First Word

Chapter 16             We were standing on a pristine-white beach. I could yet to see the surroundings. All I could see was white sand everywhere and my focus on the man in front of me: Evan. He was on bended knee. He held out the most unusual ring. It was not a traditional engagement ring. Instead it was white gold with an S-shaped top that had a larger semi-circle. Placed within the setting sat a Tiger Eye stone, a protective gem made of metamorphic rock that was golden brown with a silky luster. He extended the ring box and smiled. I reached down and first touched his hands and fingers around the box, then I gently plucked the ring. Evan grabbed my arm. He used his other hand to pull out a sheet of paper, and he began to read it to me: Love is never ending Our souls are one You are my other half You are my sun My stars My guiding light The universe The planets I will always love you Eternity ha...

Self-publishing has its place so please don't take this blog as a critique of the self-publishing method. I'm going to review three HUGE errors with what is actually a great book. The green book California Girl Chronicles is my book published by 3L Publishing (www.3LPublishing.com). I'm not going to say whose book is the other one out of respect for (again) what I think is actually a great book (outside of these mistakes). MISTAKE #1 - FAILURE TO USE VALUABLE MARKETING REAL ESTATE (THE BACK COVER) Your back cover (aside from the cover) is the prime marketing "real estate" on your book. A blank back cover is a tremendous misuse of an important marketing and sales opportunity. The back cover is the second area readers review when they pick up a book, and it often triggers the sale. MISTAKE #2 - FAILURE TO UTILIZE THE SPINE WITH THE PROPER TITLE How is anyone going to find this book on the shelf? The spine helps bookstore readers identify your name and ...

Chapter 15             After I returned from New York, Evan had kept messaging me about the partnership papers they had given me. I didn’t know why he was pushing it so fast – and that fact made me slightly nervous. I wanted time to think about the pros and cons and weigh the benefits. In the meantime, I gave the agreement to our company attorney Debbie Hill, a middle-aged woman I met while networking for the company. She was a conservative blonde gal with kinky, curly hair who always seemed to wear gray suits and white blouses whenever I ran into her at social events. She had said she would cull through the agreement and carefully check into it.             I also cautioned myself to be careful since Evan and I began texting on a daily basis or talking on the phone. He seemed to know way more about my marriage than I ever told him. He said he had o...

Chapter 14 Tim paced back and forth in front of his other brothers. Evan was seated at the end of the conference room table. Tim was clearly anxious and agitated. “What the hell are you doing? You can’t fuck with this woman. Just get the partnership going. We’ve got limited time. Fly out there and get her to sign the damn papers!” Ted, the one in the purple tie, got up to soothe Tim whose face had turned red from frustration and anger. He handed his brother a glass of water. Tim drank it and slammed down the glass. Ted was always the calm one and the negotiator between the brothers. He rubbed Tim’s shoulders, but Tim yanked free and began yelling again. “You know what is at stake here! Our legacy! And what are you doing? Playing footsy with this bitch. It’s already getting harder and harder to hide what you’re doing. And why did we need to do it this way? Really brother? She’s naïve. She hasn’t a clue.” Evan went over to the hard alcohol and poured a g...

Chapter 13 Mia opened and closed the door, and she walked smoothly with no expression on her face toward a rocking chair in the corner of the room. She sat and stared at the lump of a body under a brown and blue floral quilt. Tess suddenly sat up – and she stared back at Mia. “It’s you?” “Yes.” “Did you come to tell me?” “About Evan?” “Yes. I love him,” she replied. “I’ve loved him in three lives. He is my twin flame,” she said. “He would never hurt me. I waited those three lifetimes to finally be with him. We will rise up together in all eternity reunited as one again. He came to heal me, to touch my flesh again, and to soothe the hurt locked away and gnawing me to death. I came to heal him, to save his spirit, to save me, and bring us back.” “Is he dead?” “Never to me.” “Who’s the body in the trunk?” “Find the options.” “Options?” “Yes, find them.” Mia smiled, got up, and walked out the door. Tess suddenly shot straight up out of ...

Scott D. Roberts  Why Not Turn Your Work into TV and Film?   June 20, 11am to 1pm California Writers' Club (Sacramento Branch) Cattlemen's Restaurant (I-50/Hazel Ave.) in Rancho Cordova *Non-members may attend luncheon Why Not Turn Your Work into TV and Film? Have you ever thought, "My book would make a great movie, but I have no idea where to start?" Join Scott D. Roberts, novelist, screenwriter, producer, actor and director, as he teaches writers all elements of taking a story from page to screen. Roberts is a 25-year veteran of the film and television business. He has worked in almost every role, from assistant to talent agent, to actor to writer, to producer to director. Join him as he discusses: How to sell your book for acquisition Methodologies to adapt a book for screen Unique ways to write captivating and winning "log lines" that attract agents and producers Where and how to find an...

Chapter 12 I walked into an old Italian bakery that was nothing more than a narrow hallway cut into a brick building. After I left the meeting, thoughts of Evan consumed my mind. He had asked me to meet him here, but the restaurant was hardly glamorous. I wasn’t sure if this was a date to which I shouldn’t be “dating” anyone as a married woman. As I walked in, smells of pastries and fresh-baked breads filled the air. I looked around and spotted Evan who sat near the back wall. He boldly stared at me. I walked straight over and sat down. He motioned to the gal behind the counter and within seconds a cappuccino was placed in front of me along with a basket of mini-muffins. “I love cappuccino … how did you know? How do you always know?” “Try the mini-muffins – best in the world in my opinion,” he said. I obliged and gently plucked a blueberry mini-muffin from the straw basket. I took the flakey tiny cake, sliced it in two, buttered it, and took a bite. My eyes grew lar...

Over the years, I collaborated or partnered with several people. Some partnerships are better than others. 3L President Scott D. Roberts is the best partnership I've had with anyone. The reason the partnership works so well might help others decide if they want to partner with someone. Now some people thrive on different kinds of collaborative relationships. So the gifts that Scott D. brings to the company and to my creative world are things that I found I personally thrive upon. Sense of Humor . Does that sound unimportant? Well, it's very important -- especially under stress. If you can't laugh at yourself or others than life gets far too ridiculous. Anything can be diffused with a great joke, and laughter is a tremendous stress-reliever. If anyone read the texts that go back and forth between Scott and myself it would often be like reading a great stand-up routine. Like-Mindedness with a Dash of Difference . If you have the same vision it's easier to make it happ...

Did you know 70 percent of Amazon top sellers are now produced from small- to medium-sized and independent publishers? Why is that trend growing? 1. Independent publishers offer one-on-one service and attention to their clients . Writers don't get absorbed into the book publishing corporate food chain where they may end up with half-a-dozen different editors and representatives on their projects over the course of their experiences. 2. New and first-time authors often cannot break into the corporate publishers because they either don't have a platform (AKA as following) or because they are unknown and unproven . Independent publishers give new authors an opportunity to get their books published where doors might otherwise be closed. 3. Greater attention to the content and book-coaching services to create award-winning books . Many of our company's books have won awards. These first-time authors might not have won without our seasoned guidance and professionalism to cr...