IN THIS ISSUE:
My monthly column update
Romance Happenings
Q & A Time


Happy Harvest Time... and Happy Halloween, too!

Fall has finally arrived and not a moment too soon. The ivy plants out front in our newly extended flower box have been wilting in the unusually dry late summer heat here in central Missouri. You’d think after living almost a decade and a half in the deserts of West Texas I’d be accustomed to drought, wouldn’t you? Well, I am, but I don’t think our poor yard here in St. Louis is!

But the weather was simply gorgeous this past Saturday for the “America’s Walk for Literacy.” The “walk” took place in beautiful Tower Grove Park. I and several other area authors participated in the event by selling and signing our books and talking to folks about literacy issues. Along those lines, I want to give a warm welcome to all the newcomers to my email newsletter who signed up at the walk. Thanks for your interest—and a big thanks for helping to promote literacy in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Now, you might be asking yourself, “What’s on her mind this month?” Even if you aren’t asking yourself that question, I’ll tell you anyway! Just click on the direct link below to read my “Every Day IS Mother’s Day” column, “When News Was News and Entertainment Was…?”

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/cynthianna/momsday_index.html

(You may have to copy and paste the above URL into your web browser to get the link to work.)

My column is still featured in Miscellaneous Ramblings ezine, but “MR” has evolved into an e-newsletter such as this one. If you’d like to receive this warm and witty monthly e-newsletter that features my column along with other funny, fascinating essays, hop on over to editor Jeanni Brosius’ web site and sign up for it today.

http://www.jeannibrosius.com/miscramblings.html

And, as always, I appreciate your comments.

Jeanni ran a column I wrote about 9-11, “Summer’s Over”, in a special edition of Miscellaneous Ramblings and I received some very nice comments from Joanna B.: “Thanks for a great story.” Thanks for emailing me, Joanna.

Also, Nelda L. emailed me to say how much she enjoyed September’s MR offering: “(I) Thoroughly enjoyed ‘Never Trust Anyone Under Thirty.’ It really hits the spot!”

Thanks, Nelda, for making my day. I hope all you under thirties out there realized I was only joking about the tattoos and belly piercings causing brain damage… You did take it as a joke, didn’t you? Please put those tomatoes down…

ROMANCE HAPPENINGS

When is my next romance novel coming out, you ask? I’d like an answer to that question myself! I’m still waiting to hear back from an editor or two in New York. I did receive an unexpected request for a partial manuscript (that’s the first three chapters and synopsis of a book) from a NYC big-name publisher at the end of last month and I hurriedly got that package together to send out... Now I have to sit and wait for word from them that they want to read the rest of it. Keep your fingers crossed! While you’re at it, wish me luck that my story, BEAUTIFUL DREAMER, will be picked up by Dorchester Publishing soon. I’m expecting either a phone call (yeah!) or a rejection letter (boo-hiss!) any day now… Okay, any month now. :)

On the plus side, my current romance releases are getting “about town” these days. It’s very difficult (read: “next to impossible”) to get a small press book onto the shelves of a big chain bookstore, but I’ve managed to get several copies of COUNTRY BOY, CITY GIRL onto the shelves at my local Barnes and Noble bookstore. A few other small independent bookstores in the St. Louis area may take it on as well and use it in a display to advertise local romance authors. I’m always amazed when people are surprised to discover that writers actually live in their own town. Some think all writers live in either New York or Los Angeles, and we know that’s not true! :)

At this rate, I don’t expect my books to make the New York Times best-seller list anytime soon, but it’s nice to at least get your book out there in the public’s eye. I keep forgetting that not everyone in the world is addicted to the Internet like I am, and not everyone likes to order books online. To this end, if you are interested in purchasing an autographed copy of either one of my novels, please send me an email request at cynthianna@hotmail.com . If you do like ordering online from Amazon, just click on the direct links below:

COUNTRY BOY, CITY GIRL (ISBN 1-58851-918-X) Publish America Inc. (trade paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/158851918X/qid%3D/002-6033692-2832836

THE FIXER-UPPERS (ISBN 1-59088-984-3) Wings ePress (trade paperback and electronic editions)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1590889843/qid=1006548284/sr=1-6/ref=sr_1_10_6/103-8760945-2902229

Q & A TIME

Q: How did your “contest” turn out last month?

A: I’m not sure… I guess I don’t have this contest thing down to an exact science yet! Let’s try it again, shall we? :)

The first person to get ten or more of his or her friends sign up to my newsletter this month and then send me an email listing their friends' names and email addresses (so I can verify that they did sign up) will win a copy of one of my novels--COUNTRY BOY, CITY GIRL or THE FIXER-UPPERS. Is that pretty clear on the rules, you think? Okay, on your marks… get set… GO!

If you have a question--any question, related to writing, romance writing, publishing or whatever--email me at cynthianna@hotmail.com.(Do not hit "reply" to this newsletter--your email will bounce.) Results guaranteed or double your money back.

Until next time--God’s blessings always!

Cindy
aka Cynthianna Appel
MY WEB SITE: http://pages.sbcglobal.net/cynthianna

P.S. Feel free to forward this newsletter on to an email friend or ten. You'll be glad you did.

P.P.S. If you need a little cheering up, click on
http://www.qnet.com/~pontius//smile/smilelmp_1[1].htm and you’ll be sure to smile!