(10/4/24)

I’ve updated the links on my home page to reflect some new vendors who’ve come online. Bookshop.org is the most exciting of these as it’s offering my fancy hardcover at a discount! I made their little link button red to reflect this. =) Pay them a visit today. You won’t be disappointed!

In other news, I got my books; my library campaign is now in full swing.

I’m also in another competition. Wish me luck! And there’s two or three more I’m going to enter.

[10/26/24 EDIT: I have adjusted this post to reflect that Bookshop.org is now “a” preferred vendor instead of “the” preferred vendor. The reason is that I’ve added a link today where you can buy my book direct from Ingram (the distributor). Both are really great ways to get my deluxe book at a discount, which is why I’ve made their buttons distinctively red there on my home page.]

(8/4/24)

Amazon affiliate Readers’ Favorite is a favorite literary contest of mine—not because I’ve won it yet, but because of their early review process. Once again, amid entering my new book for their upcoming award, I took the opportunity to request that some their reviewers put eyes on it.

I don’t know of any author who doesn’t want tons of story feedback, and it’s especially important for hermits like me who work mostly in the dark.

I’m so happy to see that not one but FIVE folks there really liked my story. We’re talkin’ here about five out of five five-star reviews!  At twenty-five in total that’s almost twice as many stars as bedazzle my cover!

Click here to see what I’m talking about, as they’ve already been publicly posted: https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/meet-maybeth

In other news, things are proceeding apace here at “Two Goats Press.”

The Amazon hardcover proof looked good, and I would have posted a picture of it here, if it weren’t for an ugly little stripe they put on it marking it “not for resale.” Not to worry, I’ve already ordered some author copies that won’t have this. I’ll post a pic of one of them instead as soon as they arrive. Surprisingly, all the colors and shapes printed true on my handmade cover. I did use MS Publisher, but still I’m a rank graphic design amateur!

Inside, every word of my story was present and professionally formatted, though that actual work was accomplished by a KDP robot tool.  In fact, if I had any complaint at all, it would be about the lack of interior options. But beggars can’t be choosers, right? Or so I’ve been told. What I’m specifically referring to here is that the chapter headers are a bit modern for both my taste and the nature of the book, but again outside of that issue everything else is clean. It even has the little drop caps that make a novel look real smart.

Speaking of the physical book, I’ve hatched another lead—another professional design team who might help me out with Ingram. You see, as I understand it. for the best broad distribution, independents are supposed to go first with Amazon then later IngramSpark. Though Amazon has an expanded distribution model of its own, apparently, shops, libraries and the like still prefer their older, more established standby, Ingram.

The problem I’ve run into concerning this is that my KDP files won’t transfer. Meaning I will have to reformat both my cover and interior just for Ingram’s purposes. Why I can’t quite do this is a long story, but suffice it to say, I have another lead on a designer who might make my dreams come true. I’ll continue to keep you posted on this, but for now here’s where we stand:

No matter what, September 18, 2024 is GO!

If you want to read my new book you’ll have three options on that official release date!

• Amazon Kindle, which is already in PREORDER. Go and pre-buy your copy now! It’s only $3.99. An exceptional bargain for a wonderful heartwarming story!
• Amazon Hardcover! Yep, now while this format is not showing in pre-order, it will be available for purchase on September 18^th at midnight GMT. The reason I think this isn’t showing as pre-orderable now as well is that I technically have the right to change the files up until just a few days before. I won’t be; don’t worry. I have a Library of Congress number now that I didn’t have before, but I’m not going to re-proof the book and potentially delay it further just to go back and insert it versus “applied for”. This Amazon hardcover isn’t deluxe, but like I said, it’s smart, and at $14.99 it too is a scream of a deal! We’re talking about a 6×9 Case Laminate Hardcover in Matte with 50 weight cream paper for scarcely more money than a smaller paperback manga!
• The eBook will also be available through each and every one of Ingram’s Global partners. Click here for a list of them: https://www.ingramspark.com/how-it-works/distribute#onlinedistributionpartners. And note it includes Apple Books, Barnes & Noble Nook, Overdrive, and hoopla! The price through all of these vendors will be the same as through Amazon’s Kindle, $3.99. And this is already set up and ready—only the hardcover through those global partners might be delayed.

So… pretty exciting, yes? Only a little over a month away… And don’t forget there’ll also be a fourth option.  You know how I love my libraries… Once I sort out which version of my hardcover I’ll be giving them, you’ll be able to read me for free through that channel as well (i.e. if my Ingram hardcovers are delayed for too long I’ll give them Amazon copies instead).

I’ll continue to keep you posted as things develop.

In the meantime, continue to pray for peace, the failure of warmongers, and for hurricanes to hardly ever happen (one’s heading for me now as we speak).  

A Witch’s Burden has been named finalist for “First Novel” in the 2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards!

Needless to say, I am exceedingly happy and honored just to have made the pack. They’re going to send me a medal! I’ll never win a silver or bronze in the Olympics, but something tells me that those who have aren’t the slightest bit less proud. Congratulations to all of my fellow indie authors out there who won or, like me, simply placed. Click HERE for a link to the official site which has a complete listing of all the books and categories. The awards ceremony—usually a big gala—will be held online only this year due to the virus or I might very well have attended. Those interested can view the live stream on YouTube on Friday June 26^th at 8:00pm Eastern. (7/13/20 EDIT: I have embedded the ceremony below for those who missed it.)

I’ve got one more iron in the fire over in the UK. Wish me luck! The Rubery Book Awards should be announcing soon as well. (7/13/20 EDIT: That one got away…)

In other news, work continues on my next book, though not exactly apace. Have I told you yet what it’s about? I haven’t?

Well, if I can ever finish it, it will be something completely different—a character-based adventure story. I’d love to tell you more right now, but it’s still in too much of a mess. At last check, I was sitting just under 50,000 words with it, with quite a bit more to go. The genre swap has really thrown me for a loop. I’m at least another year out (probably more), and that’s for the first draft.

A few other things:

Did you know that today is my book’s one year anniversary? I swear I didn’t time out this award thing, but it is pretty cool!

My eBook format remains on sale through Halloween. Click HERE for the coupon code.

And, though I was going to discontinue my Kindle giveaway through Readers’ Favorite here at the one year mark, I’ve decided to keep it up now indefinitely. Folks are still choosing and winning my book, and so this will help to alleviate my loss of exposure resulting from the coronavirus. I’ve had to put my #AWitchinEveryState campaign on hold with all the libraries closed. :p  

Stay safe!

D.W.

My hardcover’s in Tennessee now at the Pigeon Forge Public Library! If you live in the area, please be sure to check me out! If, like millions of others, you are only just visiting, I guess you could still go and have your picture made outside. (That’s what we call it down here when you have your picture taken ) Hey, libraries stocking my hardcover are still pretty rare, though at 20 and counting they are becoming less so every day.

In other news, I have entered my book in another competition: The Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Wish me luck! We won’t know the results for quite some time—I think May of next year–but I’m in, and you can’t win if you don’t play.  

And in other news, I have discovered my eBook in the Online Hoopla Collection of the Russell Library in Middletown, CT. If you live in that fair city please be sure to check me out!