First Word

Think about it. What glues and holds you to a novel? Yes, a great story is important, but isn't it really great characters that make it memorable? My book California Girl Chronicles has a very basic story: young screenwriter goes to Hollywood to make it only to be distracted by hot men. It's not a terribly complex story by any means. It's definitely frothy, good fun, but what do people talk about the most in all of the reviews -- my flawed, beautiful character, Brea. You can have a "thin" story, but if the characters are really interesting, great and fun to follow, it won't matter. People will be hooked to the character's adventures or in Brea's case, her misadventures, which makes it critical that writers understand that their characters must be fully developed, interesting, compelling and made to do provocative things that hold the reader's interest. So how do you create a memorable character? Distinct Voice -- make sure you start with the ve

If you're an aspiring novelist or you have a book you've written yet you can't seem to get a "yes" when it comes to getting an agent or publisher, maybe it's time for an objective third party to take a look at it. A qualified professional like one of our top-notch editors at 3L Publishing who can provide insight and guidance not only on the content of the book, but also on the marketplace. A qualified book coach can provide the following: Objective story or content analysis -- whether your book is fiction or non-fiction, a coach can review the contents. If the book is non-fiction, the coach can look at the overall structure to ensure it's organized in a readable, easy-to-understand way. If it's fiction, the coach will look at the overall story arc and structure, character development, and dialog. Provide recommendations and comments for change -- your book coach will go into the heart of the book and provide specific recommendations on what to

I think I can write the book on turning points and transitions LOL. This year's theme is all about turning points that catalyze transitions. I am fearless (most of the time). I am also one of these people who will go so far and then break. I also simmer, which isn't good. Sometimes all that simmering boils over, and hence, the turning point. Some people never get past the turning point to really make the transition forward. If you can keep moving forward in a positive direction your results and your life are sure to prosper. Of course, karma is big, too. Always try to do all of this with integrity and honesty. Yeah, you'll stumble and fall and yeah you'll make mistakes, but if in your heart you try do everything with the intention to get positive results, you'll be OK. I have cuts and scrapes all over my knees from metaphorically falling, but don't worry, it always heals over. If it leaves a scar rather than feel blemished marvel over it. It's now a part of

Wow! Last night's True Blood Season Finale just kicked bad-ass. My two favorite enders: Andy Bellfleur become a new father four times over and Bill's final transformation into evil-doer for Season 6. It was absolutely intense to watch Bill's slow descent into villain, and the show delivered when he drank Lilith's blood, turned into a puddle of blood, and rose from the blood into the next evil-doer on the level of Russell Edgington, who by the way received his just ending. Yes, Russell just got a major ray zap of Faery power volts and that ended him nicely. Well done Alan Ball and crew -- you really did a masterful job to wrap up the season with a little pop, sludge and cry! Then we had poor Luna who had skin-walked her way right in front of the TV cameras only to face the mic, throw up blood, and keel over in what appears to be her untimely demise. And of course, Sam who flew into the mouth of the vile female chancellor only to take over her body and explode out -- yeah

3L Publishing has a new book in development titled Vengeance is Now . It's in development so I can't disclose the details of the book, but the author ran the opening chapter by me. When we're closer to publishing it, I will share the very first line of the book, but what I want to say is the author clearly understands how to capture the reader's attention right there smack on page one. New and emerging authors often fail to understand the critical point that you lose your reader (and your chance with a publisher) almost literally on page one. When we evaluate potential manuscripts to publish, the first thing we do is look at chapter one. If you can nail it in the first line of the book -- you are truly gifted. I can't wait to disclose his first line, because it would make it easier for you to understand why I'm so impressed. What always shocks me are authors who submitted their sample chapters with the caveat: the first chapter is the weakest . What?! Your firs

In the soon-to-be-released 3L Publishing book 10 Powerful Women 10 Strategic Insights into Successful Business , blogging is discussed as a powerful social marketing tool. A few key points important about blogging and its value for marketing your business. According to the 10 Powerful Women , companies that blog have 55 percent more website visitors and overall 88 percent more leads (in consumer market) and 67 percent more leads in (business sector). The main reason I persuade our marketing clients (yes, 3L Publishing does have exclusively marketing and public relations clients, too) to blog is the ability to drive more traffic to their websites. The search engine optimization (SEO) that arises from keyword labels pushes out to the Internet and pulls in visitors who do Google or Yahoo searches to find your blog articles. You need to ensure you make it easy to drive that traffic to your website by having that information readily available through information about your blog and links

Authors often get so caught up in the process of writing and publishing their books that they often forget that the book is only 50 percent of the game. In fact, of equal weight and importance is the marketing and promotion. Truth in storytelling: you can publish a well-written, award-worthy book but if no one knows it exists than what's the point? It will gather dust on the bookshelf. So, here are three mission-critical tips to promote your book: Virtual Blog Tours -- the blogging world has grown exponentially. The book review bloggers are an underground wealth of sales. Diehard reviewers from small one-person blogs to larger blogs such as Fresh Fiction can build a ground swell of interest in your book. I like to call this grassroots attention. You start with the smaller bloggers who like and recommend your book and then you get the attention of the larger blogs. It's like she told two friends and so on and so forth. A virtual blog tour also means you don't leave your

This week's episode finds the citizens of Bontemps all merging together in their story lines toward the Vampire Authority and the imminent Lilith Apocalypse. We have Sam and Luna as two white mice scurrying around the Authority to find Emma. We have Jessica being hauled off to turn Jason (as there is an edict to make as many vampires as possible). We Sookie's realization she's "betrothed" to some vampire spirit. Then we have Russell and Steve Newlin wreaking havoc all over the place and on a mission to find a faery. The convergence of the story lines was rather unexpected but a nice twist on the season that in some ways appeared to have each story locked in bubbles. The entire Authority story seemed to me to drag on much too long, with my favorite vamps all stuck in this government-like, sacred complex. Sticking Eric Northman in one place for too many episodes seemed much too boring to me. I wanted to see him do more this season. He is now finally on the loose wit

Up early and ready to what on a Sunday? Work! Yep, I got behind when I went back up to Northern California to do some networking. So now I have to get a few projects back on track. I've also found myself easily distracted ... oh, look it's Facebook ... oh look my favorite person texted me ... oh I have to email that one! The distractions abound just sitting at my desk. I used to be better at managing the distractions, but lately not so much. Now let's not get too distracted writing this, too.  Now surely I must have something more meaningful to say to help improve your business, right? OK, fine I will try and get serious ... sort of ... or not. No, no, no! I'm going to get serious (five seconds worth). Here are three mission-critical things you should be doing if you're in business: Thoughtful Relationship Building . When I say thoughtful, I mean not going out and networking with the sole purpose of just meeting someone and setting up a business coffee-break mom

Michael Perrotta, author of Under the Sycamores, Michelle Gamble-Risley, and Jeff Cohen Nothing generates initial sales for a new book like Under the Sycamores (available on the 3L website at www.3LPublishing.com and Amazon) like a fabulous book launch party. Friends, family and supporters will come out and make that initial investment in the book, and the author enjoys the sales. And what the heck? It's a party ... you can't lose there.

Last night I watched True Blood , and I normally review it the next day. Well, I am going to review it, but I want to focus on the Jessica/Hoyt/Jason scene. I was never more moved by the show than when I watched that scene. This season has brought a lot of heart to the show. Between Pam and Tara bonding and this scene about letting go, I was just caught up. But let's skip right to the Jessica/Hoyt/Jason scene. Poor Hoyt had just lost everything -- his first love and best friend along with a list of miseries in his descent into despair. When he asks Jessica to glamour away his hurt, I completely understood the desire. Wouldn't a lot of us beg to have the pain erased from our memories if we could? It's an understandable request, but on the flip side, isn't it our pain and hurt that makes us who we are? It rounds us out. It deepens us. We are supposed to learn lessons from every painful moment in our lives as well as the happy ones. I always like to say, how can you know t

I am working on editing the book The Fortune is in the Follow-Up by the illustrious and enduring Heidi BK Sloss. In her book, she brings up a discussion on delegation. She also mentions something about mourning the loss of a task you enjoyed doing but because of time constraints had to delegate. I had some thoughts about this comment. Here is what I found. I love doing a lot of things, but when something I love doing is keeping me from making money, I always try to give it up. While I might miss doing it, I am often quite relieved it's no longer on my plate. Or if I share the responsibility of doing something with a back-up person, I feel less pressure, too. For example, when I try to edit AND proof read a book, it's always a mistake. A second pair of eyes on a book I've stared at for often months can be comforting. Yes, it costs me money, but at least I know the material I grew "blind" to is going to jump out at a less-stressed and fresh pair of eyes. I found it

Study the base look into the light see the formation just prepare for flight Hire the foreman give him the sight trust your instincts and follow the right Pour the foundation see it all wet know you patience don't get in the fret Watch it gel see it all dry don't get in a hurry just be shy Now is the sunrise the time and place prepare for the walk and get in the pace Now is the time Now is the space begin the journey but don't make it a race Enjoy each moment revel in the emotion move through and forward and dive into the deep, blue ocean ~ Michelle Gamble-Risley

The temperance of waiting The desire of light The road keeps on stretching The longing inside keeps on Every spirit of loving holds my hand and sings in my ear and I keep on listening but I still want you near I keep asking where is the devotion? Why not? And then the whispering angels say it again There is no not Time is an illusion in process and ethereal peace and there is no end even as we speak I feel peaceful abandon And then I feel it no more I feel loving connection And then I feel your fear And then the cloud drifts above me Fluffy and light in the shape of a heart I close my eyes I smile I know temperance is waiting and wanting some more yet you are not here and the angels sing quietly "Faith is believing something good will happen..." ~ Michelle Gamble-Risley

Bo Bradley, operations manager Bo Bradley, operations manager, 3L Publishing , and I went to Disneyland mid-week to enjoy a respite from the daily grind and to unleash our inner children. A dear friend of mine suggested that if we were truly to unleash the kid beneath, eat ice cream! Of course on a hot summer day, the suggestion sounded perfectly apropos, so eat ice cream we did. And since any true girl would choose chocolate and strawberry, I obliged my spirit of youth and added those flavor to my sundae. What better way to start our Disney sojourn then naturally to eat ice cream and ride the Pirates of the Caribbean. And that my friends is how we work around here. Come eat ice cream with us ... you're always invited. Send us an email at info@3LPublishing.com .

Michelle Gamble-Risley, CEO Last night, my operations manager Bo Bradley and I visited the Italian Cultural Institute to help host the book launch for the charming, beautiful and well-written Under the Sycamores . We spent the evening drinking some first-rate wine to the toast of the literary town, Michael Perrotta who basked in the glow of his success. The book itself is a perfect example of the quality of product produced by my company 3L Publishing . If you are an author and you're ready to go forward and publish your book and you want it to read and look absolutely perfect, please send us a sample chapter to info@3LPublishing.com.

This morning, I was confronted with a situation. I had been planning to move forward on several projects with one of my partners. It all out of nowhere got derailed by the unexpected or more like unanticipated. I was discouraged. I have a lot of balls in the air with my partner, and this would knock the plan off track. I thought about it and felt frustrated -- more barriers to forward motion. Well, if there is anything I've learned in life and business, barriers are not meant for you to sit on the rock, open your picnic lunch, and enjoy the view. You study your barrier, size it up, and make a plan to move over, under or around it. The road to success is going to have rocks in the way, potholes to fall in, and distractions like pretty wildlife. It's your focused determination to make your goal no matter what that will achieve your success. So whenever a barrier gets in the way, don't get upset by it. Laugh at it and wave to your foreman to drive over the bulldozer and push i

Illuminate Strike the match on the mantle Light it aglow Illuminate the feelings And let it flow Strike the heart on fire Let it resonate from within And charge up the emotion Until it comes outside in Hit the switch on the wall And let it light up And then release the ignition And switch it corrupt Let the candle light glow And light on the walls Till the shadows do pass And drift in the show See my truth now And see it you shall My heart is light And this is quite yours I am waiting in patience in the quiet moonlight and will continue and will continue and will continue Till night ... ~ Michelle Gamble-Risley

Unfolding Light The road ahead  The mirage at the end Is that the oasis? Or is it my wish? The journey ahead The beautiful mountain range Is it in the way? Or do I have to climb over or around it? The place in my heart Is it filled with light and love Is it just for you? Or do I have to put it somewhere safe? The vision of my soul Is that the truth at the end? Is it the ultimate beauty? Or do I have to transform the ideal? The wish for the dream Is it the power of the light? Will it magnify the essence? Or do I have to bow my head in acceptance? ~ Michelle Gamble-Risley

Gratitude is immensely important. The Universe or God (whatever your choice in a higher power) only wants love and abundance for us. So, today I am going to publicly express my gratitude ... I am grateful for ... My life in all its transformations My children that are lights of joy My friends who love me and I them My business flourishing and allowing me the freedoms to live my way My talents and gifts that bring me happiness and fuel my passion My clients who I enjoy My spiritual abilities that tell me the truth Everyone who has loved me on this journey With light, love and compassion, Michelle Gamble-Risley, CEO, 3L Publishing ( www.3LPublishing.com )

Ack! I haven't blogged today. Well, I can tell you why ... it's invoice day. I spent my entire morning doing invoicing. Of course, you have to invoice if you're a business owner -- there is no way around that one. I put my odd title "Don't Forget to Hug Your Publisher," because we all need a hug once in a while, huh! As a newly single publisher (and since my kids don't live with me), I miss hugs. Touching is so healing ... and yes, this blog is all over the place LOL. Why? Because I wasn't sure what I was going to say to keep you all entertained. Are you entertained yet ... or do you just want to hug me? I'm very huggable indeed. If you haven't hugged someone today, grab the nearest person and give them a good squeeze! Your immune system will thank me.