Updates and Musings

OK, first off, I should mention that I just got back to work from my first appointment with an eye doctor, to make sure that my injury from a few weeks ago is healing and that no further damage was done.  So, one eye is dilated a ridiculous amount, I am uncomfortable and can't see out of it, and I just want to go home and sleep it off.

Typing ain't easy, either, naturally, but there was some stuff I wanted to talk about, while I have a chance!

So, let's see...where to begin?  I guess my biggest news is that I have been selected to be a participant in Ryerson's Chang School for Continuing Education winter ad campaign!  They had put out a call for former students to share their "success stories" quite some time ago.  I had taken a writing course online with them, and now have published my first novel (and am working on book #2), which I thought maybe counted as a success story.  Apparently, they thought so, too!

Last week, I got a call asking if I would like to participate, and I signed a release form.  Next week is a photo shoot (I don't know when yet), and I have to talk to the woman writing the ad copy, but as of November 29th, my face and tale should be visible all across the city of Toronto, most notably on public transit vehicles of all sorts!  The campaign will run right through the holiday season, up to January 17th, so hopefully that will help boost visibility and sales for Carving The Light!  How THAT for marketing and publicity?  :)

Additionally, I'm thinking of running a small contest of sorts.  I was just going to do it on the FB page I created, but am considering trying to open it up even more and running it as part of this blog, as well.  For the duration of the ad campaign, I want to have people send in their pics of my ad, wherever they see it...or them with the ad, or the book with the ad...they can be as creative as they like.  Once the campaign is over, some "winners" will be chosen, and small Carving The Light (and possibly Ebon Black)-related prizes will be awarded.  I have some prize ideas in mind already, and will have more closer to the start of the contest.  So stay tuned for details!  It's going to be good fun!

I've found a girl on Goodreads willing to review CTL for her blog, and hopefully for Amazon, etc, as well, and some of the winners of the Goodreads Giveaway have also agreed to review it once they have read it, so I will be posting all of those here - with their permission, of course!

In the meantime, I wrote a short but earnest review of No Hope For Gomez! by Graham Parke, and posted it everywhere I could think of.  I will post it here, soon, as well, but in the meantime, if you like strong writing, quirky humour, and an honest if somewhat messed up protagonist, then Gomez is for you!  Check it out!

Amazon.ca is now offering shipping to Canada on orders over $25, instead of $40, so jump in there and pick up BOTH books...just in time for the holidays!  :)

OK...I have to get back to work now.  More very soon.  I'm suddenly just blanking on what else I'd wanted to say!  ;)

Until soon,

PS  Three weeks from today, I will be in LA and meeting up with my lovely Ebon illustrator for a fun-filled week of relaxation and giggling in sunny California!  I can NOT WAIT!  :D
SAM