One Week to Go!

April 18, 2015April 18, 2015 / Marcia Meara / 3 Comments

I’m really getting excited about these river tours, now, and I’m going to throw myself on your mercy yet again to share this post everywhere you can. I want to be sure we fill the boat for Captain Jeanne and Doug. Thanks so much for any help you can give me. Next week at this time, we’ll be about halfway through our river tour, having no doubt spotted all sorts of wildlife and birds, and learned some of the river’s history from Captain Jeanne. Maybe Doug will have called up some barred owls to amuse us, or maybe we’ll have spotted something rare and unusual along the way. I will have done a short reading from Swamp Ghosts at the start of the tour, and probably spent a few minutes talking about the fictional town of Riverbend, Florida, or even explained a bit about the differences between albino and leucistic reptiles, which comes into play in my book. (Contrary to what Ned Hickson would have you believe, I will NOT have wrestled any gators for you, albino or otherwise!) I will, however, be open to some Question and Answer time, and we also have a surprise or two in store, as well, for some lucky passengers.

Leucistic Alligator (We won’t see any of these on the St. Johns, but we will probably talk about them.)!

Black bears have been spotted on the tours.

Bobcats, too.

You never know WHAT might be waiting for you! Even this is possible. Highly doubtful, to be sure, but…possible!

If you are in the area, please join us. If not, please let others know, so they might be able to come along for the ride. The river is bursting with life this time of year, and you just never know what you might see. To book a tour online, go here: St. John’s River Eco Tours. Even if you can’t go on the Meet the Author Tour next Saturday or Tuesday, you really should do this some time. It’s fabulous! And so relaxing!

So come join us on the Naiad. You’ll be glad you did!

Swamp Ghosts Meet the Author Tours, Please Share!

April 14, 2015April 14, 2015 / Marcia Meara / 13 Comments

Come have fun on the St. John’s River! Meet Marcia Meara, best-selling Amazon author of #SwampGhosts, on Saturday, April 25 or Tuesday, April 28. Tours depart Highbanks Marina in DeBary at 1:30PM.

Experience the eco tour that inspired the book, accompanied by the real life counterparts of Maggie Devlin and Gunnar Wolfe. Enjoy the peace, beauty, and wildlife of the St. Johns river, and enter to win a $50 gift basket, containing, among other things, Books 1 and 2 of Marcia’s Wake-Robin Ridge series. Don’t miss out! Book your Swamp Ghosts Meet the Author tour today.

Swamp Ghosts Meet the Author Tours:
Saturday, April 25, 1:30PM
Tuesday, April 28, 1:30PM

Building That Local Readership

March 24, 2015 / Marcia Meara / 2 Comments

Happy Tewe’s Day, Everyone! Sure has been quiet around here, so guess it’s time for me to put my writing aside for a bit and give a shout out to all you wonderful contributors, and a welcome to all new members. We are growing at a pretty nice clip!

I’ve posted before on increasing sales and name recognition through building a local readership, but just wanted to touch on that again. When you are new to the game, like I am, every single sale is a celebration, so I’m always looking for ideas. As I’ve mentioned before, my second series is set here in central Florida, in a fictional town called Riverbend. I’ve carefully placed Riverbend between two very real small Florida towns, and I’ve mentioned both in the books. Plus, my main characters in Book 1, Swamp Ghosts, were inspired by a real life couple, which gave me the opportunity to thank them in my Author Acknowledgements at the end of the book, and to link to their very popular eco tours on the St. Johns River. This is all by way of letting you know that I have a perfect set up for reaching local readers via local businesses.

Some of this was pure happenstance, but in Book 2 of the series, Hunter, I’ve looked for chances to mention places and small business (only where appropriate to the story, mind you) that people living here will recognize. The upshot of all of this is that I have been asked to give Meet the Author presentations by several local venues, and I now have my books for sale in two more area gift shops.

Will I get rich doing this? Well, in a word, no. Even though I sign and sell books at every event, and one of my shops is doing a bang up job of selling for me, as well, it won’t amount to what I’ll sell in eBooks during the same time period. But I look at it as an unqualified success anyway. First of all, there’s name recognition being built. This is advertising that doesn’t cost me a thing, and even manages to make a wee bit of profit for me with each sale. Name recognition translates to more sales on amazon, as readers who enjoy this Florida series look to see what else I’ve written, and tell their neighbors about my books.

And then there’s that magic phrase, Word of Mouth. I think I’ll work it up in needlepoint and hang it on my wall. In spite of all the dollars spent on advertising, word of mouth is still the number one reason people buy books. You can’t beat it, and anything that garners it for you is GOLD.

And last…meeting your readers is FUN. Pure, plain, and simple. Nothing makes me feel better than talking to people who have read my books and enjoyed them, or are looking forward to reading them, because they heard they were good. That’s when I know all the long hours at the computer were worth it. I thoroughly enjoy every chance I get to talk books in general, anyway, and the people I meet at signings are just the icing on the cake!

If you can think of any way to get your books, and yourself, “out there” in your local area, I highly recommend giving it a try. If nothing else, it will get you out from behind your desk for a few hours. And if all goes well, you’ll start building a local market for your work at the same time.

St. Cloud Author Symposium

February 1, 2015February 1, 2015 / Marcia Meara / 15 Comments

Me, Pretending to Be A Real, Non-Sick Author

Went to my first Author Symposium and Book Signing yesterday, even though I was still dragging around in a semi-stupor of lingering exhaustion resulting from my five-week battle with the flu. I won, though you can’t tell it to look at me! I have to say that even though I wasn’t functioning at 100%, I had a wonderful time, and got to meet some super nice people that I hope to stay in touch with.

For some reason, author Eldon G. Brown and I had to share a very teeny-tiny table, which wreaked havoc with my carefully planned display (most of which stayed in my tote bags), but we made do. We’re authors. When something goes awry, you just yell, “Plot twist!” and forge ahead, right?

Eldon has written several books, available on Amazon. I was really intrigued by Dead Girl in a Charleston Marsh. (You gotta love that title. No, seriously. You gotta.) And the cover is great, too. Check it out!

Next to us was author Louis K. Lowy, a really friendly guy with what looks like a pretty funny book, available on Amazon, as well. Any man who can make me laugh is a friend I want to keep. Check out Louis’ book Die Laughing, and see what you think. I’m going to, for sure!

And the other author in our cul-de-sac was Pamela Labud, who was promoting the first book in her Blue Star Baby Trilogy, Grave Danger. It’s a post-apocalyptic zombie story about a re-animator, and it sounded good enough to convince me I should read it, even though zombies aren’t favorites of mine. Still, a well-told story is always worth the read, no matter the genre, and I could tell from looking this one over, it’s going to be good. After checking out Pamela’s Author Page on Amazon, I was truly impressed with her body of work, which spans several genres and more than one name. 🙂 (She also writes as Leigh Curtis.)

Pamela, Louis, and Eldon, I hope we’ll see you all here on The Write Stuff. I’m sure we can learn from each other, and you can share your work and promos here, as well. Great meeting you!

My sincere thanks to author Gunnar Angel Lawrence (The Perfect Day) for putting the event together. Great job! Also, thanks to the good folk at the St. Cloud Veteran’s Memorial Library for all their hard work. It was a great venue!

All in all, I’m so glad I went, because…how often do you get your picture taken with a cow in blue pajamas? I mean, hello…cow!

Release Day for Amy’s Choice!

November 1, 2014 / Marcia Strykowski / 6 Comments

Hi fellow readers and writers! I’m so happy to be able to pop on here during my book’s birthday celebration. Amy’s Choice, a coming-of-age tween novel, is the sequel to Call Me Amy, which was selected for Bankstreet College of Education’s list of Best Children’s Books for 2014.

double covers

Amy finds more than an abandoned seal pup in her tiny fishing village on the coast of Maine during 1973. Both of these books are published by Luminis Books and today marks the official release of Amy’s Choice. I’ll be signing hot-off-the-press copies at the Salem, NH Barnes & Noble (2-4) and I’m also giving away prizes today on my own blog: www.marciastrykowski.com.

Meanwhile, I’d love to share this interview Marcia Meara posted on her popular Bookin’ It blog a while back. Here are the first questions followed by a link to the original post:

Wednesday Author Interview: Meet Marcia Strykowski

Bookin’ It is happy to have Childrens/Tween author Marcia Strykowski with us today. Hi, Marcia! Nice name! *grin* Could you tell us a bit about how you became a writer? When did you decide that’s what you wanted to be, and what steps did you take to prepare for a writing career?

MS: I was always creating storybooks as a kid, so my interest evolved from there. I took an array of classes in writing and illustrating books in college. Eventually I tried expanding one of my shorter manuscripts until it turned into my first tween novel, Call Me Amy. After much reworking, I submitted it to publishers and it was accepted by Luminis Books. My next two novels were a lot easier to write, now that I was familiar with the process. I also joined SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators) and volunteered at their conferences. Most importantly, I’ve been in several long-term critique groups over the years.

BI: I love the genre you are aiming for with Call Me Amy. Those “tween” years seem to fall between the cracks, at times, with many books being geared for much younger audiences, or much older, more experienced ones. Were you inspired by any particular authors, past or present, and what is it about their work that impresses you, or moves you?

MS: I’m inspired by many different authors—there are so many great ones. Novels such as To Kill a Mockingbird and Anne of Green Gables, where the characters, setting, and storyline stay with you long after the last page, are especially inspirational. A few of the many authors who motivate me include Katherine Paterson, Richard Peck, M. M. Kaye, and Willa Cather.

BI: Great choices. What genres do you read most often for pleasure…those books you gravitate toward the minute you walk into a bookstore?

MS: I would probably first check out the YA section and I especially enjoy historical fiction. For example, I recently listened to The Invention of Wingsby Sue Monk Kidd on audio—loved it!

BI: Haven’t read The Invention of Wings, yet, but I loved The Secret Life of Bees, and The Mermaid’s Chair. I’m making note, here. On to the more physical aspects of your writing. Do you have a dedicated workspace, and are you consistent with the amount of time you spend writing each day?

To continue reading the rest of this interview, please click here.

To find out more about the ‘Amy’ books (and to win gift cards and books), please follow my website (I’ll look forward to checking out yours in turn). I’m also on Twitter: @MarciaStry

Okay, I’m off to help Amy blow out her birthday candles. Thanks so much for joining us and happy National Author’s Day, too (a nice coincidence)!

Building a Local Audience

October 27, 2014October 27, 2014 / Marcia Meara / Leave a comment

Captain Jeanne Bell’s Ecotour Boat, the Naiad

I’m wondering how many of you have had an opportunity (or created one) to meet and greet with local readers in your own cities and communities? I confess, I hadn’t given this much thought until recently, and what brought it all to my attention was what happened when I gave my friend, Captain Jeanne Bell, a signed copy of Swamp Ghosts.

Now Captain Jeanne is the reason I wrote Swamp Ghosts. She runs the Naiad, an eco-tour boat on the St. Johns River, along with her husband, wildlife photographer Doug Little. I’ve been on this tour many times, and it was always a relaxing and beautiful way to spend an afternoon. Once, after coming home from an especially interesting trip, filled with sightings of birds, manatees, alligators, and all-around scenic beauty, I got the idea that an eco-tour boat operator would make a great heroine for a romantic suspense novel, and Swamp Ghosts was born. When Jeanne read the finished book, she loved it, and I got a message from her that she had been promoting the book to various local visitor centers and small attractions. Lo and behold, three of them immediately wanted to carry my book in their gift shops, and two have already asked me to do presentations for them. (Jeanne and Doug have a few more places in mind, too, so who knows what might happen?) They have also mentioned the possibility of doing a Meet The Author event aboard the Naiad. How much fun would that be?

I don’t know about you guys, but this seems to me to be a very good thing. The first place I’ll be visiting is a nature preserve adjacent to the DeBary Library, and I can give my talk and have a book signing, plus they are likely to stock my book. The second is at an historic home near Lake Monroe, where they have a fantastic guided tour, a gift shop, and a fun theater (complete with revolving seats) that gives an overview of the history of the home and the paddlewheel boats that plied the river in the 1800’s. I’ve also been invited to take part in an Author Symposium & Book Signing in St. Cloud in January. Not sure exactly how big this will be, but I’m excited to attend my first one of this type.

Many of you have probably done tons of bigger signings at prestigious book stores and so forth, but I’m wondering if any of you have also tried working the local shops, libraries, and the like. Since Swamp Ghosts is set in a small, fictional town that I squeezed in between two real central Florida towns, and since it features many scenes on the St. Johns River, there are a lot of things local readers will recognize in the book (which is going to be a series), so I’m thinking building a local readership could really be a good thing.

I plan to post here about each event, as they take place, and let you know how it went, and what I learned along the way, and I’d love to hear if any of you have tried something of this nature, and if so, how it has worked for you?

Purple Gallinule
One example of the kinds of birds seen while cruising on the Naiad.

Book Signings? Love ’em? Hate ’em?

October 1, 2014 / Marcia Meara / 14 Comments

I’m planning to do my first book signing at a library in a little town south of Orlando, in January. I have no idea what to expect, but I wanted to get some experience with the idea, and thought it would be a good place to start. (Plus they invited me! 😀 ) Have any of you done signings? Can you share any of your experiences with us? I know Evelyn Cullet & Ned Hickson have, so I hope they’ll pop in here, but how about the rest of you? And if you haven’t done any yourself, have you gone to any for other authors you’d like to tell us about? Caitlin? Anyone? (Caitlin, I’d love to share your photo with Ilona Andrews, if you wouldn’t mind.)