book, writing

Remember Me: A Sonnet for Marigold

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

I’ve blogged to readers and writers about book covers, “Hooks,” keywords, suspense, punctuation, back cover blurbs, choosing one’s audience, marketing, pen names, and so on. 

Can any one single book can possibly deliver on all fronts?

This one comes close. From cover-to-cover, Remember Me: A Sonnet for Marigold, was written with each aspect of the writing process in mind.

Here are excerpts from the back cover copy and blurb, along with the stunning cover. Who wouldn’t be drawn into this story?

Does true love really last forever? Author Mia Michaels creates a world where all reason is lost to the magic of love.

From the moment Mike’s plane crashes, Natalie’s world is turned upside down. As she struggles to remember the details of her life after suffering a brain injury in the same crash that killed Mike, a shocking revelation about an affair with the handsome pilot surfaces, leaving her questioning everything. 

Almost losing Natalie in the horrific incident gives Paul a wake-up call. He is determined to be the husband she needs, but at every turn, someone tries to sabotage their new commitment to one another. Who is sending her gifts, trying to turn her heart away from Paul? And what is the role of Mari and Pierre, two mysterious figures who seem to be connected to this love triangle?

 If only Natalie’s memory would return, perhaps she and Paul could rebuild their relationship before it’s too late.

Just when you think you’ve figured out the truth behind this love triangle, author Mia Michaels throws in an unexpected twist in this gripping Romantic Suspense novel. Remember Me will leave readers on the edge of their seats. Sprinkled with humor and a dash of fantasy, you’ll find everything you like—and more—in this modern breakout novel.

Don’t miss this unpredictable journey of true love. BUY NOW on Amazon.com

The Search

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
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My husband and I have been shopping for new entry doors for our home. Until we began this search, we had no idea how many styles and materials are available.

We made a list of manufacturers from an internet search and set out to visit as many of these in person as possible this past week.

We discovered that prices, styles, and quality vary. No surprise.

We also discovered that my husband’s preferences are different than mine. No surprise there, either.

The process reminds me of when we shop for books at a book store. We are first drawn in by the cover, then the genre, price, and so on.

That’s why I always say that you CAN judge a book by its cover—or at least it’s true that readers DO judge books by their covers–at least initially.

So draw readers inside with an amazing cover. Then, be sure what’s inside meets their expectations.

AI and Authors

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

With all the talk about AI these days, have you ever wondered what it can do? The list grows longer by the day. Glance thru the list below and you’ll see just what this topic means for authors.

You may already have had Amazon ask you to what extent you might have used AI in your writing. As authors, we need to be aware of Amazon’s policy where AI is concerned. Here’s what I found:

“The policy doesn’t prohibit the use of AI but requires disclosure by authors in certain situations. Amazon is making a distinction between using AI to generate content, which the company will require authors to disclose; and using AI to assist in the process of editing and refining copy, which will not need to be disclosed.”

  1. Creates art, music, and videos.
  2. Assists writing blog posts, manage appointments, keeps track of finances.
  3. Creates avatars and logos.
  4. Keeps contact lists up-to-date, helps write and organize social media posts, does image editing.
  5. You can converse with AI, getting answers to questions and delve deeply into ideas you have.
  6. You can use various tools to create your own AI designed to meet the needs of your business.
  7. Marketing, website, and design software for brochures and so on. 
  8. You can use AI SEO to write copy, and check for plagiarism.

We must act ethically and responsibly when using AI. My feeling is, once you invite AI into your life, it may be hard to disengage from it if, for any reason, you decide not to continue using it.

When Does it Pay to Get Help?

Posted on by Brenda Poulos
Photo by Yan Krukau on Pexels.com

Authors, let’s face it. You are writing because that is what you enjoy. You also know that there is much more to writing a book than the actual story. The publishing and marketing can be a nightmare. It can suck out all of the fun—and a good deal of your time.

We need to learn as much as we can. But there are times when authors simply have to rely on others for help.

This week was one of those times for me. I had surgery mid-week. Prior to that was the EKG and bloodwork, as well as registration at the hospital. Amid this rush of items on my “TO DO” list, my husband was ill—flat on his back ill for 9 days. Oh, did I mention we were dog sitting?

I had given myself a deadline for publishing, which came and went. So, to relieve a lot of stress, I contacted my favorite website, Fiverr.com,  for help.

Even though they don’t work for $5 like they used to when they first started out, they still offer good service, a great product, and a reasonable time-frame to complete the job.

You may want to check them out, especially if your timeline coincides with the upcoming holidays.

The Cover is the Hook

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

At an auction, I ended up with a book by an unfamiliar author. I had a stack of books at home to read. I certainly didn’t need another one, but as I placed it on the bottom of the stack, I wondered to myself why its author had decided on such a nondescript cover. Not beautiful. Not exciting. Not memorable.

With dozens of books in my Must Read stack, why would I even include this one?

I made the mistake of turning to page one. Five hours later, I looked at the clock. I’d almost finished the entire book!

It was a great book. Unique plot. Suspenseful, with touches of humor—certainly proof that you can’t judge a book by its cover.

But should you?

Is it really important to have an engaging cover that will attract readers?

Of course it is! Case in point, if I hadn’t accidentally come across this book, I would not have read it. There was nothing compelling about its cover.

Authors, there is so much competition out there! We cannot afford to leave it up to chance readers to pick up our books. Be intentional. Hook the reader from the moment they see the cover–and keep them reading to the end.

What’s An Author to Do?

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

So, self-publishers, you have written your book and have had all of the creative “fun” in doing so. Then, the real work begins—the cover design, the formatting, the back cover matter, the e-pubs and so on.

And, it’s not just the hours of work involved, it is also EXPENSIVE.

What’s an author to do?

Well, I want to give a shout out to Dave Chesson of Kindleprenaur who has developed two TOOLS that will put you back in the driver’s seat:

Publisher Rocket and Atticus Formatting.

I won’t attempt to explain these two helps, here. I will just say that for the money, they are excellent. Dave has MANY, MANY tutorials on these two and on a number of other topics that benefit authors.

You’ll want to check these out!!!

24/7

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

I sure am glad we live in the age of computers, because the information garnered from them has been invaluable in so many areas of my life.

Yesterday, as I was writing, I wanted to use the popular expression which means 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I wasn’t sure which way to write it correctly. So I “Googled It.”

In case you have ever had the same dilemma, here is what I learned: if spelling it out in words, it should be “twenty-four seven.” It can also be abbreviated  as “24/7” or “24-7.”

As with so many things in the written word, the important thing is to be consistent throughout your document.

That’s it for me, today. Short and sweet. Just a little snippet, in case your inquiring mind wanted to know.

Take One, Leave One

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

In our neighborhood—and in many others around the city—there are wooden “bird-like” houses standing approximately five-feet high. They have doors, but no windows. Inside are books to “trade” with other readers. 

On the “honor system”, readers may peruse the books inside, take one that appeals to them, and leave a replacement book for some other reader’s pleasure.

I’m ordering a few of my own books from Amazon this month. I intend to strategically place them in several of these book exchange locations. I think it might be a good way to snag some new followers.

I’ve heard of authors leaving copies of their books in doctor’s offices, on busses, and park benches. These may be non-conventional ways of “marketing” but may also be less expensive in the long run.

If you come across one of my books sometime, be sure to let me know! Do you have any other unconventional ways for authors to get their names “out there”?

A Sonnet for Marigold

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

The party was for couples, but as I looked across the hall, I saw the men huddled together talking about football. The women were divided in two groups-pre and post babies.

Whether it be baking, quilting, painting, exercising or all things in between, I guess birds of a feather really do flock together.

We all tend to gravitate toward others who share similar interests.

It should be no surprise that there are many interest groups that have formed online. One of the most popular online interest groups is readers, but even in a group of “reader” friends, sometimes fiction fanciers split off from those who like reading non-fiction.

 A simple trip up to the search bar can help you find dozens of new books to read—after all, there are literally hundreds of books published each week across the globe.

 A Sonnet for Marigold will soon join my recent book, Mending Fences, on my Amazon page as my two newest offerings for this fall. 

Since it was the first time I have written a Romantic Suspense novel, it was a challenge. But it was also lots of fun. I’m glad I pushed myself to make this change. I hope you’ll let me know if you enjoyed reading it.

Please look for A Sonnet for Marigold this November!

You’ll Still Love to Write If You Do This

Posted on by Brenda Poulos

Over the years, I have heard authors (myself included) lament over the fact that while writing a book is hard work, there is nothing so difficult as having to spend an exorbitant amount of time on editing, publishing, and marketing.

We DREAD it. And it often saps the joy right out of our labor of love.

I’m writing this as I watch the daily struggle of a friend and first-time author as she attempts the task of formatting for paperback and e-book. As she becomes more and more disheartened and discouraged, I tell her 

It doesn’t have to be so!

I will be the first to admit that it does cost money for cover design and all of the rest. Money that I scrimp and save for each week so I can pay for help each time I need it.

So, if you’re about to publish your very first book, here’s my suggestion: Do it all.

That’s right. Try to do everything for yourself. Even keep a log of your hours. In the end, I think (unless you’ve been technologically blessed) you will agree you never want to have to go through that again!

Professionals can get the job done in a mere fraction of the time it took you—and using them for your next book will assure you of coming away from the whole experience still loving to write!