First, I toot my own horn. More precisely, I announce someone else tooting my horn. The Masquerade Crew responded to my request for an unbiased review of FORCE OF HABIT with … drumroll, please … FIVE STARS! Here is the review, should you care to read it. The headline said, “The best bit about this book is the humor.” As writers know, humor is tricky, so I’m pleased as punch that mine worked for them.

Now I’ll get down to the business of tooting other people’s horns for them.

Jeffrey Marks, list daddy of Murder Must Advertise, has issued the fourth edition of his marketing guide, INTENT TO SELL, this one with additional material on promotion through social networking. It’s available in paper and for Kindle.

If you’re better at marketing than I am (and who isn’t?) you may be interested in this article on Using Pinterest Like A Pro. I find these articles, begin reading them with enthusiasm, then get worn out by the time I’m finished. The people who sell lots of books are the ones who go around the room shaking hands and making their work interesting and compelling to people. I just want to stand in the corner and smile weakly. Doesn’t work, people. Does not work.

On that note, allow me to introduce the Blogging Ninja Captain, Alex J. Cavanaugh. He has about eleventy gazillion followers, and he writes dynamite science fiction, too. Ka-BOOM! He’s appearing today at Sia McKye Over Coffee on the topic of how writing has changed his life. Be told: Irish music plays constantly at that site. I love it, but you may not, so … be told.

Be sure to mark your calendars for FandomFest2012. I’ll be there, and so will Bruce Campbell! Sean Astin! John Rhys-Davies! Wo0t!!

WRITING PROMPT: A character has to step outside of his or her social or professional comfort zone.

MA