I Just Published Something (Try Not to Look Shocked)

Well. That felt good!
This morning I hit publish on a short story I pulled from the archives and polished up a bit.

Meet The Art Contest...

Two days ago, the Nazis rolled into Marie’s hometown. With her mother trapped in the countryside and her father ordered to perform piano concerts for the invaders, the 12-year-old’s life is turned upside down.

When she learns there is more to her pianist father than meets the eye, Marie must work with him to sneak important information past the watching Nazis.

This is short story (approx. 12 minutes average reading time). It contains themes of family, adventure, and trusting God in hard times.


Available now on Amazon.
Coming soon to other retailers.


Review by Steve Mathisen: "The Art Contest is a delightful little story about a French girl who gets a chance to do a little thing to help the French resistance. Told from the girls perspective it is intriguing and imaginative. My only complaint is that there was not more of it."

What Went into That Cover?

I thought I'd share the design process for one of my latest and most complex book cover designs.

Before:

After:

After Natalie D. Wilson and I had a great, informative chat on the phone, I felt I had a pretty good grasp on her book, Rohan's Choice (available in paperback and ebook).

We needed a vineyard setting...

...with a larger villa...

I also turned the sky pink and added a couple more trees.

Then we needed a big, buff, Rohan character looking off at the villa.

So I found a man who was already looking somewhat the way we needed...

Then I "turned him around" by darkening and blurring. Now he was a semi-buff silhouette that could be facing either toward or away from you. I painted a new hairdo for him, and bulked up his shoulders and arms.

The picture ended too soon, though, so I borrowed this guy's pants...

...and added a sword...

Then all I had to do was work with the title and other text. That was a piece of cake, comparatively.

I had so, so much fun with this cover! 

Want to see more? Check out my design portfolio here: http://perryelisabethdesign.blogspot.com and my gallery of premade covers here: www.selfpubbookcovers.com/perryelisabeth

Top 10 Reasons I've Been Missing

(Not in chronological order)

1. I'M EXPECTING A BAAAAABBBYYYY!!!!
   Yep, that's right! Little Person #3 is due July 4th (unless that date ends up adjusted later) and we couldn't be more excited! It's going to be so fun to see if I'm on a roll with boys or if I'll get to have a little me. Either way, it's going to be awesome because babies are just--awesome!
   
2. I'M EXPECTING A BOOK
   Sounds weird, I know. What sounds even weirder is that I'm going to say it's halfway arrived. I released the Kindle version of my 5th book (second in the Kitten Files series) on Black Friday. The print version is following shortly on its heels. Meet "The Case of the Missing Hero":
   
   
   
3. I'M A BOOK DESIGNER!
   The book cover design requests (and lots of promo design work, too) have been coming in steadily. It's great fun! See some of my latest...
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. I'VE BEEN VISITING WITH FAMILY
   'Tis the season! Plus, my family of origin is moving out of state, so I'm trying to soak them up while I've still got 'em!
   
5. I HAVE A 2-YEAR-OLD
   'Nuff said. ;) He's a good, super fun kid, but very busy...
   
6. I HAVE PEOPLE ASKING FOR WRITING FEEDBACK
   You know who you are, yes I still remember you, no I haven't forgotten about you, no your writing doesn't stink. Yes, I've been busy, busy, busy. (See this post.)
   
7. I EAT LIKE A TEENAGE BOY
   I'm serious. This could technically go under the pregnancy headline, but it's such a significant part of my day, I've given it its own section! I'm also nursing my 9-month-old, so it takes a lot of food to keep me going!
   
8. I REALLY LIKE TO HANG OUT WITH MY TYLER
   I try not to "work" when he's home. Cuz he's my bestest friend.
   
9. I SOMETIMES CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING TO SAY
   I know, this one's a real shocker for anyone who knows me well. If this were a socio-economic-political ranting blog, I can safely say there'd always be something for me to say. But it's not. And sometimes I just have writer's blog writer's block.
   
10. I READ TOO MUCH
    I have read so many Kindle books lately. At a disgustingly fast pace. It's just something I do when my brain feels like a limp noodle and the rest of my body feels the same. I guess I could be blogging. Of course, there's no guarantee anything I said would make much sense...
    

Interviews, Excerpts, Giveaways--Oh, My! (In Other Words, It's a Blog Tour!)

I am SO excited! My new book, "The Case of the Tabloid Tattler" is officially releasing exactly one week from today!

Each day this week one of my fabulous blogging friends will be hosting a little something on their blog to help celebrate this book. Here's how it's shaping up...

Tuesday, June 10 - Right here, introducing the book, the blog tour, and the giveaways

Wednesday, June 11 - http://faithblum.wordpress.com, bringing you a character interview with Keith, the detective

Thursday, June 12 - http://jonathangarner.blogspot.com, hosting a guest post by Yours Truly in which I talk about inspiration and writing a story from a cat's perspective

Friday, June 13 - http://tiallarising.wordpress.com, interviewing me about being homeschooled, self-publishing, and my least favorite chore

Saturday, June 14 - http://www.holyworlds.org/blog, hosting an excerpt--the entirety of Chapter One

Sunday, June 15 - http://mydoubleliving.blogspot.com, sharing blogger Sarah Coons' review of the book

Monday, June 16 - http://ekaiserwritesablog.blogspot.com, interviewing me about my writing process, AND http://noblenovels.weebly.com, bringing you a character interview with Mia, the cat

Tuesday, June 17 - http://destinyofone.blogspot.com, announcing the book's release, the giveaway winners, and sharing one more excerpt and blogger Sarah Holman's video review

And I'm super excited about the giveaways! (I've, personally never seen one quite like this before.)

I'll be drawing two winners.
The first will receive a signed paperback copy of "The Case of the Tabloid Tattler" and they will get to help me choose the name of the dog in "The Kitten Files" #2.
The second will receive a free a free e-book version of "The Case of the Tabloid Tattler"

There are a bunch of ways to enter (including entries for those not on social media). Here's the cool part: you can get more entries each day, so make sure to follow the tour around all the blogs to give yourself the best chance at winning!

The giveaway starts right now and ends at midnight, June 16th. The winners will be announced the next day. It's open to U.S. residents only. (Sorry to my U.K. friends--love ya to pieces!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hope to see you around!

P.S.- don't forget my first three books are on sale for $0.99 on Kindle right now!

A New Perry Book Is on the Way!

 

I'm thrilled to announce my next book, The Case of the Tabloid Tattler, will be releasing on Amazon in both paperback and Kindle formats Tuesday, June 17th!

"It was really hard to put the book down. I wanted to figure out who was leaking the information to the tabloid. I can't wait for more to come out." 

—Ethan, age 11

 

Although this book is primarily written for Middle Grade readers, it has been enjoyed by a wide range of ages: from 5 to 50.

“A brilliant tale that can be enjoyed by young and old alike.”

—Sarah Holman

Author, Blogger at Homeschool Authors

Now, I'm going to need a little help to properly celebrate. If you are a blogger and would be interested in hosting a guest post, interviewing me, or writing a book review--let me know! (There are lots of ways to contact me: leave a comment, email me, or use my social media links in the sidebar.)

More fun, celebratory stuff coming next week:

• An opportunity to get a free e-book version early
• A special request from Mia (the cat)

P.S.- if you'll be at the OCEANetwork conference, drop by the Homeschooled Authors table to see The Case of the Tabloid Tattler in person and get a signed copy!

A Monday Musing 5.26.14

A stream-of-consciousness production in which I muse on my upcoming Homeschooled Authors book table, teething babies, a new book release, and what I have going on this week for housework.



Will I get to see you at the homeschool convention? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Book Cover for Sale - Music City

I totally prefer doing custom book covers so I can craft them to specifically fit your story, but I thought I would throw a pre-made out there for fun. Who knows? It might fit someone’s WIP… or even inspire one!

$30 for an e-book (customized title, tag line, author name)

$40 for a paperback (customized title, tag line, author name, back cover, and spine; can also be used for your e-book version) 

If this looks like the book cover for you, leave me a comment and be sure to include your email address (I won't publish it)! I’ll mark this as sold when it’s no longer available.

"The Heavens Declare" New Cover Reveal!

Now that I've been married for almost 2 years, I've finally gotten around to the process of changing the last name on my first two books. While I'm at it, I figured I'd also give them a facelift since my cover designs have improved a lot since the early days. Same content; new and improved look!

"The Heavens Declare" is the first to be completed...

13-year-old Brian and his family have a wonderful vacation planned. They've rented a cabin in the woods, and Dad is bringing his telescope along. It's shaping up to be a delightful time of playing in the woods, learning about the planets, and even meeting new friends. But all along the way, unexpected delays—and thunderstorms!—shake things up. Can Brian and his siblings trust that God's plan is the best plan?

Right now, you can get 10% off the list price at Amazon.com with free shipping on orders over $35!

Coming next... a new look for "Light of the World" and then ebooks all around. Stay tuned!

Video: How to Self-Publish Your Kids in 10 Easy Steps Webinar

The video recording of Tuesday's webinar is available on YouTube. I must apologize for my cold and the rather unpolished coughing that ensues eventually. Webinars and colds do not mix well. I do hope the information is useful, however!

Watch the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tA0PIfZHRc&feature=share&t=2m31s

As I mention toward the end of the video, I will be hosting an informal Q&A for young writers Tuesday, November 12. Ask questions about anything writing, grammar, style, self-publishing, resources, etc. I will do my best to help out and at least get you started in the right direction!

To get your question in the queue, leave a comment here or contact me via Twitter, Facebook, G+, or email. (Links to the right.)

Free Webinar: How to Self-Publish Your Kids in 10 Easy Steps

TOMORROW: Tuesday, October 29, 2013

4:30-5:00pm PDT

Join me for my very first webinar!

I have always thought it would be awesome to gather up writings by me and each of my younger siblings and compile them into a family anthology. This would make a terrific Christmas gift for all those grandparents, aunts, and uncles who love to see what we've been up to.

Having been down the self-publishing road multiple times, I want to share just how fun and easy it can be to put together your own family anthology... just in time for Christmas, too!

That's why I've put together this short webinar with an opportunity for Q&A. Join me tomorrow at 4:30. Find us by visiting the "How to Self-Publish Your Kids Webinar" page.

Even if you are unable to join us tomorrow, you can still enjoy the webinar since it will be recorded and uploaded to my YouTube channel. Follow by email (see box near the top right of this site) to be notified when the YouTube video is available.

Humongous Book Design Sale

If you haven't seen it already, I design custom book covers and provide artistic internal book layout services. I love doing this, and have decided to share the love by putting both services on sale. How does $15 sound for a custom cover? Or how about $15 for a clean, eye-catching internal layout?

And of course, if you have me do both, you can be sure that the style of the cover will be carried over when your readers open to the first page! Continuity, here we come!

Not publishing right now? There are some handy button just below to help you share this post with someone who is!

FYI- This sale runs until June 30 (at 11:59pm PST, to be exact).

Micro, Short, Novellette -- How Long is My Story?

A good question! I don't know if there is an official, precise, "right" answer, (I don't even know who would be the authority on such things!) but here are some ideas from Yahoo! Answers to get you started...

Micro fiction--under one hundred words

Flash Fiction--100 to 1,000 words

Short short--1,000 to 2,000 words 

Short story-- 2,000 to 7,500 words
Novelette--7,500 to 15,000 words (Up to 17,500 words at some publications.)

And by request of Hannah Elise...
Novella--17,500 to 40,000 words
Novel-- over 40,000 words
(link)

What are your definitions for story-length? What story-length is your favorite to write? To read?

Three Update-ish Things

When my Tyler and I were looking through the submissions for a free book cover, we narrowed it down to two, but couldn't narrow it further. So, since one was to be published in paperback, and the other was to be an e-book, I decided to do both!

First, the paperback is "The Princess and the Sage," a fun and quirky nonsense story by Anneliese Blakeney. At this point, I am working on prototype design while she finalises the book's insides. We have one design that has already gotten a pretty good thumbs up, but I'm still exploring other options. No thumbnail to share yet, but stay tuned!

Second, the e-book is "A Purple and Gold Afghan and Other Stories," a delightful collection of three short stories by Jordan Smith. (HWers may be familiar with these stories as the "Bellwether Short Story Anthology.") The cover design for this is complete and publication is forthcoming.

And third, if you haven't noticed, I added a page called "Book Design." I'm offering custom cover design and artistic internal layout, and that's where you can read all about it.

If you or someone you know has a book in the works, make sure to stay tuned. Sometime in the near future, I'll be giving someone a free artistic internal layout, Lord willing.

Can I Design Your Book's Cover?

Edit: This offer is over now, but look for a similar post in the future. I'll be giving someone a free artistic internal layout. Are you or someone you know looking for inexpensive custom book cover design and/or artistic internal layout? Feel free to {contact me}!

I would really like to give somebody a free book cover.

To put it a different way, I'd like someone to consent to be my "guinea pig" and help me gain a portfolio so I can offer free-lance book cover design and interior layout. (See examples of my latest work in the sidebar slideshow!)

So, if you've been writing a book and will be self-publishing soon, won't you consider submitting your project below? At the end of two weeks (January 22nd), I'll pick one submission and get with the author about their custom book cover designed without charge by Yours Truly.

Can't wait to see what y'all throw at me!

"Pearl's Practice" Proceeding

Yes! There is actually another book on the way.
But this one is a special book and it will be released in a special way. "Pearl's Practice" is a long-overdue birthday gift for one of my little sisters. I ended up having to give her an I.O.U. for her birthday, and then life got crazy for me. Finally, the book is nearing publication.
Because it is her book, my sister will get the very first copy. Then, since it is a birthday gift (albeit belated) we'll share the celebratory spirit and offer it as a free e-book for the following week!

From the Projects page:

"As Pearl waits impatiently for her new brother or sister, she learns and practices skills that will help her be a good mother someday. Coming soon! (ETA: April 2012)"

 

Stay tuned for further info and announcements about this gentle adventure for ages 5 to 8.