It has been a while since I have shared some Marketing and Promoting Advice/Tips with all the authors and writers who stop by and visit the “Reading Den.” I always get good tips and also do my own research on what is trending and hot in book promoting or large book sites that offer low-cost or FREE promoting. I want to share some changes as well that have made in regards to my small literary business. Readers seem to be back to reading all formats and not just e-books and audiobooks.
More and more authors are also releasing new books like crazy and my business is finally picking back up after last year and due to the COVID virus. So let me start with a fantastic new place I came across that covers and promotes your books through Twitter and it’s FREE to register and promote your books! Who doesn’t love free? The book site is called “Book Club Pro” and the link to Register is >>>> https://www.bookclubpro.com/users/sign_up and it really is free to use. All you do is fill out the form, create a Author Profile, then start adding your books! Pretty Simple!
When you begin listing your books, they don’t have to be on promo sale. But this IS a great place and tool to use if are reducing the price of your e-book for a promo sale. Either way? Your books will great exposure. And make sure you ADD your Amazon Link to your e-book listing. I forgot at first and could not understand why my books were not being tweeted automatically! Yes, they do all the tweet posts for you! So go now and get your books listed.
Now about Cat’s business changes. I have changed my business name to Lyon Literary Services & Marketing Plans and the “GUY” who runs my official website of the same name is working hard to get the changes done that I need for the domain and what I am now offering.
So, I made a temporary page for what I’m offering and doing now here this website. So instead of Cat putting it all here? You may visit my page that has the three Marketing Plans we offer and all come with free consulting, referrals, and book ad discounts.
If you are looking for help or would like to purchase a plan and work with Cat? Just send my an EMAIL: lyonmedia@aol.com and we can set an appointment to chat and discuss what your goals are for your books. My testimonials and current authors we have custom made marketing plans will be finished soon, but check out my sidebar Photo Gallery to see who are working with or our former recent clients.
Cat’s main goal for our clients is of course, great exposure, increased sales and book reviews! Put Cat to work on your next book release and will make it SHINE!
Cat is always excited to share my authors news and updates about the books I read and when our authors are garnishing some amazing accolades for their craft as writers, and Ms. Diane Olsen, a dear friend and fellow award-winning author has grab herself another amazing book review by the literary site and book influencers of Readers Favorite! Diane’s new book series of Rising Wind has readers of action/mystery and cross-genres reeling with this book series. And the Amazon Rave Reviews share it.
Diane released book one of the series titled “The Thunder Beings” in Jan., 2019 and it was a hit with readers! They could not wait for books two and three! Well, She has finally released book two of the Rising Wind series titled “Ice and Bone” on May 4th, 2021, as right behind it came book three titled “The Weeping God and The Book of Hope” on May 25th, 2021!
Will give all the readers of Book One to now read both books 2 & 3 to catch up… Lol.
So without anymore delay, here is what Readers Favorite shared about book three, the finale, and about the book series as a whole.
I hope you enjoy learning all about this series and will give it a read and review too! ~Cat Lyon
For immediate release:
Diane Olsen’s new book receives a warm literary welcome.
Readers’ Favorite announces the review of the Fiction – Action book “Rising Wind: The Weeping God and the Book of Hope” by Diane Olsen, currently available at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1737204010
Readers’ Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the “Best Websites for Authors” and “Honoring Excellence” awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.
Reviewed By Scott Cahan for Readers’ Favorite
“The Weeping God and the Book of Hope is part three in the Rising Wind series by Diane Olsen. This book is actually a prequel to the first two books, so it’s not necessary to have read those first. The two lead characters, Sage Dalton and L.W., are the parents of the main character in the other Rising Wind books.
Although the characters are different and it is set in an earlier time period, the tone of the book is very similar. This time they discover an ancient text in a Mexican desert tomb that leads Sage, L.W., and a group of fellow explorers to Tibet where they find themselves in the middle of a war. Even with danger at every turn, they still manage to discover secret caves that lead them toward an elusive yet powerful Book of Hope.
The Weeping God and the Book of Hope, just like the other books in Diane Olsen’s series, combine three strong story elements to make for a fun, exciting, and educational read. First, and foremost, her books have a superb cast of characters that readers can easily relate to. They care about each other, work together to achieve a common goal, laugh together, and cry together.
Second, her stories revolve around rare ancient discoveries found all around the world. Much like the great Indiana Jones films, each new discovery comes with an element of danger. Sometimes the danger comes from a person or an organization that wants to keep the discovery for themselves, or the danger comes from the object itself, or sometimes it’s a little of both. The third common theme is an embracing of all world religions.
Religion is somehow intertwined with each rare find that the characters make. I appreciate the way Ms. Olsen always characterizes the religious elements in her stories in a positive light, as the hope of mankind rather than the way most works of fiction portray religion in a negative sense as mankind’s biggest problem. This book is a fun read filled with colorful characters and lots of action.
I highly recommend it for fans of character-driven adventure who like to learn about science, ancient civilizations, and world religions along the way.”
Diane Olsen is the prolific writer & award-winning author of her debut book titled; “Ancient Ways: The Roots of Religion,” a Bronze Medal Winner awarded by Christian Illumination Book Awards and released in 2016. Diane’s debut release of “Ancient Ways” is a thought-provoking informative look at the development and evolution of religion throughout time and a well-considered concept – the idea of a connective thread of monotheistic faith throughout history from the birth of human creation.
Diane now shares her book series titled; RISING WIND with book one released titled “The Thunder Beings” in 2018. Now she has released book two titled ICE and BONE of the Rising Wind Series. Adapted from an original screenplay Diane wrote several years ago, she has now written it within a three-part book series for her readers and fans to enjoy. It is an excellent multi-cultural light Christian-themed action-adventure mystery thrill ride like no other book series.
Diane was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and resides in the beautiful Pacific Northwest in Washington. She is an undergrad at Colorado State University Ft. Collins: Pre-vet med, Anthropology, then attended and received her BA and MA at the University of Montana, Missoula: Anthropology, Archaeology, and Paleontology.
She was a Graduate Teaching Assistant for two years. Diane enjoys writing, reading good books, spending time with her family and grandkids, animals, and loves cooking. A few of her favorite books are ‘The Book of Certitude (Kitab-i-Iqan), The Upanishads, and The Great Initiates.’
“PresentedBy Cat Lyon’s Reading Den and “Lyon Literary Services & Consulting” Are You An Author Needing A Great Marketing Start and Plan for Your New Book?
“They were the fathers we never knew, the uncles we never met, the friends who never returned, the heroes we can never repay. They gave us our world. And those simple sounds of freedom we hear today are their voices speaking to us across the years.” ~Bill Clinton
Former President Bill Clinton
New Book Coming In Sept. 2021 By Author Roger Stark
An Introduction of The Book By Author and Writer Roger Stark
“They Called Him Marvin” crosses the boundaries of several genres.
New Adult readers can read the letters and a story of someone their own age being in love trying to make a family and fighting a war. Military readers can follow the development of the B-29 and join Dean and the crew on a few missions and even learn what being a “Special Prisoner” in Japan was like. History buffs can expand their knowledge of World War 2 and the interactions of nations.
Looking for a love story? Dean and Connie have a passionate love for each other, that is why their is a Marvin. Their passion is described with dignity. Finally, the reader interested in religion and spirituality will learn Dean attended a new church with a soldier friend. He liked the church so much he joined it and met a girl he liked so much he married her. His faith carries him through the difficult things he has to endure.
Bill Clinton said it best: “They were the fathers we never knew, the uncles we never met, the friends who never returned, the heroes we can never repay. They gave us our world. And those simple sounds of freedom we hear today are their voices speaking to us across the years.”
Let us remember them and honor the sacrifice of all the Dean’s, Connie’s, and Marvin’s.
2nd Lieutenant Dean Sherman pictured here in August of 1942.
MORE ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I would describe myself as a reluctant writer. But when a story comes along that demands to be told, you pick up your pen. Six years ago I heard the story of a friend’s father in World War II. I was so moved by his telling of the story that I asked if he would allow me to write it. The result is the soon to be published “They Called Him Marvin.” My life has been touched in so many ways by being part of documenting this profound story.
My career as an addiction counselor (CDP) now retired, lead me to write “The Waterfall Concept; A Blueprint for Addiction Recovery,” and co-author “Reclaiming Your Addicted Brain.” After my counseling retirement, I decided I wanted to learn more about the craft of writing and started attending classes at Portland Oregon’s Attic Institute. What I learned is that there are an mazing number of great writers in my area and they were willing to help others improve their skills.
Please read “They Called Him Marvin” when it releases this September, 2021 and NOT because I need book sales, rather because we all need to remember what they gave for us.
My next project is already underway, a memoir of growing up in Southwest Washington state called “Life on a Sorta Farm.” My wife of 49 years, Susan and I still live in the southwest Washington area. We raised seven children, and have eleven grandchildren. We love to travel and see the sites and cultures of the world. I still get on my bicycle whenever I can.
MORE ABOUT THE BOOK and THE BEAUTIFUL BACKSTORY
Such a man was 1st Lt Dean Harold Sherman, B-29 Airplane Commander.
“They Called Him Marvin” is a history. A history of war and of family. A history of the collision of the raging politics of a global war, young love, patriotism, sacred family commitments, duty and the horrors and tragedies, the catastrophe that war is.
It all starts when Dean accepts an innocent invitation to attend Church with his friend Stanley, who’s girl friend happened to be the best friend of Constance Baldwin, who also just happened to attend the same Waterloo Ward of the Mormon Church, who also didn’t have a boy friend, and who was also more than happy to make a visitor feel welcome.
Lt Sherman enjoyed the experience so much he joined the church and married the girl.
Not all the characters are human. The B-29, it’s development and history assumes a role as a main character.
The war, as all wars do, has two sides. The lives of a Japanese family, the Kiyoshis, and their interactions with the B-29s is woven throughout the narrative.
At first glance, the story does not seem to end well for Lt Sherman his wife Constance and the newly born Marvin. His B-29 is shot down over Nagoya, he is captured and labeled a war criminal for the incendiary bombing of the city. But that is definitely not the end of their story.
Their history is partially documented through the sixty seven letters exchanged between a twenty year old Dean and his still teenaged pregnant wife. The un-edited letters provide their own words to help tell the story. When Marvin was born, 18 Feb 1945, Dean without knowledge of the Marvin’s birth wrote:
“Whenever I hear nice soft music, I think of you. And when the sun comes up so bright and fresh in the morning, I’m reminded of you. When I take a short walk in the moonlight I have the pleasantest memories of you and all the wonderful times we have spent together. Darling, those things mean all the world to me, an I keep thinking of the something new that has been added to us, and the blessings that have been ours continuously all being added up to make the future all ahead of us better to live for and more to be desired.
I guess you know from these things that I am ever so glad I married you, although it never could have been any different because we were just meant for each other. All the incidents and happenings that brought us together, though they may seem like accidents, seem to me to have just been part of a plan that been so plain that we just couldn’t see it. I just keep getting more and more in love with you all the time too, Honey.”
The day Dean was shot down Connie, again without knowledge of his situation confesses in her 14 May 1945 letter:
“I’m in a rather odd mood tonight Honey, and it is most all about you and Marvin and me. I have been trying to decide whether or not I would write to you tonight most all evening. I wanted to, but I didn’t know if I could express my feelings as I would want to, and, as I feel them. As you can see Honey, I have made up my mind to try. How well I succeed remains to be seen.”
* * * * * * *
I will add that you may read many of the early ARC reads and reviews already coming in for this amazing book even before it’s release on Goodreads here>>> https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56853641-they-called-him-marvin?ac=1 and there are many! I will be sharing more updates and new about the Author, Roger Stark. I think the beautiful letters exchanged between Dean and Connie could be another ROMANCE book. What a amazing opportunity to be privy to those 60+ love letters. As Roger said, “those love letters are part of HISTORY”…
As most of my author friends know, one of my favorite “go to” places for readers and a promo site that I add all my author clients on? Of course, it is my friends of All Author here>>> https://allauthor.com/ …
Many of you may NOT know they are located out of the country in India as Mady, Vaveen, and the team work hard to provide exceptional promotion and marketing for DIY authors.
Sadly, many of the team have tested positive for COVID-19 and could really use some help from the Reader, Writer, and Author Community Right Now and why I am sharing the notice they sent out. We have seen on the news here in States just how DIRE it is in India right now. The have to suspend the services for a few weeks due to so many have tested positive.
Here is what All Author sent out and shared. I hope all my friends will help out a little with a DONATION. I just made one and I hope you will too! 💝✝✨✨✨📚 Please keep the team in your PRAYERS TOO!
allauthor.com
Hi Catherine,
The last year has been tough on all of us with the pandemic taking a toll on our physical and mental health.
As you might have heard on the news, the situation in India is worsening every day with the coronavirus spreading rapidly.
Today we are coming to you with some unfortunate news — our co-founder, Naveen Joshi, and most of our staff have tested positive for COVID-19.
Due to this dreadful situation, We’ll be pausing our operations and development work until May 12 to give time for our team to recover fully. So, there’ll be a delay from our side in responding to the support queries. We request you to please bear with us until our team recovers.
That said, our platform will be functioning as usual and you can continue using our tools and features.
Things are getting extremely tough as many of our employees’ family members have also been tested positive for COVID-19. So, we need all the support we can get to recover and get back to work in full force.
Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers for the speedy recovery of our team and their families.
If you wish to donate to the medical expenses of our AllAuthor team and their families, please use the below link.
Every small gesture and action would mean so much to us.
Thanks ahead for your gifts and for your understanding.
Stay safe!, Mady & Naveen Team AllAuthor
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FOR AUTHORS Who Don’t About The Great Services you get with a FREE or a Paid Plan? Here is more about how they help YOU get AMAZING Book Exposure! Stop By And learn how they can help you here>>>>> https://allauthor.com/about-us/
Cat sure enjoys sharing our author friends when they receive well deserved literary accolades and what this post is all about. Big congrats to Peggy Hinaekian for just receiving a 5-Star awarded book review by Readers Favorite! They are a big literary influencer for exceptional authors, writers, and their written works.
Peggy is also an internationally known artist, so it didn’t surprise me too much that she was given 5-STARS from RF as her book titled “Collection of Short Stories and Essays “Of Humans and Animals” includes some of her art sketches within the pages of her new book. If you have not read this release yet by Peggy, I highly suggest you do.
Author’s new book receives a warm literary welcome.
Readers’ Favorite announces the review of the Fiction – Literary book “Collection of Short Stories and Essays “Of Humans and Animals”” by Peggy Hinaekian, currently available at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1646206827.
Readers’ Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the “Best Websites for Authors” and “Honoring Excellence” awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.
“Reviewed By Jon Michael Miller for Readers’ Favorite“
“In the thought-provoking and enjoyably engaging Collection of Short Stories and Essays: “Of Humans and Animals” by Peggy Hinaekian, you will meet an amazing array of characters from a variety of locales and points of view. Direct, guileless, with ironic humor, Peggy Hinaekian demonstrates her virtuosity as a writer and a visual artist.
There are 29 easy-to-read and much-to-think-about stories, most preceded by enigmatic Picasso-like drawings, an ideal volume to keep by your side or on your coffee table to fill those idle spaces in your daily life. There is even a piece written by a zoo gorilla named Bella, and two poems penned by house cats. And every presentation opens an area that we often think about but seldom have the pluck to express.
A common theme is sexual unease, whether in marriage or simply the malaise of relationships turned tepid without romance and adventure, of bored partners quietly seeking replacements, of erotic unfulfillment. It might be a man thinking about picking up a woman in a coffee shop, or vice-versa.
Or a lonely traveler, or a disgruntled housewife, or an erotic dream. Nothing very graphic, but strong feelings, a woman seeking her “Rhett Butler,” or a wealthy man searching for a suitable mother for his imagined child. There are several child personae too. But every story is a challenging gem of frank insight into our tightly held but seldom spoken viewpoints.
Taken all together, we find a fine writer speaking profoundly about the loneliness and yearning of being alive. The slices of life in Collection of Short Stories and Essays: “Of Humans and Animals” by Peggy Hinaekian is like a huge bouquet of hidden truth that will amuse and sometimes sadden the reader, but always enliven one’s inner joy at exuberantly expressed reality. Every story hits its target.”
Readers’ Favorite LLC Media Relations Louisville, KY 40202
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Of Armenian origin author, Peggy Hinaekian was born and raised in Egypt. Her paternal grandfather had the largest private library in Egypt, and Peggy was introduced to books in three languages (English, French, and Armenian) at a very young age.
Peggy grew up in a very cosmopolitan environment and was an avid reader. Since the age of ten, she kept a journal and always wrote short stories, essays, and children’s picture books.
She immigrated to Canada with her first husband and then went on to the United States, where she pursued a career in fashion designing in New York in fine arts. After her divorce, she left that behind and moved to Geneva, Switzerland, and continued her career as an artist.
Peggy Hinaekian is a writer and author; she is an internationally recognized, well-established artist living and working in the United States and Switzerland.
Now with three literary works to her credit, you may purchase her books from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and many fine online book stores. She is married, raised three beautiful sons, and resides with her husband part-time in Florida & California.
Meet Author Marilyn L. Davis, a tireless advocate of addiction and recovery and an extraordinary writer. Deb from Book goodies caught up with her as her new book, “Finding North: From Addict to Advocate,” has released on Amazon. So I wanted to share this fantastic interview with all my readers so you can learn more about the woman behind the book.
I just happened to finish reading and gave her a 5-stars! My review is now on Amazon. Readers Favorite thought her book was also fantastic and gave Marilyn a 5-star awarded book review too.
New in recovery, a chance encounter with Gray Hawk, a 74-year old Native American, showed her that healing would include looking within, taking Steps, and creating a house of healing for other women.
Today, Marilyn is a Certified Addiction Recovery Empowerment Specialist, recently celebrating thirty-two years of abstinence-based recovery. From 1990-2011, she opened and managed North House, an award-winning residential facility for women.
Before reaching this milestone, she was a desperate woman on drugs, managing rock bands at night, pretending to be okay, but ultimately giving up on herself, losing her husband, children, family, and friends due to her addiction.
This book is that journey.
In-Depth Author Interview With Marilyn L. Davis
Marilyn L. Davis is the author of the memoir Finding North: A Journey from Addict to Advocate. A chance encounter with a 74-year-old Native American helped her find her purpose. From 1990-2011, she opened and managed North House, an award-winning residential recovery home for women.
She is also the Editor-in-Chief at her recovery blog, From Addict 2 Advocate. She recently celebrated 32 years of abstinence-based recovery and is a Certified Addiction Recovery Empowerment Specialist.
Before her recovery, she was a desperate woman on drugs, managing rock bands at night, pretending to be okay at PTA meetings, but ultimately giving up on herself, losing her husband, children, family, and friends due to her addiction.
Marilyn is widely known for her writing in many literary communities, including her award-winning website, Two Drops of Ink, where she encourages collaborative writing and is the Editor-in-Chief. The site’s writers are poets, problem-solvers for writers and bloggers, as well as those who educate, entertain, and enchant us with the written word. The writers represent different countries, viewpoints, and opinions.
When she is not writing, Marilyn is an avid reader, enjoys gardening and cooking. She has raised two beautiful grown daughters, both in recovery, and is a Nana to four grandchildren. None of her grandchildren have ever seen their mother’s or their Nana use, so maybe the addiction cycle is broken. She resides in an Atlanta suburb with a controlling cat named Jackson.
What inspires you to write? I am inspired to write as I believe that writing helps us heal. Whether it’s a journal or a memoir that we publish, writing allows us the emotional safety to fully explore our thoughts and feelings.
Since I was a child, I’ve scribbled down words once I understood that those black squiggly lines on a page told a story. I was bullied as a child, and these passages helped me feel better about myself and my isolated world.
I don’t know that it was ‘inspiration’ that helped me create a recovery curriculum for my recovery home. It felt more like desperation. I got tired of saying the same thing, so I decided to write it out. The response to Therapeutic Integrated Educational Recovery System (TIERS) gave me the confidence to start writing at Two Drops of Ink and ultimately write my memoir.
What authors do you read when you aren’t writing? Each of the following authors helps me learn the craft of writing: Joan Didion, Vladimir Nabokov, Roshani Chokshi, Neil Gaiman, Anne Lamott, Natalie Goldberg, Annie Dillard, William Zinsser, Roy Peter Clark and others.
Tell us about your writing process. My writing process starts with an idea, topic, or subject that I want to write about, prompted by a conversation, a question from one of my recovery groups, or emails with other writers.
Taking the idea and doing some looping, brainstorming, prewriting, and then creating a first draft complete that phase.
Next, I research the topic, taking into account whether the subject is saturated or is there an aspect of it that I could develop further. At this point, I decide if I’ll write from breadth or width on the topic.
Writing for two blogs, one on recovery and one on writing means there’s always a deadline, and those add incentive to get the writing done.
So the process can be most accurately be described as, “You’ve got to get a post done. Now write.”
What advice would you give other writers? Advice: 1. Don’t be afraid to write. 2. Don’t call yourself aspiring, soon-to-be-best-selling, or wanna-be. If you’re writing, then you are a writer. 3. Stay with it. 4. Read books on how to improve your writing. 5. Find a website that takes guest posts and submit a post to them. 6. Once you see your writing on a site, let that encourage you to write more, start that novel, write the definitive how-to, or finish your memoir – whatever is your big book. 7. Never throw away your darlings. Keep them in a file and review them monthly. You wrote those for a reason, even if you couldn’t use them at the time.
How did you decide how to publish your books? I’d been encouraged to publish Finding North: A Journey from Addict to Advocate by my family, friends, recovery professionals, and writers I’d shown drafts to over the past three years. Fear kept me from publishing it until this year.
However, while procrastinating on publishing my memoir, I also wrote a how-to on memoir writing called Memories into Memoir: The Mindsets and Mechanics Workbook that will be published later this spring.
What do you think about the future of book publishing? I think that traditional publishing will still factor, but with new and emerging platforms for authors, I think we’ll start seeing self-publishing increase.
I published on Amazon and found the experience straightforward. I hired a formatting specialist; my sister is an artist and designed the cover, and I followed the directions once the manuscript and cover were ready.
I also see more diversity in the books that are published. We have lacked diversity for some time. While that may read as “jumping on the bandwagon”, I know that living a counter societal lifestyle in my addiction meant that my memoir did not meet the criteria for certain publishing houses.
I think a problem with traditional publishing is that there’s not a connection to the reader. In contrast, Amazon understands what readers want and takes the time to recommend similar books. While not publishing sites, Goodreads and ThriftBooks do, also.
I also think that print-on-demand factors for the author, reader, and environment, and it would be a mistake to discount those factors when choosing which route to take as an author. Plus, it means not having 75 autographed copies of your book gathering dust in the attic.
What genres do you write?: Memoir, How to Write a Memoir, primarily non-fiction
What formats are your books in?: I publish in both eBook and Print
"CAT'S BOOK LIBRARY 4 READERS" 