Saturday, December 7, 2013

eBooks -The Perfect LAST-MINUTE Holiday Gift!



Did you know that you can give someone one of our kindle ebooks as a gift to anyone with an e-mail address?

Kindle book gift notifications can be sent to any e-mail address. The recipient can read the book on a registered Kindle device or with any free Kindle reading application on their smartphone, pc, or more. You don't need a Kindle device to send or receive Kindle books as gifts!

Here's how:

 
From the Kindle Store, select the book you want to purchase as a gift.
  
On the product detail page, click the Give as a Gift button.

Enter the personal e-mail address of your gift recipient.

Enter a delivery date and an optional gift message.

Click the Place your order button to finish your gift purchase using your Amazon 1-Click payment method.

Just think, no crowds, 

no gift wrapping, 
and for all you procrastinators 
 You can order on Christmas morning and they'll get it within minutes!

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

8 Tips for Writing Short Stories from Kurt Vonnegut


American novelist Kurt Vonnegut listed these eight rules for writing short fiction in his book Bagombo Snuff Box:
 
1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.

2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.

3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.

4. Every sentence must do one of two things—reveal character or advance the action.

5. Start as close to the end as possible.

6. Be a Sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them—in order that the reader may see what they are made of.

7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.

8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To hell with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.

———

Like most rules, they’re made to be broken (as Vonnegut himself pointed out). But his writing tips may be useful as a starting point, or as a measuring stick with which to judge what you’ve already written.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Planning an Exceptional Book Signing, Part two

Today's post is courtesy of book marketing maven: Penny Sansevieri



You've learned how to plan a successful book event here now it's time to implement what you've learned. You've got your book signing date, and you're excited and ready to go. What's next? Well here's a handy checklist you can use to help you plan the perfect event:
Stuff To Do Before Your Book Signing

  • See if you can get a copy of the store's media list. More than likely the bookstore will send out press releases but it's important for you to do the same. Not only will you be able to target the same people twice, but the store manager will also know that you are actively involved in promoting your event.

  • Send a confirmation of your signing to the bookstore. It will make you look professional and show the store manager that you are a professional and that you take your book signings very seriously.

  • Start tapping into that media list you've been creating and begin contacting local media to promote your event.

  • Submit your information to the Events or Author Appearances section of your local newspapers or events section of your city or town website. You should plan to do this two weeks prior to the event.

  • Notify the media, generally two weeks prior is good. Though some may need smaller lead times it's never a bad idea to start early. If you're pitching radio offer to give away some copies of your book, they love doing on-air giveaways, and it will give you more radio time since they'll likely mention the giveaway several times during their broadcast. Generally all of your media contacts can be emailed, but for local TV especially I will often email them and then drop off a copy of the book to the station so they can see it - it's also a great follow up.
If you haven't already done so, get those bookmarks and postcards printed up. You can do this pretty cheaply through Vistaprint.com. Don't forget to add a few review blurbs if you have them. Get the cover of your book enlarged to poster size. Then, get it laminated and mounted. I had three of them printed up. I will usually drop one or two off at the store prior to the event so they can set them out and I'll bring the third one with me that day. Prop a sign up on an easel by the front door where you will be standing and greeting people.
  • Get signs made that say: "Book Signing Today" or "Author Appearance;" both of these will help to draw crowds to your table.
Things To Bring To Your Book Signing

  • Bookmarks - I try to hand these out like crazy. Sometimes I'll even hand them out with the flyer when people enter the store. I've even autographed one or two when people hesitate to buy a book. More often than not, they return at a later time to buy a copy just because I gave them a bookmark.
  • Postcards - Bring postcards with your book cover on them. I always say you can never have too many marketing materials.
  • Chocolate - I like to fill an attractive jar with Hershey's kisses or some other small chocolate. Food attracts people and may even keep them lingering a bit longer.
  • Sign-up sheet - I always have people sign in at the event. If they give you their email address, ask if you can add them to your mailing list. This is a great way to build a "fan club" and continue spreading the word about your book as well as future novels. To encourage sign-ups, you could also do a raffle but make sure that folks don't have to be present to win. That can be a big turn off.
  • Make up a small flyer to hand to people who enter the store. They may not even know about your signing but you'll be sure to tell them. Keep in mind that heavy promotion of your book signing does not just benefit you, it also benefits the store and sends a strong message that you know how to move your books.
  • Your favorite pen.

During Your Signing


  • Don't sit down unless you have to.

  • Smile, talk, and most of all, have fun! This is no time to be shy.

  • If no one shows up, remember, that's okay. It has happened to all of us at one time or another.

  • Get people to enter your contest or sign your guest book.

  • Tell the store manager that you'd like to sign the remaining books before you leave the store and see if they have "Autographed by Author" stickers for them. If they don't, you might want to think about ordering some from the American Booksellers Association (www.bookWeb.org). You can get these and a variety of other book stickers for5 a roll. These stickers will really help to move your book.

  • Don't feel confined to stay just a few hours. Stay as long as there is an interest in the book. Once, I booked a signing for two hours; I ended up staying for five.

What To Do After Your Book Signing



  • Send a thank-you note to the person in charge of coordinating your signing. Don't send an email. Send a handwritten note. It will go a lot further!
Book signings and events can be a great way to spread the word about your book, also if you're trying to get local media sometimes an event can be the best way to do that. Remember if you're pitching the media, they aren't going to care that you have an event. Tell them how this book will help their readers/viewers/listeners, that's what they will care about.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reprinted from "The Book Marketing Expert newsletter," a free ezine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques. http://www.amarketingexpert.com

Monday, November 18, 2013

So You Want to Write a Book Review . . .

Reader's Tip -
 

You finished that book you were reading and you loved it! Hated it! Were totally confused by it! And you know you want to write a review, but how? 

Well, our friends at goodreads have some helpful hints that we'd like to pass along.



Why write book reviews?

Book reviews help books get noticed and gain credibility. As a published writer, you will want to receive reviews to show readers that your book is widely-read and well-received. You will probably give away books and ask for reviews as part of your marketing plan. It stands to reason that if you write positive, honest reviews for other writers, they will do the same for you.

Where are reviews posted?

These days, the answer is ‘lots of places.’ Many writers post book reviews on their own blogs. If you choose to do this, presumably you are reviewing books that will draw readers who will in turn be drawn to your books. You can also post reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, library websites, or submit them to other people’s review blogs. If you really want to get serious, there are a lot of literary journals that accept freelance reviews.

How long are book reviews?

That will depend largely on where you are planning to submit your review. Check for guidelines, and assume that you will write anywhere from 100 to 1500 words. Be succinct, but give enough to serve the purpose of the review.

Points to Consider:

●What if you really don’t like the book? Always write your reviews with integrity. If you honestly don’t like a book, write your review as if you are in a critique session with the author. Use positive words and avoid sarcasm.

●Take time to read reviews written by other readers, but keep in mind that many of them are not professional writers.

●Review the book that has been written, not the book you think the author should have written. For example, don’t criticize a book for being sci-fi instead of a romance. It isn’t fair to criticize an author for failing to achieve something he or she never intended to achieve.

●Choose your words with the same care you would use when writing your own book.

For more information, including a template for crafting that review, click HERE.

We'd add one more point:

Not every book is for every reader. If a book has lots of glowing reviews, but you couldn't stand to read beyond the first chapter, then it's clearly not a bad book, but a book that doesn't suit your tastes. 
It's possible to say that in your review without being nasty toward the author or the reviewers who loved the book. 
Find something positive to say, as well as, what you found to be a negative. Be fair, be balanced, be honest, but always be nice in how you word things.  

Now, get busy on that review!  

Oh, and don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!

Friday, November 8, 2013

Planning an Exceptional Book Signing From Start to Finish (Part 1)


 

Today's post is courtesy of book marketing maven: Penny Sansevieri

Despite the fact that bookstores are closing, authors still want signings and events. Now, more than ever, calendars fill up quickly for events and space is even more precious than it has ever been in the past. What do you do when you have a book signing and no one shows up? Sure, that may sound like the beginning of a great joke, but for many of us, it’s our worst nightmare. Here are some tips on how to have a great event to help bring together existing fans and drive new readership.
 
I learned this the hard way during my own book signing years ago. Though I had sent marketing materials in advance the store manager hadn't put any of them out. No posters, no bag-stuffers, nothing. Needless to say I learned the hard way that book signings are more than events, there needs to be a strategy behind them and as an author, you should be prepared to get up and talk to people. Don’t just sit there and sign—we should all be so lucky that the lines for our book are so long that we barely have time to jot down our signature in our book and move to the next fan. Generally, though, this isn't the case.

The Buddy System

Some authors like to have another person there signing with them to drive additional interest to the event. I've done it both ways, and they each have their merits. First of all, the buddy system will probably bring in more people since you are essentially doubling your publicizing efforts (or at least you should be). You can turn a simple book signing into an event. One of you can be having a book discussion or workshop, while the other author is signing. It’s a great way to draw a crowd and keep a crowd. Also, often it’s easier to get publicity when there’s more than one author present. This type of book signing works well for unknown authors if you have a specific program or want to have a book signing that lasts all day. In fact, many bookstores now offer a night that celebrates new authors so ask them if they do this. Often you’ll find that they will pull together as many as seven authors. While this may seem like a lot, it’s really a fantastic way to drive a larger crowd to the event.

No Sitting On The Job

As I mentioned previously, don’t just sit there and smile. Get up, move around and engage people in conversation. Would you believe I’ve been told that some shoppers are actually intimidated to just walk up and talk to an author?  But, if you speak to them first you’re breaking the ice, and maybe, making a sale. Take your focus off of yourself and your stack of books and put it on the people in the store. As with anything in marketing you’re really selling yourself. Get up from your chair to greet people as they enter the store. I usually have a small flyer made up with the cover of my book and a blurb about it, and I tell people I’m signing books today. Smile and talk to them and hand them a book. If you tell them about your novel, be sure you have your short and punchy elevator pitch ready. The last thing you want to do is take up a ton of their time when they are there to shop. Get them excited about it—let your passion shine through. Passion is a very contagious thing.

Go See What the Competition is Doing

Have you ever visited someone else’s book signing? I did because I wanted to see what it was about, to see what other authors did. Some of your best ideas or taboos will come from watching other people. I remember the first one I went to, I entered the store and there she was, the smiling author, pen ready and stack of books looming over the table. I wondered if I were just a customer that happened into the store, what would make me walk up to her unless my specific purpose had been to attend this signing? Then, I wondered what I could do to draw that traffic. Face it, no matter how much publicizing you do, unless you've got a spot on Good Morning America to talk up your signing, most of your foot traffic will probably just be shoppers. If you’re really lucky you’ll see some frantic people in search of last-minute gifts, and autographed books make great presents!

Be Unique!

If your book involves anything that you can tie in with a theme or a prop, all the better. I went to a book signing for an author who specialized in period romance. This particular novel was set during the 1600s and she dressed in a gown fitting to the time. She also had a castle backdrop that a neighbor painted for her. Her neighbor was an aspiring artist, so not only was she doing the author a favor but the neighbor got to showcase her work as well. People really love this kind of thing. I mean anyone can sit at a table and smile, but sitting there (or likely standing) in a corset for four hours takes real passion. Give some thought to what you can do to develop a theme or prop for your signing. If the store will let you, you should bring in food, too. This is especially great if it ties into your signing. And you don’t necessarily have to show up in costume, but try to do what you can to set yourself apart from the rest.

A Few Final Notes on Book Signings

Be cautious of pay periods when scheduling a date for your signing. For example, I will always try to schedule mine around the 15th or 30th of the month. I live in a Navy town and since they never fail to get paid on those dates, it really helps to boost my sales. Also, check to see if the store has a newsletter. If it does, offer to write a short article on your book or discussion topic that will draw more attention to your signing. Keep the article interesting and helpful without giving away everything you plan to share with your guests. Or, if your book is fiction, share an interesting excerpt from it. Sometimes bookstore newsletters are printed by their corporate offices, but generally they print them in-house and they are always in need of “filler” items.

Also, contact your local TV stations and speak to the producer. Call the day before (if your signing is on Sunday call them on Friday) and let him know you've sent a press release regarding your signing (you have, haven’t you?). If they need a sixty-second filler, you can offer their viewers some helpful tips on XYZ. Or, if your book is fiction, play up the “local author makes big” angle. Local stations love that. Speaking of media, if you can get yourself booked on a radio show the day before or preferably the morning of your signing you’ll really help to boost interest. If you get some on-air time, consider giving away a few of your books during the show. And remember to tie your book and event into something topical and relevant!

Finally, have fun! It's your big day and you've earned every glorious minute of it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Reprinted from "The Book Marketing Expert newsletter," a free ezine offering book promotion and publicity tips and techniques. http://www.amarketingexpert.com

Friday, November 1, 2013

October's Come to an End . . .


Thanks to everyone who joined in our month of Deals, Steals, and Reveals

We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! 
Don't forget, some deals - courtesy of the folks at Amazon - are still going on:

For a limited time you can still preorder these books at a discount:
                                                                     
  28% OFF             11% OFF


We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming!

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

HAPPY HALLOWEEN Mystery Lovers!

Tuesday 10/29 through Thursday 10/31 ONLY we will be giving away FREE downloads of the Kindle editions of our first two Mystery Times books! Not one - but TWO books - that's 19 mysteries in all!

Follow the links, and ENJOY!



PLUS 
You can PREORDER Mystery Times Ten 2013 in paperback 
and get 11% OFF!



Monday, October 28, 2013

Our Final Event for October and it's a Doubleplay STEAL!



HINT: It involves vampires, poltergeists, and plenty of other scary stuff . . . 

But you'll have to wait till tomorrow to find out what it is!

~~The Cat

Thursday, October 24, 2013

October Flies by Fast and Furious!

We hope you've been enjoying October here at Buddhapuss Ink as we share our Deals, Steals, and Reveals!

What will we offer up next week? You'll have to check back on Tuesday and see!



Tuesday, October 22, 2013

And the Party Continues With . . .

Our party rocks on through October and this week the special event is . . .


Tuesday (10/22) and Wednesday (10/23) ONLY we will be selling the kindle edition of Sam Hilliard's Bestseller  

for the incredible BARGAIN price of $.99


With 60 reviews and an average ranking of 4.2 out of 5 stars, you won't want to miss this fast-paced, action-packed thriller, 
but remember, this is a limited time offer, so snag your copy FAST!

Keep this author smiling!




~~the Cat


Tuesday, October 15, 2013

There's a Party Goin' On Right Here!

A celebration to last throughout the month with Parties, Cover Reveals, Special Deals, and Giveaways!

Last week we unveiled the cover of Faye Rapoport DesPres' Spring 2014 Buddhapuss title - Message From a Blue Jay! (Preorder your copy today while it's still 26% OFF at Amazon!)


This week we have a sweet treat for all of Mariam Kobras' fans - we're giving away the kindle edition of the first book in her Stone Trilogy, The Distant Shore, FREE! But this offer is only good through 10/16 so CLICK NOW, snap up your copy now. This is the perfect chance to try out the series if you haven't already. ACT FAST, those copies are flying!

What's up next week? You'll have to check back and see!

~ the Cat

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Cover Reveal - Message From a Blue Jay - OCTOBER 9, 2013

Drum roll please . . . 




Everyone at Buddhapuss Ink is thrilled to celebrate the cover reveal of Faye Rapoport DesPres' upcoming book, Message From a Blue Jay

Join us on twitter at #BlueJayCover and have some virtual champagne and cake! Faye will be dropping by throughout the day to chat.

Please join us as we celebrate today on the following sites:

Kerry Beckford 

Cindy Zelman 

Martie Odell Ingebretsen

Mariam Kobras

Buddhapuss Ink 

Stop by the book's Facebook Page and leave a message!





Can't wait to order the book? 
You don't have to - it's available for Preorder on Amazon NOW!

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Arr! It's Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Once a year things get a little crazy around the Buddhapuss Ink offices. (Really? Just once a year?) 

Anyway, in honor of the day, even the Cat is wearing an eyepatch! 


Arrr! 

~ Editor's desk


Monday, August 12, 2013

And the Winners Are . . .

We want to thank everyone who participated in this year's competition. We had over 200 entries and the competition was tough. Hats off to our Judges who did a fantastic job again this year--you're all terrific in our book!

And now, without further ado:



The winners in the Mystery Times 2013 Writing Competition are:

Cyndy E. Lively for Negotiate in Good Faith

Selaine Henriksen for My Grandmother's Attic

John Jasper Owens for Man's Best Friend

Tom Irish for Martin Lenk

Wendy Sparrow for When Your Thieving Days are Over

Megan Green  for Imprisoned

Georgia Ruth for Dear Courtney

And in Third Place: Faye Rapoport DesPres for Who Let the Cats Out
THIRD PLACE winner will receive a $25 Gift Card, featured placement in the book, and Buddhapuss Ink swag.

Second Place goes to: John Jasper Owens for Femme Fatale

And our First Place winner is:  
                                       
Linda S. Browning for No Wake

FIRST and SECOND PLACE winners will receive a new Kindle, featured placement in the book, and Buddhapuss Ink swag.

ALL WINNERS will receive: two (2) copies of the finished book and the opportunity to “fast track” their next manuscript with our Editorial staff.

Honorable Mentions:

go to KC Sprayberry for An Ordinary House

and
Paula Gail Benson for Confidence in the Family

Honorable Mentions will appear as bonus stories in the Kindle edition of Mystery Times Ten 2013!





Monday, July 15, 2013

Song of the Storm Blog Hop!





Mariam's book has had a few hiccups in shipping from our printer to Amazon - first they sent our books to Amazon, and Amazon released them towards preorders, but there weren't enough to cover the orders! Then in an attempt to straighten things out our printer stopped shipping any of the outstanding orders ACK! It wouldn't have been so bad, but throw in a a holiday like the Fourth of July and well, things got messed up royally. 

Suffice to say, we have it all straightened out now (we hope!) and Amazon is shipping the book on their normal schedule now. Our apologies. 


Meanwhile, there's no reason why we can't enjoy the fun and celebrate the launch of the incredibly moving conclusion to the Stone Trilogy!

We've got a full Blog Hop roster planned and some great prizes to giveaway. You'll want to check here daily for all the details. 

Meanwhile, you won't want to miss Mariam's guest post on Martin Edward's blog to start the Hop off right.

Then comment on the post and come back here to pick up additional chances to win in our Stone Trilogy Giveaway!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Hop Schedule

Mon 7/15 Prelaunch Post - Elevenses Time 
Tue 7/16 Interview - Fonts and Fiction 
Wed 7/17 Interview - No Wasted Ink 
Thur 7/18 Interview - Wise Wolf Talking 
Fri 7/19 Review - Daria DiGiovanni
Sat 7/20 Guest Post - Valerie Storey 
Sun 7/21 Review - Some Day and Never 

Mon 7/22 Guest Post - Rott-I-Tude
Tue 7/23 Review - Devoted to Quilting
Fri 7/26 Guest Post - Being Peachy 

Tue 7/30 Interview - Maria's Book Blog 
Thur 8/1 Guest Post - Green-Fingered Writer
Fri 8/2 Review - Martie's Words (author of Sweet William, a Buddhapuss Ink title)
    

Monday, May 27, 2013

Press release, news release or media release?


Is a press release just for newspapers and magazines? Does a news release have to include news? Is a media release for all types of media?
If you aren’t sure, which one do you use?

All three phrases mean the same thing and which one you choose isn’t a big deal. The content of the release is far more  important than what you call the container.

A quick search using the Google Keyword Tool shows the
total number of global monthly searches for each:
  • 1,220,000 for press release
  • 550,000 for news release
  • 135,000 for media release
That’s one reason I use the phrase “press release” in my blog posts, articles and product titles. More people are searching for it.

What phrase do you use most often? Do you think they they have different definitions?

Reprinted from "The Publicity Hound's Tips of the Week," an ezine featuring tips, tricks and tools for generating free publicity. Subscribe and receive by email the handy cheat sheet "89 Reasons to Send a Press Release."
 

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Red Hot Internet Publicity: Words on Your Website



Define Your Goals
Before you put pen to paper to write your sales copy for your website, be clear about your goals. We talked earlier about your goals for building a website—pull those out and look at them again. While you may be building the website to sell more cookies, as you start to look at the broader reach of your message, your goals might change. Perhaps you can put together gift baskets too.
Make sure the copy you are about to write targets those goals. And don’t forget to use all the keywords you just selected!
Sell the Benefits
Save the small talk for your next cocktail party. When it comes to filling websites with words, beginners tend to lean towards what I like to call the “cocktail party approach to website copy.” What do I mean by this? Well, let’s pretend you’re at a cocktail party, you’re huddled with a group of friends gabbing about everything under the sun, and around you hundreds of other conversations are mingling with your own, making the voices sound like a hum. That’s what it’s like to a website visitor when you cram a lot of cocktail party copy onto your home page. It’s confusing and it’s white noise. Chances are good that it will result in a “click” signaling the party’s end, your visitor long gone.
font

Instead, write copy that speaks to your readers and tells them the benefits of your product. Sell the sizzle not the steak.
Make it Scannable
Remember that Internet users scan websites and that relates to how you write good copy. When I spoke to Susan Gilbert, she told me about the elements of good copy. “The Internet has made ‘brochure-style’ writing obsolete. Studies have clearly shown that people do not read websites—they skim them. That means your copy must be written to be eye catching, visually compelling and keep the visitor on your site.”
How do you write scannable website copy? By incorporating lots of
  • white space
  • bullet points
  • highlighted and bolded words
  • images
In addition, your copy needs to use simple words, short sentences and include the keywords your site visitor probably used to find your site in a search engine.
Stay On Point
You should distill your web copy down to the most important points and eliminate everything else. You have less than a second to grab someone’s attention.
Don’t risk overwhelming your reader. Remember, it’s not about you, it’s about them.
Use Captivating Headlines
Be sure to make your message obvious. Use headlines, lists and bold text to convey your message. Spend some serious time really thinking about a catchy headline.
What Do I Get Out of the Deal?
When it comes to sales copy, the WIIFM (what’s in it for me) factor is more important than ever. I have already mentioned the importance of selling the benefits when writing good copy. Then I talked with Susan Gilbert and she emphasized this point: “People want to know what benefit they’ll receive from buying your product or service. Don’t be shy—tell them! Will they get free delivery? Will they make more money? Will they look better? Although visitors may want to know you, the person, sales copy is much more about telling them how their life will be better, safer, happier and richer once they’ve bought from you.” Hopefully between Susan and me we have hammered this point home.
Picking the Perfect Font
When it comes to a font for your website, it’s easy to get carried away. Temptation might dictate that you use a fancy scroll or a really bold font. Wrong.
The challenge with using unique fonts is that the person at the other end might not be able to read it. When you land on a site that’s full of that horrible Courier font (my apologies to all you Courier lovers out there, this usually indicates that the site is using a font your computer can’t read.
Sometimes, when people want to use special fonts, they’ll turn them into graphics instead. But that’s good and bad. First, search engines can’t spider graphics (we’ll discuss the spider factor later). And second, it increases the load time of your website. The trick really is to pick a font (preferably a sans serif) that’s both readable and friendly to the eye, meaning that it doesn’t tire the eye the way a serif font does. So, what’s the difference between the two? When a web designer talks about a serif typeface, he means fonts like Times or Century Schoolbook, where the characters (letters) have little accents or curves. The small downward curves that appear at each end of the cross on the top and the inverted curves at the foot of the letter are known as serifs. “Sans” is French and literally means “without.”
Don’t Get Font-Happy
Do not overwhelm your site with a bunch of different fonts. It simply takes too much work for the reader to process the different letters and fonts. Nothing will send your visitors away faster.
*Excerpt from Red Hot Internet Publicity: An Insider’s Guide to Marketing Online by Penny Sansevieri, available now on Amazon.com

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Mariam Kobras Wins 2013 Silver Independent Book Award for Under the Same Sun!



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 2, 2013
Mariam Kobras Wins Second Independent Publisher’s Book Award, Under the Same Sun Snags the 2013 IPPY Silver Medal

Buddhapuss Ink LLC, a NJ based book publisher, announced today that Mariam Kobras, of Hamburg, Germany, has won the 2013 Independent Publisher Book Awards’ Silver Medal in Romance for her book: Under the Same Sun: Book II of the Stone Trilogy. Kobras said she was “thrilled, beyond thrilled, stunned” with the news. Under the Same Sun, which released in October, 2012, has been a bestseller on Amazon in Contemporary, and Women’s, Fiction. This is Kobras’ second book, and second IPPY. In 2012, she won the Bronze Medal for her first book, The Distant Shore: Book I in the Stone Trilogy. “Winning the award for her first book was recognition of just how talented a writer she is. The second award removes any doubt one might have had that she is truly a phenom.” said Buddhapuss Ink Publisher, MaryChris Bradley. “Her writing is extraordinary and her reviews prove it. We extend our hearty congratulations to Mariam for this well-deserved award! ”

Under the Same Sun—a contemporary romance—continues the story of Jonathon Stone, a rock superstar and Naomi Carlsson, the girl he loved, lost, and found again. The story picks up where The Distant Shore left off, and focuses on Jon and Naomi as they deal with the lingering aftereffects of her shooting, their son Joshua’s decision to give up his music studies, and Naomi’s desire for another child. The story takes place in locales from London, to Italy, to New York City. “Under the Same Sun screamed at me to be written. The story of Naomi dealing with the terrible trauma of having been shot was like a fist in my neck.” stated Kobras. “The book is about growing up and taking charge of your life. It's about discovering that following your own dreams, rather than what others impose on you, is a valid way of life.”

Born in Frankfurt, Germany, Mariam and her family lived in Brazil and Saudi Arabia before they decided to settle in Germany. She attended school there and studied American Literature and Psychology at Justus-Liebig-University in Giessen. Today she writes and lives in Hamburg, Germany, with her husband, two sons and two cats.

BUDDHAPUSS INK LLC is based in Edison, NJ. Founded in 2009, it is led by Publisher, MaryChris Bradley, a 29 year veteran in the book industry. “Our company mission is to ‘Put readers first’ and we are committed to finding and growing new authors at a time when the major houses seem to have turned their backs on writers without an already well-established track record. “ Bradley can be contacted at Publisher@BuddhapussInk.com. “Of course, you can always find us on Facebook, and twitter too.”

Twitter: @Buddhapuss    Facebook:  Buddhapuss Ink LLC    Website:  http://www.buddhapussink.com/