Would You Read On? hosted by Diana Flegal

It is time once again for another Would You Read on installment. Time is flying and soon it will be snow instead of the Fall leaves. Please leave your comments after reading this weeks First Page.

“Sir.”

Three men turned their heads in Brian’s direction, but not the fourth.

“Sir,” Brian said again. “I need to see your badge.”

This time, the man turned around. The others kept walking. Their need to clock in on time outweighed any curiosity they had.

“I’m sorry.” The man made a motion as if searching his pockets. “I know it’s here somewhere.”

“Maybe you left it in the car.”

The man continued to search each pocket.

“No, I’m sure I didn’t.” The search of his pockets was fruitless.

Another couple of people arrived at the gate and Brian waved them through when he spotted their badges. Everyone had to have a badge.

“I know where it is,” the man said. “Can I go get it?”

“That might be a good idea,” Brian said, hopeful to have the situation resolved quickly.

The man turned and walked toward the entrance of the building.

“Wait, sir!” This time, Brian grabbed him by the arm. “I can’t let you go inside without a badge.”

“But you said I could go get it.”

“Yeah, but I didn’t say you could go inside.” Brian could feel the tug as the man kept moving closer to the entrance.

“I’ve got to go inside to get my badge. I left it in my desk.”

“I can’t let you do that sir,” Brian said. “You’ve got a couple of options here. You can either leave or you can show me your driver’s license so I can give you a temporary badge.”

“If you’ll let me go inside to get it, I’ll be right back out. It isn’t very far.”

“No, you can either leave or you can show me an id.”

“But it’s right inside the door. I’ll show you.”

“No, I can’t do that. I’ve got to stay here.”

Would you read on?



The Reveal: Last weeks author was Jean C. Gordon. Her title Small-Town Sweethearts is available for preorder now on
Amazon and is scheduled for release Dec. 20th, just in time for Christmas giving! Stop by Jean's website site for a visit.

Until next time! Edit edit edit!
Diana

Marketing Question: Where has your $ paid off in Book Sales? by Diana Flegal

Hello Dear Readers;

I have been carrying on a discussion with published and non published authors about the personal investments they have been making or are considering to help promote and sell their books.

The question arose, "Should I put my money into a book trailer or a launch party?"

Since the launch party 's expense promises to be higher and the venue had only the space for 60 people- the author has decided to go with the Book Trailer, thinking it is where the author would get the largest bang for their buck ($).

I am thinking their is still great power in word of mouth sales and wondering if that was the best choice.

Can you all please contribute to the conversation by sharing where, in reality- the best jump in sales has come from and what you might do differently next time in book promotion?

The experts weigh in on blogs and through their marketing business' but from an author viewpoint- can you let us know what has worked for you?

Have a great writing day and may your POV come across as you desire, and quote worthy phrases spring forth from pen to paper!

Diana

VOICE by Joyce Hart

The writer’s voice – what exactly is it?

According to WIKI it is the literary term used to describe the individual writing style of an author.

Our advice to authors is to “find your voice.” We want editors to edit the work without changing “the voice” of the author. Your voice is a part of you, as we have different speaking voices, so each author has his/her own voice when they write.

Several of my clients write historical novels, Jane Kirkpatrick, Dorothy Clark, Lena Nelson Dooley and Amanda Cabot are some of the authors. Jane writes with a literary voice, very unique, very “Jane.” She writes stories about real women who are facing impossible odds. These are strong women, who with the help of God and other people in their lives come through victoriously, not always as they might has wished but in the end they are stronger and wiser. Dorothy writes what God tells her to write. She is empathic about this. When I read her books, I feel like I’m right there on the frontier, crossing those mountains or living in a mid-west city, battling against impossible odds, but making it over those mountains or learning to run a company. There is always romance in Dorothy’s stories. Lena, a Texan, writes wonderful stories of love and adventure in the old west, a relationship that might begin as a mail order bride and yet becomes real love that prevails against all the problems that these couples come up against. Amanda Cabot’s current series is set in the Texas Hill Country. She writes of a community that is half French and half German. Here we have characters from the east merging with characters from this western town. Anguish and sorrow are met with sometimes doubting God and yet in the end trusting Him. Why does God allow such hurt in their lives the characters sometimes might wonder? Again, Amanda’s books are written in her own individual style, gained from her own background and life experience. That is where the author’s “voice” comes from. Each of these ladies has her own unique personality and writes in her own unique style or “voice.”

Susanne Woods Fishers writes in the voice of the Amish. She transports us to Lancaster County in her current Amish romance series, introducing us to delightful men and women of the Amish community. She travels to Pennsylvania and Ohio to make sure she captures the authentic voice of the Amish.

I need to point out that all of these authors research carefully to make sure the historical or contemporary facts are correct.

These are only a few examples. A good voice needs to have consistency and authority. You cannot duplicate another author’s voice. Your author’s voice is an integral part of who you are as a person. You need to be true to your own voice and not try to write like someone else. Yes, we can compare books with other authors, but your “voice” is your very own.