Guest Blogger introduces her latest book

Web page http://rhobinlee.com
Blog: http://rhobinsrambles.blogspot.com/




As a scifi/fantasy author, I was apprehensive sending Stone House Farm out to publishers. Even after its acceptance at Champagne Books, I still had anxiety. Would the readers who have enjoyed my other books enjoy this one? Would romance readers enjoy it?

I thought world building was hard when I had to create a setting different place from scraps of ideas. Once I began writing Stone House Farm, I discovered contemporary settings aren't easy at all--just a different type of difficulty. We all accept the daily things we do and how our world works, but writing about it isn't that simple. If the details are wrong, the reader will certainly notice the mistakes. Accuracy in describing the tasks of everyday living are necessary--all those details about how the outside world works around and through our daily lives.

In Stone House Farm the story revolves around the land an old stone farmhouse sits on. Developers want the acreage and its views of Lake Michigan for condos. So what is the process they would have to go through to get the land if an owner doesn't want to sell? Could I make it believable? Accurate? After all, a story's believability is all in the details.

There is a snow storm where a local sheriff's deputy, visits the heroine in her snowbound house. Everyone has watched hundreds of police, detective shows, but do local police departments work the same way? Is local police jargon the same as on TV shows? I mentioned the snowstorm -- anyone who has been through one of the recent storms that hit the Mid-Atlantic states has an idea how snow measured in feet can screw life up: no electricity, difficult travel, schools and businesses closed, slow or no emergency service. Needless to say we have such storms in Michigan, but we are usually well prepared for such crisis except when freak storms come along.

I quickly learned a contemporary setting has its own writing challenges. I hope readers will think I met the challenge plus wove an interesting plot through my contemporary setting.

So what happens? Amanda Blanchard is digging out from a bad divorce, cash poor but land rich. Sure she could sell her property, but her family homesteaded this land, and she won't sell her heritage to Wade Preston's development company. Arriving safely home just as a storm begins, Amanda needs to find her mare, the last of her father's prized Morgans, which has escaped the barn. The foal will solve some of her financial woes. While she searches, her dog finds a wounded and near frozen Wade Preston in her orchard. Here is a short excerpt:

Wade's eyelids flickered, but he didn't respond.

She continued shouting at him, unable to stop even though she doubted he heard as she arranged his body on the sled. His eyelids fluttered again, then his eyes opened. He raised his head and his gaze locked on her.

"You!" His soft, hoarse outcry cost him, his head fell back in a helpless fashion and his eyes closed to mere slits. He gasped as she pushed him further on the sled, his face grimacing, his eyelids scrunched shut.

"Why not me? You're trespassing on my property."

Wade's words came thick and slow. "That why you shot me?"

~*~

Storm bound with her wounded enemy is not something Amanda planned, and certainly she would have to be delusional to fall in love... Yet those are just the beginnings of her problems.

Hope I've interested you in the story! Stone House Farm is an April release from Champagne Books.

CONTEST ENDING SOON

Fin, Fur and Fatal an Ary England Mystery/Suspense -
send me an email at billie @ billiewilliams.com for a shot at winning one of these prizes:
an autographed cover flat,
a toy mommy dog with a puppy in her mouth,
a dog bookmark,
A bendable dog pen, and more.

If you buy the book send me a copy of your receipt and I will enter your name in the hat to receive the ebook of your choice from all my Wings books

You can read the first 3 chapters and see the cover on my website at www.billiewilliams.com You will get the best price on the book at Wings -
ENTER TODAY CONTEST ENDS FEBRUARY 28
hope to hear from you soon!
Billie

Writing and Farming How are they alike?

I've been a long time admirer of Beth Erickson and her writing - and her news letter Writing Etc. She is a publisher, writer of fiction, non-fiction and an amazing copywriter - She always has some good advice for us. Today, I'd like to share an article comparing Writing and Farming. I'm sure you will find it interesting.
Beth is the name behind Filbert Publishing and my latest book A Writer's Vehicle, Henry Ford's Way due to release later this month.
Enjoy her article and consider signing up for her newsletter.
=====
Freelancing Like a Farmer

Beth Ann Erickson

I began my illustrious freelance career with visions of tweed coats, elbow patches, cigars, and pensive photos. My mind’s eye saw a cluttered office, checks strewn across my desk, and waking to one illuminating thought after another. I believed I’d tap at the keyboard, mail queries, read my articles on glossy paper, and assignments would flow like water.

Small problem with that scenario. Tweed coats don’t look good on me. I don’t smoke, never have. And I usually wind up looking goofy in photos, no matter how hard I try to strike a pensive pose.

Ah, but my desk is cluttered. I do occasionally find a stray check in amongst the mounds of papers. But illuminating thoughts? Bah.

There’s a fundamental problem with my original scenario: my freelancing model missed a crucial element necessary for financial success.

For example, the cash I expected to earn from writing articles just didn’t add up to the numbers I hoped they would. Seriously. Spending weeks writing, rewriting, and finally submitting an article, only to reap a whopping 25 bucks just didn’t pay the bills.

Then I decided to write books. Unfortunately the small royalties barely covered my promo expenses. It’s exciting to sell books, but we needed some large volume sales to make this endeavor financially worthwhile.

How ‘bout publishing? Again, after wholesaler discounts, distributor expenses, author royalties, and postage, we’re talking some pretty slim profits. And again, we’re talking volume sales to lower expenses and prop profits.

But then something magical happened. I discovered the wacky world of copywriting.

In case you’re unfamiliar with copywriting, a copywriter is a master persuader. They write ads, direct mail, sales letters, and such.

And (little did I know) proficient copywriters earn a lot. World Class Copywriters earn astronomical fees.

Copywriting isn’t difficult. But there are definite tricks to the trade. And you can cut your learning curve by years if you receive proper training.

But here’s where things really get cool.

Turns out these new persuasive skills made it far easier to write awesome queries. Boom. Article sales jumped.

Next, I revised the sales copy for my books. Boom. Another jump in sales.

I applied “copywriting language” to everything I wrote and kaboom… even more sales, more exposure, new readers found me.

And I haven’t even gotten into copywriting as a business: writing for clients turned out to be quite lucrative as well.

Now, I love to write. It’s my passion. There’s nothing like receiving a complementary e-mail outlining how something I’ve written has made someone else’s life easier, gave them hope, helped guide them through this wacky profession.

On the other hand, I hate marketing. It sucks. One rejection and I’m down for the count. At least for a while.

But by combining my writing skills with copywriting psychology, my self-promo time is automatically sliced in at least half because I’ve learned stealth persuasion to draw clients my way.

So now, clients (and publishers and editors) are attracted to me rather than my gunning after their very fractured attention.

So… where does the “farming” come in?

Simple. Rather than concentrate on one aspect of your writing career, think like a farmer. Plant many seeds and watch them grow at different rates.

Instead of becoming an article writer extraordinaire, write articles when the spirit moves you. Submit them when they’re polished. Start writing the novel that’s burning your heart. Eventually publish it. Research a nonfiction title. Write ad copy.

You can even take this further. I speak to the local high school. Elementary schools, too. How ‘bout local organizations and the Chamber of Commerce? Once a businessperson sees you in action, they’ll be hooked.

Just keep planting seeds (remember, you’re a “farmer”) and before you know it, you’ve got more paying clients than you know what to do with.

But copywriting’s the linchpin that binds all these endeavors.

That’s because effective persuaders control their destiny… and their income.

So here’s to effective “farming” and inevitable success.

~~~

Beth Ann Erickson is the “Queen Bee” of Filbert Publishing. She’s also the author of numerous titles as well as the Creative Mindset Newsletter. Pick up the first seven copies today here. She’s also a busy copywriter, speaker, and publisher of Writing Etc., the free e-mag for writers.

Finally - the day is here!

It seems like you wait for it forever and when it hits, you have almost forgotten about it - well, that's a joke. I get as nervous as though it was the birth of child, not just (and I will eat that word)another book.
Fin, Fur and Fatal will hit the shelves tomorrow. I can't wait. The stress of getting this book to the shelves has been -- daunting. A near miss several times.

I am waiting to order bookmarks - Richard Stroud my cover artist (who by the way is phenomenal) is designing them...if you send me an email - or comment on the blog I'll send you one as soon as I get them -be sure to include your snail mail address- probably mid February now.

I'm having a contest too - details will be available on my website at http://www.billiewilliams.com Some cute, some great prizes...check it out Monday, February 1, 2010
Hints - a dog with a puppy in his mouth (stuffed toy of course)A doggy bookmark, a doggy pen, a cover flat - or poster autographed of course... and more.

Promise Yourself

Okay I've skipped a couple days - too many irons in the fire - I finished Zip - now renamed Cold Water and submitted it (it's a Young Adult Mystery/Suspense - the kid from Knapsack Secrets, now has his own book.) Had to send it to Wings for rights of first refusal - cause it's linked to the other book -- so we'll see what happens. (Just a query letter so far, we'll see if they even request the manuscript.) So okay

Today Promise yourself to forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the great achievements of the future.

I believe in light of the New Year just breaking ground, this is very good advice. 2009 will never appear again, what can you do to make 2010 The Best Year of Your Life?

If you are looking forward and not backward, if you are living in the now--you already have a good start on great achievements. Remember when you drive at night you can only see as far as the headlights can shine, when you walk upstairs you can only do it one step at a time(unless your a kid taking as many as you can at once), but that is enough - all you need to do is keep doing it again, and again, and again until you REACH your goal.

You do have a goal don't you? (not a resolution, but a goal a target)Short and long term goals - you have to aim at something or you have no direction. If you don't plan your success, "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail". Make it a banner year. I'm looking forward to it.

Who's Success is it?

Today promise yourself that you will be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

Sometimes, being the shy violets that we are, as authors, we find it easier to be supportive and congratulatory about someone else's wins - new contracts, promotional coups and other things then we tend to be about our own. Because we were told "brags a good bargain, but hold on is a lot better," or "Let someone else toot your horn." Well, that doesn't work when you have to go the 9 miles to promote your own books and be "out there" where people may criticize or even applaud what you do.

But--and here is the best part, what you give you get. So if you are enthusiastic about other people's success, feel that feeling, know that feeling and then claim some for yourself as well.

When Christopher Paolini first met publishing success with Eragon, I dissed him as-- oh sure his parents are publishers, authors, business people...he has an edge - maybe, but this home schooled little boy (15 when he wrote it) had just gotten his GED and was looking forward to college. Instead of heading off straight to college he decided to write a book.

Tom (hubby) just finished reading the first of the trilogy Eragon, and asked me if I would get the other two for him. He said he found no mistakes in the editing (where he found several in the Harry Potter books he just finished reading) and he said the kid writes a great story.

I must swallow my ill-placed envy or is it jealousy and read the first of his books to see how he made and is still making news. His series is number 3 on the New York Times best seller list, still.

Anyway, be happy for those who've succeeded. Your turn can't be far away, actually good vibrations from you will make it happen sooner.
Try it - it couldn't hurt.
Billie
http://www.billiewilliams.com

The Best of the Best

Challenge - Promise Yourself: To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.

When you are facing hard times either financially, emotionally, or spiritually it isn't easy to think only the best for yourself or any one else - but sometimes just smiling will help lighten the burden you feel. And create untold good for you and those you care about.

You can work for the best outcome, you can work to do your best - that doesn't mean perfect that just means the best for where you are and what you CAN do right now. (like parents raising children...you only do what you can do with what you have, know and are.)

If you expect the best - to paraphrase Henry Ford - you can think you can or you can think you can't --either way your are proven right. So if you expect the best, throw your dreams toward the moon, even if you fail you'll wind up among the stars - if you aim, expect - the best you'll have a better chance of getting something more then not shooting for the moon at all.

Hope your New Year will be your BEST year ever.
Billie A Williams
http://www.billiewilliams.com