New: Author Promotion!

I love helping my fellow authors! Because of this, I have decided to offer some cross-promotion options. If you are interested in any of the following, or if you have another idea, please email me at Jansina@rivershorebooks.com.

I also offer book reviews and author interviews on my business blog. Please check out the new For Authors tab for details.

I post everything in the order I receive it.

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Blog Photo/Link in Side Bar

I would be happy to do a photo/link exchange with you! Images should be square (ideally, 150x150). Your blog doesn't need to be faith-based, but the content does need to stay clean for me to endorse it.

I'll send you my 150x150 photo and URL, and we can both put them on the side of our blogs. (My current photo/links are under "Blogs We Adore.")

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Excerpt Exchange

There's nothing quite like an excerpt to draw readers in.

What to Send:
Please email the following to Jansina@rivershorebooks.com

• Your favorite part (or what you believe is the most intriguing part) of your book (200 to 500 words)
• Your book's cover photo
• Links where your book can be purchased, your author blog, website, social media, &c.

I'll send the same, and we can agree on a day to co-promote!

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Link Promotion

Just want to post a link and be done? Send me a link to your website, blog, or book, &c. (as many as you would like included), along with a short description of the content (1 to 3 sentences). I'll send the same, and we can agree on a day to both post the links on our blogs.

You're welcome to include images, as well!

Purple Eyes by Shalight Saja

I was recently given the opportunity to read and (via Rivershore Books) publish this book. I recommend Purple Eyes to everyone. Shalight Saja is an abuse survivor, and her poetry captures both the pain she experienced and the beauty of the healing she received. No matter your story, there is comfort in the fact that the feelings expressed in Purple Eyes are universal. It felt to me like a literary hug. There's no other word to describe it but "beautiful." (I can't wait to see my printed copy!)

Purple Eyes is a collection of poetry written during a young woman's healing process after six years of abuse. It is a story of the early stages of her journey toward defining herself by who she wants to be rather than by what has happened to her.

This moving book of poetry is available for $8.99 in paperback and ebook formats, on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords:

Paperback (Amazon)
Kindle
Nook
Smashwords

Music & Writing

My parents told me that when I was a baby I would bob my head to the beat whenever I heard music. I naturally don't remember that, but I do know I've always loved listening to, creating, and dancing to music.

When you add writing to that, it's not always a good mix. If the music has words, I may start typing them into my story--and I don't mean in natural ways.

Once upon a time, there was deck the halls a princess. . .

Usually, though, I just stop writing and start singing.

If it's an Irish tune, I'll dance to it--or be so distracted by wanting to dance that I won't write. Okay, this applies to any music with a beat.

There is one exception I've found to both these "problems": what I call coffee shop music. (Think Regina Spektor, Lenka, &c.) It's just soothing enough to keep me motivated.

When that fails, and I start singing, dancing, or both, it's time to switch to classical. Or jazz, but when my focus level gets to this point, swing dancing is tempting even without a partner!

What is on your writing playlist?

Fairy Tale Examination: Cinderella

(Not sure what this is all about? Check out the first Fairy Tale Examination)

Cinderella

Okay, I'll admit it. I love Cinderella. What little girl doesn't empathize with her on cleaning day? At least, I did. I may still, if I hadn't read the Grimm version of the fairy tale.

The mother dies, telling the daughter to "remain pious and good."

Apparently, the husband made no such promise, as he let himself be blinded by beauty and remarries: an unkind woman with unkind daughters. The daughters give "Cinderella" her name (hey--at least someone gave her one!), and decide she's their personal slave. The father does nothing.

Let me repeat that. The father does nothing.

The father goes to town, and asks what the girls want.
Step Sisters: Dresses! Pearls! Jewels!
Cinderella: A stick.
He brings what they request.

Wait. A stick? He couldn't add a surprise necklace so the gifts wouldn't seem quite so unbalanced?

Cinderella plants the stick, and it becomes a tree.

That's not how trees work...

There is a ball, and Cinderella is told she can go if she picks the lentils out of the ash.

Okay, who put beans in the fireplace? Oh, yeah. The step mother did. Why does she care?

Cinderella completes the task, but still isn't allowed to go. She does anyway.

What happened to being pious and good? Not saying the step mother was being fair, but...

The tree (or a bird in it) gives her a dress for each of the three balls.

I may need to start planting some sticks...

No one recognizes her.

No one.

I'm seriously questioning this father.

The prince paints the steps with pitch, and Cinderella loses a shoe.

At least it makes more sense than the "Oops, my perfectly fitting shoe randomly came off" version.

[Insert some less than delightful scenes with step sisters and feet.]

Um...enough said.

Cinderella's foot fits. They're married. Oh, and the step sisters are blinded.

Ick.

I suppose being beautiful and good at dancing is enough for a spouse.

"To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love."

- Pride and Prejudice

Of course, it could be said that Austen was being sarcastic...

What fairy tales make you giggle?

Camp NaNo

Somehow, I always manage to have an excuse not to participate in Camp NaNoWriMo. This year it's because I'm still editing As Fairydust Settles.

Still, because I don't like feeling left out (who does?), and I could use the motivation, I'm joining. Sort of.

Camp NaNo is, not surprisingly, connected to NaNoWriMo. It takes place twice a year, usually in the summer, lasts a month, and is a writing challenge. Unlike NaNoWriMo, you can set your own word goal. Although it's not summer yet, April marks the first camp month.

Since I'm not actually writing, I didn't sign up on the website. (But you can!) I suppose the fact that I'm editing changes the Wri (writing) to Ed. NaNoEdMo

My goal is 30,00 words, or however many it takes to finish the book.

Since this is something I'm doing on my own, I suppose that changes the Na (national) part, too. It could be JaNoEdMo (Jansina's Novel Editing Month)...but that's just thilly.

To those actually participating: Happy writing!