FB Takeover Party ~ Friday Fun! #readingcommunity #books #fridayreads #giftcard #giveaways #Halloween

I'm excited to be doing a takeover of fellow Paranormal Romance Author Kerry Blaisdall's Facebook Group, Kerry's Kindred Spirits, tomorrow, Friday Oct. 6th!  What's a takeover?  Basically, I get to host a fun virtual party for both my fans and members of the group for the day, with gift card and book giveaways, fun questions and games, and opportunities to make new friends and find new reads!  And it's a chance to celebrate spooky season...Halloween is almost here!

To join the fun, join the FB Group here: Kerry's Kindred Spirits

We ride at dawn 😂 noon EST!! But visit anytime this weekend, I won't close the contests and giveaways until Sunday evening!

Author Takeover + FB Party! #giveaways, games, #book chats for #FridayReads #amreading #giftcards

Ready for a virtual party?  On Friday, June 26th, I'll be at Bookworms Anonymous, doing an author takeover of their FB page with games, giveaways, and fun!  The best thing about Facebook parties (aside from being able to attend in your PJs) is that you can join in any time and still participate and enter the giveaways up to 24 hours after the party starts...so put it on your calendar and come on by when you're free!  Join the page--and the fun--at Bookworms Anonymous here.

An Excerpt from The Haunting of Hillwood Farm! #Ghosts #Romance #Paranormal #Books #FridayReads

A dangerous ghost brings them together...
but will they survive long enough to find happiness?

As part of the Gift For Mom audiobook event, I'm sharing the entire first chapter of The Haunting of Hillwood Farm, an award-winning Romantic Suspense/Ghost Mystery.  This title is available on Audible, with fabulous narration by KJ the Voice Actor, and is also available in print and on Kindle (free with KU membership!)

The Gift For Mom event is a virtual FB celebration of audiobooks and Mother's Day...all are welcome, so please join here if interested...128 titles are being offered as giveaways!  The theme of many of the excerpts is a tie-in to motherhood, and this topic is important in several aspects in The Haunting of Hillwood Farm.  To say anymore about that might veer into spoiler territory, but Alice Turner, the beloved character who is the matriarch of Hillwood Farm and Luke's feisty grandmother, is introduced in the very beginning of this book...and so, it is safe to share the spooky incident that sets this story in motion.  Thanks for stopping by...Happy Reading!

An excerpt from

The Haunting of Hillwood Farm

By Kathryn Knight

CHAPTER 1

The sugar bowl slid across the kitchen counter, its lid rattling with jerky bursts of motion. Alice Turner froze, her fingers clenched around the mug of coffee she held suspended in midair, a curl of steam wavering in the sudden chill. Goosebumps prickled her skin as she stared at the yellow ceramic bowl, zigzagging its way toward her via some unseen force. It jittered to a halt directly in front of her, and her taut muscles went limp. Her coffee mug slammed down against the dark stone countertop, sending scalding liquid sloshing over her hand. She cried out, more from fright than pain, and stumbled back, nearly tripping as her foot slid out of its slipper. The near fall sent another bolt of panic through her. At 73, she was still quite active, but a broken bone would put an end to that.

She steadied herself. Careful. Blowing out a breath, she glanced at the reddening skin of her hand before quickly returning her gaze to the wayward bowl. Had it really just moved on its own? Despite the fear coursing through her veins, a wave of relief washed over her.

            Maybe she wasn’t losing her mind. Maybe all her recent worries about dementia, fueled by things like finding objects someplace other than where she’d left them, or discovering kitchen drawers open when she was sure she’d closed them, were unfounded. Could some kind of…supernatural phenomenon be responsible? A shiver crawled up her spine. That alternative wasn’t a particularly comforting thought. And her practical New England roots didn’t exactly lend themselves to that line of reasoning.

She cradled her throbbing hand against her chest, studying the sugar bowl for more movement. But it seemed to have completed its journey and had now reverted to an inanimate object, ready and waiting to sweeten her coffee.

With cautious steps, she backed away from the counter, crossing the kitchen toward the sink. Flipping on the faucet, she held her injured hand under the stream of cold water.

Was she really considering the presence of a ghost? It would help to explain all the strange occurrences she’d noticed since she’d returned from her trip. Without Henry. A deep ache flared in her chest as her gaze cut over to the chair he used to settle in at the big farmhouse table, empty now. With a heavy sigh, she glanced back at the stationary bowl as she dried her hand with a checkered dish towel.

It had moved. She was certain. Retrieving her mug, she nodded forcefully, trying to push away the pinpricks of doubt threatening to erode her conviction. Either a spirit had manipulated the sugar bowl, or she was truly cracking up. The latter theory felt like the more terrifying one. She didn’t even want to contemplate the possibility that her ties to sanity, already frayed by grief, had finally snapped, and hallucinations were her new reality.

Maybe it was time to talk to Luke, to see if he’d noticed anything unusual since he’d been living with her at Hillwood. It was just that he was already so worried about her. As much as she loved him, she didn’t need a babysitter; nor did she want her 27-year-old grandson to have to take on that role. So far, their cohabitation was working out, but once he got a load of her sugar bowl story, that might change quickly.

Another pocket of frigid air swirled around her, and she spun around. Her gaze searched the empty kitchen and the back hallway. No one was there. She turned back slowly, her heart thumping in her ears. From her position behind the long counter separating the kitchen from the dining room, she could see the foyer. The front door remained shut. The windows were still closed against last night’s rain. Besides that, it was 65 degrees outside, according to the thermometer in the window above the sink. A cold front inside the house made little sense, unless…

“Henry?” Her voice wavered in the silence.

The sugar bowl shivered slightly, as if a small earthquake had opened up beneath it. An extremely localized earthquake that had no effect on anything else nearby. Her trembling hands flew to her mouth as a potent mix of fear and longing swept through her. She slid her damp palms downward, over the hammering in her chest. “Is that you?” she added, the words barely emerging from her dusty throat.

The lights flickered. She glanced up, her breath catching. A soft moan rippled through the air, raising in pitch until it became a distant wail. She clutched the folds of her robe, every muscle in her body vibrating with tension. A sudden movement caught her eye, and she snapped her head back toward the sugar bowl as it careened off the counter, shattering in an explosion of ceramic shards and white powder.

Who is haunting Hillwood Farm?

32 titles featured in the event...4 copies each as giveaways! 
So many different genres, and lots of chances to win!

#Audiobook #Giveaway Event! Win #Free Audio #Books at A Gift for Mom

Join a fabulous group of authors sharing their audiobooks just in time for Mother's Day Weekend at the Gift for Mom Facebook Event...and with each author offering four giveaways of their featured title, you have a good chance of winning a new "listen"!  Click the link below for more details, and please select "Going" so you'll get a reminder!  This is a virtual event you won't want to miss...two days of exclusive excerpts, fun, and giveaways!

I'll be gifting 4 copies of The Haunting of Hillwood Farm...a multi-award winning romantic suspense + ghost mystery set on Cape Cod.

A dangerous ghost brings them together...
but will they survive long enough to find happiness?

Recently voted a Top 3 Read of 2019 at Read Free.ly

Find a list of the audiobook titles being offered as giveaways HERE...four copies of each!  If you're brand new to audiobooks, this is the perfect time to give them a try...and the event even has a how-to page found HERE.

GIFT FOR MOM FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

So many great titles up for grabs...
four of each will be given away!

A New Release Date + Virtual #Author Event for GHOST MOON! #books #newrelease #amreading #amwriting #giveaways

More than ever, we need things we can enjoy from home that will entertain us and provide relaxation.  I love reading--it's my favorite hobby even when the world isn't mostly shut down.  Getting lost in a great book does wonders for my mind and lowers my stress.  Since my seventh novel, Ghost Moon, was in the final stages of galley proofing a few weeks ago, I decided to try to move the release date forward to make it available sooner.  The title will go live on Kindle now this Friday, April 3rd...a whole 12 days earlier than anticipated!  I'm thrilled but scrambling to move book launch plans into place, and also figure out how to do more interactive things online.

I LOVE this cover!

If you like steamy romance mixed with haunting mysteries, you can pre-order Ghost Moon here to automatically be delivered to your Kindle on Friday!  I also have six titles available now, many #1 Amazon and B&N Bestsellers, which can be found here or along the tabs at the top of this blog page.

On Wednesday, April 1st, I'll be doing my first live FB interview and Q&A as a guest on Linda's Book Obsession Page.  Anyone attending can type questions and I'll answer them, plus I'll chat a little bit about my writing journey and the new book.  And of course...giveaways will be up for grabs!  Find the page here and join us on Wed. at 7 pm EST!  

Join the virtual party with fellow book lovers!

Love #Books + #Giveaways? Play the Spring Scavenger Hunt! #giftcards #FridayReads #amreading

Join the Hunt!  Discover new authors,
win prizes...and be sure to tell a friend!

Spring is the sweetest time of year!  Join the Hunt and enter to win sweet prizes...including a See's Candy Gift Basket of treats valued over $100, two $15 Amazon gift cards, and 30 additional prizes offered by the authors along the way...mine's a $10 Amazon gift card.  Playing the game is easy and fun, and all you need to do is visit each author's FaceBook page to find their hidden image.

This event begins TODAY, April 5th, and runs through April 8th, so hurry!  Just visit the event home page to get started.  Please consider "Liking" the Author Pages as you search for images, and don't forget to check out the 30 bonus giveaways along the way.

Basket includes: Assorted Chocolates (1 lb); Springtime Truffles,
white chocolate w/ raspberry and lemon centers (5 oz);
Sweet Bouquet Keepsake Tin w/ milk, dark, and white chocolates (11.5 oz);
Chocolate Truffles (8 oz); Chocolate Buttercream Egg
w/ walnuts and candy flowers (7.5 oz); Peanut Brittle (10 oz);
Café Latté Chocolate Covered Krispys (8 oz);
and Non-Pareil Jelly Eggs (12 oz).

Participating Authors:  

Alex Gordon • Amanda Uhl • Angela Roquet • Angelica R. Jackson • Angie Wilder • Anna Durand • Anne McClane • Ben Westerham • Cailin Briste • Casi McLean • Christine Grabowski • CM Lally • Donna R. Mercer • Honey Phillips • J.M. Walker • Jacqueline Diamond • Jacquie Biggar • Jim Stein • Joanne Dannon • Judith Sterling • Katherine Gilbert • Kathryn Knight • Kerry Blaisdell • Kristine Smith • Lia Davis • Lisanne Harrington • Michelle Jo Quinn • Shae Banks • Shereen Vedam • Soraya Naomi • Stephanie Queen • Taylor Marsh • Viola Calvary • Zoe Dawson • Zoe Forward

CLICK HERE TO HEAD TO THE EVENT PAGE

~ SPRING SCAVENGER FACEBOOK HUNT ~

Feed your Kindle!

#Giveaways + #Books at our 42-Author FB Party this weekend! #giftcards #LoveUnderFire #Romance #Suspense

It’s a (virtual) party weekend for Love Under Fire!  All weekend long, we'll be partying at our FaceBook Event, beginning at 11:00 a.m. EST on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings and lasting until 9 p.m.--but since it’s online, party-goers can come in at ANY time and enter giveaways, chat with the authors, and win prizes!  And there will be a LOT to win, because there are 42 authors participating!  

The 21 Authors of the Love Under Fire Romantic Suspense Thrillers Box Set have each invited a guest author to take-over a time slot and chat with readers, share their books, and offer giveaways.  Come celebrate with us AND help us support our charity, Pets for Vets.  Every purchase of the Love Under Fire Box Set is another donation to this amazing organization that pairs shelter animals with veterans seeking companion animals.  Right now, you can get the set for a limited-time pre-order offer of just 99 cents!  That gets you 21 NEW, never-before-published stories and helps Pets for Vets.

Come join us starting tomorrow, Friday, September 14^th, at 11 a.m., or drop by any time, day or night, during the weekend!  Here’s our Event Page on FaceBook, just click the link and it should take you right into the party page, but if you have any issues, just make sure you select the “Discussion” tab!  Hope to see you there.

FaceBook Event Page

Limited Edition Box Set only 99c on Pre-order! Links below!

21 Tales of Romantic Suspense by USA Today + WSJ Bestselling Authors

Hurry! Limited-time deal ~ Proceeds benefit Pets for Vets!

KINDLE

NOOK

ITUNES

You're Invited to the #LoveUnderFire Party! #Books #Giveaways #Romance #Suspense

Earlier in the summer, I revealed the cover of the upcoming box set that will contain my latest release, The Haunting of Hillwood Farm.  The box set, Love Under Fire, is only 99 cents right now, and there are 20 additional tales of Romantic Suspense and Romantic Thrillers from USA Today, WSJ, and Amazon Bestselling Authors!  

The set releases this fall, but we're celebrating the Pre-order link going up on Amazon with a huge Facebook party that begins Monday morning, Aug. 8th.  If you've never been to a Facebook party, they're awesome...no need to be punctual, you can stop by any time, even when you're in your PJs.  Our party will run all night long through Tuesday at 11:00 am EST; then all the winners will be announced.  Because, yes, the other great thing...prizes!

Don't miss the very first peek at 2 scenes from The Haunting of Hillwood Farm!

Each of the authors is going to post never-before-seen excerpts from their contribution to the set.  So come by and get a taste of each story, comment to enter the giveaways, and learn more about Love Under Fire and how we're striving to support Pets for Vets, a non-profit that pairs rescue animals with veterans, by donating 50% of the Love Under Fire sales proceeds.  It's a win-win, 21 new stories to keep you warm this winter, and your purchase helps Pets for Vets.  Hope to see you there!

Join the FB Party Fun here

If you can't make the party but would like to purchase the set, it's currently up on iTunes and Nook, and now it's live on Kindle!  Thank you and Happy Reading!

History of #StPatricksDay + a #Giveaway! Win a #Kindle!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  This year, St. Patrick's Day is taking on a little more meaning, because I recently got my DNA results back from 23andMe (an awesome birthday gift from my hubby) and I discovered I have a lot more Irish blood in me than I thought!  I did know I had a Sullivan on my father's side of the family a few generations back, but the results say I'm 61% British and Irish.  I've always enjoyed taking part in the holiday fun--wearing green, drinking beer, and serving a traditional Irish meal. You'll notice I said "serving", not "cooking"...cooking is not one of my strengths; however, writing is.  So rather than offering a recipe, I'm dedicating this blog post to some facts about St. Patrick and his holiday.

As a teenager, Patrick was captured by Irish pirates and taken from his home country of Great Britain to Ireland as a slave.  A rough start, for sure, but although he escaped after six years and returned home, eventually he went back to Ireland as a cleric.  The exact dates of his life are uncertain, but it is generally agreed that Patrick was an active missionary in Ireland during the second half of the 5th century.  He was also an ordained Bishop and eventually became the primary patron saint of Ireland.  St. Patrick's Day became an official Christian Feast Day in the early 17th century, observed on March 17th, the date of Patrick's death.

The day not only commemorates St. Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, it also celebrates Irish culture and heritage. There are parades and festivals to mark the occasion, as well as religious services.  Because the church lifts Lenten restrictions for the day, drinking alcohol has become a custom associated with St. Patrick's Day.

The shamrock as a symbol comes from legends involving St. Patrick using the three-leafed plant to describe the Holy Trinity--the concept of three persons in one God. Obviously, shamrocks are green, but the phrase "The Wearing of the Green" comes from an Irish ballad of the same name.  The song refers to the persecution of those who supported the 1798 rebellion against British rule. The lyrics state, "They are hanging men and women for the wearing of the green" - the color adopted by the revolutionary United Irishmen.

Some stories credit St. Patrick with driving all the snakes from Ireland; however, all scientific evidence suggests no snakes ever existed on the Emerald Isle to begin with.  Another legend related to a serpent involves St. Patrick killing a large serpent in a lake, thus turning the water red with blood and creating the name "Red Lake" or Lough Derg.  It is said that God showed St. Patrick a cave or pit on an island in the lake, revealing the spot as an entrance to Purgatory.  St. Patrick's Purgatory is now an ancient pilgrimage site which still draws pilgrims annually.

Upon his death, the struggle over possession of the saintly corpse gave rise to the Battle for the Body of St. Patrick (according to the Annals of the Four Masters - chronicles of medieval Irish history).  He is said to be buried along with St. Brigid and St. Columbia at Down Cathedral in Downpatrick, County Down, but this has never been proven.

If you're feeling lucky, why not check out the huge St. Patrick's Day Giveaway and Facebook Hop I'm sponsoring along with 69 other authors?  We have two things going on...a Rafflecopter with prizes going to seven winners...click this link to see what's up for grabs and to enter.  And then there's the Facebook Hop ~ Hop along each author's Facebook Page, where you'll find a gift card giveaway entry at EVERY stop!  You can start here on my page with the top post, and please take a second to Like my page.  Good luck!

A FB Party ~ #Giveaways #Giftcards #Books + Prizes! #Author Takeover

I'm excited to be doing a takeover of Kylie's Fiction Addiction Facebook page this Friday night!  What's a takeover?  Basically, I get to host a fun virtual party for both my fans and fans of the page for an hour, with giveaways, prizes, fun questions, and opportunities to make new friends and find new reads.  And it's a chance to celebrate the release of my steamy romance/ghost story Gull Harbor as an audio book.  Gull Harbor has been a #1 Bestseller on Kindle and Nook formats, so I'm thrilled it's now available in audio! 

A party to celebrate the release of Gull Harbor on audio!

If you've never been to a Facebook party, give it a try!  My takeover begins March 9th at 9 pm EST, and the best parts of a virtual party are (1) you can wear your pajamas and (2) if you're not online during the party hour from 9:00 - 10:00, you can still chime in for chances to win on your own time.  Here's the Event Invite for more info: Event Info on Facebook.

What's up for grabs?

Amazon gift cards, copies of Kindle or Nook formats of my novels, audio copies of Gull Harbor, and an ebook of your choice from any of the authors of Moonlight & Mystery! And, some bling...these beautiful drop earrings from Silpada!

One prizewinner will get to chose any ebook from the dozens offered by
9 Award-winning, Bestselling Authors!

Plus, meeting new authors and readers and fun games ~ so come by, and invite some friends along too!  It's a free event, all you have to do is join Kylie's Fiction Addiction Facebook page to attend.

Hope to see you there!

Anniversary of my 1st #Publishing Contract! #amwriting #saturdaymorning

I admit, I love the Facebook memories feature, where, when you log in, you see a post you made "on this day" sometime in the past.  Or, at least I love it when it was a post about something good--like today's!  Honestly, I may have forgotten this anniversary, being as it's so close to Christmas, New Year's, and two family birthdays, not to mention it was six years ago.  But I will never, ever forget that morning.  Only my younger son was still home when I clicked on the email...he would have been almost 10 years old and still in elementary school.  The subject line only included the name of my manuscript (SILVER LAKE submission), no indication of what news might be inside, and I'd already received 2 R&Rs (revise and resubmits) on my first manuscript from the publisher I longed to work with--and while R&Rs are a good thing, not a final rejection, they are no guarantee of a "yes" either.

Six years ago today...I even remember that it was a Friday!

So I clicked with shaking fingers and discovered, to my absolute delight, that this was the "yes" I'd been waiting for.  A publishing contract!  A company actually thought my work was a worthwhile investment, something they were willing to put money, time, and effort into.  I remember screaming with surprise and joy, my son racing into the kitchen, and the two of us hugging and dancing around the kitchen.  Both my sons knew how hard I'd been working, for years, and how much I wanted this.  I like to think my journey and tenacity sunk in as a lesson of sorts...keep working for your dreams, and don't give up.

Six years later, a lot has happened.  That first book, Silver Lake, has been a #1 Kindle Bestseller on several occasions.  A larger publisher purchased the electronic rights to the novel in 2015.  I've had 3 additional novels published, which have found their own success: another #1 Kindle Bestseller, various awards, and now my latest release, Haunted Souls, is being made into an audio book by my publisher.  I even got to sign books alongside one of my childhood idols, Mary Higgins Clark!  It's been a whirlwind six years!

Has it been all happiness and roses?  No, of course not.  Bad reviews are painful.  Sales slumps are disheartening.  Reaching new readers is a challenge.  And writer's block can be tortuous.  But I don't think I'd change my decision to write down my stories.  If I've given some people what I consider one of the ultimate forms of entertainment and pleasure--getting lost in an impossible-to-put-down book--then it's all been worth it.

How to make an author's day!

Now, back to my WIP, Dangerous Currents...only a few chapters to go!  But I'll treat myself to a little anniversary celebration today too...probably a mid-day break, where I climb under a blanket, pull up the covers, and read...bliss!  (Check back after the new year for my list of my favorite books of the year!  Here's my 2016 list.)

Probably will substitute water for wine in the middle of the day...
but then again, it's my anniversary!

Signing #Books in #Falmouth Cape Cod #CapeCod #Author Events #amwriting

I have lots of events coming up this September, both writing-related and personal!  This week brings both an online event and a local 

event.  On Tuesday the 12th, I'll be a guest author at Casi McLean's Beyond the Mist Facebook party--a celebration for her newest release, with 12 author offering giveaways and giftcards!  Check this post for more info on that...all you need to attend is a FB account.  Then the next night, Wednesday the 13th, I'll be in Falmouth. at a Bingo Night Fundraiser.  This is always a good time.  The suggested donation is $20 (proceeds this month go to Walk MS Falmouth, ALS Cliff Walk, and Walk to Defeat ALS), and that gets you 20 games (wear orange OR blue and white for a bonus card!).  Complimentary light appetizers and a cash bar too!

Where do I fit in to this event?  There are a whole bunch of local artists and vendors setting up for shopping before and in between the games, and we've all donated to the cause as well as offered prizes for raffles.  The complete list of vendors is below, so if you're in the area, please consider stopping by!  

Wednesday, September 13th

5:30 to 9:30 at the Holiday Inn Cape Cod
291 Jones Road Falmouth

Shop with local artists and vendors:

PartyLite, LuLaRoe by Brooke, Thirty One, The Pampered Chef, Arbonne, Ruby Ribbon,

Paparazzi Jewelry, Reine’s Creations, Nanny’s Knits, Younique, Pruvit, Tupperware, Mary Kay,

 Dragonfly Dreams, LuLaRoe by Heather, It Works, Limelight by Alcone, Avon, Usborne Books,

Athenas, LuLaRoe by Stacy, Steeped Tea, WarmShades Widgets, Touchstone Crystal, doTERRA,

LuLaRoe by Trina, Allison Asher – Realtor- Kinlin Grover Real Estate, Kathryn Knight Books,

CyAnOriginals, Beautycounter, Jamberry & More! 

Then I get to spend a long weekend away from work, visiting with family for both my cousin's wedding in Virginia and my niece's Christening in Maryland.  The negative...I'll be missing my older son's first Parent's Day Weekend...but we're close enough that I'm making up for that by visiting him this weekend.  And his Dad and brother will be with him for that tailgate while I'm away.

Finally, when I get back from my travels, my latest Fiction Writing and Publication class begins in Falmouth on Tuesday, September 26th. More info on that can be found in this post.  And then comes October, with all the usual haunting-related events I do...but between all that, I hope to finish my latest manuscript...in all my free time????  Wish me luck!

#NewRelease Party! #Giveaways #Giftcards #Books #Paranormal #Romance

I'm excited to be one of the guest authors participating in the Facebook party celebrating the release of Casi McLean's Beyond the Mist this Tuesday night!  Casi and I write for the same publisher, and we both write within the paranormal romantic suspense genre.  With a total of 12 authors participating in the fun, there will be loads of games, fun, and giveaways! 

The best part is that you can attend from your house--the only thing you need is a FB account!  Sign on any time between 6:00 p.m. EST to 9:00 p.m. to chat with authors and enter the prize drawings.  Or stop by later and enter, as the many of the contests stay open until the next morning.  You'll find new fall reads--many with paranormal elements perfect for the upcoming Halloween season--and potentially win awesome prizes.

For a detailed schedule of events, check in on the FB event page, and come join me during my 8:35-8:50 spot for some discussion on steamy romance and spooky suspense!  Hope to see you there.

Busy #amwriting Summer - #Book Signings, #BFest, #NewRelease Promo, + A Shanty

Me, Katie O'Sullivan, and K.R. Conway in our Shanty!

I don’t think I can remember a time in the recent past when my life wasn’t fairly busy, but this spring and summer have been an absolute whirlwind of activities, many revolving around my new release – HAUNTED SOULS.  Any writers reading this can understand how difficult it can be to launch a new novel in the current publishing market…so to gain visibility for my new title, I tried to explore every promotional opportunity I could think of—some very much “outside the box”—and take part in every event I could fit into my schedule.  So this week’s post serves as a recap, while also hopefully serving as inspiration for others in terms of creative marketing ideas.

After brainstorming with some other local authors, three of us decided to apply to rent one of the Artist Shanties along Hyannis Harbor for a weekend in the spring.  These adorable little shanties are made available for artists, writers, photographers, and crafters to use as a little storefront for a few days.  The rent was incredibly low for such great exposure—the difficult part is making sure your shanty is open and attended each day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.  With three of us for just three days, this wasn’t too difficult…but when the rentals move to full weeks in the height of summer, I imagine a renter on their own might experience a bit of exhaustion by the end of their time!  Then again, everyone is so excited to share what they’ve created, chatting with visitors, shoppers, and other crafters provides its own energy.

We hung pages of our books from the ceiling and matted quotes on the walls.

The original post about our preparations can be found here, and I’ve included pictures of the final product—our decorated shanty, which came out great and attracted lots of readers and visitors to Cape Cod.  We had so much fun just sitting around and chatting all day as well, and as three authors, we often discussed writing amongst ourselves.  This led to more networking ideas, and one of my fellow authors who was participating in the Barnes and Noble B-Fest Weekend recommended me to a B&N looking for an author to run the Sunday Teen Writing Workshop event during the B-Fest book festival.

Teaching a teen workshop
at Barnes & Noble B-fest.

Since most of my novels are meant for an over-18 reader base, I don’t get a lot of opportunities to highlight my one Young Adult novel, DIVINE FALL.  It was great fun to teach some elements from my writing classes to teen writers, and many of them took home signed copies of my YA Paranormal Romance.

On June 1^st, my fourth novel HAUNTED SOULS came out, and I did a lot of the usual online promotion.  I had a fantastic Release Party on Facebook with many author friends posting as guest hosts.  Social media promotion led to another fantastic opportunity—the manager of a local bank offered to display and sell all my novels in their lobby for a week, plus host me for a signing on Friday, as part of their emphasis on community and reading over the summer.  It was another out-of-the-box promo event that worked really well, and I received a message from a teen who purchased DIVINE FALL that made my week…it included the sentence “It was one of the best books I’ve ever read”!

My books on display at a local bank!

I spoke about the
haunting and historical
inspiration for my new book
at the library event.

I spoke at a local library as well in June, as their Author of the Month, and the Assistant Librarian who introduced me told the group she’d read my first three books and had literally not been able to put them down, which was thrilling—reading is my favorite pastime, and if I can give others exciting stories to get lost in, I’ve done my job as an author.  That is the reason I write: to create engaging reads that offer entertainment and escape from life’s hectic pace.

Speaking of hectic paces, I’m gearing up for my August schedule of events, which include an interview with the local paper, a signing at our local bookstore, speaking at the Cape Cod Writer’s Conference, and signing books at the Cape Cod Museum of Art for the Art, Wine, and Words Fundraiser to benefit a children’s charity.  

Of course, all the promotion I do does cut into writing time, but for me, connecting with readers and the community is just as important.  Hopefully, readers visiting my blog today will consider reaching out to authors when they love a book—it means SO much to us!  And for fellow authors visiting, I hope I’ve sparked some ideas for promotion and networking--and with the exception of the very low Shanty rent (my part was $25)--all of these events cost nothing!  For more ideas, here's an older post I did on the same topic.  Happy reading and writing!