As a writer, you’re bound to advertise your book online if you want it to sell well. However, it’s not that easy considering the thousands of other books competing for your target readers’ attention. To rise above the competition, you have to plan your marketing strategies. Below are seven tips on how to effectively […]

7 Tips to Effectively Promote Your Book Online — A Writer’s Path

First of all, thank you all for your wonderful support. I’m lucky to have such a group of awesome people in my life. I’m returning today with a post on a topic dear to my heart: writing content. 2020 has been hard on everyone. Lockdowns, restrictions, and the pandemic have accelerated the shift toward the […]

5 Steps for a Successful Content Marketing Strategy — Nicholas C. Rossis

on Just Publishing Advice: When you sit down to edit a book, you want to improve your story and your writing. It’s a good idea to do a thorough grammar and spell check before you start. You have a choice of plenty of premium and free grammar checkers to help you. But a grammar check […]

How To Edit A Book And Do It Right – by Derek Haines… — Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog

From Amazon:

When Donovan Walsh comforts his wife with the words, Níl aon suáilce gan a duáilce féin, there are no unmixed blessings in life, he had no way of knowing how quickly he would live those words. While visiting Ireland, Sugar and Van stay in a familiar place. A place filled with the ghosts and lies of his past.

Stumbling through the deception of his early life, Van waltzes dangerously close to losing his future. Will a voice from the past be the one to give him the answers, or will he find them in the blue eyes of his forever love?

My Review:

I just finished this truly amazing book! The writing superb, the story arcs with suspense, everything! If you need faith, hope, and love, read this book! God bless Mettner for helping so many other people. She is a true gem. Five stars. I hope to blog this book when well from #covid19

Shadow and Friends Costume Party

In the Shadow and Friends series, book 11 is a fun picture book about a costume party that brings all the neighborhood wildlife into the Schmidt family backyard for a fun costume party. The squirrels, Shadow, a small dog, and her boyfriend, Max were invited and so was the Rabbit family. Uncle Stubby’s son, Digger, was digging in his favorite area and he dug up a treasure chest full of costumes. They decided to have a costume party for all their friends and family. Digger’s mom and grandma created a beautiful castle garden in a fantasy forest in the Schmidt backyard! Stone walls and footbridges dotted the area and castle torches created a fantasy scene for the costume party. Since Digger found the treasure chest, he dressed as a pirate. They all wore different costumes, and Mr. Troll stopped by to visit. Costumes included a queen, a knight, two Ninja Turtles, Bo Peep, a Koala bear, a dragon, a skunk, and a real unicorn! Stubby and Cindy Mouse arrived in time for dancing, playing, and eating. All the animals were friendly and kind to each other. Children learn how Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt care for the wildlife roaming near their home. Lessons were learned in behavior, kindness, and taking care of wildlife.  

on MiblArt: This is your ultimate guide to book cover design. We mean it. Everything you need to know about book covers is right here. We’ll talk about book cover design ideas, principles, and elements.  You will learn about: the importance of a good book cover; techniques used in book cover design; book cover design […]

How to Design a Book Cover: The Only Guide You Need – by Helen Vdovychenko… — Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog

Congratulations! You’ve independently published your new book, and now it’s time to kick back and wait for the royalties to roll in. ​If only. For most of us, writing those eighty-thousand carefully crafted words feels like the easy part, after watching our Amazon sales rankings languish week after agonizing week. ​The problem is that while […]

Some Helpful Metrics for Indie Publishers – Guest Post by Joel Bresler… — Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog

on Smart Authors Lab: Your book is finally live on Amazon, congratulations! But now what? In this post I’m going to reveal the five things you must do once your book is live on Amazon. These will make sure it gets discovered and bought. Plus I have a bonus tip that you’re not going to want […]

5 Things to Do Once Your Book is on Amazon – by Belinda Griffin… — Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog

With the introduction of the Block editor, the WordPress.com Classic Editor was set for retirement at the beginning of June. We pushed that back a bit to make time for more changes that ease the transition to the Block editor — and now it’s time! With the new and improved Classic block, you have the […] […]

The Classic Editing Experience is Moving, Not Leaving — The WordPress.com Blog — AUACOLLAGE

Congratulations M. Schmidt & G. D. Donley!
“Sammy: Hero At Age Five”
is a 2020 Readers’ Favorite Honorable Mention in the Children – Social Issues genre!

Reviewed by Deborah Lloyd for Readers’ Favorite

Sammy, born the day before Easter in 1985, lived with his mother and brother Gene in a small town in Kansas. He lived the normal life of a little boy – riding his big wheels, playing with trucks, and running in the backyard. He loved the homegrown vegetables from his mother’s and Slim’s gardens. Slim was the man who lived next door and was like a member of the family. Then cancer arrived, changing their lives forever. Sammy shares the ups and downs of painful, scary treatments. He and his mother spent week after week in the children’s oncology unit at the hospital, several hours from home. Sammy was observant and knew when his mother had been praying or crying. He also became aware of Jesus’ presence and His help during difficult times. In the memoir, Sammy: Hero At Age 5, written by his mother and brother, M. Schmidt and G. D. Donley, the sad journey peppered with many joyful moments is shared.

One of the most intriguing aspects of this true-life story is that it is told from Sammy’s point of view. While written in the language of a five-year-old boy, the messages within his words are truly profound. The thoughts fit a little boy’s world – excitement in eating a popsicle; hoping his mother will marry again, and he will have a new father; a wish to go to Disney World. The writing is clear and concise, and the photographs add to the realistic nature of the story. M. Schmidt and G. D. Donley shared their story to help other children and families facing these kinds of diagnoses in this memoir. This is a touching and unforgettable book!