Here comes Peter Cotton-tail...

I've coerced my author friend and fellow Wench of Words Marci Boudreaux to devulge her secret recipe she  loves to serve over the Easter holiday. Actually it wasn't that hard. Turns out she works for carrots -- 24 'carrot' gold that is. Cheers and Happy Easter! Take it away, Marci... 

Easter has always been a time in my family for big meals and family gatherings. Now that I live far from where I grew up, our family consists of two ever-growing girls, my husband, and me. Big feasts don’t go over well with just four people. I still like to make a ham and way more side dishes and desserts than we will ever eat, but with four of us, the tradition has gone out the window and our holiday meals tend to go more toward the fun side.

This year, we’ve added Easter Bunny Butt to the menu.

Yes, you read that right. We’re eating the Easter Bunny’s Butt. Why? Because it’s so darn cute!

I actually found this recipe on the Box Tops for Education website (yes, I’m that mom). When it came time to offer up a holiday recipe to the girls, I just knew they’d love making this and they did.

It was relatively easy (although we used carrot cake and I don’t recommend that, it crumbled like crazy! I had to freeze it before frosting) and the girls, ages 7 and 11, did most of the work.

It was delicious too!

So, if you are still looking for the perfect dessert to take to your Easter gathering. Consider taking a little slice of Easter Bunny Butt heaven.

Easter Bunny Butt Cake

1 box white cake mix
1 container vanilla frosting
Red food coloring
3-4 cups shredded coconut
Green food coloring

Pre-heat oven to 325°F.

Grease 1 ½ quart ovenproof bowl with shortening (do not use cooking spray) then dust with flour. Lightly grease 3 muffin cups in regular-size muffin pan. Make cake batter as directed on box. Pour cake batter in 3 muffin cups, filling two-thirds full. Pour remaining batter into pre-greased bowl. Bake cupcakes 15 to 20 minutes, bowl 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool enough to handle. Remove cakes from muffin cups and bowl. Place pieces on cooling racks. Cool completely—about 1 hour. Cut off rounded tops of cakes. Cut two cupcakes into triangle shapes for the feet. Place bowl cake on tray cut side down and cover with 1/3 cup frosting over cake. Use toothpicks to adhere cupcakes to bowl cake for feet and bunny tail. Spread thin layer of frosting over side and top of cake to seal in crumbs. Freeze cake 30 to 45 minutes to set frosting. Spread remaining frosting over cake. Sprinkle with coconut; press gently to adhere. Mix 1 cup coconut and 3 drops green food color until evenly tinted. Surround bunny with tinted coconut. Mix a small amount of red food coloring and icing. Add to the bottom of the bunny feet.

Here's a little from Unforgettable You for your reading pleasure while you wait for the Easter Bunny Butt Cake to cool.

Is their love strong enough to survive their real lives?

Desperate to keep her ailing mother-in-law Doreen in the family home, Carrie Gable agrees to board a few of Hollywood’s elite actors. Despite her resentment of their demands, she can’t stop her attraction to actor Will Walker.

Will, out to save his failing career, agrees to a project that bores him. The more time he spends with his egotistical co-stars, the more drawn he is to their hostess. Long nights talking with Carrie make him realize he wants a simpler life, but his ties to L.A. refuse to let him go.

The temptation to regain stardom pulls Will in one direction while the obligation to family tugs Carrie in another. Against all odds, the couple struggles for a solution to save their new found happiness.

To read an excerpt from Unforgettable You, please click HERE.

Check out the trailer for Unforgettable You HERE.

Learn more about Marci Boudreaux on her website.

Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

Kick-Butt Characters Hop

Welcome, and thank you for stopping by on your tour around the Kick-Butt Characters Hop hosted by Good Choice Reading and I Am A Reader, Not A Writer.

So, what’s my choice for a book featuring a “Kick-Butt” Character? That’s easy! Amanda Sault from The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis gets the nod. She’s strong, sassy, and as the Scribe of the Timekeepers, gets the job done by figuring out their mission in the end.

I’m giving away an ecopy of my novel The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, the first book in my middle-grade/YA time travel series in the format of your choice. BTW – this Giveaway is opened internationally, so everyone is included in this hop! Cheers to All!

Here’s the tagline and blurb from my book:

Children are the keys to our future. And now, children are the only hope for our past.

When 13-year-old Amanda Sault and her annoying classmates are caught in a food fight at school, they're given a choice: suspension or yard duty. The decision is a no-brainer. Their two-week crash course in landscaping leads to the discovery of a weathered stone arch in the overgrown back yard. The arch isn't a forgotten lawn ornament but an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis.

Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers--legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial--Amanda and her classmates are sent on an adventure of a lifetime. Can they find the young Robin Hood and his merry band of teens? If they don't, then history itself may be turned upside down.

Good luck, and don’t forget to visit all the other blogs on the hop and enjoy more giveaway fun!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms & Conditions

§  This Blog Hop begins midnight on March 23^rd and runs until midnight March 28^th, 2013. The draw will take place March 29^th, 2013.

§  The winner will chosen by Rafflecopter

§  I will contact the winner via email and give the winner 72 hours to accept his/her prize.

§  Prize as stated—no alternatives will be offered.

Books, Banter & Bites on my Dock…featuring Rita Monette

Photo by Brianne Boulton

Welcome to my virtual dock in the wilds of Muskoka, where it’s always sunny and warm no matter what time of the year it is. Please pull up one of the dock chairs, sit your butt down, and be prepared to be entertained and enlightened. Today, I’ve got middle-grade author, Rita Monette stopping by for a visit. If you’ve never heard of this awesome author, here’s a little background information about her:

Rita Monette was born and raised in Southwest Louisiana. After retiring from her “real” job as an administrative assistant, Rita began doing what she always wanted to do…write and paint. Five long years later, Musa Publishing offered her a contract for her debut middle grade novel, The Legend of Ghost Dog Island, which also includes her artwork. Her stories are set in the beautiful, yet mysterious, bayous and swamps of her home state. Rita now resides with her husband, four lap dogs, and one lap cat, in the mountains of Tennessee.
 
Hmm, seems Ms. Monette is running a little late, it’s almost half-past noon. Hopefully she’ll get here before the brownies I just made get too cold. Mmm…these Caramel-Pecan Brownies are to die for, loaded with 2 cups of pecans and at least 51 caramels! BTW – there’s no calories allowed on my dock, so feast away! If you think you’d be interested in the recipe, please click HERE. And if you stick around after my chat with the author, there just might be some left! Okay, so while we’re waiting for…oh here she is now! Please sit, Rita, you look flushed from your long journey! Have a brownie and a chilled glass of milk compliments of our local dairy Kawartha Dairy, who also happen to produce a variety of kick-ass ice cream!

While I’m serving up the brownies and milk, please check out the blurb on Rita’s newest release The Legend of Ghost Dog Island:

Moving is nothing new for ten-year-old Nikki Landry. Her fisherman father relocates their raggedy old houseboat several times a year in search of better crab fishing spots. However, their latest move has brought her to a mysterious bayou where she feels like something is watching her and her beloved dog Snooper from a nearby island. But when Papa tells her about a local legend that something sinister might be living nearby and stealing the souls of dogs, she fears for her constant companion’s life. Join Nikki as she seeks to discover the truth behind the legend…before it’s too late.

Love it! So, Rita, tell us where you got your idea and inspiration to write The Legend of Ghost Dog Island?

 
The idea for my book was to tell the story of my childhood...of being a levee rat and moving all the time. My characters began taking on lives of their own. They ended up doing things and going places I'd never dreamed of...and thus, The Legend of Ghost Dog Island was born.

 
What sets The Legend of Ghost Dog Island apart from other books in the same genre?

My middle grade novel is set in the 1950s. A few editors passed on the idea, and thought kids could not relate to a time before cell phones, video games, and computers. But a little research showed me that kids are indeed interested in that time. What DID kids do with themselves back in the old days? It is set in the bayous of Louisiana, which is not unique in that there are other books with that setting. However, my story is based on a real life character and a real place. So, does all that make it historical? Technically yes. But I don't actually market it that way. Historical fiction doesn't seem to be a selling factor for middle graders, as much as it's a story about a young girl, her dog, and a mysterious howling creature on a nearby island.

You had me at a mysterious howling creature! How long did it take for you to start and finish The Legend of Ghost Dog Island? 

It's hard to tell. It took me a year to begin thinking it might be ready to submit. But after about three more years of rejections, and quite a few revisions, it became really ready and really finished.

I don’t think newbie writers realize the process it takes from a seed idea to an actual published book. Do you have any advice for writers wanting to write in your genre?

 

Other than your typical writing advice, think like a kid.

LOL! Now that’s tried and true advice! So, what's next for Rita Monette the author?

 

I am working on a sequel to The Legend of Ghost Dog Island, where the characters go on another quest to solve another legend...one that involves a ghostly pirate ship and some ghostly pirates. I'm also working on a YA novel called the Zone of Fear, set in New Orleans. An excerpt (first three chapters) won first place in a writing contest, so now I have to finish it right? It remains to be seen which will be completed first. The characters in these two books keep fighting for my attention.

 

All I can say is move over Shaggy and Scooby Doo here comes Rita Monette and Snooper! I’ll be looking forward to your next release! Oh here, let me top up your glass, and please help yourself to another brownie, it’s a long ride back to Tennessee. Before you go, please let readers know where they can buy your book, and how to connect with you. Thanks for taking the time to share your novel and your wisdom with us on my dock today. Cheers and best wishes in ALL your publishing ventures, Rita.

 

Buy Links: Musa Publishing and Amazon and Barnes & Noble

Learn more about Rita Monette on her website and blog

Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter

Be Aware of the Ides of March and other good stuff…

Practically everyone has heard the phrase Beware of the Ides of March, foretold to Julius Caesar by a Soothsayer warning him about his impending assassination in William Shakespeare’s tragic play Julius Caesar. However, I’m turning the tables and proclaiming March 15^th a more fortuitous day for those who would love a chance to win my signed paperback, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis.

I’m holding a Goodreads Giveaway starting today and ending midnight on March 31^st which just so happens to be Easter this year. During this time period, I’ll also be participating in the Kick Butt Character Hop hosted by Good Choice Reading and I Am A Reader, Not A Writer which runs from March 23^rd to March 28^th, where an ecopy of my book will be up for grabs. BTW – this Hop is opened internationally, so everyone can enter to win! Boy, the Easter Bunny is not the only one who’ll be hopping around this month!

Please follow the link below to enter the Goodreads contest. And to sweeten the pot I’ll also be throwing in a signed trading card and wrist band to the lucky winner, so best of luck!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis

by Sharon Ledwith

Giveaway ends March 31, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Wenches of Words Wednesday: Vonnie Hughes

I’m excited to feature fellow Wench of Words, Vonnie Hughes — a wonderful wench from down-under — who pens Regency and romantic suspense fiction. For a gentler, sweeter side to Ms. Hughes, please click HERE, because today this Wench of Oz is going to show off her dark side. Take it away, Vonnie…

Here's what one reviewer said: "LETHAL REFUGE, a spine-tingling suspense book by Vonnie Hughes, is set in seldom seen New Zealand. The story griped and held me because Hughes expertly wove fear throughout while adding twists and just enough reality to make the story plausible. LETHAL REFUGE is a book I believe you all will enjoy. It left me afraid to turn the lights off."

LETHAL REFUGE Vonnie Hughes Print ISBN 1-60154-996-2 The Wild Rose Press

Available in both paperback and e-book from: The Wild Rose Press Amazon

Who can you trust if you can’t trust your own mother? Through the clammy fog, Celie Francis hears the chilling message. “I know who you are, Celie. I know where you live.” And in the terrifying aftermath she reconnects with her dysfunctional family in ways she had never imagined.

BLURB:

Abused and abandoned as a child, Célie Francis knows better than to trust anyone. But after she witnesses a murder, she's placed in the Unit "New Zealand's witness protection program" where she's expected to trust strangers with her life.

It's psychologist Brand Turner's job to ease witnesses into their new identities, not to protect them, but Célie stirs feelings in him that are far from professional. When it appears someone is leaking critical information that could endanger Célie, Brand will do anything to protect her. But first he has to convince her to trust him.

Adrift in a frightening world, Célie would like to believe the handsome psychologist is everything he seems, but as witnesses are murdered and danger swirls around them, Célie must decide "can she trust Brand with her life?

EXCERPT:

Célie Francis ran faster than she ever had in her life. Fingers of fog rolling in from the sea grabbed at her as her feet alternately flew and stuttered over the uneven pavement of the ocean road.

Where was he? How much time did she have? The wash of the sea was a calm counterpoint to her harsh, frantic breathing. Above the sound of her thudding feet, the shriek of a bird pierced the air.

No, not a bird. Something was squeaking. Occy’s old bicycle.

He had found her.

Faster, Célie, faster, shouted the little man on the treadmill in her mind.

I can’t, she sobbed.

Fancy the consequences?

No God, no!

Then run faster.

But her aching legs could not obey. And on the roadway the relentless squeak, squeak kept pace with her.

Frantically she zigzagged, seeking a haven in the fog. It was barely dawn on the lonely North Auckland cliffs above the Pacific Ocean. No help anywhere.

Have to hide. Have to hide.

Her shoes slapped a rhythm.

Salty sweat stung her eyes. Ignore it.

The slap of her running shoes echoed then died in the mist. Died...

Her brain, tumbling in an endless whirl of fear and futile questions asked—-why Occy? Why had he killed a man this time?

Up ahead loomed a deep grey cloud of mist. Thank you, God. She blasted into the fog bank and the squeaking receded behind her. This is your chance, the little man said.

Veering off the sidewalk, she streaked across a pristine lawn and crouched behind a lavender bush. Her chest heaving, she struggled to gulp another breath of sodden air.

Squeeeak. He was back. This was it. Eyes streaming, she curled into a ball on the cold ground and waited.

Something yellow zinged past her face and tickled her arm. A needle-sharp sting pierced her elbow, then another. Bees, irritated by her invasion, were trying to drive her out. No you won’t. What’s out there is a lot worse than what you can do, bees. As the pinpricks tingled and burned, she pressed her lips together so hard that the muscles on the side of her face ached.

Louder now, the squeaking advanced and receded. He was casting up and down, looking for her. Please, please...

A sibilant whisper reached her through the clammy fog. “I know who you are, Célie. I know where you live.”

Available in both paperback and e-book from: The Wild Rose Press Amazon

Learn more about Vonnie Hughes on her website and blog.

Stay connected on Facebook and Goodreads.

Look Who the Cat Dragged In…

Recently, I wrote a post that showcased books featuring dogs as one of the central characters. If you happened to miss it, please click HERE. Today, I thought it would be only fair if I turn the tables and talk about felines who have made appearances in books and movies. Growing up, I was a huge fan of Disney’s Aristocats, and must have seen it at least a half dozen times. And those dastardly Siamese cats in Lady and the Tramp turned me against the breed for a long time until my mom decided to get a Siamese kitten. I guess I couldn’t resist those blue eyes after all!

In my new yet-to-be released book, Legend of the Timekeepers I introduce my readers to a lion-human hybrid named Etan, who aids14-year-old Lilith and her newfound friends with the very first Timekeeper mission. In another YA series I’ve created, my book Lost and Found: Mysterious Tales of Fairy spotlights Whiskey, a cantankerous, old calico cat who helps 15-year-old animal communicator Meagan Walsh find her true path. So, keeping with the theme of this post, I thought I gather together a group of authors who have made it a point to have cats in their books. Let the purring begin:

Lisa Orchard: The Supers Spies and the Cat Lady Killer

In a small town in Michigan, fifteen-year-old Sarah Cole is stuck spending the summer at her Aunt and Uncle’s with her sister, Lacey. She’s not happy with the situation until she befriends a girl named Jackie. The three girls stumble upon the ruthless murder of a reclusive neighborhood woman and what's worse? One of the officers investigating the crime believes the girls are responsible for her death.

Fearing that this officer will frame them for the murder, the girls organize their own detective squad. They become the Super Spies and start their own investigation. The Super Spies can’t understand why anyone would want to murder the “Cat Lady” until they start digging into her past and discover a horrible crime that happened thirty years ago. They uncover a connection between the two crimes and attempt to bring this information to the police, only to be reprimanded for meddling in the investigation. Not only are the girls upset by the admonition, but they also struggle with the fact that their exuberant investigating could provide a legal loophole allowing the killer to go free. Frustrated by this turn of events, the Super Spies realize it’s up to them to snare the Cat Lady killer.

Or die trying...


Linda Benson: Six Degrees of Lost, featuring a cat named Rags owned by protagonist Olive.
Sometimes you have to take a journey to find out where you really belong.

Olive’s mother is headed to jail and her brother to join the Army, so thirteen-year-old Olive is uprooted from sunny California and dumped in Washington State like a stray. That's exactly what she feels like surrounded by her aunt’s collection of homeless dogs, cats, and horses.

Fourteen-year-old David’s future is already carved in stone. From a military family with two brothers serving overseas, he’s been pointed towards the Air Force Academy his entire life - but a rafting trip gone awry might ruin his chances.

When a runaway dog is almost hit by a car, the search for its owner leads Olive and David, two kids from entirely different backgrounds, to an unlikely bond. Will their growing attraction to each other be enough to keep Olive from a foolhardy journey to find her mother? Will David risk his family’s plans to save her?

PM Griffin: The Bastet Trilogy

Three cats, three incarnations of great potential, but terrible peril lies before each of them.

The Goddess Bastet has granted three cats the potential of greatness and happiness in their new incarnations, but each must face terrible peril to gain it:

Bast’s Gift is just accustoming himself to his new life when a deadly intruder threatens his assigned human. What can he, a small cat, do to defend her?

Firecat and his beloved Partner Eva are suddenly confronted with the overwhelming horror of a raging firestorm. Can human and feline, working together, manage to survive?

Pennyroyal returns to the time of her previous death to help save not only her chosen human but the better part of the human race. Can she and Flavia defeat a demon’s malice?

Eva Scott: The Reluctant Wedding Planner, featuring a cat named Manouche who has his own facebook page!
Not only flowers bloom...

Dr Camden James is a rural vet, not a wedding planner, so he quickly feels out of his depth when, in a fit of generosity, he offers to glam up his sister's budget wedding in a secret move designed to surprise her. With only six weeks to make this the wedding of his sister's dreams he needs to move fast.

Stumbling around in the largely female world of weddings he gets a lead on the go-to girl for wedding flowers - Georgiana Mac Intyre. Georgi, reeling from a very public breakup, is not interested in men in anyway shape or form. Not even super-cute vets - even when they are clearly interested in her.

Cam shamelessly uses his story to get her to help. It has all the elements; romance against the odds, true love, orphans (you can't have good story without an orphan or two), and a bride.

I thought we’d finish this post with an appropriate musical slide show, sung by none other than that rockabilly group, the Stray Cats. Enjoy!

 

5 Truths and 3 Lies: Shadow Eyes Blog Tour and Kindle Fire Giveaway

Thanks for hosting me on my tour, Sharon!  I am super happy to be here!  Now let’s have some fun, shall we?

 
(First, don’t forget to enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win a print copy of Shadow Eyes, your full name in the sequel, and a KINDLE FIRE!)

Okay, I know the original game is called 2 Truths and a Lie, but I’m going to bend the rules a little and do 5 Truths and 3 Lies.  That just sounds more invasive and, therefore, more fun.
 
I’ll tell you which ones of mine are lies and explain the truths tomorrow in a comment (so check in tomorrow or subscribe to this post), but for Iris…you’ll just have to read the book.  Cruel, I know.  J
 
Feel free to put your vote in as to which ones you think are lies or not!

First, the author:

(5 Truths and 3 Lies) 

1. I accidentally stabbed my sister in her toe as a child.
2. I have witnessed buffalo stampede outside my RV.
3. I have a tattoo.
4. I have the highest rank on Dance Central.
5. I have been to Europe.
6. My husband has had multiple kidney stones.
7. I have been bungee jumping.
8. I dressed up as Katniss for the Hunger Games premier. 

Now, the main character, Iris:

(5 Truths and 3 Lies)

1. I have a phobia of mirrors.
2. I witnessed someone cheating on someone else.
3. I had to be hospitalized with an unknown illness.
4. I have an obsession with penguins.
5. I almost crashed my car into another on an icy road.
6. My mom has been married 3 times.
7. I fell while ice-skating on a first date.
8. I have a reoccurring nightmare.

 

Shadow Eyes Synopsis:

Iris Kohl lives in a world populated by murky shadows that surround, harass, and entice unsuspecting individuals toward evil.  But she is the only one who can see them.  She’s had this ability to see the shadows, as well as brilliantly glowing light figures, ever since an obscure, tragic incident on her fourteenth birthday three years earlier. 

 
Although she’s learned to cope, the view of her world begins to shift upon the arrival of three mysterious characters.  First, a handsome new teacher whose presence scares away shadows; second, a new friend with an awe-inspiring aura; and third, a mysterious and alluring new student whom Iris has a hard time resisting despite already having a boyfriend.
 
As the shadows invade and terrorize her own life and family, she must ultimately revisit the most horrific event of her life in order to learn her true identity and become the hero she was meant to be.

Check out Dusty’s blog at http://dustycrabtree.wordpress.com/

Find her on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dusty.crabtree.1

Follow her on twitter at https://twitter.com/dustycrabtree

Buy Shadow Eyes at http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=176

(also available at all major online bookstores)

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wenches of Words Wednesday: Marci Clark…a.k.a. Marci Boudreaux

Today, I’m featuring a fellow Wench of Words and fabulous romance author, who likes push the boundaries and change up her writing styles from time to time. Whether she writes as Marci Clark or Marci Boudreaux or Emilia Mancini, this Wench knows who she is, and what she wants! And I’m excited and honored to share her enthusiasm. Take it away, Marci...


Me, Myself and I
By Marci Clark

One question I am asked quite frequently is why I use various names instead of just sticking with one. I think my reasoning reflects that of many author’s so I thought I’d share.

When my first book, The Rebound, was purchased, it was completely unexpected; it was awesome, but unexpected. I was a non-traditional student (that’s nice speak for old person in college) and working as a journalist/editor, yet I’d just sold an erotic novella. Did I really want my fellow students, most of whom were a dozen or more years my junior, reading a sex book with my name on it?  If someone liked my article in the magazine I write for and decided to look me up to see my other work, did I really want them to immediately find The Rebound and forever associate my journalistic work with sex?

Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t in the least bit embarrassed. In fact, I was and am very proud of my first release. The problem was what others would think about it and how it would impact my career, volunteer work, and the work my husband does.

So I thought long and hard as I stared at the pseudonym line on my contract. Before the papers were signed Emilia Mancini, my erotic writing sidekick, was born. 

When Musa contracted Unforgettable You, a sweet romance, I again had to decide if the name I was making as a journalist was going to be tied to my fiction writing or if I was going to give Emilia credit for this one as well. I considered several pros and cons, including the fact that I’d already started building an identity for Emilia and that my lifelong dream was to see my name on the cover of the book. While Emilia was me, it just isn’t the same as seeing my name on there.

In the end I decided to use my maiden name, Marci Boudreaux, for romance.

This would serve several purposes; fulfilling that dream of seeing my name on a cover, letting people know it was not an erotic work like what Emilia would write, and keeping my day job separate from it all. 

I put everything in its own little box on the professional shelf; erotica, romance, and day job. I have three names, three genres, three personas that have completely different reasons for existing.

I also have three work e-mails, Facebooks (plus two author pages), Twitters, websites, and three different sets of people I network with. It is confusing, insane, and sometimes overwhelming, but it helps me keep my head on what I’m doing without worrying who is going to see it.

My alter egos and I can all be tied together because, in the end, we are all public figures in different areas. We’re all proud of the other’s work and more than happy to tell anyone who will listen. We all help each other out when we can.

I cross promote my authors so if you see Marci you will probably find Emilia not far behind and vice versa, but you will know what you are getting into depending on the primary persona.  The real me, however, is a bit more hidden in the shadows, never completely in the dark and always happy to take credit for the hard work of the other two.

To read an excerpt from Marci Boudreaux’s latest release Unforgettable You, please click HERE.

Check out the trailer for Unforgettable You HERE.

Learn more about Marci Boudreaux on her website.

Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

Author Morale...

If you look up the word morale in any dictionary chances are it reads: the degree of mental or moral confidence of a person or group. For me, as an author, morale means much more than that. It is that needed punch in the arm authors give each other, that woo-hoo for a great review, that tweet or share or shout out to help authors with their sales, and that blog post comment to help them get on the cyber map.

So how do you go about bolstering author morale? Follow the Golden rule. Treat other authors precisely as you wish them to treat you. If they don’t respond at once, keep at it, again and again and again. If there’s no response, no Esprit de Corps among them, then it may be time to move on and find another group of authors willing to help build your author brand and platform with you. Then, once you’ve establish an Esprit de Corps, you go the extra mile.

Going the extra mile is the state of mind you must develop in order to build morale and keep the momentum going in any endeavor. And going the extra mile makes you indispensable to others. You do for them what no one else does. And if they ask what they can do for you, tell them. So next time you find yourself perusing your favorite social network — go the extra mile and give an author a boost. Share their post. Tweet their stuff. Comment, friend, follow. Trust me — you’ll get it back in aces.

Photo Image: 123rf Stock #7022275