Why Writing is Right For Me.

 Sometimes I get overwhelmed and depressed, and trying to find a way to connect with other people seems impossible.  Lately it has been like that again. The whole world seems to be off its axis, tilting more and more away from being centered.  The people in my life who often steady me, suddenly seem to need steadied themselves and I stop feeling like I can draw on their strength, I don't want to add to the burden of their lives.

 That is when I look for ways to replenish my strength from something bigger than me.  I am lucky, because I only have to step outside to find reminders that there are things much bigger and more eternal and more beautiful than the mind of man can comprehend.

 I go to the world looking for beauty, and it is all around me, in the ocean, and redwood tree, yes.  But also in the tiny banana slug, and the feather in the wind, and the child sifting through the sand for a sun kissed agate.

 Then when I have to return to my home, and my family and the news of the day, I can do so with a well of quiet strength inside me.  I can share that beauty and warmth with my family and friends and then quietly sit at the computer, dreaming in words that hopefully bring strength and warmth to a wider world.  Yes, I'm an introvert, and sometimes I can't think quickly enough to get the words right in a conversation, and when I can, that interaction exhausts me, even though I also love it.  I love teaching and being in a crowd, especially a crowd of children, but I get drained there, and for me, the quiet thoughtful times when it is just me and a blank page, are when my battery is being recharged.

 When I look at the books I like to read, there are often underlying themes of violence and danger, but when I choose what I want to give back to the world, I find the beauty and love and celebrate the differences that make us able to be stronger together than any one of us will ever be alone.  The first book I published turns five years old this year, and It still makes me happy that I put the energy into writing it. People who have also learned to love Duffy Barkley tell me that his story has shown them a lot about accepting differences and finding joy together.  That is why I write.

Book Giveaway still on until October 9

Mid September and I almost typed, mid August, Lol.  Life moves faster than I do a lot but I keep reminding myself to slow down and enjoy the little things. I love the moments holding my granddaughter and picking the apples and blackberries and walnuts. I love writing books but struggle to move beyond a "level three"  I wish I had bookmarked the article that told of five possible outcomes of self publishing.  I didn't read it all in detail but the description of the results of what was called a "level 3 success" described me pretty closely.  It said this author doesn't make a living and isn't a big seller, but is recognized as a writer among peers and sells a lot to their own community and has a small but wonderful group of fans.  This author is glad to have followed her dreams and made some success but is still searching for how to promote her books to the wider world.  Yes. Pretty much.

so as an incentive to get people to look at my newest books and to possibly get a few 4 or 5 star reviews on Amazon or Goodreads 

I am giving 4 copies away of each book, through Goodreads giveaway program and both links are below. 

If you want to see about al 5 of my books then I am also including the link to my Amazon author page

 https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/106796-moonrise?utm_medium=email&utm_source=giveaway_approved

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/106794-rainbows-around-us?utm_medium=email&utm_source=giveaway_approved

http://www.amazon.com/Dixie-Dawn-Miller-Goode/e/B004458ES2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1409941162&sr=1-1

I am also busy going to the local schools and I carry my books with me and the experience of reading them to the classes is really fun. I have the fun of seeing the things kids notice as I read and of interacting with the pictures and words in a playful way that isn't possible alone at my computer.

 both my cat and my artist friend here are victims of having me read the picture books out loud to them.  Yes even the cat, as it is easier to hear how the books read out lout and i worry less about how  I sound out loud with any kind of audience than with my voice echoing in an empty room.

So if you are interested in books to read to infants and preschool and kindergarten children, sign up for the giveaway, and if you are interested on fantasy or historical fiction check out my novels as well on Amazon.  Thank you

Two New Book Giveaways Via Goodreads, Children's books this time

 I love words and pictures, and have before this ventured to put my novels out into the world but hesitated over my paintings and photographic collections.

 Then at the end of August I published two kids picture books, and yesterday my first tangible copies of the books arrived in a brown box left on the front stoop.  I usually say porch, but Grandma called it a stoop, and she feels tied to these successes because she read picture books to me all through my childhood.

 I am giving 4 copies away of each book, through Goodreads giveaway program and both links are below. Hopefully that will get me a few book reviews but I won't hold my breath, because book reviews are hard to get, even when people read and love your books.  Not all readers want to write anything.

If you want to see about al 5 of my books then I am also including the link to my Amazon author page

 https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/106796-moonrise?utm_medium=email&utm_source=giveaway_approved

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/106794-rainbows-around-us?utm_medium=email&utm_source=giveaway_approved

http://www.amazon.com/Dixie-Dawn-Miller-Goode/e/B004458ES2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1409941162&sr=1-1

Rainbows Around Us: A Celebration of Color

Authored by Dixie Dawn Miller Goode

List Price: $15.00

8.5" x 8.5" (21.59 x 21.59 cm)

Full Color on White paper

62 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1500991944 (CreateSpace-Assigned)

ISBN-10: 1500991945

BISAC: Juvenile Nonfiction / Art / General

This book includes photographs and words to help children celebrate the beauty of the world around them. It is designed to be read aloud to a young child just learning their colors, and read by older children as they gain independence. There are a few brief definitions of more complex color theories including, shade and tint and monochrome pictures.

CreateSpace eStore: https://www.createspace.com/4973800

Rainbows Around Us Kindle

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N54953G

Moonrise: A Love Song For My Babies

Authored by Dixie Dawn Miller Goode

 

List Price: $12.00

8.5" x 8.5" (21.59 x 21.59 cm)

Full Color on White paper

26 pages

ISBN-13: 978-1501000201 (CreateSpace-Assigned)

ISBN-10: 1501000209

BISAC: Juvenile Fiction / Bedtime & Dreams

A lullaby and finger paintings for my sons, and granddaughter, and the children you love.

CreateSpace eStore: https://www.createspace.com/4974953

Moonrise Kindle http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N5FQK9M

This looks like more than 5 but there are covers to books still in progress as well as the ones I have in print and kindle.

Finding a Class Reading my Novel

 I work as both a writer and as a substitute teacher. The two are mostly unconnected although talking to kids helps me to think of ideas for my writing and to make my characters really talk like the kids do. Recently, walking through the hall before school. I found myself suddenly surrounded by a group of girls, "Mrs Goode! We are reading your book. I love the way you go back and forth in time,"
and on and on while I stand amazed.

That is WHY!!

  I found out it is Mrs. Hooper and her class reading it. A few informed me which 1 kid doesn't like it. I actually laughed - 1 kid doesn't? That is such a Win! Thank you Sandi !  I am lucky because this wonderful teacher first read my book with her book club, a group of a dozen adults, and chose to share it with her class.  And then I am also lucky because a class set of 38 books was purchased last year by the school district's instructional media center.

 Of course, that kind of luck starts with some book promotion on my part and it is hard for me to add promoting and sales to an already busy life as a mom, teacher, writer. It is also not the best match with the shy, observer type personality that a writer tends to be, but years of teaching have taught me too, and I can speak up when I have to.

So one of the best bits of advice that I read on Twitter was the suggestion that every free copy of your book that you put out into the world is an ambassador, working away while you are not looking, to promote your writing.

In this case, I gave a copy of my book to a 5th grade teacher, she read it and suggested it to her book club, which bought 10 copies.  Then they had me come talk to them.  I also gave a book to another substitute teacher, she gave it to her husband, who gave it to the director of curriculum, who gave it to the IMC Librarian with the instructions to go to Amazon and order a class set.

It doesn't always work so well. A lot of give away books, I never hear about again, but some result in wonderful reviews on Goodreads or in blog posts.

 So, three day later I was back at the school where they had started my novel.  This time the reaction was bigger even than before. The kids surrounded me at the bus line, asking me to autograph their arms or notebooks or scraps of paper and begging to know specific details from the book,

"Why did you start the story in St. Louis?"

"Have you ever ridden to the top of the Gateway Arch?"

"Is that Old Grandma really based on yours?"

 And now I have kids, telling me that they want to be writers, and asking me how.

I have kids asking for a sequel

and when I tell them that the next book has been begun

and that it is about Volcanoes and Pompeii and My. St. Helens and connecting two boys through 1901 years, they sound as excited as I do.

 I find that I did get to visit many of the Oregon Trail sites as I researched and wrote, but I probably won't get near Pompeii or Vesuvius, and yet I have learned to travel without ever leaving my desk, and to take classrooms full of kids with me on the journey and I thank my lucky starts every day for this gift.

I'm a Winner, Thank You, Betty Dravis

Betty kindly chose my Duffy Barkley Series as her Favorite Tween Series in her Act 3 of the Betty Awards.

http://www.bettydravis.com/home/2013/8/9/at-long-last-act-3-of-the-betty-awards-miscellaneous-array-o.html

She read the first book and reviewed it very kindly in January of 2012, and I was trilled with the award but even more honored that she still remembered my books after 18 months.

Betty’s review

http://www.amazon.com/review/R6KBLNWB0CVEE/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B004478F5M&nodeID=283155&store=books

And while I am at it, let me link again to two other reviews of these books from Lubna, in India

http://www.booksonmyshelves.blogspot.in/2012/05/duffy-barkley-is-not-dog.html

http://booksonmyshelves.blogspot.in/2012/06/duffy-barkley-seek-well-book-2.html

I still remember Betty's Books and have read and reviewed three of them 

and have enjoyed reading her stories of the many interesting people in and out of her life. 

She has met famous people and written Toon fantasy, and written interviews, and written horror, and written about her family, and written a ton of reviews. 

You should honestly check out Betty Dravis' Author Page on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Betty-Dravis/e/B002BLJJIU

And now, let me again say Thank you to Betty, 

and then I have to get back to writing, 

Duffy has a third book at 58,000 words and needs me to follow after him and take notes