Month: August 2023

Lookee What I Did!

by sarahsbookreflections, posted in Book Publising, Book Reviews, Children's Book Reviews, Early Readers, Scary Stories, Historical Fiction

Computers and I have a love/hate relationship. And I do mutter a lot while I’m using mine. It probably thinks things like: Yeah, ain’t my fault. Or, So learn, already. Or, Pfft, it ain’t THAT hard.

Sassy little machine, don’t you think? But all of that is true, which, sadly, doesn’t it make any easier.

So, thanks to my friend, Stanley Trice, who not only knows computer stuff but writes interesting and slightly off-center books, I now have a well-designed website with a much simpler name. Allow me to introduce you to https://sarahmauryswan.com.

According to Stanley, my old site’s name, https://sarahmauryswanlovesbooks.com was too wordy making it less likely to get computer search hits. I’m looking forward to seeing if I get more responses with the new name. I wanted to make

Computers and I have a love/hate relationship. And I do mutter a lot while I’m using mine. It probably thinks things like: Yeah, ain’t my fault. Or, So learn, already. Or, Pfft, it ain’t THAT hard.

Sassy little machine, don’t you think? But all of that is true, which, sadly, doesn’t make it any easier.

So, thanks to my friend, Stanley Trice, who not only knows computer stuff but writes interesting and slightly off-center books, I now have a well-designed website with a much simpler name. Allow me to introduce you to https://sarahmauryswan.com. According to Stanley, my old site’s name, https://sarahmauryswanlovesbooks.com was too wordy making it less likely to get computer search hits. I’m looking forward to seeing if I get more responses with the new name. I wanted to make it stand out from Sarah Swan, who is also a writer, though I’ve never seen any of her writing.

But one of the things that makes using someone else to do the computer end of things is to have a useful newsletter. I write the article and my computer smarty, Virginie, sends out my post through my newsletter. (BTW, don’t you just love Virginie’s name?) My blog is linked to my site now. Ain’t that the Cat’s Meow?

Since the purpose of this particular post is to entice people to stay connected, and because I sorta think I’m starting over, I’m giving everyone who signs up for my newsletter a chance to get a free e-book. Take your pick and I’ll send you the link for the e-version of either Terror’s Identity, 2015; Emily’s Ride to Courage, 2018; Earthquakes, 2019; or Little Bits: A Collection of Short Stories. After you get and read your book, please do let me know what you think of it. If you hate it, I’ll be a little sad, of course.  If you love it, picture me doing a happy dance. But, in either case, I’ll learn from what you say.

Writing is always a learning process and the business of selling one’s books is the hardest part, at least for me. Still, the stories keep coming to my head from one source or another, which means I do have to tell them to somebody. And, no, not many people snore or find excuses to go elsewhere. Means I must be doing something right, if only for me.

Usually on my blog posts, I do reviews of children’s books I have read, but now I’m going to make changes. After 15 or so years, I am no longer reviewing for the Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database: https://clcd.com. I’ll miss doing that, but I don’t relate to lots of modern children’s books. The grammar is way too confusing for an eighty-two-year-old woman. And my reviews probably don’t help potential readers find the books they’d like.

I am branching out to write books for “Grown Ups.” I have always loved reading spy stories, fantasy, and mysteries; particularly cozy mysteries. The first mystery is titled SERENDIPTY’S CONUNDRUM, which features an old woman’s adventures. I’m hoping to have the first one done by next spring and would like you to come along on my journey to being a literary grown-up.

Take care of yourselves and enjoy what you’re doing.

Sarah, the loquacious.

A New Variation of Me

by sarahsbookreflections, posted in Uncategorized

SELLING MY BOOKS ON A VERY HOT DAY

       I am trying to be better at marketing my books. But it’s not easy for me so my website is withering on the internet vine, as it were. I have decided it will be easier if I let someone else do the hard part. And a writer friend of mine suggested a friend of his.

The first version of my website was designed and managed by someone who knew what she was doing. So, I happily submitted to her what I wanted to write in my monthly newsletter. With the help of her employees, she would send out my missives. But the designer decided she wanted to do something else with her life and I was left doing it all myself. Since computer stuff is not really my strong suit, the website has withered.

Now, after years of trying to keep up with my website, I am back to having someone else run the darn thing. She is actually in Canada and has the delightful name of Virginie. It is early days of working together, but she’s been quite patient with me and very helpful.

Glory be! I can send Virginie what I want to put on my website and she will see that’s it done properly and speedily. She’ll even mail out my monthly newsletter. I’m sure she won’t yell at her computer as much as I yell at mine. And the people who have asked to keep in touch to hear what I’m writing at the moment will get a monthly update. Whew. And if you don’t want to hear about me, feel free to unsubscribe. I promise not to bother you.

I’m hoping to write my blog more regularly and again include my reviews of books.  

At the moment I am finishing my Early Reader book, Space Junk, about a seven-year-old girl, Keandra Maria Ortiz, who wants to build spacecraft as her Pap does. She soon learns that there might be a better way to explore the universe so that we Earthlings don’t continue to pollute Space.

I am also finishing a young adult novel titled Bad Hair Day, about a teen girl who learns that having your hair not be perfect for school is not really a big deal compared to the other things that others endure.

And I just released a collection of short stories titled Little Bits: A Collection of Short Stories. I also answered writers’ prompts for the Carteret Writers Summer Doldrums series.  Sixteen days’ worth of challenges. Such fun. And, who knows, maybe I’ll get another collection of short stories out of the challenges. One of the stories will be part of a chapter in Bad Hair Day.

Those will be my last two children’s books because I’m too old to write the language of young English speakers today. It makes me shudder to read or write me or they when I should read I or he/she/it. I have reviewed children’s books for the Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database since 2008, but I find it increasingly hard to relate to the characters. Snobbish and intolerant of me I know, but at 82, I’m entitled; I guess.

My next project is a grown-up’s murder mystery titled Serendipity’s Conundrum. Now I don’t have to feel the least bit guilty if I read lots of mysteries. I’ll just call it research.

For my website, I’m renaming it to something like: https://sarahmauryswan.com because I was told that my current website name is too cumbersome. Please vote on whether you prefer the newer version or the old version: https://sarahmauryswanlovesbooks.com.