Heart Songs, Church of Christ Women Authors First Anthology

I can't believe this day is finally here. The kindle edition of the first ever Church of Christ Women Authors is out. The print edition will be available mid-November. I want to thank everyone who sent material for the anthology. It's because of you that this first anthology is so huge. I am speechless at how great it turned out. I have surprises in store for the print release book, so stay tuned! And, thanks again.

Susan

About Heart Songs:

"Grab your favorite blanket, a cup of Joe, and a hearty snack, because once you start reading you won't put down the first ever anthology from the Church of Christ Women Authors Blog. Whether your traipsing through the stars with Captain Regina Griwaldy, on a romantic getaway at the Cliffs of Moher, defeating a warrior clan, looking for some inspirational poetry, or great articles; this anthology has it all. There is no other like it. Heart songs features some of your favorite authors; including, award winning author Sandi Rog, as well as some of your new favorites like Lynn Nodima, Jenny Harp,and Arwen Chandler. The Church of Christ Women Authors Blog invites you to read deep into the night, and enjoy this anthology!" (Anthology)



Featured Authors:

Libby Barnes
Ruth Carter
Renate Braddy
Renee Aleshire Brown
Arwen Chandler
Arianna Elliott
Naomi Elliott
Susan Elliott
Sarah Floyd
Jenny Harp
Anne C. Heart
Lillian Humphries
Naomi Rouse Morey
Lynn Nodima
Sandi Rog
Carol Shaw
Helene Smith
Julie Trujillo

Daily Spiritual Growth for Your Life: Susan Elliott

Daily Spiritual Growth for Your Life is a potpourri of devotionals, and I am so happy that I can present it to you in this format. There are 30 devotionals, and the book features a hyperlinked table of contents so you can select which ever devotional you feel like reading on any given day. I hope you enjoy it, as much as I do!

 About Daily Spiritual Growth for Your Life

"Thirty days of devotionals will change you, charge you and encourage you to keep on keeping on. Daily Growth for Your Spiritual Life tackles topics that are relevant to every Christian’s life. Each devotional is designed to make you think, and come away with a greater understanding of each subject. This study will guide you to a greater joy on your spiritual walk, and a more vigorous zeal for putting God first in your life. So, why not add a little growth to your spiritual life, and spend the next thirty days in devotion?" (Amazon)

As always, thanks for reading and have a blessed day!

--Susan

This Mornings Latte: Caramel Machiato with Susan Elliott

(c)MichelleHorst

Good morning! I have been so busy the last week, and I see this week is going to be even more hectic. This week starts three Bible classes that I will be teaching, and I have a ladies day engagement on Saturday! So, I am busy making last minute preparations for my Bible classes and ladies day. The good news is after all is set and done, I will have three new books. I haven't found a title for two of them. One will cover the book of Acts, the other will be covering the topic ladies learning to lead ladies, and the third has a working title of My Heart Will Not be Troubled.  And, of course, I am still working on the anthology. I have plans for it to be out late November, just in time for Christmas. Let me just say that we have quite a list of fantastic writers in there!

So, since I have been so busy (and I didn't even mention the craft fair last weekend where I tried to sale my art) my husband took me to our local coffee shop and got me a caramel machiato this morning. So, I have no recipe for my morning latte.

I just wanted to touch base and wish you all happy writing and reading. Oh, and don't forget the book club starts this month! The book Mercy's Prince by Katy Huth Jones is this months book. You still have time to check it out.

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. -John 14:1

A Heartfelt Thank You After a Disastrous New Year

I want to wish you all a happy New Year! I would like to say mine has been all giggles and smiles, but New Year's Day was one of the worst days of my life. My hubby of 20 years and six months (yep, the handsome guy in the photo taken a few days before New Year's) had a stroke.

He is currently in the ICU, and I still don't know much. I've been told that's pretty normal after a stroke, but it is so FRUSTRATING! I am just thankful that God has all things in his hands.

I know that there are many people praying for him and my family. I can't thank you enough. The past two days has really shown me how many friends and family we have. I had no idea.

The support we have had here in South Texas and at home in Virginia has been unbelievable. I can't thank all the people who have stepped up to help in ways that I never even thought possible.

I am hopeful that Larry will make a speedy recovery, but I am sure the next few days, weeks or months are going to be trying and difficult as he relearns how to do normal everyday tasks. I would like to continue to ask for your prayers as we go through this together.

It is my plan to continue running the Church of Christ Women Authors Blog and YouTube Channel, and I will do my best to post as often as I can; although, the next few weeks are going to by spotty.  I look forward to hearing from you and I hope you remember the book club books for January. I know I look forward to reading them again.

Thanks!

Susan

Update:

I want to update everyone about Larry and he said it would be fine to let you know. Larry has for certain suffered a stroke (I believe in the thalamus). It has left him with the loss of mobility on his left side. The information stored in that part of his brain is gone. There is no way to tell what all that entails at this point in time. He may or may not have all of his memories; although, he has recognized and recounted stories with many people here and on the phone. Only time will tell what damage or loss there is.

He will be entering rehab in South Texas -- we hope Rockport -- when he gets out of the hospital. He will be there at least two weeks, and at sometime after that we will be able to travel the long trip home. (It will have to be an extended return, so I don't know exactly when we will get back in Virginia after we leave here.) We are playing everything by ear at this point. He is also now insulin dependent, so friends who like to bake goodies and all, no more for now until we get this under control. I want to thank everyone for the prayers and the continued prayers.

Merry Christmas and Thank You from the Church of Christ Women Authors Blog

I hope you are having the best day ever. I know that I have enjoyed the week we've had in South Texas more than I can express, and I am looking forward to another full week! While we currently reside more than 20 hours away from our home, coming back home to South Texas for the holidays is a refreshing and wonderful opportunity to recharge. It is my hope that you are also experiencing this today.

Today marks six months and 10 days since the Church of Christ Women Authors Blog started. Since then, there have been more than 100,000 visits to the page, and the monthly page views have grown exponentially. I cannot express my thanks enough to you wonderful readers, and all of the authors that have so graciously contacted me to list their books.

I also want to thank those of you who have traveled over to visit the YouTube page and are now following the devotionals and the author interviews. If you haven't checked out the YouTube channel, there are a growing number of devotionals every week, and it is my goal to update them daily -- although, I haven't quite gotten there yet.

Also, if you want to stay up-to-date with what's happening on the blog, make sure you join the The Study Write Weekly Newsletter mailing list . You can sign up in the right sidebar. I will resume the once a week recap after the new year. Thanks again!

Merry Christmas!



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The Copy by Susan Elliott Featured Poem From Every Flaw Every Perfection December BOM

Every Flaw Every Perfection is my fourth collection of poetry and the December book of the month club book. Below is a featured selection from the book.

The following poem is written from a writer's perspective and is one of my favorites. In fact, it was written based on my character Karn who is the hero of the novel I'm currently writing.


The Copy

He whispers my name
though a world away
just as alive as
the man sleeping beside me.
In truth,
the one I hold; the archetype
is so much more than his phantom.
I lean upon him, my muse.
I draw from his eyes
his hands,
his smile,
and create the copy.

Will You Be My Friend? Growing Friends in the Church by Susan Elliott

Will You Be My Friend? Growing Friends in the Church is my newest book! I can't tell you what an experience writing it has been. There were times I cried, and times I laughed as I thought about my own life and the friendships I've had.

About: Will You Be My Friend?: Growing Friends Within the Church

"Will You Be My Friend: Growing Friends in the Church is a sixteen week study of the importance of friendship, and a practical guide for growing relationships and acquiring new friends. This book includes a practicum chapter following each lesson to teach you how to put these valuable lessons into practice. If you’re ready for a hands-on study, this book is for you!" (Amazon) ]

One exercise this book recommends is journaling, and there is a companion journal that you can buy in conjunction with the class book. It's the Will You Be My Friend? Growing Friends Within the Church Companion Journal. The pages feature full-page watermark images of water lilies and is 200 pages long.

I would like to mention that the book can be consolidated for those who only have a 13 week course study time allotment.

One of the best things that has come from this book has been the SAM program (Sisterhood Area Meet-up). A friend took what she learned from this book and ran with it. With her help we began an area SAM program in the Roanoke Valley and it is constantly growing.

The reason we started the SAM program is because we realized there are a lot of lonely women in the church, and we wanted to do something about it. So, every month we invite women from area congregations to meet us for dinner and to play get-to-know-you games. So far it has been wildly successful.

I recommend this book for women of all ages. It's about time we learned to be family and friends. I hope you enjoy it.

--Susan

Doubt: Poetry by Susan Elliott

I love being a Christian. I love knowing that I can cast my cares and burdens on God (I Peter 5:7), and I know that even in the darkest day he will be there for me (Psalm 23). I am loved. I am cared for. God has a plan for me -- even when I can't see it (Jeremiah 29:11). I know assuredly the God sent his son and his son, the Christ, bore my sins on the cross (I Peter 2:4), and in his blood I am forgiven.

There are some who don't know this peace; this joy (Philippians 4:7). They live their lives balancing on the raggedy edge, on the precipice of death and destruction.  Today, I am writing to you. You who are struggling with addiction. You who knows the pain of poverty. You who believe all hope is lost. Hang on!  I want you to know that all hope is in God, and that you can reach out to him and he will answer. Cast your burdens on God. If you're not a New Testament Christian check out the article, What Must I Do to Be Saved?

I wrote the following poem about a person who had lost hope because of secularism. So much of the world is lost in secularism and humanism, but can't even see it. Don't ever lose hope!

-Susan

Doubt

Humanity reasons
no one wants to
hear your complaints.
Console yourself, look to potential;
the elevation of the human spirit.

Everyone
feels weighted down
by the unjust world. You’re
not alone in grief
just alone in the cosmos.

You, sitting there,
nursing your pain
allowing it to grow,
consuming your all
whitewashing your highly evolved state.

You never turn to God,
for you know; reason,
that He is not there.
However, a growing emptiness
cannot be filled
by your work, art,
education. You’ve tried.

Suicide calls softly,
desiring to hold your hand.
Hastily you reach out.
Why not end it?
It’s a matter of choice, and decided.

He watches you,
knowing before the knife crosses
your precious wrist, that you’ve
made your decision,
knowing before even you.

Miss Grace comes to mind,
as the cold steel blade touches your
hot skin, stalling your determination.

How much did he love you?

She is wearing a blue suit,
hair drawn into a pony tail.

He loved you this much.

Her eyes smile warmly into yours.
She opens her arms,
and hangs herself on an imaginary cross.

(c)Susan Elliott

Nightshade Free Chicken Tortilla Casserole Recipe for Dinner on the Ground Potluck

What does a recipe have to do with Church of Christ Women Authors? Well, there are several cookbook writers on here, and each of us at some point are going to have to cook a dish for a potluck dinner. So, I thought I'd start sharing some of my favorite recipes. (It was my mom's suggestion -- great idea Mom!) Look for the tab at the top of the page called Dinner on the Ground Recipes for a complete list of recipes. I'll be adding to them as often as I can.

So, let's turn our attention to food! I love potlucks. I enjoy spending time with my Christian family, and getting to know everyone a little bit better, but I hate trying to figure out what I'm going to fix to eat.  This is partly because I suffer from serious food allergies, and making food is always a challenge, because I want it to be appealing to those without food allergies. (My family loves potluck because they can eat all the things we don't have in the house!)

Because of the food allergies I am constantly having to rewrite my favorite recipes. Eventually, I'm going to write my own cookbook for those who suffer with nightshade allergies. A few days ago I finally remembered a casserole dish that I used to make all the time for my family and decided I would make it nightshade free. I believe it's also gluten-free, but please double check before you cook it. (Those with gluten allergies know this much better than I do!)

Nightshade Free Chicken Tortilla Casserole

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
1 white onion
1 stick butter
1 can sliced mushrooms, or  1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms!
1 quart whipping cream
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
1/4 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos
Extra virgin olive oil
1 bag tortilla chips
1 Tbs cumin (I sometimes use more)
Cilantro, optional
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Dice the onion and place it in a sauce pan. Add butter, and cook over a medium heat until the onions are transparent. Add one drained can of sliced mushrooms, whipping cream and 1/4 cup Braggs Liquid Aminos to the saucepan. (This is basically a homemade cream of mushroom soup.) Stir often.

Add salt, pepper and 1 Tsp of garlic powder to the soup mixture and then turn the heat to warm.

Add 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil to a large skillet. Cut the chicken breasts into chunks and place them in the skillet. Cook until golden brown. Then transfer them to a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish.

Crush the tortilla chips while they are still in the bag and then pour the crushed chips over the chicken.

Pour the cream of mushroom soup over the chips and chicken. Sprinkle 1 Tbs of cumin over the mixture, add cilantro if you'd like and stir. (I like a lot of cilantro, but I am a Texas girl.)

Sprinkle the mixture with 2-cups of cheddar cheese. (Please note that store-bought shredded cheese does contain potato starch, so you might want to grate your own.)

Bake for 30 minutes at 450 degrees.


I hope you like this recipe and the new Dinner on the Ground Segment of Church of Christ Women Authors.
--Susan

For information about nightshades click: here.

My Favorite Things Featuring Susan Elliott

(c) Susan Elliott

So, while I'm waiting for other authors favorite thing articles to pour in, I thought I'd share some of my favorite holiday things.

Blu-Rays with Digital Copies for VUDU. Okay. If you know me, you know I'm a complete cinephile. I love movies, and my favorite genre is science-fiction and fantasy. SO, some of my favorite gifts are movies. Unfortunately, because I am a cinephile I already have most of the movies I want, so if you're planning to fill my stocking with a blu-ray this season, you better check with me to see if I have it. With that said, I would love a copy of the series Downton Abbey which is neither science-fiction or fantasy! :)

Seattle's Best Coffee. I am a coffee drinker, and my absolute favorite coffee is Seattle's Best. (I'm writing this at their competitor's establishment -- lol.) I remember going out on a date with my hubby several years ago, and stopping at the Books-A-Million that was in Rogers, AR. Upstairs they had a Seattle's Best Coffee Cafe. That was my first experience with the coffee. I ordered a Valentine's Chocolate Cherry Mocha with real chocolate and cherries. It was wonderful. Ever since, I've brewed Seattle's best at my house, and I drink it most of the day when I'm writing.

Scarves. I adore scarves of all kind. I can usually be seen wearing a scarf, and checking out the scarf section at our local Goodwill. I also like to make fun scarves. Last year everyone on my Christmas list got a homemade scarf.

Art & Craft Supplies. When I'm not writing, I am often making jewelry, painting or creating some kind of art project. I couldn't do a favorite things article without saying how much I love art. Of course, if you've listened to my author interview about my book More Than a Passing Glance: Early Christian Art, you already know it. If you haven't heard it click here: Author Interview More Than a Passing Glance.

I hope you have a Happy Holiday!

--Susan

Two New Daily Devos on the COCWA YouTube Channel

(c) Susan Elliott

I hope that you are full of food and have had as much daily bread as you need to fill full. I also hope you've had an opportunity to study God's word today and to teach others. Just as our physical food keeps us nourished, our spiritual food keeps our souls nourished. So, with that in mind, I wanted to let you know that there are two new devotionals on the Church of Christ Women Authors Blog YouTube Channel, and several more you may have not listened to.

I hope you take the time to check them out and share them with your friends. I really love making these little devos, and I hope you're getting something out of them. I also want to remind you that everything you do means a lot! I can't tell you how much it means to me that you are reading this blog, contacting me and adding your voice to this content. It has truly made my life better. I hope it has yours, too.

Thanks again!

-Susan

The Newest Church of Christ Women Authors Blog Daily Devos

Let Your Light Shine

Let it Go

Humanism: A Christian's Greatest Enemy an Interview with Susan Elliott

For more info click on the image.

Humanism is a tough subject that covers a lot of areas. It is a polarizing subject that the majority doesn't want to discuss, but I believe it is the effects of Secular Humanism that is what we are seeing in the world around us today.

When we as a people accept an idea that there is no absolute truth, no standard of living but our own, is it any surprise that we see a rise in violent crime, a rise in the toleration of sin, and the demonizing of people who hold the Bible as the standard of living?

Check out this important author interview about Humanism: A Christian's Greatest Enemy. (Click on the title to listen to the interview.)

-- Susan

Author Interview with Susan Elliott Author of More Than a Passing Glance: Early Christian Art

Click on the image for more info.

Have you been to our new Youtube channel? If not, make sure you check out this new interview with Susan Elliott author of More Than a Passing Glance Early Christian Art.

You can read more information about the book by clicking: here.

And make sure you check out the video where I talk about why I wrote this book, why you should read it, and how you can use it to teach ladies classes, and homeschool classes.

To listen to the interview click: here.

A little Writing Inspiration with Baxter Black: A Vegetarian's Nightmare

I don't know if you've already read my book The Cowboy and El Gran Pollo: A Texas Tall Tale, but I feel like Baxter Black and I have a very similar sense of humor.

My husband recently shared a fantastic video from Johnny Carson of Baxter Black reciting a poem called, "A Vegetarian's Nightmare." I have to admit I was highly amused, and I suspect the hubby shared it with me because he knew it fit my warped sense of humor so well.

I hope you find this video inspiring, and that you will spend a bit of time thinking and writing out-of-the box today. I want to encourage you to write your own unique tale. If you do, I'd love to share it!

What other Baxter Black poems do you like?

How to Turn Your Bible Material Into a Class Book

A lot of ladies ask where I get the ideas for my books. Some study books I write because the topic appeals to me, others I write because there is a need for certain class material.

One of the easiest ways I've found to get my books written is using my ladies' day material. I already write a manuscript for every event that I speak, so why not turn it into a book? It's just a matter of formatting.

It is relatively simple to create a ladies' study book. If you're already teaching a class or speaking on a ladies' day, you already have a topic.

When you work on your class material, divide it into 12 or 13 main sections. These will become your chapters. (Standard Bible class material has 13 chapters, but I often use 12 chapters just because that's what I like.)

Consider each of your chapters as an individual topic, and write all the information you want to include -- it's much like writing a paper for school. You want an introduction, body, and conclusion for each chapter.

Once you have a chapter written, read back over it, and ask yourself what the most important lessons you wanted to stress in that chapter were. Write study questions over those key ideas. This will force the student to reflect on those topics. Repeat this process for each chapter.

Some people like to write an overall study guide, but it's really not necessary.

A typical unformatted ladies' class book is around 50-70 double-spaced pages. (That's at an 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper.) Of course, your book can be longer or shorter.

I hope this gives you an idea of how to write your own ladies' class book, and if it does, make sure to let me know when you're finished so I can get it listed here!

So, you've got your book written. Now what? Check out Print On Demand Options!


What ladies' class books are you working on?

Magnetic Poetry Words: A Successful Tool for Teaching Teens to Write Poetry

One thing I love doing more than most anything is teaching high school students creative writing. I can not describe the joy it brings me to hear how their minds think and how they create. I love to watch their eyes light up as they see the words they've written, and the confidence they acquire once they realize they can be writers.

It may seem harsh, but all students in my creative writing classes are required to participate. They are also required to read what they've written before their peers -- believe me I know it's difficult to read what you've written, but they can do it! By the end of classes, the students are reading with confidence.

I typically teach flash fiction and use writing prompts in my classes. I've always wanted to teach poetry, but the boys (more often than the girls) complain and moan about writing poetry. Since I want to keep the students engaged, I've been skipping the poetry lesson -- until now.

Recently, I started playing with the magnetic poetry set my husband bought me for my birthday. I've had it for years locked in it's original bottle. I guess I was a little leery to open it, but I am so glad I did. I enjoyed using it so much that I started writing a lot of poetry with those words.

At first I found it difficult, but with time I realized that the beauty of the exercise was not just in the finished poem, but the journey it took to get there. Writing this way takes a little longer, but it is well-worth it. (By the way, you still have to edit.)

I decided before my first creative writing class of this semester, that for the very first class I was teaching poetry. I printed out several pages of words. (I created one and used a pre-made printable word list.) And, my daughters and I cut them out and placed them in Ziploc baggies.

I took the words to class and the students used them. There were no complaints, and two students even asked to take a bag of words home (both boys!) One of my students wrote three poems in class, and a couple of students decided they would use the words to write some flash fiction, too. All in all the exercise was real success.

I have an old set of words which still work great, but I've found a couple of magnetic poetry sets that I want to get in the future. The first is the Edgar Allan Poet Kit -- which looks like it would be a lot of fun, and really useful for teaching teens. It is a "box of words filled with mystery and fear."

I think using this with a lesson on Poe's poetry like the Raven. Would be awesome!

Another poetry set that I have on my wish list is the Nature Poet Magnetic Poetry Kit. I enjoy writing a lot of nature poetry, and like I said I have really grown to love these kits.

These sets are also good idea generators. Sometimes I see a word that I've not considered for a subject, and the words just flow. If you haven't used them in the past, I hope you consider giving them a try!



Bare Feet

Encompassed in trees
here I stand
breathing the beauty
of this wooded land.

At peace with myself,
I stand free to dream.
So slipping off shoes,
I run through the green.

My burdened soul’s uplifted
in the pale morn light,
a new day has broken,
gone is the night.

My tightly tethered heart
has grown white silken wings
and flies through the sky
up where the jay sings

(c) Susan Elliott


Have you ever used a magnetic poetry kit?

Preview of the New Poetry Collection Magnetic Words by Susan Elliott

Most people who know me already know that I am a poet. I bleed poetry and have since I can remember. In high school my poems were often selected by students to read in both English and in drama for presentations.

I am currently working on a new collection of never before seen poetry called Magnetic Words. While, I am trying to keep the poems under wraps -- which is a huge challenge for me, because my first impulse is to put them on Susan's Poetic Blogosphere -- I have thus far not shared any. 

With that said, today I'd like to give you a sneak peek at what is inside Magnetic Words. If you haven't read any of my poetry check out Susan's Poetic Blogosphere, or get a copy of one of my poetry books which are all listed on my Meet the Author Page.

Darkness of Despair

Sometimes I fail to count the stars

smell the jasmine blowing on the wind

I miss the crashing waves

only seeing how far my toes are sinking in.

Sometimes I forget the sweet sounds

of a baby’s dulcet tones

or whispers from my lover

when he and I are alone

Sometimes I see the forest

hauntingly thick with trees

and miss the golden sun rays

illuminating autumn leaves.

Sometimes I fall on my knees

sobbing with out control

forgetting that my Maker

is the keeper of my soul.

In  moments of deepest sadness

buried with the blackness of despair

I must remember God

who answers my every prayer.

(c) Susan Elliott


Who are your favorite poets?

Over Ten Thousand Page Views and Counting

The first thing I have to say today is THANK YOU! I have hit my first mile marker with Church of Christ Women Authors Blog. Today this blog has exceeded 10,000 page views! It is because of you the authors and you the readers that this blog is becoming a success, and truly from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

If you've just located the Church of Christ Women Authors Blog you may not know that this blog started July 15, 2015. I had already started the page and group Church of Christ Women Authors on Facebook, when someone suggested we have a catalog of books.

Well, I had no funds to make a catalog, but I knew I wanted to keep on helping all church of Christ women authors succeed, so I clicked on Blogger, created the blog, and I guess the rest is history. In the last couple of months this blog has become my baby, and I am so excited to watch it grow.

So, with that said, if you are a women author who is a member of the church of Christ, let me know and I will do a blog post about you and a link to your books. Also, keep an eye open for new authors and new books, as well as writing tips, articles and book sales.

Thanks again, and I am so happy to be able to talk to you every day through this blog!


THANK YOU!!!

Why You Should Use Kindle Free Promotions and Monetize Your Blog

Greetings authors, and reading enthusiasts! In the last  month I've written several times about the importance of using social media to enhance your books sales. Most of us writers would much rather be writing than marketing, but if we want to make a living as an author, we have to do both.

We have to learn how to drive traffic to our books. If people don't know they're there they won't be bought. We also need to teach our friends and family the importance of rating books on Amazon, and we must become book raters for our author friends.


A couple of things I don't think I've touched on are also important and really crucial for driving traffic to your books and making a little extra coin.

Amazon Kindle Free Promotions

Notice the book above it's free today through the 10th!

If you're an indie author you're already familiar with using Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, but you may not realize the importance of running promotions. Running a free promotion gets your books into readers hands. To run a free promotion your Ebook has to be exclusively listed on Kindle.

There is a great fact page on Amazon for anyone who wants to know the complete details, but I did find this information regarding sales ranking that I thought was extremely beneficial. The question was asked, "Will my sales rank be affected [by a free promotion]?"

This is Amazon's reply: "For the Kindle Store, Amazon Best Sellers lists are divided into Top 100 Paid and Top 100 Free. During the period when your book is offered for free, it will have a sales rank in the free list. Once the free promotion period is over, your book enters the paid Amazon Best Seller ranking.

It usually takes several hours for books to transition between the free and paid lists before and after promotional periods. In some cases, the transition may take longer due to system latencies. Since the start and end times of promotions are based on midnight Pacific Standard Time, the exact time your book reflects a free or paid sales rank will vary depending on the time zone from which customers are viewing your book in. For example, customers in time zones other than Pacific Standard Time may not see books reflected in the free list until much later in the day, depending on local time.

The Amazon Best Sellers calculation is based on Amazon.com sales and is updated hourly to reflect recent and historical sales of every item sold on Amazon.com. Your book will drop in sales rank in the paid list from the time your free promotion begins to the time it ends. However, since sales rank takes previous sales into account as well as recent sales, your previous paid rank will influence your new rank when your book enters the paid categories again." (Amazon)

I recommend using the free promotion option every few months. If you're book is with a publisher and also on Kindle ask about running a free promotion of your book. Remember your book marketing is important!

A Little Extra Coin

Another easy thing an author, or any blogger for that matter, can do to earn a little extra coin is to become an Amazon Affiliate. It's free and easy to set up an account. I often have authors ask if they need to send me book photos for the posts I write. The answer is no.

I always locate the place the book is sold whether Publishing Designs, Hopkins Publishing, Pryor Convictions Media, Start2Finish or wherever. I try to link the books to the publishers, but if possible I also always link the books to Amazon.

Amazon has the option of using great picture links (such as the one of the book pictured. If you didn't know -- you can click on the picture to see it in the Amazon store!) You can also use in text links, or add sidebars or banners to your blogs. The great thing about using Amazon links as an Amazon Affiliate is that they will pay you a small percentage of whatever sales (and I mean small -- but every little bit adds up.)

With that said, bloggers and authors should be aware that this is a free program that can actually enhance your website. Notice the sidebar adds I've added to my site. Many of us sale Kindle books. A lot of people don't know they can get a free Kindle app. So, if you run an author's blog putting a widget or banner in a post or in the layout is actually beneficial to you and your audience! (You might also consider an audible banner -- notice the right sidebar of this blog.)

Notice the banner I've plopped down in the middle of this post. You can get the banners or widgets in all sizes.

One of the best things about being an Amazon Affiliate is that it costs nothing extra to the people who follow the links to purchase the products, nor does it take money from the authors. It's truly a win-win!

If you do participate in the Amazon Affiliate program make sure to post that somewhere on your blog. For example, if you look at the attribution section of this blog you will see I am an Amazon Affiliate.

I hope these tips will help with your future book sales, as well as making a little extra coin.  After all we all want to sale more books and we can all use extra coin!


What ideas do you have for making extra money or book sales?

Free Books Alert on Kindle by Susan Elliott and Arwen Chandler

I wanted to let you know that there will be more free books on Amazon Kindle this week. Make sure to check them out!

-Susan







These books will be free September 8-10th.

Hai!

"Hai! introduces children to a beautiful culture through food. Hai! features brilliant watercolor images and a Japanese word list defining unfamiliar terms. This picture book is great for young children, and for anyone who has a love for sushi."

God's Creation

"God's Creation is a full color picture book full of watercolor images of plants, animals, birds and scenery. It is a great book for a small child who is learning to read, or for a child who likes to look at pictures of animals"

Steal My Heart: The Greatest Love Poems of Days Gone By

"Steal My Heart: The Greatest Love Poems of Days Gone by is a collection of beautiful romantic poetry. This collection spans the centuries and features poetry from Shakespeare, Keats, Browning, Poe, Byron and many, many more. The end of the book also includes poetry written by Susan Elliott."

Odds & Ends: A Collection of Short Fiction

"Arwen Chandler lures readers into a world of crime, murder and intrigue with her latest collection of short fiction. Arwen Chandler's "Odds & Ends" collection of short fiction leaves nothing off the table. Step into this wild ride of short fiction at its finest."

Blue Springs, Kansas

"Laura had followed Clark on the rodeo circuit for years. She was his photographer, girlfriend, and biggest supporter. He was her life. But what will she do when she finds herself abandoned at the bus depot in Blue Springs, Kansas in the middle of the night? Arwen Chandler's first piece of short fiction is a gripping ride."






Amazon.com - Read eBooks using the FREE Kindle Reading App on Most Devices


Don't forget to download the copies and write a review!

Have you reviewed a book today?