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2018First Steps Publishing For the author seeking a solid foundation
MAY
WHAT’S INSIDE
INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR DIANA
WEINBERGER
INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR TIMOTHY
BROWNE
7 MINUTE MARKETING TIPS
ARTICLE: WHY AUTHORS NEED TO PLAN LIKE A
PUBLICIST
WHEN MOUNTAINS DON’T MOVE
A True Story of Faith Under Fire
by Diana Weinberger
Biography | Memoir | True Story
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© 2018 First Steps Publishing. All Right Reserved.First Steps Publishing strives to provide the most accurate, up-to-date information available about our titles at the time of our catalog release. Information used, such as ISBNs, cover, price, formats, may be different than what is provided in this publication. Disclaimer: We use affiliate links, and receive a small compensation for any purchases made through our links.
Titles marked “self-published title” are works recommended by, but not affiliated to, First Steps Publishing. If you are a self-published author, and would like to be listed in our next mailing, please contact us at [email protected].
First Steps Publishing / Fireside Press SubmissionsRJ McRobertsSubmission Guidelines
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PLEASE SHARE THIS CATALOG WITH YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND FOLLOWERS...THE MORE THE MERRIER.
Author Central Amazon Author PageAmazon’s Author Page a free page Amazon offers that lists all your books, your bio, links to your blog feed and your latest twitter tweets in one place. It is a page just for your books — no ads, no distractions. It is the perfect marketing tool.
Once your book is available for sale on Amazon, you can set up an Author Page of your own.
So what’s the fuss about? Well, it comes down to sales and M-O-N-E-Y. Everyone wants to make money on their writing, and if you achieve any amount of following, no matter how small, you want to make finding and purchasing your work as easy as possible.
If people buy one of your books, and like it, then they are more likely to purchase others. So make the customer experience streamlined. The Amazon Author page offers a button for customers to follow authors. That means when you publish a new book, the customer is notified by Amazon via email.
The Amazon Author Page a free marketing opportunity you do not want to ignore.
Author Page Set Up1. Go to: authorcentral.amazon.
com and set up an account. [JOIN NOW]
2. Once logged in click [BOOKS] in the top menu. This will list all the books you have added to your page.
3. Click [Add More Books]; search for your books by name or title; Add your books.
4. From top menu, click [Author Page]. Add your bio, blog feed, images. You can even create a unique URL link with your name [Author page URL].
Below is David Baldacci’s Amazon Author Page
Left is Suzanne Fyhrie Parrott’s setup page
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Featured Books of theMonthWhen Mountains Don’t MoveA True Story of Faith Under Fireby Diana WeinbergerBiography | Memoir | True Story AMAZON | First Steps Publishing and other online stores
Betrayal, the barrel of a gun, and a jail cell. A true story fraught with drama, wrapped in humor, and filled with the miraculous intervention of God.Because she refused to testify against her husband for actions she had already forgiven, Diana Weinberger, a former missionary, was incarcerated in an Idaho jail -- a jail in which she had volunteered for a year in prison ministry!
Her career and her ministry were in jeopardy, as well as her personal safety behind bars. Would God bring good from the choice she had made from her conscience? Would her forgiving heart win mercy for herself, her husband and her future?
Join Diana as she struggles through the dark days that led to incarceration and redemption. Follow her as she learns that God can turn the direst circumstances to His glory.
OMG! I’m Having a White Chair Dayor, When Mouth and Brain Take a Vacationby Joni JesmeHumor | Mid-Life | Women | True StoryON SALE JUNE 30, 2018 from Amazon | First Steps Publishing and other online stores
A funny thing happened on my way to growing older. I came into my White Chair Day. One enters into the White Chair Day zone only after an amusing and sometimes painful voyage through life’s milestones. When you look for and enjoy the humor as you transition from one phase of life to another, reaching your White Chair Days will defy expectations, and life will be anything but dull.
40 Humorous true stories of those who have entered the White Chair Day zone.
PRE-ORDER WHITE CHAIR TODAY AND SAVEDiscount Code: mydays15SAVE 15%, expires June 30, 2018
We will ship books prior to release date for orders to arrive as close to book launch date of June 30, 2018 • All Shipping is by USPS
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7 Minute Marketing Tips Simple tips you can do in just minutes to build your writing business...
Increase exposure and build your
fan base on Goodreads.com
Share content on or chapters from your book on WATTPAD.com to get feedback on your writing and build your fan base.
Include Bonus Content in your book such as a recipes, jokes, newspaper articles, maps, character lists, desktop wallpapers...
7. Take a day off.(Repeat)
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2
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Combine your books, or connect with other authors, into a bonus
ebook box set.
Including a letter inside the back of your book inviting your readers to your website to review
one of your posts.
NaNoWriMo.orgWrite a novel in a monthTrack your progressGet peptalks and supportMeet Fellow writers online and in person
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Book Publicity: Why Authors Need to Plan Like a Publicist
JULY is the crunch time for print publications to offer their suggestions for gifts. In fact, most retailers already have their selections in place by August: from toys to gadgets to books. What can you do to improve your chances of getting featured in these gift guides?
Plan AheadMost retailers and retail publishers start planning their priorities four months out. That would mean July or August is the time you want to contact publishing editors to be included / considered in their CHRISTMAS or New Year edition.
For example, in early January, editors are planning for Spring and Summer guides and advertising. By August, school is just around the corner and with the end of summer looming, magazines are already thinking BEYOND Halloween to the holiday season.
Online gift guides and newspapers do not require “long lead” times, as magazines and retailers, (meaning they don’t have to plan several months ahead of time on what they will feature); however, you need to be aware of their submissions deadlines if you want to provide targeted and timed publicity for your book.
Think Like a Gift Guide EditorMost publication websites offer a downloadable media kit, which include deadlines for when they need gift guide submissions. By obtaining this timetables early you can plan your book publicity accordingly.
While seeking media attention for your book, it is important to “showcase” it year-round, however, you also need to stand out amongst all the other title vying for gift guide inclusion. To do this takes a special touch. Sitting in the seat of the gift guide editor, ask yourself these questions:
• Who best identifies with the concept and theme of your book? (target audience)
• Is your book perfect for dad? College graduate? The hard to buy for History lover?
• Does your book help build job networking skills?
Think like a PublicistAs with publicists, it is your job to make the editor’s job easy: you need to package the book tailored toward a specific target. You do this so the editor can easily see why the book is a good fit for THEIR audience. The more precise you are in identifying your target readers, the better your odds are for inclusion in the gift guide.
Think AheadYou need to think ahead, further than you probably already are. If your book is not chosen for a particular “season” gift guide inclusion, there is still a chance the editor may hold onto it for potential coverage in the future.
Your book may have ties to New Year’s resolutions, or is more appropriate for Easter or summer holiday travel. No matter what the outcome of your submission, follow up with the media contact. It may be that your book has “real-life” tie-in themes; supplying the media any and all options for coverage will help in the publicity of your book.
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Interview with Author, Diana WeinbergerWhen Mountains Don’t Move and Off the RecordFirst Steps Publishing Author
So let’s talk about your book, Diana, When Mountains Don’t Move: A True Story of Faith Under Fire.
Sure, Suz. And thanks for having me. I’m glad to be here.
When people look at the cover of your book, I think the burning question has got to be: What did you go to jail for?
Civil contempt of court. In a nutshell, I refused to testify against my husband. As to why I did that, the back story is vast and I’ve gone into the details in the book. I don’t mean to be vague, but the story is filled with nuance. I could explain that I felt that testifying against him would be tantamount to testifying against myself on Biblical, practical, and Constitutional levels, and that is all true.
But to paraphrase what I wrote in When Mountains Don’t Move, I don’t think I could have gotten my tongue unstuck from the roof of my mouth to say a word against him. That’s the bottom line. I just couldn’t do it. I wasn’t about to let him go, right when he was getting good!
What about spousal privilege? I thought spouses didn't have to testify against their husband or wife.I learned that my state has a loophole to the spousal privilege law. In some states, it is illegal to put a domestic violence victim in jail for refusing to testify. My state, however, says that a spouse does not have to testify except in cases of domestic violence. In such cases he or she must testify. I believe this loophole was carved out to allow a spouse to testify should he or she desire to do so, or in cases where children may be at risk.
I’ve spoken to attorneys who have explained this to me, and who hold the view that a spouse should be allowed, but not compelled, to testify in cases of domestic violence. Would I like my state legislature to re-examine their policy of allowing a domestic violence victim to be jailed for not testifying? Yes, I would.
When you were in jail, did you have any privacy from male guards?Nope. I had no way of knowing when my cell door would be opened, or by whom.
On a practical level, what would it have meant for you to be incarcerated for a longer period of time?It would have been catastrophic. Not only would my income have ceased, but my administration of Larry’s business would have stopped as well. We would have lost our home just as surely as if Larry himself had gone to prison. And when at last I emerged, homeless, from the county jail, I’d have found myself without a career, as well. I am a court reporter. Contempt of court is not the same as being convicted of a crime, but I don’t believe my professional license could have withstood the ordeal of a lengthy incarceration.
When did you decide to write a book about it?January 1, 2014, nine and a half months after my time in jail. That’s when I decided. It took me at least two months to circle around to writing the first chapter.
You're very transparent in the book. Was it difficult to write, or was it cathartic?Ah, this is a question that I hear often. The answer is easy. It was difficult to write. I was telling my own story, and to do so I had to travel back to events and relive them. Some were nice, even humorous memories, and sweet were the evenings when I got to write about those. The final few chapters were great fun.
WHEN MOUNTAINS DON’T MOVE
by Diana Weinberger978-1-937333-51-5
AMAZON
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But my story isn’t only about pleasant memories. On many days I stormed around the house, almost unable to bear what I’d been writing about the night before. Other times I nearly gave up as memories crowded to the fore of my mind – memories urging me with one ceaseless demand. “ME!” they cried. “Don’t forget ME. If you’re going to tell it properly, you have to include ME.”
Each painful memory, whether in the distant past or nearer to the present, took its toll as I plodded on, evening after evening, getting it down. Sometimes I recovered from difficult writing sessions quickly. Other times days, even weeks, would slide by before I could return myself to my manuscript and the task at hand.
As to being transparent, I believed that to be the most fundamental element in telling my story. Had I sugarcoated or glazed over some of the more embarrassing pieces of my tale, I would have rendered it meaningless. The heights in the book would have appeared small, like the tip of an iceberg, had the reader not been exposed to all that was hidden below.
How long did it take you to write the book?A year and nine months, but I did the bulk of the writing in the final six months. I spent over a year writing the easy scenes, avoiding the dark chapters like they were the very plague. When I finally buckled down and determined to write the more difficult chapters, the words flowed very quickly. I wanted to get them over with!
You went to jail to protect someone. What is the greatest thing that you think you learned from the experience?
I don’t think I know the answer to that question yet. Certainly I learned what it is like to be incarcerated, albeit briefly, from an inmate’s perspective. I have never considered myself to be a courageous woman, but I learned that courage is tricky. It can sneak up on you when you’re terrified but do what you believe to be right anyway.
For me, this would have been impossible without my faith in God. That same faith fills me with some certainty that I don’t yet know the greatest lesson my jail experience was teaching me. I look to the future with interest!
Did the changes in your marriage last? This is the beautiful part. Angry Larry has never returned. Are we the perfect couple? Hardly. But our home is a place of peace. We have no anger here, no fear. Probably some impatience, but that’s almost always on my part!
Any final words you’d like to add, Diana?Yes. Just this. Responses I’ve received from readers have had a powerful impact on me. I have been touched so many times by people thanking me for putting myself “out there,” because people can identify with the mistakes others have made and the healing others have found. When Mountains Don’t Move is a story about a difficult time, but mostly it is a story of hope. When readers express to me that they have found joy and hope within the pages, all of the difficulty in writing it falls away as if it were nothing.
God bless, everyone.
Diana Weinberger has led a varied, adventurous life, from her days with YWAM and Mercy Ships, to her never-dull career as a court reporter and work in prison ministry. Formerly avid bikers, she and her husband Larry now enjoy the beauty of a lake house in Southern Idaho with their devoted dogs, Sophie and Sienna.
Follow Diana: BLOG - DianaWeinberger.com TWEET - @DianaWeinbergerFACEBOOK - @DianaWeinbergerBooks
OFF THE RECORDby Diana Weinberger
Coming Soon
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Interview with Author, Timothy BrowneMaya Hope, Tree of Life, and The Rusted Scalpel Self-Published Author
Welcome Tim, I understand you just released the second book in your Dr. Nicklaus Hart series? Can you tell us about it?
Hey, Suz, thank you for having me. Yes, the first in the series is, Maya Hope, a medical thriller that is set in Guatemala and North Korea. My readers are introduced to Dr. Nicklaus Hart, an orthopedic surgeon from Memphis, whose best friend is murdered in Guatemala. Nick goes down to help fill his shoes at the mission hospital and gets caught up in a North Korean bioterrorist plot.
When you wrote Maya Hope, did you have any idea that North Korea would be front and center in the news? I understand you have been to North Korea.
When I started Maya Hope, five years ago, I had no idea how pertinent the book would be today. Yes, I was asked to go to North Korea in 2000 with a mission’s organization that was responding to the news that over two million people had died of starvation. It was a medical team that went, and I must say of all the places I’ve been in the world, North Korea was one of the most fascinating, but challenging. Many of the stories you’ll read in Maya Hope, although fictionalized are true-to-life. When we were picked up from the airport, a young woman in a military uniform got on the bus and “welcomed” us to North Korea. She started with praise for the leaders of the country and then went into all the ways that the DPRK would destroy the fascist American pigs. What a way to start a trip! Because they knew that myself and one of the other physicians were orthopedic surgeons, they took us to the hospital to show the local surgeons performing a hip replacement. The poor patient was laid out on an archaic operating table with an incision that is never used and an ancient style hip replacement that was going to be implanted. Of course, I will never know, but I imagined that the patient came straight from one of the labor camps.
That must have been frightening.Yes, it was awful. I think part of the reason I wanted to write about North Korea was that all of us need to understand what the country is like and most importantly, how to pray.
I understand that you have been a medical missionary.I am an orthopaedic surgeon and practiced in Montana for five to six years, doing mostly trauma and sports medicine. A good friend of ours asked my wife and me to go to Guatemala on a mission trip, and it changed our lives in a huge way. We basically cried for most of the week as we saw this incredible need for medical care. Because we were there to do basic medical care and not surgery, treatment of one little baby haunted me. A very young mother brought the newborn in, wrapped in many blankets. As I unwrapped this beautiful little Guatemalan baby, it was super healthy except for syndactyly of the hands. The fingers were all stuck together like mitts. There are all kinds of syndactyly, but this particular child had the simplest form…basically webbing between the fingers. It would have been easy to correct surgically, but we had no supplies or a facility to do the surgery. It broke my heart. We came home, sold everything, gathered supplies and went. We have been so blessed to serve in many places around the world.
Besides North Korea, what is another one of the hardest places you’ve served?That’s easy. I was in Haiti three days after the massive earthquake. We ended up at one of the few remaining hospitals in Port-au-Prince and were faced with unbelievable devastation…lines and lines of broken and battered people. Plus, the fact that the hospital had no electricity, no water…nothing. It was truly like the worst of battlefield medicine. This experience is the foundation in writing my newest book, The Tree of Life.
I just can’t imagine. Please tell us about your new book, The Tree of Life
The Tree of Life is the second in the Dr. Nicklaus Hart Series. Nick returns home from Guatemala a changed man by the things he experienced there. But like many of us, he begins to forget who he is in God’s eyes and falls back into some of his old lifestyle. He is shaken from his moral slumber when he makes a snap decision to respond to a
TREE OF LIFEA Medical Thriller
by Timothy Browne978-0615894591
AMAZON
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massive earthquake in Eastern Turkey. The story puts the reader into ground zero of a natural disaster…difficult, but important stuff to wrestle with.
Tree of Life is also a medical thriller, so there must be a mystery involved in the story, am I right?Yes. The area of Eastern Turkey is steeped in history and intrigue. I knew that, but when I was doing research, I was just plain fascinated. The ancient area of Mesopotamia is rich in all of our history and heritage. It’s truly unbelievable. Again, The Tree of Life is fictional, but all the history that you will read is truth. There are reports and scientists who believe the Garden of Eden may have been in this area of the world. It’s fun to imagine and fun to say, “What if…”
What is the release date for The Tree of Life?It is available now in both print and ebook.
What project are you currently working on?The manuscript for the third book in the Dr. Nicklaus Hart series is done, The Rusted Scalpel. We hope to release it later this year. [2018]
I love the title! Can you give us a sneak peak of the Rusted Scalpel?
Thank you. I love all my books, but I LOVED writing this one. There are huge spoiler alerts here, so I can’t tell you much yet. But the story takes a hard look at big pharma. I know readers will be reading and shaking their heads, yes, and saying, “That’s right.” My editor says it is my best one yet.
What else would you like your readers to know about you?My real claim to fame is that I flunked second grade. I couldn’t or wouldn’t read…so every time I can share about my writing it’s a victory…yes? I’m severely dyslexic. I think my parents were just as surprised as I was when my first book, Maya Hope, was published. In fact, I ran into an old friend the other day that knew how I struggled in English, especially spelling, and he said, “You must use spellcheck a LOT.” I’m currently working on my fourth novel, Larimer Street—isn’t that God’s restoration!
How can people find out more information about your books or you?There are lots of ways, but probably the easiest is to visit my website at AuthorTimothyBrowne.com. In fact, I am giving away the prologue to The Rusted Scalpel, Book 3 in the Dr. Nicklaus Hart Novels. And, for your readers, I am giving away free digital copies of Maya Hope for a limited time as we release The Tree of Life. People can always shoot me an email at [email protected].
That’s awesome. I like free. Any final words you’d like to add, Dr. Tim?I absolutely love to hear from my readers. Writing is super hard, and I am so blessed by the encouragement from people. One of the things that I have realized is life can be tough on all of us. We need to discover where we can find hope. I thank my readers for allowing me to tell His stories…stories of redemption, restoration, provision and of course the greatest of all…love.
Author Timothy Browne, MD offers a medical thriller that takes the reader from the operating rooms of a trauma hospital in Memphis, to the sweltering jungles of Guatemala, to the unpre-dictable tyranny of North Korea.
In writing Maya Hope, Timothy Browne, MD leaned on his experiences as an orthopedic sur-geon and as a medical missionary. He and his family have traveled the world with mission groups such as Mercy Ships and Hope Force International. He has served in Central America, jungles of the Amazon, the Ukraine, many parts of Asia, including North Korea, and the war-torn country of Sierra Leone. He also served in two of the worst disasters in modern day history the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami (Sri Lanka) and the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
Timothy was raised in Missoula, MT and is a graduate of the University of Montana and the UW Medical School. He completed his Orthopedic Surgery training at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. He practiced medicine in Missoula following his medical training until he responded to a call to the mission field full time in 1995. He now lives in Western Montana with his wife, Julie, who, along with their three sons, Timothy, Joshua and Jacob, served with him.
WEBSITE - AuthorTimothyBrowne.com TWITTER - @AuthorTimBrowneFACEBOOK - @TimothyBrowneAuthor
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GET A FREE COPY OF MAYA HOPE
Book 1 in the Dr. Nicklaus Hart novels
MAYA HOPE A Medical Thriller
by Timothy Browne978-0615894591
AMAZON
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