Pina Colada & Jane Austen Anyone?

You're not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy! 

Welcome to Whidbey Island Washington!!!

Whidbey Island is also the place my book series is set :-)

 

Here is what I'm giving away...

 - My soul - 

(no that's wrong! That was just for my offspring :-) 

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2 FREE copies of my ebook -  The Rejected Writers' Book Club (no purchase or medical history required just a happy comment!)

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1 - $15 Amazon Gift Card (to be spent frivolously by yourself) 

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All you have to do to enter the giveaway is leave me a comment under this post.

Welcome to the block party!!!

Have a seat, grab a drink!

Also, I have snacks!

Go on grab a snack - this picture of food is dairy-soy-nut-colerstrol-fat-gluten EVEN calorie free! 

I know, I know, we creative types sometimes find it hard to party when we would rather be delving into a new world or better still writing one. So as well as a snack grab yourself a miniature Jane Austin novel! Or did you bring your own book to read?

WELCOME to my little corner of the bloggerspeare!!!

Today will be the biggest gathering of people that my little blog home has ever hosted. I know this because I have a tracker on my site, a "You've Got People!"alarm, and that tells me most days that I'm the only person who visits. Well, that's not strictly true, I thought I had a stalker from California once until I realized that it is some sort of tracking bot from blogger to make sure my info goes out into the world. 

I have nicknamed her Calbot and enjoy her reassuring presence telling me she will always be here! And I guess Calbot and I have been here over 8'000 times in the last six years! 

Here's a picture of Calbot, she's cute don't you think!

Everyday I'd pour her and a cup of tea, and ask her how things were going  in her life, I noticed she was kind of quiet on the subject, until I realized she didn't have one! And I thought I didn't get out much. 

If you are visiting me for the first time, (cough, cough, of course you are), let me introduce myself, my name is Suzanne Kelman and I write, what I loving refer to as, "a lot of old nonsense" that people buy.  I have been writing humor (or 'trying to' if you believe my one-star reviews) for about 7 years now, and I have had my ups and downs, as writing humor can be a very serious business!

Here is a picture of me looking very fancy-smancy, right after this picture was taken my scarf blew off! 

PS I don't look anything like this most days I'm usually a lot less shiny, shuffling around in PJ's, muttering about a deadline.

My first book the Rejected Writers Book Club, went out into the world by accident, ( I really must stop pressing "send" when I'm on Createspace) I wrote it for fun, about celebrating being rejected as a writer instead of feeling bad about it. 

HERE IS THE LINK TO THIS BOOK: 

http://amzn.to/2oWJ5QO 

Synopsis

Librarian Janet Johnson is puzzled when she is invited—and practically dragged—to her first meeting of the Rejected Writers’ Book Club. This quirky group of women would much rather celebrate one another’s rejected manuscripts over cups of tea and slices of lemon cake than actually publish a book. 

But good friends are exactly what Janet needs after moving to the small town of Southlea Bay, Washington. 

Just as the ladies are about to raise a teacup to their five hundredth rejection letter, they receive bad news that could destroy one member’s reputation—and disband the group forever. 

To save the club, Janet joins her fellow writers on a wild road trip to San Francisco in search of the local publisher who holds the key to a long-buried secret. As they race to the finish line, they’ll face their fears—landslides, haunted houses, handsome strangers, ungrateful children—and have the time of their lives.

The Story behind the Story behind the... You know what I mean... 

The Rejected Writers Book Club was inspired by an experience I had ten years ago. 

I was at a book signing at the library and the author started his presentation by opening a plastic store bag and emptying all his rejection letters from publishers onto the table. He explained he wanted to illustrate his writers journey.  

As we watched in horror the cavalcade of official letters pouring forth there was a collective in-breath of shock, all about the library bookshelves (all the way back to handicrafts.) As this is the writers equivalent of emptying your dirty underwear out in a public building. 

But interesting enough, once the cat, or as in this case the rejections, were out of the bag, there was the collective out-breath of relief - yes everyone has experienced rejection and everyone has underwear. 

Some of us choose not to wear it of course, especially our bra's, after 6pm. A time in our house known as 'Dinner and a Show"when I dazzle my son each night by producing a bra from up my sleeve! 

But rejection is also a part of a writers life as much as anything else. Whether it's a publisher or even a bad review. So, this idea intrigued me and I realized we should be celebrating our rejections like scars they are all stepping stones on our writers journey, and what doesn't kill you will make you stronger, right! 

And that's how my book was born.   

The Rejected Writers Book Club is about a quirky group of gals that get together once a month to celebrate their rejection from publishers in style. With tea and cake and collecting them in a large book. Things are going dandy until an expected event puts the group in peril and they have to go off on a crazy, madcap cross-country adventure to save the club. 

My book went out into the world in 2015 and got uncovered from under a rock by a publisher that offered me money.  I know who knew books could make money? And now there it sits, or parties, like a rebellious step-child next to much more important books at my Lake Union Publishers. 

So, all this is to say, I'm a Pindy, a published Indie, who will always be a full Indie at heart, and LOVES to support the Indie community. 

I also have a podcast for Indie/traditional  authors called 'Writing Publishing and Beyond" hosted by Blondie and the Brit (I'm the Brit)

Here is link: http://blondieandbrit.podbean.com

We have interviewed over 80 amazing authors, many Indies, about writing, publishing and marketing, feel free to shuffle over there, too, for some great interview and quite a few laughs!

Anyway, my second book is due out in June, the same crazy gals are taking to the stage, because being rejected by publishers just wasn't publicly humiliating enough, and it will be out June 6th. Yes, for all you history buffs that was D-day and I'm planning on "storming" the bookshelves. 

Here is a link if you're interested in my next lot of old nonsense! 

http://amzn.to/2piKG2F

Synopsis:

After months of playing the lottery and hoping for an uptick in her dog-boarding business, Janet’s friend Annie must face the inevitable: the bank is foreclosing on her family farm. But thanks to the Rejected Writers’ Book Club, Annie doesn’t have to face it alone because Doris has another crazy plan!

In a moment of inspiration, their fearless leader declares a solution: a musical extravaganza. Flora, who has never sung a note in her life, will play the lead, supported by a group of baby boomers with two left feet.  Janet will be their reluctant director along with a hypochondriac costume designer, a pyrotechnics enthusiast, and Janet’s very pregnant daughter pitching in—what could possibly go wrong?

PS if you are a book reviewer and like reviewing lots of old nonsense, I have Free, yes, I said Free, ARC's of this book all shiny and ready for you to read! Just let me know in the comments below! 

The first page of Rejected Writers Take the Stage

Thank you for popping by Kelman and Calbot are SO glad you did!