Happy 4th of July!

Have a blessed 4th of July weekend.

Enjoy your freedom.

 

 

How One Writer Embraced His Bad Reviews

I came across this  hilarious video and had to share it. All writers get a few negative reviews in our publishing careers – even me. GASP! I know. Can you imagine? I choose to ignore any negative review in favor of the more delightful reviews and the lovely emails that my readers send me.

The author in this video has found a way to poke fun at his bad reviews and use them in order to entice readers. I think his ability to laugh at his reviews might be enough to convince readers to buy the book and it looks like it is selling.  Not to mention that the sources of the reviews are pretty tough review publications to get into. He deserves Kudos for making the cut even if the reviews were bad. I wish him luck:

Tina Ann Forkner is the author of the newly released novel, Rose House, and of her 2008 debut, Ruby Among Us. You can read some of her good reviews on this site. If there are negative reviews, you won’t find them here.

A Cautionary Tale

Amy over at Suburban Kvetch has written a great cautionary post about mommy blogging. How much is too much when we are blogging about our children and personal lives?

You Should Read this Novel: What the Bayou Saw

Every now and then, a book comes along that I absolutely must tell you about. What the Bayou Saw, by Patti Lacy, is the most courageous book I have read in years. I highly recommend it to any reader who is looking for exceptional writing that has the power to change lives. Lacy’s sensitive, but truthful, exploration of race relations is stunning and her examination of the life-long friendship between a Caucasian woman and an African American woman from childhood is lovely and deeply revealing. Don’t be afraid to delve into this book because of its topic. It is a beautiful portrait of friendship, grace and redemption that will make readers cheer.

I was deeply honored when Patti Lacy sent me a copy of What the Bayou Saw earlier this year with a request that I might endorse the novel. I was only too happy to do so. Here is my endorsment that appears inside the cover of this wonderful book:

“An outstanding novel, What the Bayou Saw is as heartrending as it is courageous. Patti Lacy’s daring yet beautiful story will astonish and inspire.” –Tina Ann Forkner, author of Ruby Among Us

Here are just a few of the other endorsements that I think really capture the novel’s flavor:

“Patti Lacy has defly knit together the story of two girls, four decades, and one growing nation in a tale as relevant as ever–a bold story about the stark realities of race, injustice, hatred, secrets, and pain… and the love and healing sovereignty of God.” –Tosca Lee, author of Havah: The Story of Eve

“Like Southern molasses, What the Bayou Sawis a rich, thick read that explores a tale so haunting, so painfully real, it will follow you into your dreams.” –Julie Lessman, author of A Passion Redeemed

If you want to learn more, visit www.pattilacy.com or watch the trailer on You Tube:

Michael Jackson: His Love Story?

I mentioned in a recent blog post that I still recalled the day Elvis died. It had such a big impact on the public that even a small child couldn’t have missed it. My mom took out her albums and we listened  to them in the living room, like so many times before, except this time Mom was a little misty eyed. Many have already drawn the comparison between the lives of Elvis and Michael Jackson, even before his death, and I suppose it was probably inevitable that Michael Jackson and the only daughter of Elvis would find each other in life.

This blog post by Lisa Marie Presley was referred to me by someone else. I found Ms. Presley’s words about her love story with Jackson to be very heartfelt and real in the midst of a tragedy that has already become a public circus. We all know that there is more about celebrities than what the public is privy to, and we are already privy to too much. As sad as the story is, there is something respectful about the quiet way she reminds us that we didn’t know the real Jackson and that she might have been one of the few people who really did:

Lisa Marie Presley’s Personal Thoughts On Michael Jackson

Readers in Loveland, Colorado

 This past Saturday I signed copies of Rose House and Ruby Among Us at Barnes and Noble in Loveland, Colorado with Megan DiMaria, author of Searching for Spice and Out of Her Hands. We had the greatest time hanging out with readers from the Loveland area. We even had a couple of folks wander in from Wyoming. The store was wonderful and Megan is great to sign with. We really had the best time.

(If you missed me in Colorado, I’ll be in Fort Collins on 7/19 from 2 – 4 pm at B&N.)