Friday Funny

This week has been crazy. For those who didn't know my husband and I are foster parents and we just got our first placement this week, a four day old little girl. We love having her, but my youngest is five and a half so having a newborn in the house again is kicking my trash. We are starting to adjust, but I can't say this week have been very productive on the writing front.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy your weekend and this weeks Friday Funny compliments of Drew, my brother-in -law.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80entLldZOg

Win a $10 Gift Card to AMAZON.COM!!!

 Don't worry I will get to the winning part of this blog in just a minute. Right now I wanted to let you know that I have my book out in many different formats and stores.

Here are a list of where you can buy it in ebook format with the corresponding link.
http://www.amazon.com/Celtic-Illusion-Knots-ebook/dp/B0058ONPYQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311610409&sr=8-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/celtic-illusion-tl-marshall/1104361668?ean=2940011381317&itm=1&usri=celtic%2billusion

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Celtic-Illusion/book-p1w7bMfjvE-TSNMrEKiMFg/page1.html

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/70073

If you want to buy it in print you can go here, https://www.createspace.com/3640677 

I am still waiting for Amazon.com to put it up on their site for the printed version. It should be sometime this week and I will keep you posted, but now onto the part about winning. After writing a book and getting it published so the public can purchase it the next part is marketing. I am constantly trying to market my book so people are aware of it. This is one of the ways I've come up with, but I'm going to need your help.

There are two ways to win;

#1. Post one of the above links to your Blog, Facebook, or Twitter account asking people to buy my book. I realize some of you have already done this at one time or another, but really, will it kill you to do it again ;)  Once you have done this send me an email to t.l.marshallcelticknots@gmail.com with the link so I can verify that it's there.You might have to add me as a friend on your account before you do this so I can view it. I hope that is not too much to ask and that you  would want to be my friend even if you don't want to post the link. Seriously people, I'm a perfectly delightful friend so don't be shy!

My facebook account is http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1394731823. 
My Twitter account is http://twitter.com/#!/TLMarshallCKS 

#2. The second way to win is by leaving a positive review for my book on whatever site you bought it from.(Please keep it positive.If you don't like the book I respect that, but remember if you can't write something nice don't write anything at all.) I know a handful of you already have done this so all you will have to do is email my your user name so I can verify it and put you in the drawing. 


You can be put in the drawing twice, once for each of the above ways to win. The winner will be announced on my blog on September 1st and will be getting their gift card through the email they sent their links with. This contest will be starting today and end the last day of August. I am not picking the winner myself I have a website that will do it for me.


Remember to friend or follow me before you send me the email with your link. If you have any questions please email me to the email in this blog and I will get back to you in a timely manner. I am exited to get this contest going so good luck and thank you all for your help.

Printed Copy Is Available

For those who have been waiting for the printed copy of my book it is now available!

Please follow this link to https://www.createspace.com/3640677

It cost $9.99. It will be available through Amazon.com in about a week. Apparently it takes longer for Amazon to get it set up. The cost will be the same on both sites, but to be honest I make more royalty from https://www.createspace.com/3640677. They are who print the book for Amazon anyway.

I really don't care where you buy it from as long as you buy it ;)

Thanks so much for all your support.

Friday Funny

This is an add in the classifieds in our local paper. Love it!!!

$750.00

Fish Cat FC Cougar Pontoon row or kick fin boat - fishcat fishing boat

(Address removed)

OK, let me start off by saying this Pontoon Boat is only available for purchase by the manliest of men (or women). My friend, if it was possible for a Pontoon Boat to sprout chest hair and a five o’clock shadow, this Pontoon Boat would look like Tom Selleck. It is just that manly!!!

It was never intended to float to the mall so you can pick up that adorable shirt at Abercrombie & Fitch that you had your eye on. It wasn’t meant to you to yoga class or Linens & Things. No, that’s what your Prius is for. If that’s the kind of water craft you’re looking for, then just do us all a favor and stop reading right now. I mean it. Just stop.

This Pontoon Boat was engineered by 3rd degree ninja super-warriors in the highest mountains of Japan to serve the needs of the man that cheats death on a daily basis. They didn’t even consider superfluous nancy boy amenities like Navigation(real men don’t get lost), heated leather seats (a real man doesn’t let anything warm his butt), or On Star (real men don’t even know what the hell On Star is).

No, this brute comes with the things us testosterone-fueled super action junkies need. It has a Minn Kota Endura that wields 46 lbs of thrust that will outrun any boat cops. It’s got special blood/gore resistant upholstery.

It even has a first-aid kit in the back (not Really). You know what the first aid kit has in it? A pint of whiskey, a stitch-your-own-wound kit and a hunk of leather to bite down on when you’re operating on yourself. The Minn Kota also has cruise control so if you’re being chased by Libyan terrorists, you’ll still be able to shoot your machine gun over your shoulder and drive at the same time. It’s saved my bacon more than once.

It has room for one… unfortunately the four hotties you picked up on the way to the gym to blast your pecs and hammer your glutes will have to wait on the bank . There’s a motor mount to hold your 50 caliber anti-Taliban, self cooling machine gun. I also just put in a new anchor and rope to replace the one that got shot out by The Man.

My price on this bad boy is an incredibly low $750.00, but I’ll entertain reasonable offers. And by reasonable, I mean don’t walk up and tell me you’ll give me $450 for it. That’s liable to earn you a Burmese-roundhouse-sphincter-kick with a follow up three fingered eye-jab. Would it hurt? Hell yeah. Let’s just say you won’t be the prettiest guy at the Coldplay concert anymore.

There’s only a couple of trips on this pontooned hellcat from Planet Kickass. Trust me; it will outlive you and the offspring that will carry your name. It will live on as a monument to your machismo.

Now, go look in the mirror and tell me what you see. If it’s a rugged, no holds barred, super brute he-man macho Chuck Norris stunt double, then contact me. I might be out hang-gliding or BASE jumping or just chilling with my ladies, but I’ll get back to you. And when I do, we’ll talk about a price over a nice glass of Schmidt while we listen to Johnny Cash.

To sweeten the deal a little, I’m throwing in this pair of MC Hammer pants for the man with rippling quads that can’t fit into regular pants. Yeah, you heard me. FREE MC Hammer pants. Rock on.

Interesting

I found this and thought it was cool. I'm sure some of you have already seen it, but this was my first time. It's a little long, but worth it. Don't worry the guy doesn't talk all the way through so hang in there.

I Want A Maid

I am starting to get over my cold and I have to say that taking two days off from housework was a really bad idea. It looks like a hurricane hit. How is it possible to have a clean house one day and a nightmare mess the next.

Even on a good day I'm lucky to keep it clean for an hour before my kids manage to create complete havoc. I am certainly no clean freak, but I do try to keep a path clear to all exits just in case an emergency evacuation is needed.

That being said I do plan to get back to work tomorrow. First, clean the house. Second, start on book two. Wish me luck with the first, I'm going to need it.

Cold?!?

How is it possible to get a cold in the summer? I rarely even get them in the winter, but it's seems like a slap in the face to get one in the summer. A summer cold is worse then a winter cold. With a winter cold you eat soup, drink hot drinks, and wrap yourself in blankets until you feel better, but if you do that with a summer cold you will die of heat.

Are you wondering why it matters if I have a cold? Well, it's because I wanted to start on book two and now I am too tired and can't think straight. Stupid cold medicine.

I haven't even looked at book two for almost two years. I wrote out the rough draft right after I finished book one several years ago then put it aside to work on book three. I know it's going to need a lot of work, but I was hoping I could get it done in the next couple months.

If anyone out there has a good remedy for a cold that doesn't require eating or drinking anything hot please let me know.

Friday Funny!

This one is for my husband, sorry Gene.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LM9rA4LbOMc

How To Get The New Update

I now know how to get the new update of  my book from Amazon.com.  Send email from the email account linked to your Amazon account you bought the book from if possible. Follow the directions below.

Click this link:  http://www.amazon.com/rsvp-mi?c=ythgcvqv3282580199&q=o2r

Give information it asks for in each section. For some strange reason my order number didn't work so I left the order number section empty and put the order number in the comments section.

In comment section give them this information:

Explain you would like the new update for the book you purchased.

1. Book Title
2. Order Number
3. E-mail address in which the kindle book is redeemed.


Amazon will send you an email letting you know they have updated my book and how you can re-sync it to your kindle.

If you purchased your e-book off smashwords.com you can download it again from your library or search for Celtic Illusion. Click on the Celtic Illusion title. It will take you to that books location and it will show you have already purchased it. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and it will give you the choice to download it again. Click download for the format you want to download the book in and you should be good.

If you have any questions let me know and I will do my best to answer them.

Some Books Should Never Be Written

I would have to say this made me a little uncomfortable, but once again I have to say thanks to Jake for posting it on, Little Things That Kill.

http://jakeyestacado.tumblr.com/post/7216341725/after-reading-this-article-dolphins-across-the

Updating

I am working on an update to the book on Smashwords and Amazon that will have corrections to the errors my readers are finding. I am sure there are going to still be errors found and I will update as they are brought to my attention. Once the updates are approved I will let everyone who has purchased the book prior to the updates know how to upload a new copy of my book, free of charge of course.

Thanks again for all those who are continually helping me find these corrections. If you, as a reader, find an error and would like to see it corrected feel free to email me where you found it by giving me the chapter and sentence you found the problem, but please wait until the new update is out I might have already fixed it.

I really appreciate everyone who has already purchased the book and given my their feedback. If you haven't done so I would love it if you would leave me a review on Amazon or Smashwords letting others know what you thought about the book. Also, I love getting emails from my readers and I do email back so keep them coming :)

Here are a few more pictures from the book files. These are Alison and Tristana's corsages from prom.

A Flower By Any Other Name

Here are a few more pictures I used to help write the book. This is the bouquet of flowers Aidan gave to Tristana before...well I won't give it away if you haven't read the book yet. This is the basket of forget-me-not flowers Aidan gave to Alison when he asked her to prom.

You're So Stupid You Can't Even Spell Stewpid!

I have to give a shout out to a wonderful woman that was once told she was so stupid that she couldn't even spell the word stupid. I'm here to tell you that is far from the truth and it should be a crime to even refer to her in that manner.

Beth, I love you. Thank you so much for all you have done and continue to do to make Celtic Illusion a wonderful book to read. You always have my back and I appreciate it more than words can convey. You are amazing.

Thanks to her I will be able to get the printed version of Celtic Illusion out sooner than I had planned! Stay tuned for a release date.

I Can't Help Myself

I know I said that making mistakes is part of writing and it is. I also know I said I was going to have to let them go, but I can't. After hearing from several people that they found typos I had to go into smashwords and amazon and fix them. I am sure there are more typos to be found, but at least I will be able to sleep knowing I fixed the ones brought to my attention.

I want my readers to have the best experience possible reading my book and if they find errors that bother them I have to fix them. I do apologize for the any distractions this might have caused any of you. This is my first time around and I am learning so much, but hopefully any problems I have will found and fixed quickly.

For those of you who are waiting for the printed version you won't have to wait much longer. If everything goes smoothly (crossing my fingers) it should be out next week. Also as promised I have posted the hairpiece Tristana wore in her hair for prom.

Twitter Novice

I must be feeling brave because I have jumped into the deep end of the pool. I am on Twitter. I know! I'm really being adventurous now. I know very little about Twitter so if anyone has any advice for me that would be great. The only thing I do know is you push the "follow button" when you see someone you want to follow, but that's about it.

Go look me up at, http://twitter.com/#!/TLMarshallCKS

Prom Anyone?

Here are the pictures I told you about. Let me know what you think.

Milestone Hit!

I really didn't know what to expect my first week as a published author. I was really nervous that's for sure. I think anyone trying out a new career has their nerves to deal with. I had spent so much time with this story and I wanted people to love it as much as I do. The characters are so real to me sometimes I forget their are just characters in a book.

I spent a solid nine months putting it together then tearing it apart trying to make it better for my readers. (My family at the time.)  So much time was spent learning the in's and out's to writing a book. I'm what you would call self-taught. I do have a degree, but it's not in literature so this journey has been eye opening.

I would have to say that I didn't really know what kind of goal to set for the first week of sales. I still don't know what would be considered good or bad, but I did have a number in mind and I hit it. I thought if I sold twenty books my first week I would consider it a successful week, but I ended up selling even more.

I have sold 53 book in the first six days! I am so excited about this and I have all my readers to thank. Thank you all for supporting it. I know I need to set a new goal, but right now I am enjoying the moment.

To all those who purchased my book, thank you! I have been wondering what you all have thought about it. I would love to hear from you.

I also thought I might post a special treat for those who have already read, Celtic Illusion. While I was writing the book I went prom dress shopping online for Alison and Tristana. If any of you are interested I still have the pictures of the dresses, corsages, and Tristana's hair piece from prom night.

Leave me a comment if any of you would be interested in having me post them.

Nothing Is Perfect...Except Chocolate!

It's been such a wonderful 4th of July. I couldn't be happier with how my holiday turned out. You could say it came as close to perfect as any holiday can. I had so much wonderful food and great family to share it with. I hope everyone had a great holiday.

As for my book, it's doing really well. It have sold more than I expected the first few days and that all has to do with the wonderful support I get from all of you. Thank you so much. Some bad news though. I unfortunately have had a few typos pointed out to me since the book come out. I have struggled with this because I hate typos. They drive me crazy. I had it edited numerous times and then read by several different people so I could prevent this, but alas some still got through. I want to apologize to my readers for this. I do the best I can and so do the people who help edit. I am far from perfect, but still hope you can get past the mistakes and enjoy the story.

I have had a few people ask me about smashwords.com so I thought I would give you a link to those interested in publishing their own books. I found this article very helpful.
 http://www.lindsayburoker.com/book-marketing/how-to-sell-more-ebooks-at-smashwords/

Smashwords.com is a really great website for readers and authors alike. They give better royalties to the authors  and have more formats to choose from for the readers then the other e-book websites. I love all the e-book websites don't get me wrong, but more money for your work is always appreciated and more format options for the readers is wonderful. If you aren't familiar with smashwords.com go check them out.

Holiday Fun

Getting ready for a wonderful day full of holiday fun. I get to enjoy the four F's. Family, Friends, Food and Fireworks. My kids are all jazzed to get started. We are hosting a family BBQ after our town's parade and then later in the evening we get to go to another BBQ and watch fireworks. I would have to say that our small town really knows how to celebrate the 4th of July. I love my little town and the people in it.

We live in a beautiful country and I am grateful for all the freedoms I enjoy. I hope everyone has a fun and safe holiday.

Facebook Group

My husband start a Facebook group for the Celtic Knots Series. Feel free to come join.



http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_185348331519553

Taking A Deep Breath

Wow, it's been crazy. I want to thank all those who have already purchased my book. I really appreciate the support. I also want to thank all those who have spread the word. I have gotten wonderful feedback so far. I even had someone go out and buy a Kindle just to read my book after hearing from a friend how much she enjoyed it. (It wasn't even someone I know personally) So thanks to all of you. Word of mouth is the best marketing tool for me.

To those who are waiting for it to come out in the printed version you hopefully won't have to wait too much longer. I am working with the printers to get it out soon. We ran into a few issues due to formatting, but I think we've gotten them straightened out. I do have a final price for it though. It will be $9.99. You will be able to buy it on Amazon.com and my ebook store. When I get the links I will post them.

I would like to share a few things I've learned during this process. One, publishing is a lot of work ;) , if you plan on going this route make sure you have a great support system backing you. It can be discouraging. Two, I have the best family and friends in the world. They are a class act for sure and I am grateful to all of them. Three, how anyone makes money writing books is beyond me, especially the printed kind. Believe when I say I will not be buying a house in the Caribbean anytime soon.

I am not telling you this so you will feel sorry for me and if you do, don't! I love what I do, but if anyone out there is hoping to write a book thinking their going to make a million dollars you might want to think again.

I would like to quote some advice given to me when I started writing and that is; "Don't quit your day job. Do it because you love it, not because you think you will get rich quick because you will be disappointed."

That being said, I want you to know I do love it. I love the whole process, it's been a wild ride and totally worth it. My favorite part has been hearing from readers. Hearing that someone loves my work is the best payoff. So please, when you are done reading it, let me know what you think. It would also be very helpful if you could leave me a review on Amazon.com or Smashwords.com as well.

I would love to hear from you and your thoughts on the book. I have an email linked to this blog that if you don't want to leave a comment you can just send me an email. The email address is: T.L.Marshallcelticknots@gmail.com. Hope to hear from you soon.