Slaying the Debt Dragon by Cherie Lowe #slaydebt #bookreview

Money is one of those things that we all must deal with yet we rarely are comfortable discussing. Being in debt and struggling gets hidden away and isolates friends and family from one another. Cherie Lowe, also known as the Queen of Free, has been changing all that by discussing her family's journey of paying off over $127,000 in debt. Through her blog and her speaking engagements Cherie lets people know that they are not alone in this journey and that getting out of debt is possible.

Now you can read this story in Cherie's new book Slaying the Debt Dragon. She writes with such openness and honesty that one cannot help but be inspired by her family's story of paying off their debt. Cherie is down to earth and real about sharing their struggles along with their successes and her encouragement is genuine.

I've heard Cherie speak and reading this book is exactly like listening to her talk or sitting down and having a conversation with her. She doesn't sugar coat the reality of the challenges involved with changing a lifestyle to pay off debt but she makes you feel like you CAN do this.

Cherie offers many practical tips that her family used when they were on their debt slaying journey and illustrates them with examples of how they put them into practice. There are also other familie s highlighted throughout the book who also paid off large amounts of debt.

This is not a dry personal finance book but instead one of inspiration and reality. Cherie and her husband, Brian, have a strong marriage and a strong foundation in faith but both of these were tested throughout their debt slaying journey. There were bumps in the road, major setbacks, and times of doubt and darkness but the Lowe family stuck with their debt slaying plan and came out the other side victorious.

As Cherie says, "Paying off debt isn’t complex, it’s just not easy."

While the start of the new year seems to be the perfect time to tackle budgets and debt, there really is no perfect time to start. Read, gather your financial information, create a plan, and then start chipping away at your debt a dollar at a time. Find great (free!) resources to help guide your journey on  the website for Slaying the Debt Dragon.

About Cherie Lowe:

Since 2008, Cherie Lowe has been confidently wearing a plastic crown and encouraging others to dream big dreams. Together with her husband, Brian, Cherie paid off $127,482.30 in a little under four years. She scribed the ups and downs of their "debt slaying journey" on her popular website, www.QueenOfFree.net. A graduate of Asbury University, Cherie strongly believes that something can come from nothing and that there is always a way for her readers to simplify their lives and their budgets. More than anything, through speaking and written word, Cherie longs for others to know that there is hope for getting their finances under control. Her family's story has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Finance, Redbook magazine, AOL Daily Finance, and more. Cherie and Brian reside in Greenwood, Indiana, along with their daughters, Anna and Zoe.

Join the court of the Queen of Free on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest to find practical money-saving tips and daily inspiration to slay the debt dragon. Share your debt slaying journey by using the hashtag #slaydebt.

October Reading Wrap Up 2014

Yes, I am late in writing up my reading for October. I'm going to blame hosting a birthday party, Halloween, and the end of Daylight Savings Time for the delay. I got four books read last month, including the second huge Outlander book.

Leading With Intention: Every Moment is a Choice by Mindy Hall, PhD: I received a copy of this book from the Library Thing Early Reviewers Program in exchange for a review on the site. Being intentional is one of the things that I am trying to focus on this year as a foundation for living a more intentional life. I want to be more aware of myself in each moment and truly understand how my choices and actions are impacting those around me. Although this book is based on being an intentional leader in a business setting, I still found that many of the questions and techniques presented by Mindy Hall, PhD apply just as well to my life as a stay at home mom. I was not able to directly connect to the majority of the examples given because of their corporate nature, however I still came away with information of value and I look forward to exploring some of the additional online resources that are available at leadingwithintentionbook.com

Landline by Rainbow Rowell: Landline is the first book I have read by Rainbow Rowell but from reading reviews of this book and her others I can tell that it will not be the last.
After reading a few heavy books, lengthy and emotional, Landline was a fast, light read even though it addressed a marriage in trouble. Georgie McCool writes comedy with her best friend, Seth, for a television sitcom. Her husband, Neal, is the stay-at-home dad to their two girls and is fundamentally unhappy. When Neal and the girls go visit his family without her at Christmas time, Georgie wonders if he has left for good this time. While taking refuge at her mother's house, Georgie drags out an old, yellow phone to call Neal and ends up connecting with the Neal that left her fifteen years before. She wonders if this is her chance to set things right or change something fundamental in their history.
The entire book felt like it was written in short scenes, as if it were a television show. Often the dialog and the characters felt like we were only getting to know them on the surface. At the end of the book I was left wondering what happened next? How did things actually work out with Georgie's job and her marriage? Could she really hold on to both? Landline was enjoyable while it lasted but it never felt like much insight was gained or that the main issues the characters were facing were actually resolved.

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon: I enjoyed Dragonfly in Amber, possibly even more than Outlander, but the book was too bloody long. Although I loved learning more about the characters and getting to know new ones, I felt like it took me forever to get through this book. By the time I reached the end I had already forgotten parts from the beginning. I love the way Gabaldon is moving from one timeline to another to give the reader an entire picture of events.
I will continue with the series but I'm going to take a break and read some shorter books for a bit until I feel like I can tackle another one of this length.

Anabel Divided by Amanda Romine Lynch: I already wrote up my full review of Anabel Divided so I'll give the short version here: This is a great sequel to Anabel Unraveled. If you haven't read these books start at the beginning and join me in waiting for the third Anabel book to come out. Lynch writes fantastically flawed characters and emotionally charged situations.

Currently reading Voyager (Outlander #3) by Diana Gabaldon

Amazon Affiliate Links are used within this post. If you purchase something (anything!) after clicking one of these links I will earn a small percentage of the sale. It costs you nothing extra but it helps me maintain the blog.

Related articles

• Anabel Divided by Amanda Romine Lynch
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Summer Reading Wrap Up 2014

Summer has rushed by this year. The oldest finished preschool in May and starts kindergarten on Monday. We were able to spend two weeks visiting family and relaxing. We also visited some new places around town. All that travel and having both girls home all day, everyday, meant a bit less time for reading but I still managed to read eight books in June and July.

The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness - The final book in the All Souls Trilogy wrapped up the story of Diana, a witch, and Matthew, a vampire, very nicely. I thought the story got a bit off track in the second book but Harkness was able to weave connections from that book into this one to create a meaningful context. This trilogy has wonderful characters, great detail in settings and time periods, and social and political conflict wrapped in the realms of science and magic. If you haven't read the first two books in the trilogy yet start with A Discovery of Witches and just keep reading!

The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero (advance copy received from Amazon Vine) - This was a unique story told in a variety of formats from letters and journal entries to audio and video transcripts. The format makes it easy to read the book in small sections. The mystery is suitably creepy and interesting and the end came with a twist I certainly did not see coming.

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah - This is a book that has been sitting on my bookshelf for a long time but I never seemed to be in the mood to read it. As is often the case, I'm happy that I finally picked it up because it was a wonderful story of friendship over the years. Tully and Kate weather many different storms together but can they survive Tully's rise to stardom? Once I started Firefly Lane I didn't want to put it down. I didn't realize that there was more to the story but now I've discovered Fly Away and I want to read that too.

Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman - I have no interest in watching the series of the same name on Netflix but I read an article referencing the book and decided to get it from the library. I enjoyed the story in part because Kerman keeps events in chronological order without the time skipping often found in memoirs to relate previous events to present circumstances. Kerman was fairly matter of fact about her whole ordeal, however the book lacked depth for me.

Skin Game by Jim Butcher - The fifteenth book in the Dresden Files finds Harry in over his head as Mab uses him in his role of her Winter Knight. As usual, Harry is only told the bare minimum and has to dig deeply under the surface to understand all the political maneuverings happening around him. In this book Harry also comes face to face with many personal problems that impact his ability to carry out his orders. Harry is one of my favorite fictional characters and I'm always waiting for the next book in the series because Butcher delivers consistently entertaining stories.

Only Begotten Daughter by James Morrow - This interesting book tells the story of Julie Katz who has an unusual conception and is thought to be the Daughter of God by her father. Julie struggles with temptations from the Devil, performs the occasional long-distance miracle, and faces persecution from those awaiting the events of Revelation. The horror of mankind's ability to condemn one another is examined along with other issues of faith.

Tales of the Hidden World by Simon R. Green (advance copy from Amazon Vine, available now) - I actually had my husband read this book first because the only Simon R. Green books I've read are the Secret Histories novels and I was unsure if the short stories in this book would tie into any of his other novels. The good news is that this book can be read completely as a stand alone collection of stories. While the first story does connect to the Secret Histories novels it is not necessary to have read them to understand the story. Many of these stories are actually older works that were published early in Green's career. This does show in that the stories seem underdeveloped compared to his current writings. Some of the characters and settings are intriguing but the stories contained in this book are simply not long enough to capitalize on this potential.

I also read Visions (A Cainsville Novel) by Kelley Armstrong (early finished copy received from publicist) and will be writing another post with that review.

Amazon Affiliate Links are used within this post. That means when you click through and purchase something (anything!) from Amazon I earn a *small* percentage of the sale. It never costs you any extra but it helps me keep this site running.

Related articles

• Review: The Book of Life by @DebHarkness
• A Conversation with Deborah Harkness
• Reading Round Up May 2014
• Skin Game by Jim Butcher

Reading Round Up May 2014

Although I didn't read as many books in May as I have in the previous months, the books that I read were fantastic! I need to start reviewing them as I read again but I've been in reading mode much more than writing mode lately. Here is what I read in May:

50 Shades of Frayed: Three Moms Talk About What Happens When "I Do" Becomes "Not Tonight" by Margaret Barney, Crystal Paschal, and Jacqueline Wilson. I'm happy to count Crystal and Jackie among my friends so when I heard they had written a book together with Margaret Barney I knew I had to read it. These three women talk candidly about sex and how married couples with children navigate the inevitable interruptions. The book is full of humorous stories that almost every woman can relate to. Highly recommended!

The Orchard of Hope by Amy Neftzger (advance copy received from LibraryThing, available June 23, 2014) This is the sequel to The Orphanage of Miracles which I read and loved in January. This continues the stories of Kelsey and Nicholas as they undertake separate tasks for the king. Although this is another middle grade novel, it contains much wisdom within the fantasy. I'm unsure if this is going to be a trilogy or a longer series but I know I don't want to miss out on any of the books.

I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Guilia Melucci. Memoirs are tricky for me. I often get lost in the wandering narrative that flows through time. This was not the case with this memoir though. Melucci kept things on track as she wrote about her variety of relationships gone wrong. It was an interesting read and I love that recipes are sprinkled throughout the book as she relates food to different events.

A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness, the first two books in the All Souls Trilogy. I've had these books sitting on my shelf for quite a while but I didn't want to start reading until the third book, The Book of Life, was going to be released. I had a feeling that I would want to read the series straight through and I was right. I'm loving the details in this story of witch, Diana, and vampire, Matthew, as they break social conventions in the present and past. The scientific aspect of the supernatural story fascinates me and I am drawn to the story of an alchemy text with missing pages that may hold secrets unforeseen. I can hardly wait to finish the story in mid-July.

I'm currently reading The Supernatural Enhancements by Edgar Cantero (advance copy received from Amazon Vine, available August 12, 2014) This is the story of a haunted house told in an unusual fashion. There are letters, journal entries, a dream diary, and transcripts of audio and video recordings. I like the format because it allows me to read it in small sections, a nice feature when I could be interrupted by children at any moment. The novel has captured my attention although parts of it are strange enough that I will reserve my overall judgement until I see how all the pieces come together.

What did you read in May? What is on your list going into June?

Amazon Affiliate links are used within this post. That means if you shop on Amazon after clicking through a link you will help support Library Girl Reads & Reviews.

Related articles

• The Orphanage of Miracles by Amy Neftzger
• 'I Loved, I Lost, I made Spaghetti' aims for audience's heart, stomach
• As Good as the 1st: Shadow of Night

12x12 Guide to Social Media by Kai Viola + Giveaway

One of the few things that people talk about, when talking about brand and social media is that it's a minefield.  People talk about everything from being completely overwhelmed, to not knowing what to do with their profiles.  And so, I wrote 12 tutorials (and a couple of bonus exercises to help people. Each tutorial contains an introduction, the 'basics', the exercise, and then a bit about what your 'solution' should be.  They're not designed to be the be all and end all of each network, but they are designed to support you if you're struggling, or aren't sure that you've covered everything. I've keep the price low so that you can enjoy the book without feeling like you've had to pay a fortune for just a couple of tips too - though I could have priced it higher, I feel $0.99 is the right price for this. Launching on the 28th February, until it's available, you can pre-order from my blog page at Warpaint Marketing.

   

12x12 - Your social media Primer Looking for support for Facebook, Twitter, Triberr?  How about G+? This book covers everything that you need to know about the very basics of each network.  Exercises to give you a chance to try your learning out, hands on. Each of the tutorials is designed to be as easy as possible to access. Originally started a set of articles for a website, the tutorials have evolved into a go to guide to the simple, quick way to build an usable, safe profile online.

Kai is a veteran online marketer. She started in internet marketing, writing content for others, along with copywritten sales pages, then moved on to the indie writer's community when KDP hit. She's been self-publishing since 2004 (mostly poetry), and has spent the last three years or so in the community, helping others with social media, writing tutorials and articles all over. When not writing non-fiction, Kai's planning novels, travelling for work and having a bit of an adventure in her life. She's the mother of two parents, owner and parent of two kittens, an artist and a dreamer .

As the book is about social media, you might want to follow Kai to find out some extra tips.  Below are the various places you can follow her - remember too that these count as entries in the giveaway!

Book Blog | Personal Blog |Facebook | Book Facebook |Twitter | G+ | Goodreads | Pinterest | Triberr | Klout 

Buy the Book

Win all of the books from the range, take part in beta support and get freebies before anyone else or a $25 gift certificate.  Check out the Rafflecopter below.
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Kai is appearing on multiple blogs in the next few days - head on over to The Finishing Fairies for tour central, information and more!

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Related articles

• Meet the Author: D. Kai Wilson-Viola
• Kai Wilson discusses being an Indie Author

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode by Crystal Paine

Last year I was invited to be part of the launch team for Crystal Paine's new book Say Goodbye to Survival Mode: 9 Simple Steps to Stress Less, Sleep More, and Restore Your Passion For Life. As a part of the launch team I received an early copy of the book in electronic form, participated in a Facebook discussion group, and was given access other materials to help promote this book. All thoughts and opinions shared in this post are my own and I am so excited to share this book with you!

The invitation to participate in the Say Goodbye to Survival Mode launch team could not have come at a better time for me. I have been unsettled lately. My heart and spirit want to do more meaningful things while at the same time I feel overwhelmed with the things that I am not getting done these days. I haven't been accepting review requests for the blog because I was so far behind in my commitments that it wasn't fair to accept another book and have it sitting on the shelf for months. Even with all that something pulled me to apply for the launch team when I saw it on the Money Saving Mom website. I am so incredibly thankful that I did!

In Say Goodbye to Survival Mode Crystal Paine doesn't simply give women strategies for using time more wisely, setting goals and reaching them, clearing clutter, and improving finances. Sure all of that is in this book but Crystal shares her story and that is why her tips reached me more than any other personal management book that I have ever read. This is not a clinical assessment with statistics regarding productivity or stock options but instead honest, heartfelt advice from a woman who has lived through survival mode and dug her way out of it.

Although our experiences are different, I was able to relate to Crystal on a very personal level. I could feel the emotion in her stories because I have lived with those emotions also. Crystal opens her past wide open and lets the reader see her as her imperfect self. She also acknowledges often that these are the strategies that have worked for her and that not every strategy fits every person because we are all at different points in our lives. There are no "one size fits all" strategies but instead ones that can be adapted to work in your life.  

Crystal's book truly helped me see things in a different light. Now I approach activities with a different mindset, asking myself if this is a good use of my time and energy before I commit. I ask myself if something will move me closer to my goals and if it doesn't then I may choose to pass on that activity or purchase. It feels a lot different to not get the dishes done because I made the conscious choice to play a game with my girls rather than not getting them done because I spent an hour flitting around on social media sites. This year I am investing in myself and my family more than ever. My activities and financial goals need to reflect that commitment.

The idea of change can be overwhelming. One reason I have never allowed myself to have big goals is because the idea of trying and failing was terrifying. I was only seeing the huge picture rather than the little steps I could take along the way. Even something as simple as keeping up with the house felt like too much for a while. Say Goodbye to Survival Mode helped me see that I can put little pieces into place each day or each week and those little changes will add up to larger changes over time. Goals and changes don't have to be overwhelming if I take them one step at a time.

I feel that I am failing to convey how large of an impact this book is having on my thinking and my approach to life these days. The downfall of having an early copy was that I have been telling everyone I know about this book and I wanted them to be able to read it RIGHT NOW. I even pre-ordered a copy for my friend and we are going to work through the chapters together when her copy arrives (should be here tomorrow!). I can't wait to read the book a second time and have another great discussion as we work on putting ideas into practice together.

Buy Say Goodbye to Survival Mode by Crystal Paine

 on Amazon or at your local bookstore.

I highly recommend picking up a copy if you are ready to make some changes and get your life running more smoothly. Also be sure to check out the 7-Day Challenge and Book Launch Celebration activities at GoodbyeSurvivalModeBook.com.

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Inspiration to Pay Off Debt: 30 Days of Encouragement from the Queen of Free - Cherie Lowe

I first heard Cherie Lowe, the Queen of Free, speak two years ago at my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. Cherie gave some practical tips, introduced many of us to Pinterest, and gave me a lot to think about in terms of our financial situation. I'd read some of the Dave Ramsey books already but hearing the story of a family so similar to my own in a direct fashion made an impact. I would love to say that I came home and quickly got to work reducing our spending and knocking out our debt but sadly that was not the case. I think progress has been made and we are moving in the right direction but there is certainly more work to be done.

In her new book, Inspiration to Pay Off Debt: 30 Days of Encouragement from the Queen of Free, Cherie Lowe continues to share her family's story of paying off over $127,000 in debt. Written in sections to be read one a day for thirty days, Cherie doesn't talk about the nuts and bolts of how the debt was paid but instead offers some of the lessons that she has learned throughout the process. This really is what Cherie would say to you if she could sit down with you at your house. It is personal and heartfelt while tackling the tough realities of an emotionally charged topic.

The only real formula for paying off debt is to spend less each month than you earn. It sounds so simple but can be so difficult to put into practice because it means saying "no" to what we have gotten used to having or to what society has taught us we should have. Cherie understands how difficult it is to look at each potential purchase and classify it as a true need or want. She encourages strength through her own stories but also through Bible verses. In talking so openly about her family's journey to pay off their debt while they were in the process and now that they have achieved financial freedom, Cherie Lowe provides an abundance of inspiration and encouragement to those wanting to get out of debt no matter where they are in the journey.

Buy Inspiration to Pay Off Debt: 30 Days of Encouragement from the Queen of Free on Amazon

I received a copy of this eBook from the author for review purposes. Amazon affiliate links are used within this post.

Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion.

Related articles

• Available on Kindle: Inspiration to Pay Off Debt from the Queen of Free

Cover Reveal: Under the Bed Across the World by Rose Candis

Here is the first look at the cover for Under the bed Across the World by Rose Candis. Expected publication date is September 2013.

Book Description:

Under the Bed Across the World, Rose’s poignant account of her journey from incest and addiction into recovery, is both tragic and humorous. Her account of how her sexually abusive Jewish father divided her loyalty between him, her mother, and herself provides a microcosm for how sexual abuse and addiction destroy the human family. By confronting her past, Rose sheds her loyalty to her abusive relatives and creates her own unique family unit through international adoption. The memoir raises the question: Can contentment be found after departure from the quagmire of toxicity?

About the Author:

Rose Candis, born August 8, 1966, grew up in Bowling Green, Kentucky. At age twenty-three, she began her personal recovery from addiction and childhood incest. Inspired by her own journey, she entered graduate school to become a psychotherapist. Currently in private practice, Rose feels honored to have been able to help individuals and families recover from eating disorders and trauma since 2002.

Rose’s articles about healthy eating were published monthly in a local woman’s magazine. She has appeared on several local radio shows as an expert on eating disorders. Her first book Under the Bed Across the World, a memoir, takes the reader on a journey from the author’s abuse, into recovery, where she emerges as a adoptive mother of Erica, an orphan from China. Her quest to help her daughter clear up unanswered questions about her past leads her on a journey back to China, the focus of her upcoming book The Black Pearl. 

In a search for Erica’s birth parents, Rose’s research trip to China with Lan Stuy, yields the discovery that her daughter had been bought and sold as an infant, commonly known as trafficked, in the relinquishment process. Rose’s shock that the information she had been given years ago about her daughter’s history were fabricated led this mother to take on a role as truth teller and advocate for transparent adoptions.

Upon her return, July 2011, Rose was interviewed by NBC News. Her story about her trip and its aftermath was published in The New York Times, September 2011, The Atlantic 2011, and The Pulitzer Center for Crisis Reporting, October 2011. Rose met in Washington DC, May 2012, with The Executive Congressional Commission on China to discuss her findings of trafficking in the Chinese adoption process. Her effort to urge the Commission to expose the information to help children who sought credible information about their origin resulted in a second meeting with the Commission, October 2012. Rose lobbied on Capitol Hill, May 2012 meeting with fifteen Congressional Offices in an attempt to amend the Trafficking Victims Protection Act to include the buying and selling of children for purposes of international Adoption in the definition of child trafficking.

Rose enjoys every moment playing with her daughter and watching her do gymnastics. She travels the path of intimacy and blending families with Patrick, her partner of six years. Walking, yoga, church, travel, biking, and meditation bring grounding to her full life. Rose’s love for her daughter, personal healing journey, clinical experience and spiritual guidance are the catalyst for her continued commitment to helping the universe heal one person at a time.

Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion.

Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour by Donna Huber

In Secrets of a Successful Blog Tour Donna Huber lays out exactly the steps authors should take to successfully engage with bloggers and promote their books. At about 60 pages the book is short enough to be read quickly but it packs a lot of information to reference again and again.

As a blogger, rather than an author, I found the book to be eye-opening as far as the preparations and work that go into creating a successful tour. I did not realize how far in advance planning needed to start and what steps needed to be taken before bloggers even start signing up to host an author.

Buy Secrets of a Successful Blog Tour on Amazon

Huber not only provides the information needed for organizing a tour (complete with tour checklist, instructions on creating tour graphics, and ideas for tour posts) but also gives insight into how to choose the right tour company to get the best tour package to meet your needs if an author chooses to go that route.

Secrets of a Successful Blog Tour is a book that can be used by authors, bloggers, and publicists as it offers secrets that can be used by everyone involved in the blog tour.

And now Donna Huber offers:

Top 10 Things Bloggers Can Do to Promote Books (that will also helps your blog)
1. Have a review policy and include contact information on your blog.
2. Write reviews - Try to include a couple of quotable snippets so that authors can easily use it on their social media, book covers, and descriptions.
3. Feature authors & books - host authors for guest posts, interviews, and book promos.
4. Be active on social media - sharing what you are reading on Twitter and Goodreads helps with word-of-mouth buzz.
5. Attend book signings and literary events in your town. No events locally? Talk with your library and book stores about helping to organize events.
6. Offer to write shelf-talkers based on your reviews for your local bookstore and library.
7. Sign up for tours and book blasts.
8. Participate in memes - linking up with other participants will increase the traffic to your blog and give extra exposure to book/author.
9. Create recommendation lists - grouping books together is a great way of getting readers that like one book on the list to read the other books on the list.
10. Take a break to read for fun! Don't lose your passion for books by getting burned out with blogging and reviewing.

About the Book:

Plan a successful blog tour while keeping your sanity.

From the publicist who introduced the world to Fifty Shades of Grey, Donna Huber is now revealing her secrets to successful blog tours. She shares tips and tricks learned through organizing over 30 tours, blasts, and promotional events for nearly 50 independently and traditionally published titles.

Secrets revealed in this quick read include:

Planning stage decisions
Different types of tours
Recruiting bloggers and keeping requests organized
Best practice communication tips
Tricks to making a great guest appearance
How to organize a fun (and legal) giveaway
Actions to take during the tour
Next steps once the tour is complete
Virtual tour and other promotional opportunities
When to hire a professional

In this easy to follow manual, Donna does not stop there. She spills even more of her blog tour secrets to help authors get the most out of their events by providing:

Tour checklist
Tour invite tips
Step-by-step guide to creating tour graphics
10 broad guest post topics
25 sample interview questions

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the blogger behind Girl Who Reads where, in addition to book reviews and author appearances, she writes the popular blogging advice series: Tips on Thursday. She has worked as a freelance publicist since 2010 assisting publishers and authors with their marketing and publicity needs. Most notably, she was the publicist for The WriterCoffee Shop Publishing House edition of Fifty Shades of Grey and Fifty Shades Darker by E. L. James.

When she is not doling out blogging advice or promoting the next bestseller, she can be found spending time with family (particularly the four legged, furry members), rewatching Downton Abbey and Harry Potter, or trying to make a dent in her never ending to-be-read pile.

Connect with Donna on Twitter and Facebook

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Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion.

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Deborah Carney: Photos of Buddha Beach

This is a sponsored post written on behalf of
Deborah Carney and The Indie Exchange.

Click picture for a puzzle game to reveal the cover.

Buddha Beach is an area on the banks of Oak Creek in Sedona Arizona. The area is considered to be near one of the vortex sites, near Cathedral Rock. Cathedral Rock is probably one of the most photographed places in the United States.

Buddha Beach got it's name because people that visit Oak Creek started building rock cairns that resemble little (or big!) Buddha statues. The Buddhas are created and then changed by others visiting the area, making it a living, ever-changing rock garden.

photo used with permission of Deborah Carney

There is a sense of peace that comes over you if you stop and absorb the energy at Buddha Beach, which is also referred to as Buddha Garden. Being on the shore of Oak Creek gives you the soothing sounds of the water as you walk and enjoy the Buddhas. At some points in the creek there are actually Buddhas in the water.

The water level rises and falls in the creek, so one day the cairns are all on the sand and another day they are under water. The location is not only a place for families to go and play, but it more often is a place where people go to meditate and absorb the energy. If you need to recharge your batteries, consider a visit to Buddha Beach on Oak Creek.

See more of Buddha Beach in the photo books by Deborah Carney. The first two volumes are currently available.

Deborah Carney has been a freelance photographer for over 35 years. As a prolific photographer with an eye for details her photos involve many of her favorite subjects such as butterflies, hummingbirds and macro images of flowers, wildlife and nature of all kinds. Her latest study involves the geology and natural formation of rocks and minerals in Sedona, AZ with the manmade stone Buddha’s paired with the sayings of Buddha himself.

With the onset of color ereaders, tablets and applications, Deborah was inspired to create a multitude of high quality photo books on a large variety of subjects.

Currently she and her partner Vinny O’hare are refuges from Hurricane Sandy living south of Phoenix, AZ where they frequently go on day long photo adventures and discover new and exciting things to photograph.

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Gallery * Pinterest * YouTube

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Note: All opinions presented in book and product reviews are my own. Opinions presented in posts authored by others reflect the view of the author only and not necessarily my view or opinion. If a product was given to me for review, the source of that product is noted in the post. Amazon and Book Depository links are affiliate links and I do earn a small amount for each purchase. Other affiliate links will be noted in the post.

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Writers Workshop of Science Fiction & Fantasy Excerpt

“Nothing fills a page faster than dialogue,” the writer said.

There it is, the blank page or screen, the intimidating and recurring challenge every writer must face. The temptation is to fill that page as quickly as possible, to advance the narrative however you can. Often the easiest way to do that, even for writers who are not masters of dialogue, is to get the characters talking. A few writers are even bold enough to begin novels or stories with a line of dialogue, something I don’t recommend unless you possess the skills of the early Robert A Heinlein, who began his story “Blowups Happen” with the suspenseful line: “Put down that wrench!” Orson Scott Card also opened his popular novel Ender’s Game with a piece of dialogue that immediately rouses the reader’s curiosity: “‘I’ve watched through his eyes, I’ve listened through his ears, and I tell you he’s the one.” Writing good and convincing dialogue is usually enough of a challenge without relying on it to hook a reader right at the beginning of one’s story. Writing dialogue, whatever the difficulties, is generally easier than, for example, crafting descriptive passages, offering insights into a character’s psychology, creating vigorous and absorbing action scenes, or presenting necessary exposition in a graceful way.

Writers who harbor dreams of scriptwriting may be especially prone to fill pages with dialogue, but others also succumb, partly because dialogue is a shortcut and a very useful one. Sometimes a few well-chosen words of conversation can accomplish as much in a story as pages of description and exposition. There are also a fair number of readers who are more absorbed by stretches of repartee than by beautifully and poetically rendered descriptions. (Writers meet these people all the time; they’re the ones who tell you they skip all the dull parts, often meaning those carefully wrought passages that cost you so much effort.) Better just to cut to the chase, or in this case, drop in on the conversation.

The strength of dialogue—namely that it can be a useful shortcut—is also its weakness. Writers who rely too much on dialogue risk leaving too much out. The writer may hear the characters clearly and easily envision the scene, but that doesn’t mean that the reader will. (In a review of a novel some years back, Joanna Russ wrote that passages in that book seemed to be largely about names drinking cups of coffee, noticing the designs of ashtrays, or riffing on the furnishings in a room, the characters were so indistinguishable.) The beginning writer is likely to produce dialogue in which the reader will find it hard to tell one character from another. The useful shortcut can produce a story that is sketchy, in which too much has been left out.

About the Book:

Writers Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy is a collection of essays and interviews by and with many of the movers-and-shakers in the industry. Each contributor covers the specific element of craft he or she excels in. Expect to find varying perspectives and viewpoints, which is why you many find differing opinions on any particular subject.

This is, after all, a collection of advice from professional storytellers. And no two writers have made it to the stage via the same journey-each has made his or her own path to success. And that’s one of the strengths of this book. The reader is afforded the luxury of discovering various approaches and then is allowed to choose what works best for him or her.

Featuring contributions from a sensational list of writers such as Neil Gaiman, Orson Scott Card, Kevin J. Anderson, Ursula K. Le Guin, Harry Turtledove, Joe Haldeman, and many other top names in genre fiction, Writers Workshop of Science Fiction & Fantasy is a highly valuable contribution to the speculative fiction community developed by Bram Stoker Award-winning editor Michael Knost.

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