Recession Buster!

Due to the recession, I've made four of my books available in two separate bundles for savings off of the regular price!

Buy "Unwanted Dreams" and "Phobia" together using this link for kindle and this link for Nook... for only $4.49. ($2.99 each if sold separately).

"Finally Home" and "My Dog Does That!" available together using this link for kindle and this link for Nook for only $4.48. ($2.99 each if sold separately).

Elizabeth Parker
Author of Dog Books: Finally Home, Final Journey, My Dog Does That!, Bark Out Loud!, Unwanted Dreams, Phobia, Evil's Door and coming soon: Faces of Deception

Mark Your Calendars and What's New?

It’s beginning to be a busy month, especially with all of the stores pushing the holidays on us! I’m still trying to get past this hot summer, and I see Christmas decorations out there.  Ouch! I’m not ready yet to start filling out all of my Christmas cards yet!

Needless to say, busy can be good.  Just giving an update on what’s new.  It’s nothing too exciting, but if you have nothing else to read, you can at least spend a moment here. Just don’t read it while you’re driving!

This week I became a member of Hearts Speak.  It’s a great organization that does fantastic things for companion animals.  I’m always interested in ways to help those without a voice and since I haven’t yet formulated a way to grow a money tree in my backyard (though believe me, I’ve tried), this was one group I wanted to become a part of.  You can check out their services at http://www.heartsspeak.org/.

Book Sales:

For the month of September, I’ve decided to slash prices for two of my books. The books that I’ve lowered the price on are my newest ones: Evil’s Door and My Dog Does That!

Evil’s Door is now available on Kindle, Nook and Smashwords for .99

My Dog Does That! is now available on Kindle, Nook and Smashwords for $1.49

As always, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to animal rescue.

Hallo-weiner!

Las Vegas Hot-Diggity Dachshund Club and Rescue is holding their 8th Hallo-Wiener Fundraiser on October 22, 2011 from 11-3pm.  This is such a fun event held by an amazing group.  They are going to be holding Costume Contest, Wiener Races, Kissing and Belly Rub contests Costume Contests, Wiener Races, and Kissing and Belly Rub contests.  The event will help raise money for dachshunds.  Many companies contributed great prizes to this event and I'm happy that I was able to donate some books as well.  Click here for more information on this fantastic group!  http://www.facebook.com/#!/lvhddcr or http://www.lvhddcr.com/ 

Southern Nevada Beagle Rescue Foundation

Southern Nevada Beagle Rescue Foundation is holding a rummage sale. This rummage & raffle Event will be held on October 1, 2011. Visit  http://www.southernnevadabeaglerescue.com/ for more details.  Many companies contributed great prizes to this event and I was able to contribute by donating some books for the raffles.  There’s going to be an adoption area as well!

Pawpawty

If you’re on Twitter, then you may be familiar with the pawpawty that occurs every month. Along with others who donate, I’ve been trying to donate at least one book, if not more, for this great cause.  This month it falls on September 24^th and 25^th.  I’ll be donating one of each of my books.  Click here to view the group that sponsors this fantastic event.  Stop by. It’s a lot of fun! 

Smashwords

Two of my newest books have been added to Smashwords.  Find Evil’s Door and My Dog Does That! (as well as the rest of my books) on this site! CLICK HERE  to  download any of my books to Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, and many other ereaders.

New Book on the Horizon

I’ve started on my new thriller and deciding on a title.  I’ll keep you posted as I get closer. I’m expecting it to be published by late December 2011/early January 2012. Stay tuned!

2011 Goal

At the end of January, 2011, I posted a blog of how I wanted to raise $2000 this year by donating a portion of the proceeds from the sales of my books to animal rescue.  As of today, I am at $1400.  Only $600.00 to go!  I am making every effort to reach that goal.  Thank you to my readers for making this possible and for all of your support.

So, that’s about it.  Like I said, nothing mind-boggling but some fun things going on.   Mark your calendars!

Copyright 2011 © Elizabeth Parker

Author of Finally Home: Lessons on Life from a Free-Spirited Dog, Final Journey: Buddys’ Book, My Dog Does That!, Evil’s Door, Unwanted Dreams and Phobia

Author Spotlight

I had the privilege of interviewing Sheila Rae Myers, author of the Detective Jake series and "The World or The Word."  I had started reading her books in 2010, and after the first one, I was hooked.  I know that from my perspective, I am always curious about other authors and wanted to ask a few questions.  I figured there was no better place to post her answers, than on my blog, so I am sharing them with you.  You can find her books on Amazon.com.  They are available in both Kindle and Paperback.

Enjoy!

http://www.detectivejake.com/

http://www.srmyers.blogspot.com/

At what age did you start writing? 42

What inspired you the most to write? I enjoy watching crime dramas on television. The plots are interesting, but you rarely hear about what happens once the characters leave the office. In one series, the main character's wife is killed, yet they never really showed his emotional reactions, etc. To answer my own question about what was never shown, I wrote a short story about it. After I wrote it, I decided to try expanding that into a novel. I enjoyed that so much, I thought it would be fun to write crime novels which also show the other parts of the lives of the detectives and police officers.

Where do you get your ideas for stories? Most of the ideas I've already included in books or have written down for other books popped into my head when I was talking to people about news stories, politics, or religion. Some of the other parts come from unlikely places. For Detective Jake: Phantoms, I worked toward the surprise ending because of a story my brother, Keith, told me. In the novel I'm writing now, part of the criminal's M.O. is based on a drawing one of my co-workers drew as a doodle.

Do you have to conduct research for any of the detail in your books and if so, from which sources? I've never worked in law enforcement so I research the procedures and terminology. Most of that is done by finding professional law enforcement sites on the internet. If I can't find an answer, I'll use the contact email link so I can get the information from real police officers and detectives.

Do you read a lot of books?  If so, what is your favorite genre? I try to read at least one book a month. Sometimes I read more, sometimes less. This will sound funny, but even though I write crime fiction, my favorite genres are horror and psychological thrillers.

Who is your favorite author and why? Wow! This is a hard one to answer because I enjoy books by a lot of authors. To name a well-known author, I would say Frank Peretti. His books revolve around spiritual warfare and issues faced by Christians. He weaves interesting plots and subplots together and they revolve around believable characters. By the end of the book, I've learned something about myself.

How many books do you currently have published?  What are their titles? Four novels and one work of non-fiction. The Detective Jake series includes Detective Jake: The Search for Truth, Detective Jake: Ripped, Detective Jake: Phantoms, and Detective Jake: Second Chances. My non-fiction book is titled The World or the Word.

Do you have any books that are coming out soon?  When? I'm currently working on the first novel in a new series. My working title is Skulls of Hatred and I'm aiming at getting it published by early next year.

What advice do you have for those who are just beginning to write? There are two things to remember. The first is to have fun and be yourself. Write what you want, when you want. The second thing is not to become discouraged when you share parts of your story with other people and they don't like it, especially when you get rejection letters from agents. Listen carefully to constructive criticism; ignore the people who are only trying to tear you down.

Would you like to see any of your books become a movie? That would be cool. The main reason I'd like that to happen is because quite a few people I've asked to buy my books have told me "I don't read, but if they ever make a movie, I'll be the first one in line".

What are the highlights of being an Indie author? How about the drawbacks? The best part about being an independent author is that I'm my own boss. I don't have anyone telling me what I should write, there are no deadlines, I can publish my books as soon as I finish writing them, and I don't have to split my earnings with an agent. The main drawback is I don't have a huge marketing team to help me sell books.

Do you have any book signings or events coming up?  No.

Is there any way for the public to get an autographed copy of your books? I'm still working on this one. I'll probably run some contests at my website. I'm also trying to figure out the best way to sell autographed copies via my website.

On a personal note…

Where are you from? New Sewickley, Pennsylvania

What are your hobbies and/or what do you do in your spare time? I like to have fun, although some people probably wouldn't see some of the stuff as fun. I like to draw, read, and watch natural disaster movies. Although I took a break this year, I bowl on a non-sanctioned bowling league. When the weather is nice, I enjoy walking in the woods or just sitting outside where I watch wildlife. Pets aren't really hobbies, but I always enjoy sitting quietly with my two cats or watching their crazy antics as they play with each other or their toys.

Is there anything you would like to add? Although I think my answers to these questions are too serious, I'm not serious all of the time. I'll share one of my mottos ... Life is too short to be serious all of the time. Thanks Elizabeth for including me as one of the people you interviewed. Thanks to everyone who read through all of my boring answers.

Thank you, Sheila!  (Your answers are far from boring)!

2011 Goal!

Ever receive the look? You know the one. Your friends or family will kind of tilt their head a bit and look at you as if you are crazy when you tell them about your dog (or dogs) or your friend's dog or a dog that you met in the park on a random Sunday afternoon?

These days, now more so than ever, I find that people are treating their dogs more and more like their children…'cause let's face it, they are our kids.

Except that they’ll be dependent upon us until that heartbreaking day when they have to leave and go to that big doggie playground in the sky. In the meantime, it is our responsibility to give them exactly what they require for a happy life.

They need us for everything, so much more than just food, shelter and water. And, be honest, we depend on them just as much. After all, they supply us with unconditional love, loyalty and companionship every day of their precious life.

Back to the look. I have sensed people's eyes on me as I begin to discuss another stray dog in need, "Oh no, not another one. You already have three. The law says you cannot have more than three." It is at that point when I begin explaining the ways that I can have more than three if I really wanted to, before putting their mind at ease, "Don't worry. I'm not adopting."

Though, in the back of my mind, the wheels are spinning.

I know that other dog lovers are familiar with that tempting feeling and are nodding their head in agreement, because, well, they know. We want to save all of them and wish that we could.

Not everyone can adopt, so, we all do whatever we can.

For me, I try to volunteer as much as possible, though not as much as I would like. In addition, I donate a portion of the proceeds from the sales of my books to various animal rescue groups throughout the year.

From January, 2010 to January, 2011, just starting out as a new author, I was able to contribute $1000.00. Though just a mere drop in the bucket, every little bit helps.

This year, from February 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011, my goal is going to be to donate $2000.00.

Thank you for all of your support and friendship in 2010. Hope this is a wonderful year for everyone, including those unfortunate animals in need!

It's Just a Dog...

How many of you have woken up one morning, tears streaming down your cheeks as you said to yourself, "Today is the day. I can no longer watch him/her suffer." Or, perhaps you have dreaded the previous night's sleep, as you knew the next day when you awoke, you would have to say goodbye forever to your faithful best friend?

Has anyone ever uttered the following sentence to you? "It's just a dog."

It's just a dog.

That is true. It is a dog. It is the same dog who had proven his loyalty for all of his days. It is the same dog who made us laugh every waking moment. It is the same dog who was available for us to hug whenever we needed a friend.

He was the one who never turned his back through the hard times. He was the one who was more than happy to greet us, walk with us and listen to us speak to him. Lastly, when he did not understand the reasons that we were upset, he was the one who would simply try to find a way to make us happy again.

It's just a dog.

Yes, but he was also just our best friend. He was also just our little angel. We also just miss him…a lot.

Have you Ever?...

1-Pretended to be grossed out when your dog kisses you on the face, only to find that you secretly don’t mind.

2- Almost caused an accident while you were driving because you noticed an adorable dog walking with or without its owner?

3-Almost caused the driver in your car to have an accident because you pointed out an adorable dog walking with or without its owner and found it imperative that they look, as well?

4- Turned down plans to go out because at that particular moment, you only want to hang out with your dog?

5-Found yourself feeling uncomfortable when you go to a home that does not have dogs?

6-Chased a stray dog at some inconvenient hour, like at 5am when you were only venturing out for a coffee, without even doing your hair, still wearing pajamas that don’t really match?

7-Not liked someone because they did not like dogs?

8-Secretly laughed if your dog jumps all over a non-dog lover?

9- Found out that your dog was a better listener than some people you know?

10-Remembered all of the dogs’ names on your block but had no clue what their owners’ names were?

11-Looked at people weird because they were afraid of your 120 pound “puppy?”

12- Met a complete stranger that was walking both their newborn baby and their puppy, and you gravitated to the puppy, without even glancing at the baby?

13-Met someone whom you’ve never met before who likes dogs and spent time exchanging photos and dog stories?

14-Joined an organization that rescues dogs?

15-Found that your circle of friends are all dog lovers, at least most of them are?

16-Looked at your dog while he/she was doing something most would be considered gross, and actually had the audacity to say they were cute?

17-Spent more time making sure your dogs bedding was comfortable than your own? I.e. giving them a pillow, blanket, toys, fluffy bed, orthopedic beds, etc.?

18-Spent more money at the vet on your dogs’ health, teeth, etc. than on your own?

19-Not been grossed out by your dogs drooled-on-toy getting dropped on your lap?

20-Realized that though just a dog, they are truly your best friends and family members?

If so, congratulations, consider yourself a dog-lover and one of the luckiest people!