Skip to main content

FREE: Hidden Currents by Christy Barritt

Join Christy’s email list to get this story free! A notorious gang puts a bounty on Detective Cady Matthews’s head after she takes down their leader, leaving her no choice but to hide until she can testify at trial. But her temporary home across the country on a remote North Carolina island isn’t as peaceful as she initially thinks. Living under the new identity of Cassidy Livingston, she struggles to keep her investigative skills tucked away, especially after a body washes ashore. When local police bungle the murder investigation, she can’t resist stepping in. But Cassidy is supposed to be keeping a low profile. One wrong move could lead to both her discovery and her demise. Can she bring justice to the island . . . or will the hidden currents surrounding her pull her under for good? Hidden Currents is the first book in the six-book Lantern Beach Mystery series. Each book contains a standalone mystery, but there are overarching mysteries within the entire series. Get it now for
Post a Comment

CAN marketing blog

Captain's Log, Supplemental

Blog book giveaway:
My Monday book giveaway is the Coffee Cup Bible Study books by Sandra Glahn.
My Thursday book giveaway is PINK by Marilynn Griffith.
You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Monday, I'll draw the winners for the Coffee Cup Bible Study books and post the title for another book I'm giving away.

FIRST: This month’s novel excerpt is SQUAT by Taylor Fields (posted below).

Marketing for writers!

The members of the CAN (Christian Authors Network) Marketing blog entitled We Can! promote our books, formally welcome you to join our little corner of cyberspace.

Check us out at: http://canblog.typepad.com/canbookmarketing/

Twelve authors will be participating in this blog:

Monday: Tricia Goyer and Gail Gaymer Martin
Tuesday: Cyndy Salzmann and Allison Bottke
Wednesday: Suzie Eller and Sharon Hinck
Thursday: Susie Larson and Camy Tang
Friday: Mary E. DeMuth and Kathi Macias
Saturday: Jill Nelson and Susan Meissner

We want this blog to be the place authors go if they want to promote, publicize and market their books.

We'll approach this from many different angles, with many different voices. Some of us have many books out, while others are promoting their first. We've all had some level of success in our marketing endeavors, and some blunders too. We'll share interviews, insights, and creative ideas with you with humor, candor and a dose of humility.

It's our hope that you'll tell your friends about this new blog, that you'll make a comment or two, and that you'll walk away from this blog with many practical and insightful ideas.

Camy here: I’ll be posting every Thursday on website marketing for fiction, focusing on blogging. Fiction writers have to approach things a little differently than nonfiction writers, so I hope to offer tips specific to novelists and recount my utter disasters to keep all you guys from making the same mistakes.

TMI:

Writing: I have to give mucho kudos to Dineen Miller for helping me brainstorm my book. She’s a gem!

I posted another synopsis tip at my Story Sensei blog today.

I have come to realize I need to actively set aside an hour a day to read—books in my market (chick-lit, both secular and Christian) and books for review. My TBR pile has reached terror-inducing proportions.

I had a great time at the romance readers book club at Borders in Valley Fair Mall last night. Everyone talks about books they read the past month, so I plugged BEAUTY AND THE SPY by Julie Anne Long, SPYING IN HIGH HEELS by Gemma Halliday, A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND by Kristin Billerbeck, and MURDER, MAYHEM, AND A FINE MAN by Claudia Mair Burney. The first two are secular, the last two are Christian—I figured those two particular Christian titles would interest the ladies, who are mostly non-Christian. Shelley Bates and MaryLu Tyndall go to those meetings, as well.

Diet: Doing good on the exercise front, although I don’t know why I have such terrible headaches at night the past few weeks. Maybe because I haven’t visited my chiropractor in forever and my neck has problems, regardless of the good the exercise is doing for it.

I have been drinking plenty of water and my caffeine addiction is quite healthy, thank you, so the headaches can’t be because of either of those.

Shortbread count = 0! Starbucks blackberry green tea frappuccino count = 1. :(
Labels:

Comments

Mary DeMuth said…
Thanks for promoting the CAN blog, Camy, you loud Asian chick, you. Next thing you know, you'll be sporting a nose ring....
Fri Sep 01, 09:12:00 AM 2006
Ruth said…
I hear you on the terrors of the TBR pile! I have GOT to seriously whittle mine down...before I start have nightmares of SERIOUSLY being smothered by books. :P
Fri Sep 01, 09:50:00 AM 2006
Georgiana Daniels said…
I'm surprised that you don't set aside an hour a day. Did I read that right? You must be a speedy to read all that you do in under an hour! Or maybe I'm just slow. OK Camy, how big IS your TBR pile? Inquiring minds want to know.
Fri Sep 01, 10:33:00 PM 2006
PatriciaW said…
How DOES one whittle her TBR pile? I can learning about such interesting books from yours and other blogs and from online writing groups. So I keep adding. I'm reading 8-12 books a month, although I've slowed a bit this past month in order to focus more on writing. Now if there were a moratorium on new releases...but then what would I have to look forward to???

My goal for this year was to read as many "new to me" authors as I could. I'm shocked by how many authors there are! Thinking about this recently, I discovered that although I haven't read the specific books on my list, in some cases, I've read one of the author's works. I've decided to strike them from the 2006 list as read and put the specific titles on my 2007 list. (I actually keep a spreadsheet.)

If you're going to drown in something, why not a stack of books?
Sat Sep 02, 10:18:00 AM 2006
Anonymous said…
The CAN marketing blog looks great. Congrats for being a part of this new venture! Can't wait to see the fabulous marketing resources and info that come from the stellar list of participants!
Sat Sep 02, 08:30:00 PM 2006
Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Bethany House Publishers Cover Survey Invitation

Captain's Log, Supplemental I just got this from Bethany House Publishers: Hello Reader, We at Bethany House Publishers appreciate our readers opinions about the books we publish. Occasionally, we seek your input about upcoming products. Currently, we are conducting a survey about the cover image for an upcoming novel. For your time, we are offering a giveaway in conjunction with this survey. You will be able to choose from ten recent Bethany House novels, and there will be ten winners. Winners will be notified within two weeks. Click here to take the survey, which should take about 10 minutes to complete. Thank you for your participation, and feel free to forward this email on to your friends or link the survey on your website. The survey will be available through Monday, September 17. Thanks for your time and your opinions. We value your feedback. Sincerely, Jim Hart Internet Marketing Manager Bethany House Publishers
Post a Comment
Read more

No Cold Bums toilet seat cover

Captain's Log, Stardate 08.22.2008 I actually wrote out my pattern! I was getting a lot of hits on my infamous toilet seat cover , and I wanted to make a new one with “improvements,” so I paid attention and wrote things down as I made the new one. This was originally based off the Potty Mouth toilet cover , but I altered it to fit over the seat instead of the lid. Yarn: any worsted weight yarn, about 120 yards (this is a really tight number, I used exactly 118 yards. My suggestion is to make sure you have about 130 yards.) I suggest using acrylic yarn because you’re going to be washing this often. Needle: I used US 8, but you can use whatever needle size is recommended by the yarn you’re using. Gauge: Not that important. Mine was 4 sts/1 inch in garter stitch. 6 buttons (I used some leftover shell buttons I had in my stash) tapestry needle Crochet hook (optional) Cover: Using a provisional cast on, cast on 12 stitches. Work in garter st until liner measures
10 comments
Read more

Save the Date - Camy's Patreon Launch

My Patreon will launch in 1 week! I took all the results of the poll and I have hopefully created fun and appealing tiers. About my Patreon: I'm trying something new for the next 6-7 months. If it works, I'll continue, but if I end up not liking it, I'll stop it in September or October. I will be starting a monthly subscription membership on a new Patreon account. I will be posting the chapters of my current book ( Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 7 ) so you can read ahead of when the ebook will be edited and published. My current plan is to post 1-2 chapters weekly. One reason I’m switching things up is that I want to get closer to my readers and build a tighter, more intimate community with you. You can comment on each chapter of my book, give a reaction, ask a question, or even correct mistakes. My books will become a dialogue with you. If you subscribe to my Patreon, you'll be charged monthly and have access to all the benefits for the tier you subscribe to. The
Post a Comment
Read more

Sweet Romance Reads: How do you celebrate accomplishments?

I’m at the Sweet Romance Reads blog and Facebook group talking about finishing my book and posting a poll about how you usually celebrate accomplishments. Check out the blog or Facebook group to weigh in!
Post a Comment
Read more

FREE: Hidden Currents by Christy Barritt

Join Christy’s email list to get this story free! A notorious gang puts a bounty on Detective Cady Matthews’s head after she takes down their leader, leaving her no choice but to hide until she can testify at trial. But her temporary home across the country on a remote North Carolina island isn’t as peaceful as she initially thinks. Living under the new identity of Cassidy Livingston, she struggles to keep her investigative skills tucked away, especially after a body washes ashore. When local police bungle the murder investigation, she can’t resist stepping in. But Cassidy is supposed to be keeping a low profile. One wrong move could lead to both her discovery and her demise. Can she bring justice to the island . . . or will the hidden currents surrounding her pull her under for good? Hidden Currents is the first book in the six-book Lantern Beach Mystery series. Each book contains a standalone mystery, but there are overarching mysteries within the entire series. Get it now for
Post a Comment
Read more

Tabi socks, part deux

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.25.2008 (If you're on Ravelry, friend me! I'm camytang.) I made tabi socks again! (At the bottom of the pattern is the calculation for the toe split if you're not using the same weight yarn that I did for this pattern (fingering). I also give an example from when I used worsted weight yarn with this pattern.) I used Opal yarn, Petticoat colorway. It’s a finer yarn than my last pair of tabi socks, so I altered the pattern a bit. Okay, so here’s my first foray into giving a knitting pattern. Camy’s top-down Tabi Socks I’m assuming you already know the basics of knitting socks. If you’re a beginner, here are some great tutorials: Socks 101 How to Knit Socks The Sock Knitter’s Companion A video of turning the heel Sock Knitting Tips Yarn: I have used both fingering weight and worsted weight yarn with this pattern. You just change the number of cast on stitches according to your gauge and the circumference of your ankle. Th
18 comments
Read more

I GOT A 3-BOOK CONTRACT WITH ZONDERVAN!

Captain's Log, Supplemental My agent called me today with the great news! Zondervan has contracted me for another three books! Right now, they’re all stand alone books—not a series. The first book is slated to release May 2010 and is tentatively titled The Year of the Dog (they’ll probably change it). It’s a women’s contemporary novel. Here’s the back cover blurb from my proposal: Tessa Ota, a professional dog trainer, is having a bad year. While moving ahead with renovation plans for her new dog kenneling and training facility, Tessa needs to move in with her disapproving mother and her antagonist sister. She convinces her ex-boyfriend to take her dog for a few months … but discovers that his brother is the irate engineer whose car she rammed a few weeks earlier. Charles Bretton has enough problems. His mama has just shown up on his doorstep all the way from Louisiana, and his brother has to move in with him after being kicked out of his apartment—with a dog in tow. And guess who
23 comments
Read more

Toilet seat cover

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Update August 2008: I wrote up the pattern for this with "improvements"! Here's the link to my No Cold Bums toilet seat cover ! Okay, remember a few days ago I was complaining about the cold toilet seat in my bathroom? Well, I decided to knit a seat cover. Not a lid cover, but a seat cover. I went online and couldn’t find anything for the seat, just one pattern for the lid by Feminitz.com . However, I took her pattern for the inside edge of the lid cover and modified it to make a seat cover. Here it is! It’s really ugly stitch-wise because originally I made it too small and had to extend it a couple inches on each side. I figured I’d be the one staring at it, so who cared if the extension wasn’t perfectly invisible? I used acrylic yarn since, well, that’s what I had, and also because it’s easy to wash. I’ll probably have to wash this cover every week or so, but it’s easy to take off—I made ties which you can see near the back of the seat. And
21 comments
Read more

Chopsticks and knitting

Hahahahaha! My husband, Captain Caffeine sent me this cartoon. The Asian and the knitter in me loves this one: My parents taught me to use chopsticks at an early age so they’re pretty comfortable for me. Did you know there are differences between Japanese and Chinese chopsticks? The Chinese ones tend to be blunter and more slippery whereas the Japanese ones are pointier and sometimes have a textured tip to make it easier to grab food. My mom will eat salad with a chopstick, which I have to admit is a bit easier than a fork, for me. Any of you knit? Any of you use chopsticks?
11 comments
Read more

ICRS, part 2

Captain’s Log, Stardate 07.14.2006 For all you writers —check out my Story Sensei critique service Summer Sale ! Ends tomorrow! Blog book giveaway: My Monday book giveaway is ARMS OF DELIVERANCE by Tricia Goyer. My Thursday book giveaway is TANGLED MEMORIES by Marta Perry . You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Monday, I'll draw the winner for ARMS OF DELIVERANCE and post the title for another book I'm giving away ICRS, part 2 (continued from part 1 ): Sue Brower had invited me to the Christy awards that night and I was so thrilled to get to go. Everyone looked gorgeous. I’ve never seen Brandilyn Collins or Meredith Efken in anything besides jeans before. I hadn’t seen Sue Brower in two years and I was deathly afraid I wouldn’t recognize her, but Wendy introduced me and saved me from doing anything remotely stupid like, oh, walking past her. Sue immediately slammed me with the big dogs—she introduced me to the VPs of sales and
12 comments
Read more