There's No Social Media Like Speaking To Your Readers Face To Face

As a writer, my comfort zone, like most writers, is at home wrapped in the warm, soft blanket of creation. To create well-rounded, compelling characters, and pull them through the high stakes of their lives ... there is simply no place I'd rather be.

But every so often, a writer has to get out and meet their readers. Word of mouth is truly the best way to sell books, but guess who must get that ball rolling? The writer. Once an event is booked, once you arrive on the scene, how do you size up the audience? Is the speech you have prepared the right one?

Be proactive. If you want to get an audience on your side, first you need to choose the right length of time to talk. Sometimes, even when they give you an allotted time to speak, you know after arriving, to shorten it, skip the Q & A, or change the speech entirely.

How can you make that decision? There is no fast rule here. You must learn to analyze each audience. I remember hearing that one pastor offered this silent prayer every time he stepped into the pulpit: "Lord, fill my mouth with worthwhile stuff, and nudge me when I've said enough." Cute.

If you are the main event, if they came specifically to hear you speak, you possess much more latitude. But if you are the "scheduled speaker" at a business lunch, a monthly meeting, or a Mother's Day event, if the audience didn't come because of you, then do your homework and be prepared. Some folks in the audience, guaranteed, have never even heard of you. Unless you're a celebrity author, you've got to make that group fall in love you and want to take a piece of you home. Your book!

 

A program coordinator will typically suggest a specific length for your presentation, usually it's thirty minutes to an hour. Nod your head, appear appreciative, say thank you, then totally ignore whatever time frame they gave you.

 

Unless the entire program is focused on you and your books, meetings and conferences rarely stay on schedule. Technical glitches eat up time. Coffee breaks have a mysterious way of expanding. Attendees run late. Don't assume you will get all the time you've been promised.

 

 

Event planners have an agenda. They think in terms of "time slots." They need a speaker to fill their speaker slot on their schedule. Fine. But good speakers do more than fill time slots. As the invited speaker, your job is to entertain, enlighten, communicate and captivate your audience, all while selling your book(s) in the process. Tough process? You bet. But the good news, you can learn how to speak to your readers, be great at it, and have fun doing it!

 

Consider the place of the event. Is it inside or outside? Is it air-conditioned? Women and men? How many will attend and are the seats comfortable? It's hard to communicate with an audience when they are uncomfortable. If you talk too long, they will tune you out. If it's a lunch meeting, remember these folks need to get back to work. You want to give them enough time to buy your book!

 

What precedes your presentation? For example, if you're scheduled to talk right after lunch, understand that lunch often runs overtime and so you might get less time to deliver your talk. Also, folks get sleepy. Don't drag on and on. Give an interesting, quick, and to the point presentation. Talk in a friendly tone, don't fiddle with your hair, and smile! Some say, "be yourself" but as a speaker you may want to spend your time as someone else! What a great excuse to do that!

 

On occasion the program director may want you to speak while the audience is eating. Try to get them to change this. People want to visit with those at their table when eating, not have to listen to a speaker. I know, crazy, but it happens.

 

Often a cocktail hour or a reception follows and the audience will be itching to get on with it. Not a comfortable situation to be in. But you have deal with this. Don't just get through it, have fun with it. I've changed my speech several times, gearing it to the mood of the audience. If you don't think you're talented enough to do this, then I suggest you take a class in public speaking or join Toastmasters for a while, and learn how to manage your audience.

Always factor in a few minutes for starting late. I've sat in Rotary meetings that have run over, giving me a whole ten minutes to wow the room. I jump in with a quick reading, about a paragraph of my book, something funny, and talk about what will resonate with the audience. Enough to whet their appetite and buy the book. But never, ever look or sound irritated. Common sense, right? You'd be surprised.

 

 

When you arrive, are the women friendly? If it's a mixed group, will that bother you? Do they welcome you warmly? Most do, but every once in a while you walk into a freezer. Truly, that's when you make it a challenge. Your dog and pony show can surprise them all, have them rushing to your table to buy your book after your closing remarks. Even if you're a great speaker, be prepared for a non-responsive audience. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen.

 

Don't lecture. Find a coach to help you create compelling speeches about your work, research, and the book itself. Jodi Picoult is famous for her research prior to writing her novel. I've heard her speak on three separate occasions, and each time she spellbinds the audience with her story. I've also been in the audience of many other authors who put folks to sleep, or have no idea how to speak to a group. I've actually been quite embarrassed for them.

 

Allow time for someone to introduce you, and prepare that ahead of time. Make sure they have the correct bio in hand, or some interesting piece of news you would like the audience to know.

 

It's okay to use your notes, walk around, or stand behind a podium. Dress for the event. Don't overdress. And allow time for Questions and Answers. At most Book Clubs, the entire time is taken up in Q&A. It's very informal and I love this. It's easy, and the time goes fast.

But always, always allow time for selling your book.

 

Do your best. Once again, give the audience 100% and be prepared to shorten or change the speech upon your arrival. Never forget that the more you say, the less people remember. But take five minutes and read from your book. It doesn't have to be from the first page, but make sure it's a good part, and read in character if you can. I often turn into a Southern Fried Woman when I read. It's just a part of me, so it's easy. But find your niche. Know who you are as a writer and a speaker. It takes practice, hard work, and you must be fearless.

 

But more than anything, know your audience. If you can learn to read the faces in your audience, your success rate climbs. In being asked to speak, and in book sales. I've been professionally writing for over a decade now, and speaking for about six years, and I can tell you there is no social media out there like meeting your readers face to face.

 

Blessings to you and yours.

NOW WHO’S THE FOOL? TIME FOR WRITERS TO GET REAL – Tough love for today’s writer

Literary agents once ruled the world and the publishers were their Gods. Now, it’s not the case. They’re all in a panic.

 

Make no mistake, they, as well as writers chasing after that brass ring, prefer to think of self-published books as vanity publishing. Too bad, so sad. Whether they like it or not, that is no longer the truth. I heard someone say recently that it’s a classic example of The Emperor Has No Clothes.

 

Wake up, Mahogany Row. Sit up and take notice, Bestselling Wannabes. The old dream is just about gone. Unless you’re one of the few debut writers who break out every year, gone are the days of six-figure advances and publishers who care about a new writer’s career. Writers pursuing a traditional publishing contract with one of the Big 6 are like office workers playing the lottery every week. Not good odds.

 

And I’ll say something here that everybody thinks and nobody says. At least not out loud. If you are one of the chosen few of the Big 6, it doesn’t mean you write better than the thousands who self-publish. Not anymore. Not by a long shot. Break-out writers are no longer just those with traditional publishing contracts! Can I hear an amen?

 

 

Every year, fewer writers are sending query letters to a long list of literary agents, only to wait up to a year or more for a response, of any kind. Yes, no, maybe, kiss my butt … something. Writers no longer kowtow to literary agents and editors who snub, ignore, and reject quality work because their ace in the hole has come out with a fifth or fifteenth book in a series.

 

I’ve been writing professionally, full time, since 2003. I’m not a newbie. Not to this business. I studied creative writing at Kent State, graduated from the Breakout Novel Intensive with Donald Maass in 2005, and attended and/or taught at over 25 writing conferences from New York to Florida. I’ve traveled on my own dime since 2006, speaking and selling my books at bookstores, book clubs, women’s groups, churches, civic groups, country clubs, and out of the trunk of my car. Over 200 venues. I've done the PR parade from TV to radio to sitting for hours at bookstores and book fairs.

 

Prior to signing a traditional contract with an independent small publisher in December 2011, I chased the dream of a contract with a major publisher. It was October 2010 and I decided to snail mail and email query letters to approximately 106 literary agents. I wasn’t stupid about it. I researched those who represented my genre, studied every one of their websites, and sent a beautifully written query letter I had spent months preparing.

 

Sixty-one agents never acknowledged my existence. 61! The remaining asked for partials, fulls, or rejected me entirely. I made notes of who rejected me with their horrible form letters and rude remarks, those who were cold or took more than two years to contact me at all! We writers have been told over and over about the stacks of manuscripts, the overwhelming amount of work a literary agent faces every day, but there's no excuse for bad manners. None. (Funny how writers must follow formatting and etiquette rules, but those same rules don’t apply to agents and publishers).

I made notes of the agents who were kind, rejecting me nicely, and those who were not kind, making me feel like poop. If you’re a writer, I’d be happy to send you the full list. It's quite interesting.

 

Eventually, I signed a year contract with a New York agent, a good one. Sadly, nothing happened. He couldn’t sell the novel. The publisher's rejections simply blew me and my agent away. Oh yes, I kept all 20 rejections from every New York publishing house who responded. My agent sent me their emails. They were over the top with wonderful compliments, but the reasons for rejection were so unsound, so ridiculous … well, at the risk of sounding like a “typically rejected author,” I’ll stop.

I suppose there comes a time when every writer draws a line. Reaches their limit. Sadly, in the past the only option a writer had was to collect those years of rejection letters, or simply give up. And a lot of them did.

Somehow, it all made me feel so subhuman. After a while, we decided there had to be a better way. And guess what? There is!

 

Thankfully, self-publishing and self promotion has become a viable option. A respected one. But like the sheep and the goats, writers will continue to be separated between those who will pay for quality editing, professional book covers, and publicity, and those who won’t. Writers, you can’t publish a lot of crap, stories full of errors, because you’re in a hurry to make a million bucks. Otherwise, we will look like those old vanity writers who never honed or polished their writing skills in the first place. And lately it appears as though some writers are turning out mistake-filled prose covered up by great marketing efforts, tons of social media promotion, and a local following making them radio stars, Toastmaster speakers, and highly promotable authors of bad books.

 

Book buyer beware!

 

Some in this business have gone so far as to say that publishers and literary agents are a dying breed, they just haven’t laid down yet. They say we are in a new world groping our way forward, but that life is too short to make a deal with a dinosaur industry where retailers can return unsold books to publishers. Many believe that antiquated process has got to stop. Everything has to evolve, or die out and the publishing industry is no exception.

 

Plenty of hurdles remain for the writer, and not every writer will clear them. But finally, we have more than one respected publishing option. A way to get paid every month instead of once or twice a year. Don’t plan on getting rich, but thank God, we’re no longer in Egypt. We crossed the Red Sea, and made it through 40 years in the desert. There’s more to be done, but the ball is now in our court.

 

In the end, it becomes simple. Readers just want to read great books. They don't care how it happens. I feel the industry will survive but will look very different to how it did before Nooks and Kindles took over the earth. Prepare for a wild ride, writers. This adventure has just begun. Some of us will stop wasting time, burn our bridges, and never look back. No matter how much we love our old-fasioned hardbacks, it's time to adjust to the current reality. Like Goodreads and Amazon. They don't care if you've written one book or fifty. They simply push, publish, or sell books in all shapes and sizes. What a novel concept!

Rules For Bloggers. Really?

The road less traveled ...

I've been thinking about my blog, in terms of what the "experts" are saying about how to blog, what to blog, and all these rules suddenly popping up all over the Internet and in writing conferences across the country.

Hmmm. Here's a question you may have asked yourself. Am I an expert in anything other than my  personal journey? What do I have to contribute?

"A great deal," is my answer to that question.

After more than a decade of writing and publishing on a full-time basis, I've acquired a bit of knowledge. Often the road less traveled for me winded itself through communities of publicity and promotion where Michael and I blazed our own trails. Together, we cut through one swamp after another, climbed more than a few cold mountains, and cared less when they said "it can't be done." Or, "you shouldn't do it that way."

I've just come off a ten-day trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina where I spoke on three separate occasions. Driving to Franklin, NC, through a blizzard where dozens of cars slid into ditches and off the mountain, I said to Michael, "What are we doing this for?!"

"Because we're compelled to go," was Michael's answer to that question.

I've posted on Facebook about each event, but I can say a thread of brokenness followed me on this trip. I wept on more than one occasion, delivering my speeches. I could not help but think how broken I became before God could make something out of me. For me to deny my walk with God, to renounce my roots, the spiritual side of me--it would be like asking me to cut off my hands and hack out my heart. It's not possible. As much as my work is about the dark side of religion, I know there's a light in the midst of it. I know it as sure as I know the sun will rise in the east every morning.

My point is that my blog has always been, and will continue to be, one of inspiration. Occasionally, I inform and enlighten, but to inspire you--that is my mission. You see, without the struggle, the dark halls and the deep valleys, I would not have the inward fortitude to purse my dreams. Dreams so far out of reach that looking back now, it's nothing less than a miracle I lived through it. I've walked through the valley, and I've stood on the mountaintop, but in the valley I found my inspiration. Do you think, for one second, I will change my message to fit within today's rules for the modern blogger?

Something happened to me during those years, I became a different person. Stronger. Determined. My favorite quote, as you may know, is by Helen Keller. "Character cannot be developed in ease and quite. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved."

This is the lifeblood of what I believe. My hope today is that you never have to walk those roads. But if you do, know that your journey is for a reason. Each step forward will present a truth about yourself that may be terrible to bear but the mold will break, resulting in a better, a stronger you. A goal reacher.

Today, I enjoy many blogs. Some of us are called to entertain, teach, make others laugh, and inspire. How you do that is up to you but more than anything, you've got to write your heart. It does not matter if you have ten thousand followers, or only two ... so what. Be true to yourself. And let those who make our rules ... live by them. You don't have to.

Blessings to you and yours.

Thank You, Rebecca

Thank you, Rebecca, for this review ... and for your permission to post it here on my blog. I'm honored.

By Rebecca LeCompte, Co-Founder of Imperfect Wives

Televenge. To me, this word seems a mash-up of televangelist and revenge. I don’t know if that is what Pamela King Cable had in mind when she gave her novel this title, but I think it’s perfect!

I don’t want to give you the run-of-the-mill book review here…you can search those out on Amazon and other places on the Internet if you’d like. Instead, I’d rather tell you about my experience with this unique novel and its amazing author.

(Just to give you a bit of background on me as a reader, as a girl, I read under the covers with a flashlight late at night, in the bathtub, when I should have been doing homework. As an adult, I read a lot of Christian “inspirational” books and a little bit of Christian fiction, but I try not to start anything that looks too good when I’ve got important work to do because I can be a bit obsessive about finishing a great book.)

Pamela first came to my attention about eight months ago when she joined us on The Imperfect Wives Club on Facebook.Each time she posted or commented, I felt drawn to her. I soon discovered that she is an author and that her first novel, Televenge, was to be released in October 2012.

I felt the Lord prompting me to purchase the book and read it, so I bought it within two weeks of its initial release. From the excellent reviews, I was really excited to read it.

Televenge is a perfect blend of mystery, suspense, romance, Christian fiction, chick-lit, and theology study. In the manner of C.S. Lewis, Pamela uses a page-turning story to communicate vital spiritual truths to her readers.

I devoured this book in three days and came away impacted. Pamela drew me into the story, made me love (or despise) the characters and really care about what happened to them. I was rooting for Andie and wanted to see justice for those who were misrepresenting the name of Jesus. The plot twists and turns caught me off-guard.

I was so impressed by this book that I reached out to Pam to tell her. Since then, Pam and I have spoken on the phone several times and I’m pleased to call her my friend.

For us imperfect wives, Pam covers multiple themes in marriage: immaturity, alcohol abuse, pornography, mental health issues, spousal abuse, and the pain of the reality of marriage that isn’t truly Christ-centered.

Pam’s writing captures the pain of sin. And yet…she doesn’t leave her readers feeling discouraged or hopeless.

Pam contrasts sin in the church with congregations that are honestly and authentically serving Christ. In fact, the entire book is a series of contrasts between good and evil, dark and light. As her characters face almost impossible situations, they see God’s faithfulness even when it takes longer than they (or the reader) might like. But isn’t that what happens in real life? Imperfect people make less-than-ideal choices and God is faithful anyway.

In the end, I walked away reminded of the importance of knowing God personally and intimately and the principle that it isn’t enough to rely on someone else to teach you—you must know God’s Word for yourself and have the courage to stand up for what is right.

Pam is going to be our guest on Imperfect Wives Radio tomorrow, Tuesday, February 19 at 10 am EST/7 am PST. You can join us live or archived at  Imperfect Wives Radio, A Compassionate Heart: Interview with Pamela King Cable. Join us as we talk about her novel and so much more, including the importance of having a compassionate heart!
 

One Hell Of A Review From One Hell Of A Blogger

These are my favorite excerpts from Sara's Organized Chaos, a blog, dated January 22, 2013. You can read the entire blog and follow this up-front and in-your-face blogger at http://strandupdate.blogspot.com/ .

She's sassy, a strong woman of character who doesn't hold much back. I guess that's why I like her. She uses words that will offend some, but gosh darn it ... she speaks her mind without reservation. Whether or not you agree with her, she gets her points across.

You may have to cover your virgin ears, but ... hey ... like I said ... I like her. I like her a lot. I've actually liked each and every blogger on this blog tour. Supportive, each blogger has given great reviews, for which I'm grateful. Generous with their words, the blogger's reviews on Televenge are gifts to treasure. This one especially.

Obviously.

She gave me one hell of good one. So good, I had to quote some of it on my own blog.

Enjoy!

I'll be honest with you. When I first opened my package and saw how huge this book was, I know I said out loud, "Jesus Christ, I need to start looking to see how many pages there are going to be. Shit." It's 584 pages. I know, you're hyperventilating, aren't you? Well I'm going to tell you that every piece of this book is needed. You know I hate fluff and I'm the first one to tell an author to stop putting so much useless shit in your book just to make it a normal sized novel, you're wasting my time. But not the case in this book. I really thought it would be and I kept looking for it, but in hindsight, you need everything. Everything plays a piece in the end, ultimately.

I don't know where to even start. Seriously. I'm sitting here wondering how to review this but I'll tell you that when I finished it? I had to not read for a few days. I had to emotionally get my shit together because it takes a lot out of you ...

The most fascinating thing about this book is the religion aspect. Anyone who knows me knows I don't subscribe to church. I have never thought that a pastor or a preacher has any right interpreting a piece of religious writing that may or may not be true. The fact is, nobody really knows and the people who don't acknowledge that, scare the shit out of me ...

Every time you think you've figured it out, you didn't. You're so wrong it's shameful. And as the book winds down you think surely there can't be any more surprises ...

And when the entire ball of yarn unwinds and you see everything as a timeline? Man. I'd have to think any other person would give up hope all together but Andie doesn't. Andie is the epitome of a strong woman ... I still can't get over how so many people failed her. People who really loved her knew something wasn't right and they either hid hurtful secrets or turned a blind eye and said Jesus said this is how it should be. And to know that there are so many people in the world that really believe Jesus thinks this kind of behavior is OK is insane. And terrifying.

For this being such a huge book, every loose end was finished. Well, there is one with Suri (yes, you read that right) that I wish we knew more about. I won't even tell you who Suri is because it would ruin a huge plot point in the book for you. But everything else? Tied up, perfectly. Well, as perfectly as all of these troubled characters could be ...

I can't tell you how much I want you to read this book. I want you to read it right now ... You'll enjoy it, love it, be horrified and hopeful all at once. I am even going to say it's probably one of the best books I have ever read. Truly. I can think of just a few books in my lifetime that I've read that have pulled at me and this is one on a very short list. I can't explain it, it just is.

 

Thank you, Sara!!!

 

 

 

God Loves Independent Book Stores

Besides waking up this morning and discovering Televenge is on the front page of Fox News.com http://www.foxnews.com/ I have also been asked to give a book reading, judge a literary magazine contest, and attend the awards ceremony at Wilson Community College near Raleigh, NC in February and April of 2013. I'm honored.

 

There's more good news, but I can't talk about it right now. So instead of letting anything slip out, here are a few little pictures of our current book tour. We're done in the mountains, and now we head to the beach. More later.

 

And in case you missed this blog post, take a look:

http://blog.juliealindsey.com/ - Why Public Speaking Is a Writer's Best Friend

 

 

The mountains around Sylva and Cherokee, NC welcomed us!

 

Looking over our hotel balcony to the mountain above us and the river below.

 

Ian and Chris ~ they run the show at City Lights Bookstore!

 

Some wonderful ladies who came to hear about Televenge

 

The Watch Cat

 

 

Robin and me ~ a great new friend!

 

Sylva Courthouse, high in the mountains

 

A coal tipple in Sylva

 

Me - One happy camper

 

I'm Booked for Fox News Radio!

I’m most fortunate and thrilled to have been booked for an important interview with Fox News Radio, New York City. Mr. Vipp Jaswall will be interviewing me next week about the business of televangelism, my life, my beliefs, and my book.

Vipp will focus on specific points of interest including …

• If you had only one choice whom would you choose? God or family?
• Should your pastor dictate your belief for a guaranteed one-way ticket to Heaven?
• If you believe in separation of church and state, do you also believe in separation of church and culture?

As soon as I am made aware of the date of this pod cast I’ll let you know, as well as give you a specific link to click that will take you right to the interview, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, please enjoy the pod casts on Vipp Jaswall’s page. You’ll hear conversations that will provoke questions only you have the answers to. He really makes people think. I love his peanut-butter fudge voice. Smooth and rich with a touch of salt! It’s like getting interviewed by James Bond!

 Here is the link: http://radio.foxnews.com/category/podcasts/the-vipp-jaswal-report

 

 

Why Do I Do It?



The book tour is like a trail in the woods and sometimes there are steps to climb. You hope it doesn't rain, or folks won't show up. You hope the bookstore is able to draw enough of a crowd. You hope the stairs aren't too steep. You hope you don't wear out before you get to the top. You hope ...

The tour continues and I'm looking forward to today's visit in Greenville, SC. I was interviewed by a Greenville newspaper yesterday, so I'm not sure when the article will run. Mostly I find the media is interested in the story behind the story. Which, if they're not familiar with your writing, is typical. The way I see it, the story behind the story, although fascinating, is not as thrilling and full of suspense as the novel.

Televenge was conceived many years ago in the pages of many journals. Journaling carried me through many dark days and nights when I felt the splinters in my feet from my barrel's bottom. Carrying burdens animals shouldn't bear, I sometimes could only squeak out a few words on the page. But the act of opening that journal and watching my hand move across the paper brought sanity within arms reach. Although I blog these days, I miss the old days of opening a spiral notebook (sorry, could not afford leather-bound journals) and clicking my favorite pen.

My constant struggle to get this book into the hands of readers wakes me periodically through the night; thinking. There's got to be a better way. Though I have a great publisher, it's hard to compete with the big 6 and their muscle to buy space at the front of the big box stores. Their ability to put big money behind their authors is the reason why so many writers go after the traditional brass ring. But I've never followed tradition much. I like change, I like being a part of blazing new trails. I'm of pioneer stock that often rears its ugly head in my quest to sell my work.

So, I work with what I've got. A good car, good health, and the ability to go where I need to go, and speak to those who will listen. Meeting the public up close and personal, word of mouth ... a slow and steady climb. Let's pray each limb on the tree is strong.

Nobody is guaranteed success. You've got to go out and make it on your own. Writing the book is the easy part for most of us. Writers are not celebrities. Well. 10% are, but the other 90% struggles with failure every day. In one way or another, we feel it lurking behind us like a predator.

Why do I do it? I know the power of Televenge. The story. I know what it wields. It's full impact has yet to be felt. But I'm getting there. I'm getting there.

Blessings to you and yours.

As an added bonus today, below is a great blog that ran one of my posts this morning: Enjoy!

Would You Drink The Kool-Aid?
http://t.co/yrnw2iPc
 

What!? A Christian In A Honky-Tonk?

Marshall Chapman sang at the Bluebird Cafe ... I didn't get a ticket, but I hovered in spirit. Do you know there are just 100 seats in that place? They're sold out every night, obviously, but the essence of American Country Music runs so thick in and around Nashville you can cut it with your fork. It's everywhere. Not just at the Bluebird. Men and women walk the streets with guitars slung over their shoulders in the shadows of the Ryman Auditorium, the home church of the Grand Ol' Opry. It' a sight to behold.

The Author's Reception was only a few blocks from "honky tonk row". After running into Julie Cantrell and Susan Cushman, and talking like friends who had known each other forever, we walked outside to the sound of music floating up the street, drawing us like dry rub on a pork butt. At each place we stopped, you could watch some country star wanna-be through the window, crooning their heart out. I loved it. The people loved it.

A sea of cowboy boots, short skirts, Dolly Parton hairdos, and glittery shirts. To sit and people watch, it was a gift ... and this ol' pentecostal-raised gal felt not one drop of condemnation.

 



The Southern Festival of the Book took over downtown Nashville again this year, with authors, readings, signings, and tents filled with everything "book".

 

 

New Voices in Women's Fiction. I sat with Kimberly Babb Brock and Ginger Moran, discussing our work, our new books, and the industry as we saw it. The room was full, which was great for an early Saturday morning panel. But something strange happened. Reading from Televenge I suddenly saw myself as if from a dream. I experienced a true deja vu moment and I almost stopped mid-sentence. It spooked me, but I kept reading ... I had never felt something quite like it during a reading of my work, and I've read to hundreds of groups. I know. I know. What can I say? It simply runs through the women in my mother's family. I can't explain it. I stopped trying long ago.

 

More on the book tour tomorrow ... every day something exciting happens!

Blessings to you and yours.





What's Next On The Book Promotion Horizon?

The story has captivated its first round of readers in the past few days. The emails, tweets, and facebook posts are coming in faster than I can keep up with them. The blog tour started today with WOW, Women on writing. http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/ Here you can join post comments and win a free copy of the novel.

For the past few days, I've been thinking about social media and the overwhelming work it takes to get your book noticed by potential readers. I think one of the best ways is with a quality book trailer. Book trailers appeal to the masses because of the visual aspect. My first trailer was with Misty Taggart and Trailer to the Stars. She's fantastic and great to work with, and did a super job. I highly recommend Misty and her company. http://www.trailertothestars.com/

My niece, Lindy Bonin, a graduate of Lee University, worked with me on creating a new video for Televenge. Televenge, The Story. This video is a synopsis of the novel, set to music and pictures. It's a little longer than most book trailers, 7 minutes, but it's really good. I believe the music along with the story holds you until the end.

I wrote the script and recorded it into an Audacity file, then uploaded it to Lindy. Both of us worked on gathering just the right pictures for the script. The pictures were purchased from an Internet site specializing in stock photos. Lindy used music from her own collection. Lindy, like myself, is from a church background. She and her two sisters, Ashlie and Melissa, all graduated from Lee University and have become pastors or are in pastoral service.

The voice of my protagonist, Andie Oliver at the beginning, middle, and end of the video is Lindy's voice. Although a native of Ohio, she spent a great deal of time in Tennessee at Lee and then worked for her church organization in the Cleveland, TN area. I was quite surprised when I first heard it. I had no idea who it was. She does a great job as a steel magnolia, don't you think?

It took a few drafts and a little time, but in the end I think we've created something very special. I'm proud of Lindy and of the video. If you've got some time, take a look. And then hop on over to Amazon or Barnes & Noble ... where you can purchase the entire novel!

When it comes to writers promoting their work, I think we're going to find more book trailers in the future. It's the cherry on top of the sundae.

http://tinyurl.com/Televenge-TheStory

The video can be found on You Tube and across all social media sites. Enjoy!

Blessings to you and yours.

THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS!

The COUNTDOWN begins!

This week I head to North Carolina to launch my novel, Televenge! I find I'm so nervous, I can't sit still, eat a bite, or hold a thought in my head. But what a beautiful time of the year to head to the Blue Ridge. One of my favorite spots in the world, Pilot Mountain, looms in the distance as we near Winston-Salem. Like an old friend, I can't wait to see it again.

Today, I have two radio interviews and plethora of work to be done before I can even begin to pack. Last week I was a guest on a radio show, two blogs, and ... well, go to www.pamelakingcable.com and there you'll see all my previous appearances and links to the shows and blogs. It's been crazy busy and it's about to kick into HIGH GEAR.

Below is my personal invitation to YOU. If you are anywhere close to Kernersville, North Carolina, this week, come to the Televenge launch party!

 A FREE EVENT!

Thursday, October 3, 2012, 7:00 p.m.

Harmon House, 149 South Main St.

Kernersville, NC 27284

Cake & Refreshments
 

Andie Oliver is faithful-to God, to husband Joe, and to televangelist Calvin Artury, a Godfather in a Mafia of holy men. Debauchery follows when her husband is lured into employment on the megachurch ministry team. Uncovering long-hidden truths, Andie confronts the very definition of sin and shakes the Christian evangelical world to its core as she battles the dark side of televangelism.
 

A message from Pamela: "Ten years ago I started a journey. A journey that ended with a powerful message of faith and deliverance and strength of the human spirit.

Televenge is a tale of unconditional love. A vivid portrayal of heartbreaking loss, an invincible spirit, and incredible courage.

The novel contains a lifetime worth of wisdom. Its beginnings were mired in tragedy, but has since become my triumph.

I hope it will pierce your heart as it has mine. Please come celebrate with me!"

 

www.pamelakingcable.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernfriedwomen

Twitter @pamelakingcable

Book Trailer: http://www.televenge.com/trailer.html

TELEVENGE is available at Amazon.com, Barnes&Noble.com, and everywhere fine books are sold. Also available in all e-book formats.

To book Pamela to speak at your next event, meeting, or workshop, see pamelakingcable.com for information.

 



Advance Praise For TELEVENGE

Televenge is " ... an emotional rollercoaster that ends as intensely as it begins . . . those who commit to Cable's tome will find themselves captivated and deeply devoted to Andie. Fans of Fannie Flagg and Janet Evanovich will be hooked on this saga of religion, romance, and crime."

Library Journal Editor's Pick BookExpo America 2012

Shannon Marie Robinson, Library Journal
 

"A captivating, beautifully rendered, unforgettable look at a world so few of us understand. Ms. Cable has courageously opened the door...and my eyes."

Lesley Kagen, NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling Author of Good Graces
 

"Pamela King Cable's debut novel breathes good and evil, frost and fire. You can finish it, but it won't let you go."

Jacquelyn Mitchard, NEW YORK TIMES Bestselling Author of The Deep End of the Ocean