2020 is Here!

Curie & Me!

Since January is my month to take off and refelect on the coming year, I thought it'd be nice to recap the past couple of months. I'll keep it short—I promise.

The holiday season was great because Ronnie had time to burn with vacation and literally took off every Friday in November and December, with a few other days in-between. I have to say, I loved having him home for the extra day. We were able to attend to the chores that we normally take care of on the weekend, leaving us two free days together. I think I'm gonna like when he retires.

Thanksgiving and Christmas was smaller with our family this year. Some of them gone, I miss my mom so much. And others because of the flu or other illness. But we managed to have a great time with our downsized group and both holidays were lovely. It's funny how you miss someone more during the holidays. I'm not sure what triggers the heightened emotions, but I know most of us feel them. 

It was also hard without Cooper, our first Christmas our boy wasn't here to open presents. But Curie decided she'd make up for it and that was sheer joy. She had so much fun opening the wrapping paper and running around the house with new toys and fashion wear. Our little girl has taken a big chunk of our hearts.

The Coffee House Tours is getting ready to start another new year of signings and appearances, and that means I need to get going on the schedule. Not fun...but worth it for all the talented authors we have participating. They truly are a great bunch. We'll be having a few special events this year, the first is a partnership with Ethel M Chocolates on February 29th from 1 - 3 p.m. Please mark your calendars and come down to say hi. This is a charity event for a poverty level school, Ira J. Earl Elementary. We'll be collecting supply donations for the full month of February and you'll see our receptacles at Skimos Coffee, Pour Coffeehouse, and Bad Owl Coffee. We'll update any additions on our Facebook page, and also post the list of the supplies the teachers need. In addition, we'll be accepting donations at the event. Another fun activity at the event will be the authors dressed as Kings and Queens, and posing for pictures with the kids.

In closing, I wanted to say thank you to everyone on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram, who I had exchanges with throughout the year. There were some dark times in 2019, and I got through them with you by my side. The world can be a harsh reality, thank you again, for making it a sweet dream.

Vicki-Ann Bush

Marketing in the Author World

Where do I start? I know we've discussed this mountain more times than I care to count and still it remains the Everest for most of us to tackle. An important and necssary component to our writing career, marketing is our twins in the terrible two's. I find for me, there's no happy medium. It's either a complete success or a rocket exploding, mega burst of failure. And yet, we must be diligent and creative and keep going.

What's worse, in today's society, most of our promo is on social media platforms. I'm an in person kind of girl. As an empath, I read people and gauge how to approach, respond and yes, walk away when necessary. For me, the beast of social media is one I've yet to slay. It's as if my brain goes numb when trying to concoct the winning combination that will get readers to notice my books. My Everest is steep, treacherous, and I never quite reach the summit.

 I did have a little schooling a few weeks ago, and it helped. Maybe not is sales yet, but it certainly expanded my interaction and followers on Instagram. The lovely Jessica, from the marketing department of my publisher Parliament House, intervened and gave me a few suggestions. They worked. She is a brilliant and kind person who helped this lost writer find a sliver of light. The funny part was, they weren't difficult, they just eluded me. Undertstanding the digital world has always been a challenge for me and her guidiance made it a bit clearer.

What's the point of this rambling you ask? It's simple, if you're an author without King status and your frustrated and clawing your way to the next good marketing scheme, don't get discouraged, you're not alone. Help is out there and in this career we've chosen, patience is a virtue we need a double helping of.

So if you find a successful combo, share it with other authors. If you see a successful marketing idea, ask how it works and apply it to your own brand. As authors we can be our best and loudest voice to help each other be successful and achieve our goals. Remember, as I've said many times, there's a reader for everyone and we should be in harmony, not competition.

On Saturday, me and a few of  my friends will be conducting a workshop and sharing what we've learned about the marketing world. It's free, we'll have treats and refreshments, so please join us at the Paseo Verde Library this Saturday Dec. 7th, 280 S. Green Valley Pkwy in Green Valley from 1 - 4 p.m. We'll discuss various stragedies, what's worked for us and what hasn't, and how you can apply this to your brand.
Hope to see you there!

It's a Gnomes Life

I was standing at the back door peering through the glass at Curie. She's recently discovered the benefits of green grass over desert rock and getting her to come in after frolicking amongst the crunchy leavess and alluring plethora of scents, has proven to be difficult. Normally, I'd let her roam and investigate the terrain to her hearts content. The yard is sufficiently fenced, no chance of digging her way out, Ronnie made sure of that on our last visit. But the other night I was disappointed to hear they have a coyote issue just like we do in Vegas. My heart sank. I thought we were in the clear and I could breath a sigh of relief but it's just not to be.

You're probably wondering what this has to do with the life of a garden gnome, well, let me tell you. As I said, I was standing at the door waiting for my girl to come in when it hit me. Standing tall in their little corner of the world the quirky little creatures have the best view every day. Never bothered by the temperment of mother nature, they remain planted in their patch of dirt witness to  beautiful sunrises, glorious lightning displays, breathtaking sunsets, white puffs dangling from blue skies, the ominious hum of fog across a grey canvas, the brillant cascades of Autumn, and the quiet calm of an untouched white blanket on a crisp day. Never stressed over bills, the power outage of cable, or the funky click the engine on your 2005 Toyota makes everytime you throw it into reverse. Nope, their life is simply to be. So before you go to sleep tonight, if you have one of these little guys in your backyard or on the front lawn, give him a wave and let him know you know, he's there.

KateMarie Collins stunning new tale!

Inversion of Magic is a brilliantly written fantasy that kept me interested until the end. The relationship twist between Arine and Logan knocked me back and when I realized the application of this to the society they live in, I was intrigued by Ms. Collins execution of a realm that is out of the ordinary to that we've sadly grown accustomed to. Seeing it perpetrated from the other side of the fence left me feeling equally frustrated as with reality. I love how she used her words of description to show us the damp side of this issue no matter the gender. Equally as satisfying was the qualities of sacrifice, belief, and love, for others above ourselves. I'd recommend this book to anyone wanting a face paced, fascinating story of fantasy, community, and love.

Catch it on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47974198-inversion-of-magic?from_search=true#other_reviews

Buy it on Amazon  https://www.amazon.com/Inversion-Magic-KateMarie-Collins-ebook/dp/B07WSGCQPF

Release day for Alex McKenna & The Geranium Deaths