It's Alive! 'The Coin' is Alive, mwahaha!

There's my beauty, my love, my prrrrecious!  *shakes head*  Oh wait, sorry, wrong book, heh heh . . . *ahem*

Behold The Coin's launch party release day!  Yaaaay!  I wish you could see how much my laptop is jiggling around from my celebratory dancing! 

This has been a long day coming, and I am so proud!  I want to say that this is an achievement to check off the bucket list, but the truth is, it's just the beginning of my dream to continue publishing my writing.  Today doesn't mark an accomplishment that has ended, it marks the beginning of what will be many milestones for me.  I am excited, thrilled, and a little nervous to be going down this road.  Yes, you read right, nervous.  There's this little voice inside that loves to tell me that I am a very average person whose ideas aren't so marvelous to write down.  Today marks a feast of emotion, where I trump that voice, and I tell myself that the person I see in the mirror is capable of much more than I have given her credit for! 

I want to thank my friends and family who have supported me and believed in me.  A specific shout out to my parents, and to my husband.  You guys were really the spark that ignited the flame. 

Without further ado, you may purchase The Coin for ebook kindle or paperback here at amazon.com. Please, PLEASE do me a service and rate and review my book.  That will help out tremendously to start getting it pushed through proper amazon channels and showing up in general searches.  Thank you VERY much in advance.  Physical copies are also available for purchase through me if you do not wish to go through amazon.  I am set up through paypal.  If you want to go this route, please feel free to contact me at booksbysmiles@gmail.com and we can discuss details (still figuring this out, you know).

Also of note, I have been interviewed by Allan Dubon, and you can read the interview here! 

I hope that you enjoy what I've written, and that it will add value to your life.  Please share its message with friends and family. 

Happy reading!     

Cover Reveal!

Aaaaand, here it is!!

 

At times, many of us lose sight of what is truly precious in our life. Fifteen-year-old Tara is no different. On Christmas Eve, a time when many of us reflect on loved ones, service to others, and—most of all—love, Tara has lost sight of these things. Upset and contentious with God and her family, she falls into fitful slumber until she has a dream that changes her entire outlook. This powerful and inspirational story tells of Tara's journey from angry teenager to humble child of God in which she is taught the meaning of love. The Coin's message will touch, uplift, and strengthen even the strongest of faiths.

 

I am THRILLED to be sharing this with you! In a very short time, you will be able to purchase (or borrow) this for kindle ebook on Amazon.com or choose to have a physical copy for your home. When is the release date, you say? Keep your eyes peeled for Friday, April 26!

A very talented author and friend of mine, Adrian, was kind enough to provide me (and you) with her thoughts on a sneak-peak read of this story:

I was given the lovely gift of reading this short story before the author published. I have to say, this piece is uplifting and deep. Touching on atonement of our sins, free will, salvation and forgiveness, this author tells a compelling story. It starts with an annoyed and typical teenager, sitting through a Christmas Eve worship service—guess what, she doesn’t want to be there. She has spurned anything Christ-like. The second part of the story moves into the meaning and the tear-jerking scene of what gives Tara the reason to believe. I won’t spoil it, as I really want you to read it.

If you’re looking for a feel good story about finding and remembering faith, this is the story for you. The author works through some tough theological issues while making the story relatable, and most of all, relevant to the reader.  – Adrian Smith, Author

 

I need to do a plug here and let you know that she is an excellent editor and charges competitively, so please look up her services if you are in need of her talent.  

One week away, dear readers!  This story will be available to you.  I very much hope it is something that can inspire and uplift you, as this world desperately needs so much of that.  

I can't wait! 

 

 

R.E. Hargrave

Remember a little while back I participated in a blog hop?  R.E. Hargrave was so kind of involve me in that, and I wanted to share one of her latest blog posts, showcasing a youtube video premiering her novel.  Please go check it out, To Serve Is Divine sounds tantelizing!

From the desk of . . . R.E. Hargrave: TSiD Trailer Video!: A little late in coming, but my wonderful cover designer JC Clarke worked her magic once again to put together a trailer video for my nove...

Wowie Zowie!

Do you ever have that feeling, the one where your eyes pop, your jaw drops, and you think to yourself "I... won??"  I'm having that moment.  It is feeling pretty darn cool!

So what did I win?  The grand package to Allan Dubon's new book release, 'When Leadership Meets Social Media.'  He is a social media guru with lots of knowledge on how to best use the internet platform to allow you to succeed and be seen among the online world.  The grand package includes some personalized mentoring, which is a great value.  I am so excited about this!  I would like to give a shout out to Allan and thank him for this honor! 

If any of you are like me, and social media is something you are just stepping your feet into, please check out his website at http://allandubon.com. He gives a lot of interesting tips and tricks to utilizing the social media platform to your best advantage.

You can also find him on Twitter @allandubon and you can find myself on there as well @booksbysmiles.



  

Just Words?

"How odd I can have all this inside me and to you it's just words." - David Foster Wallace's The Pale King
 

Ha!  This quote brought a smile to my face.  This is the challenge of a writer, to convey the emotion that is brimming inside, making it come to life and allowing the reader to feel what we are trying to convey.  It is a lovingly painful relationship.  It is so worth it though when those words come together, and you can bring it surfacing to the reader's eye.  When your words manage to move them, motivate them, or let them understand, shout, skip, curse, be-bop or what-have-you.

Soon.  I will be published soon.  A few more weeks to go!  I am anxiously awaiting the last few details of my cover to come together, and then I can move into the final stages of self-publishing.

I do so appreciate the comments that have been left on my earlier blog posts, and wish to thank you all for your interest you have shown.  I will strive to keep your continued interest, and welcome any suggestions or comments that can help me do so.  You are wonderful!  

Coming Soon

Could you hear birds chirping during my absence?  I do apologize if they lulled you into a sleep of uninteresting boredom, but I do enjoy nature, and I hated to interrupt the song.

Okay, so I've been a little bit busy and lacking in where I spread my focus and time.  But here I am with an update!

My cover should be done soon for The Coin, courtesy of Go Bold Designs by Cory Clubb.  I would recommend him to those who are looking for a good cover design artist.  I have found him easy to work with - he has an artistic eye that I admire, and his vision for detail has brought my story to life better than I could have anticipated.  Curious to see the cover?  When the last few touches are ready, I will show you! 

There is a lot that goes into publishing a book, more than you would think.  Especially when self-publishing, because the mantle and responsability all falls to me.  This will be my first book, and though I've had a love for reading books, the publishing world is its own beast of burden.  It's been a fun learning process though.  Did I say fun?  Yes, I did.  It's fun, because the knowledge I gain helps arm my story with the tools needed to be shared with the public. 

I anticipate the release of The Coin toward the end of April/early May.  It's nearly here!!!  *takes a moment to whip out a bright, enthusiastic gummy smile while doing a jiggy dance* 

This is an exciting process.  I am on the threshold of putting a lifelong dream into reality.  I feel like this is the right time to be a writer.  The digital age is exploding with possibility, and I'm going to be a part of it. 

When The Coin is ready for purchase, you will be able to find it on Amazon.com, available on the Kindle in ebook format or for physical purchase, either through Amazon or CreateSpace. Details and links to follow when that threshhold approaches. 

2013 is an advantageous year for me.  Writing has always been a passion of mine, a hobby, and being able to call myself a published author feels like one big check to mark off on my bucket list of life goals.  The Coin will be the beginning of other works yet to come, but I feel this story is a pretty great first start!

I would like to leave you with something more than just talk about the soon-to-be-released story of mine, so here is the teaser synopsis for it.  Feel free to leave feedback on your thoughts! 

At times, many of us lose sight of what is truly precious in our life. Fifteen-year-old Tara is no different. On Christmas Eve, a time when many of us reflect on loved ones, service to others, and – most of all – love, Tara has lost sight of these things. Upset and contentious with God and her family, she falls into fitful slumber until she has a dream that changes her entire outlook. This powerful and inspirational story tells of Tara's journey from angry teenager to humble child of God in which she is taught the meaning of love. The Coin's message will touch, uplift, and strengthen even the strongest of faiths.