4RV breaking into eBook market

Two of 4RV Publishing's young adult books are now available as e books on Kindle. We're working on adding more. By this summer we should have all our YA books and at least part of our fiction novels ready on Amazon and the 4RV eBook page.

Now available for Kindle is Bubba & Giganto: Odds Against Us by Lea Shizas and Just Breeze by Beverly Stowe McClure.

Other titles will be available as formatted.

My super talented, busy guest - Lea Schizas

Excuse me, did I understand you? You don't know who Lea Schizas is? Have you ever heard of The Muse Online Writers' Conference? You're joking. What about The Writing Jungle? You poor thing. You are so fortunate that she is my guest today as part of the VBT - Writers on the Move.

Lea Schizas is the force behind The Muse Online Writers' Conference, the first ever conference held on the Internet, and it's free. She has experts, publishers, editors, and agents who hold classes on forums or during live chats, sometimes both. Publishers, editors, and agents take part, many accept pitches from writers. If you haven't heard about the conference, or have heard but not registered, please go to the website and register for the 2010 conference, a very easy procedure.

Lea also promotes help and education concerning Autism.

She doesn't keep busy enough with her five children and husband and the conference, etc., so she edits, reviews books (on The Muse Book Reviews), and writes.

I don't remember how we met, maybe through the Muse Online Conference four or five years ago, but I really got to know this remarkable woman after she submitted her middle grade manuscript to 4RV Publishing. Bubba & Giganto: Odds Against Us was released in July 2008.

I greatly admire Lea Schizas. I don't know how she accomplishes all she does. I hope visitors will leave comments about what they know about her and how they fell about this extremely remarkable woman I call friend.

So please share with us about Lea, give her memories that she can treasure.


P.S. Tour with VBT-Writers on the Move through February. New and famous authors, plus useful information. http://tinyurl.com/yhkt7v8



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Register now for 2010 Muse Online Writers Conference

The 2009 Muse Online Writers Conference closed October 18, but people can already register for the 2010 conference. Lea Schizas says she will not add late comers next year. True, the registration deadline isn't until August 2010, but waiting can often mean forgetting. Another reason to register early is to be able to have time to learn one's way around the site and be able to take part in different activities during the year.

For those who can't afford to attend a writing conference or can't find one close enough to attend, here is your chance. A free conference, online, means anyone can afford to attend. The only suggestion I have is to be sure you allow yourself time to take all the workshops you'd like. Forum workshops can be entered anytime day or not. Live chats, though, are scheduled for specific times. This year, except for the pitch sessions involving 4RV, I stuck to the forum workshops since my schedule is so hectic.

Lea's registration directions are as follows:

Next year's conference will be held October 11 - 17, 2010. Only those who register and follow my INDIVIDUAL EMAIL request will get updates throughout the year about upcoming new workshops and pitch sessions I'll be hosting in 2010 -- before the 2010 Conference.

To register go here:

http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/group/2010MuseConferenceRegistration/

But remember for the conference registration, you MUST have your membership in INDIVIDUAL MODE. This year many registered but missed out because they had their membership in NO EMAIL. I'm sorry, but I don't have time to check over 1000 members to see what they've done. Your responsibility.

Next year, 4RV Publishing will have a forum, as the company has for the past two years. This year we had topics such as answering questions about the company, answering writing questions, discussing what 4RV needs in submissions and what is not acceptable. The company also took pitches for submissions, and will again next year.

Also, next year I will have workshop titled English Refresher 101. We'll work at refreshing our knowledge (or learning) mechanics and grammar that often give writers problems.

Anyone who takes the time to use the live chat workshops and/or the forum workshops can help themselves be better writers. I learn something each year. The conference is a good place to network and to bump into real publishers, editors, and agents.


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Whew, another Muse Online Writers Conference finished

Later this month I'll post information about how people can register for next year's Muse Online Writers Conference, but for now, I'm finishing up this year's. Today is the last day.

The week was busy but interesting. Lea Schizas added a new activity: authors could pitch, in writing, to publishers, editors, and/or agents. 4RV ended up with two pitch sessions, fourteen pitches in one and twelve in the other. We may have some good submissions as a result.

The pitch sessions gave writers a chance to present their work and receive some professional feedback. Yes, real agents, editors, and publishers attended.

Hopefully, life can get back to normal (whatever that is) now that conferences are over and only one more book festival to attend this year.



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Kreativ Blogger Award for Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap

Jean Henry Mead sent me the Kreativ Blogger Award (translation: Creative Blogger Award). Thank you, Jean.

I'm now required to pass the award to seven bloggers. As many blogs I know that meet the definition of being creative, choosing only seven was difficult. However, after many hours of mental gymnastics, I pass this award to the following:

1. Holly Jahangiri's It's All a Matter of Perspective blog site.

2. Katie Hines - Walking on Water.

3. Aidana WillowRaven's WillowRaven Illustration & Design Plus.

4. Nikki Shoemaker's What Comes from Nikki's Pencil ...

5. Rena Jones Children's Author & Nature Photographer.

6. Lea Schizas' The Writing Jungle.

7. L. Diane Wolfe's Spunk on a Stick.

The rules for the Kreativ Blogger Award:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

I thanked Jean above and will on her blog. I copied the logo and pasted it above. I linked to Jean's blog and the seven (7) I nominated. I will leave a comment on each blog informing the nominees to come read this post about their nominations.

Now, for the seven (7) things people might find interesting about me; although, I'm not sure what about me might be interesting.

1. I had twenty-two school changes.
2. I lived in Morocco from October of eighth grade until April of ninth grade.
3. Guam is a place I would like to visit, since I lived there in part of the second and third grades.
4. I was born in Texas, but Oklahoma has always been home.
5. I thought marrying a man who had always stayed in one place for over twenty-two years would mean I wouldn't move very much -- boy, was I in for a surprise.
6. Robert and I have lived in thirty-six places in over forty-seven years.
7. We have lived in this house seventeen years -- home at last.

VBT - Writers on the Move July schedule

The VBT - Writers on the Move July tour schedule is posted below. 4RV Publishing has several authors who take part: Linda Asato, Lea Schizas, Crystalee Calderwood, Katie Hines, and me, Vivian Zabel.

The VBT - Writers on the Move has a monthly Mystery Site Give-Away. Just leave a comment on the hosts' sites during the tour, and you may be the lucky winner.

Also, July 10th is our Viewpoint/Hot Topic segment and Crystalee Calderwood will be hosting that segment at her site (check below for her link).

Now for the VBT - Writers on the Move July Tour Schedule (hosts post twice a month, on the 1st and on the 3rd):

Harry Gilleland is hosting Heather Paye
Karen Cioffi is hosting Linda Asato
Kathy Stemke is hosting Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Lea Schizas is hosting Harry Gilleland
Nancy Famolari is hosting Helena Harper
Vivian Zabel is hosting Crystalee Calderwood
Margaret Fieland is hosting Katie Hines
Crystalee Calderwood is hosting Mayra Calvani
Katie Hines is hosting Dorothy Massey
Dorothy Massey is hosting Galye Trent
Liana Metal is hosting Anita Yasuda
Carolyn Howard-Johnson is hosting Karen Cioffi
Virginia Grenier is hosting Kathy Stemke
Helena Harper is hosting Marvin Wilson
Gayle Trent is hosting Liana Metal
Mayra Calvani is hosting Lea Schizas
Marvin Wilson is hosting Nancy Famolari
Anita Yasuda is hosting Vivian Zabel
Linda Asato is hosting Margaret Fieland
Heather Paye is hosting Virginia S. Grenier

Please be sure to join our July Virtual Tours.

Also, if you're an author and would like to learn more about our group, just email Karen at karenrcfv@yahoo.com, and please put VBT-KR in the subject box.



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When will Amazon stop? Guess it was a mistake

The view point discussion started on Lea Schizas' blog The Writing Jungle, to promote the controversial discussion for the VBT group. However, as stated in the following comment, we discussed a false story, or one that has been changed:

Cheryl Tardif, author and book marketing coach said...

Hi Vivian:

I've spent the morning tracking down people who are quoting me and discussing this past problem I had with Amazon because it's important you have all the facts.

First, there is NO policy at Amazon for this. They fully allow authors to post their titles in their signature lines. This was a mistake on the part of some overzealous employees who thought they knew what they were doing.

This case has been resolved and I'm happy with how Amazon handled it. Amazon has apologized for this error and has reinstated all my reviews, even taking the time to manually add my signature line at the end of each review.

You can read the full story at The Write Type ~ Multi-Author Musings.

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
author and book marketing coach

The rest of this post is outdated.

There's an interesting discussion over at Carolyn Howard-Johnson's blog - Sharing With Writers - about Amazon's latest kick in the gut to writers and reviewers. Here's an excerpt:

"A week ago I found that all 85 of the reviews I've written for other books had been deleted. It has been a very difficult and stressful week dealing with Amazon. They are not very accessible and I was given at least 3 different reasons why my reviews had been deleted. After numerous e-mails, this is what it's come down to:

"Their final ruling: 'Please know that our participation guidelines don't allow customers to promote their own titles in their reviews.' If you sign your review with anything other than your name, your reviews could be deleted."

To read the rest and participate in the discussion visit her BLOG.

If you agree with the discussion, or disagree, please comment and/or post on your own blog to add to the discussion.



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Los Angeles Festival of Books and 4RV

The LA Times/UCLA book festival was held on the UCLA campus April 25 & 26. None of the authors from 4RV Publishing could participate, but some of our books and handout materials were present. Bookmarks, brochures, and other items were placed in bags and passed out by volunteers.

Christine Alexanians managed the Authors' Coop booth. Special thanks go to her and to Carolyn Howard-Johnson for allowing us to be represented.

Our books and materials were displayed in one book case. On the next to top shelf were some of the brochures we sent with Confessions of a Former Rock Queen by Kirk Bjornsgaard and Midnight Hours by Vivian Gilbert Zabel. (hmm ... that last name seems familiar. *laugh*)


This photo shows both shelves with 4RV books and materials, with books by Carolyn in between.


The bottom of the 4RV shelves displayed Trockle by Holly Jahangiri and Jordan Vinyard, brochures, post cards, and bookmarks, as well as State of Wilderness by Elysabeth Eldering and Aidana WillowRaven, Bubba & Giganto by Lea Schizas, Colors by Dana Warren and Stephen Macguignon, Angeline Jellybean by Crystalee Calderwood and Stephen, and Lion in the Living Room by Caelaach McKinna and A. R. Stone.

Perhaps next year, if the Authors' Coop has a booth, we may have at least two authors who can personally participate.


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Wow! Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap receives award

Who'd a thunk, we received an award.

Lea Schizas, award winning author-editor, honored Brain Cells & Bubble Wrap with the Honest Scrap award. Scrap means left overs, fragments, discarded material, and many times truth and honesty is discarded material, considered fragments and left over. So, we need to tell it like it is, and let the scraps fall where they will.

According to Lea's blog,The Writing Jungle, the guidelines for winning this award include the following:


1. List 10 honest things about yourself (make it interesting, even if you have to dig deep!)
2. Pass the award on to 7 bloggers

Ten honest things about me, hmm ...

1. I thoroughly dislike dishonesty whether in word or deed.
2. I try never to hurt anyone deliberately.
3. When I discover I have hurt anyone, I must apologize.
4. I often tire of being the peace maker, but feel I have to keep trying.
5. I would much rather write than clean house.
6. I expect other people to try as hard and to give as much as I do.
7. I have few really close friends, who are all dear to me. I'd be lost without them.
8. A hole is torn in my heart each time someone dear leaves permanently.
9. I love light and laughter.
10. Christmas is my favorite season, even if no gifts appear.

Part 2 is seven blogs I believe deserve this award. The award is given to those with the guts to say it as it is, as Lea says, to tell the Honest Scrap.

1. Holly Jahangiri
2. Lee Lofland
3. Marvin D. Wilson
4. Rena Jones
5. Ian Williams
6. Elysabeth Eldering
7. Morgan Mandel

Now, each of the bloggers above may save the award image and use it. They need to follow the two "rules" attached to receiving the award.

I have many more blogs that I follow, but those chosen will pass the award on to others I would like to if I could.




Also visit Prairie Dog Cowboy and Vivian's Mysteries.


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