Monday, 26 June 2017

Coping with the Emotional Challenges of Being a Writer...

As an author, the number one emotional challenge I find is being overwhelmed. These days, writers must wear so many hats. Indie authors more so. If you’re lucky to score a contract with a publisher like I did, a lot of the work such as your book cover design, editing, formatting, and some marketing and promoting are taken care of for you. When you’re under contract with a publisher you’re part of a team, and are expected to participate fully. But if you decide to go with self-publishing you either learn the ropes and wear all the hats, or delegate and hire cover artists, editors, formatters, and book promotion or marketing specialists. And believe me it’s not cheap.

We live in a new time of publishing where the rules are not quite yet defined, and anything goes. So writers need to figure out what they can handle, and what they can’t. I hired a web designer. I’ve even hired a book promotion specialist to help with a blog tour for my book launch. Writers are a tough breed. You must realize that you can’t handle everything. Or this business will break you. It’s humbling to understand you need to rely on others, and it will create a sense of peace. Balance what you can, and dole out the rest.

Writing is such a solitary profession. Humans need human contact. Period. Face it, we weren’t born to live a life of solitude. Like attracts like, and writers are no exception. I connected with other writers through courses, social media, my publishers, writing groups—I could go on, but you get the gist—because of our common love of books and writing. Writers know what other writers go through. They feel each other’s pain, know what it’s like to be rejected, and invest a lot of time, energy, and money into a profession that may or may not pay off in the long run.

Supporting other writers, and helping them out when the going gets tough, has helped me tremendously when I’ve felt down in the dumps and overwhelmed. And those awesome writers do the same for me. These emotional challenges happen to the best of us. So why not hang with like-minded souls, who can give you a hug—virtually or physically?

What are some of the emotional challenges you’ve faced as a writer? How did you deal with these challenges? Would love to read and respond to your comments! Cheers and thank you for reading my blog!

Monday, 19 June 2017

Book Tour: Lost and Found, Book One; Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls Series by Sharon Ledwith...


Fairy Falls was bores-ville from the get-go. Then the animals started talking... 


The Fairy Falls Animal Shelter is in trouble. Money trouble. It’s up to an old calico cat named Whiskey—a shelter cat who has mastered the skill of observation—to find a new human pack leader so that their home will be saved. With the help of Nobel, the leader of the shelter dogs, the animals set out to use the ancient skill of telepathy to contact any human who bothers to listen to them. Unfortunately for fifteen-year-old Meagan Walsh, she hears them, loud and clear.

Forced to live with her Aunt Izzy in the safe and quiet town of Fairy Falls, Meagan is caught stealing and is sentenced to do community hours at the animal shelter where her aunt works. Realizing Meagan can hear her, Whiskey realizes that Meagan just might have the pack leader qualities necessary to save the animals. Avoiding Whiskey and the rest of shelter animals becomes impossible for Meagan, so she finally gives in and promises to help them. Meagan, along with her newfound friends, Reid Robertson and Natalie Knight, discover that someone in Fairy Falls is not only out to destroy the shelter, but the animals as well. Can Meagan convince her aunt and co-workers that the animals are in danger? If she fails, then all the animals’ voices will be silenced forever.

Exclusive Excerpt:

“You can understand me, can’t you, girl?” the calico cat said, staring straight at her.
Meagan stretched, much like a cat, and then crossed her arms. “So what if I can? And FYI—cigarettes relieve stress for me. I need them like you need food.”
Whiskey’s ears flattened. “I do not need poisoned food, thank you very much. And what is stress, girl?”
“Meagan.”
“What?”
“My name is Meagan. How would you like to be called ‘cat’ all the time?”
“It is what I am.” Whiskey preened her head with a paw. “You humans are the only ones who need to give out names. In my lifetime, I have had three different names, though I like Whiskey the best. Now, what is this ‘stress’?”
“Stress is something adults do to kids all the time. It’s that push-push-push feeling that gets up all inside you. Stress makes your stomach bunch, neck tense, and head ache.”
Whiskey stopped grooming. “So why don’t you just walk away from this stress? Cats do it all the time.”
Meagan sighed. “I wish it were that easy.”
Whiskey sneezed, making her bells ring. “It’s easier than poisoning yourself with that white stick. If you could smell what I can smell, then you’d never pick up another white stick.”
Meagan laughed. “Maybe, but when I first walked into the shelter, you should have smelled what I smelled. It was ripe! Whew, you animals are disgusting!”
Whiskey grinned a cat grin, and then laid down on the gravel. “Does the Kind One know?”
“Kind One?”
“The human you came in with. Does she know that you can talk to cats?”
“Aunt Izzy? No. Only my mom knew. She used to work for a veterinarian, but…” Meagan paused, shook her head, and then cleared her throat, “Nobody does now. I used to talk to animals all the time when I was younger. It seemed natural to me, picking up pictures or feelings or emotions from a stray cat, a wandering dog, or a friend’s pet, and then sending a message back to them. I remember it being fun.”
Whiskey’s yellow eyes widened. “You can understand dogs, too?”
Meagan nodded. “Sure. I just pick up their signals, the same as I would for cats, and connect with them. I stopped doing it when I was around ten ’cause—” Meagan paused for the second time, and sighed deeply “—kids were making fun of me and adults didn’t believe me. I honestly thought I’d lost the ability until I picked up on you.”
The dogs started barking wildly again. “Okay, okay, hold your bits and pieces, Mama Gail is coming!”
“What’s going on?” Meagan asked, peering around the shed.
“It’s feeding time for the dogs. The Loud One is rotating them so they all get a chance to relieve themselves before eating.”
“The Loud One? For not caring about names, you animals sure have some strange ones for us.”
Whiskey’s tail twitched. “We go by the steady patterns we pick up from a human.”
“Steady patterns?”
Her tail flicked again. “Yes. Every human is different. The Loud One booms in everything she does. She uses her voice far too much and her ears far too little. The Quiet One is the opposite. She listens and rarely speaks, but knows more about what’s going on at the shelter than anyone else. Then there’s the Quick One. She speeds through the shelter, cleaning, watering, and feeding us as if she’s doing the job of ten humans. It’s all so disturbing to watch, darting here and there like a lost puppy on the road.”
“I see,” said Meagan. “So how did you come up with the oh-so-wrong name for my Aunt Izzy?”
Whiskey jumped up on her lap and stared into her blue eyes. Meagan shrunk. “If you can communicate with me, then you should know why.”
Whiskey was a light-weight cat, no more than a furry bag of bones, yet there was something intimidating about her, like an old-school teacher smacking a ruler against her palm. The truth was, this elderly cat knew her aunt better than she did and it made her a little on the jealous side. Other than the stories her dad had shared—the bar fight, the drug addiction, the rebellious big sister—she knew nothing else.
Meagan shook her head. “I haven’t a freaking clue, Whiskey.”
The cat almost looked disappointed. “Then may I suggest that you start paying attention? You’ll learn more about humans that way.”  

Book Details:

Kindle File Size: 667 KB
Print Length: 203 pages
Publication Date: June 17, 2017
ASIN: B0713S1DCR

Publisher: Mirror World Publishing
http://www.mirrorworldpublishing.com

Goodreads Link:

Purchase Your Copy:



Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel adventure series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the teen psychic mystery series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, exercising, anything arcane, and an occasional dram of scotch. Sharon lives a serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, one spoiled yellow Labrador and a moody calico cat.


Learn more about Sharon Ledwith on her WEBSITE and BLOG. Look up her AMAZON AUTHOR page for a list of current books. Stay connected on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, GOOGLE+, and GOODREADS.

Author Tagline:

Escape to the past and have a blast.

Connect with Sharon Ledwith:

Sharon’s Website:
www.sharonledwith.com

Sharon’s Blog:
http://sharonledwith.blogspot.com/

Sharon’s Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/seledwith

Sharon’s Author Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/Sharon-Ledwith-210150205690477/

Twitter: @sharonledwith:
https://twitter.com/sharonledwith

Goodreads Author Page:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5821744.Sharon_Ledwith

Goodreads Book Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35017082-lost-and-found

Google+ Page:
https://plus.google.com/116758820349834035390#116758820349834035390/posts

Amazon Author U.S. Page:
http://amzn.to/2p9rync

Amazon Author U.K. Page:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B0084DUHJO

Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/seledwith/

Café Press Shop:

Monday, 12 June 2017

Let's Hear it for the Boys...

This recipe is one for the guys. And I’m sure the fellows on The Last Timekeepers team would wholeheartedly agree. After all, Jordan, Drake, Ravi, and Professor Lucas will tell you that they build up quite an appetite traveling into the past to keep time safe. So instead of settling for something like rabbit stew or salty cookies, these brave lads would rather sink their teeth into a strip of melt-in-your-mouth beef jerky. Plus, this healthy, high-protein snack won’t spoil when you’re traveling to faraway places—like Nottingham in 1214 or Amsterdam in 1942.

Easy to prepare with a prep time of 15 minutes, marinade time of approximately 3 hours, and cook time of 3 hours, you’ll discover making your own beef jerky is not only fun and relatively quick, but also something you can do with your favorite person! You can have your butcher slice the beef for you, or do-it-yourself. BTW—this makes a great Game Day snack or fabulous Father’s Day gift.

Hubby’s Homemade Beef Jerky

¾ cup Worcestershire sauce
¾ cup soy sauce
1 tbsp. smoked paprika, or to taste (we use regular paprika)
1 tbsp. honey, or more to taste
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
2 pounds of beef, top round, thinly sliced

WHISK all ingredients, except the beef, together in a bowl.

ADD beef to bowl and turn to coat the meat completely.

COVER with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator 3 hours to overnight.

PREHEAT oven to 175° F (80° C)

LINE a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack over the foil.

TRANSFER beef to paper towels to dry. Discard marinade. Arrange beef slices in a single layer on the prepared wire rack on the baking sheet.

BAKE beef until dry and leathery, 3 to 4 hours. Cut with scissors into bite-size pieces, and enjoy!

Since you’ve got 3 hours to do whatever your heart desires, why not check out what those time traveling guys are up to by perusing one of my books from The Last Timekeepers series? Happy eats,  and enjoy this blast from the past to get your feet moving and appetite growing...

Monday, 5 June 2017

What’s New in my Writing World this Summer…

With my new book release through Mirror World Publishing just around the corner, I’ve been scrambling to get things prepared and ready to go. Honestly, with the stuff authors have to do nowadays, it feels as if I’m birthing a baby, rather than launching a book! Some of my tasks include creating blog posts for my upcoming book tour with Sapphyria’s Book Promotions (June 17th to 23rd), whipping up recipe posts for friend and gourmet cook, Sloane Taylor, working with my web designer to make the necessary additions to include my new book and buy links, and making plans to attend the Summer Craft and Gift Show with author friend, Christine Hayton on June 25th in Windsor.

Last month, I just finished up with a three week long Goodreads Giveaway for The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret, the latest book in my young adult time travel adventure series. I was tickled with the amount of entries I received (1444) for that giveaway, and I’m grateful for all those readers who entered! Now on the cusp of a new book series, I’ll be planning another Goodreads Giveaway once, Lost and Found, Book One of Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls launches on June 17th. Please stay tuned for my next Goodreads Giveaway announcement on my blog, and in my Facebook and Twitter feeds. This book giveaway will run for about two weeks, so the winner will receive his/her book during the summer months.

I’ve also been busy contacting animal shelters and animal rescue organizations to offer them a fundraising opportunity to sell my book, Lost and Found on consignment at their events and fundraisers. In this proposal, I offer some unique marketing and selling points:

·         The author wrote this novel after her experience with working at a local animal shelter as an animal care attendant
·         A true labor of love, every dog and cat featured in this novel is based on an animal for which the author cared or handled in some capacity
·         A story that speaks for the animals
·         Cat and dog lovers worldwide will adore this heartwarming animal tale
·         Brings awareness to struggling animal shelters everywhere.
·         Brings awareness regarding the important issue of neutering/spaying our pets, as well as the importance of animal adoption
·         The importance of volunteering at local animal shelters to help offset the high cost of running a shelter

The intent for this fundraising idea spawns from creating awareness for animal shelters and the continuing challenges to keep their doors open, and care for the lost, abandoned, or surrendered animals. We must remember, without the backbone of volunteers and community support, animal shelters and rescues would not survive. I know this, and unfortunately have seen it firsthand.

If you’re curious about Lost and Found, here’s the tagline and blurb:

Fairy Falls was bores-ville from the get-go. Then the animals started talking...

The Fairy Falls Animal Shelter is in trouble. Money trouble. It’s up to an old calico cat named Whiskey—a shelter cat who has mastered the skill of observation—to find a new human pack leader so that their home will be saved. With the help of Nobel, the leader of the shelter dogs, the animals set out to use the ancient skill of telepathy to contact any human who bothers to listen to them. Unfortunately for fifteen-year-old Meagan Walsh, she hears them, loud and clear.

Forced to live with her Aunt Izzy in the safe and quiet town of Fairy Falls, Meagan is caught stealing and is sentenced to do community hours at the animal shelter where her aunt works. Realizing Meagan can hear her, Whiskey realizes that Meagan just might have the pack leader qualities necessary to save the animals. Avoiding Whiskey and the rest of shelter animals becomes impossible for Meagan, so she finally gives in and promises to help them. Meagan, along with her newfound friends, Reid Robertson and Natalie Knight, discover that someone in Fairy Falls is not only out to destroy the shelter, but the animals as well. Can Meagan convince her aunt and co-workers that the animals are in danger? If she fails, then all the animals’ voices will be silenced forever.

Well, that’s all the news I have for now, and that’s a good thing, seeing as my work is cut out for me! If you’re an author, have you ever come up with a unique marketing or fundraising idea based on the premise of your book? Would love to read your comments. Cheers, and as always, thank you for reading my blog!