Newsletter Sign-up!

I’ve finally taken the plunge and created a newsletter sign-up, which you can see at the left of this post (while it’s current).

While there are many opinions about how best to promote our work as Indie authors, one thing I’ve seen recommended fairly consistently from multiple sources is that it’s imperative that an Indie author have a mailing list.

Being able to directly contact interested fans benefits both authors and the readers who love their work. Having a newsletter is the first step in building a team of dedicated fans who can help launch new books with early reviews. They get the inside scoop on what’s happening with their favorite characters, and they find out right away when the next book is coming out–without the risk of missing that information because it was filtered by someone else.

I’m looking forward to creating a closer connection to my readers, and I have lots of exciting news to share with them.

I’d love to hear from you about whether you like hearing from your favorite authors, and what kind of information you like to hear from them. Do newsletters help you keep current with their books? If you’re an author, have you found using a newsletter beneficial?

Arizona Dreamin’ 2012

I spoke at Arizona Dreamin’ 2012 last Saturday, and let me tell you, Kris Tualla and her team put together a a day rich in activity and interest for readers of all kinds of romance.

First there was the “speed dating” hour, where all the authors got three minutes to share what they write with small groups of readers. Then readers got to visit in small groups with the authors of their choice. Many authors gave away books and chocolate. Lots of chocolate! 🙂 There was also an onsite store hosted by Dog Eared Pages.

At dinner (which was delicious) several cover worthy young men competed for the  Man of Our Dreams title with a great deal of good humor, and afterward they posed for pictures along with cover model Jimmy Thomas. (I had a chance to chat with Jimmy when he signed a poster of the cover for WITH HEART TO HEAR. He’s a really nice guy, and he’s planning a store for authors to list their books for sale on his site.) Donations for the photos went to benefit the Huntington’s Disease Society of America, Arizona chapter.

Everyone I talked to had a great time, and Arizona Dreamin’ 2013 is going to be bigger and better than ever. Make sure you bookmark the website and friend them on facebook so you get the updates.

UPDATE: If you have had trouble finding WITH HEART TO HEAR on Smashwords to use the coupon I handed out at Arizona Dreamin’, please make sure you have the adult filter turned off.