sure to buy the current issue from the store while you wait for the subscription to kick in.

8 - An Ereader Device
The Kindle leads the way in ereaders, but there are others to choose from. There's the Nook, the Ipad, the new Kindle Fire, which is selling like crazy, and some others. Today's writer, regardless of how much they love the feel of a book in their hands, will truly appreciate an ereader once in hand.

9 - A Pair of Headphones
These can be used to plug into our new ereaders, or allow us to listen to music from our laptops while we sit and bed and write, without disturbing the loved one sleeping besides us (or others in the house). If we need to edit a recording for a video book trailer, these come in handy there too - so you don't have to hear it a million times over while we get it just right!

10 - A Basket with All of the Above
Oh! How great it would be to open a box that had a basket inside filled with all of these things! Throw in the new Forever Lazy Snuggie thingy (or some footed PJs) and you will undoubtedly be remembered all year long!

List your other ideas below!

Click here for Ebook Secrets Exposed - How to Make Massive Amounts of Money in Record Time With Your Own eBook.

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Ebooks - More Than a Passing Fancy

2011-12-03T23:04:00.003-05:00

The results from the Book Industry Study Group’s “Consumer Attitudes Toward E-Book Reading” survey per Publishers Weekly:

Kindle and Nook are growing in popularity.

Fans of the e-book are growing.

Amazon Remains in the Lead.

The Price Is Right!.

Free Excerpts Sell Books.

According to e-book readers, having access to free chapters or samples had the biggest impact on getting them to buy an e-book. In fact, this seems to be more of a decision-maker than online reviews.

So, authors, keep those e-books coming. They just may be your path to the bestseller list!

Get your custom ereader image featuring the cover of YOUR book and increase your marketing efforts!
SHOW your readers that your book is available on their favorite reading device Just click HERE!

Writing For Young Children - 10 Basic Rules

2011-12-03T06:37:00.000-05:00

When writing for children, there are guidelines to keep in mind to help your story avoid the editor's trash pile. Here is a list of 10 rules to refer to when writing for young children:

1. Be sure that your story does not suggest dangerous or inappropriate behavior.
Example: The protagonist (main character) sneaks out of the house while his parents are still sleeping.
This is a no-no!

2. Make sure your story has age appropriate words, dialogue and action.

3. The protagonist should have an age appropriate problem or dilemma to solve at the beginning of the story, in the first paragraph if possible. Let the action/conflict rise. Then have the protagonist, through thought process and problem solving skills, solve it on his/her own. If an adult is involved, keep the input and help at a bare minimal. Kid's love action and problem solving!

4. The story should have a single point of view (POV). To write with a single point of view means that if your protagonist can't see, hear, touch or feel it, it doesn't exist.
Example: "Tabby crossed her eyes behind Bucky's back." If Joe is the protagonist this can't happen because Bucky wouldn't be able to see it.

5. Sentence structure: Keep sentences short and as with all writing, keep adjectives and adverbs to a minimum. And, watch your punctuation and grammar.

6. Write your story by showing through action and dialogue rather than telling.
If you can't seem to get the right words to show a scene, try using dialogue instead; it's an easy alternative.

7. You also need to keep your writing tight. This means don't say something with 10 words if you can do it with 5. Get rid of unnecessary words.

8. Watch the time frame for the story. Try to keep it within several hours or one day.

9. Along with the protagonist's solution to the conflict, he/she should grow in some way as a result.

10. Use a thesaurus and book of similes. Finding just the right word or simile can make the difference between a good story and a great story.

Using these techniques will help you create effective children's stories. Another important tool to use in your writing tool belt is joining a children's writing critique group. No matter how long you've been writing, you can always use another set of eyes. It you're a beginning writer and unpublished, you should join a group that has published and unpublished members. Having published and experienced writers in the group will help you hone your craft.

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Does Your Blog Site Need a Face Lift?

2011-11-25T08:57:00.006-05:00

If you are bored with your Blogger/Blogspot blog template, there is help for you yet! You can give your site an almost instant facelift with the use of a template. There are lots of free templates available for download that can give your site a fresh new look.

For starters, check out www.btemplates.com. There are literally thousands of templates to choose from so something is sure to fit your personality and style. Once you've done that, do a little editing and Well-Ah! It's like fresh paint on the walls of a drab room! If you get stuck on the editing - remember this one SUPER important tip...Google is your friend! If you can remember that, and use it - you will avoid frustration, save time, and have a great looking blog!

For Wordpress users - there are free templates available for you too, however I have not tread through the Wordpress waters yet, so I can't talk much about them.

Now before you tell me free is not always best...I can agree - not always. But sometimes the best things in life are free. This might be one of them. Especially before you start spending money.

My Very Selfish Thanksgiving Day

2011-11-24T19:00:00.001-05:00

I spent today, Thanksgiving 2011 at home today. No company, no turkey, no goodies, cakes and pies. No houseful of family and tons of games to play. Just me. And Davion.

It sounds pretty lame, but before you feel sorry for me and say, "Aww! You could have come over my house," please know that I spent the day just how I wanted to. I love lounging around in my pajamas with my laptop and a hot cup of tea or apple cider. And I enjoy being at home more than any other place I can think of. In addition, I wasn't feeling really well today, so I opted out of the 3.5 hour drive to my mother-in-laws with my husband. My son's are traveling this year, visiting friends out-of-state, and my own mom, went to visit her mom several hours away.

I'm trying to be more conscience of what I put in my mouth, so I was fine with not having the traditional Thanksgiving Day meal. I need to be more responsible about my eating choices, and start turning down the mac and cheese, yams with pecans, yeast rolls, stuffing, gravy . . . all that. Sounds delicious, but I have to just say no. I did make some pancakes this morning, and prepared a nutritious (and quite normal) dinner for Davion.

Now it's pretty much the end of a perfect day for me, and I was just flipping through the news and caught a story of an organization that served meals today. Suddenly I realized how selfish I've been. I could have spent my day in a much better way. Instead of just lounging around the house piddling in my PJs, I could have found somewhere to serve. I could have pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, found a soup kitchen and fixed some plates. I could have helped a mom seat her children and maybe even helped feed a few.

Man - what a wasted day! Next year - I'm serving!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families. How did you spend your Thanksgiving?
Post your comments (and what you ate!) below! :-)

Author Kimberly T. Matthews

Sexting Leads to Spoonin'!

Saturdays are Made for Spoonin'

Spoonin' for Valentine's Day - Did You See the Size of that Rock??

Six-Diva Signing Saturday!

In the Spirit of KDP Select and Promos!

You Never Forget Your First . . .

Who Needs Barnes and Noble Anyway? - Team Amazon!

Have You Seen This? Another KDP Select Offer!

In the Spirit of KDP Select and Promos!

Author's Tutorial - Writing Facial Descriptions

Had to share Mark Nichols list! Good Stuff!

Ebooks - More Than a Passing Fancy

Amazon Kindle: Publish or Perish!

Ebook Publishing Tips - Join the Ranks of Successful Ebook Publishers

Borders Bookstore Romance Section - Love Found

I Got Caught Cheating!

It's Almost Valentines Day - Where's Your Man?

Should You Make Your EBook Free?

- One author's take on making a title available for download at the price of FREE! With permission from Stephanie Haddad

Why Free Was For Me - Stephanie Haddad

Free Offers for your Readers - The Power of the List!

The Top Seven Mistakes eBook Authors Make

Novel Writing Tips - Four Tips to Getting Started

10 Christmas Gift Ideas for Writers

Ebooks - More Than a Passing Fancy

Writing For Young Children - 10 Basic Rules

Does Your Blog Site Need a Face Lift?

My Very Selfish Thanksgiving Day

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One author's take on making a title available for download at the price of FREE!
With permission from Stephanie Haddad