Authors, Kai Strand & LA Dragoni

Three Times a Charm is a weekly feature that spotlights authors, illustrators, bloggers, agents, editors or promoters from the publishing industry. This week we are joined by Dorothy Dreyer. I met Dorothy on Twitter. She’s the queen of the Friday follow (#FF) and a darn good tweeter. Dorothy Dreyer is a wife, mother of two, and a full time nursery school teacher. At forty-years-old, she's been living abroad in Germany for the past 13 years, writing whenever she finds time in her busy schedule. She's currently seeking representation for her novels. Germany! I love the internet. Dorothy, tell us about your latest project. The novel I'm currently pitching is a YA Paranormal Romance called BITTERSWEET MELODY. It's about Melody, a young muse who has a penchant for getting in trouble -- which pretty much sucks when you've got someone like Zeus for a father. After being grounded for a hundred years, she's put on probation by her Inspiration Officer and is ...

Recent Reads The Merlin Conspiracy by Diana Wynne Jones– humble rating: Motivational Speaker – I was reading through this and I thought to myself, “This reminds me of the world with the embroidery in it. Which book was that?” Yeah, then I got to the embroidery scene. At first I was flummoxed. How could I have forgotten that I’d read the book before? But in the end it doesn’t matter. I loved it just the same. Mini, Nick, Romanov, Grundo, the goat. Loved them all. Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg – humble rating: Golf Clap+ – I liked the modern twist to the story. I admit that retellings seem like cheating to me, but they are fun to read. So, what do I know? Maybe I’ll give it a try. Or maybe I’ll just stick to reading them now and again. It isn’t so fun to know the ending, but the journey there can be entertaining. Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead - humble rating: Motivational Speaker – I give this book an MS rating if for no other reason, than for who Rose end...

Three Times a Charm is a weekly feature that spotlights authors, illustrators, bloggers, agents, editors or promoters from the publishing industry. This week we are joined by children’s author, Janet Collins. Janet is one of the few authors in this world who I’ve met in person when she was here in Central Oregon. I’m thrilled to host her on Three Times.   Janet Ann Collins used to write feature articles for a newspaper in the San Francisco Bay area and her work has appeared in many other publications including Parents' Press, Bay Area Parent, Sunshine Magazine, Mailbox for Teachers, as well as several anthologies. Once she even won a local poetry contest.   Besides teaching in schools, Collins has taught introductory classes in American Sign Language for adults and led many workshops at various conferences. She worked in the dormitories at California School for the Deaf for many years and, with her husband, raised three deaf foster sons in addition to a birth daughter.  ...

We know that an aspiring author needs to possess mass quantities of persistence. But honey, the persistence you tapped then is the equivalent of dipping your toes into the deep, cold waters of Lake Try Again. Promotion requires a scuba diving license and the lung capacity of a tuba player. It isn’t that you or your book isn’t valued or appreciated. It isn’t even that you and your book aren’t important. It is just that you aren’t a priority. Unless, of course, you and your book are surrounded by buzz. But for the sake of this post, you are one of the gazillions of books each year released into the world without buzz. You will spend hours researching promotional opportunities. You will make many, many contacts asking for blog time, book reviews, classroom visits or store signings. You will even be greeted with some enthusiasm. But to actually make those things happen can sometimes take more persistence than most people are comfortable with. It’s awkward to call, email and stop into a...

Three Times a Charm is a weekly feature that spotlights authors, illustrators, bloggers, agents, editors or promoters from the publishing industry. This week we are joined by Denise Jaden, author of Losing Faith. Denise Jaden is, or has been, everything from a professional Polynesian dancer and fitness competitor to a mushroom farmer and church secretary. Most of her time now is spent homeschooling or playing with her seven year old son or in front of her computer writing. Denise Jaden's writing has appeared in Mississippi Crow Magazine (Spring, 2008) The Greensilk Journal (Fall 2007, including an editor’s choice award), and The Tidepool Fiction Ezine (Spring, 2009)Her first novel for teens, LOSING FAITH, was released from Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster in September 2010, with her next untitled novel expected in summer 2012. Wait…a mushroom farmer? I’m in the job market, how’s the pay for that? Sorry, back to business.   In September of 2010, Denise became the proud paren...

Springtime. Fresh sprigs of grass poke through last year’s thatch. The flapping of wings fills our ears as birds build nests. The first whiff of summer’s warmth on top of a cool spring breeze. These are familiar signs of spring to us. What if this was your first spring?   You’d wonder where the snow had disappeared and why you don’t have to bundle up in your winter jacket and mittens. You’d smell your first flower and it might make you sneeze. I love the fresh, new perspective of Margaret Rose’s picture book, First Spring. The rhyme and meter make the story a fun read aloud and the lovely pastel illustrations by Marina Movshina, will stoke a child’s imagination. Margaret, where did the inspiration for this point of view come from?      Thank you for having me, Kai! It's a pleasure to find a brand new blog to visit. As you so eloquently stated, springtime is for new discoveries. You never really know what lies buried under the snow when you're a young child. I'...

One Pelican At a Time About the book:   One Pelican at a Time is the story of two girls--Bella and her best friend, Britt--and their valiant struggle to save the life of the old crooked-beaked pelican. Along the way, they help other endangered pelicans as well Nancy, just from the description of One Pelican at a Time, I can hear the seagulls calling. What inspired this particular story? Nancy:   My husband and I bought a condo on the water in Clearwater Beach, Florida, three years ago.   Although I didn’t know it would, that decision had a profound effect on me.   I watched the marine life on our daily walks and quickly grew to love it all, particularly the brown pelicans.   Who knew the spill would happen, and I would have the opportunity to help in a small way with their redemption? Don’t you live in the mid-west?   Can you really know enough about saving pelicans just from a few trips south? Was there research involved? Field trips? Nancy:   ...

Three Times a Charm is a weekly feature that spotlights authors, illustrators, bloggers, agents, editors or promoters from the publishing industry. This week I’m so excited about welcoming Jen Daiker. I met Jen through Twitter and when I clicked over to her blog I was hooked. She is more fun than should be allowed in one place. Jen can you tell us a little about yourself? I is a 25 year old (as of March 29 th   J ) Adult and Young Adult writer. I’m currently querying to agents for my Adult Chick lit titled – In the Mind of a Celebrity Stalker. Hoping to be repped but for now just trying not to go insane in this overly chaotic - yet fun – field. Jen maintains a blog called Unedited. That and her pink hair are the reason I’m sure she’s destined to be a published author. Unedited is full of energy and spunk and oozes VOICE! Jen, what is your approach to Unedited? Unedited is a blog about me and what I'm doing. It can range from fun little writing exercises all the way to rand...

Recent Reads The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki– humble rating: Golf Clap (minus) –Such a great title.   Walked around saying it aloud, often. I’m sorry to report that this story never managed to captivate me like the title did. As a matter of fact, after plodding through the story it came to what I felt was its natural end and then kept going. I never, ever do this, but I flipped to the last page, saw the ending and returned the book to the library. I tried to like it. I really did. The writing was fine, I think it was strictly the dreaded “personal taste.” Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly – humble rating: Golf Clap+ – Really, really enjoyed this story. I’ll be buying a copy for my daughter who is studying to become a Musical Therapist. The only reason I didn’t give this story a M.S. rating was because of the sex scene at the end.   I was pretty convinced they were in love and that was where their relationship would end up eventually, I just didn’t think we needed to b...

You reluctantly closed the back cover on the book. A sense of loss and longing washes over you. You don’t want to be finished. How can you walk away from the storyline or the characters who you think you’ve seen downtown, they’re so real? But wait. Maybe the author has more books. Maybe this is a series. You jump online and GoodSearch her name. You find her website and see that she doesn’t. WHY?????? Well, probably because her writing hasn’t taken off yet and she has to earn a living with a day job.   How can you help change that?   How can you help your author toward financial freedom so that she can be writing all the time? Word of mouth is HUGE ! Tell all of your friends about the book. If you can part with it, loan your copy to a trusted friend or family member. Donate a copy to a library. SPEAK out loud frequently using the book’s title, the author’s name. You hold the power! Make it social. There are many, many ways through social media to help your author attain a f...