Why do you write?

What drives you to sit in front of your computer or grab pen/pencil and paper?
Did you choose to do this or did it choose you?
When did you know you were a writer?
When did you first call yourself a writer?

Erin Hunter

I'm going to a signing by Victoria Holmes this coming Tuesday evening. Here's what Changing Hands, the Indie bookstore has to say:


Erin Hunter's advice for aspiring writers: "Read, read, and read some more! Make sure you read a wide variety of stories: fantasy stories teach you about making up completely new worlds, crime-solving stories teach you about handling a complicated plot, stories with lots of characters teach you how to describe relationships. Also, write as many stories as you can, even if no one else reads them. And remember that the best inspiration comes from what's around you – Kate, Victoria and Cherith go for long walks through the woods to find new locations for the cats to explore. They also spend hours watching their cats -- and other people -- to see how they behave in certain situations."

Erin Hunter is the nom de plume of three British writers who create enthralling, animal-centric YA fantasies in the tradition of Brian Jacques's Redwall books. In 2003, they launched their bestselling Warriors series with Into the Wild, the story of a domesticated kitten who leaves the comforts of his human home to join a family of feral cats living in the woods. Introducing a captivating world where rival cat clans struggle for survival, the book was an immediate sensation with animal- and adventure-loving preteens.

Blogging

How do you get people to your blog and get them to follow? It doesn't seem to be happening at Blogging with Barbara.

More on blogging

Let's share more ideas about blogging.
All of us are at different stages of blogging. Karen, I suspect you and Teresa might have the most experience. I have been doing it a while but I don't feel I take advantage of it as much as I could. I know it's a great networking tool. My biggest question is how to make the blog interesting, get followers, turn those followers into people who interact.
Anyone have thoughts on this they want to share?

Getting the Word Out

It can be difficult letting the world know you've written The Great American Novel, but it's getting easier. Blogging is one way to share what you've done with like-minded folks. To that end, I spent the better part of last week pounding my head against the keyboard, trying to find the right way to do this.

I went to one of the lists I belong to - Historical Novel Society - and pitched the idea of a blog for and about writers in this genre. The results were mind-boggling, to say the least. At last count, the blog (Clio's Children) has 17 members and I was able to network the blog after just two days.

We'll share posting responsibilities, but for the next three weeks, I'll get it going. It goes without saying (but I'll mention it anyway) that we'll support each other by buying each other's books, writing reviews, and spreading the word to friends.

The math goes something like this: 17 people each tell 10 other people about a particular book. That means the first step involves 170 people. If each of these individuals tells just 5 more people and those people tell even 3 others, the effect is exponential. It's been shown that word of mouth is still the best method of selling, so if you're not a dedicated blogger, it may be time to consider this method of networking for introducing yourself to the world.

Coffee Time Romance's Review of A Spiral of Echoes

They gave us a five cup rating. That is as high as you can get. Here's a snippit...A ghost story more cleverly told than any I have read for a long time, Spiral of Echoes is rich in local texture and flavor as well as being an edge-of-your–seat thriller in turns. The tension between the main characters literally burns off the page as fiery as the weavings Isabelle creates. Passion flows through the pages of this eerie tale and will leave you shivering while you feel the hot sun beat on your flesh as if you were standing on the beach looking up and waiting, like the ghost, for your love to return…

You can read the entire review here.

http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/aspiralofechoes.html

New book idea

I'm starting a new book for children on trees and the forest. There will be 3 in all, one for the very young (3-6 picture book), another one for ages 4-8 also a picture book and the third for ages 8-11, a picture/chapter book. Pretty ambious, I know.

Judith Marrs

I'm what some would call a late bloomer, starting to college after having five kids and getting preggo with the sixth the year I graduated. Our lives have been happy, but April 28, 2007, my husband lost his battle with cancer, and that was the day the music died. He was the leader of the band...a professional musician and my soulmate. I have several books written that only my hard drive and closest friends have read, but now Chalet is taking a wild chance on me. Why, I have no idea, but I thank them. I have been a journalist for many years, too busy with that to promote my own work, but now here I am. I'm an okay writer but critical of myself to the point of wondering how I ever thought someone would want to keep reading after the first paragraph. My favorite book (I wrote) is "Mike and Sadie Mae" because it's as crazy as I am and written in memory of my best friend that died of AIDS. But if "Snakecharmer" charms the reader, that's okay with me. I started writing it on a typewriter, so it took forever, but by a miracle from the maker of stars, I found a computer for $100 and thought I had died and flown to Heaven. I assumed that if God could make stars, surely he could find me a computer for $100. He did. My Italian roots have made me a chef of authentic Italian cuisine. My goal is making it financially from month to month with half an income since the main breadwinner has left the building. That reminds me, Elvis' Aunt Lurlene Pritchett married my husband and me in a double-wide trailer the King bought her on some land where she preached many a sermon. This has been an exciting life, full of surprises, some good some bad, but they reminded me that I could still feel. I'm alive and ready to share my words even if they aren't worth the paper they are printed on. I salute all writers, especially struggling ones. You have my utmost respect. Single parents, I pray for you daily. (I hope this wasn't too long.)  Favorite authors: Anne Lamott, Hunter S. Thompson, Rick Bragg, Victor Villesenor, Jeffrey Marriotte, Wayne Dyer, Frank McCourt, Willie Morris, Stephen King and Stephenie Meyer among many others.

Congratulations to Barbara Hodges and Maggie Pucillo!

A SPIRAL OF ECHOES is published and ready for purchase.

After Isabelle Allen's husband dies in bed with his latest lover, she is bombarded by her well-meaning friends' attempts to find her another love. But as far as she is concerned, love is for fools. She escapes to Baja, Mexico with her basset hound and her cat. Baja - beautiful beaches, long walks, vermilion sunsets, and time to re-discover her love of weaving. A good plan, except for two things - a stubborn ghost who has fixated on Isabelle, and Cristiano Casamiro, a handsome Latino geologist who makes her temper flare, her emotions flame, and her heart sing.



A SPIRAL OF ECHOES is a paranormal romance that will keep you turning pages far into the night.

Today is Chalet Publisher's 1st Anniversary

One year ago today, Joyce Norman and I decided on our company's name and told each other to step away from the computer. :>) We had spent several days trying to come up with a name that we both liked, that sang to each of us and when Joyce suggested Chalet we knew that was it.
I admit we had come up with some doozies prior to that [The Olive Press is one that comes to mind] but Chalet spoke to both of us.
So it was that on that day, our dream now had a name and we went full steam ahead after that.
It boggles my mind to see how far we have come since then. We have a family of authors and a list of titles that we are so proud of. Each and every one of you [authors and readers] have helped us reach this point.
We have great plans for the coming years and are happy to have you on this journey with us.

Blog Radio Show

I just finished the radio show with Barbara Hodges. It was fun and the questions were really different from other interviews I've had. I actually got a chance to read from Mom's Story. It was sooooo much fun!!! Hope you had a chance to listen. I think you can still download it on the website: www.blogtalkradio.com/rrradio/2010/04/08/red-river-writers-live-no-limits

T.K. Thorne, "mother" of NOAH'S WIFE

Hello everyone! I'm Teresa, writing as T.K. Glad to be joining you. I am proud to be an author at Chalet and to make new friends with people who share my passion for story telling. There's lots of info on me at my web site, probably more than you want to know. :-) My debut novel/baby, NOAH'S WIFE, is doing well and is a 30+ year dream come true for me (Thank you Chalet!). You can read the first chapter on my site and I also have a video trailer which I will share below. I blog at tkthorne.wordpress.com when something moves me.

I'm looking forward to being part of our community. This was a great idea.

tkthorne.com

Video trailer for Noah's Wife

T.K. Thorne blog

Radio show

My blog radio show appearance is today at 3 pm (PDT) www.blogtalkradio.com/rrradio/2010/04/08/red-river-writers-live-no-limits. I'll be discussing Mom's Story, writing for children and anything else that comes up. It is a call-in, I'd love to hear from you all.

More about me.

Forgot to mention I have a blog here...Blogging With Barbara. Come by and follow me.

My website is http://barbaramhodges.com

There you can find out about all of my books.

I also do two shows a month on Blog Talk Radio.

My show this Thursday is No Limits. One of my two guests is our own Mary Nickum. The show airs 3:00 PM Pacific Time.

I AM A HAPPY CHALET RESIDENT!

When Joy and I first began talking about creating the kind of publishing company we could not find anywhere, it was something neither of us thought we could accomplish. BUT, Chalet Publishers, LLC is exactly the publisher we always dreamed of....putting out quality products, talking good care of each of our authors, being encouragers...and it's only been one year from inception and we're just getting started!

Most of you know much about me...a transplanted Texan who adopted Alabama years ago. A former journalist, foreign correspondent, college professor, author...and most importantly, Mom to my wonderfu son, Clay, in San Francisco.

We are so proud of all our authors and more will be joining us in the coming months! This blog is a chance for us to keep in touch, to get to know each other better, to share. Let's not let this site gather literary dust. Write often about anything you think we'd love to read about.

WELCOME!

Joyce

Howdy from Barbara M. Hodges

I'm excited to have a book coming out with Chalet. My co-writer Maggie Pucillo and I have created a paranormal romance set in Baja, CA. A Spiral of Echoes is now with the printer and it looks like it will be available at the end of the month. Yippee!

Hi from Joy

Hi, my name is Joy Collins and in addition to being part owner of Chalet Publishers, I am also a writer. I am a nurse by education and I started out by writing medical articles for the public. But fiction has always been my love.
I published my first novel SECOND CHANCE in 2007 and my second novel COMING TOGETHER in 2009 which Joyce Norman and I co-wrote. I am now working on my third, a paranormal/spiritual romance WINGS OF MY OWN. It will be out later this year.
I have several blogs as well as a web site.
Joyce and I had a vision when we started Chalet. First, we wanted to publish our book our way. Then we knew we wanted to give other authors the kind of treatment that we wanted for ourselves - an understanding that only another author can give. We know how much these literary babies mean to us.
So, we started Chalet and we have been lucky and blessed to have found so many wonderful authors. In just a short period of time we have grown into a true family with more members coming on board every day.
We are very excited about Chalet's future.

Hello from Mary Nickum

Hi, I'm not real new to Chalet Publishers but the family has grown exponentially in the last few months. I am a writter of children's nonfiction. My emphasis when writing magazine articles for adults or when writing for children is "science for the public." Chalet published my first book for children, "Mom's Story, A Child Learns About MS." I have MS so I was fairly knowledgable about the topic. To be sure of my information, I had it peer reviewed by neurologists, neuropsychologists and, of course, Chalet's own nurse/editor/publisher, Joy. I was indeed fortunate to have a publisher with such background!

Ramey Channell

Hi, I'm Ramey Channell, new to the Chalet family. I'm so excited to have a new book coming out later this spring, a novel set in 1950s Alabama. I've previously had poetry, shortstories and children's stories published in journals, collections and online. I live in Alabama, where I work as a librarian in our public library. You can view my blog, The Painted Possum, at http://www.rameychannell.blogspot.com/

Hooray for Chalet Publishers.

Introducing: KK Brees

Hello Everyone

I’m Karen and I write fiction as KK Brees. I’m partial to historical fiction. My first novel, Headwind: The Intrepid Adventures of OSS Agent Katrin Nissen, will be coming out this summer.

The book is set in April 1940 and is the first in a series featuring my heroine and her husband, John Breckenridge. Katrin is a professor in the Botany Department at Yale University and her husband is an attorney. That’s in their other lives. The war changes that and a good deal more for them.

I’m looking forward to getting to know everybody.

Website

My website is http://www.karenkbrees.com.

My Blogs

I have two active blogs. The one pertaining to my novel is KatrinNissen.blogspot.com. I also blog as The Practical Preserver at practicalpreserving.blogspot.com.

Welcome!

This week Chalet Publishers celebrates its first anniversary. It is fitting that we start off the new year with a new adventure.
Welcome to our blog.
Here we will showcase our authors and their books.
We will also discuss topics that we hope will be interesting to you, our readers.
Make some tea. Rest a while. Visit. Ask questions. Get to know us.
We're glad you're here.