Hi all — A few months ago I announced that I was having a Goodreads Giveaway to promote my tween book, PAIRS AT NATIONALS. Several people said they’d like to know if it helped with sales. Unfortunately, it didn’t. You can find out more at my new blog post. http://elizabethvollstadt.blogspot.com
Author: evollstadt
Blogpost on Awesome Workshop
This past Saturday I attended a workshop sponsored by Florida SCBWI. I was so inspired that I had to blog about it. Author/editor Joyce Sweeney used prompts to get us writing and take another look at the characters and scenes in our work-in-progress. You can read my “Awesome Workshop” post at http://www.elizabethvollstadt.blogspot.com. Thanks.
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Goodreads Giveaway— Pairs at Nationals
Hi everyone— Has anyone ever done a Goodreads Giveaway? It’s an easy way for people to discover your novel. And who knows, some might even be intrigued enough to buy it if they don’t win. Right now, from today through March 8th, I’m doing a Goodreads Giveaway for my book, Pairs at Nationals. Anyone can enter to win one of five copies (an author chooses how many). All you have to do is go to http://www.goodreads.com and put Pairs at Nationals in the Search box. Then scroll down and click on Enter Giveaway. That’s it! Goodreads chooses the winners at random, and I’ll send each of them an autographed copy of the book. There’s nothing to lose! Many thanks from me, Elizabeth Weiss Vollstadt, for checking it out—and happy reading (when you’re not writing) !
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“The Blue Christmas Tree” – A Christmas Romance
Although I write mostly for children, I have written several short stories for adults. With Christmas less than two weeks away, I thought I’d share a Christmas story
I wrote that was published online and in an anthology by Alfie Dog Fiction (www.alfiedog.com). The story is in my latest blog titled “A Christmas Romance—The Blue Christmas Tree.” You can find it at www.elizabethvollstadt.blogspot.com
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Pairs at Nationals Is Launched! Kindle Book Just $.99 the Next Ten Days
First of all, I’d like to thank Marcia for the chance to post on her site. I really appreciate your support of other writers, Marcia. So here’s my post:
I’m excited to announce that PAIRS AT NATIONALS, the second book in my Pairs on Ice series, is now out and available on Amazon. In this book for tweens, Jamie Bartlett, 13, and her partner Matt O’Connor, 15, have just won a gold medal at the sectional competition. Now they are psyched to win gold at the National Championships. But then an accident changes everything. Jamie and Matt are forced to skate at a new rink with a new coach. With skating as the backdrop, this book lets the tween reader (and older one, too) feel the struggles of training, the thrill of competition, the pain of bullying, and the power of family and friends.
For the next ten days you can download the Kindle book for only 99 cents. So now is the time to buy. You’ll not only have a fun book to read or give to your favorite tween, but you’ll help me achieve a higher ranking on Amazon. Why does this matter? Because Amazon gives more attention to books with high rankings, such as including a book in their “you might also like” suggestions. In addition, once a book receives fifty reviews, Amazon will actually help promote it—and that’s especially important to indie authors (like me) who don’t have a big publishing house behind them. So . . . if you decide to download Pairs at Nationals and enjoy it, I’d appreciate a review. It doesn’t have to be long—just a few sentences is fine.
To find Pairs at Nationals, you can go to my blog at www.elizabethvollstadt.blogspot.com or click on the link under the cover picture.
Here’s the first chapter.
PAIRS AT NATIONALS — Chapter 1
Jamie counted to the music as she circled the rink. Five . . . six . . . seven . . . At eight, she tightened her muscles and leapt. One, two, three rotations, then a smooth landing as her right blade touched the ice in a flowing glide. A perfect triple Salchow! Even better, she could see Matt coming out of the jump in perfect sync with her. They were awesome!
She skated over to Matt for a high five. It was hard to believe that when they started skating together last year, they couldn’t stand each other. Now he was her best friend—or second best. No one could replace Nicole. She had been Jamie’s best friend since their first time on the ice when they were six years old. Jamie looked across the ice. Nicole gave her a thumbs up before setting up for her own triple Salchow.
“So, what do you think we should do next?” Matt asked. But he wasn’t looking at Jamie. His eyes swept the rink.
Jamie’s eyes followed his. “Where is he?” she muttered. Cam was almost an hour late—and he was never late, not once in the whole year and a half he had been their coach.
“Got me,” Matt said, as if she expected an answer.
Jamie scanned the rink again, hoping she had somehow missed Cam. But no, all she saw was a kaleidoscope of skaters jumping, twirling and gliding over the ice. Cam wasn’t anywhere to be seen . . . but . . . what was her father doing here? He was standing by the bleachers talking with Bob, the rink manager. They both looked serious.
Her dad glanced up and his eyes met Jamie’s. He waved her over. “Get Matt, too,” he called as she started skating toward him.
She turned, but Matt was right behind her. They stepped off the ice. “What’s up?” Jamie asked. She grabbed her skate guards from the shelf around the rink.
Her father touched her arm. “Let’s go sit in the bleachers. I’m afraid I have bad news.” He turned to include Matt. “There’s been an accident. Cam’s in the hospital. They took him to surgery as soon as he got to the ER.” Continue reading
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Check Out This Blog Interview With Me–Elizabeth Vollstadt
With all the concern about “Matthew,” I almost forgot to post this:
An interview with me about my writing and my books posted yesterday at https://donmassenzio.wordpress.com. When you get to the site, click on Interview and there I am! Don Massenzio is an author who blogs for and about about Indie authors, those who publish outside traditional publishers. He give tips on writing, marketing, and publishing. My thanks to Don for this interview!
In addition to my answering his “Twenty Questions,” the posting includes an excerpt from my middle grade novel Pairs on Ice. I also have a chance to mention that the sequel to that novel, Pairs at Nationals, will be out in December. I hope to publish an excerpt when the date gets closer.
Here’s my answer to two of his questions:
Q13) How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I’ve written six. My favorite is my last book, Pairs on Ice. I love my characters, the ice skating setting, and the storylines. Jamie, Matt, Cam, Linda––they’ve become my friends. Although . . . I can say the same for my stories in Young Patriots, too. I still love Hannah in “Just Like a Minuteman,” William in “William’s War,” and Nathaniel in “New Day in Savannah.” I like to think about what happens to them next.
Q14) Do you have any suggestions to help us become better writers? If so, what are they?
Number one is to read a lot. Second, when you’ve written something, read it out loud. English has a rhythm that make it pleasing to hear. Find that rhythm in your writing and it will flow better. A third suggestion is to write what you love and take the time to learn about it.
http://www.amazon.com/author/elizabethvollstadt
http://www.elizabethvollstadt.blogspot.com
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#ExcerptWeek – Pairs On Ice by Elizabeth Weiss Vollstadt
Pairs on Ice, a Novel for Tweens
Jamie, 12, is a competitive figure skater who dreams of the Olympics. She won a medal at the U.S. National Championships and is getting ready for the next season. At the rink one afternoon, her coach, Christa, tells her that some people are coming to watch her skate, but won’t say who or why. Jamie’s best friend suggests that they could be millionaires who want to sponsor her skating. Jamie laughs, but then wonders if maybe it could be true. At the end of her lesson, she skates her freestyle program.
“Good job,” Christa said, “but not perfect.”
“And you gotta be perfect to win.” Jamie said it before Christa could.
But Christa wasn’t listening. She was scanning the bleachers again. Jamie followed her eyes to three people—a man, a woman and a boy—sitting by themselves near the top. How could she have missed them before? The man looked like any parent, with dark hair, brown jacket, and a cup of coffee in his hand. But the woman! Her pouffed up bleached hair and white fur jacket wasn’t like any mom Jamie had ever seen. Jamie studied the boy. He was wearing all black and . . . her eyes froze. He was the wild skater who almost ran her down!
“That’s the O’Connors,” Christa said, turning back to Jamie. “I’ll introduce you to them, but first, we have to talk. Let’s go to my office.”
Jamie watched them clump down the bleachers. The woman led the way. No one smiled. Jamie knew one thing already–they didn’t want to sponsor her skating. A knot formed in her stomach as she followed Christa to the edge of the rink. She had a bad feeling about this.
They stepped off the ice, only to find their way blocked by the woman. Christa took Jamie’s arm and tried to maneuver around her. “Nice to see you, Violet. Jamie and I will meet you in the snack bar in a few minutes.”
She might have been talking to the air. The woman didn’t budge. The stiletto heels on her black boots dug deep into the soft flooring surrounding the rink.
“I don’t know, Christa,” she said, waving long red nails at Jamie. “She’s the right size, but how can you think her skating’s up to Matt’s? I mean, she two-footed the landing of her one triple and . . .”
Jamie flinched as the woman attacked her skating.
“Violet, please,” Christa interrupted. “Not now. I told you I had to talk to Jamie.”
The woman kept talking. “. . . her form in the double combination wasn’t all that good.”
The boy in black looked at Jamie as if she were a bug he wanted to squash. “I have two triples down cold,” he said. “I’m not going to skate with anyone who can’t even . . . Hey, I bet you’ve never even skated pairs, have you?” He jabbed at her. “Huh?”
Jamie stepped back. Who WAS this kid? And why was he talking about pairs?
Christa tried again. “Please, all of you. Get yourselves a snack and wait for us.”
The session ended and skaters poured off the ice. Violet shook her head at the crowded counter. “It’s too busy in there. We should go to your office.” She looked at Jamie again. “Although I think we might be wasting our time.”
The man in brown smiled at Jamie. He put a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Come on, Violet, let’s do what Christa says. And if you want my opinion, I think the young lady skates beautifully.”
From the look Violet gave him, Jamie knew she didn’t want his opinion.
The Zamboni rumbled onto the ice to start its slow circles around the now-empty rink, leaving a layer of clean, smooth ice with each pass.
Jamie shivered at Matt and Violet’s icy glares. “Could somebody maybe give me a clue about what’s going on?” she demanded. “’Cause I have better things to do than stand here and freeze.”
Christa sighed. She shot an angry look at Violet before turning to Jamie. “Okay, I guess I didn’t handle this very well.”
Ya think? Jamie thought.
“I’m sorry,” Christa said. “I wanted the O’Connors to see you skate . . . but I had planned that we’d talk . . . you see, you’re a talented skater, but you . . . so when Matt needed a partner . . .” She took a deep breath. “I thought you and Matt would make a good pairs team.”
Pairs? With Matt? Jamie’s eyes widened. She wasn’t a pairs skater. And even if she was, she’d rather eat worms than skate with someone as full of himself as Matt, whose crazy mother already hated her. What was Christa thinking?
~~~
ELIZABETH WEISS VOLLSTADT has many happy memories of skating on a nearby pond when she was growing up on Long Island, NY. Like Jamie’s stepmother, she marveled at skaters who could jump, spin, and glide over the ice. When her daughter became a skater, she enjoyed several years as a skating mom.
Elizabeth has also written Young Patriots: Inspiring Stories of the American Revolution. She lives in Florida with her husband where she enjoys reading and boating on the St. Johns River.
~~~
Find Elizabeth here:
http://www.amazon.com/author/elizabethvollstadt
www.elizabethvollstadt.blogspot.com
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Hello from Elizabeth Vollstadt
Hi! I’m Elizabeth Weiss Vollstadt, a children’s writer, and I’m delighted to introduce myself to other authors on Marcia’s blog. I met Marcia when she spoke at the Victoria Gardens Book Club in January. I’ve been following her blog ever since.
As a children’s writer, I’ve been published three different ways:
––On contract for Lucent books, for four non-fiction books
––Traditionally with Boyds Mills Press, for the anthology, Young Patriots: Inspiring Stories of the American Revolution, written with co-author Marcella Anderson
––Independently for my preteen novel, Pairs on Ice.
I’ve discovered that the hardest things about publishing a book is not the writing, but the marketing, and I hope to exchange ideas with other writers about what works. One thing I’ve learned is that it’s especially difficult to market children’s books because most are purchased by libraries––and they rarely buy indie books. So far, I’ve used Amazon, social media, word of mouth, and one ad. My most successful book signings have been at ice rinks. Unfortunately, there are few in Florida.
Pairs on Ice, the first of a three-book series, was published in 2014. It’s about friendship, family, and the competitive world of figure skating. My main character, Jamie, 12, is a singles skater who switches to pairs––and the sparks start to fly! The book was inspired by my years as a skating mom when my daughter competed. I’ve always marveled at skaters who could jump, spin, and glide over the ice. It’s been fun creating characters who can skate the way I’ve always wished I could.
I have just completed revisions on Pairs at Nationals, the second book in the series, and to celebrate, I’m offering the Kindle version of Pairs on Ice for only 99 cents, beginning today, May 17, and lasting through May 23rd.
Pairs On Ice On Sale Today Here
You can find out more about me and Pairs on Ice at my Amazon Author’s Page, http://www.amazon.com/author/elizabethvollstadt
and also at my blog, www.elizabethvollstadt.blogspot.com
I’d love to share marketing ideas with any writers who are interested. Thanks and hope to hear from you.
The Write Stuff 