August 1st Greetings! So much to share with you this month! I'd better get right to it. But first I have to say to those who have been writing in th
August 1st
Greetings!
So much to share with you this month! I'd better get right to it. But first I have to say to those who have been writing in the "hoping for school to start soonest" camp, and those upset that school's starting soonest camp, I feel your pain. Been on both sides of that at different times and the best advice I have to give is to enjoy the moment you're in. Because on the other side of it, there will be times when you'd love for the kids to be at home or at school. We experience both sides and that, my friends, is just a fact of life. :)
On the home front, there's one project left to do in the kitchen and then I'll put photos up so you can see the makeover. That's supposed to happen today. What a haul it's been, but I'm very happy (so far) with the results! Still need to do all the wall decorating things, but the bones are there and I think good and strong. Regardless, I'm loving it.
Debra Webb, Vicki Hinze, Peggy Webb, Regan Black and Kathy Carmichael. Missing are CJ Lyons and VR Marks, who regrettably had a conflicting appointment but "loves being in this group of brilliant women." (We voted. We're keeping him. :))
Thanks for your encouraging notes on it and for embracing the DANGEROUS DESIRES collection of books. We say thank you and you put the authors on multiple bestseller lists in the US and in the UK. For that I say, you humble and inspire me with your generous spirits. Thank you, Thank You, Thank You!
Your steadfast support brings me to a new project that I hope you'll also embrace...
Join the Bridge-Walker Team
I'm looking for a small group of people to act as Beta Readers before my books are published. Naturally, I'm starting here. You can learn about what I have in mind at BRIDGE-WALKER.com and, yes, goodies to you (while not discussed specifically) on the Internet are involved. :)
Reader feedback is oh-so important and reviews on bookseller sites and places like Goodreads are critical due to all the changes in the industry. This project has been on my mind for a while as ways to address both issues, so if you're familiar with it and would like to sign on, you can do so HERE.
If you have no idea what I'm talking about, please visit the Bridge-Walker.com site above to learn more. I need a Bridge-Walker team and I would love to have you be a part of it.
Amazon August Feature
Amazon August Feature $1.99
Heads up, Money Saver
->$8.49 for $1.99
<-
While at the conference, I learned Amazon will be featuring Legend of the Mist during the month of August. The regular Kindle price is $8.49 and it'll be $1.99.
You can get your copy, or gift one to someone else, here--in August:
I just checked and the sale price has taken effect.
You can read more about Legend of the Mist either on Amazon or HERE, including the first chapter and Behind the Story.
If you enjoy Legend of the Mist, I hope you'll take a few moments to post a review. These are very important to the book and author and much appreciated.
Click the button below and find that button on the page (about 2/3 down). Click and comment. (Thanks!)
Glimpses of the RWA Conference
Wanted to share with you a few glimpses from the Romance Writers of America Conference. I have to tell you that this conference feels odd for me. Always, I have gone, I have taught workshops (usually several), I've signed books, I've done Meet and Greets with multiple publishers and so much more official (if fun) stuff. This conference I decided to attend much later and I also decided to skip all that and just attend the conference.
Some say it's a getting back to basics move, but honestly, after a moratorium on flying has kept me grounded for so long, I'm just eager to see people and have time to chat and just talk about books and soak it all in. It's . . . well, exciting. And frankly, with Hubby's medical scare, I needed a serious stress-buster.
Usually I'm frantically preparing handouts and lectures and all that. This time, I'm just anticipating seeing people I haven't seen in a few years and meeting tons of new ones. I love that. I'll add my glimpses of the conference as soon as I have them. Obviously I'm writing this part before I leave to go to it.
I'm now back and I had a wonderful time. More business conducted than I expected but a lot of visiting with readers, other writers, and industry pros. I thought you might like to see a few pictures. I've posted more of them HERE.
Agent Chip MacGregor and me
Elizabeth St. Clair and Me--no doubt plotting!
Editor Susan Litman and me
My Beloved Odd-Duck Book
__“With GIRL TALK, Vicki Hinze writing as Kali Kaye joins the ranks of Elizabeth Berg and Ann Tyler. Told in the letters of four friends, the story is fiercely honest, sassy, serious and wise. It’s a must-read for any woman who cherishes her friends.” –Peggy Webb
Writers get ideas that are different for them and that is the case with GIRL TALK: LETTERS BETWEEN FRIENDS. I wrote it many years ago, but because it was very different and written in epistolary style, I didn't publish it. A while back, I found a copy of it tucked in the closet and feeling nostalgic I read it.
This is a book of letters between four girls who first connect as a school assignment in 7th grade. Through the years, their connections grow strong and remain steady in their ordinary yet turbulent lives. The journey begins in the 60s and carries through until a 40th birthday. What they don't go through!
What I love about this book is that there's suspense, romance and mystery (the common bond in all my books), but there's also these four women who seem to be on opposing sides of all issues in just about everything, yet that doesn't divide them. They don't just become friends, they remain friends. They remain supportive and when an outsider attacks one, they all take it personally. I love that. I have been blessed with good friends who are there for me through thick and thin. And sometimes I fear we forget what a treasure that is to us. Reading Girl Talk again reminded me, and I hope it will remind readers, too.
I loved my odd-duck book when I wrote it, and I love it still now. I love its messages on friendship and how women interact with women. They can agree to disagree and support one another even when standing firmly on the opposing side of the fence. I love the strength in women--the ways they're alike and different. Those are the things that encouraged me to publish this book, and I hope it'll encourage you to read it. It's on Kindle now.
If you don't have a Kindle, you can get a free app to read it on your computer or device HERE. Just click the link or the image.
I hope you'll read it and leave a review or comment. Your feedback is always welcome!
Newsletter Exclusive Contest
With this kind of focus, you know Jamie is involved. That man NEVER did or said what I expected!
I'm sponsoring a contest for Newsletter Subscribers.
Send me a photo of you reading one of my books and a short comment. It can be serious, touching, funny--your choice. I'll feature you on my website, Facebook and Twitter.
One randomly drawn winner will receive an autographed copy of one of my books (your choice which one) and a $10 Amazon Gift Certificate. Contest runs until August 31st. Winner announced September 1st. Mail your entry to: vickihinze@vickihinze.com.
Most Important to Me
I need your prayers for Hubby. He suddenly lost 70% vision in his right eye. Nearly a month of doctors and specialists later, both eyes are impacted but three docs working together managed to keep him from totally losing his sight. The optic nerve is still inflamed but better now and we hope it continues to improve. Right now, we know more what he doesn't have than what he does. So please remember him in your thoughts and prayers. I'd appreciate it immensely.
Until next time, come chat on Facebook or Twitter, and let me know how things are going in your life. I have a little more time now that baseball season has ended for the Angels. (They went to State!) It's hard to believe they'll be back in school in a few weeks. It seems summer just got started!
Gratitude and Blessings,
Vicki
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