  Last day of the FREE Promotion!! The Amateur Authorpreneur is a beginners’ guide for authors who intend to develop their writing into a business, addressing the important task of book promotion and marketing. We look at laying the foundations of the authorpreneur book promotion toolkit, building a fan base on social media and much more. You've written a book or you plan to - what do you need to consider? What does it offer readers? Why will they buy it? Where are your readers? When will you publish it? Who are you? How do you promote it! Find out how to take the business of being an author up a gear to become an authorpreneur. The Amateur Authorpreneur will describe, using the What, Why Where, When, Who & How template, the process of taking the first steps into combining the craft of being an author with the business of marketing your work Take a look at the UK reviews: 5.0 out of 5 stars The Perfect Guide 10 Jun. 2015 By JLC13 Format:Kindle Edition The Amateur Authorpreneur was all I had hoped it would be and more! Sarah Jane Butfield lays out a simple, doable and effective plan for becoming a successful author. She covers everything from the basics of setting up social media accounts such as Twitter and Facebook to how one can utilize them on a daily basis for building a brand, solidifying a promotional strategy and boosting sales. This book is the perfect guide for anyone who is writing or has written a book. I plan on keeping it handy for quick referencing of important hashtags and tips for growing my Twitter following. I can't wait to see what she has in store for all of us in Book 3 of this series. 5.0 out of 5 stars First class follow up for self pub authors in a frenzy! 27 May 2015 By Wussyboy Format:Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase I have nothing but praise for this second in the series of Sarah Jane's marvellous `tool kits' for self published authors. Written in a highly accessible style, getting the basics in place using small bite sized tasks, pieces of information and actions, she demystifies the often daunting task of setting up as an "authorpreneur". From Facebook and Twitter to blogs and websites - even from acronymns to algorithms! - this wonderful primer is full of first-class tips and suggestions, and is - to my mind - essential reading for any indie author plunging into the choppy sea of self-marketing. Well done, Sarah Jane, can't wait for book 3! 5.0 out of 5 stars easy to understand guide to the marketing of books 23 Jun. 2015 By Ronald W. Sharp Format:Kindle Edition This is a well-crafted, easy to understand guide to the marketing of books, especially those of the self-published variety. In it, Sarah Jane Butfield takes us on a journey that illustrates the value of Facebook, Twitter and blogs as tools of promotion, and steers us away from unwise practices relating to their use. I recommend this book to both beginners and those who need to know the ins and outs of do-it-yourself promotion 5.0 out of 5 stars An insight into Authorpreneurship. 23 Jun. 2015 By Susan Keefe Format:Kindle Edition Whether you are writing a book or have been published a while, if you are at a loss how to manoeuvre in the social media worlds of Twitter, Facebook and Google this book has the answers. Why use hashtags and @’s, why are they there, what purpose do they serve? Why share? Why give your books away free? Are you considering if you should perhaps have a website or write a blog? Don’t know where to start, or which way to turn. If you need answers to any of the above questions and many more you didn’t realise you wanted to ask, then this is the book for you! If you missed Book 1 in this series it's available from Amazon/Nook/iTunes/Kobo/Scribd just 99c/99p Links on my author website 
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 Hello everyone, Today I have invited author Soozy Miller to write a guest blog to give some background to her book 'ADHD to Honor Roll'. ADHD to Honor Roll is on FREE promotion until 30th June so why not take a look for yourself. Amazon universal link Welcome Soozy :)  Thank you Sarah Jane for the opportunity to talk to your readers.
Is ADHD Real? Doesn’t Matter, Cure the Symptoms While I was curing my son of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), several people suggested there is no such thing as ADHD. Despite some pushback, it is a popular diagnosis and continues to grow in the United States. In 2011, the latest year of statistics available from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, § Approximately 11% of children 4-17 years of age (6.4 million) have been diagnosed with ADHD. § The percentage of children with an ADHD diagnosis continues to increase, from 7.8% in 2003 to 9.5% in 2007 and to 11.0% in 2011. § Only half of preschoolers (4-5 years of age) with ADHD received behavioral therapy. § About half of preschoolers with ADHD were taking medication for ADHD, and about 1 in 4 were treated only with medication. In general, ADHD symptoms manifest like this: · Difficulty paying attention to details; careless mistakes; producing work that is often messy and careless; difficulty completing tasks that require concentration · Easily distracted by irrelevant stimuli and frequently interrupting ongoing tasks with inability to sustain attention on tasks or activities · Procrastination · Frequent shifts in conversation, not listening to others, not keeping one's mind on conversations, and not following details or rules of activities in social situations · Fidgeting, squirming when seated; getting up frequently to walk or run around · Running or climbing excessively when it's inappropriate (in teens this may appear as restlessness) · Having difficulty playing quietly or engaging in quiet leisure activities · Talking excessively These symptoms are real and can interfere with schoolwork, emotional development and overall wellbeing. My son was diagnosed when he was six. He couldn’t concentrate in school, he was kicking the teachers, he couldn’t finish homework after 7pm, and he took a baseball bat to his bedroom door one night. ADHD symptoms have traditionally been managed with medication, and at first I capitulated. But I read a lot about how unhealthy the medications are. Have you seen the chemicals in ADHD pharmaceuticals? They don’t fix the problem, they just mask the symptoms, and other critical parts of the body—the liver, the stomach, the kidneys, and the heart—can suffer from toxic chemicals. Scientists and doctors are not even sure how the medications work and if they work at all—the drug pamphlets and company websites fully admit this. However, my son did exhibit ADHD symptoms. There was a source of the problem and I just had to find it. I found a functional medicine doctor. We discovered many physical issues, including an overload of yeast in his body and a deficit of inositol, a natural brain calmer. We gave him Diflucan for a short time to reduce the yeast and supplements and natural inositol pills to make up for the deficit. We changed his body chemistry; I tossed all the sugar and corn in the house and I adjusted my cooking. The body is a dynamic, agile machine; by changing what he ate we improved general function and, in turn, brain function. Of course, there are cases in which the child suffers from a brain chemistry imbalance that must be addressed with appropriate drugs. But as a result of my experience curing my son, I might agree with those that say ADHD is not a true condition. Symptoms like those listed above are not necessarily hardcore brain chemistry issues, but may be the result of the brain reacting to other issues inside the body. The source could be food, environment, lifestyle and other influences that affect body function. My son is now 12, ADHD free and in High Honor Roll. He plays basketball, volleyball, track and baseball. He talks about attending MIT. I wrote ADHD to Honor Roll to encourage all parents of behaviorally challenged children to consider a route other than pharmaceuticals. If you work with the right practitioner, you consider other factors, and you focus on your child’s responses and behavioral changes, you will find the root of the problem. Whether or not you believe ADHD is a valid diagnosis, you can cure the symptoms naturally. Thank you Soozy for an insightful post. Readers, if you have enjoyed this or have questions for Soozy be sure to comment below and don't forget to get your free copy of ADHD to Honor Roll  Welcome to my Friday featured character from a Rukia featured author. Today it's the turn of author Richard Smith to introduce Catherine Mary Wallace from his excellent children's book Time Trap. For those of you who need some background information on Time Trap, here is a synopsis from the Time Trap website. TODD'S IN A STREET GANG, JAMIE WANTS TO BE. TO GET HIS FRIEND'S BACKING AND JOIN THE RIVERSIDE POSSE, HE TAKES HIM TO A SECRET LABORATORY. BUT DISASTER IS ABOUT TO STRIKE...Who was the mysterious Hector Lightfoot? What was he up to when he disappeared, and who were the two ghosts once seen in his house? School friends Jamie and Todd are destined to find out when they go to London to spend a weekend with Jamie's Uncle Simon, who now lives in that very house. Soon after they arrive, Jamie has a frightening encounter with the two ghosts. Hector, a veteran from the First Afghan War, joined a covert expedition to China, and afterwards worked on a secret Government project in an underground lab at theBritish Museum. He vanished suddenly, and was never heard from again. Simon takes the boys to the lab, where they find a strange contraption – which, unknown to any of them, is a time-travel device. When the building is struck by lightning, the device is energized, and sends the boys back in time to the year 1862. There, surrounded by danger and exposed to disease, they are sucked into a life of crime in order to survive. Only if they can find Hector will they have any chance of getting home again. But why has he gone into hiding? Who is the man after him and what does he want? As the boys struggle to escape back to their own time, Jamie becomes convinced that the two ghosts he saw earlier are following them… Welcome Richard, please tell us more about Catherine. Thank you Sarah Jane. Catherine Mary Wallace is one of Time Trap's most popular characters. Catherine Mary Wallace Catherine was born in 1827 to upper-middle class Scottish parents. When she was three, the family moved from Edinburgh to Kensington, London. From around that time, she could remember the house in London being busy a lot of the time. My early childhood memories of my father were at our house, where serious-looking men in top hats and long-tailed coats would often join him to talk and drink gin. Little did I know, back then, they were scientists, like my father - although he was the most eminent of them all, and made vital discoveries in medicine. Apart from when he held these big gatherings, I almost never saw him, as he was working all hours at the laboratory. Taken from Catherine’s memoirs - 1898 Her father sent her to a strict school for girls, in Buckinghamshire, which had a high success rate. It was the harsh regime there which gave Catherine her steely willpower and drive. When I first arrived at the school, I was devastated that my father had chosen to send me there. As well as being taught by austere and distant teachers, I was bullied by a small clique of girls, who taunted me for being Scottish. It was hell for the first 12 months, but the day came when I put an end to the torment: I took on the ring-leader and beat her. I gained their respect and from then on, I was able to study without distraction. Catherine excelled in her second year, achieving top marks in all subjects. She continued to achieve a high standard throughout her school career, which enabled her to make a choice from all the sciences: she selected Astronomy. I was torn between Astronomy and Chemistry. I loved them both. My father wanted me to opt for Chemistry, but the stars won the day. I wanted to follow in the footsteps of the great astronomers, Newton, Halley and William and Caroline Herschel. Making her way in the scientific world in the 19th Century proved difficult; women were hardly represented in any professional field, and were actually discouraged from pursuing a career. Caroline Herschel learned astronomy as an assistant to her brother William. Only when William was away from home did Caroline have much opportunity to use the telescopes that they and another brother had built together. In 1783, she discovered fourteen nebulae, and between 1786 and 1797, she discovered eight comets - proving that women were just as competent as men. Caroline Herschel and Mary Fairfax Somerville were such inspirations to me. I was fortunate to meet Mary, a fellow Scot, on a number of occasions. I eventually made it into Astronomy without my father’s influence - something which I am very proud of (as is he) - although he was there with his connections if I had failed. The number of women scientists working with their husbands grew in the 19th Century. Notable examples are Mary Lyell, a conchologist; Marie Pasteur, a biologist; Mary Buckland, a geologist and the astronomer Margaret Huggins. Yet, despite all their accomplishments, it was a commonly-held belief that developing a woman's intellectual capacity would always diminish her reproductive capacity. Venturing into science in the mid-1800’s was very difficult for a woman, without a prominent, well-connected man’s help. My father was friends with the engineer, Hector Lightfoot, and in 1849, he introduced us. I was 22 and Hector was 15 years older - and was a dashing, former, army captain. He introduced me to the Science Council at the Science Institute in Golden Lane, and I was accepted. It was the breakthrough that I needed. Catherine quickly established herself at the Science Institute, with her discovery of nebulae, and was one of the first to suggest that stars were suns - which was confirmed in 1861 by William and Margaret Huggins. Almost her entire life revolved around her work, leaving no time for anything else. I loved my work, and with every success I was helping other women in their struggles to lead a life in science. In 1851, I accompanied Hector to the Great Exhibition, where some of his work was featured. He had made huge in-roads in engineering - a remarkable achievement, as he’d served in the army until he was 33. It was while we were at the Great Exhibition that he went down one knee and proposed. He had, of course, asked my father’s permission first, and been given it, but I declined - although I knew it hurt him. He left for China soon after, on a secret mission. The following year, Catherine’s life came crashing down when her father died of Cholera. The Summer of 1852 was the worst time of my life. My father contracted cholera in July and died the following month. I still regret to this day that I didn’t spend more time with him after working at the Institute. Unfortunately, nothing else mattered to me, I was deeply involved with my work, and every time he suggested we meet, I told him I was too busy. It hurts to admit it, but I neglected my father. And as the months wore on, I began to miss Hector more and more. From 1852 to 1856, Catherine continued her important work, and carried on making vital discoveries. In 1855, she was awarded into the Fellows of the Royal Society: she had well and truly made her mark. In 1856, Hector Lightfoot returned from China with an extraordinary proposition. In the Spring of 1856, Hector appeared out of the blue. How pleased I was to see him. He told me of his amazing adventures in China, and wanted my help with an astonishing project, backed by the Science Council. For the next five years, he and I worked closely - non-stop - on the secret project - with which - although it went against my ethics, I proceeded, because of Hector’s noble intentions. After five years, the project - which even now, 37 years later, remains a secret - was finished. We had achieved our aim. The diligent work which Catherine and Hector Lightfoot together undertook at the Science Institute stopped after five years when, in December, 1861, Hector went missing under suspicious circumstances. I can’t say too much about this time, as I’m sworn to secrecy, but I can say, that one year after Hector’s disappearance, two boys, Jamie and Todd came into my life, and we were involved in a tremendous adventure, culminating in me reuniting with Hector. The boys were not around for long, but they had an everlasting effect on Hector and on me. I said yes to Hector’s second marriage proposal and we got married in 1863. If I was to be honest, I loved Hector soon after we met, but my work was so important to me that I couldn’t allow distractions. Now, at the age of 71, I continue my work in Astronomy, and am every bit fascinated with it today as I was when I began. With the new century almost upon us and Hector still reasonably active at 86, we are both optimistic for the future, and know that, one day, man will reach and walk on the moon. Thank you Richard, what an amazing insight. Although this is technically a childrens book I thoroughly enjoyed it. You can read my review on Amazon For more on Time Trap and Author Richard Smith visit his website
 Thank you to everyone who entered this great competition.
The entry question to win a paperback copy of A Twist of Fortune by Mike Martin was: In Mike's recent guest blog at Rukia Publishing titled 'Setting the scene for a good story' where did Mike tell us that the picture on the cover of 'A Twist of Fortune' was taken? The answer was: The inner harbour in Fortune, Newfoundland. And the winner is ....... Paula Shene!!!!! Didn't win? Don't worry you can get your copy of A Twist of Fortune here  Welcome to my Saturday book blog! What are you up to this weekend? How about taking the Time Trap trail? Visit Author Richard Smiths's website for all the details http://www.timetrap.co.uk/p/the-trail.html "The Trail is an adventure, too - but not just anyone can go on it. You will have to read the story first, and find in it two keywords that will unlock the code, and allow access. So read the book, crack the code and follow in Jamie's and Todd's footsteps as they were hurled back to 1862, when the streets of London were shrouded with smog, and danger lurked at every turn." If a reader downloads the Trail, there are 9 questions en route, and once they answer them correctly and email them to me, I will send them a personalized certificate. You can find out more about the author Richard Smith here in his meet the author feature or read more about Time Trap in the Rukia Publishing book showcase here. Be sure to pop back and tell me how you got on. Good luck and have fun! Sarah Jane    Hello everyone,
Today, I would like to introduce you to Graham Downs who is helping authors promote their books with a new twist. I am being featured in Graham's new book promotion venture during my Glass Half Full 99c sale which started yesterday and I think this approach may appeal to many of my author and reader followers who use Smashwords. I invited Graham to write a guest blog to introduce the concept and I will be following up on this post in the next few weeks. We would love your feedback so feel free to comment, subscribe and share this post to increase exposure. Have a great day, Sarah Jane Welcome Graham :) Thanks Sarah Jane. Ever wonder why all the e-book marketing sites out there are so Amazon-centric? Well, me too. Personally, I hardly ever shop on Amazon. I know that many people shop there a lot, but I’m also sure that they’re not everybody’s favourite. That’s the beauty of such a diverse industry – there are many different retailers to choose from, and you should be able to easily get information on books available at whatever store you choose to shop. You know what my favourite e-book retailer is? Smashwords. Why? Well, for one, I really love coupon codes. Entering a coupon code on my order, and watching the price go down, just for me, is such an amazing experience. I truly feel like I’m getting something special, that nobody else knows about! Do you feel the same way? My new e-mail marketing service, Book Coupon News, is all about just that. Once per week, you get an e-mail containing up to seven books that are available on Smashwords, along with coupon codes for massive discounts (sometimes up to a hundred percent discount!), so that you too can feel super special when you punch those codes in and watch the price go down. Why not give it a try? Just visit http://bookcouponnews.blogspot.com/ and enter your e-mail address. Follow the instructions in the e-mail you receive from the site, and wait for your extraspecial offers to come rolling in. Authors and publishers, it’s still free for a limited time to advertise your books on Book Coupon News. Just head on over to the site, and click the “For Authors and Publishers” link at the top. Readers, authors, and publishers, I hope to see you all soon! Graham Downs is a South African Independent Short Fiction author. His flash fiction, short stories, and novelettes range from Fantasy to Horror, to Young Adult to Romantic Suspense and Mystery. They all have one thing in common, though: they’re fiction with feeling! To find out more about Graham and his offerings, visit http://www.grahamdowns.co.za/p/home.html |
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Photos from Rising Damp, Nelo Hotsuma, Archives New Zealand
