Thursday's Thought: Blog Tours or Book Signings?

In this day in age, blog tours are becoming more popular than book signings/book tours—especially for the authors who may not be well-known. Blog tours are a great way to build buzz about your book, and an author is able to hold one without ever leaving the comfort of his/her own home. 

However, there is no way to tell which one generates more sales. I personally love to attend  a book signing, even if I have never heard of the author before. From an author's perspective, being able to meet readers and sign their books can be far more personable than a blog tour. On the other hand, blog tours can be just as exciting, and are generally able to spread more word about your book than a book signing.

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What are your thoughts about blog tours vs. book signings, and which do you prefer? 

PS: I am currently planning the blog tour for my debut YA Christian fiction novel, Purple Moon. If you would like to be apart of this blog tour, please send me an email at christiswrite (at) gmail (dot) com. Thanks!

"Lost in the Woods" by Cheryl Rogers: Interview

I am pleased to have Cheryl Rodgers on my blog today to discuss her latest book Lost in the Woods: A Bible Camp Mystery. This Christian mystery/adventure book is aimed at preteens as well as teens and is about a 13-year-old who disappears in the Florida backwoods. Her Bible Camp Mystery series features boys from a fictitious Central Florida community church who escapades entertain and teach.

Everyone, please welcome Cheryl Rodgers!

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Tell us a little bit about yourself and why you wrote Lost in the Woods: A Bible Camp Mystery.

Well, first off, thank you for hosting me on your blog, Tessa. It’s a pleasure to be here.

I was born in Miami, Florida, and I grew up on books. I was an avid Nancy Drew Mystery fan and I devoured every mystery I could get my hands on: Hardy Boys, Dana Sisters, you name it. I liked them so much I decided to become a writer. I wanted a regular paycheck, so I studied journalism in college and became a newspaper reporter. I did that for a number of years, but switched to freelancing after I became a mom. That way I could work my own hours and stay at home.

So, is Lost in the Woods a Nancy Drew style mystery?

Not really. Nancy Drew trained me, so to speak. I loved the suspense that grew at the end of each chapter. And I loved that these weren’t murder mysteries. There was more to the plot than figuring out who did it.

Instead, I have written a storyline that hopefully is gripping – that makes readers want to keep reading. It is very uniquely me.

In Lost in the Woods: A Bible Camp Mystery, I am able to build on my own experiences chaperoning youths and camping in the Florida backwoods. It is fiction, but I base it on facts and personal knowledge about what it’s like when the no-see-ums come out at dusk. Oh, boy. You don’t want to be there.

And more importantly, the camping experience is a backdrop for a very important message about God, a message critically important to all age readers. The 10 to 14 year olds I am writing for are prime candidates for this message. They are old enough to fully understand, yet young enough to sidestep many of the pitfalls they might otherwise encounter.

Zack shows readers the biblical path to salvation. He calls upon the Lord and has a real, life-changing encounter with God. The book also teaches the importance of prayer and obedience.

Is there a Nancy type character in Lost in the Woods?

There are no Nancys. Lost in the Woods: A Bible Camp Mystery is not a detective story. What we have are great lovable kids with whom the readers can identify. Zack, who disappears, is overly adventurous and loves nature, especially the deer. Chang is a newbie to the group and he feels a bit uncomfortable as a result. He spends most of his time playing video games, but he can’t take his 3Ds along. Then there is Peter, a Floridian of Cuban descent who loves the old traditions like roasting a pig in the ground. He becomes overbearing he talks about it so much. There are a lot of different personalities.

The book seems to be about boys. Is this book written specifically for boys?

It is about boys from The Boy’s Den, a youth group from a fictitious community church in Central Florida. There are some cameo appearances from females, moms mostly, but most the characters are boys. As the mother of a 14-year-old boy, I’ve tried to write an action-packed book that would excite this age reader, both boys and girls. I realize it is more of a challenge to interest the boys at this age, so I have chosen to focus primarily on boys.

Lost in the Woods is the first in a brand news series and I hope to incorporate more females later in the series, while still preserving the main focus on male adventure.

What else have you written?

I write both fiction and non-fiction for varying age groups. For this age group, I’ve written Just Like Jonah Wail Tales, a short story collection about modern Jonahs who learn there is a price to pay when you disobey. The main characters make bad choices and land in a whale of trouble, just like Jonah. But they learn God hears their call when they fall…

My devotions book, Fast Track to Victory, A Christian Guidebook, is a 40-lesson book encouraging readers to spend time with God regularly. It teaches how to love and forgive others, why it’s important to set aside pride, how to deal with tragedy and death and more.

And, if you’d let me, I’d like to put in a plug for my upcoming ebook, Trees Walking: A Guide to Truly Loving and Forgiving Others … and Ourselves. This is a quick read and it’s listing for 99 cents, or less. It will be available at the New Christian Books Online Store, Smashwords.com and Amazon.com, pending copyright permission.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Lost in the Woods: A Bible Camp Mystery will be free at Smashwords.com now through Feb. 28 using the coupon code YY85V at checkout. You can download it here.

I would love to have your thoughts on it. It’s a book I hope can have a real impact on the lives of preteens and teens – and maybe some older folks too.

I’m happy to develop discussion questions, if necessary, so the book can be used in youth ministry.

Feel free to contact me using the New Christian Books contact form.

Also, the ebook is now available in multiple formats through Smashwords.com.

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Cheryl Rogers came to know the Lord as a adult and write books for all ages to share her faith. She began her writing career as a newspaper reporter after falling in love with Nancy Drew Mysteries as a child. Now she is writing her own mystery/adventure series for 10 to 14 year olds combining intrigue with valuable Christian lessons. The Bible Camp Mystery series features boys from a fictitious Central Florida community church whose escapades entertain and teach.

Order Lost in the Woods book on Amazon
Order Lost in the Woods ebook on Smashwords
"Like" the book on Facebook

Thursday's Thought: Should Every Writer Own a Blog?

This month marks the third year anniversary for the launch of my blog. I personally have really enjoyed owning a blog—having a place to post devotions, writing tips, book reviews, etc.—as well as meeting all of you guys. Before my blog days, I didn't really have an outlet to share with others the things that God has shown me, neither was I able to discuss writing with anyone without boring them to death. I have noticed that blogging consistently can be great practice for writing, and it is also a great way to share and publish your work. One advantage that aspiring authors can gain through blogging is building a readership. I have met several new authors through blogging, and I know that it will be a great tool for promoting my debut novel when it releases this spring. 

However, many authors—as well as aspiring authors—do not own a blog for several reasons. One, they may not have time. This is understandable, especially since blogging can be quite time-consuming and often just becomes procrastination-practice rather than writing-practice. Some authors do not see any use in owning a blog and do not believe that their books' sales would increase if they did own one. This can be true, especially since the majority of an author's readers do not come through blogs but rather through word-of-mouth or by reading reviews online. You can always gain a readership through social media outlets as well, such as Twitter and Facebook. Many authors—including best-selling authors—are doing just fine selling their novels without having to own a blog. Although I personally believe that writers should own a blog and that it can help bring buzz to your books, it may just not be for every writer.

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What do you think? Should every aspiring author own a blog? What are some advantages you've gained through owning a blog as a writer?

Keep Moving Forward

I’ve not exactly made new years’ resolutions the past couple years. Instead, I’ve started off each new year thinking about the past and dreaming about the future… meeting with God.

Instead of making small resolutions that I normally end up neglecting after the first couple weeks into the new year—like removing sweets from my diet (no way would I ever be able to keep that one up)—I’ve decided to instead look at the “big picture”. (Continue reading)

Stepping Out of the Boat and Into the Waves

photo credit: gogoloopie via photopin cc

Living a comfortable, sheltered life is not the kind of lifestyle God has intended us to live. Think about the story of Peter stepping out of the boat and into the waves. What kind of crazy person would risk stepping out into the rough sea, while it was storming nonetheless? He could have stayed in the boat. Yet he decided to take a leap of faith. Peter stepped out of the safety of the boat and out into the crashing waves.

"Peter said, 'Lord, if it is really you, then command me to come to you on the water.' Jesus said, 'Come.'"~Matthew 14:28-29

Every new year brings a whole new set of challenges to the table. Will you stay back in the safety of your boat, or will you step out in faith, knowing that God will be with you and will catch you if you begin to fall? Will you allow fear to keep you from experiencing all that God has in store for you, or will you go out and see what God is capable of doing in your life?

"And Peter left the boat and walked on the water to Jesus. But when Peter saw the wind and the waves, he came afraid and began to sink. He shouted, 'Lord, save me!' Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught Peter. Jesus said, 'Your faith is small. Why did you doubt?"~Matthew 14:30-31

Notice that it wasn't Peter's strength that kept him above the waters. It was God's.

When you step out in faith this year, continue to keep your eyes on Jesus. Don't look at the waves; God is bigger than any storm you may face in your life. If you focus on the seemingly impossible circumstances, it will cause you to sink under them rather than rise above them.

"After they got into the boat, the wind became calm. Then those who were in the boat worshiped Jesus and said, 'Truly you are the Son of God!"~Matthew 14:32-33

Watch and see what God can do when you take a leap of faith.

I've always hated uncomfortable situations and I have done my best to avoid them as much as possible. Yet this year, God has been showing me that I'm going to need to step out of my comfort zone. When we take on new challenges, they force us to trust and rely on God. Not only that, but they can be growth opportunities as well.

Don't focus on the impossibility of a situation. Don't for a second allow fear to creep in. Remember Isaiah 41:10 which states, "So don't worry, because I am with you. Don't be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and help you; I will support you with my right hand that saves you." 

Take leaps of faith this year, knowing that God will never leave you nor forsake you (Deut. 31:6). Step out of the boat--out of your comfort zone--and into the waves, keeping your eyes only on Jesus. Do things that will stretch your faith, things that you once were terrified of. Things that may even seem impossible, keeping in mind that with God, all things are possible (Matt. 19:26).

Then when the challenge is over--the waves are still, and God has once again proven the impossible--you will, just like the followers did, be able to say, "Truly, you are the Son of God."