Author. Speaker. Coach.
Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of my first nonfiction book, Transforming Your Stress (When Life Feels Like a House Fire).
Within the first 48 hours of its release, my little stress book hit #1 on Amazon Hot New Releases TWICE.
That’s the good news.
The bad news is life still feels stressful.
My bestseller has a new cover and new look …
[Read more…] about New Stress Book Cover + Live Q&A
Have you ever wanted to take your eBook or paperback (fiction or nonfiction), then turn it into a Audiobook?
Of course, you have. You can hear Reese Witherspoon or Hugh Grant in your head, narrating your story as you write it.
ACX.com (owned by Amazon) has made it easy for authors to create Audiobooks. It’s another way to monetize your product; plus, the Audiobook industry is a huge, growing market.
The good news is the process is pretty much free for the author (I didn’t spend a dime). The bad new is ACX (Amazon) sets the Audiobook price, but then the author and narrator split the profits 50/50.
In honor of Pennies from Burger Heaven now being available on Audiobook… [Read more…] about Audiobooks: A Narrator’s How-To Guide for Authors
In honor of the one-year anniversary of my release of Pennies from Burger Heaven, I want to talk about achieving your goals. It took me 20 freakin’ years to become a published author, sixteen of those where I wrote every. single. day. I completed four novels like that.
What do you want?
Do you want to get out of debt? Do you want to start a business? Do you want to write a novel?
We all know the basics of goal setting:
*Write down that goal, then break it into small, actionable steps.
*Consistently work toward that goal. The more often you do, the faster you’ll achieve it. Everyday is best, but do the best you can.
*Think positive thoughts along the way.
I also want to prepare you for the dark side of trying to achieve your goals, when you truly put yourself out there. I’m talking about BIG goals, the kind that takes your breath away because you want it with everything inside you, but aren’t sure you can pull if off.
If you’re trying to make your dreams come true, then…
[Read more…] about How to Overcome Fear to Achieve Your Goals
Failure. It’s part of life, but even after 50 years, it still doesn’t seem to be any easier to swallow the bitterness as it’s shoved down my throat.
That really is the wrong attitude. I just said, ‘it’s part of life’, but clearly, I still dread it.
We’d all be much better off if we learned… [Read more…] about Turning Failure into Success
I attended the Austin Film Festival this past weekend. My screenplay of Pennies from Burger Heaven made it to the second round of the AFF contest, with over 9,100 entries (read that post here: From Novel to Screenplay). It’s a huge honor, which granted me admission to special workshops and panels just for those who placed in the competition. Incredible!
I also entered the AFF pitch competition where I gave a 90-second pitch about Pennies to judges. I’ll tell you up front, I did not achieve my goal to make it to the finals again (I did that in 2005), but please don’t stop reading.
This post isn’t about writing. It’s about … [Read more…] about Pitching Pennies at the Austin Film Festival
I have another great read to share with you. I’m crazy lucky to be associated with such amazing authors at SkipJack Publishing. In 2014, I’d read Ken Oder’s first novel, The Closing, which is an incredible legal thriller.
In 2015, I not only read Ken’s second novel, Old Wounds to the Heart, but we became writing buddies. I now consider him a friend, as well as a colleague. Although we’ve never met in person, I admire him on and off the page, and know you will, too. Ken is talented, funny, and supportive. Plus, he LOVES Pennies from Burger Heaven, which makes him BRILLIANT in my mind. That’s why… [Read more…] about Want to Win a Free Copy of Old Wounds to the Heart?
