A Most Interesting Marketing Approach

Stephen and Janet Bly are putting together a rather innovative marketing promotion for Stephen's new book, One Step Over the Border. I'll be very interested to see how well their "Have You Seen My Juanita?" campaign does. The idea looks very promising. Check it out.

AUTHOR TAKES ON CHARACTER’S QUEST

Stephen Bly of Winchester, Idaho, award winning author of 100 books, has so gotten into his newest character’s life, that he’s caught up in the search to find Juanita, the girl of rodeo cowboy Hap Bowman’s dreams. “An idiot obsession,” Hap’s roping partner, Laramie, chides. But Hap and Steve keep looking anyway. And so does Bly’s family, friends and fans. He’s listed her description on the home page of www.OneStepOvertheBorder.com: raven dark hair, dark eyes, has a petite birthmark the shape of a horse’s head under her right ear. She lived in sight of the Rio Grande and spent time with 12-year-old Hap Bowman in Central Wyoming, summer of 1988 and is 31 years old now.

Bly’s hoping to see “Have you seen my Juanita?” signs pop up everywhere—on websites and message boards, in waiting rooms and bulletin boards, on car bumpers and t-shirts, at rest stops and stuck to magnetic surfaces. “Maybe we really will find her,” Bly says, “If so, she’ll be featured on our website for sure.”

One Step Over the Border is a romp, a road adventure. It's CowboyLit that has inspired a blog by Hap Bowman, a Juanita Sightings page, and an audio poetry reading. Bly’s three sons are working on a video for the site and they’ve gotten the whole family involved in the production. There’s even a free “Have You Seen My Juanita?” Search Kit ready to send to those who e-mail cowboy Hap at HapBowman@yahoo.com with their snail mail address.

Bly’s no stranger to getting heavily involved into his characters. In Paperback Writer a distracted detective rides along with his author, serving as alter ego and companion in troubles on the road. “Life imitates art, they say,” Bly muses. “I care so much for my characters I find it hard to let them go. But also my desire is for the reader to find their own real life discoveries, to be encouraged in their own struggles, by the vicarious ‘entering into’ the quests of my fictional characters.”

The story of Hap’s search to find his Juanita, in the book One Step Over the Border, releases June 2007, by Center Street/Hachette Book Group, USA. Pre-orders are now available through www.blybooks.com and soon will be via www.amazon.com or your favorite online bookstore.

Finally!

Nailing down a teenager isn't easy! I had the artiste look at your wonderful suggestions. Rachel's favorites are:

Blue Monday - suggested by Mir

Confliction - suggested by Robin

Rachel will keep these two in mind as she continues to discern the message within her painting. LOL! Thank you to everyone for the suggestions.

Looks like Mir, Lynn, and Alison get books. (Yes, decided I'd throw one more in there.) Ladies, send me your address info so I can get those out to you.

Hope you all are having a great weekend. I'm in computer transition again. Hubby got this brilliant idea to sell my G5 Powermac and my Titanium Powerbook to condense to a Macbook Pro. The best part will be having one computer and not having to switch back and forth since my larger monitor (which I need for my design work) can plug into the new laptop. So, if you are in the market for a used, computer let me know.

On the more interesting side, Betsy St. Armant has just sold a book to The Wild Rose Press. Isn't that great news? I'm thrilled to death for this cute dynamo of talent.

Congratulations, Betsy!!!

And finally, I'm happy to announce the completion of Manna Reign, my latest manuscript. I can't tell you how good it felt to ship that thing to my agent Friday. That book has taken over a year to write because of research and other detours to add or edit the other two books I've written. I think this new one might have a shot at wearing a book jacket. We'll see...

Name the Painting

This painting is my daughter's latest creation. Unfortunately, it lacks a title and darling daughter Rachel is asking for help coming up with one. So, just a little deviation from the normal fiction fun, we will make a contest out of naming her work of art.

So here's the fun. Leave comments with suggestions for titles. Hey, there's no pass or fail to this. Just have fun and tell us what you see. I will hold a drawing next Wednesday and two lucky people will win a book—either a signed copy of Brandilyn Collin's Violet Dawn or a copy of Janice Thompson's book The Wedding Caper.

Even if you don't want the books (be sure to let me know), leave suggestions. All ideas are welcome. I'll also announce if Rachel uses one of the titles. If one of the suggestions is chosen, that person just might receive a tasty surprise! So have fun!

CFBA Review: THE ELECTION

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is reviewing Jerome Teel's latest book, The Election..

ABOUT THE AUTHOR :
Jerome Teel is a graduate of Union University, where he received his JD, cum laude, from the Ole Miss School of Law. He is actively involved in his church, local charities, and youth sports.

He has always loved legal-suspense novels and is a political junkie. Jerome and his wife, Jennifer, have three children-Brittney, Trey, and Matthew-and reside in Tennessee, where he practices law and is at work on a new novel.

The book: THE ELECTION

They seek ultimate power.
Nothing can stand in their way.

Ed Burke has waited a lifetime to become president of the United States. He's not about to let his nemesis, Mac Foster, stop him now...especially when he's sold his soul for the Oval Office.

Claudia Duval has lived a rough life. And finally, things have turned around for her after meeting the wealthy Hudson Kinney. But is all what is seems?

When a prominent citizen is murdered in Jackson, Tennessee, attorney Jake Reed doesn't want to know the truth. He just wants to get his client off. But as he investigates, he uncovers a sinister scheme. A scheme that would undermine the very democracy of America...and the freedom of the entire world.

The Election, by Jerome Teel, is a fast-paced, highly readable mystery filled with suspense, intrigue, and political conspiracy. Teel skillfully weaves together themes of faith, family, suffering, and providence in a way that not only compels, but enlightens."

David S. Dockery-President, Union University

NEWS! NEWS! NEWS!

Hey there, fiction-freaks and all you other readers and writers. Here's some news for you:

Announcement #1: Dear friend and amazing crit partner, Robin Miller (Caroll) has sold her first book!

WAY TO GO, ROBIN! CONGRATULATIONS!!!

(The crowd roars! The stands are filled with the shouts and stamping of those who adore her, celebrating her new success!)

Robin is an amazing woman. All I can say is, "FINALLY!" She's worked so hard for this and her future publisher is lucky to have such an awesomely talented and hardworking author.


Announcement #2: Click here for Ted Dekker's Thr3e movie trailer. Can't wait to see this. The book is awesome and the movie looks like it will be great too. Should be out in January 2007.


Announcement #3: This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is posting about Karen Kingsbury's latest book, Like Dandelion Dust.

About the Author:
USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury is America's #1 inspirational novelist. There are nearly 5 million copies of her award-winning books in print, including more than two million copies sold in the past year. Karen has written more than 30 novels, nine of which have hit #1 on national lists, including award-winning Oceans Apart, One Tuesday Morning, Beyond Tuesday Morning, the Redemption Series and Firstborn Series, and several other bestsellers, one of which was the basis for a CBS Movie-of-the-Week and Gideon's Gift, which is currently in production as a major theatrical release for Christmas 2007.

Karen lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Don, and their six children, three of whom are adopted from Haiti.

About the Book:

A PEACEFUL TOWN...

AN IDYLLIC FAMILY...

A PHONE CALL THAT THREATENS THEM ALL.

Jack and Molly Campbell enjoyed an idyllic life (great house in a fancy neighborhood, high-paying job, and a beautiful little boy) in their small hometown outside Atlanta with their adopted 4-year-old, Joey. Then they receive the phone call that shatters their world: a social worker delivers the news that Joey's biological father has been released from prison and is ready to start lifeover with his son. (It's discovered that Joey's birth mother forged the signature of Joey's birth father, making it a fraudulent adoption.) When a judge rules that Joey must be returned to his father (a man who cannot separatee love and violence), the Campbells, in a silent haze of grief and utter disbelief, watch their son pick a dandelion and blow the feathery seeds into the wind.

Struggling with the dilemma of following the law, their hearts, and what they know to be morally right, the Campbells find that desperation leads to dangerous thoughts. What if they can devise a plan? Take Joey and simply disappear....LIKE DANDELION DUST.

Review by Mimi Pearson