Monday, December 31, 2007

Achieve Your Dreams

Well...last year I left one publisher for another and by the time the year ended, I had two books in print and nine released as ebooks. Two more books were supposed to be in print by the end of December, but my publisher had family problems and she got sick.
I created and uploaded four book trailers for all the books that have been published. Signed a contract for my tenth book which will be released January 1, 2008 and I am presently working on a book trailer for that book. I've joined I don't know how many Ning groups and uploaded all my books and trailers on each and every one them, and did a book tour with a very creative lady. Set up my own blog and a myspace account. And have finally persuaded a gift store owner to purchase and carry my books in his stores.
Meanwhile, my husband and I have been running back and forth from Colorado to Illinois back to Massachusetts to attend to funerals and to take care of his sister's and brother in law's estates, and putting up with relatives who seemed to have materialized from out of the woodwork. Both passed away last year. His sister in February and her husband in October ...and that's not over yet.
Meanwhile, I am hoping to get my husband's manuscript approved and published so I am working on getting that together to submit. Other than that, nothing much. :)! Oh, I almost forgot. I am going to be interviewed on Phil Harris's Blog Radio Show on January 14 at 8:00 pm. How cool is that? *grin* (Of course, I won't be alone, they'll be four others with me as well, but still...) :)

Best,
Elena
Elena Dorothy Bowman
************************************
Journey to the Rim of Space and Beyond
http://elenadb.home.comcast.net
http://www.sarahslanding.com
http://www.myspace.com/elenabowmanauthor
http://elenadorothybowmansbooks.blogspot.com/

Friday, December 21, 2007

My New Novel The Odyssey

Hi,

My new novel The Odyssey will be released as an ebook in January from Write Words, Inc., imprint ebooksonthe.net. Here's a short blurb of the new novel.

A small sleepy New England town is suddenly thrust on an unintended journey to a place before time began. A devastating flood bearing down on the unsuspecting village devastates a neighborhood. When the waters finally subside, a strange object — a probe — emerges from the depths of a sinkhole. Two young brothers inadvertently activate its teleportation system sending the town and its unconscious citizens soaring towards a dead planet that has been drifting in space. Eons ago, its twin suns were on the verge of colliding destroying all life thereon. In a desperate effort for survival probes were sent from the stricken planet forward through time to the far reaches of the Universe. When the people of the tiny village of Oakville awaken they will discover that the incident that befell their town would soon become a reality that would change their lives forever.

I don't have the cover for the novel yet, but will post it when my son sends it to me.:)!

Elena

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

NIkki Leigh's New Blog Promotional Opportunities

Opportunities for Feature Authors
Authors have several ways to promote their books on the new tour site. All members have the chance to register and to create a profile page. These pages include the author name, book title, book description, your website and blog address along with some additional information.For details about the benefits to registered authors, click here.
Authors who would like to schedule a tour have the chance to create a feature author page that will include excerpts, reviews, and much more. In addition, feature authors are given a section of the site to use during their tour. They can post reviews, excerpts, character details, setting details, table of contents, testimonials, details about the author and much more. For complete information about being a feature author, click here.
Standard blog tours allow you to "travel" through cyber space on your own. Several of the beauty aspects of this new site include:
1 - You are in charge or what is posted and when on the tour
2 - We bring interested visitors to you in one location
3 - Several authors will tour at the same time and you each have the chance to benefit from the visitors that is on the site to visit any of our feature authors
4 - Being in one location for the week or the month allows you to get to know potential readers easier without making them chase you around in cyber space.
5 - Your tour takes place within a website that is SEP optimized to attract search engines and the site had over 3,000,000 visitors during 2007.
These are just some of the benefits. Our introductory prices are very low for feature author tours - take a look and feel free to contact me with questions. I can be reached at:
nikki_leigh22939@yahoo.com and please put "Blog Tour" in the subject line. I have immediate openings and would love to learn more about you and your books.

Nikki Leigh

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Author's Guild

Hi, Everyone!

Frankly, I'm upset. I received an invitation from Roy Blount, Jr., President of the Authors Guild to join them and at a discount as well. I took him up on his invitation and sent in the application and check for a year's dues as he suggested. The last sentence in his letter was "Please join us today. We need each other." Well, apparently, the Authors Guild staff doesn't agree with him. Several days later I received an email from the Authors Guild which quite frankly ticked me off. This is what it said:

Dear Ms. Bowman:
Thank you for your application for membership in the Authors Guild. Unfortunately, we are unable to process the application because we lack sufficient documentation of your publishing credentials. On your application you listed Cambride Books as the publisher of your book. We could not find adequate evaluative information on this publisher in either our records or publishing reference materials.
Contracts offered by American publishers that may qualify you for membership are usually expected to include all three of the following stipulations:
- a provision by which the author retains ownership of the copyright;
- a significant advance;
- a provision which specifies the manner in which royalties are calculated and a mechanism by which they will be paid.
(If you did not receive an advance, but have sold substantial numbers of books and have received substantial royalty income, your application may still be considered. In this case, you will need to provide documentation of the book sales and royalty income.)
If you will send a copy of your contract with Cambride Books we will be able to move forward wit
h your membership application. It is a standard Guild procedure to request more information on publishers unfamiliar to us before processing an application. Please be assured that all personal information you supply to the Guild is held in the strictest confidence.
As soon as we receive the additional information we will present it to the Membership Committee for evaluation. We look forward to adding your name to the Guild rolls.
Sincerely,
Terry King (Mr.), Membership Dept.
The Authors Guild
31 East 32nd St., 7th Floor
New York, NY 10016
212-563-5904; fax: 212-564-5363
"


What I find interesting is that earlier this year I did apply for membership in the Authors Guild and previously sent them the information they required. It was rejected because they do not consider my publisher a "qualified" American Publisher. Not only that but in this latest rejection email they spelled my publisher's name incorrectly.
I didn't ask a second time to become a member of this Guild, nor would I. They sought me out. So why seek me out only to reject me...and mind you the invitation came from the President of the Guild? Where he got my name, I haven't a clue, but if they are so desperate for authors to join them why the snobbery? I have no idea what their "requirements" consider a "significant advance" and/or "substantial royalties". All I can say about the Authors Guild is that they are too big for their own britches. And yes, I did ask them to return my check. :)

Thursday, December 6, 2007

My New Contract

Hi, Everyone!

Recently signed a new contract for my novel The Odyssey with Write Words, Inc., ebooksonthe.net. Just received the galleys and the novel is scheduled to be published as an ebook in January 2008. This makes my tenth book with Write Words, Inc. and their imprints, ebooksonthe.net and CambridgeBooks.us. Don't know what the next one will be about but, I expect it will soon make itself known to me.

Best,
Elena

Elena Dorothy Bowman
************************************
Journey to the Rim of Space and Beyond
http://elenadb.home.comcast.net
http://www.sarahslanding.com
http://www.myspace.com/elenabowmanauthor
http://elenadorothybowmansbooks.blogspot.com/

Even Eagles Need A Push

I just wanted to share with you something that came in my email this morning.


Even Eagles Need A Push

The eagle gently coaxed her offspring toward the edge of the nest. Her heart quivered with conflicting emotions as she felt their resistance to her persistent nudging. “Why does the thrill of soaring have to begin with the fear of falling?” she thought. This ageless question still remained unanswered for her.

As in the tradition of the species, her nest was located high upon the shelf of a sheer rock face. Below there was nothing but air to support the wings of each child. “Is it possible that this time it will not work?” she thought. Despite her fears, the eagle knew it was time. Her parental mission was all but complete. There remained one final task – the push.

The eagle drew courage from an innate wisdom. Until her children discovered their wings, the
re was no purpose for their lives. Until they learned how to soar, they would fail to understand the privilege of having been born an eagle. The push was the greatest gift she had to offer. It was her supreme act of love. And so, one by one, she pushed them and they flew.

David McNally, wrote these words in his book, Even Eagles Need A Push. It’s human nature to take the path of least resistance. Although most people truly want to reach their full potential, they don’t always have the initiative and the discipline to get started on their own. One of your greatest responsibilities as a parent and leader is to enable your children to be all they can be. Many times “the push”, with a little encouragement, is all they need.

Always look for opportunities to challenge others because many of them are like sticks of dynamite; the power’s on the inside, but nothing happens until the fuse gets lit.

Elena

Elena Dorothy Bowman
************************************
Journey to the Rim of Space and Beyond
http://elenadb.home.comcast.net
http://www.sarahslanding.com
http://www.myspace.com/elenabowmanauthor
http://elenadorothybowmansbooks.blogspot.com/