Beer with Books?

One of the companies that has published some of my books is Big World Network. The founder, Jim McGovern, posts these really great, quick videos about what's happening in the world of publishing. In this episode, he talks about some interesting trends, such as recommendations for pairing beer with books, like wine with meals. Funny. Check it out!

Photo Gallery of books by Trina Boice

I love watching movies and writing about movies, but I thought you might like to see some of my more recent published books! My next one hits stores next month! It's called "Base Hits and Home Run Relationships"!

What's The Latest Scoop in the Publishing World?

Here's the latest video from one of my book publishers, talking about what's the latest scoop in the world of books, writers, and readers!

The books I've published with Big World Network are:

* How to Stay UP in a DOWN Economy

* A Gift of Love

* Climbing Family Trees





 Happy reading!

 Trina Boice

Unusual book store converted from a church in the Netherlands

Barnes and Noble store is a testament to the fact that people love to browse and buy books in a lovely, comfortable setting.  Wait until you see this unusual book store in the Netherlands.  It's an old church in Maastricht, which was built in 1294.  It's an appropriate conversion, because reading books is heavenly!

 
The old structure hasn't served as a church in over 200 years and was previously used as an exam hall for students, a bicycle storage facility, and even a Christmas market. 



I'm grateful they haven't demolished the building because it has some beautiful artwork on the walls and ceilings!
 

Now all it needs is some comfy chairs and hot chocolate like they have at Barnes and Noble!

What someone who loves books said about my newest book!

Do you love to read books? Shauna Wheelwright loves books so much that she created a blog about it!   In fact, it's called "I love to read and review books". 

She recently read my newest book "Ready Resource for Relief Society" and had this to say about it:

----------------------------------------- 
I am really impressed with this resource book!
I mean REALLY IMPRESSED!

This gives a teacher of Relief Society a plentiful supply of materials to supplement the lessons from the Church Manual.

In this resource guide you get for EACH LESSON:

*Hymn selections that correlate with the lesson.
*A brief summary of the lesson.
*Quotes from Apostles and Prophets
*Picture ideas to use from the Gospel Art Kit
*Church video suggestions

and my favorite part...

*it gives you OBJECT LESSONS to use to bring more understanding to the lesson!

But that's not all...

You also get:
*Ensign articles to use

*Scripture Mastery verses to expound the lesson
*Correlating pages from Preach My Gospel
*AND a CHALLENGE to help the class members put the lesson to practice in their own lives.

And if that is not enough...
*There are handouts all ready made for you!

This makes teaching SO EASY!

------------------------------------------------------------

The book hits stores THIS WEEK!  Woohoo!
To grab a paperback copy or an ebook version of it, buy it online at Amazon.

Thanks Shauna!

The Good Word podcast with Trina Boice

http://www.radiogoldproductions.com/thegoodword/episode-104-interview-with-trina-boice/


                                          

I recently did an interview with a new friend, Nick Galieti, host of "The Good Word" podcast.  He's an author himself who has created a wonderful outlet for other LDS authors to spread the news about their books and literary passions.

Nick records his shows at Eborn Books in downtown Salt Lake City and then hosts a book signing right after the interview.   Unfortunately, I don't live in Utah, so our interview was held over the phone only.   Drats!  It would have been fun to meet him in person and visit with other guests!

The Good Word is designed to be a show where all books are welcome and the craft of writing is discussed to lift and inspire.  He was a great interviewer and allowed me to slobber on and on about some of my newest projects, as well as talk about some of my favorite books from the past.

                                    
                                    

Check out our interview together at:   http://www.radiogoldproductions.com/thegoodword/episode-104-interview-with-trina-boice/

Getting Paid To Give Books Away For Free

                                                               www.TrinaBoice.com 

How would you like to get paid to give your books away for free?   Amazon has a new program that does just that!  Their KDP Select-Free system helps you get your name out in front of millions of customers.  Book sales will not take off until your words are read, enjoyed, and recommended. Word-of-mouth publicity is made possible by Amazon’s KDP Select Freebie Days. Amazon pays you to give your ebooks away!

 Have you discovered Dan Poynter yet? He's considered one of the top gurus in the book industry, helping thousands of authors navigate the publishing world and become successful.  He even has a free newsletter you can sign up for with terrific tips each week.   Now he has a new book out that teaches authors how to understand the KDP Select-Free program at Amazon.  In his book you will discover:

--The step-by-step details on how KDP Select-Free works.
--How to set up your ebook for the Freebie Days.
--Promotion. Where to send announcements. A valuable, long list.
--Tracking your downloads and sales.
--Responding to emails from your new readers/friends.
--Detailed steps and advice. No generalities. 

Dan Poynter is also a master at advertising his book, as evidenced by some of the big names he got to endorse his new book:

“Dan Poynter is the top coach for writing, publishing, and, most important, promoting.”
—John Tullius, Director, Maui Writers Conference.

“One essential ingredient to our Chicken Soup success was consulting with Dan Poynter in the early stages.”
—Jack Canfield, co-author,
Chicken Soup for the Soul series

“Dan Poynter has generously guided thousands to authorship. Their books make this a better world.”
—Dr. Robert Müller,
Author and Past Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations.

Dan Poynter is the author of more than 130 books.  He has been a book publisher since 1969, and is a Certified Speaking Professional. His seminars have been featured on CNN and his books have been pictured in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. 

If you're interested in checking out this book, you can find it on Amazon at:

http://tinyurl.com/7wel525

To sign up for his free author newsletter, go to:   www.danpoynter.com/sites/para/ 


Good luck out there in the book world!
Trina


www.trinaboice.com

Powell's Puddly Awards

While I dream of having one of those cool personal libraries so large that it requires a ladder to reach the top shelves, my husband is in the anti-clutter mode, so I have been selling my old books online, using www.bookscouter.com to find the best prices.

One of the companies that buys back books is Powell's, creator of the "Puddly Awards", their version of the Oscars for books. They ask their readers to determine which titles were their favorites during the previous year. Here are the results for their 2012 awards:

Best Fiction: The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Purchase The Help Deluxe Edition here







Best Nonfiction: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Purchase a copy of Unbroken here







Have you read either of those two books? I have to confess that I only had time to see the movie "The Help" but I absolutely loved it. Some of the actresses in the flick are already slated to win an Oscar. What did YOU think of the book? How did it compare to the movie?

How about "Unbroken"? I haven't talked to anyone who has read it. Have you? What did you think? Do I need to carve out some time to read it because it's that good?

If we were the one to decide the book awards, which books would YOU choose to win?

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!  I'm excited for 2012 and want to thank you for all of your kind support in 2011.

Right before Christmas I told you about a fun contest sponsored by the Big World Network.  The contest was a big success that drew a lot of new visitors to the site.  If you haven't had a chance to check out the free books on their site, go to www.bigworldnetwork.com

Following is the list of winners.  I've tried to contact everyone personally by email or Facebook, but if you're on this list and haven't heard from me, please let me know!

* Jennifer Johson                             * Andrea Hecklinger                     * Nancy Grasseschi
* Kari Tuttle                                    * Susan Pixley                              * Cindy Hogan
* Stephanie Nelson                          * Tawn Makela                            * Shara Edwards
* Celeste Estes                                * Donna Hatch                             * Allison Mudliar
* Annette Coffee                             * Andrew Gallen                          * Manuela Bega
* Jill Mitchell                                   * Cricket                                      * Nicole Budge
* Catharine Rasband                       * Debbie                                      * Tera Duncan
* Will & Gemma McCoy                * Renee Dunkin                            * Heidi McClellan
* Shara                                           * Joel                                           * Jim
* Kristen                                         * Tracey Long                              * Nikki
* Rosemary Cantrell                        * Trisha                                        * NJM
* Marci Mathison                            * Trisha Wilson                             * Nancy
* Vicki Washuk                               * Katrina                                      * Kristen Robison
* Willow Lady


Congratulations!!

We Can Both Win a Kindle!

Hi friends!

Win a Kindle and a bunch of other prizes by simply "liking", making a comment, or subscribing to my FREE new $$ money book series this week only at:
www.bigworldnetwork.com/UpinDownEconomy.html

Tell all your friends to come support me and my new book and I can win a prize too! The Big World Network is a new, cool web site where readers can get books for FREE, listen to the authors read each chapter, and win prizes!

How to Get Celebrity Endorsements

Getting a famous celebrity to endorse your book could bring huge recognition and sales to your marketing efforts! But what if you don't know any famous movie stars or industry experts personally? No worries! Ask anyway! I've found that those who succeed in life are those who are persistent and brave....that's definitely true for authors too.

Here are some steps to consider while you're working up your courage:

1. Reach for the stars! Do a quick brainstorm of the celebrities or experts in your field and create a Wish List of everyone you would want to endorse your book or project. Think big. Of course, they should actually have something to do with your target audience, platform or subject matter.

2. Do your homework about each famous person on your list so that when you write to them you can mention something specific they did that inspired you.

3. Make it easy for the celebrity to say yes to your request for an endorsement or testimonial by showing them 2-3 quotes you've written ahead of time that they could choose from. Of course, don't offer the same quotes to everyone on your list; personalize them for each celeb. Offer to do a video or written testimonial for them to use on their web site.

4. Don't think of yourself as a little peon. Just be brave and ask! The worst that can happen is they'll say no. Most famous people love recognition and love to be quoted.

I found a cool web site that offers a paid membership access to celebrity contact information at www.contactanycelebrity.com They have all kinds of examples of regular 'ole people like us and how their books, products, and fundraisers earned a LOT more money when they were endorsed by famous people. Check it out! Your new BFF celebrity may be waiting...

Seriously

This made me laugh out loud, so I had to share it with you!

Book Review: "The Alias" by Mandi Slack

Haven’t we all fantasized about changing our identity and slipping into another world at some point?  Ok, maybe I’m revealing a little too much about myself now.  (wink)

Blog tours for new book releases are a lot of fun, but I’m so busy that I don’t normally participate in many.   My blog post today concludes a tour that features newbie author, Mandi Tucker Slack, whose first book caught my eye and made me want to jump on the blog tour train.  I love a good man-on-the run story, especially when he’s innocent, and especially when he’s a woman!   Mandi’s suspenseful story reminded me of Julia Roberts’ movie “Sleeping With the Enemy,” which I got a real kick out of.

Without any spoiler alerts, here’s the gist of Mandi Slack’s tale:  Jacey’s ex-husband is wanted by the FBI.  To protect her son, Jacey flees to a small town and attempts to hide their identity, but her past is never too far behind.  Neither is the FBI.  Throw in a little romance, and it’s a fun, quick read, perfect for when I was taking a long flight, escaping from my own personal world on a quick business trip.

Jacey’s son’s name is Blaze, the same name my family gave our pet dog.  Every time I read the name Blaze in Mandi’s book, I imagined my sweet Papillon as a shapeshifter in her story.  Their personalities are somewhat similar…young, adventurous and not quite a man.  What mother doesn’t want to protect her son?  I have four sons and could relate very well to the mother-bear mentality of doing whatever it takes to keep them safe.  The author is a playful mother of three who lives in beautiful Utah, where the story takes place. 

In an interview with Mandi, she explains “I love to incorporate my hobbies and interests into my writing.”  My favorite thing about writing is being able to create my own adventure. I was a tom-boy and as a child I craved adventure. I explored exotic countries and conquered high mountain peaks all from the comfort of my own back yard. I had a very vivid imagination and that love of creativity followed me into adulthood. I have so much fun when I am able to sit down and pound out the ideas floating around in my head, and I enjoy writing the type of stories that I love to read.”

To learn more about Mandi Tucker Slack and her new book “The Alias”, visit her blog at:   http://heyyouslackers.blogspot.com/

To purchase her book online, go to:    http://www.amazon.com/Alias-Mandi-Slack/dp/1599555093/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317347209&sr=1-1   

The Kindle edition is only $3.99!  To read more reviews about Mandi’s new book, check out the rest of the blog tour stops:

October 1st –   DebbieDavis        http://debbiesinkspectations.blogspot.com/
October 3rd –   KimberlyJob       http://scribbledscraps.blogspot.com/
October 4th –   JulieBellon         http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com
October 5th –   CindyHogan      www.cindymhogan.blogspot.com
October 6th –   CamiChecketts     http://camicheckettsbooks.blogspot.com
October 8th –   LauraBingham    http://alvor-daretodream.blogspot.com/
October 11th – Aimee Brown     http://gettingyourreadonaimeebrown.blogspot.com/
October 12th – Steve Westover    http://www.westoversleftovers.blogspot.com
October 13th – Mindy Holt         www.ldswbr.com
October 14th – Holly Barnes        http://2kidsandtiredbooks.blogspot.com
October 14th – Danyelle Ferguson       http://www.queenoftheclan.blogspot.com/
October 15th – Lynn Parsons       http://lynndeniseparsons.blogspot.com/
October 17th – Janice Johnson   http://www.toothsomefamily.blogspot.com/
October 18th – Kaylynn England   www.bookreviewsandmore.com
October 18th – Maria Hoagland   www.mariahoagland.blogspot.com
October 19th – Rachelle Christensen       http://www.rachellewrites.blogspot.com/
October 21st – Alice Gold                    http://imsofunny.blogspot.com/
October 25th – Tristi Pinkston            http://www.tristipinkston.blogspot.com
October 28th – Heather Justesen     http://www.heatherjustesen.blogspot.com/

By the way, if you’re a new author or even a seasoned one, take note of Tristi Pinkston’s excellent marketing techniques.  She’s the one who put this blog tour together and is a master at networking in this industry! 

 

Amazon Enters the Publishing Business

In publishing news today:
Amazon will soon be competing with the publishing houses that supply it.  The gigantic company is set to publish 122 books this fall in both physical and e-book form. Amazon has signed deals already with self-help author Tim Ferriss and film director Penny Marshall, and is said to be aggressively targeting top authors.

“Publishers are terrified and don’t know what to do,” says Dennis Loy Johnson of Melville House. Amazon has hired publishing veteran Laurence Kirshbaum to run the operation, which will publish both fiction and nonfiction.

The End of An Era

                                                                    by Trina Boice
                                                               http://www.trinaboice.com/

I was out of town last weekend when Harry Potter opened in theaters, but I'm VERY excited to finally see the final installment of the wizardry masterpiece tonight!  It's been a thrill to watch the characters and even the actors grow up right before our eyes. I'm a little hesitant, however.  Will it live up to my expectations?  Will I feel a satisfying closure or be left wanting?  Have you seen it yet?  What did you think?  Who will be the next J.K Rowling of our day?

A dear friend of mine, whose first book will hit stores soon, shared his thoughts with me.  His name is Steve Booth.   http://www.stevenmbooth.com/   He has the talent to be an inspiring author and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everyone loves him as much as I do.  He told me "It’s hard to over-estimate the impact of Harry Potter, both the book and the incredibly successful films. I personally believe that J.K. Rowling single-handedly redefined the meaning of the Young Adult Fiction universe. She was one of my initial inspirations in becoming an author, and several of her characters were the genesis for players in my book, Dark Talisman."


He felt the same anxious excitement about watching the final movie and said "It was, therefore, with a good deal of trepidation that I attended the final episode of the film series in my local IMAX theater last night. I was not disappointed. Although I felt the ending lacked a certain definity, I left the theater with a feeling of both closure and completeness. Frankly, I wish that the quality of production and depth of acting in this, the final installment in the series, had been more evident in previous offerings, but I found it a highly enjoyable excursion, nonetheless."

So, we are left with the obvious question – now what? What new adventures are on the horizon? Where is the next, Great New Author.  I hope that someone will step into the fray, for I think, given the state of the world, that we all desperately need another Harry to walk with us through the difficult times ahead; to make us believe, if for only a short time, that magic could possibly exist in the world; that there is something wonderful around the next corner, or between the train platforms.

Celebrity Books in the News

Arnold Schwarzenegger was bragging that he was about to sign the biggest book deal of all time a month before the news broke in May that he fathered a love child with his housekeeper. But after the scandal, it’s Maria Shriver’s book that publishers are chasing, sources say.

#1 NYT bestselling author James Patterson’s next 26 books, including 4 new series for young readers, with 13 titles each for Michael Pietsch at Little, Brown, and Megan Tingley at Little, Brown Children’s, for publication through the end of 2014, by Robert Barnett at Williams & Connolly.

NYT bestselling historical thriller writer Matthew Pearl’s The Bookaneer, about a literary spy and bounty hunter in the 1890s who sets off on a quest to the Samoan Islands to wrest a manuscript from a dying Robert Louis Stevenson, moving to Ann Godoff at the Penguin Press, in a two-book deal, by Suzanne Gluck at William Morris Endeavor, and to Stuart Williams at Random House UK, by Cathryn Summerhayes at William Morris Endeavor.

Rock music legend from The Band, Robbie Robertson’s untitled picture book biography, written by his son Sebastian Robertson, focused on his early years growing up in Canada spending time at Six Nation Indian Reservation, and, later, living and working in America, joining Ronnie Hawkins ’s band as a guitarist at 16, sold to Christy Ottaviano of Christy Ottaviano Books, for publication for Spring 2013, by Ryan Harbage at the Fischer-Harbage Agency.

Jim Collins‘ Great By Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos and Luck – Why Some Thrive Despite them All, co-authored with management professor Morten Hansen, asking why some companies thrive in uncertainty and even chaos, based on nine years of research, enumerating the principles for building a great enterprise in unpredictable, tumultuous, and fast-moving times, also to be released in ebook form for the first time (with Collins’ four previous bestselling books now being released as e-books from July through September), sold to Hollis Heimbouch at Harper Business, for publication on October 11, 2011.

Will you read any of these?

Quick Book News

                                                                       By Trina Boice
                                                              http://www.boicebox.com/
                                       

Less than two months after Glenn Beck and Fox News agreed to part ways, the conservative talk-show host has reached a new deal with publisher Simon and Schuster that includes the launch of a new imprint. Mercury Ink will release fiction and non-fiction titles.

Borders bookstores may have a savior. The private-equity firm Gores Group is in discussions to buy more than half of the bankrupt bookseller in a deal that would keep the business running. Borders has been soliciting offers since it filed for bankruptcy in February. Gores, which buys stakes in distressed companies and tries to rehabilitate them, isn’t the only bidder on the horizon, though the other potential buyers haven’t been named. Interest in Borders has picked up since Liberty Media’s recent bid for Barnes and Noble.

Science fiction writer Orson Scott Card is fighting with his talent managers over alleged commissions due from the film and web adaptations of Ender’s Game. A movie version of Ender’s Game has been long anticipated by sci-fi fans. The 1985 novel garnered many prizes, including the Hugo and Nebula awards, and is now regarded as a classic of the science fiction canon.

27 Traffic Tips for Bloggers

I've been writing several different blogs about specific topics for 10 years.  My loyal readers have been asking me for years where they can find my author blog, but I never created one...until now!  Yay!  Here it is! 

Thank you for cheering me on as I write books and blogs that enrich your life.  You have no idea how much I truly appreciate your support, comments, and friendship!  My goal is to bring you GREAT content to help you achieve YOUR goals!

There are a gazillion blogs out there on the Internet these days.  How do you draw traffic to yours?  Try experimenting with some of these simple tips.  Why 27 and not an even 30?  Because 30 would have been too predictable!  Keep your blogs interesting and don't be afraid to mix it up.  The most important tip is to provide valuable content....with that many blogs out there, you need to give your readers such rich content that they keep coming back to you for more!

1.  Post often and on the right days: People are more likely to read blogs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
2.  Turn on Google Sitemaps.  Claim your Internet real estate.
3.  Invite people to comment.  People don't like to be lectured.  Have a conversation.  Reply to comments.
4.  Build your following.   Follow others.
5.  Share posts to Twitter and Facebook
6.  Optimize your post titles and tags
7.   Draw in traffic with a capture or "squeeze" page
8.  Add email alerts
9.  Include plug-ins
10.  Reach your followers' followers with Reblog and TypePad Micro
11. Add videos
12. Run contests with prizes
13.  Participate in a blog tour with other bloggers
14.  Advertise it on swag at booksignings and other events
15.  Invite guests to share their posts
16.  Interview other people your readers are interested in
17.  Ask readers what they want to learn about.  Include fun surveys.
18.  Build trust.  Before people engage, they need to know you, like you and trust you.
19.  Provide links to your blog on your web site
20.  Make it a fun place to visit!  Lighten up!
21.  Provide RSS
22.  Keep your blog posts short and sweet.  Write like you talk.
23.  Include eye-catching graphics.  Use a theme to show who you are visually.
24.  Mix it up.  Don't be so predictable.  Keep it interesting.
25.  Write grabbing titles. 
26.  Provide your readers with solutions to their problems.  Be a helpful resource.
27.  Provide valuable content