Farley here,
I was looking over Kristina’s shoulder as she was flipping through photos and look what I found. This is me, day one, with my new humans.
Hard to believe that was six and half years ago. I knew I was going to be one pampered puppy!
Woof Woof.
Here’s the link for all the info. https://www.facebook.com/events/484341911728130/
You are invited to attend so visit the event page and click the join button so we know to expect you!
Who will all be there?
Almost the entire Imajin Books crew will participate, from publisher to editors to authors to cover designers, formatters….
Fans of Imajin Books’ authors will be there, eager to ask their fave writers questions and offer support and compliments.
Aspiring writers will be there, schmoozing with those in the industry, asking questions, giving answers.
Other authors will be there.
Family and friends will stop by.
People who like winning things will be there–there are always lots of giveaways.
Those who love drinking virtual margaritas on virtual sunny beaches will drop by. Don’t worry, there will be free virtual taxi service for those who overimbibe! HA HA!
Come on over, join in the fun! If you’ve never attended a facebook party, this is the one to change that!
Farley here,
I don’t like getting my paws wet. I’m thirsty, parched actually, but my pads should always stay dry. So I lived on a sailboat for five years. That doesn’t mean I love water. I love being on water, preferably in a kayak or a dingy. Fish belong in water, not me.
Matt’s wearing boots, He doesn’t have to put his feet in the water. Now that I think of it, he drinks from a water bottle, he doesn’t even have to put his snout in the water.
Notice the leash. Still too many bears in the area that I might chase. My humans think they can’t trust me when a bear is around. I try to explain I need to protect them, but sometimes humans don’t understand dog language.
Woof Woof.
On the twisted and bumpy trail of getting published, I’ve sent out my advanced reader copy of DESCENT for review by other authors. The idea is to get a blurb for DESCENT that can be published with the novel and used for marketing in the early days of release.
As difficult as it was to ask others to read and create a one to two-line sentence about DESCENT, I’m glad I did. Three talented Canadian mystery authors took time out their busy schedules to help me out. I’ve read every book by each of the authors and have been a long time fan of all three. Imagine how great I felt have them not only read DESCENT but then to write such wonderful reviews for me.
Here is what I received (in alphabetical order) from Brenda Chapman, Barbara Fradkin, and Garry Ryan::
Brenda Chapman: Award winning author of the Stonechild and Rouleau Mysteries.
“Murder rocks the competitive ski world in Stanley’s layered tale with enough suspects to keep readers guessing until the last chilling chapter.”
Barbara Fradkin: Author of the Inspector Green Mysteries and two-time winner of the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel.
“In this impressive debut, Kristina Stanley weaves a vivid, chilling tale of jealousy, secrets, and betrayal in a close-knit mountain ski village. Like its likeable young heroine, Kalin Thompson, DESCENT is both tender and tough.”
Garry Ryan: Award-winning author of the Detective Lane mysteries and Blackbird trilogy.
“From the first line, you’re strapped into a Stanley novel. Just turn the page, hang on, and enjoy the ride.”
Brenda has authored:
For more about Brenda and her books click here.
Barbara’s novels include:
The Inspector Green Series:
Farley here,
Excitement in the forest. That’s an understatement. One buck and three bears.
I woke up to a misty morning, stretched my legs and headed for the back door. Staring in at me was this buck. His silky antlers are about the size of his ears but will grow. He’s a white tail and usually hangs with two others.
I’ve learned the hard way that a buck will move away if I’m in the area. A doe will stand her ground, stomp at me and warn me to head the other way. I get the shakes when I’m around a doe and am smart enough to know it’s her territory. Bears are different. I need to get them away from my humans.
Yesterday, I arrived home from my morning walk with wet paws. We climb the steps at the side of our house, blissfully unaware of what’s lurking in the forest. Kristina grabs my towel and squats with her back to the forest. I lift my front paw for her. We’re face-to-face. I lick her nose.
I glance over her shoulder. My body stiffens. My upper lip curls. I emit a slow growl.
Kristina tenses. Her adrenaline rush is so strong, I can feel it in my bones. She looks like Sigourney Weaver in Alien. You know the scene where Weaver realizes an alien is behind her but she doesn’t look back.
Inch-by-inch Kristina turns her head. I lunge, trying to get over Kristina’s shoulder. I need to protect her. She grabs my harness and stops me. Twenty feet away, the black bear stares at us. He doesn’t move.
Kristina slowly drags me into the house, all the while saying, “Whoa Bear.”
Matt explodes out the door with and air horn. After three blasts, the bear disappears. He takes his time, meandering through our backyard, not really caring we’re there.
The day before, this guy was waiting for us at the side of our house. He was smaller but still not concerned we were so close to him.
The third bear I mentioned, I saw a couple of weeks ago while we were out walking. Maybe the rest of day will be calm.
Woof woof.
Now that I’ve signed what Imajin Books I need an author photo.
I chose to work with a professional photographer local to my area. We met before the shoot and discussed the image I wanted to portray. I’ve used an image of myself with Farley for the last 6 years and love the photo, but thought it was time for an update.
My first decision was with or without Farley. Poor Farley got bumped. I liked the photo of the two of us because I thought it portrayed who I am and what my life is about. I’m sad to let this photo go, but it’s time to set a new image. I wanted my new author photo taken outdoors in a natural setting, and I wanted to come across as approachable and friendly. My novels take place in the BC wilderness, so my photo should portray the setting too.
The photographer, Kimberly Rae Sanderson, made me feel comfortable right away. I was nervous and needed to relax if the photos were to be any good. We met at Lake Lillian, a small lake in the Purcell Mountains. We chose early evening so the lighting was soft – translate to I’d look better 🙂
When the shoot was over, Kimberly sent me 98 photos to choose from. Here are the two I liked best.
I’ll use the portrait on the inside back cover of my novels. I plan to use the black and white photo in various places on the internet. As usual, I now have to find all the spots where Farley and I have been posted on the internet and replace the old photo with my new photo.
It’s fun, all the things that come with writing a novel.
If you haven’t read my blog before, I’ve signed on with Imajin Books and will blog about my publishing adventure. I’ll share what I learn and hope it helps someone out there get their novel published.
Thanks for reading…
Farley here,
Kristina left me for the week, so this is how Matt walks me… Just kidding. It’s how he’s keeping himself entertained. I’m just there for the photo.
I know I look sad, but I really miss Kristina. I’ve been moping for two days now. I don’t know where she went, but she better come home soon. I’m one lonely Wheaten Terrier.
Woof Woof.
Farley here,
I love this place. The General Store greets me with cookies every time I go in there.
Woof Woof.
Farley here,
Why am I running so hard? I need to protect my humans.
I catch a strong scent. I’ve not smelled this particular aroma before, but something seems wrong to me. Kristina and Matt notice I’m agitated and call me to their side. Too late. My brain has kicked into instinct mode and off I run.
Then I see the creature. It’s black. It’s coat is shiny. And it’s huge. Well compared to me anyway.
I turn back to check my humans are not following. Kristina picks up a branch and is rapidly approaching. Matt’s faster and heads my way. Don’t they understand they need to get away?
I bolt at the bear, he hesitates, then sees I’m one serious dog. He climbs part way up a tree and waits. Kristina and Matt come closer, talking loudly and telling me to come. The bear shimmies farther up the tree, using his giant claws to move quickly.
I circle the bottom. “Stay up there,” I bark at the bear. Then back to Kristina and Matt, “Get out of here.”
Kristina and Matt call me one more time, then do as I ask. When I think they’re far enough from the bear, I bark one last time, and follow my humans out of the forest.
Not bad for a day’s work. You can call me the protector. I’ve done my job, and I’m proud.
Woof Woof
ps. I was only a little scared.
Imajin Books asked me to host a blog hop as part of publishing DESCENT. Of course I said yes. So now I have to figure out how to do this.
First, I needed a goal for the blog hop. I’m currently blogging about my publishing experience, and every day I discover there is more to learn. A priority for me is learning more about marketing a book, and this is how I came up with my goal.
Blog Hop Goal
To improve my knowledge of marketing a book.
To share that knowledge with other writers.
Blog Hop Theme:
Based on the goal, I’m going to ask other bloggers to answer one simple question.
What is the most important book-marketing tip you can give other writers who are about to publish a novel or who have recently published a novel?
Who am you going to ask?
The importance of building a network rises to the top of the to-do pile once a again. Long before you publish, you need to have a network of people who can participate in your launch and people who you can help in return. As you can see, I’m using this blog to encourage participation. I will also contact other authors personally via LinkedIn, Facebook, and email.
Why would other bloggers join the blog hop?
As with most things, it’s best to give something to people who participate. The participating bloggers should answer the marketing question at the top of their blog. The blogger can follow the answer with a promotion of their novel in whatever style they feel is appropriate. The blog hop is about marketing after all.. Not published yet? How about promoting your upcoming novel or your blog?
Now to the technology behind a blog hop or blog party.
Linky Things:
I use WordPress (obviously) so I’ll use a tool recommended for WP. You may need something else. LinkyTools and InLinkz are two options. InLinkz has a good blog post on How to Throw A Successful Blog Party, so I won’t go into details on that topic, but I do have to decide if I should do both a blog hop and a blog party. See HandMadeTechnology for a description of how blog hops and blog parties differ.
I’m not sure yet which one I’ll go with. Any advice?
Test blog: One tip on the InLinkz site is to create a test blog site. I plan to use this, so I can practice, make a mess and get it right before I post to this site. I understand Linky Things don’t go live until the post is published, hence the test site.
If you’re interested in joining this blog hop, I plan to run it sometime in July when DESCENT is published. Just comment below and let me know. Or access my Contact Information and send me a private message.
Let me stress, I am new to this blog hop experience, so please share any advice you have on how to host a successful blog hop.
If you haven’t read my blog before, I’ve signed on with Imajin Books and will blog about my publishing adventure. I’ll share what I learn and hope it helps someone out there get their novel published.
Thanks for reading…
