If you prefer to read this letter in its not - so - glorious full formatted version ( - : copy and paste this URL into your browser:

http://www.AuthorsDen.com/adstorage/1713/SharingwithWriters_Jan_15_2011.pdf

January 15, 2011
Sharing with Writers
A newsletter that is also a community. Share your ideas. Learn from theirs! Associated with the multi award - winning series of HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers, www.howtodoitfrugally.com


From the Desks of
Carolyn Howard - Johnson
and Sharing with Writers Subscribers

In the spirit of the advice I give in the Frugal Editor - - that is to use an extra pair of eyes whenever possible - - this newsletter is voluntarily copyedited by Mindy Phillips Lawrence ~ mplcreative1@aol.com ~ www.freewebs.com/mplcreative. I also tell writers to be patient with other writers when they make editing boo - boos. We're all human. This letter comes out weekly (except when I'm traveling or on deadline) and it's long!
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Contents
Regular Features
~Note from Carolyn
~Letters - to - the - Editor
~Thank Yous (where you also find leads and great resources!)
~Tips and News Galore! (They're scattered, you'll just have to find them!)
~Opportunities: Free Panels, Webinars from Bookbuzzr
~On Poetry
~Author Successes
~Mindy Lawrence's Itty Bitty Column: An Itty Bitty Bit of Sadness, Tolerance, and Hope for Peace
~Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching
~Wordstuff ™
This Issue
~Q&A’s a la Ann Landers: Discrimination in Accepting Reviews
~Mini Feature: Finding Editing Tips Where You Can . . .
~My Memoir: Sure you want to know about my kids’ food fights!

Note: You may have better luck with the URLs in this newsletter if you copy and paste them into your browser window. I leave the links long rather than use hyperlinks because the letter is available in plain text in your e - mail window as well as a .pdf format.

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Note from Carolyn

Dear Subscribers:

I just returned from a wonderful vacation. I crossed Copper Canyon in Mexico from my bucket list. Copper Canyon is the Cinderella sister of USA’s Grand Canyon, less colorful than her sisters, the beauty not as frequently seen or admired.

And the Mexicans were so grateful to us Americans who were traveling there. The tourist industry in Sinaloa is suffering terribly because of the drug wars—even in areas where they don’t have problems with violence. Here is one of my favorite pictures with the Tarahumara Indians who still live in caves in the Copper Canyon area. Notice the dolls they make out of twigs and branches. (Those of you who read this in your e - mail window will need to open the pdf file to see it!)


Link to learn more about the Talahumara: http://www.mexonline.com/raramuri.htm

While I was on my trip, I did a 5K walk to support the effort to find a cure for cancer. Many of you know I am one of the lucky survivors (yes, I’ve been cured about twenty years!). It was my second walk. When I got back, this message celebrating World Cancer Day was waiting in my e - mail box. I hope you, too, will pass it on. A small request. Just one line:

Dear God, I pray for a cure for cancer. Amen
Or whatever you feel will do some good within your own belief system.
All you are asked to do is keep this circulating, even if it's only to one more person. In memory of anyone you know who has been struck down by cancer or is still living with it:

A Candle Loses Nothing by Lighting Another Candle

Happy Writing, Editing and Promoting
Carolyn


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Needing something more meaningful for the celebrations in your life? Something that stays within your budget? Valentine’s is coming. Check out Cherished Pulse (www.budurl.com/CherishedPulse) ($6.95) for someone you love. Try Imagining the Future: Ruminations on Fathers and Other Masculine Apparitions for the men in your life. Sure, they like fusses made over them, too! (www.budurl.com/Imagining) ($6.95). She Wore Emerald Then (www.budurl.com/MotherChapbook) ($12.95), for mothers and other women, and Blooming Red (www,budurl.com/BloomingRed), to use as Christmas cards or incidental holiday gifts. Plan next Christmas early. And ask about my special price on chapbook/cards purchased in bulk! All these chapbooks are from the Celebration Series of poetry from Magdalena Ball and me.
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Letters to the Editor ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The exchange I had with Jim Cox on reviews in the last newsletter garnered more letters than I’ve ever had before on a single topic. You’d think I hadn’t ever included advice or information on reviews before! ( - : I’ve only reprinted a few here. Some were essentially duplicates. Others forgot their contact information. A couple didn’t want their letters published. Whew! Keep the conversation going!

Carolyn:

Regarding your piece last week on reviews:
A paid for review would automatically make the book less worthy of purchase. We librarians bought what we thought our patrons would want from the Kirkus, Library Journal, and Booklist reviews we read a month or two before publication. All were neutral, except librarians in LJ who were new to reviewing tended to over praise new fiction and poetry to give them boosts. We got to know names of reviewers to know who we could trust. Kirkus, though my favorite review source, tended to be more skeptical than the others. Booklist was aimed more at schools and colleges then public libraries. LA Times and New York Times reviews don't review books until long after they were published. We had to order books ahead of publication. But sometimes a review in a local paper caught our interest to something the big reviewers missed. As libraries get outsourced from local librarian control, more and more systems will just pre - order the known, successful authors and sign up for automatic choices monthly coming from central source book jobbers. As readers get older they consider large print publishers like Thorndike Press and some of imprints but most of what they do is just copy large publisher's output in larger print. There was talk of them doing some original publication but now that I'm retired I haven't kept up with the professional gossip. Probably just put out your own books online and let the reader choose the print size on their readers’ device."

Bill Trzeciak, novelist and retired librarian

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Carolyn:

It's funny I just got your other email as I was composing this one to you in response to your newsletter.

I have a client who does paid vacation reviews. My position has been that paid reviews tell you what is good or what is best about the thing being reviewed but probably will not include things that are lacking. Does that make the review worthless. I think not. As long as the person reading it knows it is a paid review intended to tell you what is BEST about the thing being reviewed. From an ethical POV my client will not review places that are dismal, dangerous or seriously lacking in quality. Most things on the market are not seriously lacking quality they just have features different from their competitors. You might say: This book is well written with interesting characters and a surprise ending without mentioning that it drags a bit in the middle. Is that helpful? If there are no other reviews available or if those comments support other reviewer's comments, I think so. Ethically it is important that you do not lie and that you make it clear that you are going to tell the reader what is best about what is being reviewed.

Very best,
Reno Lovison, Great trailer designer. See the one he did for me at http://howtodoitfrugally.com/retailers_books.htm.

Scroll down. It’s in the right column, brown and red. You must click on it to see the full trailer. Learn more about Reno’s service at www.authorsbroadcast.com


Editor’s Note: Anyone who wants to see the exchange of letters on reviews that caused all this ruckus (also see the Q&A A La Ann Landers segment in this newsletter for even more ruckus!), go to the last Sharing with Writers issue at http://www.AuthorsDen.com/adstorage/1713/SharingwithWriters_Jan_1_2011.pdf

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My review blog is there for you to use. It’s a place for you to honor authors and books you’ve loved with a review. It’s a place to recycle the review of your own book, the one you love most. It’s f r ^ ^. Submission guidelines are in the left column at www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com.
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Tip: . If you’ve been thinking about doing a blog tour here are two links you can use as resources:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2xUQHjpi8g
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/01/prweb4953524.htm
I love the idea of doing a special video for an online book tour. You can be sure your participants will be eager to help next time around. And the list is invaluable. This one was planned by another great resource for you ~ Submitted by Yvonne Wu, Author Assistant, Virtual Assistance for your business, The YP Publishing, http://theyppublishing.com

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Please paste this little blurb - - perhaps with a little endorsement - - in your newsletter or Web site: To subscribe to Sharing with Writers send an e - mail with SUBSCRIBE in the subject line to HoJoNews@aol.com or go to www.howtodoitfrugally.com for an auto subscribe box. Let me know you did it. I will be able to do something similar for you on my Resources for Readers page at www.howtodoitfrugally.com.
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My blog, War, Peace, Tolerance and Our Soldiers is where I get to nag and rag and try to make things better for our troops and maybe for the world. It includes a segment of frugal ways to help our troops and veterans. I'd love to have you leave a comment. www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com
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Author Successes

None to report this week. Where are you success people? Remember, that if you want me to publish your success, the subject line of your e - mail should indicate you are a subscriber in some way. How about “Author Success for Sharing with Writers.” Editors often don’t open every media release. I also can’t tell from a general release if you are a subscribers. Sorry, only subscribers get listed here. So, I guess you can count this as a tip for reaching editors successfully, huh?

=================================================Book Proposal Help: "The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need To Know To Sell Your Book in 20 Minutes or Less" is now an e - book or paperback booklet (Only $6.95). Find it at http://budurl.com/bookproposalreport =================================================

Q&A a la Ann Landers

Discrimination in Accepting Reviews ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Question:

Carolyn: That was a fantastic exchange of letters between the self - published author and Jim Cox, plus your own commentary. Hope ALL of your subscribers learned from it. Jim has always been good to my books, often reviewing them himself. I have come to respect Midwest Book Review as an important part of Independent publishing.

One question - - when dealing with sites that want review copies three months ahead of pub date: Is there any discrimination by PW, Kirkus, Booklist, et al., between finished copies (casebound - jacketed) and ARCs in trade paper format? And, although Jim wants pristine copies, do many reviewers now demand that words like 'ADVANCE REVIEW COPY" NOT be imprinted into the copy, with lines about, "consult with publisher . . .. final version may differ" etc.

Thanks,

Walter Brasch, journalist, humorist, columnist, author and educator

Answer:

Your first question may be one only insiders can answer, Walt. REAL insiders. But I’m asking any subscribers who know to answer you! As far as the pristine copy question, Midwest Book Review is the only one I know of that asks for unmarked copies. Guess that’s a very good reason to always read submission guidelines. Right?

As for the disclaimer wording on ARCS, wording differs wildly between even the big publishers' review copies sent to me (and I get a lot of them). So, I'd say, No. Just pick one that feels "gentle." We're, after all, trying to make friends here, right?
CHJ

=================================================Social networking is one of the best ways to make valuable contact and build a list of readers. The most supportive and interactive one I know with an associated site for displaying fiction to the movie industry is iFOFO. Subscribe at http://www.ifogo.com/buy/order_chj.html
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Tip: Mark Logie, poet, short - story writer, and winner of the "most promising author" prize from CanYouWrite sent this suggestion: ABC Tales (www.abctales.com) allows anyone registered with the site to upload stories and poems for fr ^^. I have a number of poems and one short story there (www.abctales.com/user/markihlogie), which was recently “cherrypicked” (ie, commended by the editors). Also, CanYouWrite (www.canyouwrite.com) holds monthly competitions
(fr ^ ^ to enter) for registered users.

=================================================II’m reworked my Web site. Please use the huge Resources for Writers sectionhttp://www.howtodoitfrugally.com/links_for_writers.htm. And please let me know if you find broken links. I need your help! =================================================

Editing Tip: Resume, grammar ,and formatting rules can work for writers, too. I especially like what this article says about using bullets in your writing. Go to http://thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com/2011/01/resume - rules - work - for - writers - too.html for the link.


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No part of this newsletter is paid advertising. If you would like to advertise to subscribers, display ads are available at: http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com/advertising.htm at less per year than most sites charge for a single month. Find classified there, too.
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Tip: Shelley the writing coach wanted to know what the top three editing mistakes authors make are. Aren’t you just dying to find out? http://www.self - publishing - coach.com/frugal - book - promoter - carolyn - howard - johnson.html

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Subscribers who have websites or newsletters of their own may be interested
in the F r ^^ Articles 4 Readers and Writers on my site, http://howtodoitfrugally.com/free_content.htm. I try to add new articles to it frequently. If you don't see what you need for your blog or newsletter, just ask. HoJoNews@aol.com.
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On Poetry
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This is a running feature for the poets among us and those who would like to try writing poetry but feel . . . well, inadequate about the writing or the promotion. Please send in your poetry tips and resources for this section.


One of my poems was just accepted by a new journal from Solo Press and I thought I would return the favor by letting poets know about it as a source for finding good poetry and for submitting work. The journal is Solo Novo: Wall Scrawls. The editor is Paula Lowe. Here’s their submission page, but they also publish chapbooks: http://www.solopress.org/Submissions.html. My poem is “Inevitably Walls,” and, of course I’ll let you know once it’s published. ( - :


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Endorsement: I wanted to tell you how your workshops, reading your newsletter, and just chatting with you has been a great help to me. I have a background in marketing from the fashion world and even though it has helped me get my foot in the door, I honestly have to say that after getting to know you, reading your books, and everything else I just said has truly helped me put Stories for Children Magazine on the map. ~ VS Grenier, Founder and Editor - in - Chief Stories for Children Magazine. http://storiesforchildrenmagazine.org.
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Mini Feature

Finding Editing Tips Where You Can . . . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Those of you have read The Frugal Book Promoter know that I believe in reading everything and applying (or trying to apply!) most of it to the product we want people to know about. That is our books.

I read “Ask Marilyn” in the Parade magazine enclosed in many Sunday newspapers. I like reading it for her brainteasers (usually about science or math) but every once in a while, I find something in it that pertains to editing. Marilyn has an eclectic heart!

This week someone asked why "playwright" is spelled with a "w" when the "copyright" isn't. I rarely see writers get these two words wrong - - possibly because it is one of those mistakes Spell Checker will pick up and actually get right! But Marilyn's answer was so lucid. If you’re curious, check out www.thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com this week. ( - :


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A general marketing rule is that a product must be seen seven times before it is purchased. That is just as true for books (because they are products, like it or not!). Let people see that book cover image! To do that, you are invited to advertise as a site sponsor at www.howtodoitfrugally.com/advertising.htm for only $35 a year. Yep, the frugal way! Click on the Advertising tab at the top of the page or contact me personally at hojonews@aol.com.
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Tip: Subscribers loved the exchange between Jim Cox and me I printed last issue. I’m sure you’ll find this new (and sorta longish) article on the future of publishing and other things from Jim equally as important.
http://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com/2011/01/trends - in - publishing - industry - explored.htm


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Audio divas bring you audios on many aspects of building a writing career:
www.tri - studio.com/writers.html. Titles include:
~Contest Facts: How to Add “Award - winning” to Your Name;
~Do It Yourself Indexing: The Way to Sell Your Book to Libraries, Schools and Anyone Else That Buys Nonfiction;
~Fury and Destruction: How to Use Violence Effectively in Your Writing
~And more.
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Tip: Do you know how to convince a retailer to let you spearhead an event for them? Check out information on the podcast I did with Paul Bruno at http://sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/2011/01/learn - how - authors - can - plumb - retailers.html And read the comments. He has a special offer for you!

=================================================Are you confused about how to credit facts or quotes when you write articles or nonfiction? Check out my Frugal, Smart and Tuned - In Editor blog: http://thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com/2010/10/q - la - ann - landers - academic - accreditation.html
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An Itty - Bitty Column on Writing


An Itty Bitty Bit of Sadness, Tolerance, and Hope for Peace
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By Mindy Phillips Lawrence

I can’t get the thought out of my mind of what it must have been like in Tucson, Arizona on January 8, 2011. Since I wasn’t there, my feelings are no closer to reality than my idea of what my son must have gone through in the early days of the Iraq war. Both are lessons in shock and sadness.

The congresswoman who was wounded is amazing her doctors and family with her recovery. Everyone wishes her well. Those around her who didn’t survive the attack bring us to tears, especially the death of a nine - year old girl.

I’ve seen people blame the alleged gunman’s parents. I’ve also heard the alleged gunman’s parents have shared their grief with the families affected by this tragedy. They are dealing with catastrophe as well. Parents can’t always make their children do what they want them to do. They made mistakes. We ALL make mistakes.

Whether or not political rhetoric had anything to do with this disaster, the fact that we, as a nation, have become more and more shrill with those who oppose our beliefs has become a massive problem. Our legislators don’t legislate as much as they condemn the other side and threaten them, so it seems. They make stymieing or reversing the actions of the other side as their agenda, not helping the country to solve the massive problems we now face. This is sad. Both sides do it. We are becoming more and more stratified, less united.

I hope that we become more tolerant of opposing views because other’s insights often have great value. I hope that we join together to comfort all those who are hurting because the ability to help others teaches us compassion. I hope we cease calling each other names because we need to learn how not to be hurtful.

I notice that the organs from Christina Taylor, the little girl who died in the shooting, have been given to another little girl so that she can live. What a wonderful gift Christina’s parent’s made at a very difficult time. Actions like this make me hopeful.

Join me in extending the hope for tolerance in our society and in our world. It is fitting to have this discussion so near Martin Luther King’s birthday. He, himself, preached peace, tolerance and nonviolence. Let’s make it happen.

LINKS

Tolerance
http://www.tolerance.org/

Beyond Intractibility
http://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/tolerance/

Peace
http://www.peace.org/
Poets Against War
http://www.poetsagainstthewar.org/

New Poets for Peace
http://www.pw.org/content/new_poets_for_peace?cmnt_all=1

Recovery from Depression and Shock
http://www.dailystrength.org/


~ Mindy Phillips Lawrence, www.freewebs.com/mplcreative, is the author of the poetry collections One Blue Star and Above and Below. She is co - author of The Complete Writer and a publicist and literary agent. She is in the process of researching a novel titled Alone is Where We Begin. Blogging at: http://mplcreative.blogspot.com/.
Her specialty is helping writers with their media releases. Reach her at mplcreative1@aol.com.


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Yes, I do consult. I tailor my fees to your needs - - everything from coaching to full edits (sorry no partial edits) to hour consultations to help you with your marketing campaign or your path to publishing. http://budurl.com/carolynsconsulting
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Tip: There are now security programs that take up little of your computer memory. They do their work it what is known at the “cloud,” meaning out there in Internet land. One is Titanium. It also gives you instant protection on new viruses. Find it at
http://www.amazon.com/Trend - Micro - Titanium - Internet - Security/dp/B004GBRL7Y?ie=UTF8&tag=howtodoitfrug - 20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&
I suggest you copy and paste this entire link into your browser window. It’s a new product and hard to find otherwise.


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Recent guest blog posts: BookBuzzr.com’s regular blog for writers: http://www.bookbuzzr.com/blog/book - marketing/your - stepping - stones - to - credibility/
Recent podcast links: Elemental Musings from Bev Walton - Porter of Scribe and Quill: http://budurl.com/waltonporter
Talking with Funky Writer Rob Batista about starting a career, promoting the hard - to - promote genres:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thefunkywriter/2010/07/30/the - funky - writer - radio - show - episode - 74
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Tip: I believe in collecting all your publishing credits and awards in a folder associated with your media kit. It not only keeps your kit up to date, it keeps you remembering how far you’ve come with your writing career. We need that positive input.

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Here is a list of small publishers for your consideration: www.howtodoitfrugally.com/small_publishers.htm
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Tip: When I edit nonfiction I format the table of contents in Word. Then I edit out “table of” because it’s redundant. Then I use that table like an outline to see if the chapters are structured in a way that will best help writers. What is “always done” is not as important to me as the needs of writers and the way I’ve observed writers think.


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Fun and F r ~ ~: If you purchased the Frugal Book Promoter or the Frugal Editor, I'd love you to review it on Amazon or BN.com. Make it simple; just tell what part of it you found most valuable. If you do, send me the review link (URL) and I will send you a 35 - page handout from one of my UCLA classes. As a thank you, of course. HoJoNews@aol.com
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Tip: If you’re writing a memoir (or something in any other genre), read some bestsellers in that genre before you begin. Don’t worry about your voice being influenced. You need to subconsciously absorb some of what is unique about the genre. Example. Rarely do you find a great memoir without dialogue. Check out Angela’s Ashes and see how dialogue is handled in that memoir.


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Unsolicited endorsement from Chaz DeSimone, book cover designer extraordinaire (www.chazdesimone.com): “Carolyn, the Frugal Book Promoter is amazingly comprehensive, understandable, and is using up all my highlighter ink.” Heidi (one of his clients): Start reading! It'll get you excited about promoting, and getting your promotion all ready ahead of time. ================================================

Opportunities

Book Contest
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2011 SAN FRANCISCO BOOK FESTIVAL - CALL FOR ENTRIES
SAN FRANCISCO _ The 2011 San Francisco Book Festival has issued a call for entries to its annual competition honoring the best books of the Spring season.
Once again, the San Francisco Book Festival is tied in with its sister festival in Paris. Winners of the competitions may choose which awards ceremony and city they will attend. More information is at Paris Book Festival.com. Both awards ceremonies will be held on Saturday, May 14 in the respective cities.

The 2011 San Francisco Book Festival will consider non - fiction, fiction, biography/autobiography, children's books, compilations/anthologies, teenage, how - to, cookbooks, science fiction, audio/spoken word, history, wild card, gay, photography/art, poetry, unpublished, travel and spiritual works. There is no date of publication deadline.
Our grand prize for the 2011 San Francisco Book Festival and Paris Book Festival winner is $1500 cash and a flight to San Francisco or Paris for our gala awards ceremonies.

Submitted works will be judged by a panel of industry experts using the following criteria:

1) General excellence and the author's passion for telling a good story.

2) The potential of the work to reach a wider audience.
Deadline submissions in each category must be postmarked by the close of business on April 25, 2011. Winners in each category will be notified by e - mail and on the web site. Please note that judges read and consider submissions on an ongoing basis, comparing early entries with later submissions at our meetings.
TO ENTER: Entry forms are available online at sanfranciscobookfestival.com or may be faxed/e - mailed to you. Please contact our office at 323 - 665 - 8080 for fax requests.


Review Site Seeks Science Fiction Columnist ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
If you are interested in this no pay but network - rich opportunity, contact the site master Brenda Weeaks at br_we@sbcglobal.net


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This is an example of one of my tweets: "FrugalBookPromo New trend? Borders will buy nonreturnable books from HarperStudio in return for a deeper discount." My tweets cover everything from news to more tips and resources, all in 140 characters or less. If you don’t want to tweet, at least follow me for more great tips. Make a profile page and invite me at www.twitter.com/frugalbookpromo. =================================================

From Carolyn’s Coming Memoir/NotACookbook

Here’s How I Don’t Cook—an abridged excerpt

Once I made a real dinner. Once.

Beef stroganoff. Brussels Sprouts a la Francaise. A great menu. The kids wouldn't eat it. My husband came home after it had become paper - in - a - pan.

After that I made simple stuff like mother made for me to eat on nights Dad was late. Cream tuna with canned peas on toast. Not toast points. Just toast.

When I made things like macaroni and cheese, I didn't hear Ohhhh, yuck. I didn't have to watch two kids push stuff around their plates with a fork. I don't make them eat what they don't like, but they have to try what they think they won’t like so they can experience a flavor before they decide against it. Take three bites, I say.

Once Erika was required to test Brussels sprouts. She thought she’d beat the game by swallowing them whole rather than chewing them. You know, avoid the flavor. The first was small. The whole thing went down easily. The second, too. She was bickering with Trenton, her younger brother. They had been playing that Don't Say - Everything - I - Say game. The third sprout—the smaller ones already having been selected and swallowed—lodged in her throat.

When she was good and red, I noticed. I slapped her back. The sprout surged across the table like a small cannonball, conked Trenton on his sweet, blonde, innocent head and bounced onto his plate. There it lay covered with phlegm, right in the middle of his mashed potatoes made with instant flakes and lots of butter.
Ewwwww. He crinkled his nose. Erika took only a minute, then regained her composure. This had turned out well for her. She had devised a clever way to follow the Three Bite Rule and win. Trenton was left with potato splatters on his shirt. His game of verbal torture was forgotten.

Once Erika helped out with the take - a - taste process. Trenton didn't want his cauliflower. She hated cauliflower, too. She saw her advantage. Cauliflower's OK, she said. It's only white carrots. Dear, sweet little four - year - old that he was, Trenton ate the cauliflower.

When they were teenagers, Trenton gave Erika a poster of carrots that had been dipped in white paint he found in a graphic art store. Erika accused him of touching up the carrots with White - Out.

My kids ate simple back - to - the - Intermountain West kind of food and when I tried anything fancier, they didn't eat it. Simple as that. My husband got to fix whatever he could scrounge when he came home. Sometimes I froze leftovers for him but creamed tuna doesn't freeze well. Actually, it doesn't freeze at all. The description of thawed creamed tuna is better left to the imagination.
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Watch for my memoir (Here's How I Don't Cook), now being shopped by super - agent Terrie Wolf. And keep your fingers crossed for her success. Please!


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The New Book Review is a f r ^ ^ service of this newsletter. It allows authors to get more exposure from their favorite review and reviewers a chance to have more readers see their reviews - - with links, of course. Please check the guidelines on the blog site at www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com.
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Carolyn's Appearances and Teaching
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Carolyn will chat with writers (yes! fiction writers, too!) on how to make Twitter work for them. The Catholic Online Writers’ Conference, March 27, 2011, at 10 am Pacific Time. Registration required but it’s free. Limited enrollment so do it now! ( - : http://www.catholicwritersconference.com/.

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Sign up to receive a copy of my Sharing with Writers blog in your e - mail box. It is a focused blog on all things related to writing and publishing. Go to www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com. Sign up in the left - hand column. Find related resources by scrolling to the bottom of the blog.
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Wordstuff ™

Something to Make Writers Smile
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(Fun with language from The Washington and other publications.)

Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a mosquito that gets into your bedroom at three in the morning and cannot be cast out.


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Essential Book and Record Keeping:

This is a place to share with others and learn from others.

Although I do attempt to verify information used within this newsletter's pages, Sharing with Writers does not guarantee entities or information. Subscribers should research resources.

To submit information articles, tips or other information, e - mail Carolyn at HoJoNews@aol.com. Please put "Submission: Sharing with Writers" in the subject line.

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Ordering Information:
Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't http://budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo
The e - book at http://starpublishllc.com/id43.html

The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success
http://budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor

The Great First Impression Book Proposal: Everything You Need To Know About Selling Your Book in 20 Minutes or Less,
E - book: https://www.createspace.com/3468136

Great Little Last - Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper - Perfect Copy
E - book: https://www.createspace.com/3422926

A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In - Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques http://budurl.com/RetailersGuide

To learn more about This Is the Place,
Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered, Tracings, and She Wore Emerald Then: www.carolynhoward - johnson.com.

She Wore Emerald Then: Reflections on Motherhood, a chapbook of poetry coauthored with Magdalena Ball. http://budurl.com/MotherChapbook

Tracings, a chapbook of poetry (Finishing Line Press)
www.budurl.com/CarolynsTracings

Contact Information
Websites:
http://carolynhoward - Johnson.com (literary)
http://HowToDoItFrugally.com (all things about writing)


Blogs:

http://www.SharingwithWriters.blogspot.com, a blog on all things publishing
http://www.TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com, all things grammatical and ungrammatical
http://www.TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog focused on YOUR reviews
http://www.TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com, a blog focused on editing, formatting and craft
http://www.WarPeaceTolerance.blogspot.com War. Peace. Tolerance. And Our Soldiers.