Journals from the Heart: Book Trailers

WHISPERS FROM THE HEART, New York Book Festival Award Winner and the first in the Journals from the Heart series just launched its book trailer on YouTube:

"'Go read this book' doesn't do it the justice it deserves. Heather Hummel has written such a heartfelt and touching book. Madison Ragnar is such an intriguing character. One of those that makes you want to hug her and tell her it is going to be okay."
- Just Jump Book Reviews


"I recommend this book to anyone wanting to read a beautifully-written chick lit novel that will keep you turning pages eagerly."
 - Lost In Literature Book Reviews

"I really enjoyed this book. It was fun, fast, and heart-warming."
- Chick Lit Plus 

Buy on Amazon

Heather Hummel is a "photonovelist" who blends her love for photography with her award-winning career as an author. Her published works include:
Journals from the Heart Series:
Whispers from the Heart (2011)
Write from the Heart (2011)
Nonfiction
GO BIKE & Other Signs from the Universe (2011)
Gracefully: Looking and Being Your Best at Any Age (McGraw-Hill, 2008),
Essays:
Messages of Hope and Healing ( Sunpiper Media, 2006)
Blue Ridge Anthology (Cedar Creek, 2007) with David Baldacci and Rita Mae Brown
Awards:
2009 Mature Media Awards, Merit Award
2009 New York Book Festival, Honorable Mention

Heather's books have appeared in newspapers such as: Publishers Weekly, USA Today and the Washington Post; and in magazines that include: Health, Body & Soul, First, and Spry Living, a combined circulation of nearly 15 million. A graduate with High Distinction from the University of Virginia, Heather holds a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree with concentrations in English and Secondary Education. She is currently earning a Ph.D. in Metaphysical Sciences.

Visit Heather’s website at http://www.heatherhummel.net/
Follow Heather on Twitter @HeatherHummel:
http://twitter.com/#!/HeatherHummel

Jen Tucker Keeps You on the Seat of Your Panties: Review

REVIEW:
The Day I Wore My Panties Inside Out 

by Jen Tucker

Ride alongside Jen Tucker in her car. Pull up to her kitchen table for a chocolate chip cookie. Get ringside seats to her dogs' escapades. Experience her labor pains - emotional and physical. No matter the chapter, Jen Tucker delivers (no pun intended) a two day dose of reality as a mom, wife and career woman in this memoir of moments. Her use of humor and great sense of humility makes her an engaging author.

Even if you're not married or not a parent, Tucker's story will keep you reading and hoping her husband comes home from his trip overseas...and SOON! I look forward to reading anything Jen Tucker writes...for now I'll settle for her Tweets until her next book comes out.






Heather Hummel
Author, Write from the Heart and Whispers from the Heart

Blog Tours are Scarier than Halloween

As a kid, when I only dreamed of being a writer, what scared me were things like Halloween. Now, as an author and a handful of decades later, I have the same anticipated, nervous excitement of going on a blog tour that I did as a trick-or-treating youth.

My first novel, WHISPERS FROM THE HEART, of the Journals from the Heart series is going on tour this month. Hosted by Samantha Robey at Chick Lit Plus, the tour starts on October 10th and runs through, you guessed it, Halloween. Madison Ragnar's journey in WHISPERS FROM THE HEART will be visiting a dozen blogs in 21 days that will consist of reviews, guest posts and author interviews. (Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!)

But, is there a difference between a blog tour and trick-or-treating on Halloween? I don't think so. Think about it...in each case, much thought goes into initial character development and implementation. Just like a book, Halloween brings out the good-will, generous and inspirational protagonists...Cinderella, Fairy Princesses, Luke Skywalker, Batman and Robin, and Indiana Jones. And then there are everyone's favorite frightening characters, aka the antagonists...witches, zombies, pirates, and Freddy Krueger. And when all is written and done, an author's book and a trick-or-treater's costume are ready for show.

Authors launch their books into to world via book signings, social media, and blog tours and await rewards in the form of reviews and notoriety in recognition of their book's fright or beauty or cleverness, and ultimately to score a few or more sales.

Halloween's tricker-treaters showcase their characters as they go from house to house, knocking on doors and awaiting their rewards in the form of costume compliments, recognition of their fright or beauty or cleverness, and ultimately to score candy.

As WHISPER FROM THE HEART heads out the door this month on tour, the feelings of excitement and nervousness abound. Though it's tempting to turn off all the lights and the television and to hide in the bedroom curled up under a blanket with a flashlight and a good book while others are out there trick-or-treating, at some point there's a need to brave the streets and neighborhoods in hope that there are more treats than tricks. Happy Halloween!

For the complete listing of blogs and more information on the tour, visit Chick Lit Plus.


***
Heather Hummel,The Gypsy Writer, is the author of the Journals from the Heart Series featuring Whispers from the Heart and Write from the Heart.

Her nonfiction titles include:
GO BIKE & Other Signs from the Universe  (PathBinder, 2011)
Gracefully Looking and Being Your Best at Any Age (McGraw-Hill, 2008)

Heather's books have appeared in newspapers such as: Publishers Weekly, USA Today and the Washington Post; and in magazines that include: Body & Soul, First, and Spry Living, a combined circulation of nearly 15 million. Visit Heather's website at www.HeatherHummel.net

Oz has Spoken! And "Oz" is the Reader! The New Trend in Kindle Tags

"This new trend of using tags to boycott traditional publishers' high Kindle prices is quite telling of the times."  - Heather Hummel

Anyone with enough online experience knows that when you "tag" something - such as a blog post - you're providing a searchable word related to the tagged content. For example, a blog on what to pack for a summer picnic might use the tag words "summer" "picnics" "sandwiches" "blanket" "basket" "flies" - you get the idea.

Any author knows that when their book is listed on Amazon (or other online bookstores) tags can be assigned to describe their book by using the  "Tags Customers Associate with This Product" feature. A John Grisham book would likely be tagged with words like "legal" and "lawyer" whereas a Jennifer Weiner book would be tagged with "Chick Lit" and "Women's Lit" etc. When a book is tagged on Amazon, other readers have the option to "agree" with a tag. The higher the number of "agrees" to a particular tag results in better odds of it moving up the ranks in search results for that word. For example, if someone searches "Chick Lit" and one of Jennifer Weiner's books is tagged "Chick Lit" and hundreds or thousands of readers agree, it will rank high in a search. Another author might have "Chick Lit" as a tag, but only a few people check on its box to "agree," causing it to rank lower in search results. It's all very word and click driven!

That was the original concept for tagging. However, what I'm seeing now is an interesting trend in readers using tags to boycott high Kindle prices set by traditional publishers. A Jennifer Weiner paper back might be tagged with "Chick Lit" "Funny" "Women" "Beach Read" and "Relationships" and yet, her Kindle version of her recent book Then Came You is tagged with: "too expensive for kindle, waiting for kindle price to go down, ebook overpriced, outrageous kindle price, publisher greed, 9 99 boycott, jennifer weiner, kindle swindle, no sale, agency 5 price fixing."

This new trend of using tags to boycott traditional publishers' high Kindle prices is quite telling of the times. Naturally, this use of tagging hurts the author because the tags that ought to represent their book aren't being used, but the tags such as the ones above are. Ultimately, the anger being directed at the publishers is punishing the author. My belief is that the publishers aren't even noticing this! A good publisher would ensure that their authors' Kindle books have the proper tags listed since it's such a powerful tool for books sales,  but they don't seem to be. Yet, if they did, they'd notice what tags are there instead.

One common misunderstanding that I'll dispel is that Kindle does NOT set the price for its eBooks. The publishers do. I hear many people complaining about Kindle setting prices too high, when in fact the price is set by the publishers. And, clearly the readers aren't happy with any eBook priced over $9.99.

Heather Hummel,The Gypsy Writer, is the author of the Journals from the Heart Series featuring Whispers from the Heart and Write from the Heart.

Her nonfiction titles include:
GO BIKE & Other Signs from the Universe  (PathBinder, 2011)
Gracefully Looking and Being Your Best at Any Age (McGraw-Hill, 2008)

Heather's books have appeared in newspapers such as: Publishers Weekly, USA Today and the Washington Post; and in magazines that include: Body & Soul, First, and Spry Living, a combined circulation of nearly 15 million.

Visit Heather's website at: http://www.heatherhummelauthor.com
Join her Facebook Fan Page 
Follow Heather on Twitter

Journals from the Heart - A Heartfelt Series by Heather Hummel

Are you an avid journal writer? 

Do you find comfort in knowing love is still
attainable even after putting your heart on a shelf? 

Heather Hummel's new series Journals from the Heart threads the powerful theme of journal writing between characters who use the art in many areas of life. From reflection to grief to survival, journal writing carries these characters through challenges and to a place of love and empowerment. 

Madison Ragnar utilizes journal writing with her high school students in Whispers from the Heart. 

Samantha Sounder in Write from the Heart turns to her past journals and the beginnings of a new one in a mission of self discovery. 

The third, and forthcoming, Wisdom from the Heart, will introduce Jamie Jacobs, a fourteen year old girl who finds out she's adopted and depends on her journal entries to guide her through to her adult life.

Both novels are available on Kindle!

Buy Whispers from the Heart on Kindle and Buy Write from the Heart on Kindle

Heather Hummel is also a ghostwriter. Her books have appeared in newspapers such as: Publishers Weekly, USA Today and the Washington Post; and in magazines that include: Body & Soul, First, and Spry Living, a combined circulation of nearly 15 million. A graduate from the University of Virginia, Heather holds a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree.