And the Ripple the Twine Tour Comes to a Close

First and foremost I need to send a HUGE thanks out to Samantha at Chick Lit Plus for organizing and running a super successful virtual tour! Without her expertise I never would have been able to pull this off. I hope you know how excited I was to go on this tour Samantha and I thank you tremendously for doing all you could to make every stop happen on time and on track. I had a BLAST and will definitely hire you again!

The end of the tour comes with two awesomesauce giveaways!

Enter to win a copy of the paperback novel Ripple the Twine on Lost in Literature

Enter to win a copy of the paperback novel Ripple the Twine on Chick Lit Plus

Lost in Literature contest ends tomorrow (Thursday August 30, 2012), CLP ends TODAY! (Hopefully it’s not too late, if it is I apologize)

Thanks again to Samantha and to all the bloggers who read then reviewed and posted about my book. As an Indie Author I am amazed at the level of support out there for what we do. I might still write even if I didn’t have a single reader but it sure wouldn’t be as much fun if I didn’t get to promote other people along the way (especially bloggers seeing as though that’s where I got my start in self-publishing!). You’ve all been wonderful to connect with, to read and to follow and I’m really touched to have had so many of you respond positively to my debut novel Ripple the Twine!

If you would like to purchase a copy of my book please visit my Lulu Storefront

I’ll be taking a break from the blog tomorrow but will be back on Friday to share some info about my upcoming Romantic Adventure novella so enjoy the day off (I know I will heehee) and I’ll see you all on Friday!

Ripple the Twine Tour Starting to Wind Down

But it isn’t over yet! Today’s Tour stop comes from Lisa at Lost in Literature. She was kind enough to post a bio and synopsis of my book in addition to a review in which she gave Ripple the Twine FOUR STARS! Woo hoo!

I’d like to share a somewhat funny story about sending my book out to Lisa. I had purchased a new style of envelope for mailing out these review copies. The envelopes are awesome because they’re 95% recycled content, 65% of which is post-consumer, and they’re really super rigid so I know they’ll protect the books well. Everyone’s book arrived protected and inside their envelope except Lisa’s!!

Considering the blog’s title is Lost in Literature and the book seemed to disappear in the mail I was shaking my head at the irony of it all. Anyway, I chuckled and sent her out another copy.

Thankfully I did! Lisa said"Ripple the Twine is a light, quick read that I thoroughly loved from beginning to end."

I appreciate the opportunity for Ripple the Twine to be featured on Lost in Literature today Lisa!

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One quick thing I’d like to address in Lisa’s review however is in regards to the cover. It may appear that these items were Photoshopped together but that isn’t the case at all. This photo shoot was set up by my mom, Judi FitzPatrick Studio, at my sister’s apartment. The shoes are mine & puck belonged to a colleague of my sister. The still life scene was shot in multiple angles at it sat on a coffee table, shrouded in a “green screen”, out on my sister’s front balcony. Although the perspective might look off I assure you, that heel is on the puck and toe was on the table!

Ripple the Twine Brings Out the Sports Love on Tour

One of the stops I was most excited about sending a copy of Ripple the Twine out to was Jersey Girl Book Reviews. Run by Kathleen she loves to read and is a big supporter of Indie Authors, like me!

As a sports girl from Boston there’s no doubt I’m going to have a love for the Bruins and the Red Sox. And anyone who has read my book knows that Sara is also a lover of the Beantown sports teams. I sent my book off to Kathleen with fingers crossed that she wasn’t a Yankees fan (but truthfully I knew better, I know how and where loyalties lie in the northeast!). But she was totally professional when reviewing the book…despite her love for a couple of Boston’s biggest rivals.

Not only did Kathleen give me a great review but she was gracious enough to allow me to post about how my love of Boston sports helped me shape Ripple the Twine in my Guest Post: “How Boston Sports Love Helped Me Write My First Novel”. With a mention of the Yankees and the Flyers as being two of her top teams, I have to thank Jersey Girl Book Reviews for allowing my Boston-ness to reign supreme on her blog today. (heehee)

And not only that but I have to thank her for such a glowing review! Kathleen really understood the characters and their motivations. She says:

“The author does a wonderful job of bringing the characters to life with their individual stories, their strong bond of friendship, as well as their dialogues and interactions, it made the story that much more of an entertaining and compelling read.”

Her entire review of the book was more than I could’ve asked for! Please check out the review and leave a comment on Jersey Girl Book Reviews!

Kathleen also features Authors who want to be reviewed but aren’t part of a tour. Have a book? Want a review? Check her sidebar for details.

Today’s Ripple the Twine Tour Stop Goes Back

I’m finding it hard to believe how fast this Blog Book Tour has cruised by. It’s already day twelve and I have no idea where the time went!  Today my tour finally makes its way to Chick Lit Plus the owner, organizer and promotional guru who has made my Tour so successful!

Chick Lit Plus is run by Samantha March (I was over at her place with Ripple the Twine this past Tuesday) and for anyone who has written a book within the genres she handles I cannot stress enough how much I’ve enjoyed this Tour as organized by her! If you’re looking for marketing help with getting your own tour she’s your gal! Gotta thank you Samantha, this experience has been a blast.

But today she’s wearing the hat of reviewer on Chick Lit Plus, sharing her impressions of Ripple the Twine in general, as well as the overall character, story and structure.

Please take a minute to check out the review and thank Samantha not only for the review, but for being so cool to organize this Tour plus give me feedback on my book!

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It’s hard to believe the Tour is only a few days away from complete. Where did the time go? I’ve been having so much fun meeting new bloggers & connecting.

Of course it’s that old double edge – my proverbial laundry has started to pile up so I’ll be excited to get “home” again, but the fun connection blitz ends when the Tour ends so meeting new people will take a backseat to writing and editing my new project.

Details on my Romantic Adventure novella – Work In Progress – to follow next week!

The Blog Tour Continues for Ripple the Twine and another GIVEAWAY!

As I mentioned yesterday, today’s stop allowed me to sleep in a little later because I stuck around overnight at Change the Word! It felt nice not having to race around to get Ripple the Twine to another destination. Plus I was just happy that I could leave my bed unmade and toothbrush on the side of the sink for the night.

All this travel could wear a person down if they aren’t careful!

Today I share a Guest Post “Listening to Inspiration to Find Your Character’s Voice” and share what it was that kept me motivated to work on Ripple the Twine every day. I hope you have a chance to read my post on Change the Word and leave a comment.

Anyone who comments on the post today or on yesterday’s review post will be automatically entered to win a free copy of the book! Woo hoo!

So please enter to win by stopping by Laura’s place and thanking her for her gracious hospitality in hosting me and my novel for two full days. Tell your friends, tell your co-workers, tell the nice lady at the grocery store…just spread the word about the giveaway, enter, and get winning!

Ripple the Twine Blog Tour Heads to the Midwest

Today’s stop on the two week whirlwind Blog Tour takes Ripple the Twine all the way to Lincoln, Nebraska  for a review on Change the Word, run by the spunky and sweet Laura. I was thrilled to learn how much we have in common – we’re both two-time NaNoWriMo winners (woo hoo for Wrimos!), we both enjoy sports, and we’re both hard at work on our third manuscript. How cool is that? Very…but not as cool as it was for this Indie Author to read her review of my first novel!

Laura gave Ripple the Twine four out of five stars and said that I had “Well-developed, realistic characters with relatable issues” which was cool to hear as that’s exactly what I was going for when writing it. She also gave me about the hugest compliment in the world by saying “Ripple the Twine is a solid debut fiction novel. I look forward to seeing Flynn-Shon's future projects.”

Wowza, thanks so much for the solid review on Change the Word Laura, I’m pretty much going to be doing my own version of the touchdown dance for the rest of the day after reading it!

Please check out my review on Change the Word and leave a comment then poke around Laura’s blog, and follow her on social media (see Contact page for details). If you have a book you’d like reviewed she also has info on that so get cracking writers and get your books out!

I’ll be sticking around Laura’s abode for a couple days, she’s let me share some space at her place overnight, and I have a guest post going up tomorrow. Come on back & hang with us at CtW again on Thursday. I’ll get the link out tomorrow morning.

Thanks for the rave Laura, I greatly appreciate it, but most important for an Indie Author is that people read and review it at all so I’m doubly thanking you for taking the time to do just that!

UPDATE

Ripple the Twine is currently sold in print format but is due to hit the virtual shelves as an eBook in the fall of 2012. Details to follow after the CLP Blog Tour wraps up so stick around!

In the meantime you can go and check out my book on:

Goodreads

Lulu

Amazon

Etsy

Happy reading everyone!

Ripple the Twine Blog Tour Next Stop…

Samantha March is hosting me over at her fun blog today as the Ripple the Twine train pulls into the next station! I was lucky enough to be interviewed by Samantha for today’s post and I must say, her questions really made me stop to think. I appreciate being able to dig a little deeper inside to answer her questions honestly.

As the owner and operator of the blog Chick Lit Plus – the organizer of this wild ride of a Blog Tour I’m on right now – Samantha has been AH-mazing! She’s super friendly & sweet, incredibly organized and works hard to make a Blog Tour the best it can be! When she suggested that I could be featured on her blog too I was thrilled!

Be sure to check out the post and leave Samantha some love. I would like to thank her profusely for doing such a great job with organizing and promoting my Tour and for featuring my interview and excerpt on her own blog today. You rock Samantha, thanks!

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The giveaway for Ripple the Twine on Every Free Chance Book Reviews is now closed. Want to know who the winner is? Was it you? Click the link to discover who won a copy of my first novel!

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Are you thinking about buying a copy of Ripple the Twine but want to spend a little less than cover price? Well this is your lucky week! Just click anywhere my title appears in bold throughout this post and you’ll be taken to my Lulu storefront.

Use the following codes (case sensitive) and save some moolah:

PADDLE – will give you 15% off any order

ROW – will give you 25% off orders of $500 or more

After you pick up a copy of Ripple the Twine why not check out some other Indie Authors? Books make terrific gifts for yourself and others!

Ripple the Twine Blog Tour Continues

You all remember Books Etc. right? The blog is run by Kaley and she posted a wonderful review of Ripple the Twine this past Wednesday. Well Kaley has me back today with a Guest Post - Why Self-Publishing Fit with My First Novel. Thanks so much!

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to share a bit about my experience in self-publishing and the steps it took for Ripple the Twine to be shaped into a finished product. My sights were first set on traditional publishing. It didn’t work out and after a while I decided that all I really wanted was to have the book released into the world. Self-publishing was right for me and right for Ripple the Twine.

Stop on over today to Books Etc. to read the rest of the story about the journey Ripple the Twine took from written to released! 

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Don’t forget you can still enter the GIVEAWAY on Every Free Chance Book Reviews to win a copy of Ripple the Twine in paperback! Already have a copy? Who cares! Give this one to a friend, family member, donate it to a charitable organization, wherever. Just ENTER TO WIN TODAY! Ends Monday August 20, 2012!

Also, Chrissy was kind and generous enough to post her review on my Amazon page. Check it out, how cool! That was a surprise to discover yesterday, and a VERY pleasant one at that! Thanks! Indie Authors need reviews on sites like Amazon to bloster their ratings position and I couldn't be more grateful to Chrissy for taking the time to post hers. Every little bit helps!

Ripple the Twine Blog Tour Day Four

I’d love to thank Nikki at Storm Goddess Book Reviews & More for giving 3.5 Lightning Bolts to Ripple the Twine! Lightning is, for lack of a better word, awesome. That many bolts on my first novel kind of make me want to do the happy dance right now! I may not stop using exclamation points all day long!

Storm Goddess Book Reviews & More has also featured the synopsis, bio, and links to all my online homes. I was particularly excited to read the review because Nikki’s profile indicates she lives in Phoenix. Me too! Of course with a book based in Boston it was important that Ripple the Twine still resonate in other geographic areas.

Please take a minute and check out today’s Tour stop to see how my book stacks up.

Thanks again Nikki!

Day Three Ripple the Twine Book Tour

Today's stop on my Chick Lit Plus Blog Book Tour is to the wonderful Kaley at Books Etc. She's is working her reviewing muscle for Ripple the Twine today, and what a great review! Please take a minute to check out her candid feedback.

Now, some of you might think I’m crazy for saying that Kaley’s review is "great". There were a few places where she struggled with my writing, particularly narrative versus dialogue, etc. But these are the things I need to hear in order to improve as an Author! So I’m thanking Kaley for sharing where there might be issues, how to tighten up my novels, and will certainly make use of her advice in the future.

Please stop on over to Books Etc. and leave a comment of thanks on her review for Ripple the Twine or any of the other fantastic posts on her blog.

Aside from the critique, Kaley seemed to really enjoy the book. Hooray! All the positive response I’m getting for Sara and her friends makes me so happy! This was a story I had to tell and as my first novel I’m just so grateful its getting the happy vibes and healthy critique that I’ve seen so far.

Thanks for checking out Ripple the Twine Kaley, I am so excited for the review!

Hope everyone has a chance to get over and leave some love at Books Etc. She’s got some amazing books and Authors featured over there, go check it out and maybe discover a brand new Author.  Speaking of features…I’ll be featured again at this blog this Saturday with a Guest Post (link to follow). Awesome and thanks again to Kaley!

Day Two Ripple the Twine Blog Tour with Giveaway

Today, Ripple the Twine is featured over on the awesome blog Every Free Chance Book Reviews. EFCBR is run by Chrissy, a mom who pretty much spends all her free time reading.

Okay, well maybe not all her free time because there are quite a few reviews of great books on her site as well!

Every Free Chance was gracious enough to interview me for her blog in addition to completing a review (she said she didn’t want to put it down and really enjoyed it woo hoo!). I really enjoyed answering her interview questions, they were thought provoking and the first interview I’ve done for Ripple the Twine! Yea!

If you take the time to read through the interview and review, plus a little excerpt to whet the appetite, you can enter the giveaway right there at the bottom of the post. The giveaway will run for a week so get your entries in and maybe you’ll be the winner of my first book!

Happy reading, happy entering and don’t forget to give Chrissy a big high five for being such a great host today!  Thanks for the feature and for hosting the giveaway!

Ripple the Twine Starts A Two Week Tour With CLP Blog Tours

Thanks to Chick Lit Plus Blog Tours, my first novel Ripple the Twine, is on a Blog Book Tour starting this morning and wrapping up in two weeks on the 27th.

The first stop is at Shelly Bell Books where I was fortunate enough to have an excerpt, bio, synopsis, Guest Post and a review featured. Not to mention she shared my links as well and, though short, I was thrilled with her review...my first outside of family and friends and it was positive. Woo hoo!

Holy shnikeys, Shelly do I ever appreciate your generosity in hosting me and Ripple the Twine on your blog today!

Pulling together the posts and bits and pieces for this Tour was a blast! As a first timer to virtual Book Tours I was thrilled with the professionalism and dedication to a successful tour. Working with Samantha was fantastic and easy. She answered all my questions with a can-do, no worries attitude. Samantha is laid back but enthusiastic about all her Authors going on tour. If you have a Chick-Lit, Women's Fiction, Mystery/Suspense, Romance, Paranormal, YA or historical Fiction book and are interested in going on tour I highly recommend contacting Samantha right now.

The schedule for my two week tour will be updated daily with links to each of the blogger posts. Shelly Bell Books has provided a wonderfully comfortable home for today, I'm so glad to have had the chance to swing through!

My Guest Post, Writing to Music, is included just below my bio.

I'll be updating the Ripple the Twine Blog Tour 2012 tab daily with links to each of the tour stops (under Writesy Press banner).

Please swing by Shelly Bell Books and check out my Guest Post then leave her some love. Her reviews are short and sweet but she's featured some amazing Authors and I'm thrilled and honored to be included among them!