BOOK REVIEW | Violet Dawn

Brandilyn Collins is back with a whole new “seatbelt suspense” series. The first book in the Kanner Lake series is Violet Dawn. Brandilyn wastes no time kicking in the suspense factor with the first chapter as readers are introduced to Paige Williams. Paige is new to Kanner Lake and struggling immensely with loneliness. As she ponders the possibilities of future friendships, she meets something far more sinister in her hot tub. Unfortunately, the last thing Paige needs in her life is more trouble. Determined to keep her new life in Kanner Lake, she makes a decision that places her in “hot water” with the police and an assassin. Read more

Speaking Engagment

On September 11, 2006 I will be presenting a workshop titled “Online Marketing for Writers” to a local writing group. Over the next few days (or weeks) I will include tips from the workshop.

A website is essential for an author to have especially if they are already a published author. I hope to be published one day, but in the meantime I still see some advantages to have an online presence now. Many writers opt to manage a blog instead of starting with a website first.

There was a recent online discussion about websites vs. blogs and this was my response…

Website. If you can afford it or have the time to create one, I would recommend creating a website first and the blog as optional content, especially for an intermediate writer. I’m a professional web developer and I work with quite a few authors. Taking the time to create a professional site will probably help establish the person’s branding. Authors can provide quick information like bios, books, appearances, etc. A website can remain pretty static with this type of content until the author adds another book release or event information.

Blog. A blog is basically a diary or journal an author/writer can use to share information as frequently as they like. If a person decides to create a blog, you need to be willing to update it frequently and to provide interesting enough content for folks to return. Blogger.com offers free blogs, but unless you have some graphic skills, your blog could look like any other blogger using the same templates. If an author is low on the budget or a beginning writer, this maybe the way to start. Just remember most folks don’t want to go to a site where the last entry states January 2, 2006 and today is September 2, 2006. Definitely look into customizing the blog if this is an option you want to try first. Put some effort into promoting the blog and making it stand out with content that is different.