“How To” Guide for Authors : Introduction

Back in March I joined a group of ladies in their blogging venture at Sweethearts of the West and over the course of the first month, learned that many of them weren’t taking advantage of social media outlets like they should be. The reason they weren’t was because…they didn’t know how.

I’m the type of person who won’t stop digging away at something until I’ve mastered it to the best of my ability and when I see a new way to reach readers, I do my homework and fiddle until I’ve managed to make use of it. Not everyone is as hard-headed as me and most give up without much effort or can’t figure out where to start to begin with, so I promised the other Sweethearts that I’d do a series of social media (and other author friendly) posts to help them out and give them a guide of How To’s when tackling these outlets.

I have ten post (so far) that will introduce authors to, and help you set up, manage and maintain a number of sites and applications. I’ll be posting these, one every week, starting next Wednesday. I am by no means an expert and I make no claim to be so these will just be my experience with these programs.

The topics I’ll be talking about in the coming weeks are Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter, Mailchimp, Hootsuite, Scrivener, Instagram and creating your own book production schedules.

If you want to make sure you don’t miss a week, sign up for email notifications and receive each post in your email inbox.


 

Beach Bum

beachpier

It is currently 27° outside but the sun is shining and the temperatures are ‘supposed’ to climb so… I’m doing what any sensible, “so-over winter” person would do…I’m running off to Myrtle Beach!

It’s a girl’s weekend out (we’re leaving the men-folk at home) so I’ll be chilling by a heated (indoor) pool with my mom, sister, and niece until Sunday. I plan to work a bit too – or that’s the plan – so I’m taking the MacBook Air along to remind me I have things to do besides lots of shopping, although, Boardwalk at the Beach will not be missed!

If you’re on Instagram follow me there as I’ll be posting pics from my weekend.

Want free eBooks?

 
The Willow Creek Series by Lily Graison

I was contacted the other day about publishing my book The Lawman, on a website that host only FREE eBooks. I’d never heard of the site but I’ll be the first to say I was excited to learn about it! I may be a writer but I was a reader first, and like most readers….if its free, its for me!

Obooko.com offers free membership and has an extensive library of books in a multitude of genres. I haven’t had time to browse the site for long but I did bookmark it for later. Most books stay for a minimum of 60 days so if you see something you like, grab it while you can.

As I said, The Lawman is there, so if you haven’t read book 1 the Willow Creek Series, pick this one up. It’s a bestseller, climbing all the way to #21 on Barnes and Noble’s bestselling Nook charts back in March 2013 and hitting #2 on Amazon’s bestselling western chart. If you have read this one already, then tell your friends they can FIND THE LAWMAN HERE!

Sunday Sweet #2 :: Cinnamon Bun Cake

 
Mmm….I’m thinking this would make a mighty fine breakfast. A big ole slab of cake and a cup of coffee. Thats the breakfast of champions, right there. Or it is for those of us addicted to sweets! *wink*
 
 

Cinnamon Bun Cake

CinnamonRollCake

What you’ll need for the Cake:
3 cups of flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup of sugar
4 tsp. of baking powder
1 1/2 cups of milk
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup melted butter

For the Topping:
1 cup of butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp. flour
1 Tbsp. cinnamon

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients for the ‘cake’ together, except for the butter, until smooth. Slowly stir in the melted butter and pour into a greased 9×13 pan.

For the topping, mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Pour it evenly over the batter and swirl the mixture around with a knife.

Bake the cake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

For the Glaze:
2 cups of powdered sugar
enough milk to make a runny glaze – about 6 or 7 tablespoons
1 tsp. vanilla

While the cake is still warm, drizzle the glaze over the top and enjoy!.

(I’ve seen others say this is best the day its baked so wait until you have enough people to finish it….Or hide in a closet and eat it all yourself. Either will work fine.)

Has anyone had this before? And does it taste as good as it looks?

I saw this recipe over on the blog Housewifery. I’m not sure if its an ‘original’ or not but just in case…I’m linking. Check out the other blog posts while you’re there. I found a lot of neat stuff to explore when I visited.

Newsletter Changes

 
I’ve been having a hard ‘think’ about my newsletter lately. It feels a bit like a wasted oppurtunity to me. I only send them out when I have something ‘important’ to say, mainly because I don’t want to fill readers’ inboxes with a bunch of mail they don’t want. But… that sort of defeats the purpose ‘of’ a newsletter.

I’ve been growing my subscriber list for two years now but I think its time for a change as I realize not every reader wants the same thing. Some just want to know when new books have come out. Others like the extra stuff they get throughout the year. So…in order to accommodate everyone, I’ve created a ‘NEW’ subscriber list.

To sign up for JUST book release alerts, enter your email address below. This list will ONLY email you when there is an actual book release. You’ll receive no other email thorughout the year.



To sign up for the monthly newsletter, enter your information below. This list will go out once a month and contain giveaway information, book news, (as in what I’m working on and my progress), special promotions and exclusive ‘newsletter subscriber’ contest.

Subscribe to Lily’s Monthly Newsletter

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You can unsubscribe from any of these list at the bottom of the actual newsletters you receive. For those of you already on my main newsletter list, starting in February, I’ll be releasing a new Free Read, a few chapters every month until the story is told, plus a brand new Gift Card giveaway in every issue, just for subscribers.

The Februray newsletter will go out soon so make sure you’re on my (monthly) list to be included in the exclusive, newsletter only, giveaway.

Sunday Sweets #1 :: Oreo Cookie Cake

 
I have a confession to make. I’m addicted to sweets. It doesn’t even have to be chocolate (although it helps). As long as its covered in syrup, sugar or a glaze, I’m all over it!

I’ve found some of the BEST dessert recipes, and have a few that my family has been making for a while, and thought I’d share them with you here on the blog every week so…new weekly feature, alert! Sunday Sweets. Clever, huh?

For week 1, I have this beauty. I have NOT made this yet as I’m ‘supposed’ to be watching what I eat *cough* but its in my ‘will try this despite the 1,000+ calories I’ll consume when eating the whole thing in one sitting, recipe file.

 

Oreo Cookie Cake

Lily Graison's Sunday Sweets: Oreo Cookie CakeJust looking at that thing makes my mouth water!

What you’ll need
1 box of Duncan Hines “Chocolate Fudge” cake
4 – 1 ounce squares semi-sweet baking chocolate
1/4 cup of butter
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups of whipping cream
20 Oreo Sandwich Cookies, divided
(Note: The ‘Mint’ or “Peanut Butter” Oreos would probably be to die for on this!)
 
Directions
Mix and bake the cake according to the box instructions and place in two 9-inch cake pans. When the cakes are done, cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks until the cakes are cooled completely.
When the cake is cool to the touch, break 12 of the Oreo cookies into chunks. You can do this by placing them in a zip-lock bag and giving them a good ‘smoosh’ with your hand. Set the cookies aside when you have them crushed.
 
The Filling
Pour your whipping cream into a large bowl and beat until soft peaks form. Set this aside, too.
Mix the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer set on medium until the ingredients are well blended, then gently stir in the whipped cream and crushed cookies.
 
Now we assemble!
Cut the two cake round in half, horizontally. Place on of the four rounds on a cake plate and spread a bit of the filling on top. Place a second cake round and again, spread the filling on top, repeating until all the cake layers are covered. You’ll end with the filling on top.
 
Garnishing
Melt the chocolate squares and butter in the microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir the chocolate every 30 seconds so the two ingredients melt and combine. Cool mixture for 5 minutes. While the chocolate is cooling, crush the remaining 8 cookies.
Spoon the glaze over the cake, letting it drizzle down the sides, then sprinkle on the cookie pieces before the chocolate sets and refrigerate until ready to serve.
 
Then eat until you’re in a chocolate induced coma.
 
Okay, that last bit wasn’t in the original recipe but it should have been. I’m going to try this soon, maybe for Valentines Day JUST so I have an excuse to eat it and not feel guilty about it because we all know calories don’t count on special occasions and Holidays. *cough*

So who is going to try this? And what do you think of this new weekly feature?

I originally found this recipe over on Facebook, on the page, Amy’s Down Home Cooking. I’m not sure if the recipe is hers or someone elses’ so if its yours, let me know and I’ll credit you.

New Free Read: A Touch of Heaven by Lily Graison

I’m always so behind despite my To Do list. It seems as if I get one thing checked off, only to put three more back in its place. Which is why this story has taken me so long to post!

A Touch of Heaven was my FIRST published book. Anyone who reads my stories now will be able to read half a page and ‘tell.’ That baby-writer in me made every ‘writing mistake’ there was to make but despite the minor flaws, the book earned me a Reviewer’s Choice Award from eCata Romance and has always been a reader favorite.

I removed the book from distribution some time ago. I just didn’t feel it was ‘up to par’ with my current work and I didn’t want anyone to pick it up as their ‘try this author out’ book and judge ‘all’ my stories on that one. So I removed it. Along with my ‘second’ published novel, Destined Hearts. (That one will be free soon as well)

Here’s a peek at what A Touch of Heaven is all about…

A Touch of Heaven by lily Graison

A Touch of Heaven

by Lily Graison

Contemporaryn Romance

Format: eBook

Length: Novella

1st Edition: Released-2005 by Linden Bay Romance

2nd Edition: Released-2007 by Alinar Publishing

Free Edition: Released-2014 by Lily Graison

Paige Foster planned the perfect get-together for her best friends from high school in honor of their ten-year class reunion but her plans go up in smoke when an impromptu trip to The Pleasure Dome, an elite club that features the hottest male dancers in the country, ends up on their to-do-list. Forced into going, she complains until she meets Simon—the main attraction.

When Simon looks into the audience before his act and sees familiar faces from his past, he has second thoughts about his performance—until he sees Paige and old memories come flooding back. Knowing she won’t recognize him as the shy, awkward boy he used to be, he breaks club rules and pulls her to the stage during his act.

The heat they generate doesn’t dim when the lights go down and what should have been a one-night stand turns out to be something more. Will Paige accept Simon when she finds out who he really is or will the secret be the end of their affair?

This story is more ‘erotic’ than my westerns so if naughty words and detailed sex scenes aren’t your thing, you may want to pass on this one.

If you want to get your naughty on, then head this way to get your Free, A TOUCH OF HEAVEN, eBook Download.

Enjoy!

(NOTE: To give me a a piece of mind, and to deter children from accessing the story, I’ve added an extra step in order to get the download. I’ve password protected the page. By typing the password in, you’re telling me you’re old enough to read adult rated material so parents, don’t give me greif if your teen downloads the story. I did my part. The rest is up to you. Now, the password to access the page is…. Simon.)

Don’t want to miss any of my blog posts? Then Subscribe and get them delivered right to your inbox.

Free “Wicked Series” Bookmarks

 
 
I’ve been cleaning out my files and folders, and trying to store things on flash drives instead of my computer, and ran across these bookmarks. I don’t even rember when I made them. Of course, those books came out in 2008/2009 so its no wonder. That’s a long time ago! I can’t remember why I walked into the other room most of the time, let alone when I made a graphic. *wink*

 

The Wicked Series by Lily Graison - Free printable booksmarks

 

These are made so you can print them yourself. If you’d like your own set of these bookmarks, just click the following link and follow the instructions on the page.   Wicked Bookmarkers