Smashwords Summer/Winter Sale

Smashwords is having a Summer/Winter Sale during the month of July. You can find lots of great bargains to read on the beach (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere) or curled up in front of the fireplace (if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere).

All my self-published e-books are on sale for 50% off. Visit my Smashwords author page to take advantage of the savings. Just enter the coupon code shown on the right side of the page to get the discount.

These are my discounted books and the sale prices:

• Fern’s Fancies (contemporary romance) – $1.00
• Finding the Information You Need: Research Tips for Your Family, Business, or Personal Pursuits – $1.50
• Preserving Memories: How to Write a Family History – $1.50
• The Secrets of Fantastic Houseplants – $1.50
• Trapped by Love (contemporary romance novelette) -  always free

Smashwords offers every title in ten different formats, so however you read e-books, you can download the format you prefer (or all ten if you want!). Hope you enjoy my books and lots of other great reads.

The Apprentice Who Won’t Be Fired

For some time, I have wanted to have someone to help me in very busy times and to fill in for me if I’m unable to work. Finding that person proved to be a challenge. There are many writers, editors, Web designers, book designers, and administrative workers who are much better than I am. However, there aren’t many with the combination of skills that my clients count on—or even the interest in developing those skills.

Then my friend Linda Farley introduced me to Beverly Ellison. Beverly has more than 25 years of experience as an administrative, human resources, and corporate training professional. She owns Administrative Support Services, providing virtual assistance, consulting, administrative, desktop publishing, and training services. She is an excellent writer and editor and eager to learn about publishing and Web design. In addition to being highly skilled and motivated, Beverly is a lovely lady who will be a delight to work with. She shares my Christian faith, and we believe God brought us together.

I am excited to announce that Beverly is now my apprentice while she continues to operate her own business. She will be working with me on specific projects that will benefit from her experience, as well as learning new skills so that she will eventually be able to handle any project for my clients.

Beverly is starting a blog on her Web site and will be writing guest posts here from time to time.  Please welcome her and share our excitement.

Don’t Forget My Quarterly Drawing

If you’ve explored my site extensively, you know that I run a quarterly contest for e-book or other prizes. Last quarter, I didn’t have many entries, so maybe it’s time for a reminder.

All you have to do to enter is to fill out the form at the contest page. The next drawing will be held at the end of August from all entries submitted in the next three months.

Updated 7/31/11: The contest has been discontinued.

This month’s winner had a choice of one of the following prizes:

• my romantic suspense novel (e-book) Dream or Destiny,
• my contemporary romance novel (e-book) Stroke of Luck,
• my contemporary romance novel (e-book) Fern’s Fancies,
• any one of my how-to guides (e-books): Finding Information, Preserving Memories: How to Write a Family History, or The Secrets of Fantastic Houseplants,
• your choice of any e-book from GASlight Publishing,
• the  e-book edition of the historical novel Spring House,
• the e-book edition of the historical novel Adam’s Daughters, or
• the e-book edition of Some Monument to Last

Dream or Destiny Video Trailer

Reviews and links to order the paperback or e-book of Dream or Destiny

Looking for Vets with PTSD Who Have Improved

I’m working on an exciting project with Dr. Harry Croft, a psychiatrist who has evaluated more than 3500 veterans with Posttraumatic Stress  Disorder (PTSD) for the Veterans Administration.

Dr. Croft is writing a book to help vets with PTSD and their loved ones to understand and deal with the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of the disorder.

The book will explain what PTSD is and what the symptoms are. Dr. Croft has found that many vets don’t recognize their symptoms in the clinical descriptions; the book will be simple to read and easy to understand, with no medical jargon. The overview of treatments will familiarize vets with the various options without overwhelming them with details.

Perhaps the most valuable part of the book will be a variety of scenarios of the experiences of many vets and practical advice on dealing with the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of PTSD. Each example will include information for the vet, for family and loved ones, and for others (such as employers and coworkers) who interact with the vet.

Dr. Croft has access to many veterans who have been treated clinically for the disorder, but he wants to include examples of vets who have improved through a variety of ways, including self-help.

Do you know a vet with PTSD who has been helped by faith or religious activities, volunteer work, having a pet, or something else? If so, we’d like to hear from him or her. Please e-mail ptsd@lillieammann.com.

We will choose representative examples to include in the book. The vets will not be individually identified, and Dr. Croft may combine information from multiple sources into composite examples.

We recognize that vets with PTSD often find it difficult to talk about their experiences. However, we encourage those who have improved to share valuable help and give hope to others who are still suffering.

photo credit: The U.S. Army.

I Still Don’t Talk to Keywords

A few months ago, I instituted a new comment policy: No Name, No Comment. If you leave a comment without a name or nickname that I can recognize as a person, the comment will be marked spam.

I’m posting this reminder because recently I’ve had a spate of relevant comments that I would really like to approve—except they were left by keywords instead of people. I just can’t carry on a conversation with Cheap Toilet Seats, Acne Cure, or Wedding Favors.

KeywordLuv allows you to include keyword text with your name. Please use your name (at least your first name or a nickname recognizable as a person). If you wish to include a keyword, insert @Keyword after your name, for example Joe@Cheap Toilet Seats. KeywordLuv will separate your name and keyword; the comment in this example would show as Joe from Cheap Toilet Seats, and Cheap Toilet Seats would be a hyperlink.

Apologies to my regular readers for bringing this up again, but the number of comments I’m marking spam indicates there’s a need for a reminder. I appreciate relevant comments and hate to send good comments to spam.

On the other hand, I will continue to mark as spam comments that aren’t relevant, such as  “I appreciate all your points” (on an Advent prayer) and ”I’ve looked all over the Internet to find the answer to my question and this is the only place I found it” (with the exact words left on half a dozen unrelated posts).

Comment #10,000+

My comment counter just turned over 10,000. Actually, I’ve had more than 10,000 comments (including my own) since the beginning of my blog. When I moved the blog just about a year ago, all my nested comments were lost. I have no idea how many comments were lost then. Almost all of the nested comments, though, were my replies to other comments so I didn’t lose many comments from other people.

Comment #10,000 was left by Louise of Brochures Printing Online. Thanks, Louise, and thanks to all the readers who have visited and commented. I enjoy the conversation and appreciate the community.

New Comment Policy: No Name, No Comment

I have tried to make commenting here easy and beneficial to commenters. DoFollow links, monthly thank-you posts, and Keyword Luv ensure readers who leave comments get do-follow keyword links, both on the original comment and in the thank-you post. I reply to each comment so you know I read and appreciate what you write.

The only things I ask of commenters are that you read the post and say something relevant and that you identify yourself. Yet I continue to get keywords left in the place of names—even when simply writing Your Name @ Your Keywords will give you a keyword link and let me reply to you as a real person instead of an inamimate object, a job function or place, or a concept.

Frankly, I can’t relate to Printer Cartridges, Jonestown Plumber, or Divorce Advice like I can to Sue of Printer Cartridges, Joe of Jonestown Plumber, or Terry of Divorce Advice. I have requested over and over again that commenters leave their names, yet many ignore my request for what I consider a simple courtesy.

Therefore, I will no longer approve comments that are identified only by a keyword. You must leave a name. I realize that some people prefer to remain anonymous online, and I respect that. If you consistently use a nickname that I can recognize as a person, I will continue to approve comments as long as you continue to leave relevant comments.

However, if you leave a comment identifying yourself with keywords only, your comment will be sent to spam. If you have commented before, and your comment doesn’t go into moderation, I will delete it and add you to the spam blacklist. I hope you will start leaving comments wih a name or nickname.

I am sorry if this policy seems unreasonable; however, I believe it is only common courtesy to identify yourself when you carry on a conversation.

photo credit: annapmagistra

Interview on NAIWE Podcast Today

National Association of Independent Writers and Editors (NAIWE): Member of the Month Interview

Added after podcast: Listen to the interview by clicking on the button below.

I’ll be featured as NAIWE Member of the Month on a TalkShoe podcast at 3:30 p.m. EDT today, Wednesday, 5 August 2009.

You can listen online or get more information at TalkShoe. If you miss the live podcast, you can listen to the recording at any time. You can also subscribe to the podcast through iTunes.

There is also a print interview on the NAIWE blog.

Winner: My Special Days Dream or Destiny Promotion

During the My Special Days Dream or Destiny Promotion throughout the month of June, I gave away a free e-book of Fern’s Fancies to everyone who purchased a copy of Dream or Destiny.

The culmination of the promotion is a drawing from the names of all who bought a book during the event for a virtual gift basket of e-books.

Congratulations to the winner, Beatriz Kim!

I have contacted Beatriz by e-mail and sent her an electronic copy of each of the following books:

As Shadows Fall by Grace Anne Schaefer

The New Day Dawns by Grace Anne Schaefer

On the Wings of the Wind by Patricia Eytcheson Taylor and the Reverend Doctor James Taylor

Some Monument to Last by James Doughty

Spring House by David Bowles

Stroke of Luck by Yours Truly

I hope each person who ordered during June is enjoying both Dream or Destiny and Fern’s Fancies.

And if you missed out on the promotion, it’s never too late to order.

« Previous Page — Next Page »