LUNADAR: HOMEWARD BOUND – Page 3 – Story Catcher Publishing

AN INDIE AUTHOR’S JOURNEY: Who Likes FREEBIES?

September 24, 2018September 23, 2018Donna L

free

I’m delving into the world of indie publishing. Some authors go the quicker route and use a source like CreateSpace or Kindle Direct to immediately get their books out there.

There’s nothing wrong going that route, but I’ve decided to take a different path.

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With just three weeks before the print release of LUNADAR: Homeward Bound, my FREE giveaways are really ramping up and YOU get all the goodies!

lunadar

I’m currently in the middle of my LUNADAR Pay It Forward giveaway. It’s open to all educators in the continental US serving middle through high school, as well as any school librarian who would like a FREE ebook copy of my young adult fantasy novel in exchange for leaving an honest Amazon review by Friday, November 2nd. Anyone leaving a review by the deadline will be entered into a FREE giveaway for a chance to win one of five autographed copies of my book and maybe even a FREE author visit to their school!

Week One

TODAY also starts my TWELVE WEEKS OF LUNADAR. Based on the Twelve Days of Christmas, each week there will be chances for anyone to win the weekly prize. Just click on the picture of the gifts to the right of this post and choose how you want to enter. The more ways you enter, the more chances to win one of the weekly prizes. By the twelfth week, just before Christmas, ALL entries from the previous weeks will be eligible for the GRAND PRIZE…twelve fantasy novels, including two autographed copies…one from me. and another from an author friend of mine.

book market.png

And for anyone in the area of Tanger Outlet in Sevierville, Tennessee on Saturday, October 27th, 2018, I will be participating in a TEN AUTHOR book signing event from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the Book Market Warehouse. They will be giving away a large basket of goodies, including autographed copies of books from the participating authors. I will also be giving away some swag goodies at my author table and will autograph any purchased copy of LUNADAR: Homeward Bound.

Be sure to enter as many giveaways as you can, and keep checking back for more goody giveaways as the holidays roll in, including a tentative book signing at Barnes & Nobles in December!

donna

International best selling, award-winning author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection. Donna’s latest book, LUNADAR: Homeward Bound (a YA fantasy), ebook edition, is now available from Amazon, with the print edition coming October 15, 2018.

FLASH FICTION TUESDAY: Come Back To Me

September 18, 2018September 19, 2018Donna L

lighthouse-2372461_960_720

Now on Tuesdays…at least for the foreseeable future…welcome to Flash Fiction Tuesday. In case you don’t know what flash fiction is, it is an extremely short story (sometimes created in 100 words or less) with a beginning, middle, and an ending.

But in my case, I write flash fiction with an open ending. I allow my readers to draw their own conclusion as to what happens. This week it’s the call of the sea and a lover lost…

************

They warned her about returning but she wouldn’t listen. She couldn’t. Her mind

knew the waiting had been too long. They said he was probably lost with his ship

and yet her heart refused to give up. For days she had waited, there by the shore,

searching the horizon for some speck of hope to float across the waves and return

her love to her. But as weeks turned into months the silence began to engulf her.

That’s when the dreams began. At first just mist and moonlight and the hint of a

whispered voice calling out for her to come to him. A voice so soft and velvety as it

touched her, teasing her with a hunger to hold onto his arms once more until she

thought she would go mad with the longing. She could tell no one about those

dreams. They already thought her mad. But she knew he was waiting there for her

and so she found her way back to the lighthouse. Back to the place where all their

dreams began and ended. Back to the place where in her dreams he told her to meet

him.

As she made her way up the long winding stairs in the moonlight she could make

out a shadow, there in the doorway and she knew he had finally come back for her.

They had told her to abandon all hope but her heart simply couldn’t let go. She had

long since given up knowing what was real and what was fantasy. All she could

think of after all these years was that her love had returned…

***Well? What do you think? Is this mystery phantom a lover returned or fantasy come to life? Do you think this would make a good short story? Comment below and let me know!***

***Don’f forget to let all your teacher and librarian friends know that I’m giving away THOUSANDS of copies of LUNADAR: Homeward Bound through my LUNADAR Pay It Forward Program, along with a chance to win some autographed copies and maybe a FREE author visit for their school! Have them email me at donasdays (dot) com (at) gmail for details!***

***Also, my TWELVE WEEKS OF LUNDAR prize giveaway starts on Monday, September 24th! Here’s the link with details if you missed it…http://storycatcherpublishing.com/2018/09/10/an-indie-authors-journey-the-twelve-weeks-of-lunadar-contest/***

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LUNADAR cover jpg

Ruler by day, a reluctant pirate by night, 18-year-old Princess Ariana fights for her subjects in the waterfall city of Lunadar. In a kingdom surrounded by fairies and mermaids, and ravaged by deadly Drundles, only a chosen few are trusted to guard her daughter, Candra, as the secret heir to the throne.

But it only takes one ill-fated meeting for Ariana to suddenly be plunged into an escalating web of secrets found in her father’s journal, a deadly kidnapping, and an ever-weakening resolve to turn her back on the call of the merman’s song.

With Ariana’s world falling apart and the future of Lunadar at stake, how will she bring her father’s murderer to justice and fulfill a deathbed promise to protect Lunadar’s legacy?

International best selling, award winning author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection. Donna’s latest book, LUNADAR: Homeward Bound (a YA fantasy), ebook edition, is now available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, Goodreads, and other online retailers.

An Indie Author’s Journey: Paying It Forward

September 17, 2018Donna L

I’m delving into the world of indie publishing. Some authors go the quicker route and use a source like CreateSpace or Kindle Direct to immediately get their books out there.

There’s nothing wrong going that route, but I’ve decided to take a different path.

****************

As the days count down to the print edition release of LUNADAR: Homeward Bound on Monday, October 15, 2018, I’m up to my eyeballs in marketing. I spend all of my free time trying to think of ways to promote my book. On one of my other posts I talked about mailing out 142 postcards to school libraries, public libraries, as well as chain and indie bookstores. Of the 142 cards sent out, 17 were returned. Fifteen of those business have either moved with no forwarding address or have closed down for good. Two of the returned envelopes were due to errors on my part and can be resent shortly.

Now to the next phase.

I knew when I wrote Lunadar that the reality is I probably won’t make much money (if any) off this book.

I’m okay with that and here’s why.

I have a vision for this new publishing company I’ve created and these first few years will see me spending more money than I will receive in overall revenue. There is a strong mission behind Story Catcher Publishing and this current book is just the beginning.

With that in mind, this weekend I got to thinking about how else can I spread the word about my writing? If you missed it, last week’s post talked about my TWELVE DAYS OF LUNADAR starting next Monday. There will be weekly giveaways and lots of opportunities for everyone to start off the holidays a little early with a chance to win some cool prizes. Here’s the link telling you all about it:

http://storycatcherpublishing.com/2018/09/10/an-indie-authors-journey-the-twelve-weeks-of-lunadar-contest/

The next thing I’m doing is giving away hundreds…if not thousands…of copies of LUNADAR: Homeward Bound to any teacher or school librarian who asks for it.

IT’S THAT EASY!

As part of my LUNADAR Pay It Forward Program, any educator or school librarian who requests it can receive my book for FREE. All I ask is for them to share it with their students and for anyone reading my young adult fantasy novel, to leave a short, but honest review on Amazon when they are done. There will also be prizes.

WHAT? MORE FREEBIES?

Yep! When a teacher or school librarian requests a copy of LUNADAR: Homeward Bound, their school will go into a drawing to win an autographed copy of my novel as well as the possibility of receiving a FREE author visit from me as well!

There will be five winning schools. The deadline to leave a review and enter the drawing is Friday, November 2nd, 2018.

If you have any questions, just leave a comment on this post or send me an email to donasdays (at) gmail (dot) com.

Be sure and tell any of your friends who are educators or school librarians anywhere in the continental US about this chance to receive FREE copies of my young adult fantasy novel as well as their chance to win an autographed copy of LUNADAR: Homeward Bound for their school.

Did I also mention there’s even some group discussion questions at the back of the book for literature classrooms and book clubs?

Can you help a poor gal out so I can pay some writerly love forward?

***********

lunadar

With Ariana’s world falling apart and the future of Lunadar at stake, how will she bring her father’s murderer to justice and fulfill a deathbed promise to protect Lunadar’s legacy?

donna

An Indie Author’s Journey: The Twelve Weeks of Lunadar Contest

September 10, 2018September 10, 2018Donna L

I’m delving into the world of indie publishing. Some authors go the quicker route and use a source like CreateSpace or Kindle Direct to immediately get their books out there.

There’s nothing wrong going that route, but I’ve decided to take a different path.

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I love the fall. I’m allergic to the heat and sun, so the thought of cooler weather, cloudy days and falling leaves energizes my spirit like nothing else can.

Except maybe the upcoming birth of my latest book.

To celebrate the upcoming release of LUNADAR: Homeward Bound print edition on October 15, 2018, I’m throwing a twelve-week long celebration!

Wait! What?

That’s right! Just like the TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS song where someone receives a new gift every day for twelve days, I plan on showering twelve different fans with a token of my appreciation for being a part of my writerly world!

Beginning Monday, September 24th, there will be a different Rafflecopter contest each week to give away a weekly prize. All entries from each week will also be eligible for the grand prize on week twelve, which will run the week of December 10th so I can mail out the grand prize package in time for Christmas.

But, “What can I win?”, you may ask?

Well, here’s the run down of each weekly prize and the grand prize packet…

Week One

WEEK ONE…Three unique bookmarkers

Week Two 1 Week Two 2

WEEK TWO…Fairy House bird feeder

Week Three

WEEK THREE…”Dark Curse” by Christine Feehan audio book

Week Four

WEEK FOUR…$20 Wendy’s gift card

Week Five

WEEK FIVE…Moon and stars necklace

Week Six.jpg

WEEK SIX…”Kingdom’s Dawn” by Chuck Black audio book

Week Seven.jpg

WEEK SEVEN…Beach charms jewelry kit

Week Eight.jpg

WEEK EIGHT…Yankee Candle car air fragrance locket

Week Nine.jpg

WEEK NINE…Doggie book stand

Week Ten 2 (1).jpg Week Ten 2 (2)

WEEK TEN…Beach tea light candle holder

Week Eleven 1.jpg Week Eleven 2.jpg

WEEK ELEVEN…Barnes & Noble $10 gift card

Week Twelve.jpg

WEEK TWELVE GRAND PRIZE PACK…Twelve fantasy novels including “A Sending of Dragons” by Jane Yolen, “The Mapmaker Chronicles” by A L Tait, “Firewing” by Kenneth Oppel, “Wereworld: Nest of Serpents” by Curtis Jobling, “Warriors: Fire and Ice: by Erin Hunter, “The Murk” by Robert Lettrick, “Five Kingdoms: Rogue Knights” by Brandon Mull, “Fairest” by Gail Carson Levine, “What The Dickens” by Gregory Maguire, “Deep Blue” by Jennifer Donnelly, autographed copy of “At The Dawn of Legend: Guinevere Book Two” by Cheryl Carpinello, and an autographed copy of my book “LUNADAR: Homeward Bound”.

Why not help a poor gal out and tell all your friends about my upcoming free contest?

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lunadar

With Ariana’s world falling apart and the future of Lunadar at stake, how will she bring her father’s murderer to justice and fulfill a deathbed promise to protect Lunadar’s legacy?

donna

AN INDIE AUTHOR’S JOURNEY: Book Marketing Phase Two (Book Reviews)

September 3, 2018September 3, 2018Donna L

I’m delving into the world of indie publishing. Some authors go the quicker route and use a source like CreateSpace or Kindle Direct to immediately get their books out there.

There’s nothing wrong going that route, but I’ve decided to take a different path.

****************

Last week I talked about phase one of my book marketing plan. If you missed it, you can read about it here.

In phase two, I’m focusing on creating a list of potential online book reviewers to add to the other reviewers currently reading my book. While I hope to never receive a negative review, the reality is that not everyone who may read my book will like it. If it is an honest review then I welcome ALL reviews because it legitimizes my work. If I get a negative review and it’s just a spammer, then no matter what I would say or do, the spammer will still have put that negative review out there for the world to see and I give my future readers credit for not being taken in by spambot reviews.

With just a little bit of target research, I came across over 300 book reviewers covering everything from children’s picture books to adult genres. I’ve listed a few below and if you only have a little bit of time, make sure to check out the first two as The Indie Review blog lists 294 book reviewers in all genres and Urban Epics lists tons of young adult fantasy book reviewers that I can pitch LUNADAR: Homeward Bound to.

http://www.theindieview.com/indie-reviewers/

http://urbanepics.com/best-ya-blogs-bookreviewers/

http://www.twochicksonbooks.com/p/review-policy.html

http://darkfaerietales.com/review-policy

http://www.forestofwordsandpages.com/review-policy-2/

http://eaterofbooks.blogspot.com/p/review-policy.html

http://www.thebookrat.com/

http://www.dowiesplace.com/p/review-policy.html

http://www.yabookscentral.com/

http://booksandpals.blogspot.com/

http://www.indiereader.com/indie-book-reviews/

I’m still working on the Twelve Days of Lunadar (based on the Twelve Days of Christmas, but on a poor gal’s budget) contest and hopefully I will be able to reveal all the wonderful details shortly. In the mean time, check out this funny version of the Twelve Days of Christmas to help get you in an early holiday mood.

LUNADAR cover jpg

With Ariana’s world falling apart and the future of Lunadar at stake, how will she bring her father’s murderer to justice and fulfill a deathbed promise to protect Lunadar’s legacy?

AN INDIE AUTHOR’S JOURNEY: Book Marketing, Phase One (Snail Mail)

August 27, 2018September 3, 2018Donna L

LUNADAR snailmail campaign

I’m delving into the world of indie publishing. Some authors go the quicker route and use a source like CreateSpace or Kindle Direct to immediately get their books out there.

There’s nothing wrong going that route, but I’ve decided to take a different path.

*************

Now that the finishing touches on the actual production of LUNADAR: Homeward Bound is finalized, I can turn my attention to the marketing side of things. I know a lot of authors who really dread this part of the publishing business for various reasons. Either its too expensive or it’s too time consuming or the authors just aren’t skilled enough to put together a smart marketing plan.

In various jobs I’ve held over the years, I’ve always managed to dip my toes into the marketing side of things as I looked for ways to help promote whatever business I was working for. I am NOT a marketing expert but I LOVE researching and learning so when I was waiting for the release date of my LUNADAR print edition to be determined, I took the time to give some serious thought to how am I going to promote this new book of mine on a poor gal’s budget?

I have come up with several marketing ideas…some little, some big, some FABULOUS…that I will be trying out over the next 90 days to help get the word out and will then look at my results to see what worked and what bombed.

The first thing I did was create a book trailer and had it uploaded to YouTube:

lunadar book trailer.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVUOuctv3WI

Today I’m going to talk about my SnailMail Campaign.

Yeah, EVERYONE is on the internet and phone with texting, instant messaging, chatting, and posting. But part of me is “old school” and nothing says it better than a hand delivered letter with a postcard, business card, and mini “sell sheet” inside, hand addressed to the receiver.

As a writer, you are supposed to know your audience and for LUNADAR: Homeward Bound, I had many targets to look at :

Teenagers 13-18 years old
Book Clubs who read YA fantasy
Middle Schools
High Schools
Bookstores
Libraries
Video Game Stores
Comic Book Stores
Trading Card Stores
Homeschool Groups

That was a good start. I then started making an actual mailing list of names and addresses covering individuals or businesses in any of these categories within a 50 mile radius of my home. I came up with 142 different locations to send my book info to. They break up into these various groups:

Bookstores 36
Specialty stores 4
Libraries 33
Newspapers 8
Middle Schools 21
High Schools 22
Private Schools 18

If I go with the “six degrees of separation” theory, then just think of all the possible future readers of my book being created by sending these little packages of book love out into the world?

book love

Crossing my fingers while I work on the next phase of marketing, I like to call “The Twelve Weeks of LUNADAR”…based on the theme “The Twelve Days of Christmas”…

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lunadar

(Amazon)

With Ariana’s world falling apart and the future of Lunadar at stake, how will she bring her father’s murderer to justice and fulfill a deathbed promise to protect Lunadar’s legacy?

donna

International best selling, award winning author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection. Donna’s latest book, LUNADAR: Homeward Bound (a YA fantasy), ebook edition, is now available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books A Million, Goodreads, and other online retailers.

THOUGHTFUL THURSDAY: Dreaming About A Dream Job

August 23, 2018August 23, 2018Donna L

dream job

There were many things I wanted to be growing up. A writer. A veterinarian. A horse breeder. Always a writer above everything else. The urge to tell stories would spill over into childhood play time. I would place my stuffed animals in a circle as I read them stories and created some tales of my own. The ebb and flow of characters danced in my head to a song only they could sing.

And I waited.

Waited to grow up…waited for one day to be that elusive thing called an “author”. In my child’s mind an author could create magical worlds with a wave of their hand, drawing their readers in with a more powerful potion filled with words than any magician could create.

And I waited.

Waited and wrote and wondered if my writing would ever be good enough. Afraid to tell anyone of my secret desire to write children’s stories. Nervous to show my writing to the world because my fragile writer’s ego might not be able to survive being told my writing wasn’t good enough…that I wasn’t good enough.

And I waited.

Until one day I had two notebooks full of poems, essays…bits and pieces of me just waiting to go out into the world. Along came a vanity press agent telling me I was worthy. That I was a writer and they would publish my poetry. For a price. And I thought that was all there was to writing and it was a price I didn’t want to pay so I lay my pen down for more than twenty years. Tried to quiet the voices inside my head and went on to create a life built around other passions.

And I waited.

I waited until the voices could wait no more and I returned to my writing. Older, hopefully wiser, I took my time…learned new skills…made new friends…and started giving back to a writing community who always believed in me.

I’ve been lucky. I’ve grown and blossomed as a writer and it looks like I’m about to step beyond even my wildest childhood dream. My new publishing company Story Catcher Publishing (www.storycatcherpublsihing.com) will be releasing it’s first book, LUNADAR: Homeward Bound, on October 15, 2018. Hopefully this will be the first in a long line of writerly releases to carry me into the next phase of my writing career.

I have discovered it’s never too late to have a dream…to follow your first love…but sometimes those dreams take you to a place you never imagined before…

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lunadar

(Ebook available on Amazon)

With Ariana’s world falling apart and the future of Lunadar at stake, how will she bring her father’s murderer to justice and fulfill a deathbed promise to protect Lunadar’s legacy?

donna

AN INDIE AUTHOR’S JOURNEY: Eight Vital Areas of Book Marketing

August 6, 2018August 6, 2018Donna L

book marketing.jpg

I’m delving into the world of indie publishing. Some authors go the quicker route and use a source like CreateSpace or Kindle Direct to immediately get their books out there.

There’s nothing wrong going that route, but I’ve decided to take a different path.

************

Now that my book, LUNADAR: Homeward Bound is now out as an ebook on Amazon and other online retailers, I need to focus on finalizing my marketing plan before my print edition releases later this Fall.

Here are some things to consider when a writer wants a plan to promote their latest book:

1. POSTCARD LIST

I am creating a list of 140 bookstores, libraries, schools, etc. locally and a little bit beyond the local to mail out postcards to, along with my business card and a short note inviting people to take a chance on my book.

2. BUSINESS CARDS

There any companies around making business cards. I found these through Vista Print & I will include them with my postcards. I want to be viewed as a professional so I must provide the best quality swag and promo items I can.

3. BOOK PROMOTION WEBSITES

Research uncovered a number of book promotion websites willing to help authors get info about their books in the hands of my target audience of young adult readers. I will select a few and make sure all the pertinent info is loaded for anyone to view.

4. BOOK REVIEWERS

I already have my LUNADAR Street Team in place. I sent them a link to the ebook and the reviews are beginning to come in. There are also a number of online reviewers who can be found through a Google search. These reviewers will help share a little writerly love and honest opinions about my book.

5. BOOK PARTIES

Some people call them book signings, but the word “party” implies the possibilities of fun times and goodwill. I will contact the usual bookstores, but will also try to be a bit more creative and search out venues like speciality gift shops, book clubs, or social groups who might be looking for a guest speaker.

6. CONTESTS & GIVEAWAYS

I will run a contest for anyone joining my street team and leaving a book review on places like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads. I will also run giveaways in Amazon, Goodreads, and closer to the holidays I’m planning on running a special TWELVE DAYS OF LUNADAR where there will be a lucky winner every day for the first twelve days of December.

7. FESTIVALS & BOOK FAIRS

There are numerous festivals and book fairs running all year long and I will be contacting several of them to see if I can include a booth during the festivities.

8. BLOG TOUR

I’ve reached out to some of my online friends and will do some blog posts and interviews promoting LUNADAR. I was even approached recently by a lovely lady who provides book information to Latin American teachers and she is planning on including my interview in her article coming out within the next two weeks.

These are just some of the things I will be doing to include in my marketing plan for LUNADAR: Homeward Bound. This is in addition to the daily posts on my own blog and the numerous Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn groups I’m a part of.

If all of this is done right, come Christmas time I will have a little time to finally do some relaxing. I can only wish!

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only takes one ill-fated meeting for Ariana to suddenly be plunged into an escalating web of secrets found in her father’s journal, a deadly kidnapping, and an ever-weakening resolve to turn her back on the call of the merman’s song.

With Ariana’s world falling apart and the future of Lunadar at stake, how will she bring her father’s murderer to justice and fulfill a deathbed promise to protect Lunadar’s legacy?

AN INDIE AUTHOR’S JOURNEY: How To Eat An Elephant

July 30, 2018July 30, 2018Donna L

I’m delving into the world of indie publishing. Some authors go the quicker route and use a source like CreateSpace or Kindle Direct to immediately get their books out there.

There’s nothing wrong going that route, but I’ve decided to take a different path.

***************

So, the old time joke goes like this…

HOW DO YOU EAT AN ELEPHANT?

And the punch line?

ONE BITE AT A TIME!

That’s how I feel about the next step in my publishing journey. I think I have the printing issues solved (I’ll know this week) so now I can move on to the next phase.

Marketing.

For some authors…and publishers…there is nothing more terrifying than trying to promote one’s book after all the blood, sweat, and tears a writer puts into the story itself. And it can seem overwhelming what direction to start.

I’ve chosen to look into potential book awards to see if LUNADAR: Homeward Bound qualifies for any of them. There are tons of sites out there but I’ve only listed a few below. Maybe I’ll get lucky and be able to announce later of yet another accomplishment to add to this author’s writerly resume…

Authors Talk About It Book Contest
http://authorstalkaboutit.com/book-award-contest/

BookLife Prize in Fiction
http://booklife.com/about-us/the-booklife-prize-in-fiction.html

CIPA EVVY Awards
http://cipabooks.com/cipa-evvy-awards/

eLit Book Awards
http://www.elitawards.com/

EPIC eBook Competition
http://epicorg.org/competitions/epic-s-ebook-competition.html

Foreword Reviews Book of the Year Awards
http://www.forewordreviews.com/services/book-awards/botya/

Global eBook Awards
http://globalebookawards.com/

Independent Press Award
http://www.independentpressaward.com

IndieReader Discovery Awards
http://indiereader.com/enter-discovery-awards/

International Beverly Hills Book Awards
http://www.beverlyhillsbookawards.com/

International Book Awards
http://www.internationalbookawards.com/home.html

International Excellence Body, Mind, Spirit Book Awards
http://www.bmsbookawards.com/index.html

IPPY Awards
http://www.independentpublisher.com/ipland/ipawards.php

Kindle Book Awards
http://www.thekindlebookreview.net/2016-kindle-book-awards/

Midwest Book Awards
http://www.mipa.org/

National Indie Excellence Book Awards
http://www.indieexcellence.com/

Nautilus Book Awards
http://www.nautilusbookawards.com/

Next Generation Indie Book Awards
http://www.indiebookawards.com/

Publishing Innovation Awards
http://www.publishinginnovationawards.com/

Reader Views Literary Awards
http://readerviews.com/literaryawards/

Readers Favorite Contest
http://readersfavorite.com/annual-book-award-contest.htm

SELF-e
http://library-journal.biblioboard.com/?promotionId=a88e92ef-35ac-496f-9d9c-396d8c734d93

The Ben Franklin Awards
http://ibpabenjaminfranklinawards.com/

The Eric Hoffer Award
http://www.hofferaward.com/

The Firecracker Awards
http://www.clmp.org/readers/programs/firecracker/

The International Rubery Book Award
http://www.ruberybookaward.com/index.html

The Living Now Book Awards
http://www.livingnowawards.com/index.php

The Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards
http://www.moonbeamawards.com/

Shelf Unbound Writing Competition for Best Self-Published Book
http://www.shelfmediagroup.com/pages/competition.html

USA “Best Books” Awards
http://www.usabooknews.com/2017bestbookawards.html

The WISHING SHELF Independent Book Awards [UK]
http://www.thewsa.co.uk/

With Ariana’s world falling apart and the future of Lunadar at stake, how will she bring her father’s murderer to justice and fulfill a deathbed promise to protect Lunadar’s legacy?

International best selling, award winning author, Donna L Martin, has been writing since she was eight years old. She is a 4th Degree Black Belt in TaeKwonDo by day and a ‘ninja’ writer of children’s picture books, chapter books, young adult novels and inspirational essays by night. Donna is a BOOK NOOK REVIEWS host providing the latest book reviews on all genres of children’s books, and the host of WRITERLY WISDOM, a resource series for writers. Donna is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and Children’s Book Insider. She is a lover of dark chocolate, going to the beach and adding to her growing book collection. Donna’s latest book, LUNADAR: Homeward Bound (a YA fantasy) from Story Catcher Publishing ebook edition is now available at Amazon and other online retailers, with the print edition coming out late fall 2018.

FLASH FICTION TUESDAY: A Slippery Slope

July 24, 2018July 29, 2018Donna L

But in my case, I write flash fiction with an open ending. I allow my readers to draw their own conclusion as to what happens next to the characters of each story. This week, take a dip in the icy waters of this murder mystery…

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Beverly stepped to the edge of the embankment. Icicles loaded the trees, bending them close to the ground. All around her came the sounds of snapping branches, cracking like whips as the weight of the ice tore them from tree trunks. She knew it was not safe here but she had no choice. Tommy told her he threw the gun into the water right before the ice storm hit last night. Beverly couldn’t believe he had been that stupid. That gun was the only thing tying him to the murder. All it took was for one foolish hunter stumbling across it and they would lose everything.

Thirty feet downstream from the old homestead he had said. Thirty feet to freedom if she could just find the darn thing. The river was cluttered with ice chunks and debris. Beverly could only hope the gun hadn’t traveled too far downstream from where he threw it in. She was getting awfully tired of cleaning up his messes.

Placing one boot gingerly on the partial trail leading down to the water’s edge, Beverly strained to see if she could figure out where the gun had gone. She was just about to take another step when there came a thunderous roar of snapping branches immediately behind her. Beverly’s scream echoed into the cold morning air as her foot slipped on the muddy trail and she fell, tumbling faster and faster toward the water’s edge. She would almost certainly land headfirst into the icy river unless a miracle happened.

Now it’s your turn. What happens next? Do the trees stop Beverly from drowning in the river? Or does the water seal her fate? Maybe there is a miracle just around the bend. Join in the fun and add a comment below…

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LUNADAR cover jpg

With Ariana’s world falling apart and the future of Lunadar at stake, how will she bring her father’s murderer to justice and fulfill a deathbed promise to protect Lunadar’s legacy?