Tag Archives: tips

Announcement, Author, Baking, Cooking, Self-publishing

Great Tips From a Fellow Author

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coffeeEarly this week I met with a fellow Whidbey Island author at a local coffee shop — a curious individual we will call Eldritch Black.  We wrote, we caught up, laughed, and — unsurprisingly enough — did what two like-minded people do, we talked shop.  Eldritch has about a dozen kids-book titles under his belt long with others under a sobriquet, his nom de plume … or in simple terms a pen name.  He shared with me from his wealth of knowledge and gave me more than a few invaluable tips!  Two of these have occupied my mind NON-STOP … really, I should be charging them rent.

I’m considering starting an e-mail newsletter including a recipe-of-the-month. TIPS

MailerLiteEldritch gave me the suggestion of starting an email newsletter and using MailerLite to handle the list.  Their features and prices look good.  I’m still weighing my options and what I might do with this.  What I know is that when I start I want to begin with a plan.  Sure, this may get modified as I go but I won’t be winging-it.  If you are interested now in joining my future mailing list, please drop me a line and say “Please add me to your mailing list!” TIPS

Recipe of the Month

Also suggested among Eldritch’s ideas was that I start doing a recipe-a-month — DUH — that’s big!  I’ve had this idea but it was put into a different perspective when it was suggested in an e-mail list.  It’s also where I want to have a plan-in-place — figuring out which recipes to present in advance.  I’d also love to get recipes from my readers to feature along with giving kitchen tips.  All of this could also lead to its own book!  (Here are a few free recipes in the mean time.)

Draft2DigitalLastly, Eldritch showed me Draft2Digital.  I was told interesting things about what this company offers — after learning more, I may publish my e-book with Draft2Digital, too! TIPS
(PSST — I’ve also started looking into a company that can manufacture my book with colour photos!)

Keep your eyes here — updates as they come!

~ Don

Eldritch Black ~ Links

Eldritch Black
Eldritch did not wear the top hat when we met for coffee — which is good … that’d have been distracting.

Homepage – Amazon – Goodreads
Twitter – Facebook – Instagram

Kid’s Book Titles

The Pirates of Penn Cove (Weirdbey Island Book 1)

The Day of the Jackalope (Weirdbey Island Book 2)

Krampus and The Thief of Christmas: A Christmas Novel

The Night of the Christmas Letter Getters

One Dark Hallow’s Eve: A Lost Tale from The Book of Kindly Deaths

The Book of Kindly Deaths

The Ghosts of The Tattered Crow

The Clockwork Magician

The Festival of Bad Tidings: A tale of magic and unrequited love

The Mysterious Case of Spring-Heeled Jack

Three Curses for Trixie Moon

Announcement, WOWI

October 2019 Podcast Topics

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Want to know a secret? … PODCAST

Okay, we’ve been keeping this kind of quiet, but here it is … PODCAST

Tom Trimbath and I have started a PODCAST!

It’s TRUE — Tom and I have started a PODCAST.  Take 1-part portable recording gear and add 2 guys energetic about writing,  and mix with a look at all-things-writing as it pertains to Whidbey … and you get “Writing On Whidbey Island“* — or WOWI!
(*Present web location, subject to change)

Our show is new — presently we have about half-a-dozen recordings, each around 40 minutes long.  Three of these have been interviews with Whidbey Island authors.  Our show is not a hard Q&A, it’s a conversation about the topic we pick — a guest talking about their book, a bookstore owner discussing their approach to the book business, online marketing, you name it!  This month Tom and I have 2 recordings tentatively scheduled — here’s what’s coming up! PODCAST

October 12th — Maribeth Crandell’s Latest Book

Maribeth CrandellThe 14Sep2019 copy of the Whidbey News-Times presented an article on Maribeth Crandell and her second book “Hiking Close to Home“.  In her latest book, Maribeth presents all the hikes here on Whidbey Island.  Her approach has included not only features of the hikes, which ones are wheelchair accessible, and also which ones you get reach using the local bus service — which is free by the way!  That Saturday she was presenting her book at the Coupeville library — she and her book sounded interesting so I attended!  Maribeth was passionate about her topic and full of character — and at the end of the presentation I invited her on WOWI.  She will be holding another release party a few weeks following in Anacortes — if you’re local, don’t miss it! PODCAST

October 28th — 1st Year Publishing Lessons Learned

Make Your Own Darn Good CookiesOur guest for our October 28th recording will be ….. ME!  A week ago Tom pointed out that my first book “Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies” was published one year ago on Amazon. Since then I’ve presented my book, published the Amazon and Smashwords e-book versions, started my next book projects, and learned more than a few things I didn’t know before.  Tom suggested that we discuss the experiences, lessons, and tips of a writer (me) the first year into being a self-published author.  *Stammer*Stammer* … uh … now that I think about it, YEAH, there are things that I can share.  I’m looking forward to talking with Tom about it and sharing with our listeners! PODCAST

Now, a few more things about WOWI

Tom and I live on opposite ends of Whidbey Island.  For our WOWI podcast this is a blessing and a curse.  The ‘curse‘ is that it is inconvenient to get together, so our recordings don’t take place on a regular schedule. The ‘blessing‘ is that we have to coordinate our schedules when we are going to be at the same end of the island.  This helps us to meet with myriad authors, writers groups, bookstore owners, ETC here on Whidbey Island.  We’ve worked this into the character of the show — recording in different places, featuring some of the audioscape of our beloved island in the background.  So far we have recorded outdoors, and the weather is beginning to turn on us.  We will soon be looking for indoor locations that will host us.  If you are a business this may work to your favour because we always say where we are recording from — for the use of a warm room, a little bit of electricity, and perhaps a few other comforts, we will GLADLY plug your Whidbey Island business! PODCAST

Baking, Cookies, Cooking, Tip, Uncategorized

Kitchen Tips – Yours & Mine

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Do you ever find yourself in your kitchen making something tasty thinking to yourself “You know, that one thing that I do in my kitchen is a good idea and other people would benefit from knowing about it.”?  Yeah, me too.  Well, here’s your chance!

Over this past weekend while doing a little baking I thought of something I might add to my current in-process baking book — KITCHEN TIPS!  What’s a Kitchen Tip?  Well, one of my ideas — and I would hope this should be obvious — is to always keep your oven mitts or hot pads in a consistent place so you’re not scrambling for them when the timer rings.  I thought up & wrote down about another 5 and then I thought “ENGAGE YOUR PUBLIC” — so……..

WHAT ARE YOUR BAKING-RELATED KITCHEN TIPS?  Comment below ….. yes, I’m actually going to allow comments for once.  These would be suggestions related to setting up your kitchen for baking or around the process of baking (etc).  Write your tips, hints, & ideas here — they might get included in my baking book!

“Collect your cookie crumbs – they go great on top of ice cream! For best results, serve soon.” Marion C. – Milwaukee, WI”.

If I publish your idea I will try to let you know in advance.  Also, I would like to put your name & location as written above.  Now, I should also say — while I like this idea for my book, I’m not sure how I might include them.  My original idea was to disperse these notes throughout my tome but that doesn’t fit with my mental image of the contents – so these might end up as their own section instead.

Submit your ideas & you just might get your name in print!
Enjoy ~ Don