Touring and a Freebie

12:15 PM Elizabeth Seckman 18 Comments

I'm on tour today...well, technically, I'm going to be at the doctor with my mom...but I'll be cyber touring too!

Have I mentioned how wonderful multitasking is?

So, here's the deal...head on over to Totes and Notes by clicking HERE! (or by clicking the blog button over there in the right hand corner of the blog) to sign up to win a raffle basket with an autographed copy of PAST DUE, a PAST DUE mug, coffee, and chocolates.

(Though truth be told; since this picture was taken...the chocolate has mysteriously disappeared...a hazard of living with a house of teenage boys! But I assure you, it will be replaced before I mail it to the winner!)

Later gators...hope to see on the road...either the blog road or route 2 ;)




Win this during the Blog Tour!







18 comments:

Write Again!

7:30 AM Elizabeth Seckman 13 Comments

It's the happy Ms. Leigh!!!! :)
I'm a busy girl today!!! I'm also over at the amazing Leigh Covington's blog answering some questions...so...head on over by clicking HERE!!! (I added extra !'s for the ever cheerful Leigh!!!)

And since my smiling face is on Leigh's blog; I figured her smiling face should be here!!

Now...back to your regularly scheduled programming...

June 6th I published my very first novel.
 Squee!!!
I can hold it and hug it and call it my best friend.

Now that I am PUBLISHED, my inbox has been graced with new writers asking for advice...which is awesome... cause that proves I'm NOT a newbie anymore!

I'm seasoned. Certified professional. 

Not Debbie Macomber, Nicholas Sparks, or Nora Roberts pro-level, but I am totally way smarter than this newbie who wrote her first manuscript in three months, typed  The End on the last page and thought she was done. So, she put together her first query package, even though she probably couldn't even spell query. Instead of research, she winged it, believing her stellar  story and obvious greatness was all she needed to break into one of the toughest markets around. It was a handsome package. She stapled each chapter then compiled them into one big stack. She corrected some mistakes with a ball point pen and wrote a few notes in the edges and on post-it-notes. If all this wasn't eye-popping, mind-blowing awesome enough, she jotted a quick query on some butterfly stationery and shoved the whole thing in the mail addressed to "Dear Editor" and to the address in the front cover of the latest book she was reading.

Yeah. What a goof.

She got a form rejection. Which was nice considering whoever opened that behemoth probably wanted to give her a slap to the head.

Fortunately, she wanted to succeed badly enough, so she studied...writing blogs, agent blogs, books on craft, books on self -editing..she devoured them all. Then she made friends. Good friends who would provide feedback and support so she never again sent a query out into the world with spinach (or staples or post-its) stuck in its teeth.

I'd tell you her name (Elizabeth Seckman) but I'd hate to embarrass her. She was a real doofus, but she's come a long way.

And you there...yes you...you reading this post...you've come a long way too. Don't worry if you haven't signed on the dotted line...yet...keep studying, keep learning, and for Heaven's sake, keep writing!

One day you will be holding your book in your hands and some wide-eyed newbie will ask, "I want to publish a book. Do I have to have it completely finished before I can sell it?" 

And you will say...study fresh little grasshopper...and be patient. Cause you are now wise enough to know the journey is long and only the hardy will prevail. 

To make it, you must understand...if at first you don't succeed, write, write again.





13 comments:

Totes and Notes Blog Tour: Corey Mariani

9:39 AM Elizabeth Seckman 14 Comments


Joann Buchanan is running a new blogger site, Totes and Notes. Featured on that site are new authors who are releasing new books and looking for a shout out...(yeah, I'm listed over there...shamelessly pushing my newly released book PAST DUE!)
But back to Joann's new site. She is the Publishing Marketing Manager of World Castle Publishing and she not only loves bloggers (and their publicity) but she respects us too and wants to give back to those who help her writers out. So, when you sign on, you sign up for prizes.

Enjoy Friday Freebies as well. There is a list of free reads you can download and enjoy.


Today, I'm hosting  COREY MARIANI. He's packed his tote and is visiting blogs this week.


Congrats Corey on the new release of PASSENGER THROUGH TIME. Which you can purchase from Amazon by clicking HERE! Or sign up to win  a free E-Book by clicking HERE!


And follow Corey on Facebook by clicking HERE!


An Interview with  Corey Mariani :
Please tell us about you novel Passenger Through Time.
It’s about a man trapped in an absurd, often surreal and disturbing future, where nothing is sacred or genuine, trying to find his way back to his home in the past.

What inspired you to write it?
The present.
The present? Hmm...I would add...do you have a doomsday bunker in your back yard, but if you do you  probably want to keep it hidden. 

Who is your favorite character and why?
Melissa, the main character’s sister. She’s only in the book for a few pages, but she likes bowling and getting drunk, two things I can relate to.

What made you decide to write a book?
Writing stories is something I’ve done since I was eight or nine. I’ve been doing it so long it has become a habit. I thought if I wrote a book I might be able to make a living doing it, however implausible that sounds. Knuckle bump dude...I'm crazy like that too!

Who are the writers that inspire you the most?
John Steinbeck, W. Somerset Maugham, Louis-Ferdinand Celine, Charles Bukowski, Isaac Asimov, Alfred Bester. 

Where do you get your inspiration?
Caffeine inspires me, so does the shower, or sitting on the toilet. Hmm...as long as you remember to wash your hands, it's all good!

Time for some fun!

What’s your fave color?
Blue or yellow

If you were an animal what would you be and why?
I would be a Border Collie that is allowed to breed, is responsible for its own herd of sheep or cows, and has a kind owner who maybe feeds it dried pig ears. Why? Because I’d be doing the job I was born to do. I’d have purpose, love, sex, respect, appreciation; and I’d have it all without existential angst or the knowledge of my own mortality.
Yeah, but you'd get fur balls....and you'd have to eat dried pig ears...but hey, it's your call :)

What is your fave food?
Mexican food

What is the one writing tip you want to pass on to others?
Don’t try to figure out how much writing pays per hour.
Excellent answer!!!


And take a look at a couple of books you will want to check out:
Coming Soon!!!
Available July 9th
Available July 9th





14 comments:

Odds and Ends...

4:00 AM Elizabeth Seckman 18 Comments

Before I get to that baby eating, Victoria Secrets stalking crazy Oirish man's award...I have to say congrats to my friend, Jessie Andersen of J Anderson Books.

Yesterday she launched her first book, At What Cost with Astraea Press.

At What Cost is a YA book about a young girl struggling with every teens worst nightmare... pregnancy. 16-year-old Maggie Reynolds must choose between two unthinkable options: abortion or becoming a teen mom.

Jessie is an author, an editor, a jewelry designer, and the mother of three...she's multi-talented, and though I've yet to read all of At What Cost, with Jessie at the helm, I know it's going to be good!

Now, on to Mr. Koopmans's award.

Why, you ask, did he award a blogger like me an award after I called him names?**  Because they were all 100% true...go, read for yourself by clicking HERE and checking out his blog...it's named something like "Mark Brags about Living in Hawaii" or something like that.

                                          Without further adieu, the award.

Mark...cooking baby...you thought I was crazy, right?
Here's the rules...



1.  Name and thank the blogger.
2.  List seven facts about yourself.
3. Award five other bloggers this award


1. Thank you Mark. Good to see you like your babies well done. :)

2. Seven Facts about yourself:
~I hardly ever watch t.v. Not because I'm uber intellectual, but because I live with five men and I never get to hold the remote.
~I will never ride a motorcycles. Skin+ pavement % 60 miles mph= ouch. Which reminds me...
~I hate pain. I avoid it whenever possible. 
~I have no tattoos. It's that pain avoidance thing...
~I rarely make dinner on time. My kids are abused. Somebody take them from me. Please?
~I am a staunch advocate of getting rid of dressers and storing clothes in baskets.
~I dreamed of being a writer and running an animal shelter when I grew up...both dreams are coming true. Yay :) and Oy Vey :(    

Now to tag five bloggers...
Jessie at the Rabid Writer (she's not busy this week!)
Joshua Mims
Joann Buchanan
Amber at Unyielding
Queen Sheena

** technically he awarded it before I started the name calling, but no take-backsies






18 comments:

Never surrender

11:18 AM Elizabeth Seckman 42 Comments

Young Adult writer, Elana Johnson, is celebrating the debut of her book SURRENDER, just released from Simon and Schuster.


The Never Surrender Blogfest is supposed to be about a time when I never surrendered. A time when I succeeded against all odds.


Hmmm...folks, I know people who battle. My mom buried a son and a husband and didn't roll over. I know a little lady who battled breast cancer while her baby boy fought his own battle with cancer (you can read their story HERE). And right now, as I type, a sixteen-year-old boy is whipping the pants off of leukemia (more of his story HERE).


So, little old me asks herself this morning...what did you overcome?


And the response is a quick, "Girl, you can't even beat chocolate!"


True. That's totally true.


But I once knew a guy who beat an addiction much greater than mine.


He was my brother-in-law. His name was Nick. He was always a big giver, big helper, and unfortunately, a big drinker.


I first met Nick when I was in the third grade. And I loved him from the start. He was the kind of guy who asked a quiet little girl if she wanted a candy bar and when she shook her head no, he got her the candy and then some. He was the kind of guy you call at 3:00 AM for a favor and not only would he do it...he'd probably pay the costs involved.


The drinking was never really a problem. He was a social drinker. A play hard ex-airman who enjoyed a party.


But then life happened. A slowing economy pushed workers out of jobs and Nick was one of them. Never one to lounge on assistance, he went right out after more work. Problem was, the jobs were scarce and the pays were lower.


His drinking went from sometimes to all times. He was scaring the people who loved him and losing friends with his erratic behavior. It was hard NOT to get mad at him because you wanted him to put the bottle down and BE the man we loved.


Now if anyone knows anything about the disease of alcoholism and the grip it sets on the user, this next part is the stunner.


Nick said enough. He signed HIMSELF into rehab. While his wife suggested AA and outpatient treatment he said no. He had to beat this. And this was the only way.


While in treatment, his birthday came. My sister called and asked if she could bring gifts and cake. No. Not in the first stages of treatment. But that was all right, Nick said. There was yellow cake with chocolate icing for dinner. That was his favorite anyhow and God made sure he got it.


He finished his treatment and got hired for a good job the day he left the facility. Life looked good.


Then on his way to work, his heart stopped, and he died.


Why?


I have four boys. And a wood stove. In the winter, every Monday evening, the kids stock the wood pile. It takes a stack about four feet high and five feet wide to last the whole week.


Most of my boys carry each load two sticks at a time. My oldest son carries a load so big he can barely see over the top of it. Three loads in, my husband will say to Caleb, you're done...go on into the house and get warm. The others still have work to do.


Some men carry big burdens and they deserve to rest.


RIP Nick Loy. Enjoy your rest. Hope the fishing's good.















42 comments:

And the Winner Is!!!

2:47 PM Elizabeth Seckman 10 Comments

A drum fish...rolling...get it?
Too much?
Drum roll please.

The winner of the Past Due mug is Anonymous!!! And fortunately being the super sleuth I am...I know that is the marvelous Crystal Martin!

Congratulations Crystal. :)



For everybody else...you're a winner too...I have some fabulous advice straight from the island.

What do you do when you're vacationing with ten boys and the washer poops out?

You call a professional ASAP!

And since my husband, Chad (the stud), has rarely met a stranger, we got the down-low on the trade secrets from the appliance man himself.

Mr. Gary Paradine of AA- Appliance Repair gave us these handy tips...

1. If your front loader is stinky or your clothes washed in the front loader turn sour after wearing...you're using too much soap. Soap has fats and the fats spoil when they aren't rinsed fully from the clothes.

2.A front loader only needs about a tablespoon of regular liquid soap per wash.

3. If you already have a stinky build up in your washer, run a cycle with Iron Out. It will foam a lot, but clean the residue from the lines.

4. If your dishwasher foams, causing leaks...don't call in repairs yet! Run a cycle of the Iron Out here too. Plugged lines can cause a build up and leaks.

5. The dishwasher, like the front loader, may need less soap, especially if you're rinsing them well before sticking them in the wash.

6.. Make lighter wash loads. It's cheaper to run the washer than the dryer and smaller loads spin faster and dry more quickly.

7. If you use the Tide pods or Cascade all-in-one pacs- make sure you are running a full load. They are pre-measured to clean a large, dirty load.

And lastly...If you're vacationing at the beach...have respect...rinse the sand from the clothes and towels before putting them in the wash. The sand plugs the lines and then when the next family arrives with  a troop of boys and a mountain of laundry...you just screwed them out of a day at the beach while they get the washer repaired. And they wish you bad karma...and no one wants that!

Thanks to Mr. Paradine for the friendliest, most informative help!

10 comments:

You Launch at the Beach Right?

3:31 PM Elizabeth Seckman 23 Comments

Top row: Caleb Seckman; James Long; Conner Seckman; Chase Croasman; Mitchell Goodwin
Front row: Bentley Knight; Cole Seckman; Nick Blatt; Carter Seckman; Andrew Stackpole

This isn't a sport's team...it's my launch team.

At 3:00 AM I googled myself (yes, I am that weird) and found out my book, PAST DUE, had a CLICK TO BUY button.

Gone was the COMING SOON...replaced by CLICK TO BUY!!! Be still my beating heart...it's for sale!

I contacted the publisher; she informed me it was for me to get the books ahead of the launch...which was slated for mid-June.

Buuuuttt....I wondered...since the story takes place on the Outer Banks and I'm currently lounging around the Outer Banks, can I launch it now and use this trip as a tax deduction?

Launch my dream and write it off? I'm feeling dizzy.

"Sure crazy lady," Karen, the publisher says. "You want to take it public, you go girl." (She didn't really say that, I'm paraphrasing...and just down right putting unsaid words in her mouth!)

Anyhow...the book is available in print from Amazon and in print and E-Book from World Castle.

Now. I must go happy dance by the seashore. :)








23 comments:

A Freebie and an Award...

11:39 AM Elizabeth Seckman 25 Comments

I've been promising a give away for my 100 follower thank-ye-very-much, and I came up with the PERFECT IDEA!
Combine shameless self-promotion and a gift and you get...
A free limited edition "PAST DUE" coffee mug...or tea for my friends across the pond.
Be a blog follower and comment below and I'll be picking a winner next Friday.
It will be at random.
No rigged drawings...I don't care how much my mother begs, she's got to play by the rules too. 

Still in the "Coming Soon" category...but edits are all done! Should get my date  anytime now!!!

Now for my award...
Thanks to Annalisa Crawford over at Wake up, Eat, Write, Sleep: Repeat 

I have this pretty little award to add to my at-a-girl pile!
Thanks Annalisa!!

Now to answer the questions...

Favorite song? I have so many. And I cycle them through often, because  get sick of the same thing pretty quickly. But I will say, you will always find Billy Idol somewhere on my playlist.

Favorite dessert? Strawberry shortcake...with lots and lots of whipped cream. (Chocolate isn't a dessert, it's a food group.)

When I'm upset, what do I do? Whine. If it's really bad I whine + wine does the trick. Tragically bad? Pray.

Favorite pet? That's like picking a favorite child. Can't do it. Right now I have three...my dogs, Spot and Grizzly...both are at my feet. And my cat, Mayzie, she sits on the printer. We're buds. Well, all but Grizz and Mayzie...he chases her; she hates him.

Clothes- black or white? Black. It's slimming right? (a girl who thinks chocolate is a staple has to have some counter balance, right?)

My attitude? Sunny, but always a chance of scattered thunder showers.

What is perfection to you? Heaven. And God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost. Everything and everyone  on earth, will have some imperfection.

Thanks Annalisa! This was fun. :)










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