Tag Archives: Shaputis

The Sequel … So it begins

29 Aug

Those of you who haven’t read Her Ghost Wears Kilts published by Crimson Romance yet may not want to read any further. I advise you to click off the blog and spend this time grabbing a copy of HGWK instead for an enjoyable adventure. The following paragraphs may contain character content you’re not ready to know. Once you’ve finished reading, c’mon back and be excited with the rest of us.

Yes, I’m finally working on the sequel to my paranormal romantic comedy and thoroughly enjoying being back with the cast of characters I came to love. Of course, Gillian Nation himself returns. The man has been a supporting actor in both Changes in Attitude and HGWK, so he’s on a roll and has his own fan base.

Last night I sat in the stadium bleachers by the JV field of Black Lake High School, purportedly watching the youngest Bown boy go through his drills and plays of Thursday practice. However, most of those two hours, I had my head bent over a blank notebook and found my pen racing through scenes and concepts for the new book. Pages filled with black ink and adrenalin made my heart pound.

The male lead actor in the story is named Brugh (sounds like Hugh). Yes, just like the fluffy four-footed love in my immediate family. But do note as this is important, the pup was named for the character, not the other way round. The character Brugh had already materialized for the sequel before I made the commitment to fall in love with the two Pomeranian puppies.

Enough for now, I am hoping the three-day weekend ahead will be writing and laundry with breaks of lavish attention for Brugh and Bouncer. Enjoy yourselves and be safe.

Virtual Book Tour Schedule is Here

6 Sep
Get ready for a whirlwind, exciting virtual book tour set up by Bewitching Book Tours.

Get ready for a whirlwind, exciting virtual book tour set up by Bewitching Book Tours.

On a wet, wild day in the Pacific Northwest with lightning and thunder as background music, I received my tour schedule from Roxanne Rhoades at Bewitching Book Tours. And with the horrific and beautiful weather outside came the cancellation of football practice for my grandson. Perfect. Gave me time to set up the tour schedule page here and share the good news.

However, the lights are starting to blink, so it would be frustratingly ironic if the power goes out.

I love interviews – radio, television and blogs. Yes, I am a media diva – spreading good cheer, fun stories and information wherever I go. Though the last time I had national exposure and drive-time interviews on radio stations back east, I was about forty pounds lighter. The best thing about virtual tours is I’m behind a computer screen. Ruh-roh, what about Skype? Hmm, well, so far none of the interviews are live or taped.

According to the count down on my blog, it’s ten days before the start of the tour. I’ve been given instructions for my first few events and can’t wait to plunge in with anecdotes and fun facts of being a writer and publishing a paranormal romantic comedy.

Let me post this while the power is still on.

Getting Ready for Virtual Book Tour

31 Aug
Tour dates Sept 16 to Oct 16.

Tour dates Sept 16 to Oct 16.

 

In just over two weeks I’ll be working with Roxanne Rhodes, creator of Bewitching Book Tours, for a month-long virtual book tour. Here is a blurb from her website: Bewitching Book Tours is the brainchild of Roxanne Rhoads– freelance writer, erotic romance author, book lover and paranormal aficionado.

What is a virtual book tour? It’s a wonderful opportunity to spread the word about your book from the comfort of your own office or living room by using bloggers and other promotional venues on the Internet. Being a guest blogger or answering a Q&A session or an interesting interview reaches out to the audience of that particular blogger who already has interest in reading your particular genre. It’s possible a copy of the book cover and buy links will be included in each blog.

A virtual tour is extremely important if your latest title is an eBook. It’s digital format does not lend to taking a box of copies to a coffee shop for a reading and making back of the room sales as you can with a printed edition.

Stay tuned for additional information as it becomes available of upcoming posts and guest blogs. I hope you’ll visit each blog and comment on the article to show support of this wonderful venue.

Goodreads Ad

16 Aug

I’ve submitted an ad about pre-ordering “Her Ghost Wears Kilts” on Goodreads. Are you a goodreads_logo_140-5b3e47356388131c1699f0baca28a234member? It’s a great site of tens of thousands of readers and authors sharing books they’ve read, currently reading or want to read in the future. I know it was recently purchased by Amazon, but I don’t see any changes yet.

In setting up the ad, I could choose a daily budget and specifically target certain genres which is very important. Someone in love with literary fiction would probably not like HGWK. It would be as if the reader were expecting roast beef and got cotton candy instead. I know my audience is women, who’d love to have a subscription to People or already does, loves a happy ending and tends to shop at Target, Kohls, or JC Pennys.

It needs to be approved and they note this could take a day or two.

Advertising on Goodreads? Check!

Postcards by Ninth Moon

4 Aug

KS_PSTRCD_FT_1aI love the quality of my new postcards designed and printed by Ninth Moon for writers here in western Washington. I’ve already passed out quite a few and will keep at least a dozen in my purse and notebook. You never know who you may be talking to during the day. And for a romance book, I’m checking out the women in line with me at the grocery store or in mini groups during football practice.

I didn’t have my mailing list ready to go once they got here. Note to self and others: best thing to fill the time waiting for the cards is ordering or buying postcard rate stamps and revise your address list to included anyone and everyone you feel would be responsive to your title.

Her Ghost Wears Kilts come out in three weeks which is a great time to send out postcards. People can display them on their desks, tuck into their desk calendars and pin to their bulletin boards. Hopefully it’s in a public location where others will see it and comment on the bright cover design starting a word-of-mouth campaign.

For some of those I’ve chosen for my Street Team, I’ll send them ten postcards, pre-stamped, to address to their friends and send out. This will reach another level of readers I wouldn’t normally know.

It’s a warm Sunday morning, a load of laundry is running, the dishwasher is humming and I’ve exercised the pups. Now it’s time to start addressing the postcards to go out in tomorrow’s mail. Three weeks and counting.

36 Days and Counting

23 Jul

At the stroke of midnight, Monday August 26th my paranormal dramedy Her Ghost Wears Kilts goes on sale. That’s thirty-six days from now. Cover image posted on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and my website with the release date: check. Blog set up for the book: check. Initial contact made to Author Marketing Expert services, Penny Sansevieri. Thirty-six days and so much still to do.

Postcards ordered with Ninth Moon promotional services. I’ve already received my promotion stickers with the cover image and release date. Next step is the postcards.

Need to research and send out celebrity endorsement requests. I don’t have a list made. Do I want to shoot for best-selling authors in the romance field or do I send to actresses I see as perfect for the protagonist? Sally Fields is the first name that comes to mind or Valerie Bertenelli, she’s always fun in a Lifetime made for TV movie. Time to subscribe to Contact Any Celebrity for at least a month and find addresses for sending out request letters.

I need to gather names for my Street Team, close friends and family who are willing to work at spreading the word about my latest book.

I understand two weeks before the release date, the eBook will be available for pre-orders. Do I focus most of my advertising energy to gain pre-orders or spread the news around but punch into high gear once the eBook is available? Do my readers want immediate gratification by reading the book as soon as it is purchased? Or patient enough to order early and remember to put HGWK at the top of their list once it is downloaded to their account? Decisions, decisions.

Stay tuned for more. I need to get a few pages written on the sequel and get plenty of sleep for my day job at Gorham Printing.

Sunday Dilemmas

21 Jul

It’s early morning and an entire day stretches out before me – no errands, no visitors expected. How do I fill the hours from the basket of writing possibilities? I don’t want to reach the end of “60 Minutes” tonight and play the shoulda, woulda, coulda game. That’s a given. But we’re running out of forks, so doing a load of dishes is a must sometime today. Think, think.

Do I block two-hour increments toward marketing for HGWK, which then has a list of subcategories I could block time for? One of which is reading my copy of “Red Hot Internet Marketing” by Penny Sansevieri and highlighting ideas and concepts. Read one chapter and make a to-do list – that’s a feasible goal. One post on Facebook, one tweet on Twitter, check. What about working on the sequel “Murder in the Castle” (working title)?A 72,000 word manuscript doesn’t write itself. The characters are tapping their toes wondering when it will be their turn to dazzle on a blank page. Goal today? One to three pages – a page a day finishes a manuscript in a year.

Baby steps – isn’t that what I always say in my classes? Whether a newbie writer or a well-published author with a new book on deck, don’t overwhelm yourself – succeed at a few things consistently, baby steps.

Now, do I hang a copy of the schedule on my back so that family members will respect my time? Hmm, why bother as they won’t see it from shouting my name from the next room. But I can pin it to the front of my shirt and remind myself of my priorities.  It’s my passion, my books are my dreams and no one is going to magically part the waters of responsibilities and life for me. I must demand the time of myself because I deserve it.

Ready? Begin!

Upcoming Release

17 Jul

My latest romantic comedy is officially on the Crimson Romance website as an upcoming release. Don’t those words have a special sound? Maybe you have to be a writer to appreciate them. The only other thHer Ghost Wears Kilts, by Kathleen Shapuitsrill I could relate to them is a movie release. This new book would make an adorable Lifetime Made for Television movie. It’s fun, suspenseful and has a cast of memorable characters. But I digress (unless there is an agent or producer in the audience). August 26th at the stroke of midnight this eBook will be available for download. From what I understand pre-sales start two weeks before the release date.

This is my first venture with a romance publisher and I am proud to be chosen as one of the team with this new imprint of F&W Media: Crimson Romance. It will be interesting to experience the eBook edition released first and the printed edition early in 2014. Many of my Baby Boomer friends do not own an eReader yet. I

Her Ghost Wears Kilts, by Kathleen Shapuits

own a Kindle and my husband has one but we also have a house overcrowded with books.

So begins a new adventure. Come with me and find out the struggles and ecstasy of a new book’s launch into the world.