Lost then Found by Heather B. Moore

Welcome to the Aliso Creek Novella Series:

Liz, Gemma, Arie, Jess, and Drew have been best friends since creating “the Five” at Aliso Creek High School. But that was over ten years ago, and each is still trying to find that perfect someone… if perfect is even possible.

Arie, at the top of her career as VP of an established real estate company, discovers that her professional success has led to a less-than-successful dating life. But she may have just met the ideal man in workaholic film producer Dustin Jacobs. When Arie discovers that Dustin’s life is more complicated than she thought, she wonders if there is room for her in it after all or if she should add him to her long list of disaster relationships.

Read excerpt 

Title: Lost then Found (An Aliso Creek novella)

Author: Heather B. Moore

Publisher: Mirror Press

Release Date: April 2, 2013

ASIN: B00C5UYY7I

Size: 60 pages, ebook

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Aliso Creek Series: (read in any order) Third Time’s the Charm, The Daisy Chain


How to Properly Pack Your Purse for Promotional Possibilities by Tristi Pinkston

… Or, How to Well-stock Your Wallet for Wonderful Writer … stuff.

You never know when you’re going to run into a potential reader. If you keep your eyes open, opportunities are everywhere. Did you see an old neighbor at the grocery store? Did you overhear someone at the library saying they wanted something new to read? Did you see someone wandering the aisles at Barnes and Noble with a lost look on their face? You might not feel the urge to approach a total stranger in a store, but nearly every time you leave the house, you will have the chance to share what you do with someone else. Don’t let that moment pass you by without making the most of it.

Make sure you always, always have business cards or bookmarks in your purse or wallet. And don’t tuck them clear in the back, or let them float around in the bottom where you can’t find them and where they’ll get crumpled. Have a specific place to keep them. Know that you can reach in at any moment and put your hands right on them. Replenish them often – when you see you’re down to five, it’s time to put more in there.

Successful businessmen are always on the lookout for new clients, new opportunities. You should train yourself to be on the lookout for those same things, and you should be prepared with hand-out material. And if you don’t feel comfortable blatantly saying, “Buy my book!” you can use the back of your business card to write down other information that person might need. Do they need the name of the PTA president? Pull out your card, write it on the back, and you’ve not only gotten your information in their hands, but they have the name of the PTA president.

This new mindset—this constant awareness of opportunity—does take a little while to get used to, but soon, you’ll be marketing like a pro.

Read Tristi’s previous guest posts on Promotion:

 

Tristi Pinkston is the author of seventeen (and counting!) published books, including the Secret Sisters mystery series. In addition to being a prolific author, Tristi also provides a variety of author services, including editing and online writing instruction. You can visit her at www.tristipinkston.blogspot.com or her website at www.tristipinkston.com.

Scrivener is On Sale at Amazon

I almost never endorse a product like this but… Scrivener is on sale at half price from Amazon right now.

The PC/Windows version is $20.00. (Update 4/25: Currently unavailable; don’t know if they’ll authorize more. Update 4/27: Available again.)

The Mac version is $22.50. (Update 4/25: Still available.)

I’m not sure if it’s on sale at other places, nor do I know how long the sale will last. But if you’ve been thinking about it, now might be the time to get it.

If you’re not ready to make the purchasing decision right now, I’ve heard that NaNoWriMo winners (hit the 50,000 word mark) can get Scrivener at a reduced price. Scrivener also offers a 30-day free trial.

Scrivener is a software program that lots and lots of authors love. I have heard a few people say that they couldn’t get the hang of it—but those same people have trouble with the basics of Word, as well. So I think it’s a general level of tech competency in those cases and not so much the actual software.

Want to see screen shots of what it does? Click this.

In my opinion, the best aftermarket book for how to use Scrivener is Scrivener for Dummies, available in both paperback and Kindle.

Readers, chime in. Are you a Scrivener user? Do you love it? Hate it? Give us specifics in the comments section.

 

Belonging to Heaven by Gale Sears

Hawaii. A land of deep tradition and rich culture. A people of family and faith. A paradise on earth.

Jonathan Napela is a descendant of the Hawaiian royal line, and his future is bright with a new wife and a position of influence in the community. As a devout man, he believes in God, but he feels there is something more—something he is missing. When he meets Elder George Q. Cannon and is introduced to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Jonathan feels as though he has finally found where he belongs.

Jonathan’s friendship with George provides remarkable opportunities for the young Hawaiian to grow in his new faith. His joy in the gospel is tested though, when he is challenged by those he once called friends, and later when he struggles to gather Saints to Laie. And when leprosy threatens to take his beautiful wife, Kitty, from him, Jonathan faces an impossible choice: send his wife to the leper colony of Moloka’i alone, or risk how own life to accompany her. Drawing on his deep reservoirs of faith, Jonathan comes to understand that opening his heart to sacrifice is the purest expression of love.

This novel, based on a true story, is an extraordinary example of a man who chooses to serve God and family when others might have given up.

Read excerpt

Title: Belonging to Heaven

Author: Gale Sears

Publisher: Deseret Book

Release Date: April 2013

ISBN: 978-1609071592

Size: __ pages, 6×9, hardcover? softcover?

Genre: General


Sworn Enemy by A.L. Sowards

June 1944: As World War II rages, the people of Eastern Europe are hopelessly trapped between two formidable forces: Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s Soviet Union. In their midst, a band of heroes works to defend against the inevitable Communist takeover.

After narrowly escaping her Nazi captors, French Resistance worker Genevieve Olivier has fled to Allied territory with the help of American Lieutenant Peter Eddy. Their connection is undeniable, forged in the crucible of danger. But despite their blossoming feelings for each other, they must both finish the work they began . . .

In the safety of England, Genevieve hopes to find purpose as a nurse all the while unaware that the Gestapo still seeks the woman who slipped through their grasp. When she is called upon to resume a life of danger as a French spy, will her desire to prove herself be her downfall?

Recruited by an elite special ops team intent on thwarting the Nazis, Peter finds himself engaged in a personal battle as well there is a traitor among his comrades. Deep in the Carpathian Mountains, Peter combats an unknown foe. The stakes are high as he fights to save the lives of his teammates. They are miles apart, yet as Genevieve and Peter fight for their own survival, they find a common well of strength in their faith and their determination to be reunited.

Read excerpt

Title: Sworn Enemy

Author: A.L. Sowards

Publisher: Covenant

Release Date: April 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1621083597

Size: 281 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Historical


Framed by Clair Poulson

When Adriana Chambers observes a stranded motorist struggling to change his tire, she sees in his distress an opportunity to be a good Samaritan. Pulling over, she offers her help but she gets much more than the satisfaction of serving.

As the beautiful young college student finds herself the only witness to the man’s whereabouts that morning, she is unwittingly drawn into a criminal investigation that tests her powers of deduction. The stranded motorist, Jerzy Grabowski, has been charged with murder. The complication—he’s innocent.

Alongside handsome detective Brad Osborne, her only ally, Adriana embarks on a treacherous journey through the maze of organized crime in an effort to prove Jerzy’s innocence. But when Adriana discovers a connection between this mob hit and the legacy of lies left by her estranged father, her determination to uncover the truth jeopardizes all she holds dear. With time running out, she must untangle the tightly woven tapestry of conspiracy if she wants to live.

Read excerpt

Title: Framed

Author: Clair Poulson

Publisher: Covenant

Release Date: April 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1621081593

Size: 223 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Mystery/Suspense


An Unexpected Path to Publication by Darrel Nelson

LDSP Note: Normally, I don’t post personal stories of how a writer finally got published, but this is a unique case of an LDS author being picked up by a traditional Christian publisher. I get asked all the time if that can happen. It’s rare, but here’s proof that it’s possible!

My route leading to publication has been a thirty-year journey, culminating in a contract with Charisma House, a Christian publisher situated in Florida. An LDS author associated with a traditional Christian publisher? How did that come about? I could say accidentally, except that I believe I was guided to where I am today. Still, it’s been an unexpected path.

During my thirty-year journey I wrote ten novels, trying a different genre with each in hopes that one of them would be my “breakthrough.” I frequently queried Deseret Books and Shadow Mountain Publishing in Utah and every major trade publisher I could think of, but to no avail. Letters of rejection became a way of life for me, and I eventually gave up saving them because I ran out of storage space. But with my eleventh novel, the result took a pleasant turn.

It came about in this manner. One day my wife and I took our parents on a day outing to a heritage park. En route our parents began reminiscing about their courtships and how their friends had planned a shivaree on their wedding day. A shivaree was a local custom of friends separating the bride and groom after the wedding, as a prank, and keeping them apart for an hour or two. Harmless fun. Anyway, on the drive that day, our parents explained that for one reason or another, the shivarees intended for them failed to occur. But my mother-in-law reminded us that on her son’s wedding day, his bride was whisked away in a car by friends and involved in a car accident. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but it got me wondering . . . what if ? So I grasped that thread of an idea and decided to see where the story led.

When I completed the novel, which was entitled In Due Season, I sent out the standard letters of inquiry. The result? Nothing! No one was interested. So I decided to take a leaf out of Richard Paul Evans’s book and turn it into a Christmas story, hoping to tap into that market. When the book (now retitled The Christmas Waltz) was done, I sent out more letters of inquiry—this time by email to literary agents. Within two hours, Joyce Hart of Hartline Literary Agency replied: “This is such a beautiful story. I’ve got to have it.” I waited for more responses, but when none came, I decided to ride the horse in the direction it was going, so I signed with Joyce. I didn’t know at the time that she was a Christian agent who dealt exclusively with traditional Christian publishers. All I knew was that she was an agent who had expressed interest in my work when no one else had.

Joyce began shopping my book around, but after a year we had no nibbles. I decided that perhaps the book’s Christmas theme was too narrowly focused, so I took another few months and rewrote it again, changing the Christmas setting to an anniversary one. Now entitled The Anniversary Waltz, Joyce shopped it around for another year. And then, would you believe it, two Christian publishers expressed interest. Yes, two! In the end we went with Charisma House because they were willing to publish the book a whole year ahead of the other one.

This is the story of my journey to publication and how I ended up in the traditional Christian marketplace. The thing about the Christian marketplace that appealed to me from the beginning was a disclaimer Joyce posted on her webpage: If your book has bad language or sexual content or gratuitous violence, then I’m not the agent for you. The same standards apply to my publisher. Content is expected to be of a high moral level, which is exactly how I like it.

Now what about specific LDS content? I want my books to appeal to a broad cross-section of readers so that I don’t alienate anyone. Therefore, the religious content is presented in generalized terms. I use a recurring theme of love overcoming adversity in the face of overwhelming odds. People everywhere understand principles of love, faith, courage, and trials. I keep my message as inclusive as possible without compromising my personal standards. I don’t water down my religious beliefs, but I’m not “in your face” about it either.

Would I encourage other LDS authors to try the Christian market? Of course. My agent and my publisher have been nothing short of amazing. They are supportive and encouraging and have bent over backwards to help and guide me. Besides, most of us don’t have the luxury of being choosy. I mean, how many publishers or agents have come knocking at your door lately?

Having said that, I do believe that LDS readers accept general Christian ideals and standards more readily than Christian readers accept LDS ideals and standards. So personally I paint with a wide brush and am careful not to get “preachy” or “sneaky” in my writing. I don’t slip LDS doctrine in and then smirk to think I pulled one over on my readers. I have no hidden agenda. I simply want to tell a story that appeals to a broad base and makes my readers feel better for having spent some time with me.

Likewise, I hope those who read this article feel a little better for having spent some time with me too. We need to fulfill the Church’s clarion call for LDS writers, artists, musicians, producers, and composers to step up and make their voices heard. As standards continue their rapid decline, we can and must make a difference in this world.

Darrel Nelson taught school for 37 years and began writing full-time after he retired. He has two published novels, The Anniversary Waltz and The Return of Cassandra Todd. He’s currently working on a third novel, Following Rain, which deals with the saving power of truth and love. Visit Darrel at http://www.darrelnelson.com or email him at darmarn@telus.net.

Be Mine by Sandra Norton Flynn

He knows where she works.

He knows where she lives.

And soon, they’ll come face-to-face.

Erin Lewis is an up-and-coming fashion designer building up her career in New York City. With a loving husband, a great assistant, and working in the field of her dreams, she couldn’t be happier.

But perfection can’t last forever.

When a long string of tragedies shakes Erin to her core, she doesn’t know how to keep moving forward day by day. And when she is targeted by a brutal serial killer, she must find the inner strength she never knew she had just to survive.

Read excerpt 

Title: Be Mine

Author: Sandra Norton Flynn

Publisher: Self

Release Date: April 6, 2013

ASIN: B00C8T6GOK

Size: __ pages, ebook

Genre: Suspense


As the Sun Sets (Twisted Tales) by Stephanie Fowers

No one bothered to tell Daphne Starr that faerytales were real and now she’s stuck in a beanstalk with a beast and a pricked finger. Daphne’s sister and stepsister are in big BIG trouble!

1. It’s the third and final day

2. Rumpelstiltskin plans to suck their powers dry

3. The queen wants them dead

4. The wolves switched sides

5. The world is about to end

6. And did they seriously expect to keep this all from Daphne?

Oh yeah, A LOT of trouble! Halley and Bridgette had better get her out of this—especially since she only has until the battery runs out of her cell phone before she loses her heart . . . to a beast. Will it be Happily Ever After or the end?

Read excerpt

Title: As the Sun Sets (Twisted Tales #3)

Author: Stephanie Fowers

Publisher: Triad Media and Entertainment

Release Date: April 17, 2013

ISBN: 978-0615768014

Size: 410 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Twisted Tales Series: With a Kiss (bk 1), At Midnight (bk 2)


At Midnight (Twisted Tales) by Stephanie Fowers

Bridgette has a Cinderella complex big time. She has to find true love’s kiss to get some weird guy off her back who claims to be her faery godmother. But who is she really?

1. Loser of Omak High

2. Girl who rubs her fingers raw working fast food

3. Victim of the evil stepmother who runs the group home

4. Not-so-proud owner of a hearth where fire-starting goblins live

5. Asylum wannabe with occasional schizophrenic episodes

Not even Bridgette knows. Even if her faery godmother wasn’t some guy who knows nothing about romance, how is Bridgette supposed to get true love’s kiss if everyone she cares about disappears?
Bridgette must stop the clock from striking twelve or she’ll lose everything.

Read excerpt

Title: At Midnight (Twisted Tales #2)

Author: Stephanie Fowers

Publisher: Triad Media and Entertainment

Release Date: April 17, 2013

ISBN: 978-0615768007

Size: 382 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Twisted Tales Series: With a Kiss (bk 1)


Conflict Fuels the Story by Rebecca Talley

In life we generally try to avoid conflict. We tend to avoid confrontation and contention in hopes of finding peace and tranquility. We work hard to avoid problems at home or in the workplace.

In writing fiction, we must create as much conflict as possible because without conflict there is no story.

Conflict can be classified in the following categories:

1. Man vs. Man
2. Man vs. Self
3. Man vs. Society
4. Man vs. Fate/God/Nature

Man vs. man is when the antagonist is another person. The main character, or protagonist, is trying to obtain his goal but another person stands in his way, preventing him from his goal.

Man vs. self includes stories when the protagonist fights against himself and he stands in his own way of accomplishing his goal. Perhaps, his goal may be to become a heart surgeon but his fear that he’ll never be smart enough to get through medical school paralyzes him and prevents him from becoming a surgeon. Self-doubt can be a strong adversary and makes for dynamic stories.

Man vs. society is when the protagonist fights against the rules or laws of society to obtain his goal. A woman may want to marry a man that her society forbids her to marry. She must then struggle against society in order to reach her goal of marrying.

Man vs. fate/God/nature includes stories when the protagonist fights against elements out of his control. A man who wants to reunite with his family after an argument but runs into a hurricane, must fight against the hurricane in order to reach his goal: his family. Natural disasters or other unexplained difficulties placed in the way of the protagonist would be classified as man vs. fate/God/nature.

You must include conflict in writing your fiction because conflict is what fuels the story. You aren’t limited to only one type of conflict, but whichever conflict, or combination of conflicts, you choose to use make sure they are not only realistic, but that they are organic to the story. Otherwise, your story will soon run out of gas.

 

Rebecca Talley grew up in Santa Barbara, CA. She now lives in rural CO on a small ranch with a dog, a spoiled horse, too many cats, and a herd of goats. She and her husband, Del, are the proud parents of ten multi-talented and wildly-creative children. Rebecca is the author of a children’s picture book “Grasshopper Pie” (WindRiver 2003), four novels, “Heaven Scent” (CFI 2008), “Altared Plans” (CFI 2009),  “The Upside of Down” (CFI 2011), and “Aura” (2012), and numerous magazine stories and articles. You can visit her blog at www.rebeccatalleywrites.blogspot.com.

With a Kiss (Twisted Tales) by Stephanie Fowers

Faerytales. They’re real . . . they just haven’t happened yet.

Halley Starr finds out the truth when she loses her heart to a terrible curse. Now she has to get it back from that dirty faery who stole it from her, but first, she must fight against the seven rules of the faery kingdom that mortals must never break:

1. No trespassing sacred faery territory

2. Don’t ever say thank you

3. Using a faery’s given name is a no-no

4. Resist the music of the faeries

5. Never break a promise to a faery

6. Refuse all faery food

7. And never, never fall in love with a faery

But if Halley wants her heart back again, she can’t worry about the rules.

Read excerpt

Title: With a Kiss (Twisted Tales #1)

Author: Stephanie Fowers

Publisher: Triad Media and Entertainment

Release Date: April 17, 2013

ISBN: 978-0615767437

Size: 334 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy


Snow White by Jenni James

An enchanted mirror, a tale of envy—

Raven and Snow White have been the greatest of friends for years, so when Snow’s father, King Herbert, and Raven’s mother, Queen Melantha, wed, the girls’ dreams come true—now they are sisters! However, in an act of exceeding folly, the king presents his new bride with the enchanted Lythereon Mirror as a wedding gift. Its dark power soon corrupts the queen.

Prince Corlan, Raven’s brother, is determined to find a way to destroy the mirror before he loses his mother completely—or it kills them all. Already the queen’s envy of Snow has become obvious. Corlan has been in love with Snow White since they were children and would do anything to protect the beautiful princess, even defy his mother. But when Queen Melantha uses the mirror to force Corlan into killing Snow, he knows it will take a battle of great strength to outwit the evil spell surrounding him and save the girl he loves.

Read excerpt

Title: Snow White

Author: Jenni James

Publisher: StoneHouse Ink

Release Date: April 14, 2013

ASIN: B00CDAPYGA

Size: __ pages, ebook

Genre: Fantasy

Faerie Tale Collection: Beauty and the Beast (#1),  Sleeping Beauty (#2), Rumplestiltskin (#3), Cinderella (#4), Hansel and Gretel (#5), Jack and the Beanstalk (#6)


The GoodReads Giveaway by Shauna Bray/WiDo

Giving away a book can actually increase sales.  And an excellent way to give away and get attention for your soon-to-be-launched book is through Goodreads.

A Goodreads giveaway generates excitement about an upcoming book launch.  Prior to launch, the typical author is blogging, building relationships with other authors, setting up the blog tour, arranging reviews and blanketing social media with reminders about the release date.  The author is definitely excited, but an author needs reader excitement as well.  And what piques the avid reader’s interest more than a brand-new, FREE print novel?  Go where the readers are to dangle that incentive in front of them.  Right now, the gathering place for avid readers is Goodreads.

Goodreads members relish the chance to discover new books and authors, and pass on recommendations to their friends.  These are dedicated readers, the type that post reviews and follow their favorite authors.  Setting up a giveaway of your book allows Goodreads members to discover new books and authors, like you!

Once a book is offered in a giveaway, the number of readers posting it on their “to read” list increases.  Winners generally post a review of the book they’ve won, and more reviews mean a chance to boost an author profile.  And consider that the recent purchase of Goodreads by Amazon could mean reviews and to-read lists are likely to be incorporated into Amazon as well.

A Goodreads giveaway is pure promotion; a book is being exposed to a huge audience of readers. (Click here to see a list of current Giveaways on Goodreads.) In addition, the cost is minimal.  Running a Goodreads giveaway for a few weeks is  equal in exposure to any paid promotion and probably much more effective.

Starseed author Liz Gruder generated more than one thousand “want to reads” for her book when it came out in February.   She said she wouldn’t hesitate to do a giveaway again.  “They gather lots of “want to reads” and exposure for your book, and for free…  I’ve heard of authors griping about winners selling their books on Ebay or Amazon after the giveaway, but really, who cares? Exposure is exposure. What they do with their winnings is their business.”  Liz had a highly successful launch and is still garnering great reviews as a result.

Goodreads provides authors with the tools to make a giveaway easy to set up and even easier to publicize.   Go to this page to find out the guidelines.

To maximize your giveaway’s effectiveness, keep these tips in mind:

  • Schedule your giveaway to run for a month, maybe two.  If you have more than one book coming out, you may want to overlap your giveaways.  This allows an author to have plenty of time to promote and push readers to enter.
  • It takes the Goodreads staff at least two business days to approve your giveaway, so submit your dates well in advance of when you’d like it to start, particularly if it’s during a holiday.
  • Try ending your giveaway midweek, rather than on a weekend.  That way, readers are more likely to see it on the “Ending Today” list.  This creates a sense of urgency that can leads to more entrants.   Remember, also, that the giveaway ends at midnight.  If you want the giveaway to end on Wednesday, put Thursday as the date, so it will end at 12:00 am Thursday.
  • How many copies you want to give out is up to you, but don’t go overboard.  One or two copies are great, but ten copies is overkill.
  • Don’t limit yourself to just a national audience.  The more you open up the contest to people in other countries, the more participants will add your books to their “to-read” list.
  • Mention your giveaway in your blog, social media pages or on your website.  Post the link so that readers can go there automatically.
  • If you mail out your books yourself, make sure you send them immediately.  You don’t want to mar your event with  a complaint that the winner never got the book.
  • Consider adding a personalized note to the reader, along with your autograph inside the cover, thanking them for their interest and expressing hope that he/she will enjoy it and post a review.  A small personal touch can go a long way in turning a giveaway winner into a loyal reader.

 

About Shauna Bray: Shauna is WiDo Publishing’s marketing director and social media coordinator.  She started her career in television news and through many twists and turns found her way into the publishing world, where she’s happy to be.  Shauna lives in Houston with her very literary husband and two exhausting children.

Bad Unicorn by Platte F. Clark

It wasn’t Max Spencer’s idea to fight robots, lead an army, or save the world—it just so happens that he’s the only living person who can read the most fantastical book ever written: The Codex of Infinite Knowability. The Codex is no ordinary book, and among other things, it describes a unicorn named Princess the Destroyer.

Princess the Destroyer is no ordinary unicorn. She loves nothing more than hunting down, killing, and eating other creatures. After all, what’s the point of having a sharp horn on your forehead if you don’t use it for destructive purposes? And right now Princess has a very definite purpose: Find Max and retrieve the lost Codex for an evil sorcerer and his mysterious master. If she can do that, she’s been promised an all-the-humans-you-can-eat buffet in Texas.

Read excerpt   View trailer

Title: Bad Unicorn

Author: Platte F. Clark

Publisher: Aladdin

Release Date: April 16, 2013

ISBN: 978-1442450127

Size: 432 pages, hardcover

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy


“Their” As a Singular Pronoun by Annette Lyon

A reader recently called me out on using their as a singular generic pronoun. (I forget who right now; feel free to claim the comment as your own!)

The issue: What pronoun do you use in a situation where the gender of the person acting either isn’t known or isn’t relevant? For example:

When an employee arrives . . .

The rest of the sentence is about the employee, who must sign in. What pronoun do you use?

When an employee arrives, ____ must sign in.

At one time, writers simply used he as the generic pronoun:

When an employee arrives, he must sign in.

But eventually came the complaints of sexism. (What if the employee is female?) That’s when we started seeing a lot of he or she, just to be sure we covered our bases:

When an employee arrives, he or she must sign in.

That’s seriously clunky and awkward, but it’s better than the other weird compromise, s/he.

Others have opted to use she instead of he. That’s annoying to me as a reader, because a) it’s reverse sexism and b) historically he has a far more neutral feel than she, which jumps out like a flashing red light.

(Good writing should move smoothly, without jolts or flashing red lights.)

To keep the gender thing fair, some writers alternate between he and she throughout a piece. Personally, I think that goes beyond annoying and enters the range of shoot me now.

I’ve seen magazines that alternate on an article level: this article uses he, and the next one uses she. Not a particularly elegant solution, but at least it doesn’t have me wanting to hit something.

So the gender-neutral problem persists: English simply doesn’t have a singular, gender-neutral pronoun.

Finnish does have a gender-neutral pronoun, and I have to say, it’s really convenient when you see a baby but can’t figure out the gender. You can totally compliment the kid without offending the parents. Too bad English doesn’t have an equivalent of hän.

(Another side note: Finns often use se instead of hän . . . which means it, even when referring to people. Totally works in Finnish. Not so much in English. Can you imagine referring to your friend and saying you’re going to lunch with it?)

Chicago and a lot of other style guides suggest avoiding the problem altogether. Either 1) reword the sentence so you don’t need the pronoun, or 2) change the sentence so you can grammatically use the plural:

When employees arrive, they must sign in.

That works fine at times, but it’s still not a solution. Sometimes a piece needs the singular, and making it plural or otherwise doing acrobatics to avoid their as singular sounds odd.

This is precisely why their is becoming increasingly accepted as the singular pronoun, at least in conversation and informal writing. I’m in the camp that accepts this usage already (obviously), although some people still foam at the mouth when they see their used this way. (Just as I foam at the mouth at infer used for imply and other losing usage battles.)

That said, if I’m writing for a professional journal or something similar, I avoid using their as a singular. You write to fit the register you want the piece to fit in. If something isn’t accepted in that arena, don’t use it, and no, their is not accepted as Standard English.

Yet.

I believe it’s just a matter of time before their is considered correct and perfectly fine to use this way. People already do, often, sometimes by accident and other times absolutely on purpose (raising my hand here).

The new rule actually reaching style guides? That may take some time, but it’ll happen.

Grammar Girl agrees with me and adds that “it takes a bold, confident, and possibly reckless person to use they with a singular antecedent today.”

What can I say? I live on the edge.

 

Annette Lyon  is a Whitney Award winner, the recipient of Utah’s Best of State medal for fiction, and the author of nine novels, a cookbook, and a grammar guide, plus over a hundred magazine articles. She’s a senior editor at Precision Editing Group and a cum laude graduate from BYU with a degree in English. When she’s not writing, editing, knitting, or eating chocolate, she can be found mothering and avoiding the spots on the kitchen floor. Find her online at blog.annettelyon.com and on Twitter: @AnnetteLyon.

Need a little extra grammar help? Get Annette’s grammar book, There, Their, They’re: A No-Tears Guide to Grammar from the Word Nerd.

Sparks the Matchmaker by Russell Elkins

Ollie just wants one thing. The girl.

Things haven’t been going so well with Anne lately, though; their relationship has become a perpetual study date, and Ollie’s roommates are starting to worry about him. How to fix things? Why, with a marriage proposal, of course. Unfortunately for Ollie, his relationship with Anne has run out of gas.

Life feels like it’s counting down to one. And that one is the only person in Ollie’s life he really cares about: Ollie. Perhaps, then, he should get over himself.

But first he has to deal with Sparks, the irritating little Yankees fan who invades his life in order to “help” him. And while Keith, his best friend, is doing all he can to help, Ollie’s other friend Richie never fails to show up and threaten to ruin everything just by being himself. Never mind all the drama Sparks brings to the party by forcing Ollie to take a job actually helping people in need.

Will Ollie meet the girl? Will it be in history class? On a road trip to Colorado? Can he get over Anne, or should he try to mend the relationship? Should he pursue the new girl Sparks is trying to set him up with? As the strings of the puppeteer tangle with the strings of the heart, only one person can sort out the mess Ollie has made. It seems that the harder he tries, the more Ollie messes things up. Is Sparks a cruel manipulator, or is he a really going to help Ollie find his match?

Read excerpt

Title: Sparks the Matchmaker

Author: Russell Elkins

Publisher: Inky’s Nest Publishing

Release Date: April 3, 2013

ISBN: 978-1482728798

Size: 244 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, softcover

Genre: Romance?


The Cure by Teyla Branton

Even When You CHANGE, Some Things Remain the Same . . .

Erin Radkey’s life has altered completely since her Change made her one of the Unbounded. Yet she has learned the hard way that some things never change.

Greed. Over the centuries the long-lived Unbounded have divided into two groups, the Emporium who craves money and power and will do anything to achieve its ends, including experimenting on its own people, and the Renegades who protect humanity.

Power. Now the Renegades are close to discovering a cure that will save many dying mortals, and the husband of Erin’s closest friend is first in line to receive the formula. But Emporium agents will stop at nothing to destroy the cure—until they realize the research might be exactly the weapon they’ve been searching for.

Love. Erin’s new abilities are tested as she and fellow Renegades fight the Emporium in a struggle that soon becomes all too personal, and where lines of loyalty are blurred by relationships of the past. Everything is at risk, including the lives of her friends—and the love of Ritter Langton, the Renegade Unbounded who both infuriates and excites her.

Read excerpt

Title: The Cure (Unbounded, bk 2)

Author: Teyla Branton (Rachel Nunes)

Publisher: White Star Press

Release Date: April 13, 2013

ISBN: 9781939203304

Size: 291 pages, 5×8, softcover

Genre: Romantic Suspense/Paranormal

Unbounded Series: The Change (bk 1)


Crater Lake: Return of the Mystic Gray by Steve Westover

Ethan and his friends are back!

When Jordan has  mysterious visions about Crater Lake, she finds herself with a power that she doesn’t quite understand and can’t quite control

But when Ethan, Allie and Brady also start displaying powers, they decide to return to Crater Lake in the middle of winter, only to discover that an epic battle is brewing between Chief Llao and his nemesis, Chief Skell.

Determined to find their fallen friend, Jacob, the young teens must train for the upcoming battle by mastering their powers and joingin forces with a powerful new ally—the Mystic Gray—an entity that could bring more trouble than they could ever imagine.

Read excerpt 

Title: Return of the Mystic Gray (Crater Lake Book 2)

Author: Steve Westover

Publisher: Sweetwater (CFI)

Release Date: April 9, 2013

ISBN: 978-1462111879

Size: 256 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, softcover

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

Crater Lake Series: Battle for Wizard Island (bk 1)


Running Home by Cami Checketts

In Cassidy’s battle against human trafficking there are two choices: run or be captured.

Cassidy’s humanitarian mission takes an ugly turn when human traffickers attack. Cassidy doesn’t know where to run—home to America, into Jesse’s arms, or any direction she can to escape the traffickers.

Innocent families are being ripped apart and Cassidy must decide if she’s brave enough to stop running and join the fight.

Read excerpt

Title: Running Home (novella)

Author: Cami Checketts

Publisher: Self

Release Date: April 10, 2013

ISBN: 978-1483989877

Size: 42 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Mystery/Suspense

Series: Dead Running (bk 1), Dying to Run (bk 2)


Trouble’s On the Menu by Warnock and Schow

Hallie doesn’t belong in Barefoot, Montana.

She’s a California gal used to sunshine and warmth—not snow and cold. But after the unexpected death of her estranged husband, she braves the winter weather to wrap up some of his estate details, only to discover that she doesn’t fit in and none of the townspeople like her.

That is, except for the town’s handsome mayor, who takes quite an interest in Hallie.

But when his life starts to spiral out of control, she must decide if he’s worth sticking around for.

Sometimes love is the only remedy for a broken heart.

Read excerpt

Title: Trouble’s On the Menu: A Tippy Canoe Romp (with recipes)

Author: Caleb Warnock and Betsy Schow

Publisher: Sweetwater (CFI)

Release Date: April 9, 2013

ISBN: 978-1462110933

Size: 240 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Romantic Comedy/Suspense


Hashbrown Winters and the Whiz-Tastrophe by Frank L. Cole

Losing to a girl in laser tag is the pits—especially if it’s to Melanie “Thumbs” Nottingham. The Hashbrown gang comes up with a plan that will guarantee their success.

But when he turns to the Oracle for guidance, he is given some unexpected advice that could change the game forever. When plans go awry and they’re sent to another dimension, it’s up to Hashbrown to set everything right..

Would you go through a portal and steal the identity of someone in another dimension just to become a winner again? Crack open Hashbrown Winters and the Whiz-Tastrophe to find out!

Read excerpt

Title: Hashbrown Winters and the Whiz-Tastrophe (Book 4)

Author: Frank L. Cole

Publisher: Bonneville (CFI)

Release Date: April 9, 2013

ISBN: 978-1462110568

Size: 128 pages, 5.5 x 8, softcover

Genre: Middle Grade

Hashbrown Series: The Adventures of Hashbrown Winters (book 1), Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness (book 2), Hashbrown Winters and the Phantom of Pordunce (bk 3)


Why Going Through a Reputable Publisher Makes Sense by Rodney Fife/CFI

Recently, there have been many authors who have thought about self-publishing their book. While it is understandable why this may be attractive in regards to profit, there are advantages to going with a traditional and reputable publisher.  So you may ask, What does a Publisher do that I can’t do myself?

A reputable publisher can help you in many ways. First, most publishers have a marketing team that knows how to market and present your book to the media and ultimately the end-readers. These marketing teams usually have developed relationships with media sources. This allows them to get you attention from the media easier then someone going alone. The Marketing team also has experience in what works best for each genre. Hand in hand with the marketing comes the sales team. Most publishers have established accounts with large buyers of books. A lot of these buyers will not take a look at a self-published title.

Additionally, when publishing through a publishing house you have production support. The publisher usually has a design team, editing team and a warehouse. These are all services that come with the publishing contract.

When someone self-publishes they are alone. They either have to hire someone to perform a certain task or do it themselves. So they had to first write a great title. Then they have to design, edit, market then sell it. Just think about the effort, time and cost involved. The self-published author also has 100 percent of the risk involved with failure. How many self-published titles do you see on the New York Time’s Best Seller list?

Going with a reputable publisher is beneficial not just in the operational support. But, you have someone who is behind you 100 percent. Their focus is aligned with yours. They want your story to be told loudly so they can benefit right alongside you. A great publisher will always be there ready with advice, encouragement and support.

Rodney Fife is a publicist with Cedar Fort, Inc. If you are looking to publish a title. Cedar Fort Inc. is always looking for good titles. You can submit your ideas to submissions@cedafort.com or by filling out the form on http://www.cedarfortbooks.com/author-submission/

Pinterest for Authors

It’s been awhile since I, LDS Publisher, have actually written a post here. My day job is consuming me right now, so I do a lot of book posts and have a lot of guest posting. And this post really won’t be much different because I’m supplying some links to other bloggers who have already talked about Pinterest in depth.

But I feel I need to chime in here because a lot of my day-job clients are asking me how they should best use Pinterest to advance their writing career. And I figure if they’re bombarding me with questions, some of you might be interested in this as well.

This is the advice I give to all the authors I work with:

First. Remember that your main job is to write good stories. That is your focus. Protect it with a vengeance! Don’t dilute your writing time with social media, including Pinterest. Set a specific time of the day or week to deal with social media and stick to it. Otherwise, you’re going to get sucked into the great black hole of the Internet and your writing will suffer.

Second. Understand what Pinterest is and what it isn’t. It is NOT a giant ad for your book. It’s a way for readers to get to know you and the things you’re interested in, which should organically lead to interest in your book. Of course, you absolutely should have boards dedicated to your book(s) but that shouldn’t be all there is. Also, Pinterest isn’t the be all/end all of promotion but it can be a valuable support to the other social media and online marketing you’re already doing.

Third. Is it right for you? Only you can determine that. Do not be pushed into another social media mode that you’re not going to keep up with. Nothing is worse than setting up a Pinterest account and adding one or two pins to some of the default boards, and then never doing anything again. If you’re going to do it, do it right. And as with all social media, if you don’t want it spread all across the universe, DON’T pin it.

With that said, here are some links to really good blog posts about how authors can use Pinterest to their advantage:

Want more info? Google “how authors use pinterest” and browse.

Are you already using Pinterest? Leave a link to your boards in the comments and share what you feel are the best tips for authors who are just getting started.