Do you Want to Read More?

As a student, I did not like to read. **Gasp!**

This was mostly because books were forced upon me, and I like to do things my own way--I'm such a rebel.

But when I saw some cool fantasy covers in the store, I picked them up and read the backs. Imagine my mom's surprise and delight when I chose a couple of books to buy and read over the summer. Piers Anthony and his Split Infinity series got me hooked on reading.

Back then, we didn't have our phones to keep us occupied and connected to our friends 24-7. We didn't have 24-hour TV with thousands of shows and movies to stream. Reading used to be a great escape--it still is! But now with our faster paced, easy-access video entertainment society, reading is very low on the list of options. Even for me.

Source: Washington Post

I believe most people want to read more, but they have lots of excuses why they don't. After doing some research, the number one reason for people not reading is: "I don't have time."

What about you? Do you want to read more? I do!

But it takes self-discipline. Just like any improvement you want to make in your life--healthier eating, exercise more, have a better attitude, achieving your goals--you have to work at it and stick with it. If you do, the results will make you a better person, just not over night.

If you truly want to read more, you will have to make the time to do it. To make time, you will need motivation! Here are some Suggestions to Motivate Yourself to Read:

1. Read With a Friend - surely you have a friend who also wants to read more. Choose a book together. Knowing your friend is reading, you'll be more likely to read so you don't let each other down and will look forward to discussing it together.
2. Join a Book Club - If you are braver, open-minded, and eager for book suggestions, this is a wonderful way to connect with other readers and a great method to motivate you to get reading in time for the next meeting.
3. Set a Goal - Make your reading goal as big or small as you want, just make it reasonable. If you haven't read a complete book for a while, then your goal can be to read at least one book by the end of the summer, or even the end of the year. This will also help you gauge your time and interest when making future goals.
4. Keep Books Visible - Leave your book in a place you will see it frequently--kitchen counter, side table, night stand, bathroom!--and it will serve as a reminder to continue your story. If you ebook, put up a happy post-it or two. (Don't nag yourself!)
5. Set a Timer - use your phone to set a reminder: daily, every other day, weekly... at a time you should have free to take a break and read for a bit. Even if you can't, it will remind you that you want to read... like a chirp of encouragement.
6. Read Out Loud - to yourself, your kids or even your pet! Some people don't like the silence of reading. Reading out loud can help immerse you into the story--change your voice, really get into it! Others can't read unless they have silence, an escape from the chaos of life. Silliness or silence now and then are both great things, and reading can bring out both!

Reading gives you knowledge, inspiration, and entertainment. It exercises your brain in ways just watching videos cannot. I hope you will choose to make it a point to read more. And I'm with you!

BTW, Many of these suggestions can help accomplish other life improvements, too. Give it a try!

Lastly, when you aren't sure what to read, look for reviews!

I'm lucky to have lots of great writer friends that keep me reading with a long TBR list. I recently finished AND THEN YOU FALL by Heather M. Gardner, book 3 of the exciting Maguire's Corner romance series...

AND THEN YOU FALL, Maguire's Corner #3

Heather M. Gardner

Assistant Police Chief Bobby Maguire can handle any challenge. But between his stalker ex-girlfriend and a drug-dealing cult, it could prove too much for him. So it’s real bad timing when he gets propositioned by the intriguing new bartender.

Cassidy is excited to be the brew master of the new local bar in  Maguire’s Corner. Expecting nothing more than a momentary, albeit intoxicating fling with the infamous Bobby Maguire, she finds not only is her heart at risk, but her life as well.

When Bobby is accused of murder, a chain of events play out leaving him broken down, hollow, and raw, and the whole town is now in danger from the cult leader’s wrath. Will Bobby be able to save himself, help his family, and get the chance to prove to Cassidy he’s more than his reputation?

Here's my Review:

Another exciting, enticing love story blooms in Maguire’s Corner. This one stars the young, cassanova Bobby Maguire—handsome, heroic, and hard to catch. Until Cassidy comes to town. She’s opening a new brewery and everyone seems to know her except Bobby, but there is something about her, and there’s no denying the attraction.

Cassidy is excited to be returning to her hometown, as long as she can avoid the dark side of her past. And what a tempting surprise that her old crush has the hots for her. Not surprisingly, he’s still single. She’ll have to keep her emotions in check and be careful not to fall for him.

But fate always makes things difficult! And then you fall!

I wish you happy reading!

The #WritingCommunity is Priceless

Happy March & Happy IWSG Day!
I am so thankful for the writing community and all the great friends I've made from all over the world. No matter where we're from, we can chat and laugh and share our dreams without judgment--like we're at a virtual slumber party!

Last week, I posted a self evaluation quiz about phone addiction. I was happy to see responses similar to mine. Basically we use the phone as a tool of communication and information, but we could live without it if we had to. This is probably because older generations have lived without "smart" technology. And we need to pass that revelation on to future generations, so they don't turn into zombies... ha ha

One of the best uses for the internet has been connecting with other writers. The support, advice, and shared commiseration I've received from my online writer friends has been essential to me sticking with my writing. I'm especially grateful for the continued Insecure Writing Support Group "meetings" which keep me blogging at least once a month! Thanks, Alex!

My writer friends have been especially wonderful through this latest turn of events and helping me out with my Taking Back Beast World campaign...

The Disney/Pixar movie Onward, similarly set in my Beast World, comes out Friday. So far, the reviews are not good. I'm not sure how I feel about that... I'm not going to judge it--probably won't see it until it's free on Disney +. But it's rather disappointing. Like they've ruined it for me. It also makes me want to go to Dreamworks and offer my alternative (I'm researching it, soooo hard to get a pinky toe in the door, nevermind a foot!). For now, I'm going to finish out my campaign with the help of my wonderful friends, and hope Beast World gets noticed by more folks looking for an inspirational, relatable, comical, fantasy adventure!

Last week, Jemi Fraser left me a couple of fantastic reviews -- I saved announcing them for this week as that's my campaign topic the week.

Also this week, I'm so honored to be appearing at...

• Alex's infamous blog talking about Turning Books into Movies (3/4)
• C. Lee McKenzie's blog talking about Handling Teenage Troubles (3/5)

Finally, I want to give some back and tell you about a wonderful romance writer I know...

Elizabeth Seckman

She's got a fabulous new release!

ABOUT US
by Elizabeth Seckman

Hayden Matthews is trying to get as far away from love as possible. After wasting eight years in a failed marriage, she's ready for a nice, peaceful life where she can raise her daughter to be strong, independent, and happy. But to make that happen, she must fix her own life first.

Cam Vorelli has pined for Hayden since he was in grade school. Always in the friend-zone, he stood on the sidelines, his heart breaking, as she said I do to the wrong man. A man he knew didn’t deserve her, who could never love her as he did. But what could he say? She was marrying into his family. Cam would never break a holy vow much less be disloyal to his kin.

Until he sees the bruises on Hayden. Abuse is a game changer.

Hayden knows leaving a husband like Tag, with a hot temper, a badge, and a gun will be tricky. She needs someone she can trust. Not looking for a romantic entanglement, she calls Cam, with her soon-to-be ex fearful of his former NFL cousin as a bonus.

Though Cam comes to her rescue with the purest of intentions, he won't deny fate if Hayden starts to feel the same for him...

And it's available NOW for FREE!

Kobo: FREE      Smashwords FREE       Amazon: 99 cents 

About the Author

Elizabeth is a multi-published author of books for people who are believers in happily-ever- after, true love, and stories with a bit of fun and twists with their plots. The mother of four young men, she tackles laundry daily and is the keeper of the kitchen. She lives along the shores of the Ohio River in West Virginia, but dreams daily of the beach.

Facebook/ Blog/ Website

You'll love her style. Take it from me.

Don't be afraid to ask your friends for help. 
We're all ready to be there for each other!

Hope your March is off to a Springy start!

How to Self-Publish the RIGHT way!

The traditional route to getting your book published is painstaking, time-consuming, and full of rejection. The only difference between that and self-publishing is the rejection.

While I go through the process of self-publishing Windy Hollow, I'm taking you along for the ride! (ps - Here's a form if you're interested in helping me with my Campaign or Windy Hollow's release)

Steps to Self-publishing:

1. Write a phenomenal book - I have lots of posts on that...
2. Edit - Hire a professional - the more eyes & critiques, the better, plus a technical/grammatical final look.
3. the Cover - I've already given my two cents on covers, here. A definite must to get professional help, especially if you want/need artwork.

And today, I'm talking in general about Formatting.

Once you have polished the contents of your book, you have to go back through and delete stray formatting extras, like extra tabs or spaces. All paragraphs should be uniformly formatted with automatic indentations and spacing. You will have to forget about "Select All" if you need to make changes to margins, line spacing, paragraphs, etc. once you start getting it ready for publication.

There is so much involved in Formatting for publication! Just look at the first 4-5 pages of any book. Title page, copyright/publisher page, dedication page, and the dreaded Table of Contents... which I guess could be optional, but is preferred for some genres like fantasy and sci-fi and middle grade. These pages conform to no formatting used in the rest of the book and are usually not numbered.

You also have to consider that the top of each page alternates between the title of the book and the author's name. Even/Odd page headers are easy enough to deal with, but when you throw in each new chapter page, it throws everything off! New chapter pages do NOT have a header. It's best to start chapters as a new "section" which can be designated with "different first page header" and conveniently linked back to the Table of Contents. I haven't tried linking to the TOC yet, I didn't have the patience, so I did it manually.

If you have any cool/fancy images for new chapters and/or breaks within the chapter or illustrations, those also need special attention. Each one should be checked and re-checked to make sure they all look the same.

At the end of your book are the Acknowledgments and Author Page, plus any other info you want to include. As with the first few pages, these pages each get their own format, usually without a header.

Not too bad, right? Ha! I almost went cross-eyed checking all the formatting. Little things kept popping up and I'd have to re-check the whole thing again to see if the flaws were anywhere else in the book. And there's a whole other set of rules for print pub vs e-pub!

I like to write this stuff down for myself as it's usually a long while between publications and I tend to forget what-all is involved. Hope it helps!

I also want to make a special announcement! My wonderful and brilliant romance writer friend, Elizabeth Seckman recently published her latest novel! Perfect for Father's Day!

HOOSIER DAD

by Elizabeth Seckman

Sarah Andrews can hold her own in a courtroom, but when it comes to love, she’s 0-3 and Rich Cooper was her biggest loss to date. 

Now available!

 Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Smashwords / kobo.com

Elizabeth is a mom, a wife, and the caretaker of far too many pets, all of whom her children swore they'd take care of. But they went off to college leaving fur babies in their place. She is a multi-published author of women's fiction and romance. 

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