Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Second blog stop today for How David Met Sarah

Please visit Return To Disney to read the review of How David Met Sarah.

Monday, October 24, 2011

How David Met Sarah blog book tour!

Today is the first stop in the How David Met Sarah blog book tour! I’m so excited to get this started, because Anne Kelleher has written the sweetest book. Not only that, but the book was just endorsed by the National Down Syndrome Society and October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month. AND 20% of All Proceeds will be donated to the National Down Syndrome Society, a non-profit organization benefiting the lives of developmentally-delayed adults.

Please stop by the tour at Blog Stop Book Tours!

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

A few things of note (in which I talk about a blog tour, a book festival, a new book, and a mouse)

So it's been a very busy, and exciting few weeks here.

First off - I was asked to tour THE sweetest book EVER! How David Met Sarah by Anne Kelleher.

In Anne's own words -
"This story is completely different from any of my previous eleven novels, because I wrote How David Met Sarah for my youngest brother, David. David has Downs' Syndrome and like the main character in the story, lives at home with my parents. He works in a mail room and has a lot of friends. He's even been in love.

I wrote How David Met Sarah at my mother's suggestion when she explained that as much as David is interested in reading, it's hard to find stories he likes. He reads at approximately a third grade level but as an adult, David doesn't relate to third grade level stories. How David Met Sarah is a story for grownups that someone with my brother's reading skills can read and enjoy."


If you'd like to check out the blog tour, visit Blog Stop Book Tours for the schedule. It starts next week!

Secondly -
On Saturday October 15th, I attended the Twin Cities Book Festival put on by Rain Taxi . It was a fun event and I had the opportunity to talk with a couple of authors.

S.C. Cobb, author AND illustrator of Peripheral Conflict was kind and charming.








And Lance Zarimba signed a copy of Oh No, Our Best Friend Is A Zombie for my 9 year old son, Cameron. Lance's books are written primarily for boys, ages 9 - 12.







Thirdly -
My e-publishing company, Out of Bounds Press, has released its 3rd book, The Way It Is by Alice Shepler.

"Amy and Paul take a huge leap of faith to follow their dream of owning a lodge in Colorado. Though they miss their grown daughters back home in Kansas, Amy and Paul know they've made the right choice. With a lot of hard work and ingenuity, they turn the lodge into a destination vacation spot, but it comes at the expense of Paul's health. When faced with the choice to remain in Colorado, or return to Kansas, a new opportunity presents itself. Read on to see how faith and family can make dreams come true."

And, oh yeah, we have a new kitten. Her name is Mouse.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Awesome review of Children of Angels!

Jim Melvin, author of The Death Wizard Chronicles wrote an amazing review of Children of Angels by Lynn Salibury. Check it out!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Children of Angels by Lynn Salisbury

Out of Bounds Press is proud to announce our first e-book release, Children of Angels by Lynn Salisbury!

Ann, one of the Sisterhood and Marc, one of the Brotherhood, fall in love before revealing to each other what they are. Ann and Marc know they can't be together, but their reason for existing pulls them back to each other when Marc and his Brothers raid the local town of humans – killing some of Ann's friends. With revenge on her mind Ann hunts for Marc and his Brothers.



She finds them but is faced with the most impossible of options – betray her Sisters or die.

Available at -

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Big HUGE announcement!

I am incredibly excited to announce that I have started my own e-book publishing company, Out of Bounds Press! The first books will be available for purchase in July.

My call for submissions -

  • novels
  • novellas
  • short stories
  • non-fiction (memoir, how-to, self-help)
Contact me at lewis.m@outofboundspress.com

Thursday, March 10, 2011

SCOTTEVEST - Entirely Relevant

Here's something you may not know about me. I don't like carrying a purse. Typically, if the things I need to have with me won't fit in my jacket pockets, I do without them. As a matter of fact, there have been times I've tucked my cell phone into my bra (and, yes, it does tickle).

Of course, this means when buying outerwear, I'm on the lookout for pockets. If a jacket or coat doesn't have inner and/or outer pockets, I leave it on the rack. This is also problematic because I'm female. Apparently the fashion world doesn't appreciate pockets the way I do.

So, when I found out about Scottevest Travel Clothing, via Peter Shankman's blog, I had to know more. According to Scott Jordan, CEO and founder, "About ten years ago, I created SCOTTEVEST®/SeV to solve a very common problem: I needed a way to carry and organize all my gadgets and gear without a "man-purse."

I'm not a man, but I get where Scott is coming from. As a writer, I generally don't leave home without my cell phone, netbook, digital camera, a paper notebook and at least a mechanical pencil. Yes, I could carry all of this in a tote, but that doesn't leave my hands free if I have a kid with me. And like most women, I'm likely to misplace the bag - at least once.

This line of clothing is designed to allow you to carry your necessities on you. Lots and lots of pockets!

I don't own any of the Scottevest product line, yet. The one item I'm lusting after is the XAE - 10th Anniversary Edition Leather Jacket. It costs $450.00, but hey, aren't there leather purses that cost twice that much, with way fewer pockets?

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Tips, Tricks, Rituals - What's your methodology for writing?

If you've ever had to complete a writing assignment, you know there is nothing more daunting than a blank piece of paper or computer screen. But, if you've chosen writing as your profession, write you must. I've asked a few friends for tips and tricks they use to get the words out of their heads and into the world. They graciously provided some fantastic answers.

Mysti Guymon-Reutlinger (Thanksgiving365) says "I'm a stickler for routine. My best writing comes when there's no one awake or around me. I will wake at 4 am to get in three hours of solid writing time." Finding quiet time can be tough. In Mysti's case, with two adorable little boys to take care of, getting up early is a great way to make that time. When ideas come at inopportune moments, Mysti will "leave a notebook and pen on the counter to scribble my thoughts as they come!"

Adam Slade (EditingHat) and Annie Kelleher both use music when they write. Annie says "if I have a particular song that evokes the mood of the scene or the character's viewpoint, I put the song on." I'm sure there are songs that send you right back to your first kiss, so you know what Annie is talking about. Adam says "I used to need silence to write to, but if you can train yourself to write to music (I started with instrumentals... and worked up), it can help when you're somewhere noisy." I listen to instrumental music when I write, silence is absolutely deafening for me, sometimes.

A change of venue seems to help when the brain gets bogged down. Meghan Brunner says "if I get stuck I get up and make a mug of tea. Usually in the time it takes to brew, my brain has loosened a little." Walking away and taking a break works for Adam, as well, "If I get stuck, I take a long shower. Generally does the trick."

And speaking of tea, it seems that hydration is important. Jenn Greenleaf says "I feel off if I don't have my coffee next to me." I know without my cup of coffee, I'm lost, too. Whether coffee, tea, water or soda, every writer I know has some kind of glass or mug at their desk.

Taking your work seriously and respecting yourself are paramount. Laurie Jodoin Dalzell says "I used to write whenever I had time around everyone else's schedules and didn't make so much progress. In a fit of frustration one day, I realized that a writer, well, writes. Ever since, the first two hours of my day are mine for writing. Mug of tea, glass of orange juice, and my laptop. Every morning." And Karen Fisher Alaniz says "I get dressed to the make-up and shoes. There is no writer sitting in her pajamas pounding out brilliant prose in my house. I have to dress as if I am going to a job. I treat my writing like a job and I've learned that when I do this, when I take it THAT seriously, others (agents, editors etc) do too. Simple yet life-changing for me."

The tips most common to everyone I talked to are:
  • Just WRITE!
  • Make yourself comfortable.
  • Quiet, writer at work! (which really seems to translate to whatever gets you in, and keeps you in, the writing zone)
  • If you get stuck, MOVE! Step away, exercise, take a shower, anything to let the wheels turn in the back of your mind.
  • Catch 'em! The ideas slip away all too quickly if you don't write a quick note or record them on your cell phone.
  • Drink! A hydrated brain is a creative brain.
What do you do to keep the words flowing?